Columbia Community Connection was established in 2020 as a local, honest and digital news source providing meaningful stories and articles. CCC News’ primary goal is to inform and elevate all the residents and businesses of the Mid-Columbia Region. A rising tide lifts all boats, hop in!
On August 13th, 2022 volunteers from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, The Dalles Lions Club, Wasco County Sheriff’s Department, Oregon State Police, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul gathered at Fred Meyer for the 4th annual Shop With a Hero event, which supports economically disadvantaged students and parents go back to school shopping.
Local developers received a conditional-use permit to design a building that would exceed the city’s building height limitation by 5 feet, taking it to 60 feet tall in downtown The Dalles. It would be the same height as the Commodore Building. However, developers, proposing a mixed-use building of retail and housing, must now submit a site plan and undergo a full review before construction could start.
Question of the week: Ever had a nickname? From the Editor - They used to call me bentnose through no fault of my own. Quite simply, I was dropped as a child, and my nose either broke or bent. The upshot, my schnoz, got a bridge like San Francisco. Tragic, funny, unique, and bittersweet at times, nicknames run wild through our lives, and I did not meet a person on the street this week without one.
The elusive Hood River based artist Craig Luster, who has been making art in the Gorge for over forty years, has come out of the studio for the first time in years to host an art show featuring his latest body of work inspired by the #MeToo movement at Old St. Peter’s Landmark at 405 Lincoln St on September 2nd and 3rd from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.
This is part three of one local woman’s path to empowerment. When it comes to traveling, most Americans take it for granted that they can go around the world without much bother. But, for Patty Gallardo, because of her immigration status, a trip to Mexico to visit her seriously ill mother might have life-altering consequences. She might not be able to return to the United States. She has a lot to lose, including contact with her five children.
Walkers and runners, mark your calendar for Saturday, Aug. 27th as The Dalles Cross Country teams will host the Riverhawk Run/Walk at the Discovery Center at 8 a.m.
Our movie reviewer Mo Burford takes a look at two big films this summer, Nope and Bullet Train. Nope had Burford saying yep to a second showing in two days. “Bullet Train is fun, especially if you like lots of hand-to-hand combat and big, mildly comedic characters; and it was a fine use of eleven bucks during a scorcher of a summer,” he writes.
Seventy percent of fire districts in the U.S. are staffed entirely by volunteers and Klickitat County Fire District 6, better known as Dallesport Fire is one of them. And like many other volunteer fire districts around the nation, they face challenges such as staffing, equipment and maintenance costs, and healthcare challenges.
This is part two of one local woman’s path to empowerment. Patty Gallardo’s children mean the world to her. But for over two decades, her status as an undocumented immigrant left her in constant fear of deportation and being separated from her family.
The Oregon Reptile Man, Richard Richey delivered a fun and educational hour-long program featuring over a dozen different reptiles including an alligator, de-venomized diamondback rattlesnake, a king cobra and a burmese python named Julius Squeezer, at The Dalles Wasco County Library on August 9th, 2022.
Many in our communities struggle to access basic needs due to their undocumented status. Patty Gallardo was one of these community members. At eight years old, she was brought from Colima, Mexico, to Southern California by her mother, who was searching for a better life for her children. This is part one of one local woman’s path to empowerment.
Theresa Dwyer’s home at 909 Union Street was recently given the Beautification Award for August in The Dalles. The home provides a splendid pallet of color for passers-by, and I am sure the neighbors don’t mind the site through their windows, either.
Performing since he was 14 years old, Hogan’s life and musical journey has taken him from the rockabilly swinging 1960s of England to a communal lifestyle in southern Oregon in the 1970s. He’s a pioneer of Seattle’s underground music scene. Hogan says “he was there” when bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden became Grunge Gods and put Seattle on the map as a source of new music culture.
Downtown activities for The Dalles First Friday got a real boost from local artist Todd Simmler who displayed 30 of his metal sculptures created from found objects at the scrapyard. The creations seemed to set a curious tone for the evening. It was like people were discovering new creatures as they perused Simmler’s pieces.
It’s that time of year for many. Vacation time. So, CCCNews went out in hunt of some great and not-so great vacation memories. We found them. Here’s what locals and not-so-locals had to say about it. Bring your Epi-Pen.
Klickitat County primary election results are still rolling in. Voter turnout has increased to 42.03% and the gap has widened to 359 votes in the Klickitat County Sheriff’s race.
The five day event, in which 16 new murals will be painted in downtown The Dalles is set to occur August 24-28th. Community members are encouraged to sign up to help paint , volunteer or just come on down to enjoy the festivities, music, and fun!
Here’s a chance to kick the weekend off right with some great music in the awesome outdoor venue at Bargeway Pub next to the Columbia River in The Dalles - 1535 Bargeway Road. Cal Scott, Bob Bailey and Dan Ross will perform songs from their new album, an all-original compilation with some funny lines and great storytelling. It’s titled Chapter One.
MoCo will locally source their music for the 5-year Anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 6. The Wasco Brothers are headlining the show. The fun begins at 4 p.m. But first, you might want to know something about the family-run operation. Meet Nate Stranz in this quick Q & A.
PCT Hiker and TDHS Grad Emily Peterson said she and her hiking buddies took Thursday, Aug. 4, to contemplate whether to move forward on the trail with the 57,000-acre McKinney Fire burning on the Oregon/California border. A strong network of friends helped her devise a plan.
