A total solar eclipse occurs about every 18 months somewhere in the world, but very few are in as convenient a location for viewing as the eclipse that will occur on August 21.  Troy Carpenter of the Goldendale Observatory says many eclipses occur over an ocean or areas of very little population.  But this one offers many viewing opportunities, going across the North American continent, starting in the Pacific Ocean, crossing north-central Oregon, going through the country, and exits in South Carolina, all in about 93 minutes.  The last one to cross the nation from west to east was in 1919, even though there have been several eclipses that could be observed in parts of the country.  Carpenter reminds people if they are going to look directly at the eclipse, they must wear certified filtration glasses.

With wildfire smoke from fires throughout the Northwest continuing to linger in the Gorge, health officials continue to remind people about potential issues that come from that, especially for the elderly and very young.  Ellen Larsen of the Hood River County Health Department says the particles in this kind of smoke are very fine, and are easily breathed into the lungs, so strenuous exercise is discouraged.  She adds staying hydrated is important.  Larsen also pointed out the need to drink plenty of water during the hot temperatures that have been in the area over the past couple of weeks.

The Mid-Columbia Economic Development District has a received a 2017 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations for the Gorge Night Sky project.   The Gorge Night Sky Project was a collaborative effort between MCEDD, Friends of the Goldendale Observatory, and the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce, and other governmental and business partners.  The project promoted preservation of the Columbia River Gorge’s rural dark sky by supporting education about International Dark-Sky standards and recommendations for energy efficient LED lighting.  Those efforts included development of an educational unit for local schools and organization of a two-day educational symposium to allow interested parties to discuss issues and possible solutions on local and regional scales.

The public input process of the visioning phase of Wasco County 2040, the County’s effort to update its Comprehensive Land-Use Plan, is continuing.  The latest in a series of community workshops will take place Thursday in Wamic, and an on-line survey is asking for opinions on the County’s long-range vision.  County long-range planner Kelly Howsley Glover says they are trying to go a bit deeper than standard land-use questions.  The next community meeting is Thursday evening at 6:30 in the Wamic Community Center, with more to be scheduled.  The full process is expected to take three years.  The website for the update is wasco2040.com.

Crews are pouring the concrete foundation this week for Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue’s new training tower near its station 1 behind Cascade Square.  MCFR Chief Bob Palmer says it’s a four-story structure that will allow for a number of different training options.  The hope is that the concrete foundation will cure by the end of next week, and the building can be erected to be ready for use in October.  The tower is being paid for through City of The Dalles and Wasco County enterprise zone funds tied to the Google Phase II project.

Hood River Public Works crews will be doing chip seal overlays on a number of streets starting this coming Monday and continuing through August 22.  The streets to be worked on include 22nd Street from Belmont to Sherman…18th Street from Belmont to May…20th Street from Cascade to Wasco…11th Street from Pine to May…16th Street on the south side of Belmont…and 5th Street from May to Pine.  During the work period vehicles must not be parked on the street between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Vehicles left in the work area will be towed at the owner’s expense.  For more information call Hood River Public Works at 541-387-5201.

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews spent four hours on Monday doing mop-up work on a fire that ignited Sunday south of Columbia Gorge Community College and Sorosis Park.  MCFR Chief Bob Palmer says they wanted to further mop up before temperatures heated up again.  The fire was reported Sunday morning at about 11:30, burning in grass, brush, and scrub oak.  Palmer says the fire burned six-point-two acres, with crews from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Dallesport, U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Department of Forestry involved in the effort.  Palmer noted a lack of road access complicated the firefighting work.  Cause of the fire is unknown.

This Friday’s Neon Cruise in The Dalles will be a little different than it has been in the past.  Instead of the completely open cruise of the past the Mid-Columbia Car Club, The Dalles Rotary, and The Dalles Main Street have opted for a one-hour controlled cruise during which only registered classic cars will be permitted to cruise the downtown corridor to make the cruise more of a draw for out-of-town visitors.  The “controlled cruise” will close off 2nd and 3rd streets from Liberty to Jefferson from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday evening.  At 8 p.m. the streets will reopen for any and all traffic including those participating in the Friday night cruise.  For more information on the controlled cruise and to learn how to register your car for the downtown cruise, visit midcolumbiacarclub.org.  The public is encouraged to treat the controlled cruise event like a parade and park accordingly.

The size of the Indian Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness on the Mount Hood National Forest remains at 83 acres.  Fire officials say helicopter bucket drops have been highly effective in keeping the fire in check.  Firefighters are using a confine strategy to suppress this fire for safety reasons, attempting to confine the fire at a location where it can be done safely, where the likelihood of success is greater and where key resources can be protected.  Officials say the Indian Creek Fire will be putting up smoke until a fire season ending weather event occurs which is typically in October.  The Pacific Crest Trail remains open but there are restrictions in the fire area so hikers should plan their travel strategically.  The northern portion of Eagle Creek Trail #440 off of Interstate 84 is open for 4.8 miles.  Several other trails are closed.

Health officials around the region have continued air quality advisories into the current week.  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Index readings from monitoring stations in The Dalles and Government Camp are at the “moderate” level, similar to most locations in the central and eastern part of the state.  Public health agencies in the region advise people to avoid outdoor exertion in smoky conditions.  Drink lots of water to keep airways moist and reduce symptoms of respiratory irritation, keep windows rolled up and vents closed while driving, and use a filter in your heating and cooling system that removes very fine particulate matter.  People with concerns about health issues should contact healthcare providers if necessary.