INDEX
Classifieds
History
KidScoop
MedicalDirectory
Obituaries
Opinion
Police,SheriffLogs
PublicNotices
SeniorLiving
What'sHappening
Rebuild-It Center celebrates
Earth Day — A3
B8-9
B6
B1
B12
A7
A4-5
B5,B7
B10-11
B3
B4
Spring field sports now
underway: Sports — A12-15
Age+ Circles of Care: Music
and connection — B2
Weather
Partlysunnythroughthe
week.Wed.toseehighest
highoftheweekat78.
ChanceofshowersSat./Sun.
Hood River Elks remodel
— B13
Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER | THE DALLES | WHITE SALMON
Wednesday,April21,2021 Volume2,Issue3
Removing barriers to mental health
Bertram
■ Jacob
Columbia Gorge News
WHITE SALMON — Starting this
week, the health and wellness cen-
ter building on the White Salmon
Valley School District campus is
opening to provide services at a
permanent location.
The program, born out of an
initial $75,000 grant through
Southwest Washington
Accountable Community of Health
(SWACH) and a partnership with
NorthShore Medical Group and
White Salmon Valley Educational
Foundation, and later supplement-
ed through additional funding by
SWACH and community donations,
will now have a permanent residen-
cy on the school district campus.
When the program first started
a year ago, NorthShore therapists
had been providing one-on-one
services on the NorthShore campus
with students given transportation
thanks to the K-Link group, which
funded rides through Mt. Adams
Transportation.
The health and wellness center
building was funded though a 2019
voter-approved $7 million bond by
the school district. Construction
was completed earlier this month.
HOOD RIVER — The Hood River
City Council April 12 approved
middle-income housing rules and a
west side addition to the transporta-
tion plan — separate measures that
end months of meetings and public
testimony. The zoning amendments
and the traffic plans are not unrelat-
ed. Both reflect Hood River’s grow-
ing popularity as a place to visit and
to live, and the council’s expressed
aim to keep the small town livable
for its residents.
In the four-hour virtual meeting –
actually four consecutive meetings
— the council also approved utility
increases that target commercial
and industrial users and approved
conceptual plans for a mixed-in-
come housing project on seven
wooded acres in town along Rand
Road.
The housing rule amendments,
due for final approval April 26,
have not been without detractors
COVID-19
Wasco
County
seeing
COVID-19
increase
Single outbreak
sparks 1/3 of new
cases; vaccination
best defense
Health and wellness coordinator Michelle Ward said she hopes to
see the new health and wellness center building be "a place where
students feel comfortable and there's no stigma around it."
The building offers an exam
room and lab for future sports
therapy services, as well as room for
two therapists to provide services,
which will be on a twice-weekly
basis starting this Tuesday.
Program leaders also want to even-
tually provide dental services in the
building.
“We wouldn’t have this health
and wellness center without our
community,” said Henkle Middle
School Principal Haley Ortega. “It
SeeCENTER,page8
Hood River approves housing, traffic plans
Oberst
■ By For Gail
Columbia Gorge News
$1.00
during its months of discussion.
The process needs more consider-
ation, according to Councilor Erick
Haynie and retired attorney Susan
Crowley. Haynie has been the lone
“nay” vote on the council’s chang-
es to the middle-income building
code drafts. In March, he had asked
that regular reports on how the new
codes were working should be a
part of the code amendment. The
council agreed instead that reports
could be made without an addition
to the amendment.
“The process has been very dis-
appointing to watch,” said Crowley
April 12, indicating she had origi-
nally liked the concept of friendly
streetscapes filled with cottages
on lots that allowed for gardens,
trees and flowers. She bemoaned
changes to the concept that had
“closely-packed” buildings, reduced
front porches, and she urged longer
consideration: “The essence of a
small town is lost,” she said.
Councilors are amending build-
ing and zoning rules in hopes of
SeeCOVID,page8
WILDFIRE RISK
Oregon Department of Forestry crews
respond to a recent fire in The Dalles
area sparked by an abandoned camp-
fire.
