Mid-Columbia Today

In the first half of the show Mark talks to Sarah Allaben of Mt. Adams Resource Stewards about the online Klickitat Wildfire Resource Hub at wildfirereadyklickitat.org, then Caroline Grew from the United Way of the Columbia Gorge joins the show to talk about a pair of upcoming fundraising events in June (unitedwaycolumbiagorge.org).

In the first half of the show, Jakob Lillivik from the Mid-Columbia Innovation Hub previews tonight's Gorge Pitchfest at 5:30 p.m. at the Granada Theater in The Dalles (free tickets at midcolumbiainnovationhub.org), then Mark spends some time going over last night's Hood River County Planning Commission decision to deny a permit for Amazon's proposed distribution warehouse on Highway 35 near Neal Creek Mill Road, and why he his experience covering land use stories in the region leads him to believe that appeals in this case will take a long time to unwind, and lead to a remand.

With a late guest cancellation, Mark and Cameron chat about various topics in the news and eventually why Mark thinks newspapers were better for consuming news than digital devices, then it's Washington Gorge Action Programs outgoing director Jennifer Pauletto and incoming director Julie Hester.

The show leads off with Tim Harkins of Columbia Center for the Arts talking about CCA's The Big Sing Benefit with the Low Bar Chorale this Friday evening at 6 p.m. (tickets at columbiaarts.org).  Then Mark talks with The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays about the just completed budget and tonight's planned City Council discussions on a water management plan and moving into the process of developing a wastewater facilities master plan.

Mark is joined by Brian Hukari, John Rust, Dan Mahr, and Nate Gephard of the Crag Rats, as the mountain search and rescue organization celebrates its 100th anniversary.  The Crag Rats will hold a 100-year celebration on Saturday, May 30 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Ruins in Hood River.  It's free and open to the public, and will feature a centennial presentation at 6 p.m., music by Rattlin' Bones at 7 p.m., demonstrations of their rescue systems, and they will auction off a night at Silcox Hut to benefit their project to construct a 100-year legacy training wall.  Go to cragrats.org for all the details.

In the first part of the show, Mark talks long-term budget and downtown parking with Hood River City Manager Abigail Elder and Mayor Paul Blackburn, then Lorraine Lyons and Sharla Weber Mosqueda of Hood River Adopt A Dog talk about their budget situation and the upcoming Paws & Pints fundraiser at The Ruins on May 29 (tickets available at hoodriveradoptadog.org).

Klickitat County Commissioner Ron Ihring talks with Mark about a number of different topics currently before the Commission, then White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn discusses last week's lockdown at the secondary school campus, and moving forward on the new K-12 campus.

In the first part of the show, we are joined by Hood River County School District Superintendent Bill Newton, then it's White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler.

Mark talkes with Port of Hood River Executive Director Kevin Greenwood about recent work on the Interstate Bridge and embarking on revising the Port's Strategic Business Plan.  Then, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquarhson discusses what was learned from this year's Northwest Cherry Festival.

Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tammara Tippel joins the show to report on the record turnout for this year's White-Salmon-Bingen Community Cleanup and to discuss Fourth of July Parade plans, then Mark talks to Marti Dane about a recent exercise she took part in illustrating the difficulty released inmates can have integrating back into everyday life.