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About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2015)
The Hook What’s Going On? A3, A9 Upgraded access almost done A7 W EEKEND E DITION Vol. 109, No. 15 Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County HOOD RIVER, OREGON ■ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015 75 cents 2 Sections, 16 Pages www.hoodrivernews.com Oil train issue is heating up again Report shows increased oil going through the Gorge By BEN MITCHELL News staff writer The focus on oil trains running through the Gorge has largely remained on the Washington side, where the vast majority of crude, particularly coming from the Bakken formation in North Dakota, enters the National Scenic area. However, last week Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that Union Pacific is now running through Northwest states seven to 10 mile-long “unit trains” filled solely with tar sands oil from the Canadian province of Alberta. Some of those are going through the Columbia River Gorge, although the report did not state how many. The shipments began in November, but spill planners at both Oregon and Wash- ington’s state environmental bureaus ap- parently became aware of the increase in shipments only within the past month. While Bakken crude has been highlighted due to its propensity to explode during de- See TRAIN, Page A8 NEW BUSINESS PROFILE On the Heights, Tropicali Fruit satisfies ‘cravings’ for Mexico BY TRISHA WALKER TROPICALI Fruit owner Sylvia Delgadillo puts the finishing touch on a freshly made Fruta Picada. News staff writer Alfonso and Sylvia Delgadillo have en- joyed a steady stream of loyal customers since opening Tropicali Fruit, their Heights-area business serving Mexican-in- spired fresh fruit cups, smoothies, juices and sorbets. Though new to the Heights, the business is much older than its location. Sylvia said the couple initially opened in 2011 at Juanita’s Fine Foods — and moved to Odell Meat Market in 2012 before coming to the Heights — because “I used to have to drive to Portland for this.” “This” is over 25 “antojitos,” or “cravings,” featuring fresh fruit in a variety of configura- tions, with names like fresas con crema, manzana de chamoy and fruta rallada. Every part of Mexico has different antojitos, and Tropicali Fruit strives to feature them all. The menu is frequently updated. While not common throughout the United States, such shops are staples in both Mexico and California. “We hope people will come to check us out,” Sylvia said. “Windsurfers know a lot S p o t l i g h t Photo by Trisha Walker See BUSINESS, Page A8 a t u r d a y Photo by Ben Mitchell DEPUTY TRAVIS PAULSEN poses with K9 Luke, a Chow mix who has been serving as a narcotic de- tection dog for the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. Paulsen says Luke has been a great addition to the force since he first hit the streets last October. From Shelter to Sheriff Drug dog Luke patrols with Deputy Travis Paulsen By BEN MITCHELL News staff writer One of the newest additions to the Hood River County Sheriff ’s Office has already been making a name for himself around the department, helping deputies make drug bust after drug bust — and looking pretty adorable in the process. His name is Luke, a Chow mix who’s about 7 years old and who has been serving with his handler, Deputy Travis Paulsen, as HRCSO’s K9 unit for the past several months. The team is an experiment of sorts for the department, which has never had a K9 unit of any kind in its history, according to Paulsen. So far, Paulsen says Luke has made a big contribution in drug searches, result- ing in 17 seizures or drug finds in the 24 times he’s been deployed since October. “It’s good to see him having an affect here,” he says. Luke came from humble beginnings as a See DOG, Page A8 A weekly series about a day in the life ... Melodi Johnson makes difference as nurse, legislator’s wife BY TRISHA WALKER News staff writer Submitted photos MELODI JOHNSON has worked as a nurse at MCMC since 1981, and in the oncology department since 1997, where she primarily works with breast cancer patients. The mother of three is pictured her with youngest daughter Natalie. Melodi Johnson is recognizable as the wife of Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Hood River. After all, her face adorned his cam- paign fliers during the last election cycle, too (definitely not her idea), and she is often seen at a variety of events, either alone or with her husband. “You elect the official, you elect the spouse,” she ex- plained. Of course, having lived in Hood River since 1981, and rais- ing the couple’s three children here — Nels, now 32, Nolan, 29, and Natalie, 21 — she’s recognizable in her own right. Johnson’s days are a mix of her role as legislative wife and her job as the Breast Health Navigator/Coordinator and clinical trials nurse at Mid-Columbia Medical Center (MCMC) in The Dalles. She’s worked for MCMC in some ca- pacity since 1981, and in the Celilo Cancer Center’s oncology unit since 1997. While “oncology is a bit of a roller coaster sometimes,” Johnson chose the field because “I liked people and I liked caring for people, and I like science.” See MELODI, Page A8 Three To Go Feb. 26 Gorge Kids’ Soup presenters announced Zumba event helps Lila May Schow on Saturday Here are the presenters for Gorge Soup for Kids, Feb. 26 at Spring- house Winery: ■ Andrew’s Ice Cream, Andrew McCreery - building an ice cream cart to sell ice cream in the Gorge ■ Anson Pulk, Anson’s Bike Buddies - Collecting used bikes, repairing them, and then donating the fixed up bikes to families and children in need ■ Eva Jones, Kids Kamp - Kids summertime camp for ages 3-9 ■ Maya Rayle, Kai’s Cones - Making ice cream to supply their family and friends’ ice cream cart ■ Abe Brunka, Protest Inc. - creating innovative outerware for the snow and skate community The event starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at: www.brownpaper tickets.com/event/888297. Friends and family continue to work, and play, on behalf of Lila May Schow, a Hood River four-year-old who is fighting cancer. “Help the Dancer Fight the Cancer,” a Tutus and Tiaras Zum- bathon event for Lila May, happens Saturday at Horizon Christian School, on Pacific Avenue in Hood River, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Enjoy face painting, a bounce house, and silent auction, by making a donation at the door. Costumes are encouraged – keep in mind that Lila May’s outfit of choice is a colorful tutu. Proceeds help Lila May’s family deal with mounting medical and travel costs for Lila’s frequent visits to Portland and some- times New York for specialized treatment. Lila May was diagnosed with stage IV Neuroblastoma when she was seventeen months old. Family friend Alicia Beckman said that in the past week, about 500 people responded with messages of hope for Lila May. 7 05105 97630 3 DEQ pesticide presentation Feb. 24 On Feb. 24 the Hood River Watershed Group will host a presentation by the Depart- ment of Environmental Quality on results from 15 years of in- stream pesticide monitoring done through the Hood River Pesticide Stewardship Partner- ship. The event will be at 6 p.m. at the OSU Extension meeting room (2990 Experiment Station Rd., Hood River).
