The Dalles City Council had a busy night last night. The council honored The Dalles High School girls softball team, which won the Oregon state 4A title recently. Mayor Rich Mays gave city medallions and letters of commendation to team members and coaches present.
Mayor Mays pointed out that the girls were State Champions in many aspects:
“The team itself, Tri-Valley conference champions, of course, you’re the 2023 OSAA 4A state champions. You’re also were the OSAA All-State Academic Team. You all have an average, a combined average of 3.72. You also hit 70 home runs, smashing the previous record by 17. The previous record was 53 in 2017 and you guys hit 70 home runs.”
Councilors also noted the promotion of city policeman Tyler Caldwell to Sergeant. Chief Tom Worthy said there were five well-qualified applicants for the position:
“There was agreement among the management staff and team at The Dalles Police Department that Sergeant Caldwell brings the skills, aptitude, leadership and the skills that best meet our needs at the police department. Sgt. Caldwell has shown himself to be highly motivated, responsible, and accountable, and he has a true desire to lead, mentor and teach our new officers.”
In other business, the council approved the expenditure of a $1 option to purchacse more than 3400 acres in private hands in The Dalles watershed. The option will be valid for four years, because the purchase is a complicated process, with a nonprofit conservation organization seeking a grant that would pay three quarters of the projected $2.7 milliion cost, leaving the city with an outlay of only $675,000. Public works directof Dave Anderson said the city benefits by being able to control the activities on lands it owns in the watershed to keep the water quality high.
And councilors approved a complete ban on the use of fireworks in The Dalles until after September 30. The resolution does allow the sale of fireworks, as several local nonprofit organizations sell fireworks as a fundraiser. The expectation is that people will purchase them now and save them until New Year’s. There will be a public display of fireworks that the city helps pay for, but for those who suggest that it’s hypicrital of the city to prohibit citizens from using fireworks, while sponsoring others, city attorney Jonathan Kara pointed out:
“I understand that that display has been regulated top to bottom by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, who has a tremendous amount of oversight involvement. I also understand that it takes place in the middle of the Columbia and there are a number of ways of distinguishing that from using fireworks in the city limits.”
Wasco County enacted a similar ban for areas outside incorporated cities in the county last week.