Changes in leadership at the city and county, along with other local agencies, and examples of citizen activism were hallmarks of a year of progress and change in Hood River County.
Part 1 of Hood River News’ look back at 2018 ran in the Dec. 29, 2018, edition.
July
The Memaloose Park fire, located 10 miles west of Hood River along Interstate 84, was 70 percent contained as of July 12. The human-caused fire broke out July 6 near the west end of the State Park, eight miles east of Hood River, sending thick smoke over Interstate 84 (which remained open) and the Columbia River. The fire burned about 75 acres, threatening the Rural Dell community and blackening the north side of the Memaloose State Park overlook.
Cascade Locks’ economic development took a step forward July 6 with the ribbon cutting at the new Herman Creek Business Park. It now boasts three metal buildings ranging in size from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, with a fourth near completion.
After an extensive search process, the City of Hood River mayor and council announced Monday that Rachael Fuller will be Hood River’s next city manager beginning Aug. 20. She replaces five-year City Manager Steve Wheeler, who is retiring and will work through Aug. 21.
With both District Manager Jordan Kim and Financial Manager Anne Saxby stepping down from their respective positions at the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District (HR-SWCD), Heather Hendrixson assumed the role of district manager, which has been restructured to include both Kim and Saxby’s duties.
August
Hood River County Community Development Director John Roberts stepped down Aug. 15 to take a position with the City of Redmond; he became the new deputy city manager beginning Sept. 10. Matt Rankin took the helm as Hood River’s Community Education program after John Rust, director from 2009-18, stepped down in July to serve as director of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Team.
The second annual Hood River Latino Fest drew a large crowd to Jackson Park on Aug. 22. The event, designed to bring the community together for free music and information booths, was hosted by Hood River Latino Network.
One Community Health (OCH) held a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 26 to replace its current health center in Hood River. The future facility will be located just east of the current Hood River site and on the same property, which has served as OCH’s Hood River home since 1991.
A group of upper valley residents aiming to stop Dollar General, a Tennessee-based chain of variety stores, from building a store in Mt. Hood held a town hall Aug. 28 as part of their community effort to “Keep Mt. Hood Local.” The group formed after a real estate developer filed a commercial land use permit application with Community Development in late July for the construction of a 7,225 square foot Dollar General retail store on an undeveloped lot at 4245 Corner Loop in Mt. Hood-Parkdale.
September
A cougar first spotted near Westside Elementary School on Sept. 5, or one like it, had been seen in other west Hood River locations as of Sept. 6. A cougar was seen near Red Carpet Inn, on West Cascade, at 2 a.m. and just south of that location, near Stonehedge Restaurant, mid-day., according to Sgt. Pete Hughes of Hood River County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies went to the area of Westside School just before noon on Sept. 6 after a resident reported seeing the cat in an alleyway off Holly Drive.
The City of Hood River reopened the Children’s Park with a celebration on Sept. 22., After a extensive community effort to design and rebuild Children’s Park, followed by the installation of soft surfacing, the opening was postponed due to delayed shipments of materials necessary to complete the park for safe use.
“Streets Alive/Fiesta en Calle” was held Sept. 30 on the Heights, opening 1.5 miles of streets to non-motorized use for four hours. Streets Alive, which grew out of citizen initiative last spring, has expanded and spawned numerous music, art and fitness sub-events, giving the community plenty of ways to interact, including the Police and Public Works departments showcasing proposed bike and pedestrian safety improvements on ODOT controlled 12th and 13th streets.
October
For the past five months, construction crews have been at work on the Henderson Stadium project at HRVHS, which included improvements such as a brand-new turf field and track. The project was unveiled Oct. 5 — during the homecoming game, which also featured the “Hat Ceremony” for new HRVHS Hall of Fame inductees.
Emergency crews closed and evacuated Highway 35 between Paasch Drive and Dethman Ridge Road, as well as all of Van Horn Drive and Mason Road, in the mid valley for approximately two hours Oct. 9 due to an ammonia leak at a fruit packing house. No injuries were reported and the leak prompted precautionary closures, including three buses rerouted to Wy’east Middle School at the end of the school day to avoid dropping children off in the leak area. The leak was apparently caused by a broken petcock.
Three daycare workers charged after four-month old Cyrus Macioroski’s death on May 15 at an illegally-operated local daycare turned themselves in and had plea hearings scheduled at Hood River County Circuit Court during the month. Debra Jones, 61, and her wife, Rochelle, 51, were both arrested and booked at NORCOR on Oct. 7. The third woman charged after the incident, Donna Pilcher, 62, Hood River, was arrested and booked at NORCOR on Oct. 2, after turning herself in to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.
It’s the end of an era — Charburger, a Hood River dining fixture since 1967, sold its equipment, signs, fixtures and large collection of old farm and orchard implements at auction at the beginning of the month. The building will be demolished, and a new structure built by the buyer, Susan Sorenson, for the new home of Columbia Gorge Dance Academy.
November
November was marked by the Nov. 6 general election, which saw a 75.70 percent turnout county-wide. Anna Williams wrested the Oregon House Dist. 52 position away from Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River), but it took until Nov. 27 to learn that Dist. 26 State Sen. Chuck Thomsen (R-Pine Grove) retained his seat against Democrat challenger Chrissy Reitz by 209 votes.
Hood River and Cascade Locks kept mayors Paul Blackburn and Tom Cramblett. Hood River City Council seats went to Jessica Metta, Tim Counihan and Erick Haynie; Cascade Locks City Council seats went to Julie Caldwell-Wagner, Sara Patrick and Richard Randall.
For U.S. District 2, Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner lost her challenge to Hood River Republican Rep. Greg Walden, but Hood River gave her a 64 percent to 34 percent margin, 6,536 votes to 3,497 for Walden.
Eagle Newspapers announced the closing of the Columbia Gorge Press cold press. The Nov. 3 Hood River News was the last to be physically printed in Hood River. The paper — as well as The Dalles Chronicle and White Salmon Enterprise, both of which are also owned by Eagle — are now being printed in Salem. Hood River News’ original printing press in Hood River was installed in 1972 in the company’s former headquarters on Oak Street (now home to Dog River Coffee and Footwise Shoes).
December
December began with a story on Suma Kobayashi’s 104th birthday party at Parkhurst Place on Nov. 30. She was born in Hood River on Nov. 30, 1914. She is a life-long resident of the valley, living here her entire life, except for a two-year stint when she went to school in Portland, and when she and her family, as well as the rest of Hood River’s Japanese population, were forcibly relocated to internment camps during World War II.
The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) upheld Hood River County’s decision on Dec. 3 to grant Apollo Land Holdings, LLC, an extension on their permit to establish an amphitheater on their property at the former Dee Mill site. The Hood River Valley Residents Committee — who recently changed their name to “Thrive Hood River” — appealed the county’s decision to approve Apollo’s application for a one-year extension of their building permit for the amphitheater because, they claimed, a June 2017 LUBA ruling against the controversial DeeTour Hotel proposal changed the approval criteria for Apollo’s permit.
Community members packed into the Riverview Room of the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn in mid-December to learn more about the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge Replacement Project, speak with project coordinators and give input on the process. Attendees were encouraged to contact their representatives and express how important it is to them that the project move quickly because, Commissioner Brian Shortt said, the project is currently stuck in the traditional permitting process.
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