The Mountain Times April 2025

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MT. HOOD TO HOST UPHILL SKIING TOURNAMENT ON APRIL 1ST

By Billy Chill For The Mountain Times

In a bold move that’s turning heads and skis in the wrong direction, Oregon ski resorts have announced the launch of the state’s newest skiing discipline and the first official Uphill Skiing Tournament. Effective immediately, all resorts will host some slopes that are exclusive to the uphill discipline — no chairlifts, no excuses.

“Frankly, we’re tired of gravity doing all the work,” said resort spokesperson Sierra Glidewell. “We’ve mastered downhill and cross country (you know, walking in the snow), so it’s about time skiers put in some actual effort. Plus, the leg cramps are character-building.” Like an even more awkward cousin of crosscountry skiing, uphill skiing will truly put skiers’ bodies to the test.

Event competitors will be graded on speed, style, and stamina as they awkwardly shuffle their way uphill, with bonus points awarded for managing to look cool while sweating profusely in ski boots. Participants are encouraged to “French fry” their way up steep inclines or “pizza” their way through icy patches, though resort officials have cautioned against trying to moonwalk with skis on.

The new tournament and style of skiing is already dividing the community. Veteran snowboarder “Shred” Carver called the event “totally bogus” and accused resorts of “disrespecting the

sacred art of shredding powder.” Meanwhile, fitness enthusiasts have embraced the challenge, with local ultramarathoner Paige Peak claiming the competition is “the perfect way to combine the thrill of winter sports with the misery of

stair climbing.”

Resort staff have been quick to assure skeptics that uphill skiing is a legitimate discipline with a rich history dating back two weeks ago when it was invented as a joke. However, officials are doubling

down on the idea, promising future expansions like reverse sledding, uphill snowboarding, and extreme snow shoveling (using tiny plastic beach shovels).

Ski patrols are already being trained to assist participants who become stuck halfway up the mountain, as well as those who simply give up and build snow forts out of frustration. Emergency fondue stations will be placed along key routes to provide moral support and melted cheese or chocolate.

Despite the naysayers, some locals are already getting creative. “I’ve been training with ankle weights and uphill rollerblades,” said aspiring champion Lars Snowton. “I’m ready to be the Usain Bolt of skiing ... but in reverse.”

And you may ask, what is the grand prize of the Uphill Skiing Tournament? A year’s supply of energy bars and a golden ski pole trophy, which winners will be expected to carry uphill as an additional handicap for future events. While skeptics predict the event will be a short-lived flop, others see it as a symbol of Oregon’s quirky outdoor spirit. “If we can make hiking in the rain fashionable, we can definitely make uphill skiing the next big thing,” said Glidewell. Registration opens this week, though resort officials warn that slots are filling up fast, mostly due to confused tourists who thought they were signing up for a spa package. Ready, set... shuffle!

Mr. and Mrs. Sasquatch Celebrate 314th Anniversary

By Billy Chill For The Mountain Times

In a world where happy marriages are almost as rare as bigfoot, Mr. and Mrs. Sasquatch are setting the gold standard for commitment, celebrating their 314th wedding anniversary on April 1st. The couple, who have lived in seclusion on Mt. Hood since before Oregon was a state, territory, or or even a concept, attribute their longevity to a steady diet of foraged mushrooms, river-caught salmon, and an unwavering refusal to ‘get with the

times…’ except when it comes to The Mountain Times Newspaper, which is their favorite source of local news and information.

“Marriage is all about compromise,” Mr. Sasquatch grunted during a rare interview. “For instance, I like to patrol the forest at night, letting out terrifying howls, while she prefers to stay home and weave intricate nests out of tree branches. We’ve learned to respect each other’s passions.”

The couple met in the early 1700s when Mrs. Sasquatch, a young bache-

lorette at the time, left her family den in search of a partner. “I saw him lurking awkwardly behind a cedar tree, and I knew he was the one,” she reminisced. “It was the way he avoided eye contact and shuffled away when I approached. Just so mysterious.”

Over the centuries, they have faced many challenges, including the arrival of Lewis and Clark, an increase in campers and hikers, and the invention of high-tech cameras. Still, their

See SQUATCH LOVE Page29

Alder Creek, Brightwood, Cherryville, Firwood, Government Camp, Marmot, Mountain Air Park, Rhododendron, Sandy, Welches, Wemme, Wildwood and Zigzag

New Law Requires Formal Wear for Climbers on The Mountain

By Axel Wolfe, Climber

The Mountain Times

In a groundbreaking decision to increase the dignity of Oregon’s tallest peak, state officials announced that all climbers attempting to summit Mt. Hood must now wear formal

attire. The regulation, set to take effect April 1, mandates that climbers wear “snazzy” clothes such as tuxedos, evening gowns, or other black-tie outfits before setting foot on the mountain.

“We’ve seen way

too many people treating Mt. Hood like some sort of glorified backyard hill,” said Oregon Outdoor Decorum Secretary Snooty McGee, adjusting his pocket square. “Adventure sandals, cargo shorts, and hoodies?

Simply unacceptable. This is a majestic peak, not a backyard barbecue.”

According to the new regulation, tuxedo jackets must remain buttoned at all times above the 8,000-foot mark, and climbers opting for gowns must ensure their hems do not drag in the mud or snow. Bow ties are highly encouraged but may be replaced with ascots in extreme weather conditions. A separate clause allows for top hats and monocles, although eye wear is considered a safety hazard when rappelling.

“It’s about respect,” said McGee. “You wouldn’t show up to a wedding in yoga pants, would you? Then why are we allowing people to summit this state treasure in synthetic hiking gear?”

Local outfitters are scrambling to meet the demand for high-al -

titude formalwear, with businesses offering “tux-shell hybrids” and Gore-Tex-lined ball gowns. Some climbers, however, remain skeptical.

“This has to be a joke,” said veteran climber Brawn Bronson, standing outside his cabin in his usual cargo pants and hoodie. “I mean, I get that the mountain is special, but do we really think a bow tie is going to make the experience any more refined? Puh-lease.”

Still, officials remain firm in their stance. Enforcement will be strict, with rangers stationed at key trailheads to inspect clothing. Violators will be turned away, or worse, issued a citation requiring them to attend a formal dining etiquette course.

Not everyone is upset, however. “I love it,” said local climber and self-proclaimed

Zigzag River Calls It Quits and Goes Straight

By Dr. Wade Waters For The Mountain Times

In a shocking development for geography and common sense, the Zigzag River, long celebrated for its delightful meandering course, now flows in a perfectly straight line. Scientists, hikers, and extremely

lost kayakers are still reeling from the change, which scientists have termed an “unexpected geologic adjustment.”

“We’re not entirely sure how this happened,” admitted U.S. Forest Service ranger Gail Erosion, scratching her head

while staring at the now eerily linear river. “Rivers just don’t do this. This is like finding a round triangle or a mountain with WiFi.”

According to reports, the shift occurred overnight, with locals waking up to find that the river had abandoned its historic winding path in favor of a direct, no-nonsense approach to the Pacific Ocean. The once quaint bends and curves — beloved by fishermen, trout and photographers alike — are gone, replaced by a hydrologic laser beam of efficiency.

Early theories on the cause range from tectonic shifts to a beaver engineering miscalculation. However, some locals suspect more unconventional explanations. “It was aliens,” said lifelong Zigzag resident Laura

Stream. “They got tired of taking the long way around when collecting water samples. Mark my words, they’ll be back to put it in a pipeline next.”

Despite the confusion, some are already looking for ways to adapt. The local rafting community is petitioning for an official name change to “The Dragstrip River” and is exploring the possibility of installing a waterpark-like jump at the end to make up for the lost excitement. Meanwhile, the state transportation department is considering repurposing the river for a future high-speed commuter canoe service.

However, not everyone is pleased. Conservationists warn that the sudden straightening could have unforeseen ecological consequences,

“fashionista” Felicity Fancypants, already practicing her ice axe technique in a sequined evening gown. “Finally, we’re bringing a touch of class to the mountain. Plus, crampons really make a statement when paired with a little black dress.” With climbing season fast approaching, the outdoor community is bracing for the change, and some hope the new regulation will inspire similar legislation for other popular outdoor destinations. Rumors are already swirling about a proposed rule requiring bowler hats at Crater Lake and diamond rings or necklaces for all Columbia River Gorge hikers. Until then, climbers headed up Mt. Hood should take note: When in doubt, pinky out. And dress as if they’re attending a gala – at 11,245 feet.

such as disoriented fish, confused ducks, and the complete erasure of the sport of “competitive riverbank picnicking.”

“The river had character,” lamented nature photographer Delta Brookson. “Now it just looks like it got a bad haircut. It’s tragic.”

In response to the public outcry, officials and scientists have assured the community that they are investi -

gating the incident. However, sources inside the government have hinted that the simplest solution may be to just rename it the Straight River and move on. Whether the river’s abrupt personality shift is permanent remains to be seen. Until then, visitors to Mt. Hood should prepare for an entirely new kind of scenic viewpoint: one that flows at exactly 180 degrees.

By Marie Kennedy

The Mountain Times

Residents of Mount Hood communities will have key decisions to make in the upcoming Clackamas County Special District Election on May 20, 2025. The ballot includes two bond measures, board positions for the Hoodland Fire District and Oregon Trail School District, as well as seats on the Government Camp Sanitary and Road Districts.

HOODLAND FIRE DISTRICT:

NEW FIRE STATION BOND & BOARD ELECTIONS

A proposed 25-year bond seeks to raise $19.145 million to fund the design and construction of a new Main Fire Station 351. Clackamas County has donated land for the project, and additional grants and donations are being pursued to reduce costs. The U.S. Forest Service has committed $5.6 million for dedicated space within the new station. Existing taxes will continue to support operations and staffing throughout the process. For more details, visit HoodlandFire.gov.

Additionally, four seats are open on the Hoodland Fire District Board, with the following candidates:

• Terry Niedermeyer – Position 2 (2-Year Unexpired Term)

Kirk Peterson – Position 3 (4-Year Term)

Nora Gambee – Position 4 (4-Year Term)

• Cliff Fortune – Position 5 (4-Year Term)

MOUNT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

$136M BOND MEASURE

• A $136-million general obligation bond is on the ballot to support:

• Critical campus repairs

Expansion of career education facilities

• Campus safety and security upgrades

Welches 5th Graders Headed to Battle of the Books State Championship

By Marie Kennedy The Mountain Times

A team of four fifth grade students at Welches Middle School have taken first place in the Clackamas County Regional Division of the Oregon Battle of the Books, or O.B.O.B. They call themselves the Welches Reading Rizzlers. They’ve worked hard for this honor, and now they’re headed for the state championship.

The annual literary competition, open to students from grades three through twelve, challenges partic -

ipants to read a selection of books and compete in quiz-style battles that test their comprehension and recall. There were three teams from Welches participating this year in the regional competition.

The 2025 booklists, divided by grade level, feature a mix of contemporary and classic literature, ensuring a wide range of themes and perspectives. The selections often include award-winning titles that broaden students’ understanding of different cultures, historical events,

and social issues.

The Rizzlers are competing in the third through fifth grade grouping, and competing against 31 other schools. The team members are Maizie Horner, Autumn Hanifin, Erin MacInnis and Andi Sheehan, and they are four very bright young ladies. Last year they placed second in regionals; this year they took first. They’ll be going to the state competition on April 12 at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

“We got the book list almost a year ago,” says Allison Horner, Maizie’s mother, and the team coach, “and my daughter has read most of the 16 books three times.”

The four team members are close friends, and they all love to read, but the key thing is retaining the details within the books. Allison continued, “We learned last year, quickly, that they’re not just asking basic questions in the competition. They may ask for the tiniest details, that are only mentioned once in the book.

Lloyd Musser Writes His Final Mountain Times Story

By Katie Musser Joy For The Mountain Times

My Father, Lloyd Alrick Musser, passed away on March 1, 2025, but his passion for telling the story of Mt. Hood, its people and history, lives on every corner of this mountain. It’s hard to keep my words to a minimum when speaking about the greatest Father, and the greatest man, I have ever known.

He was endlessly kind, steadfastly trustworthy, and a man whose word you could take to the bank. He loved his family and friends with quiet strength and unwavering devotion. I could write a book about each decade of his life and still have stories left to tell.

Most people knew my dad as the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum curator, where he volunteered tirelessly for over 25 years. He was the man who could tell you the story behind every photo on the wall, every artifact on display, and every person who made Mt. Hood what it is today. But I want to share about the whole man, not just the curator, because my Dad’s life was much more than what people saw at the museum.

Born on September

“The Most Read Paper on the Mountain”

HOOD

Alder Creek, Brightwood, Cherryville, Firwood, Government Camp, Marmot, Mountain Air Park, Rhododendron, Sandy, Welches, Wemme, Wildwood and Zigzag

contestants The Welches Rizzlers: Maizie, Andi, Autumn and Erin.

IN THE ARRAH WANNA RENDEZVOUS CENTER

67149 East HWY 26 at Arrah Wanna Blvd

503.622.6837 | thevousgrill.com

Mountain Profile Mountain Profile

Kate Wille

PLACE OF BIRTH? Camas, Washington. HOW LONG ON THE MOUNTAIN? 8 years.

IF YOU WERE NOT BROUGHT HERE AS A CHILD, WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE MOUNTAIN? I dreamed of living in the woods and enjoying a slower pace. Stumbled upon a property on the Sandy River and fell in love!

PROFESSION? REALTOR, Porch Light Realty Group.

FAVORITE MOVIES? Labyrinth and Goonies.

FAVORITE ACTRESS/ACTOR? Emma Stone and Bradley Cooper.

FAVORITE TV SHOWS? Hart of Dixie.

FAVORITE BOOK? The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart.

FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC?I Anything that gets me dancing, usually folk/country or rock!

FAVORITE FOOD? A good ribeye steak with red wine.

FAVORITE HOBBIES? I love genealogy and currently have over 34,000 ancestors in my family tree.

IF OFFERED A DREAM VACATION, WHERE WOULD YOU GO, AND WHY? I have always wanted to go to Greece (ever since reading The Moon-Spinners book as a kiddo.) It looks gorgeous!

BEST LESSON LEARNED AS A CHILD? How much kindness and generosity can enrich one’s life.

DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE OR YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? After years of trying to get pregnant, finally getting to be a mom to my two sweet daughters.

A MEMORABLE DINNER? When my mom would go out of town my dad would take us (and all the neighborhood kids) to Brad’s Buffet. It was 10 cents for each “year old” for kids under 12, so quite the deal! The older neighborhood boys loved mixing all the soft drinks together and my dad loved their chocolate dessert so it was always a treat to go.

A FUNNY MOMENT FROM YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN SHARE? I was in a movie theater as a teen and thought a spider was crawling up my leg and I jumped up shaking my leg and practically pulling down my pants to get it off and it turns out it was just the drawstring of my pants.

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANYONE (PAST OR PRESENT) TO DINNER, WHO WOULD IT BE, AND WHY? My childhood neighbor Winnie who was like a Grandma to me – I would love to have a conversation with her and know her as an adult. And tell her thanks!

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN ONE WORD? Passionate.

WHEN YOU’RE NOT READING THE MOUNTAIN TIMES, WHAT BOOK/AUTHOR/ MAGAZINE/OTHER DO YOU READ? Currently reading a lot of thrillers, a handful by Freida McFadden.

IF YOUR LIFE WERE MADE INTO A PLAY OR MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE TITLE BE? “I Choose Awesome”.

PET PEEVE? People who don’t merge or zipper in traffic correctly.

BAD HABIT YOU’D LIKE TO BREAK? Leaving glassware/coffee cups around the house. FAMOUS PERSON(S) YOU HAVE MET, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES? Jake Smith, Lead Singer of the White Buffalo, was sitting next to me at Toro Bravo sipping a rosé. I was headed to his show next door that evening!

FAVORITE QUOTE? “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson I bet that is too long, so if I had to shorten it I would choose this line: “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

FAVORITE PART OF THE MOUNTAIN TIMES? The Mountain Profile.

