& FG hoodrivernews.com Wednesday, February 12, 2020 A5 HOOD RIVER NEWS | Hood River, Ore. COMMUNITY City manager: 2020 Work Plan prioritizes safety, infrastructure, and communication By EMILY FITZGERALD ongoing community conversa- tion,” Fuller said. Aging infrastructure is caus- ing problems in the city’s water and sewer lines, as old clay pipes start to break down. “The city council has prioritized this effort on the 2020 workplan and this will be a long-term project,” Fuller said. She added that the city successfully got $1.7 million to help repair a broken stormwater line on the water- front, but generally, federal and state funding for infrastructure projects is declining, making it harder for cities and developers to fund infrastructure projects. Other projects going into 2020 include developing a long- term plan to become more en- ergy efficient, a communication and community engagement study, and developing afford- able and attainable housing on a seven-acre property the City of Hood River has purchased on Rand Road. Rotary members asked the most questions on this project following Fuller’s presentation; and Fuller said that the city is still working through the details of what the News staff writer File photo W YDEN V ISITS O N S AT. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden will hold a town hall in The Dalles on Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at Fort Dalles Readiness Center, 402 E. Scenic Drive. This is the Portland Democrat’s fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of the state’s 36 counties. “Open-to-all town halls in every nook and cranny of our state are essential to the ‘Oregon Way’ of civil discussions about important issues,” Wyden said. “I look forward very much to hearing Oregonians’ ideas, concerns, questions and priorities in these upcoming town halls.” Community safety, commu- nity infrastructure and commu- nity identity continue to be the City of Hood River’s priorities going into 2020. For the second year, the City of Hood River organized their project goals for the upcoming year as a comprehensive work plan, and City Manager Rachael Fuller presented highlights of that plan to Hood River Rotary during the club’s Feb. 6 meet- ing. “All the services that we do, they generally fall into these three buckets,” said Fuller. “Community safety, that’s going to be of your insurance policy, the people who show up when things aren’t looking good; community infrastructure, that’s the database services that really allow us to live in close proximity with each other; and then community identity — who we are, what’s important, and what we’d like our built environment to look like.” The city is working on ad- Photo by Emily Fitzgerald CITY Manager Rachael Fuller presents at Hood River Rotary’s Feb. 6 meeting. dressing the “enormous pres- sures” put on police and fire services by growing tourism, and adapting those services to meet additional challenges such as wildfire response and homelessness rates. “I think the challenge is to adapt to meet these needs within existing resources and this will be an project will look like, but fund- ing — including state money reallocated from the Morrison Park project — has been set aside. Regarding community iden- tity, Fuller referenced tensions that have “played out in some very divisive ways over the last few years,” partially due to the fact that Oregon’s land use system prioritizes productive farm and forest land, and how that comes into play with a city’s task to provide sufficient housing and jobs within a com- munity. “How cities do this is where there can be a conflict, because these conversations elicit questions about who we are as a community and who we want to be,” said Fuller. “So we’ll need to navigate these con- versations together, and that’s hard work, because these con- versations are ultimately about deeply-held values, about how people want to live their lives.” The full 2020 work plan is available online at cityofho- odriver.gov/administration/ city-council/hood-river-city- council-goals. Gorge Sings II concert will raise voices at Wy’east Arts Center Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea ‘ WAGON W EDNESDAY’ Hood River resident Aparna Ramachandran enjoys a “mock- tail” at the Jan. 29 “On the Wagon Wednesday” at Slopeswell Cidery, while enjoying the music of Megan Alder. ‘UPLIFT, UNFILTERED’ Women’s network ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ event debuts Feb. 20 the Columbia Gorge Commu- nity College. One of the highlights of the concert is the world premiere of a new choral piece written by Joan Szymko. Based on a text by Wendell Berry, “Circle of Lovers” was commissioned for the Voci choir by CGOA, as part of its annual MacMil- lan Prize for female choral New ensembles Canticum, GALS, CGCC join CGOA on Feb. 21 and 23 In the past few decades, there has been an explosion of interest in the physical and mental health benefits of singing with others. Study after study has reinforced what singers already know: that joining with others in song makes people feel hap- pier, less stressed and less alone. The result has been a proliferation of community choral groups all over the world. Here in the Gorge, cho- ral singing remains a pop- ular pastime and so once again, the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association has invited a number of choirs to come together for The Gorge Sings II. On the programs are the CGOA Voci Choir (now in its 15th year), Can- ticum (a new small ensem- ble), the award-winning HRV Chamber Singers, the CGOA Youth Choir and GALS, which stands for the Gorge A Cap- pella Lady Singers. Also on the program will be the newly formed Choral Union from ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ Women in the Annex” space, at their winery ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ location at 13th and Wasco ฀ ฀ streets, on ฀ Feb. 20 ฀ at 5 p.m. ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ workforce A2DD6?86C can The event will feature the ฀ of ฀ Jeanie ฀ Vieira, CEO of ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ connect at ฀ new stories DE2CE:?82E ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ Providence Hood River Memo- Chamber event rial Hospital, and Kim Salves- (* *& #& *& en-Pauly, owner of Windermere The female focused Chamber Realty. Attend this event to hear of Commerce program, “Up- their “unfiltered storyTime will lift, Unfiltered,” is specifically also be provided to share, learn, geared towards all who identify and identify, woman to woman, as women in the workforce. Its Schroeder said. Complimentary focus is an unfiltered platform for appetizers, sponsored by BBSI, DE2CE:?82E conversation, connection, and and wine, hosted by Naked education, with the intention to Winery, will be served. hold space and provide support The event is free to Cham- for women in the workforce, ac- ber members and $25 for cording to Kate Schroeder, exec- non-members. RSVP by calling utive director of the Hood River 541-386-2000, or email maryel- County Chamber of Commerce, len@hoodriver.org. in a press release. `_¸efdVj`fcaRddV_XVcTRcTYRZ_dcVefc_eYV^ “The Hood River Chamber has shifted its focus towards advoca- cVWf_URWeVceYV]Rde]VXR]UReVW`cdefUUVUeZcVd cy, connection and education, and this group accomplishes all 5`Vd_`eRaa]je`eYVBfZT\EcR\ecRTeZ`_UVgZTV ^ three goals. We see the opportu- Vd nity to connect working women with each other and we want to provide the platform for working Call Bernie today women to grow personally and professionally through leader- 541-490-0167 ship, education and networking support,” Schroeder said. The inaugural event will be Bernie Dittenhofer held at Naked Winery’s “Barrel 509 Cascade Ave, Suite F, Hood River Senior Loan Officer-Branch Manager ฀ ฀ & ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ @gVc#&JVRcd 6iaVcZV_TV =6DD4 =6DD49H233C ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ Thursday, February 20, 6-8PM Port of Hood River Conference Room 1000 E. Port Marina Drive, Hood River ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ The ฀ Port of Hood River will host a drop-in style open house to receive public comment to inform the Port Commission on community needs, sentiment, and priorities for the development of its 2020-2026 Strategic Business Plan, the guiding policy document for the Port. There will be a brief presentation about the project, then attendees will have multiple opportunities to share information, ask questions, and provide feedback on project choices. ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ For more information please visit portofhoodriver.com. ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ A2DD6?86C DE2CE:?82E 2? 2= @>:4 64@? @:46 9 4 %H966= 2=:8?>6?E ฀ ฀ ฀ I95 ฀ ฀ I95 #& ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ *& $* &! 48° 44° )% 46° 50° (# 50° 52° 47° &! D9:>D:?4=F565 /33° Mostly cloudy )$ &! &! E9H2CC2?EJ :Wj`fU`_¸efdVj`fcaRddV_XVcTRcTYRZ_dcVefc_eYV^ W`cRWf]]cVWf_URWeVceYV]Rde]VXR]UReVW`cdefUUVUeZcVd Cloudy >@?E9H2CC2?EJ with Morning snow >@?E9H2CC2?EJ spotty showers showers; cloudy )% 5`Vd_`eRaa]je`eYVBfZT\EcR\ecRTeZ`_UVgZTV /37° /38° Cloudy with a Cloudy with a >@?E9H2CC2?EJ chance of rain chance of rain (# >@?E9H2CC2?EJ /35° E96=AD6?DFC6 E:C6>:=6286 De`aZ_e`URjW`cj`fc showers possible IEC6>6 A@H6C 7C66 7C6632EE6CJ4964< &! 7C6632EE6CJ4964< &! #& &! #) /39° A couple of Turning cloudy >@?E9H2CC2?EJ &! De`a Z_ e`URj W`c j`fc De`aZ_e`URjW`cj`fc >@?E9 DE2?52C5 2=:8?>6?E 3140 W. Cascade, Hood River ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ Actual ฀ ฀ High/Low ฀ ฀ February 5-10 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday E9CFDE 2=:8?>6?E &' %H966= 2=:8?>6?E D9:>D:?4=F565 )$ >@?E9H2CC2?EJ Updated 2.10.20, 9:05 AM PDT Data from Accuweather.com I95 REDUCED EVAPORATION, GASSING & CORROSION )% >@?E9H2CC2?EJ De`aZ_e`URjW`cj`fc 55/34 57/52 63/44 50/41 52/29 52/31 $* *& %* WEATHER SPONSORED BY: >@?E9H2CC2?EJ 541-386-1123 ฀ ฀ DE2CE:?82E A2DD6?86C492:? C6EFC?AC@8C2> /36° /37° ฀ 1000 E. Port Marina Drive, Hood River, OR 97031 Apply at berniedittenhofer.mannmortgage.com =:89EECF46 *& (* WEATHER FOR HOOD RIVER, A@H6C OR | FEBRUARY 12-18, 2020 >@?E9 >@?E9 &! Today IEC6>6 Friday Thursday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday >@?E9 A@H6C *& A2DD6?86C H6C6DFC724 We want to hear H6C6DFC72463C2<6C@E@CD from you! Your Mortgage Lender Company NMLS #2550 NMLS #114231 @gVc#&JVRcd 6iaVcZV_TV Ac`WVddZ` EcRZ_VUEVTY loved highlight of the concerts. The Gorge Sings II concerts are Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m.) and 23 (2 p.m.) at Wy’east Middle School Performing Arts Center. The concerts are free with do- nations accepted. Tickets are available at gor- georchestra.org . 2020-2026 ฀ ฀ ฀ STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ OPEN ฀ ฀ HOUSE ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ composers. Based in Portland, Szymko is one of America’s most respected and often per- formed choral writers, accord- ing to Music Director Mark Steighner. In addition to the choral performances the audience will get to join the choirs for an extended singalong. Last year’s audience sing was a much- (# >@?E9H2CC2?EJ