Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current, May 26, 2021, Image 1

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    INDEX
Classifieds
History
Kidspace
Obituaries
Opinion
PoliceLogs
PublicNotices
SeniorLiving
Sports
What'sHappening
Home & Garden
special section
INSIDE
B8-9
B6
B14
A7
A4
B7
B10-13
B3
A13-16
B5
White Salmon pool update
— A11
Hood River County to join City
in affordable housing project
— A6
Weather
Intermittentshowerson
Thurs.—Enjoywhileitlasts.
Mostlysunnyweatherstart-
ingFri.,Sun.toreach89.
Center Market builds community
with convenience — A11
Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER | THE DALLES | WHITE SALMON
Wednesday,May26,2021 Volume2,Issue8
The Dalles Public Library
opens its doors once again
Kelsie Cowart
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
THE DALLES — In mid-March
of 2020, like thousands of other
establishments, The Dalles Wasco
County Public library shut its doors
to the public, unable to offer more
than curbside service in order to
comply with statewide safety guide-
lines and help slow the spread of
COVID-19. As of May 18, 2021, the
library is open and welcoming the
public once again.
Although Wasco County cur-
rently resides in the “moderate
risk” category, the library has the
opportunity to open for limited
services. While there are currently
state allowances for fully vacci-
nated individuals to go mask-less,
all patrons who want to enter the
library must be wearing facemasks
that cover both their nose and their
mouths at all times and allow for
their temperature to be taken upon
entry. Once inside, everyone must
adhere to social distancing guide-
lines, as well as agree to an approx-
imate one-hour visit. “(So far) the
public’s been really excellent,” said
District Librarian Jeff Wavrunek.
“It’s been well posted outside that
you have to wear a facemask …
it’s nothing unreasonable and the
public has been really good about it
… we’re really pleased.”
For those uncomfortable en-
tering the building or unable to
participate in the required safety
measures, curbside service is still
After receiving reports of three
positive COVID-19 cases last
weekend, Klickitat County Health
Department announced notifica-
tion of an additional 14 COVID-19
cases in individuals associated
with Goldendale High School last
Friday.
More than 60 students and staff
were absent from school Friday
due to the significant number of
close contacts and individuals
identified as positive cases, ac-
cording to school administration
officials. Of the individuals testing
positive for COVID-19, there does
not appear to be any evidence of
classroom transmission between
Tristan Stein of The Dalles, above,
browses books in a nearly empty li-
brary the day it reopened to patrons
May 18. She was there with her four
children, who were looking for books
and using the computers. At right,
Aprile Keith adjusts her phone to leave
her hands free so she can check a call-
er's account. Clear barriers are now in
place to reduce potential virus expo-
sure.
Mark B. Gibson photos
SeeOUTBREAK,page8
Memorial Day
remembrances
planned
White Salmon
Oberst
■ By For Gail
Columbia Gorge News
White Salmon American Legion
Post 87 and Carson Legion Post
137 will sponsor a veterans me-
morial ceremony on Memorial
Day, May 31, at the White Salmon
Cemetery. The event will honor
the sacrifices and service of passed
local veterans. Approximately two
dozen deceased veterans will be
inducted into the “Walk of Honor,”
each having a personalized bronze
plaque permanently installed
on the walk. The approximately
half-hour event will include a flag
ceremony, guest speaker, and a
possible flyover of vintage military
aircraft from the Hood River
Western Antique Aeroplane and
Automobile Museum (WAAAM).
Parking and chairs will be avail-
able. Public is welcome.
The Dalles
dock crowded with youths behind
the jumpers.
“When the dock is full of people,
it’s hard to navigate kayaks and
paddleboards down to the water.
Carrying large boards in windy
conditions is challenging enough.
Navigating through 20-plus young
kids adds a significant extra chal-
lenge,” Anderson said.