Community History

Sandy High’s Charlie Bloomer Named Oregon High School Journalist of the Year

By Joe O’Leary

For The Mountain Times

Throughout the early stages of this year, Sandy High School senior Charlie Bloomer took keen note of a man she saw walking up and down Proctor Boulevard on a daily basis. The man was Dan Wangerin, a Sandy local who’s fairly well-known around the area for walking about sporting knives lining his belt and a (comically) large top hat.

It seems for Bloomer, a co-editor-in-chief of The Pioneer Press, SHS’ school newspaper, curiosity about characters like this don’t simply occupy space in her mind. Despite immense pleading from her advisor, J.D. McIntire, to avoid the man in case of potential dangers that might come from a teenage girl approaching an adult man with knives to request an interview, Bloomer saw Wangerin as a story that simply needed to be told.

“I was just really curious to know Dan’s story. That intrinsic motivation pushed me to write it, and he’s like a local legend,” Bloomer said. This eye for the interesting combined with immense determination is the special equation that won Bloomer Oregon High School State Journalist of the Year, an immensely competitive and highly decorated achievement.

“I started [in journalism] because I really wanted a creative outlet. My freshman year I took digital media and I got really into that. I originally wanted to be a cinematographer, but then they closed the program. So I was talking with Vinny White (a student journalist who also worked on the school paper and graduated last year) and he was like, ‘Hey, you should join The Pioneer Press, it’s really fun,’” Bloomer said. As time progressed

and Bloomer eventually earned an editorial role on the staff in just her sophomore year, a deeper love for reporting began to grow within the student.

“Sophomore year I literally Googled ‘best writing programs in the country’ and I applied to one, not expecting to get in, but I did. It was the Asian American Journalist Association J-Camp and it was really cool. I was working with reporters from The Washington Post and Bloomberg and doing workshops on things like artificial intelligence, human rights violations and just all this really interesting stuff,” Bloomer said. She credits J-Camp as the singular moment when she realized that journalism was something she wanted to take seriously and do as a career. And as Bloomer matured through high school, her writing became more important and profound as well.

“Small press organizations and independent media are kind of dying out over the country, especially in Oregon. I think I’ve found that my role is to shed light on important things happening in [my community],” Bloomer explained. In a day and age where many high schoolers and even undergraduate college students are directly and indirectly told their potential impact on the world and their community is limited by their age, Bloomer hasn’t stopped from trying to push the things she sees as vitally important to as many eyes as possible – freelancing for The Oregonian, doing loads of volunteer work and looking for other publications that want to publish her work.

A major angle and

motivation of Bloomer’s journalistic efforts is her philanthropy. “I’ve been involved in community organizing around Sandy for some time. There’s this big caucus called the Rural Organizing Project they put on every year. I ended up going and met a reporter that used to work for ACT UP, which was a nonprofit in the eighties that was a queer rights organization that worked to raise AIDS awareness – but he was a journalist for like 20 years for CNN before getting involved with ACT UP.

I met and spoke with him and he was like, ‘Oh you should work for their communications team.’ So yeah, that’s how I started working with RP: writing emails for them and writing profiles on different groups,” Bloomer said.

With a clear goal to make the world a genuinely better place with her work and a work ethic that would shine alongside just about anyone, Bloomer certainly earned the state journalist of the year award and looks to have a very promising career in the field.

If you asked her to describe herself now, she’d likely give a pretty humble answer, depicting a fairly average high school student. There are very few individuals her age that have accomplished and contributed to their community as much as Bloomer has. Quite frankly, this makes Bloomer one of the most promising figures our little town has to offer.

During these “taxing” times, maintain a

Hoodland Firefighter Follows In Father’s Footsteps

Jefferson County Fire in Madras. He earned his fire science degree and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certification over the next two years at Central Oregon Community College.

acre wildfire. Remember, it’s up to first-responders to be the calm ones during an emergency.

Jonathan was part of a team responding to a mass casualty incident (MCI) call when he worked for Warm Springs Fire.

“MCIs are where you have multiple vehicle wrecks at the same time in the same area, where you have dozens of patients,” Jonathan said.

Jonathan went to work in 2022 for the Warm Springs Fire District before coming home to Hoodland to start his career as a full time firefighter and paramedic. Now 24, living with his family in Brightwood, it is special for him to serve in the community in where he was raised.

medical field but also one that kept him physically

Frank’s father, Kevin Frank, joined Hoodland Fire in 2012 and volunteered for the district for

“When he joined, I saw the things he did, the calls he went on, and how he was affecting the community in a positive way,” Jonathan said. “I decided to sign up for the program and try it out. I fell in love with it. I made it my life’s goal and passion to make myself be the best firefighter and provider I could be.”

Jonathan spent four years as a cadet in Hoodland, learning basic firefighting skills, before he moved on to a student program offered by

“I like being involved in the community, making an impact on the people we serve,” Jonathan said. “Especially now. I grew up in the area of Welches and Hoodland. It’s kind of full circle. I get to come back to the people who raised me and the people I grew up with and serve this community.

“It’s also very challenging,” Jonathan said. “It always keeps you on your toes. you never know what the next second is going to bring you. Every day is not the same. One second you can be doing paperwork, the next you can be on a wreck or fire helping someone.”

Jonathan has already faced challenging circumstances during his young career, including numerous residential and commercial structure fires as well as a 10,000-

Jonathan keeps an active lifestyle when he’s not at work. He enjoys weight training and powerlifting, hiking and fishing. He also likes to take his 1999 Jeep Wrangler off road on Mount Hood or in the Tillamook National Forest, According to the Hoodland Fire District website, the Fire Cadet Program is designed to introduce youth ages 12-18 to the world of fire and emergency services. Participants gain valuable exposure to career experiences, leadership development, and community service opportunities.

Through hands-on training in a structured learning environment, cadets learn basic firefighting and emergency response skills from experienced instructors.

Cadets meet 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday at Hoodland Fire District’s Main Station in Welches. It is free to participate in the program.

Food Focus

Experience Wraps with Attitude at Wraptitude

By Ty Walker

The

Ryan and Hidee Cummings will celebrate 15 years in business at Wraptitude in Welches on July 1. The restaurant is popular among locals and visitors who come for its gourmet wraps, burgers and local craft beers. Summertime on the mountain is a busy time for these local restaurateurs who met while living in Hawaii. When

they opened in 2010, Ryan thought winter would be busy with the skiing crowd, which it is, but discovered that summer is even busier with visitors from hot climates coming to the cooler climate and renting cabins on the mountain to escape the heat.

A Northwest native, Ryan moved to Kano, Hawaii, where he lived for 10 years. One of his favorite lunch spots was a place called Killer Tacos. He saw a booming business with a line going out the door.

“We used to eat there a lot,” Ryan said. “It was a good-sized meal. We’d go there after the gym and have a high protein meal, and I thought, man, I need to start a place like this. There’s a line out the door. Wow! look at this place. I was like, wraps with attitude or something. Wraptitude! and the name kind of stuck.”

For several years, they joked about starting a restaurant with that name in Oregon. A building became available on the mountain. “I took it and kind of ran with it,”

Ryan said.

“I wanted a place that had a little bit of a Hawaiian theme but embraced the mountain. So the cozy rustic space, which seats 49, is decorated with skiing photos, equipment and memorabilia, including a pair of skis from Winter X-Games gold medalist Tanner Hall.

“Hawaii impacted my life, the way I viewed life with the aloha spirit,” Ryan said. “I met my wife there.”

One of the most popular signature items on the Wraptitude menu is the burger wrap. Hidee calls it life-changing. The

burger wrap comes with bacon, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle and sauce all wrapped up inside.

It’s ideal for driving up the mountain. It doesn’t shoot to the side and make a mess in your car. You don’t have trouble eating it, so it’s popular to order to go.

Besos calientes also are popular. They’re jalapeno poppers stuffed with chipotle cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried until crispy.

Another marquee menu item is the rattlesnake burger, which gets its name from the jalapeno stem that sticks up and looks like a rattlesnake.

Wraptitude features live music on Monday nights year round and on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer. There are outdoor games such as horseshoes and cornhole.

“My favorite hot wrap is a burger wrap with fries inside,” Ryan said. “It is very unique. There have been a handful of reviews that said our french fries are the best in the known universe.”

Wraptitude is located at 67441 E Highway 26 in Welches. It shares a parking lot with Clackamas County Bank. For more information, call 503-622-0893.

Mountain Times

Hoodland Block Party Returns for a Third Year

By Justin Andress

The Mountain Times

On May 10 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., locals and visitors are invited to gather outside Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop for the third year of Hoodland Block Parties. This annual event brings the community together, allowing artisans, musicians, and small businesses to showcase their talents while attendees enjoy great food, music, and company.

More than 4 million people visit Mt. Hood each year to experience its stunning natural landscapes. From hiking and skiing to fishing and camping, the region is a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. While many locals also take part in these activities, those who choose to make Mt. Hood their home do so for more than just the outdoor adven-

tures. They stay for the strong sense of community and the unique culture of the mountain region.

The mountain is filled with open-hearted people who spend their time crafting, cooking, and building. The Hoodland Block Party is where all those industrious locals come together to sing, dance, and brag about what they’ve been working on. It’s more than just an event — it’s a reflection of what makes this community so special.

Hosted by the team at Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop, the Block Party has quickly grown into a beloved tradition, offering a space where locals can connect and support one another.

For Bri Dittlinger, one of the owners of Cooper’s Wine Bar & Shop, fostering a sense of community

to ceramics, candles, jewelry, and woodworking.

Even with a dedicated space for supporting local artists, the team at Cooper’s saw an opportunity to do more.They wanted to extend this spirit of collaboration beyond the walls of the shop, so they created the Hoodland Block Party.

is at the heart of everything she does. Cooper’s isn’t just a business for her — it’s a passion project. As she explained in a recent interview, “We wanted a place for the community, whether they drink or not. We wanted an opportunity for people to get out of their house and for all of our local artists to have a place to showcase their work and get people excited about what they do.”

Initially, this sense of community was cultivated within the walls of Cooper’s itself. Shortly after taking over the space, Dittlinger transformed an unused office into an intimate gallery called the “Artist’s Den.”

This small but vibrant space has become a rotating showcase for local artisans, featuring everything from photography and paintings

This May, the event will feature a live performance by the local band Well-Rounded Edges, providing the perfect backdrop for an afternoon of dancing, shopping, and socializing. Attendees will be able to browse a diverse selection of handmade goods from talented local vendors. Luna & Craft will sell their signature candles and fragrances alongside handcrafted jewelry. Wander Free & Queer will offer an array of crocheted goods and other unique merchandise, while Kiiroya Pottery will showcase a stunning collection of mugs, cups, plates, and bowls. And that’s just the beginning — the list of participating vendors continues to grow, promising an exciting variety of handmade goods and local treasures.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Hoodland Block Party is its accessibility. Vendors pay just $25 for a booth space, which often doesn’t fully cover the event’s licensing and operational costs. But for Dittlinger, making a profit isn’t the primary goal. Her priority is ensuring that

her friends and neighbors have a space to gather, celebrate, and support one another. In fact, Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop often steps in to cover any financial shortfalls to keep the event running smoothly.

“I think it’s cool to see everybody dancing in front of the live music and supporting all the local artists,” says Dittlinger.

The Hoodland Block Party is an inclusive event, welcoming both kids and pets. Whether you’re a longtime local or a newcomer looking to connect with the commu-

nity, the event offers a fun and inviting atmosphere where everyone can feel at home. And if you can’t make it in May, there will be two more chances to join in on the fun. This year’s second Block Party will take place on July 19, with the season’s final event scheduled for September 6. Each gathering promises the same lively atmosphere, fantastic local vendors, and opportunities to support the Mt. Hood community.

By Marie Kennedy

Mountain Times

The

Late on a recent wintry afternoon, I placed a panicked call to Klobas O’Neil Roofing. I had a leak in my laundry room, and there was a big snowstorm on the way. After a quick chat with owner and office manager Andrea O’Neil, I was assured that the crew would come over – at the end of their day, on a Friday – to put up a tarp. It was getting dark when they arrived. Owner

Sean O’Neil and his team spent a good hour securing that tarp, making sure that it wouldn’t be going anywhere – problem solved at least until spring when we’ll be finding a more permanent fix.

Andrea O’Neil, owner and office manager for

Klobas O’Neil Roofing has been helping people with emergencies – like mine – since she took over the office management for the company. It’s what she does. People call in, often in crisis, and Andrea helps them sort things out.

Now, Andrea is expanding the company’s services to include restoration work. “This is something I’ve already been doing informally when people call for help,” she explains. Her goal is to simplify the process for homeowners. “In addition to what we’ve always done, I’ll be working directly with insurance companies as the go-between for homeowners.”

She sees a real need for

local, trusted restoration services. “If you live up here and a tree falls on your home, we already have subcontractors we work with — people we know, like the painter, the deck guy, the gutter guy. The big restoration companies bring in their own contractors from town, but we have relationships with skilled local folks who do great work.”

Sean O’Neil is a seasoned roofer. He grew up in this mountain community and attended Welches Schools. He took over the business from its founder, Randy Klobas. Randy started the company in the 1970s; it was originally based in Boring. Sean was just 18 when Randy hired him, and the two worked together for years. When

Sean was ready to strike out on his own, Randy was already considering retirement. He incorporated the business, sold it to Sean, and officially retired in 2005.

Andrea sums up the company’s values best: “I love what we have posted on our website because I really believe it.” She takes a moment to look it up, and then reads aloud: ‘Our reputation is built on hard work, transparency, and a commitment to doing what’s right for our customers — because here, you’re not just a client, you’re our neighbor.’

And that’s exactly how Klobas O’Neil Roofing and Restoration operates – neighbors helping neighbors, no matter the weather.

The team has to answer with the correct book title and author name and use correct pronunciation in order to get points.”

Allison continued, “I made them all binders, and we have character analysis sheets, and book study sheets where they fill in details. And then we work with their practice questions. These girls have worked so hard, but they also have a real ability to retain the facts.” They practice two to three times a week, either at school during lunch or recess,

or after school, taking lots of breaks to keep things fun.

“I’m really proud of them,” Allison says, “I’ve talked a lot about sportsmanship, like keeping a poker face if they know the answer to a question, so they don’t distract the other team. And they always congratulate the other teams, have positive things to say. Being a good sport is important. I’m so proud of them.”

“One thing I definitely want to mention is that the Lions Club has been incredibly generous,” Allison

added, “Their support made it possible for any student who wanted to be involved in O.B.O.B to have access to the books.”

“We’re in shock that we’ve been able to make

it this far,” Allison smiles, “and I do think that part of it is that Welches is just a magical place, such a special school.” I think we can all agree on that.

Andrea and Sean O’Neil of Klobas O’Neil Roofing & Restoration.

The O’Neil Family: James, Andrea, Sean and Andrew.

Public Notice 2025 Mt. Hood National Forest Integrated Weed Management

Mt. Hood National Forest will implement the Integrated Weed

Management Program, which involves using

herbicides, mechanical tools, and hand pulling. Beginning in April, qualified professionals will visit snow-free areas in each Ranger District (Clackamas River, Zigzag, Hood River, Barlow) to carry out invasive plant treatment activities. Control efforts will continue throughout summer and autumn as conditions permit. Applicators will follow all restrictions and regulations

regarding the use of herbicides as stated on the herbicide label and the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Mt. Hood National Forest and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (FEIS 2008). Invasive plants scheduled for treatment include, but are not limited to, non-native knotweeds, hawkweeds, knapweeds, Robert geranium, shining geranium, hound -

stongue, toadflax, false brome, sulphur cinquefoil, Armenian blackberry, Scotch broom, tansy ragwort, and reed canarygrass. Oregon State licensed personnel will apply herbicides on target species using ground-based equipment (backpack sprayers, handheld bottle sprayers, vehicle-based hose and wand sprayers). A local forest official or trained staff will monitor treated sites

and conduct appropriate restoration. Information on invasive plant management on Mt. Hood National Forest is available from: http://www.fs.usda.gov/ mthood/. General information on noxious weed identification and management is available from: http://oregon.gov/ODA/ PLANT/WEEDS/ Noxious weed treatments are primarily along roadsides and

Mt. Hood Community College Launches

“I ♥ MHCC” Campaign

popular recreation areas. Notice signs will be posted prior, during, and after application. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Lin Kyan (503) 622-2054 for Clackamas River and Zigzag Ranger Districts, or Christina Mead (541) 467-5132 for Barlow and Hood River Ranger Districts.

to Celebrate Community Pride

By MHCC

For The Mountain Times

Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) is excited to announce the launch of the “I ♥ MHCC” campaign, a new initiative designed to celebrate the college’s legacy of academic excellence, community engagement, and shared pride.

