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.

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.