Read the poetry of Beth Slowick in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

The main ballot mailing went to US Postal Service today, Wednesday, April 27 for distribution. Voters should expect their ballot to arrive in 2-7 days depending on where they live. If you have not seen a ballot after 7 days and are expecting to receive one, please call the Wasco County Clerk's Office at 541-506-2530.

The Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance, once a standalone organization, is now a program of The Next Door.

Serious Theater in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) present a Mother’s Day recital at Zion Lutheran Church in The Dalles on Sunday, May 8 at 2:00 P.M. (10th and Union Streets).

Our own local school students will unlock the imaginations of our local citizens this May at The Dalles Civic Auditorium. They will bring the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, the Whos in Whoville and other Seuss favorites to life with their production of Seussical JR.

The Dalles High School Drama Department’s spring musical “Spin: A Musical Myth” has two final showings on Thursday and Friday, April 28th and 29th. “Spin” is a musical retelling of the myth of Arachne and Athena set to a rock, jazz, and folk score.

PowderPures’ Will Parkki told Councilors that COVID and labor shortages had led the plant to operate at 28 percent capacity. The Company has turned over 34 employees in the last year. He also pointed out that the company currently offers $26.44 an hour and offers 401k matching, dental and health benefits.

Wasco County seeks applicants to serve on the Public Transportation Advisory Committee. The advisory committee considers how transportation funds should be spent and provides the governing body with information about their community’s special transportation needs.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission invites public comment on its Draft Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). Comments can be submitted between May 5, 2022, and July 5, 2022, to ClimateAction@gorgecommission.org.

Music and entertainment are on tap for this weekend with a plethora of events and music. Start your Friday with a free concert at The Dalles Art Center as Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will be rockin’ a block party complete with food and drinks. Streets are always open, but drinks and food start at 4:30 p.m. Music at starts at 5:15 p.m.

It’s beautiful and sad and fun and amazing to behold up on the big screen. What else can you ask for from a movie? This is the superhero movie I have been waiting for—but it’s also not just a superhero movie. Daniels (director duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Schienert) have truly created a marvel, but thankfully not for Marvel. The action in Everything Everywhere All at Once was some of the best I’ve seen in years.

Get up to date on the recent Wasco County Commission Meeting. The Wasco County Commissioners Meeting held their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on April 20th, 2022. They approved the Google community service fee agreement, declared May 6th Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, approved an elections modernization grant, and a memorandum of understanding between the The Columbia River Gorge Commission and the County.

TD Councilors will look at community fee disbursements, tax abatements for PowderPure, Code Enforcement, green-lighting a contract for Dog River Pipe Replacements and will also hold an executive session to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection.

Elections are happening across Oregon on Tuesday, May 17 and the deadline for citizens to register to vote or change party affiliation is Tuesday, April 26. All Wasco County residents are encouraged to participate by registering or updating their current voter information. Click her to find out how.

By far one of the most exciting races of the afternoon was Leo Lemman’s 3000m in Oregon City on Saturday, April 23. Consistent splits, with improved leg speed from racing the 400m and 800m at Hood River got him to the front of the pack, with a scorching time of 9:05, a 13-second personal best. Junior Fiona Dunlop wrested the PR crown on Saturday’s 1500 in Oregon City, coming in at 5:36, a 24-second, all-time personal best.

"For eons, the night was lit only by the moon and stars, and life on this planet evolved under regular cycles of bright days and dark nights. The night we know now is liberally colonized with artificial light—from billboards to parking lots to street lights—even while we sleep. Join the LIVE presentation or ZOOM, Monday, April 25, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Read more here.

Supporters of The Dalles Art Center had a huge turnout of fellow residents to help create a public sculpture on the SW corner of Second and Washington streets. Check out the videos here.

Read the poetry of Cole Goodwin in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

Locals sound off about how they hug the Earth this week. A lot of folks really dug into this topic and brought up a lot of dirt we did not know about, and, sometimes, we really got into the weeds.

In less than an hour a class of rank Harp beginners were cranking out tunes like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” a free-form piece called “Medevil Drone,” “Greensleeves,” and more. The class was full - with every age group represented.