Two local Teachers were recognized this week for going above and beyond in their all-important roles in developing amazing relationships with their students to bring out their student’s best to build strong community. It’s no easy task, but these two are an awesome example to us all of what can be achieved when great ideas follow with hard work! Congratulations!

In the heart of The Dalles, Oregon, a simple yet vital task unfolds every day—a fire crew member like Sarah, dedicated to community safety, stands beside a fire hydrant. With a turn of a valve, water spills onto the pavement. It seems routine, but it's a symbol of readiness. In an emergency, every second counts.

The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) is excited to invite the community to our upcoming Open House for Youth Services at our Drop-In Center located at 1113 Kelly Avenue in The Dalles! Join us on Monday, September 25th from 5-7 p.m. to learn more about TNDI’s programs and services offered to local area youth including community-based mentoring, outreach in schools, life skills training, native supports, and more.

Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association (MCCCA) is pleased to present Locarno, Tuesday, October 3rd at The Dalles Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the Civic’s Club 22 providing food and drinks for purchase. The show begins at 7:00 p.m.

OSU Sherman County Extension is offering free classes to youth and adults to learn skills in food preservation in September and October. The first class was held Saturday, September 9 at the pavilion in Grass Valley during the farmers market.

Last month, Four Rivers Family Early Learning & Parenting Hub staff members and The Dalles Lions Club members joined efforts to fill over 75 backpacks with school supplies for local children entering Kindergarten this fall.

Today the Community Backpack Program had their first day of operation at their new location at Columbia Gorge Food Bank located at 3525 Crates Way, in The Dalles. Volunteers packed 195 bags with take-home weekend meal supplies for food insecure students in the area. 

This is the third column in a series looking at students who were educated within The Dalles School system and who have gone on to make major contributions to our community by bringing their skills and experience back home to make an impact for all of us. In this story find out what Erik Gardipee has been up to since graduation.

The Gorge Technology Alliance (GTA) and the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub share the mission of ensuring equitable access to quality STEM experiences for all students. The two organizations are collaborating to sponsor competitive robotics throughout the region, by providing much-needed grant funds to Oregon and Washington competitive robotics teams.

Cross-country runners are, in general, pretty mild-mannered individuals. Polite to a fault, involved in most of the community activities, as comfortable talking with adults as their peers, and signed up for as many honors courses as they could fit textbooks for. It’s always a bit of a surprise, then, when some hidden ferocity comes to light: charging up hills like warriors, arms pumping into a finish or battling (rolling?) through a mud pit...and once finished, wiping the mud off and cooling down.

On Friday, September 15th, 2023, Dutch Bros in Hood River and The Dalles will donate $1 for every drink sold to The Next Door Inc. as part of their Buck for Kids Day fundraiser! Each year, Dutch Bros Coffee franchises hand-select one local organization committed to supporting youth as one of the ways the beloved coffee chain gives back to their communities.

Mark Your Calendars: North Wasco County School District will be offering drop-in tours of The Dalles High School on Thursday, September 14th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., giving voters an inside look at the building.

In a recent survey, we asked members of our community to share their whimsical choices if they could transform into an animal. The answers ranged from the playful to the imaginative, giving us a glimpse into the diverse dreams of our fellow residents.

It’s a bright and beautiful day; the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. However, the birds aren’t the only ones making noise today, Gean, and his wife, Delores Ewing were out at the Riverfront Park riding on their Recumbent bikes and getting some exercise.

City of The Dalles Beautification Committee announces that September’s Beautification Award winner is Anne Barstow! When asked to describe her garden Anne said “I think that every garden tells a story of the people's lives that have planted and tended it and my garden is surely no exception.

This week’s football match-up between The Dalles High School and rivals Hood River Valley at Sid White Field in The Dalles will feature a halftime raffle that will put some lucky person in the driver’s seat of a 2023 Toyota Corolla. Between the gridiron action, the winning ticket for a 2023 Toyota Corolla, which has been generously donated by local dealership Columbia Gorge Toyota, will be drawn.

The WAGAP Food Bank Network team is very happy to thank everyone who participated in the 2023 Food For All summer concert fundraiser held at AniChe Cellars in Underwood in August. Together, donors and sponsors raised over $32,000 to support those fighting food insecurity in Skamania and Klickitat counties.

Labor Day weekend if here and that means summer is drawing to a close. Although fall starts at the end of this month, the weather has made its drastic turn away from summer. But that doesn't mean our summer plans are over, there’s still plenty of adventure to be had.

El Grito returns to White Salmon’s Rheingarten Park on Sunday, September 17, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. as the kick-off event for Hispanic Heritage Month on the Washington side of the Gorge. All are welcome, and admission is free.