With higher temperatures and lower humidity in the region, the Oregon Department of Forestry is asking people to put off pile and debris burning until the fall.  Rick Fletcher of ODF’s The Dalles Unit says that kind of burning is legal until May 15, but they are encouraging people to wait until later in the year.  Fletcher adds now is the time for property owners in the wildland-urban interface to think about how to protect their home from wildfire.  For tips on how to do that go to firewise.org.

North Wasco County School District 21 is trying to speak to as many groups as it can about its recently completed Oregon Department of Education Facility Condition Assessment Report.  That report found many of the district’s buildings are in poor condition and warrant replacement, and many of the rest will move into that category over the next few years.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says they’ll talk to anyone willing to listen, including various governmental panels.  The district is not planning to conduct another community meeting on facilities until they get more feedback on the topic.

Two Hood River residents have filed an initiative petition to amend the Hood River City Charter to require approval from municipal voters before parks could be sold or transferred for any purpose not related to public recreation.  The petition was filed by Brian Carlstrom and Tracey Tomashpol.  Once the petition is approved for circulation, chief petitioners will then have to gather signatures to place the measure before Hood River voters in November 2019.  Tomashpol says Hood River already falls short of the state’s suggested minimum park area for a city of its size.

Baseball

Hood River Valley 19, Crook County 1:  The Eagles banged out 20 hits while Harrison Howell limited the Cowboys to three hits over six innings, as HRV solidified its hold on a playoff spot.  Derek Homer drove in four runs while Juan Luis Jimenez had three runs batted in.

The Dalles 9, Ridgeview 6:  The Riverhawks snapped a six-game losing streak.

Sherman 6, Dufur 4

Southwest Washington Class 1A Baseball Tournament

Second Round

Hoquiam 13, Columbia 1:  The Bruins fall to 1-1 in the tournament, and will play Castle Rock Friday at a site to be determined.  CHS must win two games to advance to the state tournament.

Softball

Hood River Valley 11, Crook County 1:  The Eagles jump into second place with the win.  Makenzie Chambers, Aunika Yasui, Lizzie Weekly, and Molly Routson drove in two runs apiece.

Ridgeview 13, The Dalles 0:  The Riverhawks fall to a tie for third with Pendleton heading into a doubleheader in Pendleton on Saturday.

Boys Golf

Hood River Valley qualified for the state tournament as a team for the first time in 19 years by finishing second in the Class 5A Special District 1 tournament at Indian Creek.   The Eagles held off The Dalles, who finished eight shots behind HRV.  Crook County finished first in the tourney with a seven shot lead over Hood River.   The state tournament is this Monday and Tuesday at Trysting Tree in Corvallis.

Girls Golf

Hood River Valley’s Victoria Ervin and Samantha Stansbury of The Dalles advanced to the state tournament with their individual finishes in the Class 5A Special District 1 tournament at Meadow Lakes in Prineville.  Ervin finished second to end up five shots back of medalist Elizabeth Roundtree of Redmond, while Stansbury was five shots back in fifth.   The state tournament is this Monday and Tuesday at Quail Valley in Banks.

Track and Field

Lyle-Wishram’s boys finished fourth and the girls eighth at the ECAC Sub-District in Dayton.  Brandon Montoya won the boys’ javelin and Aaron Smith was first in the boys’ triple jump.

Boys Lacrosse

Central Catholic 13, Hood River Valley 10

Boys Tennis

Zillah 3, Goldendale 2

Girls Tennis

Goldendale 4, Zillah 1

Castle Rock 4, Columbia 0

One Community Health has begun to construct its new health center in Hood River.  There is an estimated completion date of summer 2020.  Health center hours, patient services, and patient parking will remain unaffected.  Staff members have been asked to park offsite or walk or bike to work to keep parking open for patients.  At 35,000 square feet, the future building will more than double One Community Health’s size from the current Hood River structure of 14,000 square feet.  One Community Health currently provides services to 12,000 patient in Hood River and The Dalles.

Teachers and classified personnel in North Wasco County School District 21 and the Hood River County School District have opted to hold after-school rallies Wednesday to call for the Oregon Legislature to approve increased school funding rather than walk out as will happen in some Portland-area districts.  The District 21 Education Association plans to meet at the North Wasco County Aquatic Center at 3:45 Wednesday afternoon and walk to Holstein’s Coffeehouse before dispersing.  The Hood River Education Association, Oregon School Employees Association, and district board and administration will all take part in a “Red For Ed” rally in Jackson Park at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. District Superintendent Dan Goldman said all involved agreed students can’t afford to miss another day of school after a large number of days were lost to winter weather.

Maryhill Museum of Art’s “Exquisite Gorge” project is underway, with artists doing wood carvings at different locations along the Columbia River from the confluence with the Willamette to the confluence with the Snake that will eventually be put together this summer into one long print.  Maryhill’s Lou Palermo says the project draws its inspiration from the surrealists of the 1920’s who would play a game where everyone would draw a part of human form, but couldn’t see what the others had drawn, and then it was all put together.  Palermo thought the Columbia River would be a good subject for this approach.  The carvings will be put together at Maryhill on August 24, and a steamroller will be used to create one 66-foot long print.  More information on the project is available at maryhillmuseum.org.

Boys Golf

Crook County takes a 12-shot lead over Hood River Valley into today’s second round of the Oregon Class 5A Special District 1 Regional Tournament at Indian Creek Golf Course.  The Dalles is in third, 31 back of the first place Cowboys.  The top two teams advance to next week’s state tournament.  The Riverhawks’ Tyler Vassar is the individual leader after a four-over-par 76 in round one.  Aidan Telles of The Dalles shot an 81 and is in third, while Hood River Valley’s Dylan Sartee is in a tie for fourth at 83.

Southwest Washington Class 1A Baseball Tournament

First Round

Columbia 1, Forks 0:  The Bruins play Hoquiam today at 4 p.m. at Castle Rock, with the winner clinching a berth in the state tournament.

Southwest Washington Class 1A Boys Soccer Tournament

First Round

Elma 3, Columbia 2:  The Bruins will meet Montesano in a loser-out game tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Seton Catholic.

The Hood River County School District’s boundary review committee has issued its recommendations for the district board to review at its meeting on Wednesday.  The committee is recommending four different changes to help alleviate population pressures on lower valley elementary schools and the district’s two middle schools.  Proposed elementary school changes include moving the area around Cascade Avenue and Wine Country Avenue from May Street Elementary to Westside, while the area from Tucker Road up to the Indian Creek Road area would shift from Westside to May Street, and the areas south of Dee Highway near the Summit and Wheeler intersection and the area south of Central Vale Drive will move from Mid-Valley Elementary to Parkdale.  The existing middle school boundary will be revised to include the neighborhood of Riordan Hill, Country Club Road, York Hill, and households north and south of Barrett Drive into Wy’east Middle School.  The elementary school changes would start in the upcoming school year and the middle school change in 2020-21, with some grandfathering rights recommended.  The district board will review the recommendations at their meeting beginning at 6:30 Wednesday evening in the district office, and take action at a subsequent meeting.

A 65-year-old man from The Dalles was taken by Lifeflight to Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital in Portland following a motorcycle accident on Washington Highway 142 on Sunday.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the motorcycle was eastbound on Highway 142 one mile north of Lyle at about 3:45 Sunday afternoon when the driver lost control entering a curve.  The motorcycle flipped and the pair riding it were ejected.  The passenger, a 52-year-old woman from Alexandria, Virginia, was transported to Mid-Columbia Medical Center.  The WSP did not indicate the condition of either person.