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Meet the Pos. 1 candidates – A11
W EEKEND E DITION
Vol. 109, No. 37
75 cents
2 Sections, 22 Pages
A7
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
■
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015
www.hoodrivernews.com
Self-serve in the Gorge?
Bill allowing self-
service gas in rural
Oregon passes House
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
Drivers in rural stretches of Ore-
gon—including Hood River Coun-
ty—could be pumping their own
gas if a new bill makes it through
Salem.
The Oregon House unanimously
passed a bill last Friday that would
allow gas stations in counties with
fewer than 40,000 residents to keep
self-service pumps turned on when
no owner, operator or attendant is
present to dispense gasoline.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Cliff
Bentz (R-Ontario), and co-spon-
sored by Senator Ted Ferrioli (R-
John Day) breezed through the
House with a bi-partisan 60-0 vote.
The next step is a Senate decision.
Oregon is one of two states that
have historically banned self-ser-
vice gas, along with New Jersey.
The new legislation would strike
down Oregon’s 64-year-old law bar-
ring Oregonians from pumping
their own fuel, but only in rural
areas. The original 1951 statute in-
tended to defend the public from
handling “Class 1 flammable
fuels,” and also to protect the elder-
ly and disabled from getting out of
their car to pump gas “because Ore-
gon’s weather is uniquely adverse,
causing wet pavement and reduced
visibility.”
The new bill attempts to ease
traveling through isolated stretch-
es of Oregon, particularly in south-
eastern Oregon, where drivers can
become stranded if no gas stations
are open. Bentz argued parts of
Oregon are so remote that people
See PUMPS, Page A10
Photo by Patrick Mulvihill
ESME VELA, assistant manager at Nobi’s Gas Station, pumps gas Wednesday af-
ternoon at the Tucker Road station.
‘Remembering the Year 1980’
Union Pacific
president visits
Railroad chief meets
with local leaders
By RAELYNN RICARTE
The Dalles Chronicle
Photo by Darryl Lloyd
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER Darryl Lloyd captured the eruption of Mount St. Helens during its second big eruption on May
25, 1980, from the south side of Mt. Adams at 7,800 feet. “The eruption started early in the morning and lasted until mid-
day,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd presents slide show of St. Helens
BY TRISHA WALKER
brating the 35th anniversary of the
mountain’s eruption.
The presentation is one of sever-
al located within the Por t-
land/Vancouver area.
Lloyd will serve as host for the
evening, showing about 50 slides
that he took of Mount St. Helens
over the course of several years.
“I’ve always had a very intense
S p o t l i g h t
News staff writer
Local photo g rapher Dar ryl
Lloyd will present “Remembering
the Year 1980” at Skamania Lodge
in Stevenson on May 13, beginning
at 6:30 p.m. The presentation is part
of the Mount St. Helens Institute’s
Volcanic Views and Brews Scenic
Pub Lecture Series, which is cele-
a
t
u
r
d
a
y
interest in Mount St. Helens, since
I first climbed it at 11 years old,”
Lloyd said. He went on to climb the
mountain several times in the
1970s. The presentation begins
with his time on the mountain as a
child, then continues to some of his
climbing expeditions before con-
centrating on photos he took in
The top executive for Union Pa-
cific Railroad and his communica-
tion team met Tuesday with city,
county and port officials in the
gorge to discuss safety concerns
related to crude oil shipments.
During an interview May 5 at
The Dalles Chronicle office, Lance
Fritz, UP president and chief ex-
ecutive officer, noted that rail-
roads are prohibited by federal
law from turning down coal and
oil shipments.
“If our customer delivers a com-
modity to us that conforms to U.S.
Department of Transportation re-
quirements, we must ship it,” he
said.
Transport of both products has
drawn fire from environmental
groups concerned about pollution
from coal dust and explosive fires
caused by a derailed oil train. On a
larger agenda, the Sierra Club and
other organizations have vowed to
stop production and use of both
fuel sources out of the belief they
contribute to global warming.
“We are somewhat caught in the
middle between a group of highly
motivated individuals who don’t
want these products to move and
our obligation,” said Fritz.
