This weekend is the traditional Hood River Valley Blossom Festival weekend.  In recent years the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce has extended into the surrounding weekends with its “Blossom Time” promotion.  But many events are centered on this weekend.  Among planned events are the Westside Fire District all-you-can-eat breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the station at 4250 Barrett Road, the Asbury Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Blossom Craft Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 1140 Tucker Road, the Blossom Fest Craft and Quilt Shows at the Hood River County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Parkdale Fire Department Casino Night at 5:30 p.m. Saturday on 4895 Baseline Drive in Parkdale.

The 14th District representatives in the Washington House were split on a bill to establish a new set of safety regulations for oil trains traveling through the state.  Goldendale Republican Gina McCabe voted in favor of the bill, saying it was a hard decision and had originally voted no, but after some amendments decided it was in the best interest of the Gorge to be prepared for an emergency.  Yakima Republican Norm Johnson voted against it, feeling it is important to meet energy needs within the country, and worries about the additional cost the measure could impose.  The Senate passed an amended version of the bill with Senator Curtis King voting yes, and it now moves on to a conference committee.

Softball Hood River Valley 16, Redmond 6:  HRV came back from a 5-0 deficit after two innings to get their record to the .500 mark.  The Eagles scored seven runs in the fourth inning, as HRV combined 13 hits with eight Redmond errors on the way to the win.  The Eagles have won five of their last six games. Castle Rock swept Columbia 14-0 and 12-1 Kalama swept Stevenson 13-1 and 21-8   Baseball Castle Rock sweeps Columbia 5-3 and 3-2 Kalama sweeps Stevenson 13-3 and 12-2   Track and Field Columbia took the top spot in both boys and girls competition at a six-team Trico League meet in Kalama.  Stevenson finished fourth in the girls standings and fifth in the boys.  The Bruin girls won six events during the meet, while the CHS boys used depth and two event wins on the way to their victories.

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill containing a two-year renewal of the Secure Rural Schools program, which provides payments to counties with federal timberlands to help pay for roads and schools.  The two-year extension that cleared the Senate is expected to bring about $85 million to Oregon counties this year.  Wasco County Commissioner Rod Runyon says the money will provide an important boost to their road fund, but adds they have been operating on the assumption they might not receive the funds.  Senator Ron Wyden says the payments can provide a bridge while Congress develops a broader and longer-term solution to forest management issues.  The bill still must be signed by the President.

Hood River County School District Superintendent Dan Goldman has outlined for legislators cuts his district are facing if the K-12 funding level that was approved and signed by Governor Kate Brown last week.  In a letter to legislators, Goldman says an initial set of budget reductions identified to make up the $900,000 the district must cut from its budget include eliminating about seven-and-a-half teaching positions, five-and-a-half classified jobs, a half to full administrative position, and over $100,000 in various program funds.  Goldman adds the vast majority of the district’s budget is people.  Another option is to cut school days.  The district board has directed administrators to negotiate with their unions in regard to cutting days.  It would take a reduction of about seven school days to reduce the budget by $900,000.  In the letter Goldman again told legislators the statewide K-12 budget has to get up to $7,500,000 to allow the Hood River district to avoid cuts.

The project looking to form a food co-op in The Dalles has a new name.  Community Harvest Cooperative Grocery was tabbed by the co-op’s founding team after considering several other possibilities.  Founding team co-chair Kathy Ursprung said board members felt the new name does a good job of reflecting the focus of the co-op to emphasize locally sourced products within a community-led, member-owned grocery store.  Co-op founders are inviting the public to submit ideas for a logo to represnet the organization.  For information call 541-370-5191.

There is federal funding available for Sherman County crop producers to reduce soil erosion and build healthier soils on their land.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced it has $100,000 available to help Sherman County farmers switch to no-till drilling and direct seeding, which can minimize disturbance on the soil and benefit its productivity.  Funding may be used to implement other erosion control practices like installing terraces.  Applicants must meet standard program eligibility criteria and must be producers on Sherman County cropland that has been in production and has not been directed seeded for the past three years.  Applications must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Moro Service Center by May 15.  For information call 541-565-3551.

Track and Field Marlie Bloomster won three events as the Hood River Valley girls held off Hermiston 73-63 in a Columbia River Conference dual meet.  Bloomster won the high jump, 300 meter hurdles, and the 400 meters.  Hermiston topped HRV in the boys’ dual meet 70 1/2 to 65 1/2.  Sebastian Barajas and Parker Kennedy each took first in two events.   Goldendale’s boys and girls swept Cle Elum, Granger, and Highland in an SCAC West meet.  Rachel Disch and Ocean Bryan won a pair of events apiece for the Timberwolf girls, while Brian Golding swept both boys’ hurdles races.   Baseball Dufur sweeps Culver 13-3 and 19-2. Goldendale split with River View, losing game one 15-11 but winning the nightcap 4-1.   Boys Tennis Hood River Valley 5, The Dalles 3 Cle Elum/Roslyn 3, Goldendale 1   Girls Tennis Cle Elum/Roslyn 3, Goldendale 2   Boys Soccer Columbia 10, Castle Rock 0   Boys Lacrosse Hood River Valley 22, Century 3   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 7, Cleveland 6

Columbia Gorge Community College released its proposed 2015-16 budget on Monday, which attempts to close a roughly 20 percent deficit through both cuts and new revenue, along with continued limited use of operating reserves.  In his budget message, CGCC President Frank Toda says the proposal will continue every academic program, degree, and certificate, but reduced course offerings will raise average class sizes from the mid-teens this year to the low twenties in 2015-16.  The budget does include a two dollar per credit tuition increase and three dollar per credit increase to general fees, the first raise in those since 2012.  Toda says the largest reductions in the budget are in the areas of administration, student services, and facilities.  Public comment on the tuition and fee increases is on the agenda for Tuesday’s CGCC Board of Education meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the board room at the school’s campus in The Dalles.  The proposed budget will be the subject of budget committee hearings on April 28, May 5, and May 7, all at The Dalles campus beginning at 6 p.m.

The Dalles City Council approved a resolution to establish guidelines for when residential street improvements take place.  The guidelines will apply only to one and two family homes constructed on individual lots.  Nearly all the discussion among Councilors centered on a clause for when a sidewalk must be installed.  Councilors eliminated a clause calling for property owners to sign a delayed development agreement if no curb line has been established.  There were some worries about creating island situations, but Councilor Russ Brown noted in the end it was best to keep it simple, adding he expected the question of how to pay for sidewalk installation to come back to the Council at some point.  The resolution does say commercial development, subdivision, and multi-family development shall meet the public improvement requirements found in the city’s land use and development ordinance.