The campaign invites students, staff, faculty, and community members to participate by sharing their personal experiences and reasons for loving MHCC. Partic -

ipants can access a comprehensive media toolkit, which includes “I ♥ MHCC” materials, enabling them to express their stories and MHCC creatively.

To further amplify the celebration, individuals are encouraged to take selfies or videos and share them on social media platforms using the hashtag #ILoveMHCC. These posts and stories will be featured throughout the campaign, showcasing the diverse and passionate community that

defines MHCC.

Additionally, the college offers downloadable logos and artwork, allowing supporters to design and order their own customized merchandise such as pop sockets, t-shirts, and bumper stickers. This initiative empowers the community to wear their MHCC pride and visibly demonstrate their support.

“The ‘I ♥ MHCC’ campaign is a testament to the strong bonds and shared experiences that make our college

community unique,” said Jennifer Boehmer, Vice President for Advancement and Community Engagement. “We look forward to seeing the many ways our students, faculty, staff, and community members express their love and pride for MHCC.”

For more information on how to get involved and to access the media toolkit, please visit the official campaign webpage at mhcc.edu/ about/i-love-mhcc.

Multiple Cougar Sightings Reported Near Mt. Hood

By Mtn Times Staff

The Mountain Times

Multiple reports from neighbors on Nextdoor. com have confirmed several cougar sightings in the Mt. Hood area, including near residential properties. Authorities are urging residents

to take precautions and keep pets indoors to prevent unwanted encounters with these wild animals.

In the event of a cougar sighting, experts advise staying calm and avoiding sudden movements. Do not run, but slowly back away while maintaining

Welches Middle School Inspires Young Readers with Author Initiative

By Justin Andress

The Mountain Times

According to new statistics, reading proficiency among middle school students has seen a measurable drop since the pandemic. Now, the team at Welches Middle School is doing their part to reverse that trend by putting

students in touch with working authors. Spearheaded by Sarah Fleming, Welches Schools’ media specialist, the program will see area authors interact with students at the school in a variety of ways. Alan Gratz provided signed bookmarks to help kids keep their spot in whatever

book they’re reading. Caroline Allen, author of “Blue,” stopped by March 21 to speak to the students about the writing process. Young adult author April Henry took time to answer student questions about life as a working writer.

The goal of the initiative is to demonstrate to the kids how much fun

it can be to read and write. Showing them the positive outcomes of a lifetime of literacy is a great way to get them to embark on their own reading journey.

Fleming and the rest of the Welches School staff will continue to develop the Author Initiative in the coming months.

eye contact. To deter the animal, make yourself appear larger by raising your arms and shouting loudly. If attacked, it is recommended to fight back with any available objects.

Local authorities urge anyone who spots a cougar or experiences an encounter to report it immediately to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) or the Oregon State Police. Keeping the community informed is crucial to ensuring safety in the area.

Sought for

By Clackamas County

For The Mountain Times

The Board of County Commissioners is seeking applications to fill the vacancy for County Commissioner, Position 4.

Applications are being taken starting

today, Wednesday, March 19, through Wednesday, April 9 by 5 p.m. Pacific time. Interested parties can learn more and submit a cover letter and resume at https:// www.clackamas.us/bcc/ appointment

Community News

Mountain Science Night Draws Banner Crowd

By Justin Andress

The Mountain Times

There’s a perception that it’s nearly impossible to get people out of their homes on a weeknight, especially to talk about science.

On March 5, however, the Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership did precisely that with the first in their series of Mountain Science Nights.

Several dozen mountain residents showed up to the Rendezvous Grill to hear a presentation from OSU Research Assistant Andy McEvoy, who

spoke on Wildfire Risk in Western Oregon. The turnout was so strong, in fact, attendees had to be turned away to avoid running afoul of the fire marshal. McEvoy’s speech was delivered to a receptive crowd who eagerly took the opportunity to interact in a follow-up Q&A section. It was an undeniable success that demonstrated the community’s interest in their gorgeous backyard.

Over a year ago, members of the Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership were struck with an idea. The membership of the

group found themselves privy to several speaker events and public outreach efforts that fly below the radar of most private citizens. The Partnership wanted to make this information available to the community at large. It was Melinda McCrossen who suggested a regular evening event aimed at empowering locals with information that could save their lives. Though she’d be the first person to deny any credit, it was also McCrossen who spearheaded the effort to find a place to hold the event.

Armed with a list of speakers curated by Forest Service rep Marin Palmer, members of the Wildfire Partnership began to search for a location. It was an uphill battle. For nearly a year, McCrossen struggled to get funding and find a venue. In the end, however, it took a little bit of small talk at a community hub to make the presentation series a reality.

One of the Wildfire Partnership members, Michelle Richardson, was working at the Hoodland Library one day when she struck up a conversation with an on-staff librarian named Alexandra Steinmetz. When the topic of the Science Night series came up, Steinmetz was quick to volunteer a venue. Along with her husband Tim, Steinmetz recently became the owner of the Rendezvous Grill, a beloved mountain dining institution. According to McCrossen, the Rendezvous owners felt a “civic duty to provide us with a space.” Once the space was chosen, the rest of the event fell into place.

According to local Lynda Zangerle, “Melinda came up with the concept of a science pub night and then ran with it. She spent untold hours finding a location willing to host her idea, worked diligently with members of the Wildfire Partnership to make the discussion topics relevant to our community, and finalized the million and one details that resulted in [the March 5th event].”

With the date planned and the flyer passed, there was no guarantee that people would respond. The question of public interest was put to rest, however, when a crowd began to gather as early as half an hour prior to the start of the event.

McCrossen is unmistakably joyful when speaking about the event. For her, getting the information to the public was a victory, but the real triumph came during the Q&A when the audience — empowered with new knowledge — seemed eager to do their part to build a safer, more conscientious commu -

nity. “There was this ownership of having to do the right thing. [It was as though] people were saying, ‘We need to do this. We need to do this now. We understand what the mission is.’”

You don’t have to miss out on this community outreach effort. There are still 2 more Mountain Science Nights coming up in this inaugural series. On April 2, Forest Service rep Jeff Kline will discuss the changing Wildfire Regime in Western Oregon. As McCrossen explains, “Human behavior has a major impact on wildfire. Did you know that 73 percent of wildfires west of the Cascades were ignited by humans?”

The following month, on May 7, Dr. Andrew Merschel, Co-Director of the Tree Ring Lab, will discuss the history of Fire on Mt. Hood.

The remaining Mountain Science Nights will start at 6 p.m. at the Rendezvous, but you might want to get there early to get a good seat.

Help Bring Our Mobile Library Vehicle to Life!

By Sandy Public Library

For The Mountain Times

The Sandy and Hoodland Libraries are expanding their reach! In 2024 the City Budget Committee awarded the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries

$150,000 for the purchase of a Mobile Library Vehicle. With the addition of $10,429 from the Hoodland contingency fund, we have now secured half the

cost of the vehicle.

However, we need your help to get us across the finish line.

For the additional $160,429 we are taking community action by asking individuals in our Sandy and Villages of Mt. Hood communities to donate funds to help reach the targeted amount. We will also be seeking grants to help reach this goal.

So what does that sum get us? Your donations will go directly toward the outfitting of the vehicle, which will include:

At least 15 shelves of library materials for

checkout

Up to 5 desks and computers for STEM and educational courses throughout the community

ON-BOARD PRINTING SERVICES

Our goal with the Mobile Library Vehicle is to make the library more accessible to those in our community who cannot make it to us. We will be visiting locations such as daycare centers and retirement communities, expanding our network and services from Boring to Government Camp (see our survey below to let us know where you’d like us

to go)!

We are thrilled to be leading the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries into the future, but we will need the help of you and other community members to make this a reality!

You can donate by dropping off cash or check at either library location or by donating online for the Sandy Public Library here: donorbox. org/mobile-library-vehicle. And you can donate to the Hoodland Public Library here: donorbox. org/mobile-library-vehicle-1

THE MOBILE LIBRARY IS COMING TO YOU!

We need your help! We are so excited to bring the Mobile Library to you, but we want to know which locations you’d like to see us in!

We are already planning to go to schools in the Oregon Trail School District, the Senior/ Community Center, and retirement/care facilities, but we need your help to see where else we should be!

Please take a few minutes to answer our survey below. Your feedback will help us deter-

mine where we may make the most of the Mobile Library.

We Need Your Input on the Look of the Mobile Library!

We are looking to crowdsource the wrap design of our new Mobile Library Vehicle and want to know what you’d like to see.

What images best represent the Sandy and Hoodland Libraries and the Sandy and Mt. Hood communities?

Take our short survey and let us know what stands out to you!

Survey: surveymonkey.com/r/VehicleWrap

Rotary Club of Sandy Delivers Free Books to School District Children

By Sandy Rotary

Times

Mountain

For The

For the third year in a row, Sandy Rotary members arrived at every elementary school in The Oregon Trail School District bearing gifts. Working with the school district, it was determined that

the greatest need is in literacy development, particularly before third grade. Subsequently, the Rotary Club of Sandy raised the funds to purchase books for every kindergartener, first and second grade student in the district. The Rotarians personally

help each student pick a book that is appropriate for their age, grade level and reading ability. The books are for the students to take home. There is always at least one student who exclaims with joy, “This is my very first book!” The teachers are grateful for the dona -

tion and use the children’s books in their lessons. Sarah McIntyre, Sandy Library Director and Sandy Rotarian, is the driving force for this project. The Club is planning to deliver books not only in the spring but in the fall as well.

VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN

I am writing in response to Shirley Morgan’s letter to the editor last month. Insurance companies have long had instruments to assess wildfire, flood, and storm risks. Taking away the “fire maps” does NOT take away wildfire risk.

I personally know two of my mountain friends were notified that their homeowner’s insurance would be dropped due to wildfire risk. One company based it on a google overhead map and she had to prove that her wood shingle roof had been replaced with asphalt. My other friend had insurance with a company that decided to drop ALL homeowner’s coverage in the state. They got out of the mortgage insurance business all together.

This was well over a year ago and I suspect if you ask around you will find friends who had coverage issues prior to the fire maps being released.

I am finding that homeowners who seek the cheapest possible coverage are the ones being dropped or having their policies double in price. We are all paying for the fire in Lahaina and LA and my friends in other states will be paying for that fire damage as well. Insurance rates are soaring everywhere, not just here because there’s a fire risk map out.

One of the things suggested at the Homeowners’ Workshop, hosted by the Mt. Hood Wildfire Partnership, was to contact my insurance agent. I called Bob and said I wanted a policy review. We went line by line in my policy as if my home had completely burned down in a wildfire. I didn’t need to make any changes.

I recommend that people talk to their agents about their policy specifics in advance of a catastrophic situation. I will also say that I talked about our home hardening efforts which interested Bob. I can now comfortably say that when my home burns down completely, I will not be having insurance coverage problems like many people in LA.

You get what you pay for and if you don’t have an agent to talk to because you’ve got bargain basement policy coverage off the internet, then you can expect your rates to skyrocket, no matter where the fires burn.

I would recommend that Ms. Morgan get “busy with trimming up... trees” in addition to her letter writing campaign. Home hardening is key to wildfire risk reduction.

Melinda McCrossen, Timberline Rim HOA FireWise Chair

From the publisher’s desk

FAMILY,

It is never easy to lose a member of your family, and the loss of a mother is especially profound.

My mother, Linda Nelson, passed away on Friday, March 21st, 2025, at the age of 82, after a long battle with dementia. She was surrounded by her loving husband of 60 years, her two children, grandchildren, nephews, and two of her brothers-in-law.

Mom married my father, Dave, in 1964, and they moved from Edmonds, Washington, to Beaverton the same year. She graduated from Lewis and Clark College in 1965, and shortly after, she was hired by the Lake Oswego School District. It was there that she taught Kindergarten for 34 years before retiring in 1999.

In late 2006 they purchased a small cabin in Rhododendron and enjoyed spending time in the area with family and friends. She was active for many years as a member of the Hoodland Women’s Club and would

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Mountain Community, Husband Ed and I are wondering if we are alone in being gob-smacked by PGE’s billing statements for February 2025? We have a tiny, one bedroom house in Brightwood we have lived in part-time for the past 15 years, and before that for 15 years part-time in a Forest Service cabin off Road 20D in Rhododendron.

Despite only being at the Brightwood house for six days in February and that we always turn our electric furnace down to 55 degrees when away, our electrical usage and bill were more than 50 percent higher in February than in January, at least according to PGE. This despite the fact we were there 12 days in January. We borrowed money to completely remodel this house 15 years ago. At that time we spent several thousand dollars on a new electric furnace. The house was in terrible shape with the owners long gone. We spent another chunk of money at that time on a larger and more efficient wood stove.

We have lived to regret at age 87 (Ed) and 80 (me), our decision to install an electric furnace, even as a back-up heating system. We have always burned wood as our main source of heat whenever we are here.

It’s been an expensive year. Last fall we had to replace our septic system. By the time we met all the County permitting requirements for living along a creek, a $45,000 hole had been blown in our rapidly depleting retirement account.

We phoned PGE about the more than 50 percent jump in our already outrageously high electric bills, thinking the meter reader must have made a mistake. This is when we learned there are no field meter readers — the usage is tracked by computer and “read” at PGE headquarters for every house up here. PGE stood by its reading. We asked for an in-person recheck anyway.

In all our years living on the Mountain we have never experienced such an exorbitant utility bill of any kind and we wondered if anyone else was as shocked as we were when they opened their February PGE statement? We have heard from a local electrician that he’d been told by several people in the Welches area that they’d experienced a huge spike in their electrical bill for February.

We are considering reaching out to the Oregon Public Utilities Commission to file a complaint and wondered if other residents — whether full or part-time — are considering doing so as well.

routinely attend meetings and local events.

In addtion to spending time on the mountain, along with my father, she travelled extensively across the globe until around 2018, when age began to catch up with her.

In her free time, she was an avid crafter and had an extensive collection of card-making and stamping tools. But what she loved most was spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

As I write this letter, I’m still coming to terms with the magnitude of my loss. One thing I know for sure is that life will never be the same without her.

I love you, Mom.

Matthew Nelson Your Publisher, The Mountain Times.

We understand and acknowledge our privilege to be calling ourselves even parttime residents. This zap from PGE, however, feels like an ohm too far.

Sharon Wood Wortman and Ed Wortman

I am writing in support of Steve Graeper’s February letter to MT regarding the importance of all homeowners making it a priority to help secure their property and community against wildfire. The recent Department of Forestry (ODF) letter many of us received emphasizes the importance of this work and provides useful guidance on how to start.

I was then pleased to see a letter supporting this position by Shirley Morgan in the March MT, but wanted to correct a key misconception included in that letter. The new hazard assessment sent out by ODF has not, will not and cannot impact insurance availability or rates. Insurance companies have their own risk models and assessments, and have had them for years. They are the basis of how they run their business. Insurance rates began to climb well before this recent hazard assessment. Since 2020, insurance companies have paid out more for wildfire loss than in all the years before combined. This is what is driving increasing insurance rates. Unfortunately, insurance rates are likely to continue to increase and coverage be restricted, driven by these increasing losses. This won’t turn around until we can create wildfire resilient communities with fire hardened homes and defensible space as guided by the legislation (SB762/80) which prompted this hazard assessment. We need to reduce wildfire loss going forward to improve the insurance situation.

