HOOD RIVER — Ecology and land use were recurrent topics in the September Hood River Board of Commissioners meeting. The problems and dangers of the Powerdale Corridor and the powerhouse — now disused, in disrepair with high maintenance costs — must be solved.

CASCADE LOCKS — Turn back the clock at the Gorge Pavilion on Oct. 18 for a radiant night of rhythm and dance. The Jazz Collective Big Band will present “Saturday Night Fever,” featuring an 18-piece ensemble, transporting audiences to an era where infectious grooves and sophisticated arrangements made every Saturday night a celebration.

BINGEN — There’s a dark presence lurking in Bingen. A woman, dressed in black, quietly haunts the streets, prodding people towards the stage. Her play, “The Woman in Black,” which debuted at The Bingen Theater on Oct. 3, dares audiences to step outside their theatrical comfort zone and confront her once and for all.

THE DALLES — Calling all ghouls, goblins and witches — it’s a monster mash in the Gorge. Proudly presented by The Dalles Overground (TDO), a month-long horror movie marathon will terrify the Grenada Theater this October, celebrating Halloween and all things spooky.

HOOD RIVER — In the Columbia River Gorge, beer flows as mightily as the waters that carve it. Craft breweries define a thriving tourist economy built on leisure, recreation and community, with nearby beer havens Portland, Seattle and Bend keeping the hops growing and the alcohol pouring. You might think the industry is thriving, even expanding, as brewmasters continue to innovate with flavor and fun.

GOLDENDALE — Film screenings seldom make their way out to Goldendale — a quaint, rural community with strong agricultural roots and a staunch conservative lean. With Mount Adams towering in the distance, its wide-open country roads cultivate a culture similar to the “Wild Wild West,” where principles of big-city living feel extraterrestrial.