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Thrive Hood River – Our New Name and Logo

After 41 successful years, we've changed our name from Hood River Valley Residents Committee to Thrive Hood River. Our original 11-syllable name carries decades of significance — and we’re so proud of that legacy — but we're excited to modernize with a simpler, welcoming name and logo. Re-introducing ourselves as “Thrive Hood River” doesn't just shorten our name, it captures what we do: Working to shape a thriving community for all. “We want to engage more people in the long-term choices ahead,” said Thrive board president Dale Hill. “As we enter our fifth decade, we’ve left behind the view that land-use planning is wonky, paper-shuffling for consultants. Facing Hood River’s growth is everybody’s business – This place is changing, but changing into what?” “Can our kids walk or bike to school safely? Are local businesses prospering? Can the next generation of farmers afford land in the Hood River Valley? Will working…

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Short Term Rental Rules Headed in Right Direction

Hood River is at a tipping point, changing from a vibrant rural county to an exclusive resort community where it’s hard for working folks to find a place to live. One factor is the roaring growth in short term rentals which impact housing affordability and neighborhood livability. County commission hearing on new STR rules Jan. 22.
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A is for Amazing Auctions Items!

We're pretty excited about the goodies that we will be auctioning at H is for Harvest, our big fall fundraiser, October 13, 6 pm at The Ruins, Hood River (tickets available here). If you've got your eyes on an item but can't make the event, contact Polly Wood or (541) 490-5443 to place an absentee bid. In keeping with our mission, our live auction also spells S-T-E-W-A-R-D-S-H-I-P:     S is for Summer Art Camp at Leslie Smith’s Kid’s Creations for 7 days. This is the classic Hood River summertime experience and creative release for your little one. Each day camp art session runs from 10 until 3 pm Monday – Friday. Supply your child or grandchild with a sack lunch and they will frolic for hours with various art mediums and let those creative juices flow.              T is for Totally Gorgeous ceramics by Hood…

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Streets Alive Sept. 30

What is it? Streets Alive! temporarily closes a few traffic lanes in the Heights to vehicles so that people of all ages can freely walk, bike, play and share food, music and art with their neighbors. This will be a day to celebrate what's great about the Heights and Hood River with amazing food, participatory art projects and live music on porches throughout the neighborhood. Check out StreetsAliveHR.com for more info. We'll also be testing out some demonstration street treatments on 12th and 13th Streets based on ideas that Dan Burden suggested in his Heights Walkability Report. The cool kids call it Tactical Urbanism or DIY Urbanism or Planning-by-Doing. We'll be using low-cost materials like chalk paint and haybales to experiment with potential street design changes like curb extensions and protected bike lanes.  VOLUNTEERS needed! Are you a musician, artist, restaurant, Heights’ homeowner, or a resident who wants to be a block captain, roving cyclist, intersection monitor, social media maven, demonstration assembler…

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Trailbuilding at Punchbowl Falls

A New Trail to the Confluence of the East & West Forks of the Hood River  . . . . Amazing things happening at Punchbowl Falls County Park. Our pals at Trailkeepers of Oregon have been hard at work for 2 years developing an awesome trail system. Now they've brought a crew of American Hiking Society volunteers from around the country to Hood River this week to complete a new trail to the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Hood River. Apparently some people like to travel to pretty places to spend 7 days swinging pick axes and shoveling dirt! It's steep and technical with lots of rock work to be done. We are sooo grateful! TKO Needs Your Help These trails literally would not be built without Trailkeepers of Oregon. Now they need our help to defray the $2,000 costs of hosting these hardworking volunteers. A couple of HRVRC members have pledged $250…

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County To Vote on Short Term Rental Rules

