The Hood River City Council has given its approval to a pilot program for free parking in the downtown area Wednesday afternoons starting in January.  It’s called Local Business Wednesdays, and Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Schroeder says it is an attempt to change the perception that local residents don’t feel welcome downtown.  The free parking would be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday from January until the end of May.  Schroeder says downtown businesses will plan special events to coincide with the free parking hours.

It’s a busy time for North Wasco County School District 21 officials.  The D-21 board will hold worksessions on Tuesday night to continue work on a search for a new superintendent to replace Candy Armstrong when she retires at the end of June…and on Thursday to work on board goals and a district communication plan.  And on December 10 a community meeting on long-range facilities planning will take place.  D-21 Chief Financial Officer Randy Anderson says that meeting aims to reach a consensus of what to prioritize in capital expenditures.  The worksessions this week are at 5:30 p.m. in the D-21 administrative office, while the long-range facilities meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 10 at The Dalles Middle School Library.

School Delays For Monday, December 2

Hood River County School District on a two-hour delay with buses on snow routes.

 

 

OCDC Head Start Odell Center two-hour delay.

Mid-Valley Head Start two-hour delay, class starts at 10 a.m.

Country Club Head Start two-hour delay, class starts at 10 a.m.

Parkdale Head Start two-hour delay, class starts at 10:30 a.m.

Belmont Center Head Start morning class cancelled, afternoon class on-time.

 

The 30th annual Starlight Parade in downtown The Dalles is coming up on Friday evening.  Lisa Farquharson of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce says this year’s theme is “Ruby Red Christmas.”  The parade begins at 6 p.m. on Friday at West 6th and Webber, rolling through downtown before ending in front of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce office…where the tree lighting celebration will take place at 7 p.m.

The annual community Thanksgiving dinners will be served in The Dalles, Hood River, and Cascade Locks.  In The Dalles the dinner is sponsored by The Salvation Army, and will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Academy.  Salvation Army Captain Ray Morris says they are looking to serve more dinners than in the past.  In Hood River, a community Thanksgiving dinner will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at Riverside Community Church, and everyone is invited.  The dinner in Cascade Locks will be from noon to 2 p.m. at the Port of Cascade Locks Pavilion.

Mid-Columbia Community Action will begin to schedule application appointments for those in the general public in Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties looking for assistance from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program after 8 a.m. on Monday.  Community Action’s Jim Slusher says people should wait until that time to call their offices.  Phone numbers for Mid-Columbia Community Action are 541-298-5131 in The Dalles and 541-386-4027 in Hood River.

Sherman School District is closed.

The Dalles City Council decided to have staff address a number of items in a proposed ordinance to establish a short-term rental license and bring it back to them rather than try to take action on it now.  Following a public hearing Councilors identified a number of areas of the ordinance they felt needed clarification, including parking requirements, defining the term “special events” as they are prohibited under the ordinance, and developing some kind of waiver of notifying neighbors of a license application for those who already have a bed and breakfast permit.  Mayor Rich Mays says the goal of the ordinance is to make sure neighborhoods are safe and viable.  Short-term rental owners who spoke in the hearing indicated there were a number of sections in the ordinance with vague language, and they would like more specifics.  City planning staff will bring the ordinance back to the Council in January.

The United Way of the Columbia Gorge will be holding its tenth annual Holiday Benefit Concert with rock violinist Aaron Meyer on December 15, and tickets are going fast.  The United Way’s Gordy Sato says they sold out last year, and the pace of sales this year indicates they may not have any tickets left the day of the show.  Sato adds Meyer has spent time with Hood River-area youth teaching music, going to schools to provide music education.  General admission tickets for the concert on December 15 at the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn are $25, $15 for kids 12 and under, and are available at Waucoma Bookstore in downtown Hood River.

When county commissioners from around Washington got together last week for their conference in Spokane last week, the subject of how the passage of an initiative to limit car tab fees to $30 will impact counties was the prime topic.  Klickitat County Commissioner David Sauter says that impact is still to be determined, but he says they have an early indication of transportation funding that could be lost if the Washington Legislature doesn’t authorize backfill dollars.  The County’s initial anaylsis is a potential loss of $500,000 without backfill from the state.  Sauter points out car registration fees help pay for a number of programs…including senior transportation.