Mt. Hood National Forest Christmas tree permits are now available online at recreation.gov and at a number of local vendors. Permits cost $5 per tree with a limit of five per household, while those purchased online are charged an additional $2.50 service fee per purchase. Trees can be as tall as 15 feet and must grow within 12 feet of another tree. Cutting trees is prohibited along all highways, in designated wildernesses, in the Bull Run and The Dalles Watersheds, within active timber sales, and other areas closed to public entry. Permits purchased online at Recreation.gov must be printed and displayed on the vehicle dashboard to be valid. Recreation.gov charges an additional $2.50 service fee per purchase. Fourth-grade students with an “Every Kid Outdoors” pass are eligible for one free Christmas tree. Students can get their free permit online at Recreation.gov or by bringing their pass or voucher to a district office. Local venders include Dufur Market, Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River and The Dalles, and The Way Station in Tygh Valley, along with the Hood River Ranger District office in Parkdale and the Barlow Ranger District office in Dufur.
Author: mbailey
Report Finds Project Turnkey Is Working
A recent report by Portland State University researchers found Oregon’s Project Turnkey that allowed communities to buy local motels and convert them into emergency shelters is proving effective. According to the researchers, typical emergency shelters have guests share a large common sleeping area, require them to leave during the day and only stay in the shelter for 30 days or less. But Turnkey sites allow guests to stay in private rooms, gives them access to various services, and allows them to stay for longer periods of time. Mid-Columbia Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint says it provides their clients dignity, and that is a big step to finding permanent solutions. LaPoint adds the ability to impact people’s hearts and change their aspirations for the future is where change occurs.
Public Meeting On Wasco County Code Compliance Ordinance Tuesday
A public meeting outlining proposed updates to Wasco County’s Code Compliance Ordinance will be held on Tuesday evening. Earlier proposals around the enforcement and abatement portion of the ordinance had caused some concern from citizens, and led to County Commissioners asking the planning department to revisit the subject. Community Development Director Kelly Howsley-Glover stresses the nuisance portion of the ordinance is a small portion of it. She notes the bulk of nuisance complaints come from more densely populated areas rather than farmland, and enforcement is complaint-driven. The meeting will be Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Planning-Public Works Conference Room on 2705 East 2nd in The Dalles, and it can be attended virtually. Go to wascocounty.org for log-in details and to review the proposed changes.
Hood River County Seeks Comment On Hazards Management Plan
Hood River County Emergency Management is taking public comment on an update of its Natural Hazards Management Plan. A number of different agencies took part in developing the plan, which outlines community risk for natural hazards and actions local agencies could take to reduce those risks before the next wildfire, winter storm, and earthquake. County Emergency Manager Charles Young told County Commissioners two new hazards were added to the plan’s priority list: extreme heat and air quality relating to smoke. He adds this report is about mitigating the impacts of these hazards, not the emergency response itself. Details of the plan are available at hoodriversheriff.com. Comments received before December 5 will be integrated into the plan.
LaNina Expected To Drive Up Heating Bills
La Niña is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon – and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of major price hikes for Pacific Power and P-G-E, with rates up by 40-percent from four years ago. One report finds nearly half of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills – and last winter, a January ice storm and rate hikes saw power shut off for a record number of Oregon households due to lack of payment. Jami Seymoure with Energy Trust of Oregon says this winter, one way to save on energy bills is to lower the thermostat at night. Seymour recommends setting the thermostat to around 67 degrees during the day and about 59 at night. If you have a heat pump, don’t change the temperature more than a few degrees either way for maximum efficiency. One source of energy loss people may overlook is the air filter. Seymoure recommends changing it about every three months, or every time the season changes.
Rescue Crews Bring Injured Hiker Down From Beacon Rock
Rescue crews in Skamania County were able to bring a hiker on Beacon Rock with a debilitating ankle injury to safety on Tuesday. According to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, rescuers made an arduous trek down the top of Beacon Rock with the patient, who was safely transported to an awaiting Skamania County Emergency Medical Services ambulance, which transported him to the hospital for further treatment. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by volunteers from Skamania County Search and Rescue, Skamania County Fire District 5, and North Bonneville Fire Department.
NCPHD Unveils Tobacco Cessation Videos
North Central Public Health District is introducing three short videos that highlights its free, in-person tobacco cessation counseling program. The videos feature NCPHD’s certified tobacco treatment specialist Jane Palmer and one of her clients who successfully quit a vaping habit that was starting to cause health problems even though he’s only in his 30s. NCPHD offers free nicotine patches, gum and lozenges to anyone 18 and older in Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties who signs up for cessation services. Palmer has been the tobacco treatment specialist for NCPHD since the free service began in early 2023. The videos can be found at ncphd.org, and the district’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Sign up for the free cessation service by visiting ncphd.org or calling (541) 506-2609.
WAGAP Gets Funding Jump From Area Banks
Washington Gorge Action Programs says it received $35,000 in early annual fundraising donations this month from two local banks to jump-start its end-of-year fundraising campaign. 1st Security Bank donated $7,500 each to the Bingen and Goldendale Food Banks for a total of $15,000, and First Interstate Bank presented $20,000 to WAGAP’s main office in Bingen to support its discretionary fund. WAGAP has a goal of raising $100,000 in local contributions through the end of January. The nonprofit serves low-income individuals and families in Skamania and Klickitat counties with various programs, including food, shelter, housing, energy assistance, care coordination, and more. The organization’s giving campaign season will officially kick off during Thanksgiving week. In addition to financial contributions, Coats for Kids is underway through December for new and like-new coats to be donated for children on both sides of the Columbia River and is arranged in collaboration with area partners including Insitu, The Next Door, Inc., and Mid-Columbia Community Action Council.
CGCC Moves Into Project Planning After Bond Approval
With passage of a $13 million 13-year bond in hand, Columbia Gorge Community College is moving into planning for projects to improve campus security, classrooms, labs, and technology upgrades at its campuses in The Dalles and Hood River. CGCC is making plans to move forward with the projects in its Facilities Master Plan to provide safety, seismic, and technology infrastructure. With facility improvements in the works, college officials say they can now take the next steps on developing new programs to meet the needs of an evolving regional economy. CGCC Vice President of Instructional Services Dr. Jarett Gilbert says they have Agricultural Technology and Behavioral Health programs under development. He adds both are being put together in response to workforce shortages and input from industry and economic development agencies in the Gorge. With passage of the bond measure, CGCC becomes eligible for $5.5 million in state matching funds.
Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps Starts Coat & Blanket Drive
The Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps has launched its annual blanket/coat drive, with three convenient drop-off locations, and will continue collecting items through February. The drive benefits St. Vincent de Paul and other local agencies, with donations of warm blankets, adult-sized coats, and socks accepted. All items must be new, or gently used, washed and in good condition. The three drop-off locations are the North Central Public Health District office at 419 East 7th Street from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays…La Michoacana on 1210 Kelly Avenue from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week…and Grocery Outlet on 1300 West 6th Street from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps is a volunteer program of North Central Public Health District, and has held an annual blanket drive for the last ten years.