H O M E & GARDEN
G O R G E
R E A L
SPECIAL
SECTION
INSIDE
E S T A T E
July 2015
KID SPACE
W EEKEND E DITION
Vol. 109, No. 51
July 4 and VBS details – A10
A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T HE D A L L E S CH R O N I C L E & HO O D R I V E R N E W S
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
Official Newspaper, City of Hood River and Hood River County
■
SATURDAY, JUNE 27 , 2015
75 cents
3 Sections, 32 Pages
www.hoodrivernews.com
‘Water is
survival’
LIGHTNING ALERT
DRY LIGHTNING IS
PREDICTED IN THE GORGE
THIS WEEKEND, TO GO WITH
THE HIGH TEMPERATURES.
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF
FORESTRY HAS RAISED
THE INDUSTRIAL FIRE
PRECAUTION LEVEL TO 3,
MEANING MOTORIZED
TRAIL USE ON ALL HOOD
RIVER COUNTY TRAILS IS
NOW PROHIBITED UNTIL
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT
RAINFALL.
100° and up?
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
KITERS and yacht crews share the river Wednesday night just off Marina Beach and the Spit. With temperatures near or above 100 degrees this
weekend, the beaches will throng with sailors, paddlers and swimmers, including crowds at this weekend’s Beach Bash at the Event Site.
Stay cool as you can, keep safety rules in mind
Dangerously hot weather is predicted
for Oregon and Southwest Washington
through Sunday.
“High temperatures, humidity and hot,
indoor environments can quickly cause
heat-related emerg en-
cies,” said Troy Jenkins,
More
Red Cross Health and Safe-
‘Hot’
Tips
ty training manager. “Ex-
— A4
cessive heat can lead to
sunbur n, heat cramps,
heat exhaustion and heat
stroke.”
The National Weather Service in Port-
land and others have issued an excessive
heat watch for the inland areas of south-
west Washington and northwest Oregon
from the coast range to the Cascades. The
NWS Portland watch is in affect from Fri-
day afternoon through Sunday, June 26-28.
Oregon State Forestry Department on
June 19 issued a Regulated Closure, which
bars entry to forestland (other than an
owner’s legal right of entry upon their
land) to all forestland unless entrants com-
ply with the following restrictions:
■ Smoking is prohibited while travel-
ing, except in vehicles on improved roads.
■ Open fires are prohibited, including
campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires
and warming fires, except in designated
areas. Portable cooking stoves using lique-
fied or bottled fuels are allowed. Open fires
are allowed if conducted in compliance
with a valid Burning Permit issued pur-
suant to ORS 477.515.
As the summer season progresses with
continuing warm dry weather, the public
S p o t l i g h t
a
t
u
r
d
a
y
is encouraged to be careful with camp
fires. Anyone tending a campfire is re-
quired to have a shovel and plenty of
water on hand. Before leaving a campfire
unattended, the fire should be drowned
with water, stirred, and be cold to the
touch.
■ Chainsaw use is prohibited between
the hours of 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Chainsaw
use is permitted at all other hours, if the
following firefighting equipment is pre-
sent with each operating saw: one axe, one
shovel, and one operational 8 ounce or
larger fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire
watch is required at least one hour follow-
ing the use of each saw.
■ Cutting, grinding and welding of
metal is prohibited between the hours of 1
County Commission declares
drought; three main irrigation
districts request users to
cut back by 25 percent
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
The Hood River County Board of Commission-
ers voted unanimously to pass a countywide
drought declaration at a special meeting Wednes-
day. The resolution will go to Gov. Kate Brown’s
desk for executive action.
Hood River joins 20 other Oregon counties that
have issued a drought declaration this year, in-
cluding neighboring Wasco, Sherman and
Gilliam counties.
The County hopes their formal declaration to
the state will allow for smoother local water
management, and will qualify Hood River Coun-
ty for state and federal grants in the coming
See DROUGHT, Page A11
Places to keep cool:
fire hall, library, pool
You know to go to the pool to keep cool. How
about the library and fire hall, too?
Hood River Library and Hood River Fire Hall
will officially serve as “cooling centers” in the
coming heat wave. Anyone may come in and
make use of the air conditioning.
