Feasting on Words
Literacy
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SPORTS
M IDWEEK E DITION
Ski Teams Win State – A7
B1
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
■
Vol. 109, No. 20
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
75 cents
2 Sections, 24 Pages
www.hoodrivernews.com
Put a price
on carbon,
council votes
DOUSE, AND REPEAT
By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News editor
FIREFIGHTER RYAN WILLIS knocks out hotspots in bales of hay lost in Friday afternoon’s barn fire on Whiskey Flat Road near Odell, one of three
fires in four days apparently connected to permitted burns. “Hay is notorious,” for hidden combustibility, Willis said. Firefighters from Wy’east Dis-
trict and neighboring agencies prevented the fire from spreading to a nearby home. Dry conditions led fire officials to issue cautions about safe
practices in carrying out burn permits. See page A11 for details. Local fire officials said they are considering moving up the restricted fire season
to earlier than May 1 because of continued dry conditions throughout the Gorge.
Hood River became the second
city in Oregon to adopt a resolu-
tion calling on the Oregon Legis-
lature to enact laws creating a
price on carbon as a means to
stem global warming.
“It’s a good statement, and it’s
important, but we have been ig-
noring it,” said councilor Kate
McBride, prior to Monday night’s
vote during the regular Council
meeting.
The resolution passed 5-1, with
councilor Laurent Picard dissent-
ing. Mayor Paul Blackburn joined
councilors Peter Cor nelison,
Becky Brun, Mark Zanmiller,
and McBride in supporting the
resolution, a non-binding one that
urged the State Legislature to
adopt laws putting a price on
emissions by business and indus-
try, while creating funds to offset
the impact to consumers.
The council had put out a call
for public comment and heard
from five people, including two
representatives of Mt. Hood
Meadows, the county’s largest
employer, who said the fir m
stands behind the resolution.
“We support responsible cli-
mate action, including advocacy
toward curbing carbon emis-
Laurent Picard
Peter
Cornelison
“We have to
make
our
voice count
where it really
matters,”
councilor Lau-
rent Picard,
top. “This ini-
tiative is to
change behav-
ior,” stated
councilor Peter
Cornelison.
See CITY, Page A11
Police Department ‘grunt’ earns Legion award
By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News editor
HEARTS of Gold recipients Dr. Paul Hamada, left, and Don Benton.
Providence honors
men of big Hearts
More than 170 people, many in
tears, stood to applaud Dr. Paul
Hamada and Don Benton, the
Hearts of Gold recipients for 2014,
in Saturday’s event at Hood River
Best Western Inn, according to
Susan Frost of the Providence
Hood River Memorial Hospital
Foundation, which each year hon-
ors a community member and a
health care professional “whose
golden hearts shine brightly.”
The annual Hearts of Gold Cele-
bration benefits an expansion of
cancer services offered at Provi-
dence. In addition to honoring Ben-
ton and Hamada, over $50,000 was
raised on Satuarday.
Benton is well known in the Co-
lumbia Gorge for volunteering his
time. After 26 years in the Navy and
10 years working civilian jobs, he
decided to continue working – just
not for money. He joined his first
non-profit board in 2001 and now is
a member of more than a dozen
non-profit boards and advisory
committees for such organizations
as The Next Door, Inc., Opportunity
Connections, Helping Hands
Against Violence and United Way.
He truly gives his time, talent and
treasure to improve the quality of
life for individuals in our commu-
nity.
Dr. Hamada changed the lives of
people in our community through
more than 40 years of service as a
physician in Hood River. In 1970, he
was one of just eight physicians
practicing in our area. There are
now more than 100. He helped es-
tablish an emergency room, inten-
sive care unit and other services.
Juan Pulido gives himself la-
bels that, on the surface, seem
unflattering.
Grunt.
Busybody.
The guy that gets complaints.
But the Hood River Police offi-
cer wears the labels as proudly
as the badge itself, and they con-
tributed to his award last week
as Officer of the Year, from the
Hood River American Legion
Auxiliary.
Pulido gratefully, but modest-
ly, accepted.
“I don’t think I deserve it any
more than anyone else,” Pulido
said. “We have a great depart-
ment of guys and we all have
our roles.
“I just love my job and the en-
joyable experiences,” said Puli-
do, an eight-year veteran of the
department whose roles go be-
yond his prolific record as patrol
officer.
In 2014 Pulido led the depart-
ment in criminal citations, calls
for service, and officer produc-
Submitted photo
AUXILIARY president Judy Osbourn gives the award to Officer Juan Pulido. At left
is Chief Neal Holste.
tivity, according to Chief Neal Hol-
ste.
“It’s been my job description to
be the busybody,” Pulido said, “to
get involved in peoples’ business
when they don’t want us there, you
know, to question the questionable.
If someone is jogging down the
street at 2 a.m. are they actual jog-
See PULIDO, Page A11
Kyle Zuercher joins Hood River PD
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
KYLE ZUERCHER take the oath
Monday.
Kyle Zuercher’s family was on
hand Monday to see the 2004
HRVHS graduate sworn in as the
city’s newest police officer.
With Chief Neal Holste at his
side, Zuercher took the oath from
Mayor Paul Blackburn.
Zuercher, an Air Force veteran,
served in police and security capac-
ities while in the service. He is
nearly done with his Bachelor’s de-
gree in psychology and criminolo-
gy at Portland State University.
Zuercher replaces Jake Ferrer, who
spent the past four years with the
department and was recently hired
by Oregon State Patrol.
Zuercher’s parents, Lannie and
Cindy, did the honor of pinning on
his badge.
Four To Go
WAAAM hosts ‘nose art’ author
Join the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum Satur-
day for author Andretta Schellinger’s talks on the cultural influences
behind airplane nose art. The 11 a.m. talk will be about how comics
and cartoons influenced airplane nose artwork. The 1 p.m. talk will be
more about the wide range of cultural influences, such as movies, TV,
and fashion, that impacted airplane nose artwork. Schellinger will also
be giving away promotional material for her forthcoming book “Nose
Art on Military Aircraft” which is a continuation on her original work
“From Knights to Skulls: The Cultural Evolution of Nose Artwork.”
In addition to the two talks, the restoration shop will be open for a
tour at noon for visitors to see the progress on the WAAAM 1938 Rear-
win Speedster. The museum will have
its airplanes and automobiles out and
about.
7
05105 97630
3
Rooster Rock
meeting cancelled
Prom dress project
needs donations
Kids’ Campaign
ends March 14
A public meeting for Rooster
Rock State Park is scheduled
for March 18 has been can-
celled. It will be rescheduled for
a later date.. Park staff with
Oregon Parks and Recreation
Department (OPRD) are work-
ing on options for the park that
include improving the park en-
trance and developing an acces-
sible walking path along the Co-
lumbia River, while maintain-
ing existing park features.
Yesenia Castro, Next Door, Inc
Community Health Worker, has
taken on the “Dress For Less”
prom dress project started by
Christine Keith several years ago.
Castro now needs dress dona-
tions. The current dress drop off
location is at The Next Door Inc,
on Tucker Road in Hood River.
For more information go to :
gorgepromdressproj.wix.com
/prom-dress-project
The 52nd annual Kids
Subscription Campaign is
winding down but there is
still time to get in on the
drawing for a $100 grocery
gift card. Subscribers who
open or renew the Hood
River News will be eligible.
It’s also a way to support
your entrepreneurs, who
get cash for every new sub-
scription or renewal. Turn
to page B12 for details.