So do your part for the sake of the safety of yourself, your property and your community. Create a defensible space around your home, fire harden its construction, and, yes, trim your trees. They are all positive steps you can take that will move us forward. Appealing the reality of our wildfire vulnerability will do nothing to create a wildfire resilient community, and certainly won’t help your insurance rates.

For reference: Oregon law (SB83, 2023) states that: SECTION 4. An insurance company may not use a map published by an agency of this state that identifies areas of wildfire risk or exposure as a basis for: (1) Canceling or declining to renew a

homeowner insurance policy; or (2) Increasing a premium for a homeowner insurance policy. (The full bill can be found on the Oregon Legislative Information System at https://www. oregonlegislature.gov.)

Walt Mayberry Coordinator, MT. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership CPO-HOA Workgroup

GOOD BEAR BAD IVY

I am not happy to rain on the Ivy Bear topiary parade — but I must. I believe the article published in our Mt Times about the Bear was interesting but should have included an advisory about Evil Ivy. English Ivy has been illegal to propagate, transport, or sell in Oregon since 2010, is banned for LIFE in Lincoln County, and should be banned in Clackamas County as well. English Ivy shouldn’t be planted or glorified in any way. Why? English Ivy ( Hedera helix) is classified as a very invasive, noxious weed. It is monstrous. It smothers, chokes out, hogs water and nutrients, it kills. Just look at the wasteland ivy creates along Hwy 26, and worse, along the banks of the Sandy River. The stuff is like something from a bad horror movie. It kills trees, denudes stream banks ( ie, is bad for fish), chokes out delicate, native wildflowers, causes trees to fall: ivy has been described as “cunning and ruthless.”

And while it is not a “crime” to plant it, it is irresponsible to do so. Most homeowners and businesses no longer plant It, because it is a community nuisance and costly to eradicate. Birds ingest the seeds greedily and then spread the plant everywhere. There are better alternatives to English Ivy for topiaries, and especially one as large as the “Ivy Bear.” The noninvasive sterile variety Woemeri Ivy would be a great choice. (your local nursery will have more suggestions).

Don’t plant English Ivy. Period. Yesterday I was hiking a little tributary to the Sandy River and saw one little sprig of the creepy stuff starting to grow, I ripped it out by its scrawny neck! Seriously, though, English Ivy is no joking matter. $125 MILLION dollars PER YEAR in Oregon alone is spent to control noxious weeds. The Sandy River Council and other groups worked hard to get rid of the stuff. I don’t need to document all the eradication efforts and money spent in this short letter: just look it up.

Kate O’Halloran, Brightwood

LETTERS POLICY

Letters to the Editor & Commentaries must be typed and include the sender’s name, town and phone number for verification purposes. Commentaries must not exceed 600 words. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, clarity and length. We have the right to refuse content we deem inappropriate for any reason, without consent.

SEND SUBMISSIONS TO The Mountain Times, PO Box 1031, Welches, Oregon 97067 OR EMAIL TO matt@mountaintimesoregon.com.

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Mt. Hood Community College has not passed a Bond Measure asking for additional money in 50 years. Improvements to its infrastructure are greatly needed due to not addressing reccurring maintenance issues over the years. If approved, the bond money will be used for repairing/replacing the many systems that are falling apart.

Mt. Hood CC offers technical training in many different fields along with 2-year degrees and undergraduate classes that can be transferred to universities and 4-year colleges. They also offer Advanced Placement classes for local high school students who can earn credits for their future college degree while they are still in high school. The educational options that Mt. Hood CC offers are much more affordable than the fees charged by other colleges and universities.

The property tax assessment that Mt. Hood Community College is requesting is based on the assessed value of your property, not the Real Market Value (RMV). The assessed value of your property is always less than the RMV and may be as much as 50% less than the market value.

Please join me in supporting the MHCC Bond measure to assure our community college can continue to offer outstanding training and education at a very reasonable cost.

Dennis Ghelfi, Welches

As you might recall several years ago we were told that the OLD Sandy High school was uninhabitable as there were too many problems, including environmental and It needed to be torn down and we needed to pass a bond measure to build a NEW Sandy High school. Today the old high school is now a Middle School that has been remodeled.

At the present time we are being told that the existing Fire Station cannot be remodeled and it needs to be relocated.

Explain why!! We are told that the doors don’t lock in the “construction shed” when they answer a call or does ODOT wants to limit access to Highway 26.

YES we need a bond measure to remodel, not relocate. It could be done in phases and not affect the operations of the department.

The Fire Station is in its ideal location with direct access to Highway 26 with a traffic light already in place.

Let’s leave it there!

Patrick Buckley

The Mountain Times rate card is available to advertisers by contacting the office at 503-622-3289 or matt@ mountaintimesoregon.com. The MT offers full-service, in-house graphic design to its advertisers.

Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in the paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent office policy or position of the Mountain Times or its clients.

Copyright All material in The Mountain Times is protected by copyright

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CONTRIBUTORS Pat Erdenberger, Carianne Stearns, Cathy Lavin, Milt Fox, Robert Kelly DMD, Lisa Kilders, Dr. Melanie Brown DC, Rep. Jeff Helfrich, Lloyd Musser, Gary Randall, Kendra Payne, Ginny Thompson, Megan Nugent, Cassie Kanable, Steve Wilent PO Box 1031, Welches, OR 97067 503.570.3404

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The Mountain Times is an independent monthly newspaper serving Sandy, Brightwood, Wemme, Welches, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Wildwood, Government Camp and Boring. 8,500-plus copies printed and distributed monthly.

Printed at Eagle Web Press in Salem, Oregon.

The Mountain Times is an associate member of ONPA

Inside Salem Legislator’s Letter

An Update from Rep. Jeff Helfrich

We are nearing the halfway point of the 2025 Legislative Session. Here shortly, we will have our “First Chamber Deadline,” meaning in order for a bill to still be alive, it must have passed its chamber of origin. The deadlines and rules are two of the first bills passed in each legislative session. This year it

ELECTIONS

From Page 3

• Improved community accessibility to college resources

The bond will be issued in one or more phases and will mature within 21 years. For more details, visit mhcc.edu/about/ news/2025.

was HCR 15 that established the deadlines back in January. For every rule however, there always seems to be an exception. In fact, there are several exceptions to the deadlines within the legislative process, and it’s important to understand how they affect legislation and its ability to move forward.

The first clear exception to our deadlines are bills currently in joint committees. The point of establishing our deadlines is to keep the Session moving, and to ensure ideas brought before the body have had their opportunity to be vetted and commented on by the public. Because all measures must pass

GOVERNMENT

CAMP SANITARY DISTRICT: BOARD ELECTIONS

OR TRAIL SCHOOL DISTRICT:

BOARD ELECTIONS

Four board positions are open in the Oregon Trail School District, with the following candidate currently declared for Zone 3, Welches. :

• Paula Siverly – Zone 3, Welches (4-Year Term)

Two positions are up for election in the Government Camp Sanitary District:

• Edward D. Rogers Jr.

– Position 1 (4-Year Term)

• Ulla Brunette – Position 2 (4-Year Term)

For more information, visit govtcampsanitary. org/board-members.

in both chambers, it becomes critical to ensure they transfer over from one to the next so they can get scheduled and heard in a timely manner. The beauty of a joint committee, however, is they are composed of members of both chambers. In other words, you have Representatives and Senators who can hear the testimony, ask questions and challenge the ideas much like they would in a committee made up of only their peers. Because of this, bills that pass out of joint committees can proceed straight to the floor to be voted on by the whole body.

Few policy committees are offered exceptions, but the ones that are would be the Rules committee

GOVERNMENT

CAMP ROAD DISTRICT:

BOARD ELECTIONS

Two positions are also up for election in the Government Camp Road District:

• Brett Fischer – Position 2 (4-Year Term)

• Cornelia “Lia” Gunderson – Position 4 (4-Year Term)

Mark your calendar and make your voice heard on May 20, 2025!

in both chambers, as well as the respective Revenue committees. Here is where the exception is not as pure as the reasoning behind a joint committee exception. The Rules committees are composed of members in leadership (caucus leaders as well as some of their deputies) and are kept exempt so leadership can move the legislation it has negotiated. With sessions being fluid and dynamic, leadership essentially reserves the right to negotiate up until the final hours. The Revenue committees, being the ones that pass revenue-raising legislation, retain their flexibility and are able to adjust our state’s revenue measures until the very end.

It’s important for those who track the legislative process to understand how our deadlines work, and what exceptions are out there. If there is a piece of legislation you are looking to advocate for, make sure you know when to advocate by, in order to ensure your preferred outcome. I like to remind people that for better or for worse, no bill is dead until Sine Die. As Dr. Malcolm so elegantly put it in Jurassic Park, “Life will find a way.” As always, if you have any questions or concerns call or email my office. If you happen to be in Salem during Session, swing by H-371, and my staff and I will do our best to fit you into our schedule.

MOUNTAIN VENUES with MENUS

Mountain Representative Jeff Helfrich keeps the community updated with an exclusive look at the legislative process.

Local News

Bid and Bloom Auction to Be Held April 26

By Marie Kennedy

With the arrival of spring, the Welches Parent Teacher Community Organization (WPTCO) is excited to host the 2025 Bid and Bloom Spring Auction & Gala on April 26, 2025 at

Camp Arrah Wanna.

Adults (21+) are welcome, and the event promises an evening of great food, community connections, and fun. Tickets are $35, which includes dinner, dessert, and soft drinks. Local beer, wine, and signature

cocktails will be available for purchase.

Heather Ostrander, WPTCO president, says, “We’re so fortunate. The community really shows up for these events. Such great support for our students.”

What’s for dinner? Guests will enjoy a Pacific Northwest-inspired meal crafted by two renowned local chefs — Chef Jason Horner and pastry chef Cassie Kanable.

Doors open: 5 p.m.

Dinner & Silent

Auction: 5:30–7 p.m.

• Live Auction: 7 p.m.

Last year’s event raised $27,500, and was dedicated to upgrading aging technology in the elementary building. The goal for this year is $20,000 that will fund arts programs and enrichment activities, ensuring students have access to music, theater, hands-on art, and cultural experi-

ences.

Ostrander says some of the school needs they hope to fill are a Gaga ball pit (a variation on dodge ball), and improvements for the stage including lighting. “We asked them to put together a list of things that they need. And we’re having someone come in and look at the lighting fixtures on the stage in the elementary building. They are pretty old. We might need to upgrade them, or at least find a temporary solution so that the music department can have concerts with stage lighting.”

“And for the middle school we’re looking at getting some basic art supplies beyond what the district offers,” Ostrander continues, “Some of the requests are for charcoal, artists’ erasers, pencils and water color paper. We’re also looking at getting them a t-shirt press so that they can make their own t-shirts.

Fun stuff.”

WPTCO welcomes volunteers, sponsors, and auction item contributions. To learn more, sign up for event updates, or get involved, visit their website at WelchesPTCO. org.

Event location: Camp Arrah Wanna at 24075 E Arrah Wanna Blvd, in Welches, Oregon.

Join The Mtn Times In Honoring Women In Business: On The Mountain

By Justin Andress

It’s no secret that many businesses on Mt. Hood are owned or operated by enterprising women. Now, The Mountain Times is taking a small step toward honoring the capability and innovation of these trailblazing women with a special Women in Business magazine supplement.

“Women have owned and operated businesses on the Mountain for many years, probably starting when the pioneers finally made it to Oregon,” says Peggy Wallace with the Moun -

tain Times. “There is a long list of women owning and/or operating thriving bars, restaurants, coffee shops, real estate development properties, insurance agencies, ski shops, building supply companies – you name it, mountain women have done it and with very little bluster.”

The women who power Mt. Hood businesses may not be used to fanfare, but the Women in Business publication hopes to change that. All professional women are encouraged to apply, whether you’re an

owner, private contractor, manager, or a critical employee. If you live, operate a business, or conduct business in the Mt. Hood area, this is a golden opportunity to promote yourself and have fun doing it.

Women in Business is a once-yearly magazine that will be delivered with The Mountain Times directly to homes from the east side of Sandy all the way up to Timberline Lodge. Those women who choose to participate are discovering that being a part of Women in Business can be a savvy career move.

According to Mountain Times publisher Matthew Nelson, “We’ve been hearing from the women who participate that it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done to market themselves or their business. It’s not a Facebook or Instagram post where if you blink, you miss it. A magazine like this generates this old-school excitement that’s contagious.”

To take part, Mt. Hood women who live, work, or do business on the mountain can reach out to the paper for pricing options. We will have them fill out a short quiz with questions about their motivation, their proudest professional moments, and advice they may have for aspiring young women. It’s a fun-filled way for

professional women to share their insight and expertise.

The women who take part in the magazine will receive an eye-catching full-page spread in Women in Business magazine. To ensure that these professionals put their best foot forward, women who elect to join Mt. Hood Women in Business will be treated to a session with a professional photographer in the beautiful Evergreen Room of Mt. Hood Village on June 7th.

The photoshoot for Women in Business is an event that participants will look forward to. Beyond the photoshoot, light refreshments will be served while you wait and network with the mountain’s most prominent female entrepreneurs.

Expect a gorgeous group photo and stunning solo shots as your profession, personality, and values are captured for the entire Mt. Hood community to share. As Matthew explains, “The women who participate love the concept of the magazine. They love the exposure they get from it. They love the results. It seems to be a win-win for everyone, which is exactly what we are striving for.”

Women in Business is more than a fun photoshoot and marketing

tool. Peggy Wallace is excited to bring the magazine to the area because of the good she believes it will accomplish.

“First, it will acknowledge the huge contribution women (business owners and managers alike) have made to the community,” says Peggy. “Second, it will provide motivation for some women to act on their idea of owning their own business or taking on a management role in an existing business. Third, it will introduce every -

one who has a mailbox or PO box from Sandy to Timberline to these women. This publication will have a positive effect, short and long term, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Women in Business is currently taking submissions. Sign up today to build your business, create new contacts, and engage with your community like never before. Contact our office at 503-570-3404 or email matt@mountaintimesoregon.com.

Come Celebrate With Us!

Friends of Timberline invites you to its

50TH ANNIVERSARY KICK-OFF PARTY 6pm, May 8 at the Tumwater Ballroom in the Clackamas County Historical Society building in Oregon City.

Friends old and new will gather to enjoy food and wine, share stories and reminiscences of memorable events and accomplishments, and appreciate its ongoing efforts to preserve the look and feel of the historic Timberline Lodge.

Ticketholders may tour the exhibits and displays in the Museum of the Oregon Territory, housed in the same building, at no extra charge.

Tickets may be purchased at friendsoftimberline.com/events or by scanning the QR code below.

For more information, call 503-295-0827 or email Randi Black at fot1@comcast.net

SCAN ME! FOR TICKETS

The Mountain Times

The Mountain Times

Image shown for concept only.

Meet the Artist: Mayumi Sekigawa

By Amber Ford

The Mountain Times

Unique in color and shape, the works of local pottery artist Mayumi Sekigawa are a gentle and beautiful reminder that art is not necessarily always on a canvas. A lover of art since childhood, Sekigawa has not always seen herself as an artist, but more so a person dedicated to creating pieces that make people happy. “I’ve never thought about myself as an artist until one day one of my artist friends, Katie Simpson (an amazing painter in

CA), told me ‘you make amazing things, you are an artist,’” Sekigawa said. “That inspired me to say out loud “I am an artist,’” Sekigawa added.