At the end of the day, he thinks
it is highly unlikely that coal and
crude shipments by rail will be
shut down altogether by political
will. Espe-
cially when
t r u c k
transports
of oil have
not only
the highest
rate of ac-
cidents but
the highest
fatality
rate, ac-
Lance Fritz
cording to a
Manhattan
Institute report. Seventy percent
of crude oil and petroleum prod-
ucts are shipped by pipeline in the
U.S., with 23 percent by barge or
ship, three percent via rail and
four percent in trucks.
“Every generation of leader-
ship has new challenges so we just
A weekly series about a day in the life ...
See LLOYD, Page A10
See TRAINS Page A10
Nellie Hjaltalin shares Meals on Wheels experience
BY TRISHA WALKER
News staff writer
Photos by Trisha Walker
NELLIE HJALTALIN, 25-year driver for the Hood
River Valley Adult Center’s Meals on Wheels pro-
gram, has recently retired, and hopes that new volun-
teers step up to take her place. On Thursday, driver Lynn
Rasmussen and cook Kimberly Estey go over a route.
Nellie Hjaltalin, 88, has found it hard to retire as a driver
with the Hood River Valley Adult Center (HRVAC) Meals on
Wheels program, where she’s volunteered for the past 25
years.
But she’s had to, due to health reasons, and now she’s hop-
ing that someone else — or many someones — step up to take
her place. Though it’s not a big time commitment, finding
volunteers is often difficult.
“The younger generation doesn’t think of it,” Hjaltalin
said. “They’re thinking of their grandkids who maybe have
a soccer game, or ‘I want to go shopping.’ It’s a case of being
volunteer oriented, and I don’t think many people are nowa-
days.
“To me, the most important thing to stress is that a lot of
people say, ‘I can’t take the time.’ It’s really only two to three
hours, but it’s what you make it. Two or three hours out of
your day is minor (in light of) what you are doing.”
Hjaltalin started as a driver after retiring from the sales
audit department at Meier & Frank in 1989, when she moved
See NELLIE, Page A5
Four To Go
CGCC board meets in HR Tuesday Parks & Rec hosting
Indian Creek meeting
Columbia Gorge Community College
Upper Valley Lions
back in Parkdale
board of directors meets at 6 p.m. May 12
at the Indian Creek campus, in room 1.310.
Agenda items include a welcome and in-
troductions by Joah Schoppert, Director of
Library Services, finance and operations
updates, a Foundation report, and chair-
man’s report by M.D. Van Valkenburgh.
In addition, faculty members plan to
present a request for the resignation of
CGCC president Dr. Frank Toda.
The Upper Valley Lions Club dis-
banded about two years ago, but a
new club is set to be formed this
month. Members of the Hood River
Lions Club will hold an open house
on May 14, from 7-8 p.m. at the
Parkdale Community Center to an-
swer questions and help the new
club get off the ground with its
own goals and objectives. Bring
questions! Snacks and beverages
will be provided. For more info,
contact Greg Simpson at 541-490-
1535 or hrliongreg@gmail.com.
7
05105 97630
3
Hood River Valley Parks and Recre-
ation District is holding a neighbor-
hood meeting Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m.
at the Hood River Fire Department (by
the Aquatic Center) to discuss the pro-
posed Southside Indian Creek Trail.
The trail would link the undeveloped
Eliot Park to the existing Indian Creek
Trail near Dutch Brothers. Anyone in-
terested in the trail development is
welcome to attend. For questions and
comments, contact Parks & Rec by
email at parksandrec@gorge.net or by
calling 541-386-5720.
‘Finding Peace Art Tour’ at the library
Visit the Hood River Library
between May 9 -22 for “Finding
Peace: Art Tour,” an art project
created by Columbia Gorge Com-
munity College (CGCC).
The project consists of a com-
munity art show, a community
conversation project, and a com-
munity tour of prize winning
pieces. This display is free and
open during regular library
hours. Visit cgcc.edu/news/cgcc-
art-show-finding-peace to learn
about all the events for the
“Finding Peace.”