Principal embraces opportunities to serve By Drew Myron Mid Valley Elementary in Odell could be called the school that rarely closes. Serving 500 students, the school opens with morning’s first light and doesn’t close until after dinner and into the night. “We model our school as a community building to be open as much as […]
Orchardists invest in major technology and energy upgrades By Drew Myron Diamond Fruit Growers, a cooperative serving 85 growers in the Hood River Valley, has invested $7.5 million in the world’s first optical sorting system specifically engineered for pears. The 18-lane automated line whirred to life in July 2018, and runs 250,000 pears an hour. […]
Zumba instructor revs up fitness fans with a passion for dance and a heart for people By Drew Myron “This is my happy hour!” says Araceli Elisea as she greets her students with hugs and smiles. In a small gym, Araceli joins together a mix of shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities for a thumping, pumping, […]
A piece of the past finds a new home By Drew Myron Some take pride in their manicured yard, others in a bountiful garden. Gary and Sylvia Groce enjoy a massive lawn ornament: a 26-ton red caboose. Blending family history with quirky novelty, their Pine Grove home boasts a fully restored caboose parked on railroad […]
As a longtime leader retires, HREC makes history with its first female general manager By Drew Myron John Gerstenberger—an earnest self-starter who rose from surveyor to systems engineer to general manager—retired in July after 32 years of service to Hood River Electric Cooperative. His replacement, Libby Calnon, is the first female general manager in HREC […]
Weekly meal brings many—mostly seniors—together for food and friendship By Drew Myron What sounds like a party, tastes delicious and feels like home? The answer is Community Meals at Mt. Hood Town Hall. Every Thursday at 11:30 a.m, the basement of the community center fills with friends, neighbors and homestyle meals. Open to all, Community […]
Unique bike tours open eyes to the bounty of the Hood River Valley By Drew Myron Christie Reed wakes early to open the family winery, where she welcomes a dozen cyclists eager to spend the day rolling through vineyards, snacking at fruit stands, sipping wine and absorbing the bounty of the Hood River Valley. “People […]
Writers gather for creative support and friendship By Drew Myron At first, the house fills with the gentle click of hands across keyboards, a scratch of pen on paper, turning pages. The room glows in soft, warm light, with comfy couches and pastoral views. Then, relief and release with laughter, tea, wine and sharing. Welcome […]
HREC’s annual meeting celebrates success By Drew Myron From pies to prizes to profit, the news was good at Hood River Electric Cooperative’s 72nd annual meeting March 15. The yearly gathering is a family- friendly event that provides members with a state-of- the-cooperative report and an opportunity to elect directors to the board. Addressing a […]
Fifteen years after buying Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast, Steve and Mary Pellegrini revel in seasonal variety By Stu Watson Benjamin Franklin is credited with observing, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Most of Mary and Steve Pellegrini’s guests leave after one night. But unlike many, who have a limited tolerance […]
