SKIING ACROSS FINLAND
Enviro-Gorge Award
GREATER GORGE, A2
M IDWEEK E DITION
Vol. 109, No. 42
75 cents
2 Sections, 22 Pages
KALEIDOSCOPE, B1
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
■
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015
www.hoodrivernews.com
Repeat winners: Eagle athletes shine at State 5A track
Photos by Brett Requa
SEBASTIAN BARAJAS throws the shot put, and Jestena Mattson focuses on the high jump in weekend competition at Hayward Field in Eugene. The two HRVHS competitors won state for the sec-
ond year in a row in other events – the discus for Barajas and the 100- and 200-meter races for Mattson. See page A7 for details on a successful weekend for the girls’ and boys’ track teams at
the meet in Eugene.
DENNY
LEONARD of
Hood River
American Le-
gion Post 22
looks on as boy
scouts prepare
to raise the US
flag to half-staff
Monday morn-
ing at Idlewild
Cemetery. The
annual Memori-
al Day ceremo-
ny honors fallen
veterans of
Hood River
County.
Photo by Patrick
Mulvihill
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
About 400 people assembled at
Idlewild Cemetery Monday morn-
ing to remember the men and
women who gave their lives for
their country.
The annual Memorial Day cere-
mony saw an impressive turnout
— a boost of about 100 people from
last year, said Denny Leonard,
event organizer and Hood River
American Legion Post 22 represen-
tative. Leonard attributed the in-
crease in attendance, in part, to
weather. He said last Memorial
Day was “drizzly” and unpleasant,
unlike the clear (if breezy) condi-
tions Monday.
This year’s theme was “Honor-
ing Those Who Have Served,” and
its centerpiece was a 6-foot illumi-
nated floral wreath dedicated to all
veterans buried in Hood River
County. The wreath, designed by
Peggy Ross of Hood River, was
adorned with flowers, tiny flags
and striped ribbons.
“We dedicate this wreath to your
service and your sacrifice. And we
thank each one of you for our free-
dom,” said Idlewild sexton Bob
Huskey, who lead the day’s presen-
tations.
The ceremony featured speeches
by the American Legion, twenty-
two veterans’ names added to the
Walk of Honor, a flyover by
WAAAM pilots, a regal score pro-
vided by the Hood River Valley
High School band, a musical trib-
ute by local singer Andy Streich
and a three cannon salute follow-
ing “Taps.”
This year marked the final
Memorial Day concert for HRVHS
Music Director Mark Steighner,
who will be retiring in June. The
American Le gion presented
Steighner with a certificate of ap-
preciation and a small flag to
honor his partnership with the
event, which he has been involved
with for decades.
“Every time we make a call, you
guys just go 100 percent beyond the
call of duty,” said Huskey, address-
ing Steighner and the band.
Steighner has taught in Hood
River since 1979, and has taught
choral and instrumental music at
HRVHS since 1984. In January, he
See HONOR, Page A10
Odd incidents, arrests highlight a busy Memorial Day weekend
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
Two strange incidents involving vehicles
stood out in a busy but otherwise ordinary
Memorial Day Weekend for local law enforce-
ment.
On Saturday morning, a driver smashed an
SUV into a Cascade Locks family’s home,
narrowly missing somebody sitting inside.
There were five people inside the house when
the vehicle burst through the front side of the
structure — but none were harmed, said the
Hood River County Sheriff ’s Office.
The driver, Zachary Jon Struthers, 26, of
Cascade Locks, crashed the SUV Land Rover
through two nearby fences, causing “signifi-
cant property damage” at three other homes
on Forest Lane before the vehicle ground to a
halt inside the home on nearby Clark Street,
Sheriff ’s deputies said.
Photo courtesy of the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.
An SUV Land Rover smashed into a family’s home at Clark St., near
Forest Lane in Cascade Locks Saturday morning. The driver was ar-
rested and charged with DUII.
Struthers was transported to
Northern Oregon Regional Correc-
tions Facility and lodged on
charges of DUII controlled sub-
stance, reckless driving, five counts
of recklessly endan-
gering and an out-
standing
Lane
County warrant. He
was also charged
with unlawful pos-
session of meth.
A contractor was
called to the crash Zachary Jon
scene to ensure the
Struthers
house was struc-
turally stable before
the vehicle was pulled free at about
6 p.m.
On Sunday, a Hood River man fell
from a moving vehicle and suffered
severe injuries. The driver was ar-
rested and charged with driving
under the influence and reckless
driving.
Steven Ray Ram,
40, is in critical con-
dition at Le gacy
Emanuel Hospital
in Portland.
The driver, Au-
drey Jose phine
Muehlhausen, 25,
Audrey
also of Hood River,
Josephine
was ar rested at
Providence Hood Muehlhausen
River Hospital on
charges of driving under the influ-
ence of alcohol and reckless dri-
Four To Go
Little Shredders
holds open house
‘Cover Oregon’
application fair on Friday
HRCSD board meets
tonight in Cascade Locks
Little Shredders Dental, on the
Heights, opened its door this spring, and
Christopher A. Swisher, DDS and staff
invite the community to an open house
on May 28, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The clinic is open Wednesday-Friday,
and the first and third Monday of each
month. Little Shredders is located at1615
Woods Court, just off Pacific Avenue.
Eastern Oregon Center for Inde-
pendent Living hosts a Cover Ore-
gon application fair, Friday from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the State of
Oregon’s Department of Human
Services office in Hood River,
Robert Crooks of the Center for
Independent Living said represen-
tatives will be on hand to help
people with special needs in the
insurance application process.
DHS is located at 1610 9th St.,
just off Pacific Avenue on the
Heights.
Hood River County School
District Board of Directors
meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Cas-
cade Locks Elementary School,
300 WaNaPa St.
Agenda items include a re-
view of proposed start times for
the 2015-16 school year, and ap-
proval of start times for sec-
ondary schools for next year.
The board’s next meeting will
be June 9 at the District Office
in Hood River.
7
05105 97630
3
Markets provide
local produce
Gorge Grown Farmer’s Mar-
ket continues Thursday, 5-8
p.m. at Hood River Middle
School, on West May Street.
Produce, flowers, vegetable
starts, as well as meat, breads
and prepared foods are avail-
able. Coming June 6, Hood
River Saturday Market starts
its new season in a new loca-
tion, Third and Oak in the
parking lot of Oak Street Pub
(formerly British Pub).
See CRASH, Page A10