Hood River Board to Decide Short Term Rental Rules Hearing August 20th, 6 pm, County Administration Building, 601 State St We have started a petition urging the Commission to adopt a real residency requirement for STRs. You can sign the petition here and also check out the smart and heartfelt comments that others have left. The Board of Commissioners is expected to make their final decision on changes to Hood River's zoning code for Short Term Rentals (also known as STRs or vacation rentals) on August 20th. This will be their third hearing on the issue. Thanks to all of you who turned out on June 18th for the second hearing on changes to their rules for Short Term Rentals. Just like the April hearing, the room was packed and every single speaker testified in favor of a real residency requirement in order to operate an STR in the County. The Hood…

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Walk the Heights June 6th

What do YOU think will make the Heights safer and more enjoyable for walking and biking? Let’s take a walk. Join urban planning expert Dan Burden and community members on a walking tour to discover what’s great and what’s challenging about walking, biking and driving in the Heights. Share your ideas about how to make the Heights a better place to shop, live and work. Wednesday June 6th, 5:00 - 8:30 pm Hood River Armory, 1590 12th Street, Hood River  (access is from Belmont, driveway is just west of Monagon's Pancake House) Dan will lead us on a walking audit of the Heights and teach us about best practices for a built environment that enhances community. Then we’ll break into groups over dinner to identify opportunities to transform our local streets so they support businesses and people by foot, bike, transit or vehicle.  What’s a walk audit? Check out this little 2-minute video…

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June 3rd Annual Gathering

Sunday June 3, 2018 4:00-6:00 pm Columbia Center for the Arts, 211 Cascade Ave., Hood River  4:00–4:30 Informal Social with Appetizers & No Host Bar 4:30–5:30 Presentations & Speakers State of the Hood: Our Year in Review, Heather Staten, Executive Director, HRVRC Making a Welcoming & Livable Community, Mary Kyle McCurdy, Deputy Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon Backdoor Revolution: How and Why to Build an Accessory Dwelling Unit, Kol Peterson 5:30-6:00 Hood River Pear Cake from Polly’s Cakes Drawing for our Electric Bike Raffle! Questions? Contact Polly Wood polly@hrvrc.org or (541) 490-5443. More info at hrvrc.org. Guest Speakers: Mary Kyle McCurdy   Mary Kyle McCurdy earned her BA in Human Biology from Stanford University and her law degree from the University of California at Davis. She served as a law clerk to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Edward Leavy. After two years in private practice, she joined 1000 Friends of Oregon…

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Ebike Raffle Drawing June 3

Who needs a car? Electric bikes are a game-changer in Hood River. With a Scott E-Sub Active bike you'll be laughing up 12th Street and doing it in style.  HRVRC is raffling a $2,199 Scott E-Sub Active electric bike. This bike is so cute and so loaded, we all want one! Hills? What hills? Exhilarate with that “hand of God” feeling as you are gently pushed up steep hills with very little effort even when loaded down with the week’s grocery shopping. An ideal commuter bike, the E-Sub Activ has unisex geometry with a wide step through, it's powered by a  Bosch 400 watts battery, and has 50c tires for miles of worry free reliability. Here is more on the specs. Be sure to check out the cute review video starring Hood River's own Jodie Gates and Matt Morrow. Thanks to our friends at Oregon E-Bikes  for making this raffle possible.  Raffle tickets are $20 each…

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Candidate Forum April 24

Doors at 6:30, Forum at 7:00 Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Avenue, Hood River Our state and county face some tough problems but we also have great opportunities. Find out how candidates for the Oregon legislature and county commission plan to tackle them. Come enjoy a glass of wine with your neighbors, meet the candidates and ask questions about the issues that matter most to you. Hood River Valley Residents Committee is happy to sponsor this event along with our partners Hood River League of Women Voters and Livable Hood River.     Candidate statements are printed as submitted and not corrected for punctuation, grammar, syntax errors or inaccurate information. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order according to the position for which they are running. Candidate photos were submitted in various formats and every attempt was made to post these here in an equitable manner.   Candidates for Chair…

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EIN: 93-0805882
Thrive Hood River
Formerly HRVRC

Thrive Hood River, PO Box 1544, Hood River, OR 97031 • PHONE: (541) 288-4706