Northwest Cherry Festival weekend is arriving in The Dalles. Activity starts downtown, and throughout the community, on Friday and will continue into Sunday. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Farquharson says this year’s Grand Marshal is orchardist Mel Omeg, and King Bing and Queen Anne are former Oregon State University Extension Agent Lynn Long and his wife Marlene. The carnival on First Street, the vendor market on First and Second streets from Court to Laughlin, and the entertainment stage on Second and Federal will all get started on Friday afternoon.
Bingen-White Salmon Community Cleanup Friday & Saturday
The annual Bingen-White Salmon Community Cleanup is set for Friday and Saturday. It’s put on the Rotary Club of White Salmon and Bingen along with the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce. The drop-off site is at the Bingen Public Works site off Highway 14 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The Chamber’s Tammara Tippel says the site has various stations for unwanted items to be dropped off. One of the areas is a “freecycle” station where reusable items can be dropped off and picked up for free. It will be open all day Friday and until noon on Saturday. There is a suggested donation of $10 to dispose of items at the cleanup.
April 23 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 9, Gladstone 2: Three Riverhawk pitchers held the Gladiators to one hit as The Dalles moved to 5-0 in the Tri-Valley Conference. Evan Ortega, Trey Hodges, and Hunter Bustos combined in the mound effort.
Softball
Gladstone 7, The Dalles 2: The Gladiators took control with a five-run fourth inning, and stay unbeaten in the Tri-Valley Conference.
Track and Field
Hood River Valley topped Parkrose and host Hillsboro in a three-school Northwest Oregon Conference meet. Sam Knoll and Wyeth Droege won two events apiece for the Eagles.
Columbia’s girls won a Trico League meet in White Salmon. Sara Miller won a pair of events for the Bruins, while Danika Wright did the same for Lyle-Wishram. The CHS boys were third behind Fort Vancouver and Kalama.
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 15, North Clackamas 1: Anna Rinella and Georgia DeResta scored three goals apiece for HRV, who won their ninth in a row.
Klickitat County Jail Dealing With Vacancies
Klickitat County’s Department of Corrections is dealing with a personnel crunch. Already with two full-time vacancies, Department Director Bill Frantz told the County Commission on Tuesday he is losing another to a year-long military leave. Frantz says he is working to fill the positions, and may have to recruit casual, or part-time, corrections officers to bridge the gap, and also to attempt to encourage them to consider a full-time position. Frantz says the vacancies leaves them down a full shift. He says officers are working a lot of overtime, not calling in sick unless they are very ill, and doing everything he can ask of them to get through the situation.
Harris Believes Bridge & Gorge Commission Will Make Budget
As talks continue on a transportation package in the Washington Legislature, one 17th District legislator believes funding for a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge will be in it. The bridge was in the Senate transportation budget, but not in the House. Republican 17th District Senator Paul Harris thinks the bridge will make it as part of a package that will include a gas tax increase. Harris also thinks funding for the Columbia River Gorge Commission will be in the general fund budget also being negotiated. Like the bridge, the Gorge Commission was included in the Senate budget, but not in the House. The Washington Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Sunday, but Harris says it would not be a surprise to see a special session called with budget negotiators staying in Olympia but others going home while awaiting conclusion of those talks.
Memaloose Rest Area Closing For Renovations
The Memaloose Rest Area on Interstate 84 six miles east of Mosier will temporarily close to allow for the completion of a rest room building renovation and expansion project. The Oregon Travel Information Council says the eastbound parking lots and facilities will close starting today, while westbound parking lots and facilities will close on or around May 1. The westbound exit will remain open to allow access to the entrance of Memaloose State Park. Both sides of the rest area will open to the public by July 1. The Memaloose Rest Area Building Renovation and Expansion Project will upgrade and expand the existing facilities to improve restroom capacity, ensure compliance with ADA standards, and implement necessary building improvements by adding approximately 200 square feet to the women’s and men’s facilities. The Travel Information Council approved the expenditure of $1.7 million dollars for the project, allocated by the Oregon Legislature.
