The Dalles City Council will discuss the proposed 2019-20 budget at its next meeting in two weeks.  The municipal budget committee went over the fiscal plan earlier this month.  Mayor Rich Mays says that process went well, with a substantial amount of time spent on providing funding for different organizations.  Mays said the Blue Zones Project does receive funding in the 2019-20 budget.  Blue Zones is earmarked for $50,000, provided it can show the City progress in other fundraising.  Another element of the budget includes moving $300,000 from the general fund to the street fund for street projects and to help start to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements to install sidewalk ramps.

Oregon Class 5A Track and Field Championships

A big performance from Frances Dickinson led Hood River Valley to a fourth place finish in the girls’ portion of the Oregon Class 5A Track and Field Championships at Mount Hood Community College.  Dickinson won the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:12.83, and then finished second in the 1500.  Poppy Miller also was an individual champion for HRV winning the pole vault at 10′ 6″.  Lottie Bromham finished fourth in the 3,000, and the Eagles’ 4 x 400 meter relay team finished fifth.  For The Dalles, Emma Mullins finished third in the 800 and anchored the Riverhawks’ 4 x 400 meter relay team to an eighth place finish.

In the boys’ portion of the 5A meet, Hood River Valley’s Henry Buckles won the shot put with a 59′ 5 ½” effort, then took second in the discus.  Justin Conklin of The Dalles was third in the high jump, while teammates Reed Twidwell finished sixth in the 200 meters and Steven Stanley seventh in the pole vault.  Also, HRV’s Jose Marquez finished second in the para-athlete shot put.

Washington Track and Field Championships at Eastern Washington University

Trout Lake’s girls were second to Oakesdale and the boys third behind victorious Mt. Vernon Christian in the Washington Class 1B track and field championships at Eastern Washington University.  Micah Colburn won the pole vault for the Mustang boys at 14′ while taking second in the 110 meter hurdles, while Justin Peck was third in both the 1600 and 3200 meters.  In the girls’ half of the meet, Trout Lake’s Liz Fink won the shot put at 38′ 10 ¼” and was second in the javelin, Isabella Dean had a second in the pole vault, fourth in the triple jump, and fifth in the 100 hurdles, the Mustang 4 x 200 meter relay team was second, and Gynel Duke was third in the pole vault.  For Glenwood Brooklyn Emerson won the girls’ pole vault at 9′ 9″ and was second in the long jump, while Derek Gimlin was second in the boys’ javelin.

Stevenson’s Lincoln Krog was a triple winner as the Bulldogs finished third in the Washington Class 1A boys’ championships.  Krog won the high jump at 6′ 7 ¼”, the long jump at 22′ ¾’, and the triple jump with 45′ 2 ¾”.   He also was third in the 100 meters.  Stevenson also received placing efforts from Issac Hoidal in the long jump, a sixth from Ethan Haight in the 800, and an eight from Garret Bernt in the discus.  Columbia’s 4 x 400 meter relay team finished second, while Stanley Hylton was fifth in the javelin.

In the 1A girls’ championships, Goldendale’s Ellie Rising was second in the 800 and fifth in the 1600, and Tiana Watson third in the javelin.  Stevenson’s Sydney Cole was eighth in the pole vault.

Lyle-Wishram’s Brandon Montoya won three events to give the Cougars a fifth place finish in the Washington Class 2B boys’ championships.  Montoya won the 100 meters in a time of 11.28 seconds, the 200 in 22.47, and the long jump with a leap of 22′ 8 1/2″.

Oregon Class 5A Softball Playoffs

Quarterfinal

Dallas 5, Hood River Valley 3:  Kaelynn Simmons’ two-out two-run single in the top of the seventh inning gave the Dragons the win, and ended the Eagles’ season in the quarterfinals for the third straight season.  HRV had taken a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Molly Routson’s two-run single.  But Dallas tied the game in the sixth and scored the winning runs in the seventh.

Washington Class 1A Girls Tennis Tournament in Yakima

Doubles

Goldendale’s Kelli and Kristin Bighorn won one of three matches.  The Bighorns defeated Abby Kwan and Zoha Ahmad of Charles Wright Academy 6-2, 6-3 in the first round, then fell in the quarterfinals to Kamila Meghji and Mihika Srinivasan of Overlake 6-4, 6-4.  They finished the tourney with a 6-3, 7-5 consolation round loss to Kaylee Schow and Ally Vestal of Tenino.

