MCEDD Recent News Items

Les Dalles Boutique Offers Specialized Mastectomy Supplies and Fittings

September 12, 2022 – Les Dalles Boutique is a women’s intimate apparel shop located at 500 Washington Street in The Dalles. The retail business offers women’s undergarments, pajamas and swimsuits. Les Dalles Boutique occupies a unique, specialized niche not only for The Dalles but for the whole Mid-Columbia region. The shop offers mastectomy supplies, and owner Nicole Cowart is a Certified Fitter mastectomy (CFm).  With this licensing the shop offers personalized fitting services with specialized mastectomy bras.  Nicole is currently in the process of becoming a certified Medicare service provider so that the business can bill Medicare directly for mastectomy supplies. Once established as a Medicare provider, Nicole plans to expand medical consulting services to include helping clients navigate through the insurance requirements for durable medical equipment, advanced directives, and insurance forms. The retail shop’s business plan also calls for growth into unique gift products such as chemical-free deodorants and soaps, handmade candles, jewelry, specialty makeup bags with the Les Dalles Boutique logo, and printed t-shirts. Les Dalles Boutique also offers Avon products. OIB funding will expand the current space to include private fitting rooms and a consult space in addition to the current retail shop space. The loan assistance will also provide working capital for the business and will fund the development of Les Dalles Boutique Brand Products such as make-up bags, candles, jewelry and the Les Dalles Bra line as outlined in the company’s five-year plan.   [Continue Reading]

Two Hood River County Energy Council Initiatives Move Forward this Fall

August 27, 2022 – MCEDD has been working with the Hood River Energy Council to fulfill the mandates of its newly adopted Hood River County Energy Plan. There are two initiatives that are ready to launch to the public this September! Solarize Hood River Campaign MCEDD and the Hood River County Energy Council are working with a coalition of nonprofits to provide home and business owners in Hood River County with an opportunity to go solar together! During this eight-week campaign, our community can learn about solar energy and energy storage through a series of five educational workshops. Interested residents can sign up to install solar or solar+storage at their home from a list of highly qualified solar contractors. Find workshop dates and more information here. Creating Equitable Access to Weatherization MCEDD, the Hood River County Energy Council, Energy Trust of Oregon, and The Next Door, Inc. have launched a survey that seeks to learn more about energy efficiency and renewable energy perceptions, needs, and barriers among low-moderate income and Latino/a/Hispanic communities in Hood River County.  Ultimately, this outreach project aims to improve access to existing resources and to identify additional ways to help all Hood River County residents access renewable energy and improve energy efficiency to save on energy bills and improve home comfort. The open survey period for Hood River County residents runs from September 12th through October 3rd! Links to the online community survey: Home Energy, Comfort, and Assistance Survey – English Encuesta sobre Energía, Confort y Asistencia para el Hogar – Espanol There will also be two $50 Safeway Gift Cards raffled out among participants who complete this survey!   If you have any questions or want more information, please reach out to us using the contact information below. If you would prefer to receive a print copy of the survey, please email us below. Eve Elderwell (she/ella), Program Manager (bilingual)   Equity and Outreach Training Services   The Next Door, Inc.   eve@nextdoorinc.org; (808) 769-8061  Lindsay McClure, Project Manager  Mid-Columbia Economic Development District   Lindsay@mcedd.org; (541) 490-4225   About the Hood River County Energy Council: The Energy Council is a community-led advisory body that supports the implementation of the Hood River County Energy Plan.  This plan aims to help residents save money on energy bills and improve home health and comfort. The Energy Plan promotes energy efficiency, solar energy, and backup storage systems, among other solutions.    [Continue Reading]