Governor Signs Two Waters Bills
Two bipartisan bills from Washington State 17th District Rep. Kevin Waters will take effect later this year after being signed by the governor this week, including one that will allow alcohol producers and breweries to sublet their kitchen space. House Bill 1602, which unanimously passed both chambers, allows breweries to subcontract the restaurant part of their business to individuals or entities better suited for running the food service side. Currently, a brewery must meet specific food service requirements to operate a new location using a restaurant liquor license. The governor also signed House Bill 1609, which promotes the efficient administration of state education agencies by allowing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to use a designee on the Board of Natural Resources. Current law specifies that the superintendent is a board member and does not authorize the use of a designee. HB 1609 will allow the superintendent more time to supervise the administration of school policies and procedures by sending a designee in his or her place to meetings about timber sales that fund schools.
WAGAP Plans Senior Financial Wellness Fairs
Washington Gorge Action Programs Pathways program is planning a pair of Financial Wellness Fairs for seniors. The first will be on May 5 in Goldendale, with a second to be held at a date to be announced in June in White Salmon. Pathways Director Abby Brandt Whalin says the focus is to get information to seniors about financial resources and threats. There will be hands on help setting up auto pay and organizing important records. The first session will be on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Goldendale Senior Center, and to signup email pathways@wagap.org. A second session will take place in late June in White Salmon.
April 22 Prep Sports Roundup
Hood River Valley 12, Putnam 4: Addison Postlewait drove in three runs during an eight-run sixth inning to move HRV to 4-0 in the Northwest Oregon Conference. Postlewait had four RBI in the game and Davis Parr knocked in three. Bodie Stuben struck out 13 on the way to the complete game victory.
Columbia 15, Kalama 4: Wyatt Stelma drove in five runs for the Bruins with a double and a triple, as the Bruins scored nine runs in the fourth inning to pull away.
King’s Way Christian 19, Stevenson 1
Sherman 6, Stanfield 4: Gage Simpson drove in two runs to help the Huskies to the victory.
Goldendale sweeps Highland 28-2 and 16-1: Jackson Gamble drove in five runs in the first game, and added three hits in the nightcap.
Softball
Hood River Valley 10, Putnam 0: Grace Rowan struck out 11 and fired a one-hitter as the Eagles won their fourth straight Northwest Oregon Conference game and eighth overall. Rowan also drove in three runs while Kenadie Lucas had two RBI.
Columbia splits with Kalama, winning 11-0 in game one but falling in game two 24-18: Julia Mullinix drove in three runs in game one, while Joella Posini homered twice and drove in five runs in the nightcap.
Stevenson 14, King’s Way Christian 7: The Bulldogs scored ten runs in the final three innings to come back for the victory. Rebecca Townsend, Cayden Hulsey-Bible, and Jewel Waymire drove in two runs apiece.
Track & Field
Stevenson’s boys and girls finished second to Seton Catholic in a three-school Trico League meet that also included Castle Rock. Jude Travinski won a pair of events for the Bulldog boys.
Boys Soccer
Columbia 3, Fort Vancouver 1
Boys Tennis
Madras 6, The Dalles 2
Hood River Valley 7, Parkrose 1
Girls Tennis
Hood River Valley 7, Parkrose 1
Girls Golf
Hood River Valley finished fourth at an NWOC Tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon City. Rayla Yasu was the top Eagle finisher in ninth.
Boys Volleyball
Hood River Valley def. Hillsboro 25-21, 25-22, 25-27, 21-25, 18-16
Boys Lacrosse
Grant 13, Hood River Valley 6
April 21 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 19, Madras 9: The Riverhawks consistently scored runs, enabling them to survive an eight-run third inning by the White Buffaloes. Sawyer Case drove in four runs, Avery Schwartz homered and knocked in three runs, and Cody Agidius also had three RBI.
Softball
The Dalles 16, Madras 1: Ava Graves drove in five runs as the Riverhawks swept the two-game series from Madras.
Boys Soccer
Columbia 10, Onalaska 1
Stevenson 4, Toledo-Winlock 2
Boys Golf
Hood River Valley finished fourth in this week’s Northwest Oregon Conference tournament at Langdon Farms. The Eagles’ John Olsen finished in a tie for fifth with a seven-over-par 78.
The Dalles was 13th at the Seaside Invitational at Astoria Golf & Country Club. Leighton Voodre tied for 16th with a seven-over-par 79.