Governor Jay Inslee signed into law a bill from Washington 17th District Rep. Kevin Waters on Thursday that will give many of the state’s smaller businesses a boost in their hiring efforts. House Bill 1730, which is the freshman lawmaker’s first piece of legislation, will improve the state’s workforce by opening up certain job positions to a larger group of applicants. The legislation allows young adults between the ages of 18 to 21 to be employed in establishments traditionally classified as off-limits to persons under the age of 21, under specific and limited circumstances. Because HB 1730 contains an emergency clause it takes effect immediately. Under the law, it is now legal for anyone at least 18-years-old to perform services unrelated to the sale or service of alcohol to enter and remain on premises, but only to carry out the duties of their employment as a dishwasher, cook, chef, sanitation specialist, or other kitchen staff and only under certain conditions.
April 20 Prep Sports Roundup
Softball
The Dalles 15, Molalla 0
Union swept Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram 24-0 and 21-3
Track and Field
Hood River Valley’s Chaz Rockett, Phoebe Wood, and Simone Tillman each won two events at a Northwest Oregon Conference meet at Putnam
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 15, Central Catholic 3: Izzy Bielen scored six goals as the Eagles won for the first time this season.
Cherry Festival Time
It is Northwest Cherry Festival weekend in The Dalles. Activities are planned through Sunday. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO says this year’s King and Queen Bing are local orchardists Mike and Pam Manning. The Cherry Festival parade, sponsored by Tonkin of the Gorge, will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m., using the traditional route through downtown The Dalles. For a complete schedule of events, go to gorgeradio.com.
Bingen-White Salmon Cleanup This Weekend
The annual Bingen-White Salmon Community Cleanup will take place Friday and Saturday. Put on by the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club and the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce, the cleanup is headquartered in Bingen on the south side of the railroad tracks adjacent to SDS Lumber. The Rotary Club’s Sean Ciemiewicz says the event has become a staple of spring cleanup for Bingen and White Salmon residents. The cleanup will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. For information on what can be brought to the cleanup, call 509-493-3630 or go to the Community Cleanup Facebook page.
Gorge Artists Open Studios This Weekend
It is Gorge Artists Open Studios weekend. Approximately 40 artists in the region, from Cascade Locks to The Dalles and in Oregon and Washington, will have their studios open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday. Ted Olson says it’s a chance for people to look behind the scenes at how various artists create their work. Tour guide booklets are available at a number of locations throughout the Gorge, and online at gorgeartists.org.
Wasco Commission Approves Bond Agreement For Resolution Center
Wasco County Commissioners approved the bond agreement with the state for $4.5 million of lottery funding to go towards construction of the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center. County Administrative Officer Tyler Stone said this is just the first of several agreements the Commission will receive for mental, behavioral, and addiction health service center to be located in The Dalles. He added this agreement keeps the financial process moving. This funding was approved about two years ago by the Oregon Legislature, but Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill said it took the ensuing amount of time to go through the bonding process.
Wasco County Approves Waivers For Dufur Ambulance
Wasco County Commissioners gave their support to Dufur Volunteer Ambulance as it seeks a pair of state rules waivers to make their emergency medical response more efficient. Dufur EMS Chief Sarah Smith told Commissioners they are looking to be able to allow responses with a driver and an EMT, rather than wait for a second EMT as required under state guidelines, and also to be able to meet at the scene instead of gathering in one place to accommodate a volunteer staff that in many cases live close to ten miles away from the town. Commission Chair Steve Kramer, who served for a number of years as a volunteer with Dufur Ambulance, noted the waivers would address long-standing issues. The County’s approval was necessary for Dufur Ambulance to seek the waiver from the state.
April 19 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Putnam 10, Hood River Valley 6: Putnam came back from a 6-1 deficit after three innings to take its second win in the three game series.
The Dalles swept Molalla 11-1 and 27-3: The Riverhawks got their record back to .500 in the Tri-Valley Conference by winning two at Quinton Street Park.
Softball
The Dalles at Molalla, ppd.
Track and Field
Stevenson was the boys winner while Columbia was first in the girls’ standings in an eight-school meet in White Salmon. Columbia’s Jessica Polkinghorn won three events in the girls competition, while Stevenson’s Hudson Holzhauer won a pair in the boys’ part of the meet.
Boys Lacrosse
Lincoln 10, Hood River Valley 2
Port Of Cascade Locks & ACL Reach Deal For New Docks
The Port of Cascade Locks announced Tuesday a deal with American Cruise Lines to construct two new docks at the Cascade Locks Marina Park to provide a new landing for the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge and ACL’s fleet of cruise ships operating in the Columbia River system. The multi-million-dollar project will be engineered and built by the company and will belong to the Port at the end of the 20-year lease. ACL will also make investments in the Marine area to improve access for cruise ship and Sternwheeler passengers and enhance the waterfront experience. Next steps will involve completing design and engineering and seeking a permit from the Army Corp of Engineers. The contract will allow the Port to regain control over the Sternwheeler Cafe and Visitors Center building. Port officials say they are working to bring what it calls a “highly regarded” full-service restaurant to that location. ACL and the Port are engaged in conversations about the operations of the Sternwheeler. The vessel recently completed a required drydocking for scheduled maintenance, and a complete repowering is underway with new, cleaner operating engines. The Port says it is committed to offering Gorge excursions on the sternwheeler this season.
BLM Approves Plan To Buy Land East Of Wasco
The Bureau of Land Management has approved a plan this month to acquire about 4,000 acres of private land in Sherman County. The land is located on the west side of the John Day River, approximately 14 miles east of Wasco. The area is generally referred to as McDonald’s Ferry and is on the west side of McDonald’s Crossing, which was used in the 1800’s as part of the Oregon National Historic Trail. The BLM says the lands would be managed to provide the public with a wide range of recreational opportunities, including boating access, camping, and hiking, and maintain and restore healthy rangelands and wildlife habitat, including the restoration of critical habitat for the Mid-Columbia Summer Steelhead. The BLM will acquire the lands from the Western Rivers Conservancy based on the parcels’ appraised fair market value with financial support from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The BLM still must complete the necessary realty transactions before obtaining the title to the land and will announce when public access is available.