RUTH
Still that did not stop the
community from continuing
efforts — on Sunday,
Postings caused their
May 30, she joined friends
family concern
and neighbors in a line
search with around 20 peo-
Continued from page 1 ple through her property and
adjoining areas, but uncov-
“Thank you, Ruth, for being
ered no information.
an irreplaceable part of the
Unofficial reports of a dis-
FNU community; you’ll
covery were initially shared
always be in our hearts.”
on Facebook last week, but
A longtime friend of
Randall-Thornton said she
Elsasser's, Gina Randall-
removed the early posts “so
Thornton, said she is "miss-
that Ruth’s boys hopefully
wouldn’t find the informa-
ing my beautiful friend and
grieving today."
tion online.”
She had been close to the
“Certain community mem-
events following Elsasser's
bers were going by their own
disappearance.
interests and posted infor-
Search and rescue (SAR)
mation that was preliminary
teams led by the sheriff’s
and at the time, untrue —
office had been out search-
and that family hadn’t even
ing for Elsasser at least three heard," she said, adding that
she felt "deeply wounded
times since her May 24
disappearance, working from and that the family was dis-
at least 11 p.m. Monday night graced" by the postings.
into early Tuesday morning,
Klickitat County Sheriff’s
Randall-Thornton said. They Office has not yet provided
later returned that afternoon comment on the investiga-
and Wednesday, combing
tion, but civil clerk Angela
through trails, dense forest
Hill said the agency is work-
and water, and using drones ing on an official statement to
to search by air. After several come shortly.
hours and nothing to show
•••
for it, she said SAR shut down
Randall-Thornton had
the search, telling people
known Elsasser for approx-
close to Elsasser that “at this imately the last nine years.
point there is really nothing
She was Elsasser’s medical
they can do,” she recalled.
assistant at NorthShore
in the dust,” Hood River News
wrote. She became a lifelong
runner, “finding solace and
strength in her five weekly
runs and daily exercise and
nutrition regime.”
In September 2012, she
was later diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease, a diag-
nosis that put her “in total
Ruth Elsasser was an avid runner.
Contributed photo despair,” Elsasser told Hood
River News. Soon she found
inspiration in Alex Flynn, a
Medical Group after Elsasser, Barranger, the disease faced fellow long-distance runner
who was also diagnosed with
a family nurse practitioner,
"formidable opponents" in
moved to the area with her
her care team, including her Parkinson’s — leading her,
then a 34-year-old mother
now ex-husband Stephan
father.
of two, to train for the 2013
Coffman.
“My father was a college
Elsasser has always been
football coach,” Elsasser had Boston Marathon. She fin-
an active person, for as long
told Hood River News. “He’d ished with a time of 3:41:05,
as she knew her.
call out to me, and have his
about 20 minutes before the
“She was on so many
team stop and yell, ‘Don’t let first bomb went off. She had
trails all the time, all over the those boys beat you!’
supporters all along the way
Gorge and beyond,” she said
“The discipline and mental — “Friends and family joined
of Elsasser.
toughness paid off; her grow- her in Boston and groups
Hood River News, now
of friends formed prayer
ing endurance and speed
Columbia Gorge News, wrote would often leave the team
circles at home. After the race
a profile on Elsasser in 2013.
The story describes how she
became a marathon runner.
Elsasser was diagnosed
with Gaucher’s disease at
age 4, the article notes, “a
chronic, painful condi-
tion that forced numerous
hospitalizations throughout
her life.” With the help of cut-
ting-edge gene therapy and
the addition of a world-class
expert on Gaucher's, Dr. John
increasing use of district
resources.
In response to community
input, the Parks District’s
Master plan identifies several
top priorities:
• Continue to expand a
District-wide trail system
• Improve existing parks
and to expand capacity &
safety
• Partner with other
entities to increase sports
field use and recreation
opportunities.
System Development
Charges are fees charged
to new residential devel-
opments (single family
homes, manufactured
homes, duplexes, duplex
conversions, townhouses,
accessory dwelling units and
condominiums) to help pay a
portion of the costs of capital
facilities needed to expand
is HIRING!
the capacity of the parks
district’s facilities. These
fees are essential to assist in
providing new parks, trails
and other open space for the
growing community.
SDCs were implemented
by the parks district within
the City Urban Growth Area
(UGA) in 1994. The method-
ology and rates established in
1994 were updated in 1998,
2005, and 2017 to reflect
changes in costs since that
time, and to address facil-
ity needs identified in the
District Master Plan.
For more information
about Hood River Valley
Parks and Recreation District
or the System Development
Charges call District Director,
Mark Hickok at 541-386-5720
or e-mail mark@hoodriv-
erparksandrec.org. Input is
welcome.