Also, Hood River Aquatic Center will be open
each day for anyone wanting to take a cooling
dip, and more lifeguard staff have been sched-
uled in anticipation of high numbers of pool
users, according to Lori Stirn, Parks and Recre-
ation director.
The downtown library is open Tuesday to
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday to Satur-
day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, con-
tact the Library District at 541-386-2535,
info@hoodriverlibrary.org, or at hoodriverli-
brary.org.
Hood River Fire and EMS is offering its Com-
munity Room and public access areas to be used
as a cooling station, since the heat is going to af-
fect those without air conditioned homes the
most.
A weekly series about a day in the life ...
See COOL, Page A11
See HEAT, Page A2
Ailene Hibbard keeps history alive for News staff
BY TRISHA WALKER
News staff writer
Photos by Trisha Walker
AILENE HIBBARD has worked at the Hood River
News since 1972, but these days she focuses on
the paper’s clip file archives. Twice a week, she saves
ads and stories for files such as these clips from the 1970s
to the present in her “Fire Department” file.
You’re on deadline and you really should have done your
research earlier, but you’ve been pulled a hundred ways all
week (excuses!) and you’re just now getting to your story.
Which is due in four hours. And okay, you’re panicking more
than a little bit. Because this is going to be impossible.
And then you remember Ailene’s clip files.
The panic subsides. It’s going to be okay.
Ailene Hibbard is in her 80s, but she faithfully comes into
the Hood River News on Tuesdays and Fridays to manage
the newspaper’s archives. Yes, we have envelope upon enve-
lope of clip files, all sorted by topic: Obituaries, people, busi-
nesses and subjects. Those envelopes are filed with stories
that date back several decades, and get pulled daily by edito-
rial, front desk and ad staff for a variety of reasons.
“We will never be able to replace what Ailene does,” said
News general manager Chelsea Marr. “She has collected an
amazing amount of history about businesses and the people
of Hood River County. The collection might seem old fash-
ioned with today’s technology, but the ease of use for our
See AILENE, Page A2
Four To Go
Vets Office seeks volunteers
Hood River County Veterans Office, in partnership
with the American Legion Post 22, is looking for veter-
an volunteers to participate in the Fourth of July Pa-
rade and festivities. The office would like to honor vet-
erans by carrying the flags of each branch of the mili-
tary in the parade. The route is about one-mile long.
The Veteran’s Office also needs volunteers to help
block off streets along the parade route, shuttling peo-
ple back to their cars after the parade, and helping
carry the Legion banner in the parade.
To participate, contact Tricia Stevens at Hood River
County Veterans Of-
fice, 541-386-1080 or
veterans@co.hood-
river.or.us.
7
05105 97630
3
Port beach
closures for July 4
The Port of Hood River will
close the Spit area at noon on
Friday, July 3, until noon on
Sunday, July 5, for the annual
fireworks show.
Access to the Sandbar from
the Event Site will be closed at
7 p.m. on July 4 to all specta-
tors and recreationalists due
to fireworks. Kiteboard
launching and landing from
the Event Site grass is prohib-
ited.
OSU hosts irrigation tour July 7
City does work next to Exit 62
On July 7, from 1-4 p.m., OSU Extension
and Hood River Watershed Group will host
an orchard irrigation management work-
shop and tour at Evans Creek Orchard.
Highlights include looking at the farm’s cen-
tralized filtration system, micro-sprinklers
on trellised trees, and an established or-
chard drip irrigation. Participants will also
discuss using an online irrigation scheduler
developed by WSU, soil moisture monitor-
ing, and automated systems. Nelson Irriga-
tion, Bryant Pipe, Wilson Orchard Supply,
Irrinet, and Measure Tek will share infor-
mation on equipment and services. RSVP to
Steve Castagnoli at steve.castagnoli@
oregonstate.edu.
On Monday at 7 a.m., Crestline con-
struction will start work on and around
the frontage road Westcliff Drive, where
it intersects the Interstate 84 interchange
on- and off-ramps from exit 62 westbound.
The work zone will extend approxi-
mately 200 feet in either direction, and
will be controlled by flaggers.
Traffic delays should be minimal; work
areas are expected between 7 a.m. and 6
p.m., with the road opened weekends and
evenings.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area.