A municipal committee that has been studying parking in downtown Hood River has will host a public open house next week.  Mayor Kate McBride says a number of documents that they have put together are available on the City’s website, adding much of what they have been found lines up with what they thought going in, including a growing shortage of parking in the summer.  She adds they are developing suggestions that don’t involve adding parking spaces, but they will have to add spaces in the future, and “sooner rather than later.”  The open house will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on December 4 at the Hood River Hotel.

The 33rd annual ELFF, or Everybody Loves a Firefighter, canned food drive will take place in The Dalles and Dallesport in the first week of December, and volunteers are needed to help the Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Volunteer Association, Dallesport Fire District, Salvation Army, and St.Vincent dePaul in the effort.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer says it takes a large number of people to make the three-night collection happen.  He says they need about 100 volunteers per night.  To learn how to volunteer, call MCFR at 541-296-9445.  The collection will take place on December 3-4 in The Dalles and December 5 in Dallesport.  It takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night.

The Hood River Valley Adult Center is getting ready to embark on a capital campaign to help pay for improvements for the building constructed in 1993.  The Center’s Gary Young says the plan is to get the campaign going in March.  Young says the campaign is looking to raise $500,000 to update the building to get up to the standards of today.  He says the initial thrust will be to have a robust local effort, so they can go to potential grant sources in a strong position.  Those who would like to donate for the capital campaign now can call Young at 541-399-2157.

Oregon Class 4A Football Semifinal

LaGrande 68, The Dalles 0:  LaGrande reeled off big play after big play to the victory, with seven of their ten touchdowns covering 40 yards or more.  Nathan Reed ran for three touchdowns and caught a fourth, while Parker Robinson threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.  LaGrande’s defense kept The Dalles from generating any momentum, forcing three turnovers and never allowing a conversion on third and fourth downs.  The Riverhawks were making their first semi-final appearance in 26 years.  LaGrande remained unbeaten and will face defending champion Banks in the title game this Saturday in Hermiston.

 

Washington Class 1B Football Quarterfinal

Entiat 48, Lyle-Wishram 12:  The Cougars finished the season with a 9-3 record.

Columbia Gorge Community College is receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program to establish a dual-credit distance learning program for rural students in the Columbia River Gorge.  The $489,623 grant will go toward developing specialized classrooms at 13 high schools in Sherman, Wasco, Klickitat, Skamania, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties.  In addition, two broadcasting rooms from which classes will be taught will be created on the CGCC campuses in Hood River and Wasco counties.  The multi-year project will initially serve the region’s 2,499 high school students and will eventually be expanded to benefit all 8,096 students in the region’s rural schools.

There is just one week left before the annual Community Thanksgiving meal in The Dalles.  Salvation Army Captain Ray Morris says they are planning for serving 600 dinners.  But he also says they could use more volunteers to help make it happen, for everything from preparing the dinner to cleaning up afterwards.  To volunteer, go online to thedalles.salvationarmy.org.  The dinner will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at St. Mary’s Academy in The Dalles.  Meals will be delivered to those in The Dalles area who cannot get to the dinner.  To order one call 541-296-6417.

The Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation’s annual fundraising campaign is underway.  CGCC Foundation Director Stephanie Hoppe says their campaign materials were mailed out this week.  She says a big part of their campaign involves donors setting up dedicated scholarships, where donors can provide funds for a scholarship based on qualifications they can select.  Hoppe adds the dedicated scholarship program brings in over $100,000 to the CGCC Foundation.  Those interested in setting up a dedicated scholarship can call Hoppe at 541-506-6113.  Contributions to the foundation can be made online at cgccfoundation.org.

The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board approved moving forward with a proposal from TD Fitness Hub LLC to purchase the Tony’s Town and Country Building in downtown The Dalles.  Board members voted unanimously to authorize URA staff to prepare preparation of a formal purchase agreement, and exclusive negotiating agreement and disposition and development agreement if necessary.  Board member Darcy Long-Curtiss noted after an executive session that they had received two proposals for the building.  Brian and Peggi Casady are the principals in TD Fitness Hub.  The Tony’s building became available again after a plan with Tokola Properties for a mixed-use development came apart after state rulings that prevailing wage provisions would have been required for the project.

 

Cascade Locks will receive over four million dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Water and Waste Disposal Program to upgrade its wastewater treatment system.  USDA Rural Development Oregon State Director John Huffman says the funding will come in the form of a $3.2 million loan and $1 million grant.  Improvements will be made to the headworks, sequencing batch reactor, UV light disinfection system, sludge management, and pH adjustments, while piping and manholes with structural damage will be repaired.  The upgrades will improve the system’s capacity, significantly reduce the volume of sludge that must be hauled to Hood River for processing, and enable Cascade Locks to meet new discharge standards.  Additional funding for the $5.5 million project is being provided by Business Oregon.