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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2021)
8 Wednesday,June30,2021 Columbia Gorge News Major Division Hood River Valley Little League Champions Duckwall Fruit Team. Pictured are, left to right, top row, Coach Erich Harjo, Coach Chad Wimmers and Coach Eddy Patricelli. Middle row, Owen Waits, Charlie Haynie, Dylan Claussen, Tyson Harjo, Tyven Wimmers and Miles Chavez. Front row, Elin Marquez, Wyatt Bahn, Jake Patricelli, Liam Schofield and Drew Lucas. Contributed photos www.columbiagorgenews.com Minor Division HRVLL Champions Hood River Police Department Team. Pictured are, left to right, top row, Coach Charlie Burwell and Coach Donny Cheli. Middle row, Noah Cheli, Ezra Lebreton-Smith, Odas Rutkowski, Tucker Hough, Wyatt Scott and Charlie Robidoux. Bottom row, Flurry Stone, Jasper Grzybowski, Sebastien Burwell, James Stone and Conner Eaton. Hood River’s 12U all-star team third in district; 10U fourth Hood River Little League’s 12U all-star team placed third at last week’s District 5 tour- nament in Redmond at the Umatilla Sports Complex. Crook County defeated Hood River 6-3 in Thursday’s play-in game to the cham- pionship, ending the local team’s tournament play. Bend North won the cham- pionship the next day over Crook County. The three teams were in similar spots two years ago in 10U play. Hood River Manager Erich Harjo noted marked improvement by his players, many who played in both tournaments — with the 2020 COVID-interrupted season in between. Hood River won its first two games at district: 6-1 over South Central in the first round June 19; and 9-4 over Crook County on June 21. In the opener, Tysen Baker and Trenton Boydston handled the pitching duties and Davin Snyder led the way at the plate. Snyder had a three- RBI day, including a two-run homer. “Pitching and defense were very good for the majority of the time,” Harjo said. “It kept us in games. We only issued eight or nine walks in four games, which is good at this level. The teams that we played, for the most part, we made them earn their runs.” The 9-4 win against Crook County was aided by Miles Chavez’s fourth-inning triple, which broke open what had otherwise been a close game up to that point. There were plenty of other offensive highlights for Hood River: Tyson Harjo had two hits, in- cluding a double; Aksel Betz had two hits and reached base three times; Boydston had a two-run homer; Baker and Jake Patricelli had two hits apiece; and Snyder had a double. Baker threw four and a third innings for the pitching win, while Betz finished the game on the mound. That earned Hood River a spot in June 23 final — of the winner’s bracket — of the double-elimination tourney, where it faced Bend North. Starting pitcher Boydston kept Bend scoreless through four innings, but Hood River couldn’t muster any offense of its own. The difference was a couple of untimely Hood River errors and a dropped third strike in the otherwise evenly played game. The loss dropped Hood River into last Thursday’s consolation championship with the winner advancing to play Bend for the title. Hood River led 3-0 early, as starter Betz was solid on the mound. Crook County was able to steadily pull away in the later innings of the 6-3 win. Betz had two RBI and Tyson Harjo knocked in the other Hood River run with a single. “Our team improved quite a bit if you look at where they are now to where we were two years ago,” Coach Harjo said of he and Coach Geoff Speidel’s 12U team, which also included Owen Waits, Jackson Speidel, Landen Pratt and Tyven Wimmers. “They’ve developed as play- ers … they’ve improved their baseball IQ. We’ve got the makings to be a pretty decent team in the coming years.” Hood River’s 10U team finished fourth in the district tournament, splitting four games. Hood River won its opener on June 19, 26-4, over South Central before losing to eventual champion Crook County June 21. Hood River eliminated Bend South in consolation play before losing to The Dalles. The June 23 game against The Dalles started at 5:30 p.m. and featured a lengthy lightning delay in the first inning. The teams resumed play in the back-and-forth game, which was tied 9-9 after five innings. The Dalles scored four runs in the top of the inning, but the game was called because of darkness with one out in the bottom of the