Contributed photo
Among the first improvements in the city’s west side plan will be to busy Rand
Road, pictured above at the Cascade intersection.
Gail Oberst photo
developing projects that benefit
middle income residents in a town
where the average price for homes
now exceeds $500,000. The final
reading of the middle-income
housing amendment is set for April
26. Once approved, the codes
will go into effect after 30 days.
Changes allow for more dense
construction in some residential
SeeTRAFFIC,page8
GORGE LOCAL — EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT
Learning how to 'make things work'
Walker Sacon
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
“Some kids struggle in brick-
and-mortar because they’re future
Olympians,” Preston said. “People
tend to think of dropouts, but that’s
Hood River Options Academy
(HROA) counselor Tammy Hosaka not always the case.”
Sean FitzSimons of the U.S. Ski
said staff have learned this year “not
and Snowboard Team and Boise
to make plans” as the program’s
State University volleyball’s Shae
participation grew from around
Duffy are alumni of the program.
200 middle-and-high-schoolers to
HRVHS senior Harrison Howell,
closer to 900 K-12 students from
a University of Portland baseball
across the district.
The strength of the staff and pro- signee, is finishing his high school
career in the program this spring.
gram is adaptability, Hosaka said.
HROA also administers the
“We don’t say no. We’re all about
district’s Early College program –
problem solving,” she said. “Ok,
national merit scholar Jacob Kaplan
you’re here — now how are we
is enrolled full-time and over 50
going to make things work.”
HRVHS students are obtaining
The program has added staff
college credits this year, Principal
this year, including Middle School
Kelly Running said.
Counselor Sierra Preston, who
“Every kid here needed help –
Hosaka said “was the five-hour en-
ergy drink we needed in December.” socially, or with space to learn,”
Running said.
Preston said the alternative
The program’s building on
approaches offered through HROA
Eugene Street in Hood River has
work well for a wide variety of
laundry machines for homeless
students.
students and a shower, as well
Students with ADHD, for in-
stance, are better able to focus on a as exercise equipment in Scott
screen with time for “wiggle breaks” Walker’s classroom. This year, a rab-
built into their day, Preston said.
bit named Dandy often lounges in
Homeless students, those with full- an enclosure in Sarah Lyon’s room.
time jobs, athletes and others can
Last Friday, kindergartner Kenzie
benefit from the program, she said. Mathews scratched the rabbit’s
Preston said staff at HROA are
head as Running talked to her about
“addicted to solutions.”
an assignment.
A third surge of COVID-19 cases
has begun in Wasco County, and
the county will likely move up
at least one, and likely two, risk
categories in the coming week, ac-
cording to a press release April 16
from North Central Public Health
Department (NCPHD).
According to the release, from
April 4 to mid-day April 16, Wasco
County had 43 cases. The county
reported 22 cases in all of March.
Wasco County has been at the
lower risk category since Feb. 26.
New risk levels will be announced
Monday, to take effect next Friday.
Fire
danger
high
Landowners urged
not to burn; campers
to use caution
Mark Gibson
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
Forest managers throughout the
Gorge are warning of unseason-
ably dry forest conditions which
have resulted in a number early
wildfires, primarily from debris
pile burning and campfires.
Oregon Department of
Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon
District is seeing a significant
increase in escaped debris and
SeeWILDFIRE,page8
High school students work in Sarah Lyon's classroom at Hood River Options
Academy on April 15.
Walker Sacon photo
“Sometimes this is the only way
she’ll focus on an iPad screen,”
Running said.
Running said the program’s
approach is made possible by a staff
that’s “all-in” on student success,
without exception. Hosaka said
she “begged to join” HROA in its
second year after seeing it outgrow
the counseling office at HRVHS
where she worked and the program
started.
“Everyone who has come to our
program has been willing to put in
the work because we’re focused
on student success,” Hosaka said.
Running said Hosaka often
works evenings and weekends.
The program is expected to
again be offered to K-12 next year
and staff are expecting 300-400
students, but Hosaka said staff
will take things as they come and
remain fluid.
The past year has been difficult
for everyone, Running said. She
SeeEDUCATOR,page3
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