The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce is going to have a survey done to find out exactly where visitors to the community are coming from.  Chamber Executive Director Mike Glover says they are commissioning a group already doing some surveying for the Columbia River Gorge Commission.  He says they are taking a two-pronged approach, mailing out surveys to people who have already visited here or have expressed interest in coming here, and they will do “intercept surveys” in Hood River this summer and during Hops Fest and Harvest Fest.  The survey results will become part of the data used by the Chamber and the Hood River Visitors Council in making decisions on how to market Hood River.

Oregon State Senator Chuck Thomsen says he is supportive of the latest statewide K-12 education budget number for the upcoming biennium of eight-point-two billion dollars, and he thinks they will get to the eight-point-four billion number that school officials have said is needed to maintain the status quo.  The Hood River Republican said he had never voted for a school budget before at the committee level because he never felt it received enough funding.  Thomsen serves on the education sub-committee that voted on the K-12 budget.  It is now subject to hearings today through Wednesday at the Ways and Means Committee.

An estimated 250 people gathered in Mosier to call for an end to oil trains coming through the Gorge on the anniversary of last year’s oil train derailment and fire in that community.  Speakers at the event at Mosier Community School called for Washington Governor Jay Inslee to reject the proposed Tesoro-Savage oil terminal in Vancouver, which opponents say would lead to five oil trains per day coming through the Gorge.  Columbia Riverkeeper conservation director Dan Serres called the Mosier derailment the strongest real-life argument against that terminal.  Washington’s Energy Facility Siting Evaluation Council will make a recommendation on the Tesoro Savage proposal, but Inslee will make the final decision about whether to deny the terminal.  Following the rally, attendees marched to the Columbia River to the site of the oil train derailment.

The North Wasco County School District Education Foundation has sent out mailers to residents of The Dalles seeking donations for the various causes and organizations it supports.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says the foundation supports academic, artistic, athletic, and cultural enrichment of students.  Armstrong adds the foundation just recently provided scholarships to some of this year’s graduates at The Dalles High School.  Along with the North Wasco County Scholarship Foundation, the district education foundation helps support the district’s alumni association, The Dalles High School Booster Club, The Dalles Sister Cities Association, Friends of D-21 Music and the Arts, and The Dalles School Archive Museum.  More information is available at the D-21 website.

The White Salmon and Bingen City Councils heard a presentation on, and discussed some of the pros and cons of, combining the two municipalities into one at a joint meeting on Wednesday evening.  Bingen City Administrator Jan Brending and White Salmon City Clerk Leana Johnson gave a presentation on various aspects of such a move, including efficiencies created on top of areas where the cities already work together, options for a merger, and concerns including ensuring representation from both communities and the emotion and history of the two cities.  Council discussions ranged from the practicalities of such a move, including tax rates that would probably drop for Bingen residents and go up for those in White Salmon, representation on a new Council, in particular for the smaller Bingen community, and why this is being discussed now even though there is no urgent fiscal problem currently facing either City.  The issue now goes to both Councils for individual discussions on whether they are interested, with many of those involved in the meeting suggesting some kind of survey of residents be done on the topic, probably through utility bills.  Bingen Mayor Betty Barnes urged councilors to talk to their neighbors about the subject.  Any combination proposal would have to go to voters for approval.

Pacific Coast Producers, a grower cooperative in Lodi, California is buying the processing portion of Oregon Cherry Growers.  Pacific Coast Producers plans to operate Oregon Cherry Growers as a stand-alone subsidiary that will continue to use the OCG name and operate facilities in The Dalles and Salem, with existing production facilities and employees.  OCG’s fresh cherry business will continue independent of the transaction as Cascade Fruit Growers.  Oregon Cherry Growers president and CEO Tim Ramsey said in a news release he believes the acquisition will be positive for the future of the company, employees, and growers.  Pacific Coast Producers president and CEO Dan Vincent says the strengths of the two cooperatives align well.  Pacific Coast Producers processes and packages fruits and tomatoes for private label retail and food service sales  The deal is expected to close by June 17.

Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington set recreational white sturgeon seasons for the Bonneville Pool.  Recreational white sturgeon retention will be allowed on Saturday, June 10 from Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam, with a bag limit of one fish and a size limit of 38 to 54 inches fork length.   Angling for sturgeon is prohibited from The Dalles Dam downstream 1.8 miles from May through July, as that area has been designated as a sturgeon spawning sanctuary.  Anglers are reminded that the annual bag limit for white sturgeon is two fish; any sturgeon previously tagged in 2017 count against this limit.

The Environmental Protection Agency has selected Skamania County for two brownfields environmental site assessment grants totaling $300,000.  Skamania County was selected for community-wide hazardous substances grant funds totaling $150,000 that will be used to conduct seven environmental site assessments, and in addition was selected for an additional $150,000 in grant funds conduct the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.  The grant funds will be used to assess the underutilized brownfields along the Columbia River waterfront and along important streams that merge with the Columbia River, including downtown Stevenson.  The money will also be used to support community involvement activities, and inventory and prioritize brownfield sites.  Skamania County Commissioner Bob Hamlin noted an old veneer mill site is within walking distance of Skamania Lodge, and with a clean bill of health its potential as another economic driver is “spectacular.”

The White Salmon Spring Festival will take place this weekend, based out of Rheingarten Park.  A full lineup of entertainment is planned all weekend, along with a kids’ play zone and other activities.  The annual parade will take place Saturday morning at 11 a.m., and festival co-organizer Amanda McDonald says this year’s grand marshals are the “Secret Elves” who hang the Christmas lights on Dock Grade Road and do much more:  Celynn Vandeventer…Lloyd DeKay…Ryan Kreps…Bill Wurst…Izak Riley…and Steve Gibson.  The White Salmon Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast will be Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the White Salmon Fire Hall.  A complete schedule is available at whitesalmonspringfestival.com.

A new outdoor sports event will be coming to Hood River next weekend.  The Outfound Series is billed as an outdoor sports and innovation festival including speakers, a start-up competition, product expo, workshops, and other attractions, centered on the Hood River Event Site.  One of the founders of Outfound, Antonio Aransaenz, says they want to bring together the outdoor community in a fun setting with a business element.  The Outfound Series will take place June 9th to the 11th.  Ticket information is available at outfoundseries.com.