frame. The teams re- sumed play June 24 at 1 p.m. Hood River tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but The Dalles took control in the extra inning to advance to the consolation final. Playing on the Hood River 10U team were: Clinton Smith, Ethan Maddox, Ezra LeBreton-Smith, Garrett Wimmers, Maddex Hockett, Nolan McNamara, Odas Rutkowski, Ryder Pratt, Tucker Hough, Turner Sullivan and Wyatt Johnson. Managing the team was Matt Hockett and coach was Ryan Pratt. Bridge plan enters fundraising phase Oberst ■ By For Gail Columbia Gorge News progress has been made in securing funds for engineer- ing and for creating a Bi-State Bridge Compact, according Kicking off the second to Michael McElwee, port phase of the Hood River- executive director. “Mr. White Salmon bridge Greenwood has been an replacement, the Port of integral part of the Bridge Hood River’s Board of Replacement Project’s recent Commissioners on June 22 successes and forward mo- approved agreements that aim at managing and raising mentum. He has proven to money for the estimated $400 be a highly capable manager, million project. excellent facilitator, and First up: Port commis- disciplined overseer of the project,” McElwee reported. sioners approved a new Greenwood’s annual salary three-year contract with will be $126,763. Kevin Greenwood, the Greenwood’s contract project director, who was is among several indica- hired in 2018 to manage the first environmental impact tions that work on the new statement phase of the proj- bridge is picking up steam, while maintaining the ect, now nearly complete. ailing 100-year-old span. Greenwood’s work expands The commission approved under the new contract. an agreement with HDR Since 2018, significant Engineering to oversee a variety of tasks, including exploring reinforcements to the current bridge to restore it to its previous 40-ton max- imum weight limit. Earlier this year, 32-ton weight limits were imposed on the current bridge due to structural deficiencies, impacting local haulers and shippers who use the interstate bridge. HDR Engineering, a Port- land firm, has been contract- ed with the port for bridge work since 2015. The firm will continue to assess feasible repairs to the current bridge. Construction on the new bridge may not begin until 2026, according to port estimates. The port on June 22 has also renewed contracts with three firms who will continue to lobby for bridge fund- ing in the state and federal legislatures. The port spent $199,000 in the last fiscal year and plan to spend $211,000 for lobbying efforts in the 2021-22 fiscal year. Environmental impact studies began three years ago with a $5 million Oregon transportation grant for planning and environmental testing, to be completed this fall. Another $10 million is coming from the Washington State Legislature and federal transportation BUILD funds. The Port of Hood River has also committed $1.25 million to the project. Planning for future toll losses The port owns the current bridge, but the new bridge owners will most likely be an Oregon-Washington entity including the port. At the June 22 meeting, commis- sioners reviewed the port’s business strategies for the next five years which sug- gested, among many others, plans for replacing bridge toll revenues that will belong in the future to the new entity. In 2021-2022, for example, the port plans to collect $6.2 million in tolls. Although $4.6 million is budgeted to operate the bridge, the remainder will support other Port programs, including debts and financing new bridge activities. In addition to the bridge, the port owns waterfront property and an airport, among other assets that generate income. According to the port’s Strategic Business Plan: “In the next few years, the port’s overarching strategy relating to funding is to (1) find new sources of revenue (consider all types: grants, loans, fees, and so on), and (2) find effi- ciencies to reduce the cost of service delivery.” Once final publication is complete, the entire Strategic Business Plan, including proposed actions to meet those and other goals, will be available at portofhoodriver. com/about-the-port/mis- sion-strategic-business-plan. Visitors to the site will now be able to read the 2014-2018 plan. gorge C O L U M B I A R I V E R July 2021 Last chance to reserve ad space! Sales@gorgenews.com 541-386-1234 Ext. 100