M I ID
D C OLU MBIA
E 541-386-2477 • G LEN
WOOD
AL S TOR E 509-364-3535 • J OEL P ATT
ERSON
Y 509-865-6664 • T OPPEN
ISH L IVESTOC
K 509-865-2820
MBI A M AR
ARI IN
NE
LENW
OOD G ENER
EN ERAL
AT TER
SON M ASONR
ASON RY
OPPENISH
IVEST OCK
86th Annual
86th Annual
86th Annual
Ketchum
Kalf
R
ODE O
Father’s Day Weekend
June 19 & 20, 2021
June 19 &
20, 2021
Glenwood,
Washington
Glenwood,
Washington
June 19 &
20, 2021
Glenwood, Washington
Saturday & Sunday
Grand Entry 12:30 pm • Shows start 1 pm
General Admission Prices
General
Admission Prices
Adults ...................................................
$10
Adults (ages
...................................................
$10
Kids
6 Admission
-12 ) ............................
$5
General
Prices
Kids
6 -12 ) .......................
............................
$5
& under)
FRee
Kids (ages
( 5 ...................................................
Adults
$10
Kids (ages
( 5 & under)
FRee
6 -12 ) .......................
............................
$5
Kids ( 5 & under) ....................... FRee
Kids Games • Sunday Only
Western Beer Garden with Live Music
Camping sites available • $10 per day
Rodeo Entry
Junior Open Barrel Racing
Ages 8 to 13 - $25
To enter call 509-364-3427
Shawna Roberson Memorial Buckle
awarded to Jr Barrel Race Winner.
“Tye” Murray Memorial Jacket
awarded to Top Money Winner!
Cowboy
Breakfast
6:30 am - 10 am
Sunday
Glenwood School
Cowboy
Church Service
9 am - 10 am
Sunday
Rodeo Hall
For more information call
509-364-3363 • 509-364-3427
M ANY THANKS
Rodeo
Parade
11 am Sunday
Downtown
Glenwood
NPR A
NPR A
NPR A
TO OUR S PONSORS LISTED HERE !
2 • T RI
AD E QU IPMEN
T 800-221-8512 • A ND
REW
S HVAC 509-493-3744
L ES S CHWAB T IRE 541-386-1123 • C OLU MBIA
K 509-493-2500 • F
F UN
UN C
C OUNTRY
OUNTRY P
P OWER
OWER S
S PORTS
PORTS 541-298-1161
541-298-1161
R IAD
IPM ENT
N DR
EWS
MBI A B AN
ANK
M C N EALY E XCAVATING 360-837-1613
We’re looking for people to join our successful team! People who enjoy
working with a team to produce like-minded results. SDS Lumber
Company is a goal oriented organization that strives to be efficient in
safety, quality, and production. We want people that can come into
our already efficient teams to learn, grow, and become an asset to the
Company. If that sounds interesting to you or if you would like to learn
more contact Nick Reeves, HR Supervisor at (503) 720-7465 or email
nickr@sdslumber.com.
Current Openings:
-Utility Worker
-Dryer Grader
-Class A CDL Truck Driver
-Maintenance Millwright
-Saw Filer
3
ended, Coffman had 37 text
messages awaiting her in her
hotel room. She felt ‘com-
pletely surrounded’ by love.”
Some parting thoughts
Elsasser left in the article:
“The route of the marathon,
all 26.2 miles of it, were lined
with thousands of people
cheering each other along;
great runners, people run-
ning for causes, people over-
coming something, like me.
There wasn’t one step of the
way that I didn’t feel connect-
ed to everyone there. It was
amazing. The bombs were a
terrible, big disconnection
for the world, but that wasn’t
the only story. The other story
was the connections — the
little kids, the guys in wheel-
chairs, the hospital patients
wheeled out, people every-
where — all there to share in
the incredible experience."
SDS Lumber Co.
HR Parks updates SDC rates
HOOD RIVER — Effective
July 1, the rates for System
Development Charges (SDC)
throughout the entire Hood
River County Parks District
will increase. They will
be $6,077 for single-fam-
ily dwellings, $4,384 for
multi-family, $3,524 for lodg-
ing units and $2,716 for Farm
Worker Units. Hood River
Valley Parks and Recreation
District will be collecting
SDCs throughout Hood River
County, excluding Cascade
Locks.
Collections of SDC funds
are done by the city and
county offices concurrent
with collection of other build-
ing permit fees applicable to
residential development.
The one-time fees are
assessed when a landowner
seeks to develop or expand
on their property, thereby
Wednesday,June9,2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Benefits include:
• 401(K) Matching
• Benefits include: Health (medical. dental,
Vision. Prescription); Life insurance
• Access to Sponsored Medical Clinic
(no cost for employee and family).
• Vacation pay & 8-paid holidays
• Employees discounts on our wood
products, work apparel and more.
• On the job training
• Plus other benefits!
If interested please give Nick the HR Supervisor a call at
(503) 720-7465 or email at nickr@sdslumber.com
WE ARE AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER!