The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce has decided to dissolve the Explore The Dalles Gift Card program. The Chamber is advising people that if you have gift cards to use them by March 31st at participating businesses, and if you still have funds on the cards after that you can come to The Chamber office at 404 West 2nd Street in The Dalles to receive a refund. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says they had issues with the company that was doing the card program that made it difficult to operate. Farquharson said they are looking at other options to promote local businesses. Those with questions can contact The Dalles Chamber at 541-296-2231 or email accounting@thedalleschamber.com.
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March 17-18 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Hood River Valley 5, St. Helens 1
The Dalles sweeps Baker 12-2 and 18-5
Stevenson 7, Lyle-Wishram 0
Weston-McEwen sweeps Dufur 19-4 and 24-3
Zillah 5, Goldendale 1
Goldendale 6, Warden 4
Montesano 11, Columbia 1
Sherman splits with Country Christian, losing game one 11-1 and winning game two 4-0.
Softball
St. Helens 14, Hood River Valley 2
Pendleton 5, The Dalles 4
Track and Field
Zoe Dunn of The Dalles and Raymond Holycross of Goldendale won three events apiece at the season opening Mullen-Leavitt Invitational in The Dalles.
Columbia won the girls’ team title at the Wildcat Relays in LaCenter. The Bruins’ Jessica Polkinghorn swept all three throwing events.
Boys Soccer
Royal 2, Columbia 1
TD Art Center Reports Donation Levels
The Dalles Art Center board says they have received over $10,500 in one-time donations and $1,640 in monthly recurring donations since announcing earlier in the week they needed a minimum of $3,500 in committed funding a month to avoid closing by mid-April. A statement from the Center today also said they had several other large donations pledged but have not come in yet. Center board member Philip Mascher says the current trend is positive. The Dalles Athletic Club is also making a $2,000 matching donation. To contribute to the Art Center, go to thedallesartcenter.org.
NCPHD Reports Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak In The Dalles
The North Central Public Health District says a gastrointestinal illness outbreak in The Dalles that causes vomiting and diarrhea has led to 100 absences at several local elementary schools, and 22 cases at a local long term care facility. The district says cases started slowing down by mid-week. The Centers for Disease Control says it is the height of norovirus season, and cases nationally are at a 12-month high. North Central Public Health District communicable disease investigator Sirisha Botta says while these are suspected cases of norovirus, only three are confirmed locally. It takes a laboratory sample to confirm norovirus, and that is not often done. Norovirus symptoms usually resolve in three days, but you are contagious for several days after you recover. She adds the best protection against the highly contagious illness, suspected to be norovirus is careful hand washing. Those who do come down with a gastrointestinal illness should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid loss.
March 16 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Stevenson 11, Lyle-Wishram 1
Softball
Corbett 13, Stevenson 2
Track and Field
Shaw Burns won three events and Elliot Hawley two as Hood River Valley won the boys’ half of an eight-school meet at Valley Catholic. Jackson Bullock and Robert Wood also had first place finishes for the Eagles. The HRV girls finished second to the host Valiants. The Eagles received first place efforts from Ximena Santillan, Asal Akhmedova, and Sylvaine Farr.
Boys Tennis
Hood River Valley 8, Gresham 0
Boys Lacrosse
Oregon City 21, Hood Rier Valley 11
The Dalles Art Center Gets Closer To Goal
A member of The Dalles Art Center board says they have seen an outpouring of community support since announcing earlier in the week they need a minimum of $3,500 in committed funding a month to avoid closing by mid-April. Philip Mascher says they have received donations to move them about halfway toward their goal. In addition, Mascher said The Dalles Athletic Club is making a $2,000 matching donation. To contribute to the Art Center, go to thedallesartcenter.org. Mascher said they need a consistent $3,500 a month in funding to allow the Center to keep the doors open, and then they can begin to move toward increasing that to allow more sustainable operations.
Homelessness Town Hall Hits Capacity, To Be Livestreamed
A town hall on homelessness planned for The Dalles on April 3 is already full up. Wasco County officials says seating at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center for the event being put on by the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council is at capacity. However, the town hall will be livestreamed via Zoom. The zoom link is available at the Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page. The town hall be on Monday, April 3 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Questions can be submitted in advance at town.hall@co.wasco.or.us.
Maryhill’s Schafroth To Retire
Maryhill Museum of Art Executive Director Colleen Schafroth has announced her retirement. Schafroth worked for the Museum for 37 years, functioning as Maryhill’s Executive Director since 2001. During her tenure as Executive Director, Schafroth oversaw the addition of the $10 million Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, dedicated in 2012, the $3.6 million renovation of the historic building between 2001 and 2003, as well as a stucco renovation campaign in 2016. Schafroth’s leadership resulted in the accreditation of the Museum by the American Alliance of Museums in 2002. Prior to stepping into the role of Executive Director, Schafroth served as Maryhill’s Curator of Education from 1986. In that capacity, she researched and published books on the history of the Museum’s chess set collection, developed the annual Summer Art Institute and Museum Week, as well as teacher workshops, an Elderhostel program and a high school juried art and K-12 chess set design exhibitions. Recently, Maryhill’s Board of Trustees enlisted Hagel & Company with the search for Maryhill’s new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. The incoming Executive Director is expected to take over from Schafroth before her official last day at the Museum on September 1.
Hydrant Flushing To Begin In The Dalles
The Dalles Public Works Department will be flushing fire hydrants throughout the city over the next few weeks, weather permitting. Fire hydrants are flushed in order to clean out deposits, sediments and rust from distribution pipelines, help minimize water quality problems, test fire protection water pressures, exercise hydrant valves, and identify hydrants needing repair or replacement. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid driving or walking through the water coming directly from a hydrant while it is being flushed. Occasionally main flushing causes water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles. Although discolored water won’t make you sick, you might want to flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing. If the water does not clear, contact The Dalles Public Works at 541-296-5401 during business hours, or after hours at 541-980-7703.
Permits To Focus On Multnomah Falls Parking Lot
Timed use permits will focus on the Multnomah Falls parking lot and not the Waterfall Corridor for summer 2023 in the Columbia River Gorge. From May 26 through September 4, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, a timed use permit will be required for each personal vehicle accessing Multnomah Falls from Interstate 84 Exit 31. The permits target congestion at Multnomah Falls by reducing safety concerns and backups on I-84 with required timed use permits at Exit 31, the Multnomah Falls parking lot on Interstate 84, along with using a flagger to direct traffic at the Historic Columbia River Highway crosswalk at Multnomah Falls, and using a private concessionaire to manage the small parking lot along the Historic Highway on a first come, first-served basis. When the parking lot is full, vehicles will not be allowed to stop or wait for an open space. Multnomah Falls timed use permits will be available online at recreation.gov for a $2 transaction fee per vehicle up to two weeks in advance. A limited number of permits will also be available for pickup without a fee at the Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center in Troutdale and the Cascade Locks Historical Museum. Unlike last year, permits will not be required on the Historic Columbia River Highway Waterfall Corridor in 2023.