Hood River city officials will take some time before deciding what steps they will take in response to Wednesday’s Oregon Court of Appeals decision to reverse and remand an Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals decision that originally upheld the City’s rezoning of Morrison Park for affordable housing,  In a statement issued Thursday, the City indicated it has several legal options, and City Councilors, staff, and legal counsel will review them over the next few weeks before deciding on a course of action  In the statement Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn said he was disappointed by the ruling, adding it will now be a longer wait to build an “important source of affordable housing.”  Susan Garrett Crowley, who had appealed the City’s decision, said in a statement she hoped the City will now protect Morrison Park and its other parks.

Two Goldendale residents died in a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 84 near Baker City on Wednesday.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation showed that a pickup pulling a trailer driven by 65-year-old Eugene Rowley of Goldendale was westbound on I-84 near milepost 301 and was passing a commercial semi-truck operated by 58-year-old Alexandr Ciubuc of Tumwater when the two vehicles collided, went through the median, and came to rest adjacent to the eastbound lanes.  The OSP says Rowley and his passenger, 63-year-old Ellen Rowley, were pronounced deceased at the scene.  Ciubuc was transported to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City with non-life threatening injuries.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area plans to conduct prescribed burns in the eastern Gorge this fall and winter.  This year’s activities will focus on select areas in Klickitat County east of Bingen and White Salmon, generally between Courtney Road and Tracy Hill.   Both underburns and pile burning are planned between mid-September to January as part of an ongoing fire fuels management program.  The actual times of the burns will be selected based on weather and wind factors, and only on days when the Washington State Smoke Management Office approves that weather conditions will aid in smoke dispersal.  Once specific dates for burning are confirmed, details will be posted on the Scenic Area’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  Those with asthma can request to be on a special call list for advance notifications by contacting the National Scenic Area office at 541-308-1700.

Billed as Hood River’s first “open streets” event, Streets Alive! will take place on Hood River’s Heights on Sunday.  Megan Ramey is one of the organizers, and says it is designed to “softly close” streets on the Heights to create a festival-type setting, to allow people to walk, bicycle, congregate, and have a conversation in the street without worrying about a car going through.  There will be music and other activities during the four-hour event, which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.  For complete event details and a map of streets involved in the event, go to streetsalivehr.com.

The Tooley Water District has received a $20,000 grant from Business Oregon.  The grant to the small water district between The Dalles and Rowena will be used for two purposes.  A leak detection study will be done to help the district identify why it is operating with approximately 30% system loss due to leaks.  The grant will also be used to map and document system components, including locating and documenting conduit and other assets system wide to help plan future system maintenance and repairs.  Tooley Water District currently serves 41 homes, and has no employees.  It contracts all maintenance services, and the district will be seeking contractors for these projects through a request for quote process.

The Hood River County Public Works Department is reminding people during this election season that under Oregon Law political signs are not permitted within a county road Right-of-Way.  The Public Works Department says it will not actively search for political signs to remove, any that are observed or reported may be removed and destroyed as allowed under state law and will not be returned to the owner.  If you are placing a political sign along a county road, ensure it is placed outside the county Right-of-Way.  For information call Hood River County Public Works at 541-386-2616.

Oregon Second Congressional District candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner confirmed she will debate incumbent Greg Walden in a live broadcast on a Bend television station on October 5.  The 60-minute debate, the only one currently scheduled between the candidates, will be broadcast live from the studio of KTVZ Newschannel 21 in Bend starting at 7 p.m., and live streamed at ktvz.com.   Questions from the public will be solicited during the broadcast via KTVZ Newschannel 21 newscasts and can be submitted via a form on the station’s website at ktvz.com/share.  McLeod-Skinner says the final format of the debate partially remedies her concerns regarding public accessibility, sourcing of questions, and time for candidate statements.  McLeod-Skinner had also been concerned that executives of the host station’s parent company donated money to Walden’s campaign.  Independent Party Candidate Mark Roberts is also scheduled to participate in the debate.

Volleyball Hood River Valley def. Pendleton 25-16, 25-18, 25-17:  Emily Curtis had eight aces and 11 digs, while Chloe Kurahara recorded 27 assists. The Dalles def. Redmond 25-13, 27-25, 25-7 King’s Way Christian def. Columbia 25-18, 18-25, 25-21, 25-19 Castle Rock def. Stevenson 3 sets to 0 Dufur def. Sherman 25-11, 25-16, 25-13 South Wasco def. Mitchell-Spray 25-11, 25-14, 25-5 Klickitat-Glenwood def. Yakama Tribal 25-21, 25-18, 25-9 Goldendale def. Highland 25-7, 25-5, 25-17:  Taylor Rising was 18 of 19 serving with five aces and five kills.   Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 8, Crook County 1 The Dalles 1, Pendleton 0   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 7, Crook County 0:  Vanessa Preciado scored two goals for HRV. The Dalles 2, Pendleton 1 Castle Rock 1, Stevenson 0 King’s Way Christian 4, Columbia 1 Highland 10, Goldendale 0

In a decision issued Wednesday, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the Land Use Board of Appeals reaffirmation of the City of Hood River’s decision to approve a zone change for the Morrison Park property from Open Space/Public Facilities to Urban High Density Residential for developing affordable housing.  In the majority decision, the Court found the City’s interpretation of policy in its Comprehensive Land Use Plan calling for protection of park sites from incompatible uses on nearby properties but not on the park sites themselves was implausible.  One judge dissented, saying LUBA correctly deferred to the City’s interpretation.  Susan Garrett Crowley had appealed the City’s decision, and said in a statement after the ruling was issued she hoped the City will now protect Morrison Park and its other parks.  In its own statement Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation, which has been partnering with the City in attempting to develop the property, said the decision adds to the complexity and path forward towards that goal, but it remains committed to the effort.

By a three-to-one vote, The Dalles City Council decided to have municipal staff prepare to go out for requests for proposals for the demolition of the Gitchell-Waldron Building, and terminate negotiations for its preservation.  City staff had been talking with a group headed by archaeologist Eric Gleason about either moving the building to another location or restoring it at its current site.  Assistant to the City Manager Matthew Klebes told the Council estimates for moving the building came in at $775,000 without including foundation construction.  He also said two non-profit groups had expressed interest in the project but both had reservations due to its scope, and the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board was not receptive to the idea of donating one of two parcels on 1^st Street identified as potential relocation sites.  In moving to look towards demolition, Councilor Russ Brown said he felt the issue had gotten no further in the past 12 months, and the City had to consider the liability associated with leaving the building up.  Darcy Long-Curtiss was the lone no vote, saying there should be more community input.