The City of The Dalles will take over the hospitality role for cruise ships docking in the City beginning in March. The contract was most recently was held by The Dalles Main Street. Before Main Street took on the shore side hospitality role, those duties were held by The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce. City Manager Matthew Klebes said the change was made due to the pause being taken by Main Street for its own reorganization, and the March 13th start of the cruise ship season. The Main Street Board voted to ask the City to take back the contract. The City of The Dalles will also continue to handle the reservations at the City Dock. The cruise lines’ hospitality coordinators and the docking coordinators will receive contact information from the City for all services beginning in March.
Hearts Of Gold Set For March 11
Providence Hood River Foundation’s Hearts of Gold awards dinner and program will take place in March. Foundation Director Susan Frost says they will be honoring Dr. Connie Serra and Dr. Orlando Acosta of One Community Health, and Terri Vann, who was with Hood River County School District for 36 years and is a long-time volunteer in the area. Frost says proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Providence’s rural-focused family medicine training, and provide enhancements to that program. Tickets are available for the March 11 gala at the Best Western Hood River Inn Gorge Room. They are $100 apiece, and available by calling 541-387-6342 or going to the Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Foundation website.
February 8 Prep Sports Roundup
Wrestling
Silas Parsons of The Dalles earned a first place finish at the Central Oregon FN Tournament at Mountain View, as the Riverhawks finished sixth in the team standings.
Hillsboro 48, Hood River Valley 36: Kevin Castro, Connor Farlow, and Treshaun Douglass won by fall for the Eagles.
MCMC Acquires Motor Motel For Transitional Housing
Mid-Columbia Community Action announced it has acquired the Oregon Motor Motel in The Dalles and will convert it into 100 new beds of transitional housing and shelter. Community Action is using part of a $4.27 million grant from the state’s Project Turnkey program to acquire the property. Community Action is renaming the property “The Annex” to reflect connection with its Navigation Center project that will break ground next month. Nearly $1.5 million in renovations for the former motor lodge will begin immediately, with Community Action hoping to open the shelter by the middle of this year. The site will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with two on-site resident managers and overnight security, with a number of agencies providing on-site services to those who stay there. Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint believes “The Annex” will reduce houselessness in the region by 50%.
Cross Channel Swim Discontinued
The Roy Webster Cross-Channel Swim, a Labor Day tradition in the Columbia River Gorge since the 1940’s, has been discontinued. The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce made the announcement this week to postpone the swim indefinitely, citing declining participation, logistical challenges that included discontinuation of the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler’s operations, and increasing issues with winds and wildfire smoke. The 2023 swim would have been the 80th year of the event, which was held in Hood River through 2018, then moved to Cascade Locks in 2019 and 2022, with the event canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The loss of the Sternwheeler was a huge blow, as it was used to ferry participants to the Washington side of the river to jump in and swim back to the Oregon side. The event was named after Hood River Valley orchardist Roy Webster, an avid swimmer who started the tradition with his family in the 1940’s.
Waters Introduces Bridge Of The Gods Legislation
Washington 17th District State Representative Kevin Waters is working on an agreement between Skamania County and the Port of Cascade Locks for a bridge authority for the Bridge of the Gods similar to that being put in place for the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. Waters says he is seeking funds this session to help begin work on rehabilitation of the bridge. Waters hopes the state funding and establishment of a bridge authority can open the door to federal funds. Waters notes Bridge of the Gods is the only bridge on the Columbia River rated to be able to withstand a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.
HR Health Department Encouraging STI Testing
The Hood River County Health Department says it has seen a rise in sexually transmitted infections over the last several months. The department’s Daron Ryan says they are making a push for people to come to them to get tested for STI’s. The Hood River County Health Department offers STI testing and treatment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Call the day you want to come in: 541-386-1115.
February 7 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
Hood River Valley 83, Milwaukie 75: Sam Fauth scored 28 points while Isaiah Poole tallied 15 and Ethan Rivera 14 as HRV led nearly the entire game to grab the win. Kaden Harris led Milwaukie with 28. The Eagles moved a game in front of Canby for the fourth spot in the Northwest Oregon Conference.
The Dalles 54, LaGrande 51: The Riverhawks held on for the road non-league win that could prove important to their state playoff possibilities.
South Wasco 78, Trout Lake 44: The Redsides clinched first place in the Big Sky Conference.
Horizon Christian 65, Lyle-Wishram 41
Dufur 65, Klickitat-Glenwood 41
Washington Class 2B District 5 First Round
Columbia (Burbank) 71, Goldendale 30: Goldendale will play at White Swan Friday at 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Hood River Valley 52, Milwaukie 44: Marina Castaneda scored 14 points, Megan Griggs 11, and Mallory McNerney 10 as the Eagles came from seven points down at halftime, limiting the Mustangs to six second half field goals.
LaGrande 32, The Dalles 18: The Riverhawks had only six players available for the road non-league contest.
South Wasco 53, Trout Lake 48: The Redsides clinched first place in the Big Sky Conference with the victory.
Horizon Christian 53, Lyle-Wishram 28
Klickitat-Glenwood 73, Dufur 32
Sherman 53, Bickleton 14
Hood River Sheriff’s Office Seeks Robbery Suspect
The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery that took place on Friday at Marco Sports in the 1000 block of Highway 218. According to the Sheriff’s Office, witnesses reported a male subject had entered the business brandishing a handgun, ordering patrons and employees to the ground in fluent Spanish. The suspect left on foot southbound with cash that he had stolen from the business. No one was injured in the robbery. The suspect is described as a tall, large, Latino male, over 200 pounds, in his 20’s or 30’s, who spoke Spanish in a deep voice, with what witnesses believed may have been an accent from the State of Jalisco. He was wearing a black Nike hoodie pulled tightly around his face with a black and white bandana, black Nike pants, and black and white Nike shoes. The Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone with information in this case contact the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 541-387-7077.
Food Bank Moves Into New Home
The Columbia Gorge Food Bank has settled into its new home at 3525 Crates Way in The Dalles. Construction of the Community Food Center began with the 2020 purchase of a shell of a warehouse that was renovated to be a state-of-the-art food bank that began to distribute food to the first of 46 community partners in the early days of this year. It includes over 1,000 square feet of refrigerated storage and more than 600 square feet of freezer space. Completing construction of the food bank’s offices, flex space, and learning kitchen will take place over the next few months. A grand opening for the center is expected to take place in early spring.