A ribbon cutting took place Tuesday for a new three-acre park along the Nichols Basin in Hood River.  It’s a nearly three-acre parcel acquired by Hood River Urban Renewal from Naito Development as part of Naito receiving approval for the new hotel currently under construction at the Basin.  City officials say it will be a passive park with little development.  Urban Renewal is paying $395,000 for the land, but won’t pay anything until the hotel starts producing property tax increment revenues, and some of that will be used to pay for the property.  Once the park is paid for by Urban Renewal, the City will take over ownership of the land.

The Washington House has passed a bill to instruct the 2017 Legislature to finish fixing the way the state pays for public schools.  It calls for a new education task force to find a compromise to end the state’s overreliance on local school levies to pay for basic education.  Republican Washington 14th District State Representative Norm Johnson says it would be difficult to reach a final solution during this year’s short session, noting there are a lot of factors to deal with to get there.  The bill would establish a plan to finish the work set up in legislation seven years ago and by the Washington Supreme Court’s McCleary decision in 2012.

Housing discussions will dominate Monday night’s Hood River City Council meeting.  City Manager Steve Wheeler will present a schedule to the Council for the development of rules for short-term rentals, which he says will follow two tracks.  One will involve revisions to the City’s land use codes, which Wheeler says will be routed through the Planning Commission.  The other track will center on regulations for the business of short-term rentals, and those will go directly to the Council.  Wheeler did say in both cases, there will be public hearings.  Monday night’s Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in Hood River City Hall.

The Dalles City Council’s regular meeting Monday night will be a town hall on marijuana issues.  Presentations are scheduled by City Attorney Gene Parker and League of Oregon Cities legal counsel Rob Bovett.  In the Council’s packet of materials for the meeting, Parker outlines seven areas of marijuana activities requiring license or registration with the state, including growing, production, processing, and wholesale and retail distribution.  He also says the City has three options, including referral of a ballot measure to municipal voters to opt out of the business portions of legalized recreational marijuana, issuing a ballot measure to establish a local tax on recreational marijuana, and adopting local regulations or deferring to state rules.  The meeting begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday evening in The Dalles City Hall.

Klickitat County Commissioners are trying to decide how best to handle an update of the county’s shoreline management plan.  The County is the only one in Washington to have not completed an update, and the Yakama Tribe has asked the state Department of Ecology to step in and do it.  Commissioner Rex Johnston says Ecology has offered the County up to a 250-thousand dollar grant to do it, but he notes they are worried it they accept the money, the state would want more control.  Johnston says the current County plan is similar to the state’s plan, with 100 foot riparian buffers along most shorelines.

Boys Basketball Pendleton 82, Hood River Valley 54 Hermiston 78, The Dalles 44 Horizon Christian 55, Spray-Mitchell 29 Horizon Christian 62, Ione 33 Dufur 75, Condon-Wheeler 37 Dufur 55, Arlington 40 Sherman 75, Arlington 40 Sherman 78, Condon-Wheeler 42 South Wasco 60, Mitchell-Spray 35 Lyle-Wishram 70, Open Door 47 Bickleton 54, Klickitat-Glenwood 27 LaSalle 68, Goldendale 33 Cle-Elum/Roslyn 65, Goldendale 45   Girls Basketball Hermiston 44, The Dalles 32 Pendleton 81, Hood River Valley 34 LaCenter 55, Stevenson 9 Columbia 54, Castle Rock 23 Horizon Christian 40, Mitchell-Spray 33 Ione 33, Horizon Christian 30 Condon-Wheeler 52, Dufur 26 Dufur 41, Arlington 40 Ione 51, South Wasco 50 South Wasco 47, Mitchell-Spray 43 Arlington 48, Sherman 45, overtime Condon-Wheeler 48, Sherman 42 LaSalle 70, Goldendale 23 Cle Elum/Roslyn 54, Goldendale 37   Swimming Hood River Valley won the girls’ portion of their 11 school meet at the Hood River Aquatic Center.  LaGrande won the boys’ half of the meet, with HRV finishing fifth.  The Dalles’ girls were seventh and the boys tenth.   Wrestling The Dalles freshman J.R. Scott won the 160 pound division at the White Buffalo Classic in Madras.  Scott won all three of his matches by fall on the way to the win.  The Dalles finished in a tie for ninth as a team with Ridgeview.   Girls Wrestling Hood River Valley finished fifth at the Grandview Invitational.  Katerina Vackova earned a second place finish, while Payton Rigert and Joanna Endow each grabbed third place finishes.

Fire damaged a home in The Dalles on Thursday afternoon.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer says the fire in the back portion of a home on 223 West 9th occurred during the noon hour.  Palmer says firefighters were able to contain the fire to a back room that had been added on to the structure as a storage room.  He said the fire appears to have been started by a heating device installed in the wall, adding there were a number of stored items in the room.  No one was home at the time of the fire, and a passer-by spotted smoke coming out of a window and called 9-1-1.  Palmer issued a reminder that people should keep at least a three-foot space between any heating device and combustibles.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has launched an online public survey to help develop new transit options that will address congestion in Gorge.  The online survey will be available through January 31 at gorgetransitstudy.org.  The survey is seeking ways to improve access, reduce congestion and improve safety for all users.  ODOT is working on this project with local, state and federal officials; Gorge-focused organizations; private sector groups; recreational outlets and transit providers.  Popular destinations such as Multnomah Falls are often overwhelmed with traffic, forcing closure of the parking lot, parking at other sites cannot meet the public demand, and few public transit options connect recreational and tourist attractions with population centers.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce presented its Distinguished Citizens Award at its annual banquet.  Andretta Schellinger was selected as Woman of the Year, Anthony Pereira was named Man of the Year, Patti Blagg was chosen as Volunteer of the Year, Outstanding First Responder went to Roger Howe, Wahtonka Community School administrator Brian Goodwin was tabbed as Educator of the Year, The Dalles High School senior Max McClennon received the Outstanding Youth Award, Crestline Construction was named Business of the Year, and Bob Durham received the Outstanding Ag Achievement Award.  The recipients were chosen by a panel of community members, past winners and Chamber staff.

Wrestling Pendleton 51, Hood River Valley 20 Goldendale 42, Highland 30 Naches Valley 51, Goldendale 30   Boys Basketball LaCenter 75, Stevenson 57