www.hoodrivernews.com
Hood River News, Saturday, July 18, 2015
A3
Governor signs ‘landmark’ college bill, tours businesses
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
Oregon Gover nor Kate
Brown rolled into Hood
River Friday morning. Her
first stop: CGCC’s Indian
Creek Campus, where she
signed the affordable college
bill, Oregon Promise, and
met with local representa-
tives in education.
Brown arrived at the col-
lege shortly before 9:30 a.m.
On her way, a sign posted at a
Heights business greeted
her, “Welcome to Hood River,
Governor Kate Brown!”
T he Gover nor shook
hands and chatted with edu-
cation leaders including Dan
Goldman, Superintendent of
Hood River County School
District, Dr. Frank Toda,
CGCC President, and Dan
Spatz, Executive Director of
Hood River Education Foun-
dation.
Also present were local
representatives Rep. Mark
Johnson (R-Hood River) and
Rep. John Huffman (R-The
Dalles), as well as Sen. Mark
Hass (D-Beaverton), who
spearheaded the Ore gon
Promise bill.
Johnson launched the
signing event by introducing
Brown, prefacing her execu-
tive action with a short
speech praising state policy
makers for crafting the
“landmark piece of legisla-
tion.” He said the new bill,
which he had co-sponsored,
would allow the “seamless,
productive pass-off of stu-
dents” from high school to
college.
Brown thanked Hood
River leaders and said, “I’m
very grateful to be speaking
here in sunny Hood River.”
Brown praised the “bipar-
tisan leadership” that had
paved away at the Oregon
Promise. She indicated the
bill was specifically targeted
at students from “working
families out there trying to
make ends meet.”
Oregon Promise, SB 81, is
a bill sponsored by Hass, and
co-sponsored by local repre-
sentative Rep. Mark Johnson
and Rep. Tobias Read (D-
Beaverton). The legislation
allows for Ore gon high
school students who gradu-
ate with at least a 2.5 GPA —
and maintain it through col-
lege — to enroll in communi-
ty college to get waived tu-
ition, paid by the state. To
reap the rewards, students
have to be fresh out of col-
lege (enrolling within six
months of graduation) and
they must apply for all feder-
al and state grants they’re el-
igible.
Students can earn an asso-
ciate’s degree or a career
technical certificate for free
via Oregon Promise, as long
as maintain a 2.5 GPA and
stay continuously enrolled.
The max is 90 credits.
Some suppor ters have
lauded the bill as “free col-
lege,” but Brown described it
as a means of waiving tu-
ition for certain students
fresh out of college.
“With the legislation that
I’m going to sign in just a few
moments, known as the Ore-
gon Promise, we are opening
the doors of opportunity
even wider, by providing tu-
ition waivers to academical-
ly eligible students,” said
Brown.
“Recent high school grad-
uates will now be able to
earn their undergraduate ed-
ucation tuition free at their
local community college.”
Hass described the bill as a
way for students who “work
hard and stay out of trouble”
to access college.
After Hass’s final words,
Brown signed the bill, posing
with the representatives.
Then, she spoke in a short,
private roundtable discus-
sion with the education lead-
ers.
After the college stop,
Brown spoke at the Leaders
for Tomorrow (LFT) brunch
at the Best Western Plus
Hood River Inn. The organi-
zation is celebrating its 20th
anniversary with a lineup of
alumni speakers.
Brown spoke to future
business leaders, her topics
including women who had
inspired her in the past, es-
pecially Oregon’s first fe-
male gover nor, Barbara
Roberts.
After the speech, Brown
planned to visit Hood River
businesses on an economic
development tour, including
pFriem Family Brewers and
Dakine.
H OUSING
Continued from Page A1
zones.
“This is definitely the last
meeting,” she said.
The commission will also
look at the “political things
the city council can do” such
as state tax deferrals and
HEIGHTS CRASH,
NONE HURT
Two passenger vehicles collided Wednesday at
the intersection of Belmont and 12th Avenue,
next to Heights Fuel Stop. There were no serious
injuries. Hood River Police Sergeant Andrew Rau
said a Stevenson woman driving a blue sedan
failed to yield when turning left onto the 12th,
and crashed into a green Dodge truck driven by
a Hood River man. The woman was transported
to Providence Memorial Hospital with minor in-
juries. Hood River Police and Hood River Fire and
EMS responded, closing off the right lane on
12th for about an hour. Photo by Patrick Mulvihill.
Marina Way McDonald's
Re-Grand Opening
Wednesday July 22, 2015
Come see our new Remodeled Restaurant
Ronald McDonald
will Meet and Greet You From Noon to 2 p.m.
Specials include:
Sm. Med. and Large soft drinks only .75¢
ALL DAY
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. • .75¢ Big Macs and Medium Fries
Cake will be served from 1-2 p.m.
Photos by Kirby Neumann-Rea
GOV. KATE BROWN meets Kelcie Rigel, 15, and her Big Sister Barb Young of Hood River, who were
among community members attending. “It’s nice to be in sunny Hood River, but today I think it is
sunny all over Oregon,” Brown said before signing the education bill.
real estate taxes;
“The meaty part is the
land use and possible limita-
tions on particular uses for
30 days or less or more,” she
said.“I do see a lot of people
getting interested in this,
now that they hear the hous-
ing strategies, and I think we
will hear from folks on the
short term rentals as well as
those who will speak on af-
fordable housing,” she said.
Calling All
Softball Players
12U ASA Tryouts for the NEW Gorge Softball
team will be held August 1st at 6pm on the
softball field on Nix Drive in Hood River.
To Register or for information Contact Tonya at
(541)705-7217 or gorgeshadows@gmail.com
Keep up to date! Like us on Facebook.
facebook.com/gorgeshadows