This week's question of the week asks us to share in our families, neighbors, and friends culinary traditions, culture...and gives us some ideas of what we might cook for ourselves this Christmas.

Rekindle the magic of this holiday season through the innocent and hopeful letters of local 3rd graders.

The idea was to encourage a culturally sensitive approach for the immigrant community to come together with medical professionals to access free vaccinations and booster shots. Guess what? It worked.

Northwest Mural Fest has released their second round of mural themes for public input on their website.

Scott McKay hosted his third retirement party this week...and he makes no promises about not hosting the fourth one in another ten years.

The Dalles Elks Lodge #303, recently and generously donated $10,746.93 to The Dalles Meals on Wheels program. The donation goes a long way to defraying the cost of the program that served some 50,000 meals in 2020 alone. Volunteers drive the meals to homebound seniors to ensure they get one hot nourishing meal per day.

Izzy was way behind on his credits when he and the YOW started meeting every day after school. During one of these sessions, Izzy opened up and broke down crying. “I just want to make my parents proud and graduate,” he said.

“The pavilion will be a cozy gathering place in the cooler months and provide shade in the summer,” said Tabatha Wiggins. “We are grateful for the HartBeat of Main Street Grant that allowed us to initiate this project. It wouldn’t have been possible without community support, namely Tom Sikora, Benny Kelso and McCaskill Construction -- these guys made it happen!”

The WAGAP warming shelter in Stevenson, Wa., is open.

A little snow livened things up in The Dalles this morning as giant flakes came crashing down at around 11 a.m. There was no quit in some of the folks willing to brave the elements.

Welcome to Question of the Week, a weekly news column that poses timely questions about life, politics, culture, economics, health, and more to people out and about in our communities. Each column features a question that expresses curiosity about other people’s experiences and deepens our understanding of people from all walks of life.

Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI) is focusing on several key areas in its fundraising efforts this season: youth in foster care, youth being raised by relatives (kinship), and seniors in need.

CCCNews has rounded up a good handful of local holiday bazaars for the Mid-Columbia, but we are looking for more. Let us know. Click here to find local offerings or find out how to advertise yours.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. With a little hard work, her grades went back up. She became more engaged in class, and she got back on track to graduate this coming spring. Visit nextdoorinc.org/donate to give a special gift today to build hope one youth at a time and help give young people like Rose the support they need to thrive.

Kasey McCullough is adding the unit to his property as housing shortages in The Dalles have become dire in recent years and he is hoping to make an impact on the problem. High rent and low housing stock have been major barriers to locals finding affordable housing.

The Wasco County Cultural Trust Coalition is now accepting grant applications for 2022 projects. Grants are available to individuals and organizations for projects in the arts, humanities, and heritage.

Family gathered to celebrate the recent 70th wedding anniversary of Delbert and Shirley Hedges of Parkdale. They were married in Port Angeles, Wa. in 1960. They moved from Madera, Ca. to Parkdale to raise their young family.

Get to know your neighbors and your community. Dalton Wake, 29 shares his love for unicycling, his struggle for sobriety, the joy of falling in love and finding your balance.

Immigrants are critical to the economy, making up 13% of the Oregon workforce and contributing $2.8 billion in federal taxes and $1.3 billion in state and local taxes. And of course, immigrants are an important part of many families and communities.

Our Winter Reading program has started, and like the Summer Reading, you’ll sign up through the Beanstack app for all of the activity kits for December and January.