As a coach, Greg Cummings could only smile at what he saw on the hardwood, as two Columbia Gorge Basketball Academy teams duked it out in the championship game of the two-day Gorge Hoops Invitational. Spanning further than the final score, however, was the fact that this title contest also offered a glimpse at a promising future for The Dalles basketball.

For the past few years, Tammy Richman vowed to hang up her concessions apron for good. But, there are several forces pulling and tugging her back. Richman received recognition from The Dalles Little League board members for her 15 years of volunteerism and broke the seal on the 2017 campaign by throwing out the first pitch.

At the start of daily doubles, The Dalles Wahtonka has seen a boost in numbers. Up from the mid-20s, there were 35 athletes, 14 of them freshmen, on hand for the start of daily doubles this week at The Dalles Middle School. Assistant coaches Kelly DeLeon offered words of instructions and Neticia Enesi, as two courts had players diving, setting, chipping and slamming down kills in a few inter-squad scrimmages.