By SUE RYAN
News staff writer
April 11, 2007

A sign taped on the windshield of a car for sale in Murray’s Furniture parking lot last week described the situation well: Gas prices going up.

While it’s unknown whether or not this car’s owner is selling their vehicle to cope, they were using the car’s 30 miles per gallon rating as an incentive to buyers.

The price of gas has climbed in Hood River County during the past few weeks. As of Monday, prices ranged from $2.89 to $3.12 per gallon for regular unleaded.

“It hasn’t hampered us a lot because we are stay-at-home people,” said Carolyn Peyton, of Odell.

She said because she and her husband are retired, the higher cost of gas doesn’t impact them as much. But she knows friends whom are younger that have to balance their need to have gas to go to work with other costs in their household such as food.

According to AAA Fuel Finder, prices in Hood River a month ago were at a $2.76 per gallon average and at $2.68 a year ago. While the increase can sock someone in the pocket just for local travel, it’s even greater for those whom commute to the metropolitan Portland area each day.

“It’s gone up so much I’ve lost track … it’s like 50 cents more a gallon, bam,” said Bobby Walker of Cascade Locks. “Luckily I’m driving a small car that belongs to my son that gets good gas mileage.”

He drives to Milwaukie each day for his job with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“But I work with folks who drive twice that far,” he said. “People who are making $12 an hour and it’s costing them $14, $15 to drive to work. I don’t know how they are managing.”

One way consumers can manage the increase is to carpool, combine trips and errands, or use alternate forms of transportation such as walking or riding a bike.