The Hood River County Budget Committee approved and recommended to the County Commission a budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that reinstated many of the cuts that had been included in the financial plan submitted by staff and using more than $750,000 in reserves the Commission had committed to.  But the budget committee also recommended the Commission change the number of years it committed to the reserve usage while it dealt with its revenue issues down to just the upcoming fiscal year.  The recommendation comes just days after County voters rejected two tax measures to increase County revenues.  Commissioners will hold a hearing on the budget and consider its adoption at its regular meeting on June 16 at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says three areas face being reduced or eliminated in the 2019-20 budget:  day-use parks, trails programs, and the County’s public information program.  The County Commission will hold a special meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the County Administration Building to discuss its next steps after the tax measure defeats.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says it received a report of a cougar sighting Thursday within The Dalles city limits and has heard rumors of other sightings in the past two weeks.  An ODFW spokesperson says while it cannot confirm the sightings, their frequency and the history of similar situations in The Dalles lead biologists to think the sightings may credible.  The department has placed trail cameras around the city to get more information on the cougar’s movements.  ODFW is asking anyone who sees a cougar within city limits to report it immediately to them at 541-296-4628, Oregon State Police non-emergency dispatch at 541-296-9646, or the City of The Dalles Police non-emergency dispatch at 541-296-2233.  The ODFW is urging anyone who sees a cougar to call so the agency can accurately assess the situation or respond quickly.  Residents of The Dalles are also encouraged to feed pets indoors and keep them inside at night, and to be aware of where deer may congregate and bring in cougars.  See more tips at ODFW’s Living with Cougars page on the web.

There are Memorial Day events planned in The Dalles and Wasco on Monday.  In The Dalles, the American Legion will host a gathering from 11 a.m. to noon at the Kelly Viewpoint Veterans Memorial across from Sorosis Park.  Mayor Richard Mays will serve as guest speaker.  The city of Wasco will host a number of events on Memorial Day at the Railroad Depot Park.  There will be a tribute to veterans at 10 a.m., an Air Force flyover between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and a parade at 11 a.m.  There will also be a car show, music, children’s train ride, and more.

Track and Field

A second place finish by Glenwood’s Brooklyn Emerson in the Class 1B girls’ triple jump highlighted the local effort in first day finals at the Washington Class 1A, 2B, and 1B high school track and field championships in Cheney.  Other placers in first day finals include Trout Lake’s Justin Peck in third place in the Class 1B boys’ 1600 meters, Goldendale’s Ellie Rising in fifth in the Class 1A girls’ 1600, Makenna Stock of Trout Lake in seventh place in the Class 1B girls’ 1600, and an eighth place finish by Stevenson’s Sydney Cole in the Class 1A girls’ pole vault.  In addition, Lyle-Wishram’s Brandon Montoya was the top qualifier to the finals in Class 2B boys’ 100 meter preliminaries.  The meet continues today and tomorrow.

Today’s Schedule

Oregon Class 5A Track and Field Championships at Mt.  Hood Community College in Troutdale

Hood River Valley will have 18 athletes and The Dalles 17 competing for the next two days in the meet moved to Mt. Hood due to the re-construction of Eugene’s Hayward Field. 

Oregon Class 5A Softball Quarterfinal

Dallas at Hood River Valley, 4:30 p.m.:  The Eagles defeated Dallas 5-2 in a regular season game at Westside in early April.  Dallas comes in having won 13 straight games, including a 1-0 nine-inning win over Putnam in round one Wednesday.  Hood River has won eight of its last nine, including an 8-0 victory over St. Helens in round one.

Washington Class 1A Tennis Tournament at Yakima Tennis Center

First Round

Kelli Bighorn/Kristin Bighorn, Goldendale vs. Abby Kwan/Zoha Ahmad, Charles Wright

Opponents of rezoning Morrison Park in Hood River for a low-income housing project have filed an appeal of the City’s decision with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, contending the City has violated its comprehensive land use plan.  The Hood River City Council in March approved changing the zoning for 2.76 acres of Lot 700 within Morrison Park for housing while setting aside 45 percent for park and public facilities.  That came in the wake of a remand of a decision in 2017 to change the zoning for just over five acres of the property after the Oregon Court of Appeals found it did not meet a policy in the city’s comprehensive land use plan that calls for existing park sites to be protected from incompatible uses.  Hood River resident Susan Crowley filed the latest appeal.  She is part of a group of advocates who have been battling the Morrison Park rezone.

The Hood River County School District board has approved changes to elementary and middle school boundaries as recommended by administration.  Two weeks ago the board had asked for plans for transportation adjustments…in particular re-establishing an activity bus between Wy’east and Hood River middle schools.  Superintendent Dan Goldman says there is a plan in place to make that happen.  He also says the district will allow students in attendance areas that have changed to continue at the school where they are currently enrolled through the highest grade, but families will have to provide their own transportation.  The changes will take effect for the 2019-20 school year.  In other business, the district board approved the contract with new superintendent Sara Hahn-Huston, who will start on July 1.  Goldman resigned earlier this year to accept the superintendent’s position for the Northwest Regional Education Service District in Hillsboro.

Columbia Gorge Community College is ramping up its Elementary Educators Pathways program in conjunction with Oregon State University and local school districts.  CGCC Dean of College Transfer Programs and General Education Stephen Shwiff says the idea is to homegrow future elementary school teachers through two years at CGCC and then two years of an OSU program that will be centered around online learning.  The Meyer Memorial Trust provided a grant to help start the program.  For more information, call CGCC Student Services at (541) 506-6011.

The Performing Arts Initiative, the group that is seeking to establish a performing arts center in the Gorge, has recently hired a project manager.  Mark Steighner is one of the founding members of the group says CBRE Heery will take the project from concept to construction.  Steighner says their next goal is to hire a capital campaign firm to raise money for the $25 million project.  PRI has an option to lease land on Westcliff Drive west of Hood River.