As March ends and temperatures warm up, snowpacks in the mountains of Oregon and Washington look very good.  Natural Resources Conservation Service snow survey numbers show the Hood and Lower Deschutes basins with 94 percent of normal for snow water equivalent, in Lower Columbia Basin it is at 109 percent, and 121 percent in the Lower Yakima basin.  Scott Oviatt of the Natural Resources Conservation Service says the key to a good water year is to avoid a quick runoff, adding the warming we are seeing now is normal.  He adds one of the important factors will be nighttime temperatures over the next couple of weeks, pointing out dropping back to around 40 degrees at night helps to preserve the snowpack.

Baseball Hood River Valley 11, Gladstone 3:  Adam Cameron drove in three runs while Patrick Harvey and Andrew Roberts brought home two each as the Eagles scored all of their runs after the fourth inning. Summit 10, The Dalles 3:  The Storm scored four runs in the sixth inning to break the game open while limiting the Riverhawks to two hits. Sherman 15, Umatilla 2 King’s Way Christian sweeps Columbia 10-0 and 13-1 LaCenter sweeps Stevenson 4-2 and 6-1   Softball Sandy 5,  The Dalles 4:  The Pioneers snap the Riverhawks’ six-game winning streak. Gladstone 6, Hood River Valley 0   Track and Field Boys Hood River Valley 75, Hermiston 61:  The Eagles were dominant in the sprints to win the Columbia River Conference dual meet.  Parker Irusta, Justin Crosswhite, and Sebastian Barajas won two events apiece for HRV.   Girls Hermiston 75.5, Hood River Valley 59.5   Boys Soccer Columbia 6, Seton Catholic 1:  The Bruins scored four second half goals to win their fourth straight Trico League game. Toledo 9, Stevenson 1   Boys Tennis Parkrose 5, Hood River Valley 4   Girls Tennis Hood River Valley 5, Columbia 3

A planned consideration of selling the three Granada Block properties separately was pulled from the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board agenda on Monday evening.  In making the announcement at the outset of The Dalles City Council meeting, Mayor Steve Lawrence said it was removed the agenda because City Attorney Gene Parker could not be present.  The Urban Renewal Agency board, which is made of Lawrence and the City Council, had planned to take up the recommendation from its advisory committee to reject three proposals for the properties and place them up for sale.  Now the issue will be discussed at a later meeting.

Hood River City Councilors have approved the concept of a dog park on property adjacent to the municipal wastewater treatment plant.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the City will discuss an agreement with the Port and the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District to establish the park on primarily City-owned property.  The site has been discussed as a site for a dog park for some time, and Mayor Paul Blackburn says the property is not likely to be used for development.  Wheeler indicated the parks district is talking with the Port about using a small chunk of Port owned property for the park.  He adds the parks district will probably be the agency responsible for maintenance.

Wasco County Commissioners approved a mass gathering permit for the 2016 SOAK Festival, otherwise known as Burning Man Portland, on Justesen Ranch property south of Tygh Valley.  No one spoke in opposition to the permit during a hearing, and Commissioner Scott Hege says reports from last year’s festival were positive.  The art festival is scheduled for May 26-30.  An estimated 1,500-to-1,800 people are expected to attend.

Klickitat County is trying to generate interest for someone to develop an assisted living facility, most notably in the west end of the county.  There is no assisted living facility in Klickitat County, and County Commissioner David Sauter says that puts families in a difficult position.  Sauter says the hope is to entice a private sector party to build such a facility, similar to the Rock Cove facility in Skamania County.  He noted that’s actually owned by the Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation and has been successful.  The big obstacle is the high cost of property in the western end of Klickitat County.

The City of Hood River’s extension of the municipal wastewater plant’s outfall pipe farther into the Columbia River is wrapping up.  The City was required to do the work by the Department of Environmental Quality after the 2006 rush of debris from the Hood River changed where the proper mixing zone in the Columbia River for treated wastewater is.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the other portion of the project extends the path to the Hook area.  Asphalt for the path should be finished by the end of the week.

Baseball Sherman 5, Oakland 0 Sherman 15, Joseph 5 Sherman 13, Sheridan 1 :  The Huskies sweep three games at the Grant Union Tournament   Softball Stevenson 11, Fort Vancouver 7   Boys Tennis Granger 3, Goldendale 2   Girls Tennis Granger 4, Goldendale 1   Boys Soccer Columbia 2, King’s Way Christian 0

During a groundbreaking ceremony for Google’s new 600 million dollar data center in the Columbia Gorge Industrial Center, Google Operations Manager Dave Karlson announced the company had purchased some of the former Northwest Aluminum site.  Karlson did not have complete details on the purchase made last week, adding the company has not developed any immediate plans for use of the property, but they want a place for future expansion.  The location is near where the Fort Dalles Rodeo Grounds were located, and Karlson said they are talking with rodeo officials about the potential for that land to be used for that event while the Fort Dalles Rodeo Association looks for a new permanent location.  He added Google would provide funding to help pay for new arena equipment.  The rodeo sold most of its components during the fall when they were informed they could no longer utilize the property where the former Milt Tumilson Arena stood.  Fort Dalles Rodeo Association President Damon Hulit expressed cautious optimism.  Hulit said he has been talking with Google for the past two months, adding there is still study to be done to see if it is feasible.  Hulit said there will still be no rodeo this year, but the aim would be to restart the event in 2017.  He added there has been no progress yet in the search for a permanent location for a rodeo arena.

Google formally broke ground Thursday on its new 600 million dollar data center in the Columbia Gorge Industrial Center, the third it has built in The Dalles in the past decade.  Local governmental officials took part in the ceremony.  Google Operations Manager Dave Karlson said the new building represents the company’s commitment to Wasco County.  He said they are unsure about when the new center will be ready for business.  When this data center is operational, combined Google payments to local governments under enterprise zone agreements for the three that have been constructed will reach nearly 2.2 million dollars annually.  Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege says the agreements have been beneficial to the area, adding it shows how The Dalles can accommodate growing companies.  At the event, Google announced a $100,000 grant to The Dalles-Wasco County Library for STEM equipment and programs in its new children’s wing.