Gorge Wine Library Expands as 3-Year Anniversary Approaches

August 25, 2022 – The Gorge Wine Library will host it’s 3-year anniversary celebration on September 10th from 6-9 pm with live music and lite bites! The Gorge Wine Library opened at 306 Court Street in The Dalles in October 2019, with a mission to offer an enhanced and unique wine tasting experience with a variety of local wines and beers made in the Columbia Gorge Region.  The small 700 square foot space on Court Street allowed seating for six to eight patrons at one time.  In 2021, owners Lorraine and William Kupchin personally financed a move from the Gorge Wine Library’s original location to a much larger space at 506 East 2nd Street.  The new location’s seating capacity will hold 48 to 50 patrons. Showcasing wines from the Columbia Gorge region by offering wines from over ten local wineries, the Gorge Wine Library carries three to six varieties from each of the ten wineries represented. Options for pairing wine with local produce, cheese and meat are available to enhance the wine tasting experience. In addition to the wines, a small selection of five local beers is also offered. For complete information, hours, wine list, wine club, location, see the company’s website at https://www.gorgewinelibrary.com. The Kupchins have requested financing assistance from MCEDD to fund an expansion into the previously unused back space of the Gorge Wine Library’s East 2nd Street location.   With this expansion, the business will create jobs, increase downtown appeal and improve our local economy.   Plans for the additional 2,750 square feet include a private event space, a scotch and whisky bar, additional seating and two billiard tables.  Both karaoke and open mic nights are also planned for the new space.  The Kupchins are active in The Dalles downtown community and this space also hosts Chamber events, yoga classes and community meetings. Upcoming events can be found on the business’ Facebook page.            [Continue Reading]

MCEDD Wins Regional Innovation Hub Planning Grant

July 25, 2022 – The State of Oregon is in the process of implementing it’s 10-Year Innovation Plan.  The anticipated goals of the successful implementation of the State’s 10-year Innovation Plan include:   Good, high-paying jobs Improved quality of life Global competitiveness Economic Resilience Educational attainment Access and opportunity The Plan aims to orient the economy around better paying jobs with higher growth potential, help the state weather future economic challenges, and encourage participation among populations presently underserved in the innovation economy. As a component of this plan, Business Oregon has awarded 11 Regional Innovation Hub designations. Hubs will facilitate networking, serving to connect a network of service providers and their collaborators throughout the designated region in order to assist Oregon’s innovation-based companies in achieving growth. Hubs will partner and collaborate with a variety of innovation-related stakeholders in the region, especially including underserved entrepreneurs in their partnerships. MCEDD is excited and pleased to use this award to help address innovation-based entrepreneurial needs throughout the Mid-Columbia Region. The state funding will be used to encourage collaboration and community partnerships, create and expand existing innovation-based entrepreneurial services, and keep the Gorge moving forward toward a larger vision for our innovation ecosystem.   [Continue Reading]

Maupin’s Outdoor Store Opens in Summer 2022

July 21, 2022 – Maupin Outdoor Store, LLC brings the gear, equipment, and apparel that locals and visitors need to participate in the summer’s outdoor activities.  The second floor will be the studio of Living River Jewelry, where owner Holly Henderson will hand-craft sterling silver jewelry and offer silver-smithing classes.  This hybrid business will be the only one of its kind in the city of Maupin and will be a wonderful addition to its outdoor recreation economy. The Outdoor Store will offer: a diverse inventory of equipment, gear, tools, and apparel for those visiting to fish, raft, bike and camp. Online sales with options for local pickup or world-wide shipping. Extended hours and pick-up lockers for late arrivals.   Living River Jewelry will offer: Handmade silver, gold, and bronze jewelry with an outdoor theme. Occasional silversmithing workshops to bolster local art scene.   The business concept for the store has grown naturally out of Holly’s passion for customer service and her genuine love for helping people, traits that have been developed for over 20 years with Holly’s experience in retail and in jewelry manufacturing. MCEDD financing has assisted Henderson to realize her goals by funding the purchase of inventory, wages during the early months of the business, and working capital for the business.   [Continue Reading]

Economic Development in Maupin

June 30, 2022 – The City of Maupin is growing! The 2020 census counted 508 residents and growth has continued steadily, with the city expecting more new construction and housing development within the next decade, corresponding to an expected population growth of 30 to 120 people. Currently there are over 60 development-ready lots available within the city limits.  In early June, the Wasco County Economic Development Commission informally met with the City of Maupin and the North Central Regional Solutions team to tour some of the major economic development projects in the community. MaupinWorks, a co-working space that is currently under construction.  The group visited to learn more about the community partnerships around entrepreneurship support growing in Maupin. The Deschutes Rim Athletic Complex‘s new regulation track. The group toured the recently completed track.  Additional amenities are scheduled to be built this summer to support diverse events that will bring additional visitors to town.  Fundraising continues to bring this community-inspired project to completion.  The new Deschutes Rim Health Clinic building.  The tour concluded with a site visit to the new facility that is set to open later this summer. The new building will expand local healthcare capacity in the community significantly. MaupinWorks Deschutes Athletic Complex Deschutes Rim Health Center               For more information on Maupin- the community and current development projects, visit here.   [Continue Reading]

