CGEC Hires New Executive Director

We're excited the announce the addition of Nick Kraemer to the Columbia Gorge Earth Center. Since the departure of David Skakel we've had our eye out for someone to fill some pretty big shoes.

Meet Nick Kraemer:

Lured by the mountains, ocean, and plethora of outdoor activity Nick moved out to the Gorge from rural Minnesota in 2004.  Prior to the move, Nick earned a BA in Economics from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and spent some time in the world of finance.   Looking for a change, Nick headed west and quickly settled in as an Americorps Member in Cascade Locks with the Resource for Rural Environments (RARE) Program.  After a fantastic year of exploring the area, Nick decided to pursue his Masters in Community and Regional Planning at the University of Oregon.  As a Graduate Research Fellow, Nick completed a variety of studies from parks planning to natural hazards mitigation.  Summer break allowed some time in the Gorge and a thru-hike of the Oregon Section of the Pacific Crest Trail.  Upon completion of his graduate degree, Nick high-tailed it back up to the Gorge, immediately began volunteering with local organizations like the Earth Center, and eventually came on as the Executive Director in the Spring of 2010.

Nick looks forward to building on the past successes of the Earth Center to improve the sustainability of the organization as well as the Gorge Community.  He sees this position as a great opportunity to connect community members with the resources of the Earth Center and further the mission of the organization.

Local Happenings

Commercial Composting on Its Way in the Gorge.

A small start up - based in The Dalles, OR - is busy setting the foundation for a commerical scale composting facility. If the model is successful is could become the blueprint for rural commercial scale composting nationwide. Check out Dirthugger here.

Cascade Locks/Nestle in National News.

Nestle has proposed to build a water bottling plant in Cascade Locks, OR. Some folks are excited about the economic benefit it could bring to the town. But lots of other people are worried about what that means for the environment around town and are taking a hard look at Nestle's track record in small towns. Read the article in the Wall Street Journal.

OPB in The Dalles Talking Wind.

Oregon Public Radio visited The Dalles to host a forum. At issue was the very contentious subject of wind farms near the Gorge. Listen to the podcast.

Need a Ride?

Why not carpool? Check out http://outdoorrideshare.com.

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