During the recent trip to Washington, D.C. of the The Dalles Community Action Team, funding to allow the Port of The Dalles to purchase land for development was one of the topics discussed with federal officials.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says this stems from the inability of the City of The Dalles to expand its urban growth boundary due to the National Scenic Area.  Klaas there are federal programs identifying industrial land as eligible funding, mostly through Housing and Urban Development.  She added the Port would probably use some of its own funds and federal dollars to leverage state funding opportunities.  

The start of Hood River County’s parking permit program for its County Forest trailheads has been pushed back.  It was originally set to begin on April 1, but it has not begun yet.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says a combination of some supplies for the program not coming in, an inability to put signs up in higher elevations due to lingering snow, and staffing issues.  Hecksel noted in planning the program, they did not plan for a large amount of revenue for the first year of the program, adding it’s more important to make sure it is done correctly.  He added once they determine the program can start, it will be posted on the County website.

The City of Hood River will host a two-day open house later this month on potential concepts for 12^th and 13^th Streets on the Heights.  As part of a community outreach process, the City is also launching a community-wide survey from approximately April 15^th to May 13^th to gather community input on the potential street concepts.  The three-week online survey is part of the alternatives phase of an 18-to-24-month effort to formalize a detailed streetscape and urban design plan in coordination with the Hood River Urban Renewal Agency.  Emphasis has been on addressing traffic, transit, bicycle and pedestrian safety, walkability, and the area’s local businesses.  The goal is to establish a comprehensive plan for the major arterials as well as the side streets and intersections along the 5-6 block area that stretches along 12^th and 13th streets between May Street and Belmont and Union Streets.  The in-person open house hours are 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on April 22^nd and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. April 23.

Laura Matzer is the new executive director at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.  Matzer started on the job three months ago, after spending ten years prior to the pandemic helping develop museums in the Middle East.  Matzer hopes the Discovery Center can be what she termed a “third place” for people to go with home and work, a place where people feel welcome and want to stay.  The Discovery Center will be hosting its 25th anniversary celebration on May 21.

Rob Garrett is getting settled in as the new executive director at Mid-Columbia Senior Center. Garrett succeds the retired Scott McKay. He says the Center has been operating under normal conditions for the past four to five weeks, getting almost everything restored from pre-COVID times, with events bringing in good attendance. Garrett says they are looking for more volunteers to help at the Center. It is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information go to midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com.

Baseball

Dufur sweeps Stanfield 16-3 and 18-5

Heppner sweeps Sherman 11-1 and 10-0

Weston-McEwen sweeps Lyle-Wishram 18-0 and 11-0

  Softball

Silverton 16, Hood River Valley 11

  Track and Field

Sophie Hulke won the girls’ shot put, discus, and javelin to lead Sherman to a third place finish at the Prairie City Annual Meet.  Kole Martin won the boys’ 200 and 400 meters and the long jump as the Huskies finished sixth in the boys’ standings.

  The Dalles’ Zoe Dunn won the girls’ long jump and was second in the triple jump at the Sherwood “Need for Speed” Classic.  In boys’ competition, the Riverhawks’ Taylor Morehouse won the pole vault and Jaxon Pullen was second in the long jump.

  Glenwood’s Landon Sanchey was third in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles at the Davis Invitational.

  Horizon Christian’s Caleb Yuan won both boys’ hurdles races at the St. Paul Buckaroo Roundup.  The Hawks’ Josh Rogers won the triple jump, while South Wasco’s Storm McCoy was first in the high jump.

  Boys Lacrosse

Hood River Valley 9, Central Catholic 5

The body of a missing snowboarder was located in avalanche debris in Clark Creek in the Heather Canyon area.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says members of the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Patrol found the body of 30-year-old Ryan Mather of Aloha late Friday afternoon…but due to declining daylight and the technical aspect of a recovery…extrication from the creek did not take place until Saturday morning.  Ski Patrol and Sheriff’s Office personnel recovered Mather’s body…which required a rope team…during a two-hour operation.  Mather had been reported Tuesday evening after he did not return home as expected.  The area where his body was found is rated as black or double black diamond.

Baseball

Roosevelt 9, Hood River Valley 2:  The Roughriders exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning to grab the win.  Hunter Hough hit a home run for the Eagles.

Stevenson 15. Corbett 2

  Softball

Hood River Valley 6, Scappoose 2:  Bella Moore had two hits and Marina Castaneda drove in two runs for HRV.

The Dalles 12, St. Helens 1:   The Riverhawks hit four home runs in the victory.  Sydney Newby, Kaleyah Crichton-Tunai, Kennedy Abbas, and Despina Seufalemua all homered for The Dalles.

  Track and Field

Hood River Valley won both the boys’ and girls’ team standings while The Dalles was third in each in a six-school meet at Henderson Stadium.  Elliot Hawley, Shaw Burns, and Titus Grimsley won two events apiece for the HRV boys.  The Eagles’ Simone Tillman and Maeve Woodruff and The Dalles’ Madelyn Harrison all won a pair of events in the girls’ portion of the meet.

  Boys Tennis

Hood River Valley 8, St. Helens 0

The Dalles Police Department is working toward achieving accreditation.  Department chief Tom Worthy says they are going through the Oregon Accreditation Alliance, and he says while accreditation is fairly new for law enforcement agencies, but it is growing.  Worthy explains the designation would means they can attest to adhering to best practices and have been examined by an outside entity.  The Oregon Accrediation Alliance is an independent group that is designated by the U.S. Department of Justice as the accreditation management point for the state.  All of the department’s work processes, standards, training, equipment, the way they approach the job, strategic mission, policies, and goals and objectives for the agency are all being examined.

The official portrait of former Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden was unveiled to the public in a ceremony on Capitol Hill this week. The artwork, painted by Jon Friedman, will be on display in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing room in Washington, D.C., where he served as chair of that panel during part of his House tenure. Walden spent over 30 years in public service, including 22 years in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2021. For 20 of those years, Walden served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology for six years before being elected as Chairman of the Full Committee in 2017 and Ranking Member in 2019. At the ceremony, the Hood River Republican called serving in Congress and chairing the House Energy and Commerce Committee two of the greatest honors of his life.