The Washington State Department of Commerce’s Housing Trust Fund Supplemental budget approved this week in the Legislature includes $3 million in direct appropriation to Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation’s proposed Assisted Living Facility in Western Klickitat County. The money is intended to leverage additional federal, state and local resources to construct the facility. Klickitat County acquired the seven-acre parcel and immediately leased the property to CCHC, which has advanced predevelopment and design efforts for the 52 unit facility where 16 units will provide memory care services and the remaining 36 dedicated to assisted living. Not less than 25% of the development will be affordable to households earning at or below 50% of the area median income. CCHC Executive Director Joel Madsen acknowledges they will need to keep focus on raising the rest of the capital needed in order to make the development happen, noting a number of steps must be taken before they can break ground.
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Fire Burns Trailer On Irvine Street
Fire burned a trailer on Irvine Street in The Dalles early Thursday morning. According to Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, crews arrived to find the trailer fully involved in the fire. MCFR says everyone was able to exit the structure, and one person did receive minor medical attention. MCFR was assisted by Mosier Fire and local law enforcement. The fire was called in just before 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
OSU Extension Offering “Spring Break Kits”
OSU Extension is offering elementary school students in the Hood River County School District “Spring Break Kits” filled with fun activities for the break from classes later this month. OSU Extension’s Ashleigh Wajtyna says the kits are do-it-yourself spring break camps. Parents can pick up kits Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9am and 4pm at the OSU Extension Office in Hood River beginning March 11th and continuing through March 21st. Kits are limited and will be given out on a first come, first served basis.
Maryhill To Open For Season March 15
Maryhill Museum of Art will open for the season next Friday. This year’s featured exhibition is The Columbia River: Wallula to the Sea. Maryhill Executive Director Amy Behrens says the exhibit is about humans’ relationship to the Columbia from past to present, and how we shape the river’s identity. She adds Portland artists Thomas Jefferson Kitts and Erik Sandgren were commissioned to provide some of the works. A companion exhibit entitled King Salmon features woodcuts and linocuts that have been added to Maryhill’s permanent collection over the last ten years. Both exhibits will be on display through the entire season, which will continue through November 15. For more information, go to maryhillmuseum.org.
Wasco County Approves Agreement With Humane Society
Wasco County Commissioners approved agreements with the Columbia Gorge Humane Society for that organization to operate the animal shelter on River Road in The Dalles. The Humane Society is taking over the shelter from Home At Last in a move announced last week. The agreement is for five years, with an automatic renewal clause for another five years. In other business, Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring International Dark Sky Week the first week of April. Mosier and Antelope are currently applying for Dark Sky certification.
Filing Deadline For Oregon Primary Election Is March 12
There are just a few days left to file for County offices that will be on the ballot during Oregon’s May 21 primary election. The filing deadline is on Tuesday of next week. The field to succeed Steve Kramer in position 2 on the Wasco County Commission is very crowded with four candidates having filed, including current The Dalles City Councilors Dan Richardson and Darcy Long, plus Jeff Justesen and Brian Lauterbach. There are two candidates so far to replace Les Perkins as Hood River County Commissioner in District 4: Chad Muenzer and Brian Merz. Other positions in both counties have only one candidate to have filed, primarily incumbents.
Mentors Sought For GYM Program
The Next Door’s Gorge Youth Mentoring is looking for mentors to help youth age 6 to 21 in Wasco, Hood River, and Klickitat counties. The program matches up kids with adults to develop a one-on-one relationship to support them in their interests and needs. Match coordinator Charlotte Meeks says they interview mentors as they come into the program to help determine a good match. Those interested in being a mentor can contact the program at 541-386-6665 in the Hood River area or 541-296-8118 in The Dalles area, or by e-mail at gym@nextdoorinc.org.
Wonderworks To Reopen To Public On March 27
Wonderworks Children’s Museum announced it will reopen to the public on March 27, after being closed on October 1. The museum says it is still in search of additional donations, funding, and volunteers to help with daily operations, so the museum will be reopened in phases. The first phase will start during our local area’s spring break on March 27, with the museum opening four days a week, Wednesday thru Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. This phase will enable the museum to test the sustainability of its operations before making any further expansions. To fully reopen its doors six days a week, Wonderworks says it will require additional financial support and volunteers. The museum continues to appeal for donations, appealing to individuals, businesses, and foundations who believe in the importance of providing educational and recreational experiences for children. Donations can be made online at wonderworksgorge.org. The museum is seeking volunteers who would like to help in various areas, including guest services, events, exhibit maintenance, and administrative functions.
Wy’east Students Raising Funds To Attend Robotics Championships
Five students at Wy’east Middle School are raising funds to compete in the VEX IQ robotics world championships at the start of May in Dallas. The students…Logan Follett, Austin Champion, Justin Fox, Ronan Kairis, and Koltin Adams…compete as two teams, the Baconadoes and the Dustpans. They collaborated to engineer a robot drivetrain, block collectors, and dispensing mechanisms to gain a first place finish in the “Full Volume” game at the state championships in Sandy last month. That game involves collecting blocks and scoring them into elevated goals. The teams aim to raise $10,000 to cover expenses including competition registration, robot shipping, and travel costs. To help, contact Wy’east Middle School at 541-354-1548.
The Dalles Chamber Announces Outstanding Citizen Awards
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce announced its Distinguished Citizens Award winners at its recent annual banquet. Retired KACI-FM morning host Randy “Haines” Twidwell was named the Outstanding Man of the Year, Shelly Hansen the Outstanding Woman of the Year, and Mayet Winwood the Outstanding Youth of the Year. Fred Coleman received First Responder of the Year, Volunteer of the Year went to Virginia McKay, and Robert Wells-Clark was selected as Educator of the Year. Brenda Thomas received the Agricultural Achievement Award, and The Workshop was tabbed as Business of the Year. The awards celebrate individuals and businesses that have made significant contributions to the community, demonstrated outstanding service, leadership, and shown a commitment to making The Dalles a better place to live, work, and play.