Inspired by legendary artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, Sekigawa finds herself mused by their works and the requests of some of her clients. “Conversations with people inspire me,” Sekigawa said. “‘Can you make this?’ is the best inspiration for me. I like challenges. ‘How can I make it?’ is always an exciting moment for

Villages in 2020. Sekigawa’s pottery is not only designed for the appeal of use for a cup of coffee or tea, but also defined by her artistic visions from living so close to The Mt. Hood National Forest. “Living in nature and being a part of it has definitely inspired me to create some organic shapes,” Sekigawa said. “I let the clay move wherever it wants to and sprinkle in my colors,” she added.

Along with the plethora of artistic inspiration she has found in her backyard and from legendary artists past, Sekigawa also finds creative growth from the local art community within The Mt. Hood Villages. “I’ve met so many artists living on the mountain,” Sekigawa said.

me,” Sekigawa added. Although most pottery based works share specific dimensions and purposes, Sekigawa has a much deeper and creative vision when making her art. “I love colors and shapes,” Sekigawa said. “When I see interesting shapes in the world I always think about how I can make it with clay,” Sekigawa added.

Originally from Osaka, Japan, Sekigawa also spent time living in Utah, Coos Bay and Portland before relocating with her partner to The Mt. Hood

“Exchanging ideas and just simply talking with them inspires me to create more things that make people happy,” Sekigawa added.

For those interested in purchasing Sekigawa’s pottery you can visit Coffee House 26 or Cooper’s Wine Bar. Sekigawa is also accepting commissioned work and can be reached at kiiroyapdx@gmail.com, @kiiroyapdx (Instagram) or @kiiroyapottery (Facebook).

Community News

I Remember When: My Friend Henry Steiner Disappeared

By Milt Fox

For The Mountain Times

In the spring of 1953, I was 4 ½ years old and lived near the south end of the Brightwood bridge over the Sandy River. I lived in a small house with my mom and dad and my younger sister Lucia.

My friends Harold and Judy Hutchins lived on the north side of my house, three houses south of the Sandy River with their little brother Donnie, mom Edna and dad Don (Duck) Hutchins. “Duck” was a

woods boss for Walt Koch and ran one of Koch’s logging sites. My friend Jimmy Hamilton lived on the south side of my house and his dad also worked in the woods. Across the road, now Steiner Street, is where Art and Floy Jonsrud lived; Art was a retired logger. Art’s wife Floy had a loom in a small shop beside their house where she would weave all sorts of things. She was always very nice and patient with the neighborhood kids. To the north was Bright -

wood Logging Company, owned by Walt Koch, straddling both sides of what is now Brightwood Bridge Road. Then right next to the bridge was Lila Hoffmiesters tiny house. This was the River District of Brightwood.

This story is really about my friend Henry Steiner, famous for building log cabins, churches, and his work on Timberline Lodge. Nearly every day Mr. Steiner would take a walk; he seemed very old to me. I think he was probably in his mid to late seventies. He walked pretty slowly, with a shuffle, often with his dog, and always with his vine maple cane. I would wait impatiently looking out of our front window until I would see him walking down the hill, then I would run out to greet him. He would stop and visit with my mom and me. He would laugh a little and grin and call me the little fox. I was allowed to go outside of our fence and walk along with him while he was in front of our house.

Then I watched him as he walked across the bridge and back, coming by our house again then on up the hill to his house. This was a ritual of his almost every day.

One day in April of 1953 Mr. Steiner took two walks to the bridge. On the second walk he waved to me and crossed the bridge. I waited a while for him to return, but then I went back to my house. I never saw Mr. Steiner come back. Later on, we found out that Mr. Steiner never returned home.

The next day an organized search for Mr. Steiner began. Oregon State Police Officer Jim Petrie was in charge. Everyone that could was looking for their friend and neighbor. I remember my dad brought pike poles from the mill and gave them to Harold and Judy’s dad. My mom told me that they were going to be looking along the riverbank. I remember seeing a tall man talking to my dad. The man had two large dogs – dad

called them “Black and Tans” (bloodhounds). That man was Walter Creighton. Another man with hounds came whose name was Warren Crutcher. The search went on.

A few days later the search took a tragic turn when about a mile downstream from the Brightwood bridge, at the confluence of the Salmon and the Sandy, searchers put a boat into the Sandy River and Fred Steiner, one of Mr. Steiner’s sons, was knocked out of the boat and drowned.

A few days later, old Mr. Steiner was found by some folks that owned a weekend cabin. He was found fallen behind a log, dead, probably of a heart attack. That last day of his life he had taken a longer walk than most people would have thought. Mr. Steiner had gone east for some distance on what is now Barlow Trail Road.

Many years later I was talking with Dates Lymp about the big search for Henry Steiner and he

told me that he was there when Fred Steiner drowned. The boat belonged to Dates, and he said that he was very concerned about putting a boat into the river. Dates and Fred were boyhood friends and grew up together playing in the Salmon and Sandy rivers during the 1920s and 30s. Neither of them could swim. Dates said they both respected the river and if they ever got into trouble they would just sink to the bottom, push themselves back to the surface, and drift to shore. Dates always thought that Fred was knocked unconscious.

Note from the author: It was 72 years ago when Henry Steiner was found, about a week after he had gone on his last walk. Fred Steiner drowned three or four days after the search for his father had started. These were very sad times for the Steiner family and residents of the mountain communities.

9, 1942, in Ohio, Dad always had a deep love for history and the outdoors. After ranger school and a brief time in the armed forces, stationed in Germany, he eventually found his way west, where he discovered his true home on Mt. Hood. He spent decades working for the U.S. Forest Service, helping protect and manage the lands he loved so deeply.

In 1998, he took on the role of curator at the Mt. Hood Museum. What started as a small volunteer project quickly became his life’s work. He built the collection piece by piece, treating every artifact as a treasure and every donor as a friend.

My Dad was especially passionate about preserving the legacy of Henry Steiner and his iconic cabins. He made it his mission to protect these historic homes, organizing tours and educating visitors about their craftsmanship and cultural significance. I can still hear him marveling at the hand-hewn logs and the artistry that went into every stone fireplace. To him, these cabins weren’t just buildings — they were part of a living history.

Many people also knew my Dad through his writing. For years, he contributed historical articles to The Mountain Times, sharing stories about Timberline Lodge, the early days of skiing, the pioneers who settled here and the Native peoples whose stewardship shaped this land long before any of us arrived. One of his most-read pieces was “A Short History of Timberline Lodge,” in which he detailed the lodge’s construction and its role as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression. He was endlessly proud of that story, and even prouder of the lodge itself.

But there’s a chapter of his story that isn’t always told. He was a Father, a Grandfather, and a friend. He loved a good story, a strong cup of coffee, and a long hike in the woods. He never missed a chance to watch the sun rise or set over Mt. Hood. His passion wasn’t just about history; it was about connection. Connection to people, to place, and to purpose.

The final story, from Lloyd Before my Father passed, he wrote the story of how our lives started and his time in Juniper

Flats to give to me at Christmas 2024. I would like to share with you a shortened version of his story in his words, “Mo and I were married in September 1972 at Timberline Lodge. We then skied down the Glade trail to our cabin in Government Camp where we had settled. It made sense to settle here as I worked at Bear Springs Ranger Station, and Mo was selling real estate in Rhododendron. We bought a little 1937 cabin on Blossom Trail and fixed it up ourselves — cut our own logs, stacked flat rocks for the fireplace, and even added a rental apartment for extra income. We heated with wood, cut ten cords a year, grew a few greens in raised beds, and baked everything from scratch. Life was simple but good.

Government Camp, back then, was a quiet ski village, 200 cabins, a store, a couple of restaurants, and a tavern. In winter, it filled with skiers; the rest of the year, maybe a hundred folks stuck around. We’d ride the shuttle to Timberline Lodge, ski all day, then coast 3.5 miles down the Glade Trail right to our door. The downside? When snow piled up, we parked down the hill and hiked home with groceries in hand. By June 1977, when we still couldn’t drive to the house because of lingering snow, we figured it was time for a change.

We bought 40 acres in Pine Grove — half pasture, half forest — with a stunning view of Mount Hood. No water, no power, no guarantees. But we were young and optimistic. We decided if we found water, we’d stay and build. If not, we’d sell. We hired a driller. On the fourth day, just as we hit 500 feet, the drill’s sound changed. Water! Five gallons a minute. We drilled a little deeper and got twenty. We had our well — and our green light.

Mo designed the house herself. Evans Products turned her sketches into certified plans, with all the materials delivered in stages. It wasn’t a prefab, but a true do-it-yourself home. In May and June of 1978, everything changed. Mo was pregnant, due February 1979, we signed the house contract, and the Forest Service offered me a deal I could not refuse. I was selected for a slot in a college masters degree program starting in the fall of 1978. It was

an accelerated course in silviculture at the University of Montana. The program changed my life forever and I still practice the techniques taught in that short course 44 years later.

Meanwhile, back at Rocky Top Ranch — as we called it, thanks to the rocky soil — things moved fast. In a panic, we had just started installing roof shingles when it snowed about 2 feet of light powder snow. We hired some men from Government Camp to work on roofing. They came each day, shoveled snow from the area and laid shingles. With freezing weather on the weekend, a group of employees from Bear Springs Ranger District would help us as long as the beer and the food lasted. With this extra help, we managed to get the building closed in.

Mo and I were living in a 20-foot travel trailer. It was crowded with us and our two golden retrievers. We made the move from the trailer to the new home on Mother’s Day in May 1979. The new house was crude, but it had electricity, running water, and a functioning bathroom.

It was time to do the landscaping. The surface of the area was covered with softball to basketball size rocks. We picked rocks from about 2 acres for our lawn and large garden. We’d use the rocks to build a retaining wall. It was during that project that we started referring to our place as Rocky Top Ranch.

Over the next few years, we focused on our careers and the garden. I finished my thesis, became a certified silviculturist, and took on the job of prescribing all timber harvesting for the ranger district. A few years later, I was honored with the Department of Agriculture’s Superior Service Award, which came with a little cash and a family trip to Washington, D.C.

Back at the homestead, Mo and I grew just about everything that would take to Oregon soil — strawberries, raspberries, grapes, even watermelons and cantaloupes. We had asparagus beds and rows of vegetables from carrots to zucchini. But growing it was only half the job; under the tutelage of her mom, Pat, and Grandma Albie West, Mo became a master at preserving. She canned, froze, and dried everything, even turning out homemade sauerkraut and pickles. Every year, we canned at least 100 quarts of tomatoes alone.

Katie’s life was good

the years we lived at Rocky Top Ranch. Grandparents visited often, she had dogs, kittens, some chickens, and her first pony to play with. The best thing going on for kids living in rural areas is 4H. She was eight years old when she joined the Juniper Flats 4H club. She showed lambs, pigs, horses and even did sewing in 4-H.

When Katie went to Maupin Grade School Mo started teaching there. Life was good for me during these years. I did not know it then, but within a few years, my lifestyle, my family’s life, and everyone involved with the timber industry would be changed drastically. A common, but seldom seen Spotted Owl was listed as endangered. This bird was found throughout the forests of Oregon, Washington, and northern California. The environmentalists and the court system shut down most timber harvesting on national forests. Logging companies, sawmills, even the Forest Service started downsizing and closing offices. People in rural areas associated with the timber industry began relocating to find employment. Coincidentally, Mo had decided after being a schoolteacher for 13 years, that if she wanted to advance in her career, she needed a master’s degree. Katie and Mo moved to Portland to stay with my mother-in-law while I was to remain at the ranch and try my best to negotiate the political situation between the Forest Service and the environmentalists. It soon became evident that in the near future, Bear Springs Ranger District and the Barlow District would be closed or combined. due to the moratorium on timber harvesting to protect the Spotted Owl. To protect my job, we needed to move and sell the ranch.

My plan had been to work six more years and then retire and be a gentleman rancher on Rocky Top Ranch, but I decided it would be best if I got a job in Portland. By this point, Mo wanted to pursue her PhD. I made a phone call to my friend at the Forest Service regional office in Portland and let them know my situation. Within a week I had an offer I could not refuse. While my office was in Portland. I often traveled to all 21 National Forests in Oregon and Washington. My dream of retirement at Rocky Top Ranch was gone, but in the end, the alternative turned out better for everyone. It was

a rewarding experience, developing a fully functional hobby ranch from undeveloped land with no improvements at the beginning. Mo finished her doctorate and began teaching at Willamette University, later to get tenure as a Director of the School of Education.

I am thankful for the time living in the area when the population and local economy of Juniper Flats was at its peak. I had a good career for 25 years at Bear Springs Ranger District and lived 14 years on Rocky Top Ranch in Pine Grove on Juniper Flats in Wasco County, Oregon.”

My dad’s story may have ended there, in his words, but the life he built didn’t stop on that page. So I’ll do my best to finish it for him.

Not long after, he retired from the Forest Service at age 55. My Mom followed soon after, and together they stepped into a new season of life. They embraced the freedom they had earned, traveling the world hand in hand. They explored the wild beauty of Alaska, wandered through the old-world charm of Europe, and cruised to places they had long dreamed of seeing, always choosing small ships with small groups, just the way they liked it. They rafted down the Snake River, strolled along Oregon’s beaches, and found joy in the simple adventures close to home. No matter where their travels took them, Mt. Hood remained their compass. They spent more and more time at their cabin on the mountain, where they were happiest.

My mom joined the Skiyente Ski Club, while my dad devoted himself to preserving the mountain’s history. He was instrumental in founding the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum, pouring his knowledge and energy into creating a place that would safeguard the stories he loved for generations to come.

Eventually, they sold their home on Sauvie Island and moved to Happy Valley, wanting to be closer to Mt. Hood, and closer to me. I was blessed to live just two miles away from them for the last eleven years of their lives. During that time, they were irreplaceable participants in my sons’ childhoods. My Dad took them on hikes, led them through museums all over Oregon, taught them how to build campfires and whittle sticks, and, of course, shared stories from the past

that brought history to life. My Mom loved reading with them, playing games, and taking them on fun little adventures. They never missed a birthday, a soccer game, a school performance, or a holiday. And my dad always thoughtfully showed up at my door with a home-cooked meal after a long workday, somehow knowing exactly what I needed before I could say a word. We were always connected like that. More often than not, one of us would pick up the phone to call, only to find the other was already dialing. We used to joke that we shared the same wavelength, a sort of unspoken connection that never really needed words.

My Dad spent his life telling the stories of others. Now it’s our turn to tell his:

The story of Lloyd Musser. Forest ranger, Curator, Historian, Steward of Mt. Hood.

And above all else, my Dad. My parents shared a storybook love, the kind you rarely witness and never forget. Over the years, they became inseparable, two souls moving through life as one. They were best friends, constant companions, and the love of each other’s lives. When my Mom passed, a part of my Dad went with her. And just seven months later, he left to join her in Heaven, because he couldn’t stay here without her. I find it beautifully fitting, even romantic, that he passed on Ski the Glade Day, the annual fundraiser he started for the museum. After all, he and my mom skied the Glade Trail together on their wedding day. I like to think that, on that last day, he simply decided it was time to go skiing with her again.

Thank you for reading my Dad’s stories all these years in the Mountain Times, also for loving my parents and allowing them to love you.

We will be celebrating both of their lives together, as it should be, in July at Timberline Lodge. Details will be shared soon via Facebook and the Mt Hood Museum. In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask that donations be made to the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum, so his legacy of education and preservation can continue.

Dave Winterling Takes Over the Reins at Mt. Hood Museum

By Justin Andress

The Mountain Times

Since 2001, the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum has served as both a touchstone for mountain locals exploring their community’s past and a point of welcome for visitors to our region of Oregon. For the last two decades, a large part of that duty fell to the museum’s curator, Lloyd Musser.

At the end of 2024, Musser stepped down from his duties and passed the reins to Mt. Hood fixture Dave Winterling. Sadly, Musser passed away shortly after he retired. Still, Musser’s vision for the museum and the surrounding community has a solid steward in Winterling.

Winterling has been in Oregon since 1999. A lifetime skier, Winterling never stayed away from Mt. Hood for too long. He even raised his kids on the

world-famous Mt. Hood Ski Patrol as a volunteer.

