A group is forming as a non-profit community land trust to acquire land for the development of workforce housing in the Hood River and White Salmon areas.  The Big River Land Trust seeks to acquire land to develop homes at an affordable price and then sells the homes while maintaining ownership of the land.  The Trust’s Anne Medenbach says that takes the land cost out of the home price, making it more affordable for the first time buyer, who would then agree to a limit on how much they would sell the house for if they decide to do so in the future.  Medenbach notes while there is no direct government involvement in the trust, both city councils in Hood River and White Salmon have provided letters of support.  She adds it is a fully volunteer group with no staff, and they are working to finish the paperwork for 501-c-3 non-profit status.  The group is talking with landowners about potential parcels to get them started.

Hood River County is doing an Internet survey on public safety services priorities.  County Commissioners have identified public safety as their highest priority as they prepare to make another attempt at asking voters for a funding measure sometime in 2020.  Commissioners with their budget committee resolved to discontinue using reserve funds for general operational services after June 30.  The survey is available online in both English and Spanish, and is available at hoodrivercounty.net through December 15.

The Next Door, which runs over two dozen programs in seven Mid-Columbia counties, is in the midst of its annual fundraising drive.  The goal is $120,000 to supplement what it receives in grants to run the programs.  Next Door Marketing and Development Director Rachel Schmitz says the donations help them show community support to granting agencies.  Those who would like to donate to The Next Door can do so through their website, nextdoorinc.org.

White Salmon will hold its annual “I’m Dreaming of White Salmon” holiday events this Saturday.  It starts with Breakfast with Santa from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Henkle Middle School to benefit music students in White Salmon, continues with activities in the downtown area during the day, moves into a Holiday Wassail at 2:30 p.m. in the White Salmon Valley Community Library and Community Partners S’mores Fire Circles at 4:30 p.m. at Riverview Bank that includes the lighting of the tree and menorah at 5:15 p.m.  Tammara Tippel of the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce says at the lighting event there will be the revival of an old tradition with the White Salmon Jazz Band’s Christmas Brass Choir.  In addition, there will be an open house for outgoing Mayor David Poucher at 5:30 p.m. at Feast.

Columbia Area Transit will be providing additional bus service on Friday for the downtown Hood River Holidays parade and tree lighting.  Hood River County Chamber of Commerce executive director Kate Schroeder says CAT will offer additional service on its City Route between 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday.  For more information on the bus routes, go to ridecatbus.org.  The Hood River Holidays Parade will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by the lighting of the holiday tree and caroling in Overlook Memorial Park at around 7 p.m.

There will be single-lane closures of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on Tuesday beginning at 9:00 a.m. until work to repair a damaged guardrail is complete, likely around 3:00 p.m.   Flaggers will direct traffic on the bridge around the work zone.  This work is likely to cause traffic delays of up to 30 minutes while work is underway, depending on traffic volume.  Bridge users are urged to plan ahead for delay or seek alternate routes during these hours. 

 

 

  

The annual ELFF, or “Everyone Loves a Firefighter,” canned food drive will take place in The Dalles and Dallesport this week.  Collections will take place Tuesday night east of Union Street in The Dalles, west of Union Street on Wednesday night, and Thursday night in Dallesport. running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer says food collected stays in The Dalles area.  Volunteers are needed to help with the collection.  Call Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue at 541-296-9445 to learn how to help with ELFF canned food drive.

A 32-year-old man from Boise died when he was hit by two vehicles while walking on Interstate 84 between Hood River and Cascade Locks on Saturday night.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation found that Kevin Burrows-Ellenberg was walking on the shoulder of westbound I-84 near milepost 51 when he walked into the path of a car driven by a 32-year-old Portland woman in the right hand lane.  The pedestrian came to rest in the left hand lane in the path of an SUV driven by a 46-year-old man from Rufus.  Burrows-Ellenberg was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency personnel.  The OSP says both drivers stopped at the scene and were cooperating with investigators.  The accident occurred at about 7 p.m. Saturday.  The OSP was assisted by the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Cascade Locks Fire Department.

The Hood River City Council has given its approval to a pilot program for free parking in the downtown area Wednesday afternoons starting in January.  It’s called Local Business Wednesdays, and Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Schroeder says it is an attempt to change the perception that local residents don’t feel welcome downtown.  The free parking would be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday from January until the end of May.  Schroeder says downtown businesses will plan special events to coincide with the free parking hours.

It’s a busy time for North Wasco County School District 21 officials.  The D-21 board will hold worksessions on Tuesday night to continue work on a search for a new superintendent to replace Candy Armstrong when she retires at the end of June…and on Thursday to work on board goals and a district communication plan.  And on December 10 a community meeting on long-range facilities planning will take place.  D-21 Chief Financial Officer Randy Anderson says that meeting aims to reach a consensus of what to prioritize in capital expenditures.  The worksessions this week are at 5:30 p.m. in the D-21 administrative office, while the long-range facilities meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 10 at The Dalles Middle School Library.