It will be Huckleberry Festival weekend in Bingen’s Daubenspeck Park.  The event gets underway Friday evening and continues through Sunday afternoon, with entertainment and children’s activities planned all weekend long.  Chris Connolly says the annual parade through Bingen will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday.  Alan and Karen Patrick will be this year’s grand marshals.  The annual fireman’s huckleberry pancake breakfast starts at 6 a.m. Saturday in the fire hall on 119 NE Church Street.  Complete schedule information is available at huckleberry-fest.com.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge and Save Our Scenic Area are asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review a recent Bonneville Power Administration decision to approve the Whistling Ridge Energy Project’s application to connect to the BPA’s energy grid.  The Whistling Ridge Project would be located on forested ridgelines in Skamania County near Underwood overlooking the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.  The two organizations claim the BPA failed to adequately review the environmental impacts of the proposed energy project.  Two years ago, most elements of an appeal of the state’s decision to permit the project were rejected by the Washington State Supreme Court, even though the court did say the state needed to make decisions on some aspects of the project.

Krystyna Wolniakowski has been tabbed to be the new Executive Director of the Columbia River Gorge Commission.  Wolniakowski has been serving as the Gorge Commission’s interim executive director since Darren Nichols announced his resignation earlier this year.  Commission Vice-Chair Bowen Blair praised her performance during the past five months “as a highly effective and collaborative leader who managed the agency during this interim period with a calm demeanor and extensive outreach to partners, the Governor’s offices of both states, and with elected officials.”   Wolniakowski led the Western Partnership Office of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Portland for more than 14 years as Regional Director, creating and managing conservation grant-making programs in seven Western states.  Her work included the launch of the Washington State Community Salmon Fund, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Fund, and the Oregon Governors Fund for the Environment.

Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden is hoping this season’s large wildfires throughout the West will be the tipping point to bring concrete changes to federal forest management policy.  The Hood River Republican pointed out at one point in August the three worst fires in America were burning in his district.  Walden believes a better job has to be done to remove the fuels that are making wildfires more devastating than they have to be.  Walden says the House has passed forest management bills for three straight years that he believes would begin to deal with the problem, but the Senate has taken no action.

The Dalles and Wasco County Public Works crews are painting the center and side lines on main streets today and Thursday.  In recent years, paint with low “volatile organic chemicals” has been used in order to protect the environment, but it dries more slowly than paint used in previous years, so extra precautions are needed to give the paint time to dry.  Motorists are asked to watch for the crews and avoid driving on the wet paint.  The paint truck will be preceded and followed by warning vehicles, with signs calling attention to the wet paint.  The trucks will be spaced according to the drying time of the paint, which takes 4 minutes at best and longer under humid or cooler temperatures.  Attempting to pass or drive between the trucks will result in a messy striping job and paint damage to the motorist’s vehicle.

The Hood River County Health Department and the Salvation Army are partnering to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for families that need them.  The Health Department’s Trish Elliott says they have 200 backpacks available on a first come, first serve basis for families in need.  They are available by visiting the Hood River County Health Department office at 1109 June Street in Hood River.

Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 1, Hillsboro 1 Mac-Hi 2, The Dalles 1   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 3, Reynolds 1:  Sindy Magana scored a pair of goals for the Eagles, while Halle Campos also scored. Columbia 15, Goldendale 0   Volleyball The Dalles def. Scappoose 25-23, 25-23, 26-24 Dufur def. Heppner 20-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-18 Heppner def. Sherman 25-10, 25-9, 25-10 Kiona-Benton def. Goldendale 25-17, 25-9, 28-30, 25-22

There is still plenty of time left in Hood River’s tourist season, but as the Labor Day weekend passes it appears to have been a very good season as the school year gets underway.  Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Glover says it has been extremely busy, and while they have had double digit percentage growth in transient room tax collections the last three years, this year is ahead of last year’s pace.  Glover notes Hood River tourism marketing targets the summer season to run through Harvest Festival weekend in mid-October.

Wasco County is looking to fill a number of different positions on various boards.  County Commissioner Steve Kramer says they are looking for a new alternate on the County Planning Commission.  The alternate doesn’t vote unless a sitting member is absent.  In addition, Kramer says the County is looking for a new representative to the Oregon Investment Board, and there is also a vacancy for a Wasco County board member on the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority board.  For application information on all three positions, go to the Wasco County website.

Union Street in The Dalles between East 3rd and East 4th has been closed to thru traffic due to a water main break that occurred Monday evening.  Public Works crews are on site facilitating repairs.  The street closure will remain in effect until repairs are completed.  Motorists are encouraged to use Court St. or Liberty St. as alternate routes travelling North and South.  Some customers may experience colored water or dirty-looking water due to the water main break.  City crews are flushing the system to correct the issue.  If you experience discolored water, let the water run for several minutes until clear.  If the water does not clear, contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401, extension 2001.