HOOD RIVER — The History Museum of Hood River County is calling on community members for financial support. Budget cuts, waning volunteership and post-pandemic economic instability have placed a significant strain on current operations, particularly concerning storage costs.

WHITE SALMON — In collaboration with StoveTeam International and nine other groups throughout Rotary District 5100, the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club helped fund the construction of 74 safe and efficient cookstoves in Retalhuleu, Guatemala.

Papeete’, French Polynesia — my second time to this French territory, most commonly referred to as “Tahiti,” was even better than the first.

MOSIER — Situated along Mosier’s main drag, Roughcuts Rustic Furniture/Rods & Trikes boasts an impressive assemblage of scraps. But don’t get it twisted — this metal heap is no junkyard. For owner and award-winning craftsman Jim Wilson, it’s an ever-rotating treasury of functional materials used to convert motorcycles into custom, specialized trikes for riders with disabilities.

WHITE SALMON — Local health industry leaders assembled at Skyline Health on Nov. 17 for the second annual Better Together Rural Health Retreat — a convening of prominent organizations and individuals from across the Gorge to strategize, align workforce priorities and plan for the future.

THE DALLES — Community members gathered at the Granada Theater on Nov. 6 for a free film screening hosted by The Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC), “No Place to Grow Old.”

DUFUR — Tucked into the arid, rolling hills east of Mt. Hood, ShadowBuck Winery recognizes responsible stewardship, sustainability and family as keys to a fruitful future in Oregon’s agritourism scene.

WHITE SALMON — Fire is a familiar foe in the Columbia River Gorge — a devastating, uncompromising force that threatens homes, families and wildlife year in and year out. But for Lloyd DeKay, retired geologist turned wood bowl turning extraordinaire, it presents a unique and affecting artistic opportunity: to find beauty amidst the rubble.