Washington County residents will have the opportunity to hear from and provide input to Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley at a Washington County-specific digital town hall scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 starting at 4:30 p.m. “Hearing from Oregonians across the state is critical to doing my job. In these uncertain times,[Read More…]
Author: Chas Hundley - Gales Creek Journal
Gales Creek Library shifts hours
Operating since 2011—with a two-year pause for Covid reasons—the public library housed inside the Gales Creek School (9125 NW Sargent Rd) is now open Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Previously, the library was open 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The library, the smallest in Washington County, is run by two[Read More…]
Balm Grove Dam removal rescheduled for summer of 2022
Plans to move the stalled Balm Grove Dam removal project forward are back, the Tualatin River Watershed Council announced Wednesday evening. In an email, TRWC Executive Director Scott McEwen said that removal of the decades-old concrete dam will begin this summer. “Removal of the structure and restoration of the site[Read More…]
Man still missing after three weeks of searching in Coast Range
A man believed to have gone missing at the summit of the Coast Range near Highway 6 and Storey Burn Road has yet to be found after nearly a month of searching. Now, while the case remains open, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has no new searches planned for the[Read More…]
Metro adds 52 acres to Killin Wetlands area between Banks and Gales Creek
The Metro-owned property between Banks and Gales Creek betwixt Highway 6 and Cedar Canyon Road grew by 52 acres, Metro said in a press release, adding to the natural area connected to a public park opened there in 2018. More than one square mile—or 640 acres—of peat soil wetlands is[Read More…]
Washington County Farm Bureau seeks high school, college applicants for 2022 scholarships
A field is irrigated in the Gales Creek Valley near Roderick Road on May 15, 2021. Photo: Chas Hundley Local students in high school and college who are pursuing an education in the fields of agriculture, education, nursing or vocational training are once again eligible for scholarships offered by the[Read More…]
Man ‘missing and endangered’ after empty car found near Coast Range summit
A social media graphic courtesy WCSOFile photo: Storey Burn Road and Highway 6, by Chas Hundley, taken January 27, 2022 The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is seeking public assistance from anyone who may have seen a man considered “missing and endangered,” after his vehicle was found empty near Highway 6[Read More…]
Citing staffing issues, the Tillamook Forest Center will remain ‘closed until further notice’
The Tillamook Forest Center. Photo: Chas Hundley The Tillamook Forest Center will not open the first weekend in March this year, extending a closure that first began due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 15, 2020. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) said in an emailed update that staffing issues—[Read More…]
County to host series of informational meetings on shelter projects
The Washington County seal and logo Washington County’s Department of Housing Services is hosting a series of virtual meetings in March to share information and seek input from the public to learn about the department’s plans to build new year-round shelters for people experiencing homelessness. In a press release, the[Read More…]
FGSD admins ‘optimistic’ changes coming to masking after March 31
Left to right: Melody Haveluck, a board member of Friends of Historic Forest Grove, David Parker, FGSD superintendent, Kate Grandusky, Forest Grove School Board member and Gales Creek resident, Joyce Sauber, Gales Creek resident, FHFG member, and local historian prepare to lay a plaque on the historic Jennie Ranes building[Read More…]