The Mt. Hood Ski Patrol has etched its own space in Mt. Hood’s history. It was established in 1937, a record that makes it the oldest ski patrol in the United States. They remain the only ski patrol to support year-round skiing. After 10 years on patrol, Winterling has risen to president of the esteemed organization.

“We have about 200 volunteers,” says Winterling of the massive undertaking. “We work weekend shifts at Timberline, Mt. Hood Meadows and Ski Bowl. In the morning, we help set up the ski area and we help sweep at the end of the day. In between, we respond to cases where people have been injured and do assessment and treatment on the hill and transport them to the first aid room. At Timberline or Ski Bowl, on a weekend,

With that leadership and logistical experience under his belt, Winterling, who’s volunteered at the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum since 2017, felt like the perfect choice to ensure Lloyd Musser’s dream turned into a reality. Dave will be the first to tell you that he’s got “big shoes to fill,” but his hope for the museum’s future is certainly contagious.

“Lloyd and the team here have a lot of great plans,” says Winterling. “So my mission is to make sure those continue. The biggest being the 3-phase plan to expand our footprint here.”

Over the next few years, the Museum will expand in the hopes of adding new exhibits and community spaces and relieving the increasing pressure on its archive. “We’re really ready to go from a design standpoint. The next step is to work with contractors and get

and Museum is working alongside the State of Oregon and Clackamas County to build a restroom and community plaza on the parcel of land that abuts the Museum. As an official visitors center, the new construction will give visitors and locals even more reasons to stop and soak up the expansive culture of Mt. Hood.

In addition to those plans, Winterling will be tasked with expanding the reach of the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum. “We have some really fun historic events and monthly, what we call social history, happy hour events,” says Winterling. The mixture of guest speakers, interesting exhibits, and fascinating facts means a trip to the Museum’s Government Camp location is never time wasted.

Best of all, anyone can enjoy the exhibits on display for free. As Winterling explains, “It’s free admission. We gladly accept donations, but we don’t ever want there to be a barrier for somebody coming in.”

While it is free to visit, the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum relies on community support to keep going. Memberships can be purchased for $30 a year for individuals and $50 a year for families. You can also donate whatever money you have

SEPTIC

By Steve Wilent

For The Mountain Times

Before I get into the snow, I have a few words about the recent firings of federal employees. As you may have heard, thousands of federal employees recently were fired, including 3,400 USFS employees and hundreds of BLM employees. Some of them may be rehired, at least temporarily, while the courts do their work. I often work or interact with US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employees on behalf of AntFarm Youth Services (a nonprofit contractor for both agencies), as a member of a federal Resource Advisory Committee for the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests, and as a participant in Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership meetings. As a forestry instructor at Mt. Hood Community College, numerous agency employees have come to my classes over the years to lead field tours or to make presentations (including virtually, when Covid prevented in-person meetings). And as a private citizen I often encounter agency employees while recreating, buying firewood-cutting permits, taking tours, and so on.

In the past I’ve complained about some of the agencies’ decisions and policies, but not about the people. By and large, the vast majority of the individuals I’ve worked or interacted with are highly professional,

The Woodsman: Snow Pack in Decline Throughout the Western United States

well educated, dedicated, and, in general, do very good work. Too many have been suddenly and undeservedly fired or laid off in recent weeks without cause. They deserve our respect and support. When you encounter a federal employee, or a former employee, I hope you’ll tell them that you appreciate their good work.

Now, the white stuff. We’ve had a bit of snow in our area so far this year — typical amounts, nothing surprising. Snowfall at Timberline Lodge had a 131-inch base depth at the lodge, at 6,000 feet, on March 1. That’s lower than the long-term March 1 average of 145 inches. However, there’s still a bit of winter weather yet to come, so the base may reach the April 1 average of 165 inches by that date, which is usually when the snowpack on the mountain begins to decline.

According to Timberline statistics, which go back to 1949, the 2020s have so far been about average, as decades go. The 1990s had the highest average snow depth, while the 1960s had the lowest.

The situation at lower elevations is far different.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, April snowpack on mountains in the western US declined at 81 percent of the sites measured since 1955. The average change across all sites amounts to about an 18-percent decline. Also, nearly 80 percent of the sites have experienced a shift toward earlier peak snowpack. And the length of the snowpack season has decreased by about 15 days, on average. Why?

Climate change is a big part of the answer.

Average annual precipitation in Oregon and the western US has remained remarkably steady since 1895, according to National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration data—there’s no significant trend up or down. At the same time, the trend in average annual temperature in Oregon and the Western US is increasing at a rate of 2.2 to 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit per century.

In other words, it’s getting warmer. The result is that we’re getting less snow and more rain at lower elevations.

That’s bad news for skiers, snowboarders, and other winter recreation enthusiasts, of course. These changes also have dramatic impacts on forests, fish, wildlife, agriculture, domestic drinking water,

and hydroelectric power generation. With warmer summers and forests that dry out earlier, wildfires will continue to plague our region. The die-offs of Western red cedar trees throughout the region probably is related to increasing temperatures.

The Woodsman, remembering the old saying about making lemonade when life offers lemons, will find plenty to write about in the future.

Have a question about climate change and forests? Want to know how snowpack is measured? Let me know. Email: SWilent@gmail.com.

Average base snow depth by decade at Timberline Lodge, at about 6,000 feet elevation.

Meditation & Discussion | 9am

Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org

Zoom Meeting

Yoga with Kate ($15-25) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Spanish Class | 3pm

Sandy Library Community Room

English Class | 4pm

Sandy Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Pentunia & The Vipers | 7pm Western Swing Skyway Bar & Grill

Live Music | Varies^

Every Sunday @ Al Forno Ferruzza

Live Music | Varies^^

Every Sunday @ Chicali Cantina

Meditation & Discussion | 9am

Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org

Zoom Meeting

Introduction to iPad & iPhone | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Sensory Playgroup | 10am

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Teen Hangout | 4pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room Pop-Up Dinner | 5pm

Reservations Required | Call 503.622.4618

Alpine Events

Seafood & Wine Happy Hour | 5pm

Cooper’s & Mt. Hood Baking Co.

Tickets Purchased in Advance Cooper’s Wine Bar

Narcotics Anonymous | 6pm

Hoodland Lutheran Church

Meditation & Discussion | 6:30pm Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org Zoom Meeting

Men’s Book Club | 7pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Live Music | Varies*

Every Monday @ Wraptitude

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Creation Station | 10am

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Mouse & Keyboard Basics | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Author Visit | 4pm

Caroline Allen

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Read to a Dog | 4:15pm

Sandy Library Kids’ Room

Community Business Meeting | 5pm

All Business Owners are Invited!

Mt. Hood Oregon Resort

Al-Anon | 5pm

St. John in The Woods Church

Community Sound Bath | 7pm

$15-30 Sliding Scale | Bring Comfortable Seat

Registration Required HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar Trivia | 7pm Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Google Drive & Google Docs | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

HSC Board of Directors Meeting | 1pm Hoodland Senior Center Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Kids Club - Legos | 4pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Read to a Dog | 4:15pm

Sandy Library Kids’ Room Al-Anon | 5pm

St. John in The Woods Church

Trivia | 7pm

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Internet Basics | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am St. John in the Woods Catholic

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Sandy Rotary Club | 4:30pm

Sandy Fire District

13 14 15 16

Yoga with Kate ($15-25) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Spanish Class | 3pm

Sandy Library Community Room

English Class | 4pm

Sandy Library Community Room

Fingers and Chilly | 5pm Chicali Cantina

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Karaoke Sunday | Varies

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Second Passover Seder Tonight

Meditation & Discussion | 9am

Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org

Zoom Meeting

Yoga with Kate ($15-25) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

French Conversation Group | 2:30pm Hoodland Library

Teen Advisory Board | 4pm

Registration Required rhanset@ci.sandy.or.us

Sandy Library Community Room

Bee City USA Group Meeting | 6pm

Sandy Community & Senior Center

Narcotics Anonymous | 6pm

Hoodland Lutheran Church

Meditation & Discussion | 6:30pm Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org Zoom Meeting

Yoga | 6:30pm Coffehouse 26

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Sensory Playgroup | 10am

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Hoodland Library Book Group | 4pm

Hoodland Library Community Room

Read to a Dog | 4:15pm

Sandy Library Kids’ Room WPTCO Meeting | 4:30pm

Welches Elementary School Library

Al-Anon | 5pm

St. John in The Woods Church

Wy’East Artisans Guild | 6:30pm

Presents Artist

Sandy’s AntFarm Cafe

Trivia | 7pm

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Google Drive & Google Docs | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Meditation & Discussion | 6:30pm Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org Zoom Meeting

Narcotics Anonymous | 7pm Sandy AntFarm Cafe & Bakery

Locals & Industry Day: 15% Off Your Meal Chicali Cantina

20 21 22 23

Hoodland Bazaar

Adult Easter Egg Hunt | 12pm

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Spanish Class | 3pm

Sandy Library Community Room

English Class | 4pm

Sandy Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Skyway Bar & Grill Closed

Meditation & Discussion | 9am

Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org

Zoom Meeting

Yoga with Kate ($15-25) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Teen Hangout | 4pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Narcotics Anonymous | 6pm

Hoodland Lutheran Church

Meditation & Discussion | 6:30pm

Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org Zoom Meeting

Yoga | 6:30pm Coffehouse 26

Skyway Bar & Grill Closed

Neighborhood Missions Free Food Day | 9am

Hoodland Lutheran Church

Alcoholics Anonymous | 9am

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Kids Club - STEM | 4pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Read to a Dog | 4:15pm

Sandy Library Kids’ Room Al-Anon | 5pm

St. John in The Woods Church

Shamanic Journey with Cindy | 6pm

$20-40 Sliding Scale | Bring Comfortable Seat

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Trivia | 7pm

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Skyway Bar & Grill Closed

Microsoft Word | 10am

Registration Required call 503-668-5537

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

27 28 29 30

Hoodland Bazaar

Spanish Class | 3pm

Sandy Library Community Room

English Class | 4pm

Sandy Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church

Karaoke Sunday | Varies

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

Maker Lab: Planting & Painting | 10am

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

French Conversation Group | 2:30pm Hoodland Library

Narcotics Anonymous | 6pm

Hoodland Lutheran Church

Edible Gardening Group | 6:30pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Meditation & Discussion | 6:30pm Contact info@wyeastzencenter.org Zoom Meeting

Yoga | 6:30pm Coffehouse 26

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Read to a Dog | 4:15pm

Sandy Library Kids’ Room Al-Anon | 5pm

St. John in The Woods Church

Trivia | 7pm

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill

THURSDAY

Overeaters Anonymous | 6pm

John

Senior Center Teen Dungeons & Dragons | 6pm

Overeaters Anonymous | 6pm

Library Community Room

Mountain Life Community Classes | 5:15pm

to Reserve 503-287-0010

Yoga with Lindsay ($20) | 10am

Registration Required HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Storytime | 10:30am

Hoodland Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

Women’s Meeting St. John in the Woods Catholic Church Bingo! | 6pm

Mt. Hood Lions Club

Johnny Franco & His Real Brother Dom | 7pm

Alternarive Indie

Skyway Bar & Grill

Candle Lighting | 7:22pm Shabbat

Live Music | Varies^ Every Friday @ Al Forno Ferruzza

Yoga with Lindsay ($20) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Storytime | 10:30am Hoodland Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm Women’s Meeting St. John in the Woods Catholic Church Worms Beneath Our Feet/ Worm Bins | 6pm OSU Extension Master Gardners Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room Bingo! | 6pm Mt. Hood Lions Club

Featured Tasting | 6pm Syncline Winery Cooper’s Wine Bar & Shop

Cosmic Journey | 7pm

$30-40 Sliding Scale | Bring Comfort Items, Journal & Pen

Registration Required HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Candle Lighting | 7:31pm Shabbat

Yoga with Lindsay ($20) | 10am

Registration Required

HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Storytime | 10:30am Hoodland Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

Women’s Meeting

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church Bingo! | 6pm

Mt. Hood Lions Club

Deja 2+ | 7pm Folk Rock

Skyway Bar & Grill

Candle Lighting | 7:40pm Shabbat

Teen Egg Hunt | 8pm

Grades 6-8 | 8pm

Grades 9-12 | 8:45pm Meinig Park

Cat & Dog Clinic

Registration Due HoodlandWomensClub.org

Yoga with Lindsay ($20) | 10am

Registration Required HoodlandBazaarEvents@gmail.com

Hoodland Bazaar

Family Storytime | 10am

Sandy Public Library

Steiner Church Tours ($10) | 10am

1937 Steiner Church

Sewing Class ($5) | 10am

Sandy Historical Society Museum

LEGO Club (Ages 5-10) | 1pm

Hoodland Library Community Room Author Visit | 4pm Nancy Wesson

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Fingers and Chilly | 5pm Al Forno Ferruzza

Jim Turin Memorial Italtion Dinner | 5:30pm Mt. Hood Lions Club

The Pat Stilwell Band | 7pm

Family Storytime | 10am

Sandy Public Library

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Mahjong | 2pm

Sandy Library Hoyt Community Room

Hoodland Fiber Arts Circle | 3pm

Hoodland Library Community Room

Fingers and Chilly | 7:30pm

Altitude at Timberline Lodge

The New Mojitos | 7pm

Rock & Roll Jam Band

Skyway Bar & Grill

Live Music | Varies^

Every Saturday @ Al Forno Ferruzza

First Passover Seder Tonight

345 10 11 12 17 18 19 24 25 26 Storytime | 10am Sandy Library Community Room

Life Clinic Arbor Day Celebration | 5:30pm Sandy Bluff Park Grow a Bounty of Tomatoes | 6pm OSU Extension Master Gardners

Library Hoyt Community Room

Overeaters Anonymous | 6pm

Artisans Guild Art Reception | 6:30pm

Speak at 7pm

Actors Theatre Skyway Bar & Grill Closed

Storytime | 10:30am

Hoodland Library Community Room

Alcoholics Anonymous | 6pm

Women’s Meeting

St. John in the Woods Catholic Church Bingo! | 6pm

Mt. Hood Lions Club

Candle Lighting | 7:49pm Shabbat

SOLVE IT in Sandy | 9am

Sandy Community and Senior Center

Family Storytime | 10am

Sandy Public Library

Job Fair | 12pm

Mt. Hood Ski Bowl

Fiber Arts Circle | 2pm

Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Hoodland Fiber Arts Circle | 3pm

Hoodland Library Community Room

Dia del Niño/ Children’s Day | 3pm

Sandy Library

Bid & Bloom Auction & Gala | 5pm 21+ | WPTCO Event Camp Arrah Wanna Scott Pemberton Band | 7pm Timber Rock Skyway Bar & Grill

Cat & Dog Clinic | TBD

Hosted by the Hoodland Women’s Club

Evergreen Park Plaza, Welches

Live Music | Varies^

Every Saturday @ Al Forno Ferruzza

Do you have an event that you would like to promote? Email kaity@mountaintimesoregon.com. Space is limited and not guaranteed. Event details may be edited for simplification.

Due Date is the 15th of prior month. Events are subject to change without notice.

Mountain Matters: Mt. Hood Lions Club/Jim Turin Dinner

By Amber Ford The Mountain Times

As spring rounds the corner for Mt. Hood Villages residents, so does the return of The Mt. Hood Lions Club Jim Turin Memorial Scholarship Dinner. A 20-year tradition for The Mt. Hood Villages community and Mt. Hood Lions

club members, The Jim Turin Memorial Scholarship Dinner will be held Saturday, April 5th.

While all Mt. Hood Lions Club dinners and events have a specific and special benefit for the community, keeping this tradition alive is very important to members both past

and present. According to current Mt. Hood Lions Club president, Dave Anderson, The Jim Turin Memorial Scholarship Dinner not only benefits upcoming graduates but also helps keep alive the memory and dedication of former Mt. Hood Lions Club member and president Jim Turin. “The dinner is named in honor of Jim Turin, a past president and 50 year member of The Mt. Hood Lions Club,” Anderson said. “Jim organized this dinner for many years until his passing. He used his family’s ‘secret’ sauce recipe. He passed away July 22nd, 2020,” Anderson added.