The dock in the Nichols Boat
Basin provides access to the calm
water off the main Columbia River
channel, just west of its confluence
with Hood River. The tranquil water
is a popular spot for watersport
Signage at the Hood River Waterfront. More signs have been requested to help
prevent incompatible uses. Brian Towey photo / file photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
launching and swimmers.
The Nichols Basin dock is not
the only place where crowding
poses dangers to both watersport
enthusiasts and visitors on land.
Kiteboarders and picnicking fam-
ilies and tourists often congregate
on the waterfront lawn of the Event
Center, resulting in “dangerously
incompatible uses,” when unpre-
dictable winds can cause accidents
on shore.
SeeKITEMARE,page5
SDS Lumber partners with international
advisory firm ahead of sale
SDS Lumber Company is
partnering with an international
financial advisory firm to assist
with the company’s plans to divest
its and sister company Stevenson
Land Company’s corporate assets,
Columbia Gorge News has learned.
A sales brochure provided to
Columbia Gorge News gives insight
into how SDS Lumber Company,
based in Bingen, plans to market
its assets to potential investors.
The brochure shows that SDS has
Outbreak
grows at
Goldendale
High School
Jacob Bertram
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
'Kitemare' at the Waterfront
Jacob Bertram
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
COVID-19
Some White Salmon
students quarantined
SeeLIBRARY,page2
It’s 2 p.m. on a sunny Saturday.
Do you know where your children
are?
If you live near Hood River’s wa-
terfront, they might be jumping into
the cool waters of the Columbia
River from the Nichols Boat Basin
dock.
And that, according to Todd
Anderson of the Gorge Paddling
Center, is dangerously pitting young
swimmers against his paddleboard
and kayak guests. The center has
leased a portion of the dock from
the Port of Hood River since 2014.
On May 18, Anderson told the
port’s Board of Commissioners
that, until three years ago, signs had
been posted designating the dock
as a “no swimming” area, without
conflict. But since the signs were re-
moved, Anderson said, swimming
activity from the dock has increased
“exponentially.” Profanity, vulgar
language, horseplay, drug use,
and minors drinking pose liability
and safety concerns, he said. He
showed the commission pictures of
teens jumping from the seawall, the
$1.00
retained New York-based Perella
Weinberg Partners to serve as fi-
nancial adviser in connection with
a potential transaction with the
lumber company.
The four-page slideshow presen-
tation, first posted on the Friends
of the White Salmon River website,
provides an overview of the compa-
ny’s assets and operations, and dis-
plays “key investment highlights”
that underscores the selling points
SDS and PWP are using to gauge
interest in the sale.
The second slide presents
an overview of SDS’ current
operations, which highlights
the company’s 2020 production
capacity for lumber at 59 percent,
and for plywood at 78 percent. SDS,
according to the slide, has voiced a
preference for a combined sale of
the sister companies and its assets,
but acknowledge that SDS Lumber
Co. and Stevenson Land Co. are
“available together or standalone.”
The slide also offers investors an
“opportunity to increase harvest
levels.”
On the next slide, the firm lists
selling points, which include a
“unique opportunity of scale,
integrated mill and timberlands
opportunity, positive market
dynamics, conservative siliculture
and forest management history,
mature forest inventory with 85
percent over 50 years old, imme-
diate mill production increase
potential, potential for significant
harvest, ‘higher and better use’ and
potential non-core asset sales.”
Columbia Gorge News reached
out to SDS President Jeff Webber for
comment, who wrote in an email
that “we are still early in the sale
SeeSALE,page5
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
2471 and Auxiliary will not hold a
traditional wreath-laying ceremo-
ny on Memorial Day in The Dalles,
but flags and flowers will be placed
at the Veterans Monument near
Sorosis Park and a prayer, followed
by a time of silence and reflection,
will be held at noon. No seating
will be available. Large flags will
be display, and the community is
invited to add wreaths and flowers
in honor of those who have died in
service to their country.
Hood River
Idlewilde Cemetery will host a
Memorial Day service on Monday,
May 31 beginning at 11 a.m. There
will be no seating available and
SeeMEMORIAL,page3
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