Hood River Valley Adult Center Receives Grant Funding for Kitchen Remodel

June 30, 2022 – Congratulations to Hood River County on their successful application to the Oregon Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program!  In June, the County was awarded $987,299 to fund kitchen renovations at the Hood River Valley Adult Center. The Adult Center’s Meals on Wheels program is the primary source of nutritious, daily meals for low-income seniors and homebound adults in Hood River County. The Center has been preparing meals for seniors for 30 years, both in-house and through Meals on Wheels deliveries. The Adult Center’s kitchen has reached the critical point where their kitchen must be updated: the equipment is old, the layout is inefficient, and the physical space itself is starting to fail. With production more than doubled during the pandemic, the kitchen has been pushed past its useful working capacity.  An updated, more efficient kitchen will help reduce food insecurity for hundreds of seniors and homebound community members every year. The County has worked with the Adult Center, Paul Lindberg of Hat Creek Consulting  and MCEDD staff to submit a complete grant application to the CDBG program. Dollars contributed towards the Center’s fundraising campaign to support renovation costs are matched by the CDBG grant funding that has been awarded to the County for this project.  The project is expected to start immediately, with initial focus on meeting funding requirements before moving into renovations. Hood River County will be utilizing MCEDD’s grant management services throughout the project to ensure that the funding requirements are met.   [Continue Reading]

Regional Broadband Speed Survey Begins in the Mid-Columbia Region

June 27, 2022 – Accessible, affordable, and reliable internet is an essential piece of infrastructure for residents, communities, and businesses.  To fulfill this goal, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) has been working closely with the Wasco County Broadband Action Team to develop the Mid-Columbia Broadband Speed Survey. The Survey is now open and available for public participation for residents and businesses in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties in Oregon and Klickitat and Skamania Counties in Washington. Take the Survey Here Responses to our local regional survey and taking the Washington State Broadband Office Annual Speed Test or Faster Internet Oregon speed test shows what broadband service is available at your home or business. This information will help partners clearly identify gaps in high speed internet services, ensure funding decisions can be made based on accurate service information, and learn more about how our communities and businesses are using broadband today. “Ensuring we have accurate information on who has true broadband internet access today will better enable our local partners to access the significant state and federal funding becoming available over the next several years to help close the broadband gaps in our region,” says MCEDD Deputy Director of Economic Development Carrie Pipinich. Local and regional partners are coming together through broadband action teams made up of community organizations, local governments, elected officials, and internet service providers to better define gaps in broadband service and explore strategies to improve those services. “Much like rural electrification in the 1930s, we are today beginning a ‘rural broadbandification’ in the United States,” said Lee Weinstein, president of Q-Life. “We ask for everyone’s help in completing this easy speed test. We need to understand more about the service challenges in the five-county area so the Columbia Gorge area can be ready to pursue state and federal grant monies that are coming available. Please help us and complete the survey!” Currently, the Federal Communications Commission defines broadband internet as a minimum of 25Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. However, the State of Washington has defined a goal of 150Mbps download and upload speeds available to all residents and businesses by 2028. Because of the significant impacts that quality, affordable broadband can have on access to education, health care, and the local economy, Q-Life Network (which serves The Dalles and Wasco County) has defined a similar goal for services in Wasco County in its most recent strategic plan. Please take the survey here: https://bit.ly/Speed-Survey If you have any questions regarding the Broadband Speed Survey, please contact Natasha Blaircobb at Natasha@mcedd.org.   [Continue Reading]

Broadband Speed Survey Open Now!

June 22, 2022 – Accessible, affordable, and reliable internet is an essential piece of infrastructure for our communities. Mid-Columbia Economic Development District is working with broadband partners to support the needs of businesses, residents, and communities in the bi-state region through the creation of a Broadband Speed Survey. Your response to this survey will provide information on the internet service needs in the region and help us: clearly identify gaps in high-speed Internet service ensure that funding decisions are based on accurate service information learn about how we are using broadband today Please complete the broadband survey at: https://bit.ly/Speed-Survey Questions? Please contact Natasha Blaircobb at Natasha@mcedd.org or 541-296-2266.   [Continue Reading]

The Link Adds New Services for the Summer!

June 7, 2022 –   The Link is expanding it’s services this summer to support family summer activities!   See the map and the schedule on the Link’s page here.       [Continue Reading]