We are two months from the Northwest Cherry Festival, and The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is starting to ramp up for it. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says they are plenty of opportunities to take part, with sponsors and vendors still being sought. Farquharson says the Cherry Festival poster will be revealed at the Chamber’s annual awards banquet on February 29. The Cherry Festival is scheduled for April 19-21. Information is available at thedalleschamber.com.
Port of HR Considering Lot 1 Direction
The Port of Hood River continues to consider how to proceed with Lot 1, the last remaining major parcel on the waterfront. The Port has been looking at how to proceed with infrastructure needs. Port Commissioner Kristi Chapman says what the lot could be used for remains an open question. Lot 1 represents the last major property in Hood River’s waterfront available for development. But how to pay for what needs to be done to prepare Lot 1 for any kind of use is unknown.
February 16-17 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Wrestling
Hood River Valley qualified seven wrestlers for next week’s Oregon Class 5A tournament in Portland after finishing fourth in the Northwest Oregon Conference Championships at Wilsonville. Conner Farlow had the top HRV finish, taking second at 120 pounds. Treshaun Douglass at 120, Jesus Ortega-Lara at 126, and Leyton Adams at 132 grabbed third place finishes, while Froylan Mendez at 144, Samuel Blosser at 157, and Reese Reierson at 190 advanced with fourth place finishes.
Goldendale finished third in Class B at Washington’s Mat Classic in Tacoma, with Matthew Gray leading the way by winning the 150 pound title. Gray squeezed by Maddex Strobel of Liberty in the final. Brock Armstrong was second at 126 pounds, Rydell Myers third at 120, and Storey Woodbury for fourth at 144.
Columbia’s Sawyer Muehlbauer was second at 190 pounds in the Class 1A portion of the Mat Classic. Muehlbauer won his first three matches before losing to Aiden Ford of Zillah by fall at 3:47 of the final.
Swimming
Hood River Valley’s Caiden Titus finished third in the boys’ 100 yard freestyle and sixth in the 200 free at the Oregon Class 5A Championships at Tualatin Hills.
The HRV girls’ 200 yard individual medley relay team earned a third place finish, while both the boys and girls 200 freestyle relays finished fifth.
Basketball
Big Sky League Finals at Kurtz Gym, The Dalles
Boys Championship: Dufur 49, Sherman 41: The Rangers host Triangle Lake in the first round of the Oregon Class 1A playoffs on Tuesday, while Sherman will entertain Damascus Christian.
Boys Third Place: Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 38, Condon 36
Girls Champiohship: South Wasco 48, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 36: The Redsides host Crosshill Christian in an Oregon Class 1A first round playoff game on Wednesday.
Girls Third Place: Trout Lake 60, Ione-Arlington 18: The Mustangs visit Mohawk in the first round of the 1A playoffs on Wednesday.
Boys Basketball
The Dalles 50, Gladstone 40
Girls Basketball
The Dalles 61, Gladstone 40
February 15 Prep Basketball Scoreboard
Big Sky Boys Basketball Semi-Finals
Dufur 51, Condon 49
Sherman 57, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 35
February 14 Prep Basketball Scoreboard
Southwest Washington Class 1A Boys Basketball District Tournament
Loser-Out Game
Elma 43, Stevenson 41
Big Sky Girls Basketball Tournament
First Round
South Wasco 51, Sherman 30
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 58, Dufur 38
Hood River URA To Start Five-Year Action Plan For Westside District
The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency is going to embark on a five-year action plan for the recently established Westside Urban Renewal District. Urban Renewal Administrator Will Norris says there will be five areas of emphasis, including an analysis of housing constructability at various locations in that area. There will be a public engagement plan established, with Norris noting the Westside URA is unique because it is providing the funding to proceed with existing plans. Other action plan elements include putting together a financial capacity analysis, developing a cost incentive program for “missing middle” housing, and establishing equity and performance metrics.
Kramer Field Agreements Nearing Conclusion
Wasco County should have agreements with The Dalles Little League and Babe Ruth for maintenance and use of Kramer Field for this year and for the foreseeable short-term future. Commissioner Scott Hege says the County, which owns the facility, will take over maintenance from the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District. Hege did say he doesn’t want to see the County get into the parks business, adding a longer-term discussion about whether some kind of community sports complex should be put together would involve a number of different stakeholders.
Mosbrucker Bill To Let PUD’s Sell Bio-Gas Products Passes House
A bill authored by Goldendale Representative Gina Mosbrucker that would authorize public utility districts, including Klickitat County PUD, to sell biogenic carbon dioxide and other bio-gas products passed the Washington state House of Representatives 97-0. House Bill 2069 would allow the Republic Landfill in Klickitat County to capture carbon dioxide currently released into the air. The landfill already captures methane gas. About 58% of the gas is methane, which produces renewable natural gas. The other 32% is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and its derivatives, such as carbon monoxide (CO), can be used in manufacturing processes for food processing, sustainable fuel production, and feedstocks. Mosbrucker says Klickitat County PUD was approached by parties that want to purchase the biogenic CO2, but millions of dollars will need to be invested in equipment that can clean the gas to food-grade safety. Before making those investments, Mosbrucker says the PUD wants to have the clear authority to sell it. The bill would provide that authority. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.
Pacific Power To Provide Funds For EV Ports At HRV Adult Center
Pacific Power has awarded more than $2 million to 22 organizations in Oregon for projects that will expand electric mobility and connect people across the state to the cost-saving, clean-air benefits of electric vehicles, with one of the projects targeted for Hood River. Funds will be used to install four publicly accessible EV charging ports at the Hood River Valley Adult Center. The center runs a volunteer Circles of Care program that provides free rides to medical appointments, and being able to charge EVs quickly is important. Other groups that will benefit from additional charging capacity include 30 EV drivers associated with the center and residents of a nearby senior-living facility.
Hood River Library Bookmobile Expands Services
The Hood River County Library District has expanded its bookmobile services. The bookmobile will be out the first Thursday of every month at 11:30 at Pine Grove Early Intervention on 2405 Eastside Road, then on the second Thursday of the month in will be on Pacific Avenue at 2:30, Sieverkropp Drive at 3:30, and at Wy’east Vista Apartments at 5 p.m. The third Thursday sees the bookmobile at Hood River Mobile Manor at 2:30, Hood River Crossings Apartments at 3:30, and Columbia View Apartments at 5, with a stop at the Rockford Grange on the fourth Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, the bookmobile tours Odell, going to the mobile home park and AGA Road for residents only at 10:30, at Community Park on Tamarack Road at 12:30, and Wy’east Middle School at 2:30.