Although many of the dinners and meals served at The Mt. Hood Lions club are favorites of the community, this particular meal is a special favorite for many. The Jim Turin Memorial Scholarship Dinner is a spaghetti dinner which features pasta, Italian sausage, salad and Italian bread. Guests can enjoy happy hour beginning at 5:30pm with

Meet the Athlete

dinner being served at 6pm. With at least 20 Mt. Hood Lions Club members volunteering their time to encourage a successful and prosperous event, the recipients of this dinner are the real shining stars. The Jim Turin Memorial Scholarship dinner is held to benefit those who have applied for this scholarship through The Mt. Hood Lions Club. Applicants must be upcoming graduates of Sandy High School and have gone through the Welches schools prior to beginning their high school education.

Anderson expects to serve approximately 120 dinners for this event so those community members interested in attending are encouraged to grab their tickets in advance. Presale tickets are available for $18 and can be purchased at The Whistle Stop, Welches Mountain Building Supply Company, Coffee House 26, Clackamas County Bank and Mt. Hood Cannabis Company.

Sandy’s Cooper Hibbs: Speed, Skill and Determination

By Joe O’Leary

The Mountain Times

Sprinting with all his might, the only thing Sandy High School senior center fielder Cooper Hibbs is focused on is hawking down a ball hit his way in center field. It looks like he isn’t going to make it, this ball has base hit written all over it – until he lays himself out to snag the ball. There isn’t much more the hitter could have done, the only mistake he made was hitting the ball in Hibbs’ general direction.

“Baseball is very hard. You fail a lot, that’s my

favorite part. It takes a lot of mental capacity to play, to move on from so many mistakes that get made and not live in the past. It teaches you a lot,” Hibbs said. Playing since he was in early elementary school, Hibbs admits his freshman year was when he fully fell in love with the sport.

“That was when I was like, ‘yeah I want to play college baseball,’” Hibbs said. Hibbs is currently committed to continuing his baseball career at Mt. Hood Community College, alongside two of his senior teammates, utility player Max Green

and middle infielder Kobe Sparks. However, the entire senior class of the baseball team has a unique bond.

“We’ve all been playing together for like a decade. I’ll definitely miss the brotherhood,” Hibbs said. “It’s going to be fun to have Max and Kobe going with me. I’ve been playing with them since I was eight. It’s pretty awesome we get to play in college together.”

On the field, Hibbs has a knack for hitting situationally. He can smack the ball for extra base hits when the team needs it or hold back and work counts to simply get on base.

Hibbs possesses highend speed both on the basepaths and in center field. Playing sports his whole life, Hibbs credits his speed as a more natural skill, but not all of the tools he has in his toolbox came this way.

“I think giving 100 percent goes a long way. Doing what I need to do to get stronger and better in the offseason and being a team guy and picking others up [on

the field],” Hibbs said. Off the diamond, Hibbs is a pretty unassuming guy. Like many in Sandy, he likes to spend his free time fishing, a sport that stands in stark contrast to the high leverage action of baseball; Hibbs seems to enjoy it for the exact opposite reason he loves baseball.

“I fish for anything, man. Just as long as I’m out there, I’m at peace,” Hibbs explained. As his senior baseball season continues and Hibbs proceeds in his development as a player, it will be interesting to see not only how he performs, but how the entire SHS baseball team does throughout the season. With the team ranked 15th in 6A Prep Baseball Oregon preseason polling, Hibbs hopes that high expectations will serve as a motivator for the squad.

“We want to win conference. We want to make a state run, show everyone what Sandy can do in the playoffs,” Hibbs said.

Welches Middle School art class. 6th, 7th and 8th graders completed a chalk drawing titled, Ice Cream

April Welches Parent Teacher Community Organization

By Cassie Kanable, WTPCO

For The Mountain Times

Hello Welches Families! March was a busy and exciting month!

We hosted the Scholastic Book Fair, gathered for a fun PTCO Movie Night, and cheered on our Reading Rizzlers, who placed first at the Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) Regionals! They will now represent Welches Schools at the OBOB State Competition on April 12 — good luck! Reading Rizzlers, we’re cheering you on!

As we move into April, we have even more exciting events on the horizon. From welcoming new kindergarten families to preparing for our biggest fundraiser of the year, there are plenty of ways to get involved and support our school community!

BID & BLOOM

SPRING AUCTION

+ GALA –

APRIL 26, 2025

Our biggest event of the year is almost here! Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Bid &

Bloom Spring Auction + Gala on Saturday, April 26, 2025, 5:00 PM at Camp Arrah Wanna. This 21+ event will feature delicious food, drinks, live entertainment, raffles, and an incredible silent auction — all to support arts programs and enrichment activities at Welches Schools, providing students access to music, theater, hands-on art, and cultural experiences.

• Doors Open: 5:00 PM

• Dinner & Silent Auction: 5:30-7:00 PM Raffle & Wine Pull: 7:30 PM

• Tickets: $35 per person (includes dinner, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverages; beer, wine, and cocktails available for purchase).

Purchase your tickets in advance at www. welchesptco.org/auction. Each advance ticket purchase enters you into a drawing for a $100 Silent Auction Credit! Can’t attend? You can still support Welches students by making

a one-time or recurring donation at www. welchesptco.org/auction.

For more information about our upcoming Bid & Bloom Spring Auction + Gala, or to volunteer or donate the event, visit welchesptco.org/auction or scan the QR code at the end of the article. Thank you for your continued support — we couldn’t do this without our incredible mountain community!

KINDERGARTEN

KICK-OFF –

APRIL 15, 5:30 PM

Do you have a child entering kindergarten this fall? Join us for the Kindergarten Kick-Off on Tuesday, April 15, at 5:30 PM at Welches Elementary School! Meet the teachers and get pertinent information & assistance with online registration, while the kiddos have fun! To register, visit www.oregontrailschools.com/enrollment or call the school office at 503-622-3165. Please bring your child’s birth certificate, proof of address, and vaccination records.

WELCHES PTCO COMMUNITY MEETING –

APRIL 15, 4:30 PM

Join us for our next PTCO meeting in the Welches Elementary Library. Come learn how you can get involved!

LITTLE STEPS TO SUCCESS –MAY 1, 6:00 PM

A special evening for local preschoolers (ages 3-5) and their parents! Enjoy stories, skill-building activities, and meet future classmates and teachers. Free childcare for siblings provided. Visit www.oregontrailschools.com for details.

Thank you for your continued support of Welches Schools! To stay updated on events, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities, visit www. welchesptco.org or email info@welchesptco.org.

MARCH 2025

STUDENTS OF EXCELLENCE

WELCHES ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

BACK ROW LEFT TO RIGHT

JJ Harrell, 4th | Trudy Cavanaugh, 6th Riley Carrier, 8th | Levi Evans, 7th

THIRD ROW LEFT TO RIGHT

Autumn Hanifin, 5th | Iris Wilson, 3rd Rowdi Bodrero, 3rd

SECOND ROW LEFT TO RIGHT

Ona Roundy, 2nd | Zahvia Freeman, 1st Addison Dieter, 3rd

FRONT AND CENTER

Vada Henry, K

ABSENT (PICTURED BELOW) Tiko Moreno, 4th

SPONSORED BY GINA SHINGLER

The Whole Tooth: Laughing About Laughing Gas

By Dr. Robert Kelly, D.M.D.

General Dentist, McKenzie Dental

Laughing gas has been a popular tool for managing dental anxiety for decades. I remember doing a training for it a long time ago and we got to try it on each other for practice. It works for a majority of people, but there are some that do not feel its effects or feel the opposite of relaxed. I found out that training day that it works on me! It really can help you relax and feel at ease quickly.

More recently, we have seen a decrease in the prominence of nitrous oxide in dental

practices. Fewer offices use it and even fewer offices offer it. Why is that?

There could be numerous reasons for this, some of which are financial and others that are regulatory hassles. Other reasons include environmental concerns, as it is a greenhouse gas that can contribute to global warming. It can also have negative effects on the dental provider’s health with prolonged exposure, and can be particularly risky for pregnant mothers. Another reason is that dental offices have changed dramatically over the past few decades, to much more patient-centric operations. There is much more attention paid to the comfort of patients than in the past, which has translated to overall reduced anxiety when going to the dental office.

Local anesthetics have become really good and so have oral pharmaceutical sedatives, which

have gained in popularity as a way to reduce anxiety.

Perhaps not at the top of the list but still a factor is that it can be addictive! I have never had a problem, but I do remember learning in training that it is possible to become addicted to nitrous – and of course the most common person to have access to it is a dentist.

In fact, just recently there was a story in the news about a dentist in Texas who was pulled over for speeding by the police. He apparently ignored the police attempts to stop his vehicle for about a half mile before finally pulling over. When he did finally stop, he admitted to police that he had been inhaling nitrous oxide all day. You’ve got to appreciate the honesty there. In this case, his use would have been difficult to hide, as they found him in possession of 108 canisters of nitrous oxide, all of which were

seized. That is a serious amount of laughing gas. On top of that, he was out on bail at the time for

a previous nitrous oxide offense.

In the case of the joyriding Thelma-and-

Louise-super-high-Texas-dentist, laughing gas, it turns out, is not so funny.

By Dr. Lyon of Orchid Health

For The Mountain Times

Access to quality healthcare is essential for everyone, but rural communities often face unique challenges in getting the care they need. At Orchid Health Hoodland, we believe in challenging the status quo and bringing quality care close to home.

How

Orchid Health Hoodland Supports the Community

COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY CARE CLOSE TO HOME

Instead of traveling long distances for basic healthcare, residents in the Hoodland area can receive preventative care, routine checkups, vaccinations, and treatment for common

illnesses at Orchid Health Hoodland. Our clinic provides family medicine services tailored to all ages, from infants to seniors.

PEDIATRIC CARE: SUPPORTING HEALTHY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Our pediatric care includes well-child visits, immunizations,

developmental screenings, and treatment for acute and chronic conditions. By providing these services close to home, we help parents ensure their children’s health without the burden of long travel times.

We provide these services at no cost for our students because of our partnership with

insurers and the state. All school age kids receive care at no out of pocket cost.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Orchid Health Hoodland offers compassionate mental health support, ensuring that patients have a safe space to discuss

their concerns and receive guidance from licensed professionals. Our approach integrates mental health services with primary care, making it easier for patients to receive comprehensive treatment. We offer support for stress, depression, anxiety, & more and use brief, goal-oriented

Well Adjusted: Simple Self-Care for Better Health Health

By Dr. Melanie Brown Chiropractic Physician, Mountain Life Clinic

Caring for yourself doesn’t have to be complicated. Small, consistent habits can significantly impact how you feel every day. From reducing stress to easing muscle tension, simple self-care practices can help support your overall well-being. One often overlooked aspect of self-care is quality sleep. Sleep affects everything from energy levels and digestion to inflammation and mental clarity. Yet many people struggle to get enough rest. Improving your sleep hygiene could make a massive difference if you often wake up groggy, deal with muscle stiffness, or

feel like you’re running on empty.

Sleep Hygiene:

A Key to Self-Care

Good sleep doesn’t just happen — it’s built through consistent habits. How you wind down, your sleep position, and even how you start your morning all affect how well your body recovers overnight.

When to Limit Screens

A good night’s sleep starts well before bedtime. Blue light from phones, TVs, and tablets suppresses melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep. Ideally, screens should be turned off at least an hour before bed. Instead, try reading, stretching, or relaxing in a dimly lit room. If avoiding screens isn’t realistic, consider using blue-light-blocking glasses or switching devices to night mode to reduce the impact.

Finding a Comfortable Sleep Position

Your sleeping position can affect spinal

alignment, muscle tension, and how well you rest. Here’s how different positions compare:

• Back sleeping supports spinal health and reduces pressure on joints. For proper alignment, a cervical support pillow helps maintain the natural curve of your neck. Placing a bolster under your knees can further support the lower back, easing tension and promoting comfort.

• Side sleeping is ideal for circulation and digestion, especially on the left side. Check your pillow height to ensure your neck is properly supported, as a pillow that is too high or too low can misalign your neck and lead to tension. The key is to keep your nose in line with your navel. A body pillow to hug can keep your upper body aligned and prevent your shoulders from collapsing. It will also help keep your hips in a more neutral position, reducing strain on the lower back. If you don’t have a body pillow, a rolled-up quilt works just as well.

• Stomach sleeping: I always tell my patients this — unless you can breathe through your ears or have a hole in your mattress, don’t do it! Stomach sleeping twists your neck and puts significant strain on your spine. But if it’s the only way you can rest, using a thin pillow or no pillow at all can reduce the strain on your neck. You might also try placing a pillow

the care they need without financial strain.

under your hips to relieve pressure on your lower back.

Building a SleepHealthy Routine

Good sleep hygiene involves both bedtime and morning habits. In the evening, dim the lights, drink herbal tea, and try gentle stretches to relax your body.

Consider starting your day with a glass of warm lemon water. Not only is it refreshing, but it also supports digestion and liver health. Many people find it a pleasant way to hydrate before enjoying their morning coffee. Plus, it sets a gentle, nourishing tone for the day.

Getting natural light within 30 minutes of waking can also regulate your body’s internal clock. Hydrating and moving your body, even with light stretching or a short walk, can further boost your energy and mood.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Sleep needs vary by age, and while some people may feel rested with fewer hours, most benefit from the following guidelines:

• Adults (18-64 years): 7-9 hours

• Teens (14-17 years): 8-10 hours

Children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours

• Older adults (65+ years): 7-8 hours

If you’re not getting enough rest, your body may tell you it’s time to adjust your routine. Paying attention to these signals and making small changes

can lead to lasting improvements in your well-being.

Self-care is about creating simple habits that support your body and mind. Join our free Mountain Life Community Class to learn more about practical self-care techniques

like dry skin brushing, self-jaw release for jaw pain, castor oil packs for detoxification, and sleep hygiene. We’ll cover all these topics on Thursday, April 24, from 5:15 to 6:15 PM at Mountain Life Clinic. Call 503-287-0010 to RSVP and bring a friend!

therapy sessions for all patients 5+ years.

Personalized, Patient-Centered Care

At Orchid Health Hoodland, we focus on building strong relationships with our patients. We take the time to understand individual health concerns and provide personalized care plans that fit each patient’s unique needs.

AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE

Orchid Health Hoodland is committed to making healthcare accessible to everyone in our community. We offer sliding-scale payment options and work with patients to find financial solutions that ensure they receive

Our providers work closely with patients to develop customized plans that address their specific medical history, lifestyle, and personal health goals. We emphasize preventive care and patient education, empowering individuals and families to take control of their well-being.

Additionally, we assist patients in navigating insurance options, including Medicaid and Medicare, helping them understand their coverage and maximize their

benefits. Our team is dedicated to removing financial barriers to healthcare so that no one in our community has to go without necessary medical care.

Orchid Health Hoodland: Here for You. We are deeply rooted in our community.

Our team, who are locals themselves, is dedicated to providing compassionate, exceptional local care.

Whether you need a routine check-up, behavioral health support, pediatric care, or help managing a chronic condition, we’re here for you. Schedule an appointment today and experience the personalized, compassionate care that Orchid Health Hoodland is known for.

Hoodland Women’s Club Highlights

By Cathy Lavin, HWC

For The Mountain Times

Want to usher in summer with time on the golf course and help Hoodland neighbors too? You can do both at the same time by registering for the Hoodland Women’s Club’s (HWC’s) 21st annual “Scramble for Scholarships” on the HWC website at www. hoodlandwomensclub.org or by using this QR code. This year’s tournament will be held on Thursday, June 26, at the Mt. Hood, Oregon Resort.

Even if golfing isn’t your thing, there are multiple ways community members can support the scramble, including sponsorships (a big thanks to Orchid Health, this year’s first sponsor), basket/auction contributions and outright donations. Sponsorship forms are also available on the website.

Although the primary focus of the tournament is to raise funds for scholarships, proceeds from the tournament also support other aspects of HWC’s Community Fund. An auction at the HWC Fall Gala on October 4 will also support the Fund. It’s not too early to think about contributing something for that event. Contact info@ hoodlandwomensclub.org for details.

Funds are available for Hoodland neighbors who are experiencing hardships that affect their immediate physiological needs, including food, shelter and safety. They can request assistance by submitting a completed Hardship Assistance Form. In addition to being available electronically on the HWC website, paper copies of the form can be obtained at the Hoodland Library, the Hoodland Senior Center and Neigh-

borhood Missions. Once HWC receives a request, an HWC member will contact the requester to confirm eligibility and share more information about the process.

An April 26 dog and cat clinic in partnership with Northwest Mobile Vet is open to the entire Hoodland community. Advance registration is due April 18. Again, check out the HWC website.

Another way to support HWC programs (while adding color to homes and businesses) is to purchase flower baskets via the Club’s annual sale. Order forms are available electronically on the club’s website. Baskets will be available for pick up on Saturday, May 17, from 10-noon at the parking lot next to the community garden and across from Welches Schools off Salmon River Road.

HWC members also fulfill the Club’s mission of “helping the whole community” through HWC’s twice yearly road clean up. The spring clean up is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15. HWC members will start at the intersection of Highway 26 and Salmon River Road in Welches and continue

along a two-mile stretch of Salmon River Road. Using trash bags, pickers and vests supplied by Clackamas County, volunteers will collect discarded cans and bottles along with other trash, a process that will be repeated in the fall.

Community social events are one more way that HWC brings the Hoodland community together. Most recently, Hoodland neighbors enjoyed a card social (participants chose their favorite card games) on March 13 at Cooper’s Wine Bar.

There are also regu lar events open only to HWC members. In still another nod to spring, members can register for a bouquet making class (space is limited) sched uled for April 12. HWC membership is open to anyone who calls the Hoodland Community home, whether full time or part time.Individuals can enroll on the HWC website or get more information by emailing board@hood landwomensclub.org. Those interested are also invited to attend one of the monthly HWC meetings. The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m. at Kiwanis Club Camp.

Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Each

(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)

2024 Golf Tournament participants.

SUDOKU

Edited by Margie E.

Margie E.

CROSSWORD by Margie E. Burke

SUDOKU by Margie E. Burke

Mt. Hood Flowers of the Month

By Madeline Bombardi For The Mountain Times

The lingering chill of winter gives way to the embrace of slowly emerging spring flowers, signaling a time of renewal and growth. At Mount Hood Flowers, the arrival of hellebores, crocus and tulips marks the first colorful splash of the season. With their graceful petals and bold, lively hues — ranging from vivid purples to radiant reds, subtle pinks, and golden yellows — spring flowers symbolize the freshness and optimism of the season.

This month, Mount Hood Flowers is offer -

MT. HOOD FLOWERS

Bouquets | Weddings | Events

ing a spring arrangement that captures the essence of the season. The vibrant colors of the tulips are complemented by soft greenery, creating a harmonious and dynamic display that feels both fresh and uplifting. Whether you’re celebrating Easter or simply looking to bring a burst of spring into someone’s life, this bouquet is the ideal way to share the promise of warmer days ahead. With tulips, you’re not just giving a flower — you’re offering a symbol of hope and renewal that’s sure to brighten anyone’s day.

Locally Sourced From Oregon Flower Farms

WEB: MTHOODFLOWERS.COM

EMAIL: MTHOODFLOWERS@GMAIL.COM

INSTAGRAM: @MTHOODFLOWERS

Local News

Hoodland CPO

By Pat Erdenberger, Hoodland CPO

For The Mountain Times

We welcome a very busy month of April! Most of you know that the goal of the Hoodland Community Planning Organization (HCPO) is to bring County information to our Hoodland community and provide a voice back to the County.

The HCPO will hold an in-person community meeting on Thursday, April 17th at 7PM at the Mt. Hood Resort’s main building, the Doug Fir Room. The topic for our meeting will be of interest to many. We’re a community of both residents and holiday seekers. We always want to know more, be more informed and share our thoughts.

Bringing together two viewpoints for commu -

nity success and livability, Peter Himes, a new HCPO Board member and President of the Mt. Hood Livability Coalition will bring us up to speed on the progress and challenges with the County’s Short Term Rental Program. And a second speaker we will engage will be a local property management company representative to share insights into the property rental business. Contact Lisa Massena at Lisa.Hoodlandcpo@gmail.com

Marti Bowne of the HCPO Board is planning an early April meeting to help us all get up to speed on GMRS Radios. The CPO is continuing to work on a simplified framework for citizens’ emergency communication. Provisionally named the “Hoodland Emergency Communica-

tion Network (HECN)” the concept has already attracted interest from several dozen people living in the Hoodland CPO area.

HECN would constitute a Mt. Hood corridor communications network for emergencies and will provide a helpful measure of resilience in our community. Please continue to contact us at: hoodlandcpo@gmail.com if you are curious and interested in more information.

Mountain Science Night will return in another very exciting event that will continue the series of science speakers that began in March. The success of the March standingroom-only event has resulted in the generous offer of a larger room for the in April

evening at the Rendezvous Restaurant and Grille in Welches. Bring your friends – this will be fun.

The April 2nd Mountain Science Night will feature Jeff Kline, Phd, OSU Faculty and Research Forester, USDA PNW Research Station. Dr Kline’s areas of interest in research are environmental and natural resource economics, land use, public policy. He will be addressing some of the challenges and responsibilities for us in the potential changing wildfire regime in Western Oregon. Please join us in support of this Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership event on Wednesday, April 2nd 6:00-7:30PM at the Rendezvous.

Thanks to the Mountain Times, the Rendezvous Restaurant, the Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership, and the wonderful Mt. Hood Resort in Welches, OR. “It Takes This Village”

patiently. Pietro would need a nice quiet home, preferably with no young children and no other pets. Pietro is currently with a wonderful foster family getting used to life outside of the shelter. If you are interested in him, fill out our cat adoption application today! He would join your home neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped for an adoption fee of $120.

Exploring the Origins of Our Community Names Part Four of Four

By Marie Kennedy

The Mountain Times

As we head down the mountain, this final piece in our series continues to explore the stories behind the towns of the Mount Hood corridor — each stop, a link to the past.

ZIGZAG

In 1845 Joel Palmer documented his descent into Zigzag Canyon in his search for a path west through the Mount Hood wilderness. He wrote, “The manner of descending is to turn directly to the right, go zigzag for about one hundred yards, then turn short round, and go zigzag until you come under the place where you started from…” Palmer’s description stuck and that is how the name “Zigzag” came into being.

The area gained official recognition in 1907 when Percy Shelley was appointed the first District Ranger of the Zigzag Ranger District. On his recommendation, the site was chosen for the new ranger station. Over time, the station expanded, becoming a vital hub for managing the surrounding Mount Hood National Forest.

WELCHES

These days Welches, Oregon has a shopping mall, a resort with a golf course, a post office, apartments, a bakery, salons, a traffic light.

Welches was named after Samuel Welch, a Virginia homesteader who settled in the area in 1882. In 1905, a post office was established, but postal regulations would not allow the use of an apostrophe in a town name, so it became known as Welches.

Over time, Samuel and his son had purchased approximately 1,000 acres in the valley, and along the slopes of Hunchback and Huckleberry Mountains. The sprawling ranch included barns and corrals, pastures, dairy cows, beef cattle, and other livestock.

In 1905, the property was developed into a resort for summer visitors, with a dining hall, a store and a dance hall. With the abundance of fishing and hunting, Welches became a popular stop for travelers and summer campers. In 1911, Billy married Jennie Faubion, and the two managed the businesses and the post office themselves.

Welches became home to the first golf resort in Oregon in 1928, built on property leased by Ralph Shattuck and George Waale – located on one of the Welch’s family hayfields. Eventually, Billy and Jennie managed the golf course, too.

Following Billy’s death, Jennie Welch became the Welches Postmistress,

and worked there until 1960. She continued selling antiques until her passing at 95 years of age, in 1985.

WEMME

Wemme, Oregon was named for E. Henry Wemme, and was granted a post office in 1916. Mr. Wemme was an interesting fellow: he was a successful Portland businessman and philanthropist with a passion for automobiles and aviation.

He purchased the Barlow Road in 1912 for $5,400. The road had fallen into disrepair over the years, and Wemme made many badly needed improvements. Before his passing, he bequeathed the road to the state of Oregon, paving the way — both literally and figuratively — for the highway we use today.

Local journalist Paul Keller, in the May 2024 issue of Beneath Wy’East, recounted an interview with Jennie Welch. She fondly remembered her friend Henry Wemme and his passion for automobiles, noting that he owned Oregon’s very first car and kept license plate #1 on every vehicle he owned thereafter.

BRIGHTWOOD AND SALMON

Salmon, Oregon stood near the confluence of the Salmon and Sandy Rivers. In 1891 a post office was established

in Salmon. In 1910, however, the post office was moved, and the town was renamed Brightwood – reportedly named by William A. Alcorn for the sun shining through the cottonwood trees along the riverbanks.

Brightwood has celebrated two centennial anniversaries. The first, in 1991, marked 100 years since the establishment of Salmon, Oregon. The second, in 2010, commemorated a century since the town’s renaming. As reported in the Oregonian on May 15, 2010, “Brightwood takes every chance to celebrate a centennial.” Indeed!

One of the most significant early businesses was the Sandy Lumber Co., established in the early 1900s, located on Sleepy Hollow Road near the Marmot Bridge. Their employees were offered free lumber for home construction, access to free water, and firewood for heating. The mill complex included a sawmill, a grade school, worker housing with a cookhouse, and a barber chair.

Thelma Winters Buswell, born in 1913, grew up in the complex. In an interview published by the Sandy Historical Society, she recalled, “We lived next door to the Brightwood School. Charley Bailey, the old fiddle player, lived on one side of our house with his three children.” She continued, “It became a close community with the school as the center. It was only a short walk up to the Brightwood dance hall to enjoy fiddlers Charley Bailey and Pete Stone.” Mrs. Buswell passed away in 2014 at 100 years of age.

CHERRYVILLE

Last stop is Cherryville, which was my first home on the mountain, and I still have ties there. At a town meeting, local residents named the

town for the wild cherries that grew in the area. The post office was established in 1884, and closed in 1958. The old post office building, a local landmark, burned down in 2021.

As with other towns further up the mountain, Cherryville Road is a section of the old highway. Today, what’s left of the original dirt and plank road follows what is now a fence line on the back side of existing Cherryville properties. A school, a hotel and a general store, guest houses, a church and graveyard, the old post office – all were interspersed through the area. Much of the town was taken out when they built the new highway.

While the church is gone, the graveyard is still accessible, if you know how to find it. In

2014, it was designated a local historic site and given a marker by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Big thanks to Aaron and Vikki Ballou for the grand four-wheel tour of Cherryville. Aaron and Vikki were featured in the January issue of the Mountain Times. They grew up together, in Cherryville, fell in love and have been married for 56 years. Congrats again, you two.

Next time you’re not in a hurry to get to town, take a slow drive down some of the old loop roads. Imagine a time when the journey up the mountain took days, with plenty of stops along the way — places to rest, chat with neighbors, and maybe even enjoy a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.

The original road to Mount Hood, on a good day. (From the collection of photographer and historian Gary Randall)

Cherryville Cemetery Marker, designated a historical site.

Outdoors

The Viewfinder: Life With a Fresh Perspective

By Gary Randall

a mutiny, leaving me with a pain level that could regis -

ter on the Richter scale. But in the midst of it all, I find myself feeling something unexpected — gratitude.

I’ve been fortunate to

have good health most of my life, which is something I no longer take for granted. Health issues took my brother at 35 and my father at 62, and here I am at 66, still able to enjoy life. My mother, at 83, is still with me and doing well. She has been my rock — always there for me, through thick and thin. Since losing my dad and brother, she and I have grown even closer. If she needs something, I’m there. If I need something, she’s here.

I don’t even want to imagine going through this recovery alone. Darlene has been keeping me in check, making sure I take my meds on time — a task that feels like managing inventory at a pharmacy. There are pills of every shape, size, and color: round ones, square ones, blue ones, orange ones, even a couple fancy two-tone capsules. If I ever get bored, I could probably start a side hobby arranging them by hue and geometric shape into a Roman mosaic. Sleep, however, has been a lost cause. “Sleep in a recliner,” they said. “It’ll be more comfortable,” they said. My aching back disagrees. Lying in bed isn’t much better, because I’m stuck on my arthritic back no matter what, and no amount of pillow

propping seems to help. So in the absence of rest, I find myself writing stories like this one — mostly because I haven’t had much else to do.

Being forced into stillness has been its own kind of challenge. I’m not one to sit still for long, and as I stare out the window, I can hear the little voice in my head reminding me of everything I’m not doing. If I can sit here and write this, surely, I can tackle the mountain of things waiting for me. But that’s the problem with recovery — it demands patience, and patience has never been my strong suit.

In the quiet moments of these past few weeks, I’ve had time to reflect. I’ve thought about those who aren’t as fortunate—those who are struggling with chronic pain, those who don’t have a support system, those who don’t have much to be thankful for. It has made me more empathetic toward others facing challenges and has deepened my appreciation for everything I do have.

Thankfully, I’ve had emotional support through this. Hazel, my loyal red heeler, has been by my side like a faithful companion, sensing when I need a little extra comfort.

Whether it’s lying on my lap as I stare out the window or giving me that look that says, “You’ve been sitting around long enough,” she’s helped lift my moods more than that little dog will ever know. This experience, as painful as it has been, has given me a fresh perspective. It has reminded me of how much I love my work, and how excited I am to pick up my camera again when I’m able. It has made me even more grateful for my wife, Darlene, who has been by my side — keeping me on track, making sure I take my meds, and listening to me whine without (yet) smothering me with a pillow. And I’m especially thankful for my mom, whose steady encouragement, love, and long-distance orders have kept my spirits up when I needed it most.

So, yes, I’m in pain. Yes, I’m frustrated. Yes, I’m an impatient patient. But more than anything, I’m thankful — for my health, my family, and the life I’m fortunate to live. And if I ever forget to be thankful, I’m sure Darlene will be there to remind me. Right after she gives me my next set of instructions and a handful of pills.

What’s Happening At Your Hoodland And Sandy Public Libraries

Weekly Events & Activities

Fiber Arts Circle

Tuesdays, 2:00 PM & Saturdays, 2:00 PM

Join other handcrafters at an informal Fiber Arts Circle. Weavers, spinners, knitters, and crocheters are welcome. If your work is portable, bring it along! This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow fiber enthusiasts and share techniques.

Location: Sandy Library Fireplace Room

Read to the Dog

Tuesdays, 4:15 PM

Help your child improve their reading skills by reading to Tanis, a trained therapy dog who loves books! This program provides a comforting and fun environment for children to gain confidence in their reading abilities.

Location: Sandy Library Kids’ Room

Storytime Sessions

Thursdays, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Preschool storytime with Miss Monica, including books, songs, rhymes, and a craft activity from Todos Juntos. This program is designed to help develop early literacy skills in a fun and engaging way. Location: Hoyt Community Room, Sandy Library

Fridays, 10:30 - 11:00 AM

Join us for Storytime at Hoodland Library with books, songs, and rhymes. A wonderful way for young children to build language and listening skills.Location: Hoodland Library Community Room

Family Storytime

Saturdays, 10:00 - 10:30 AM

Family Storytime with Miss Monica featuring picture books, songs, and rhymes that the whole family can enjoy together.

Location: Sandy Public Library

Spanish Classes

Spanish Class: Sundays, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Beginner-level Spanish lessons with teacher Maria Smith. Learn foundational vocabulary and basic conversational phrases in a supportive group setting. Location: Hoyt Community Room, Sandy Library Clase de inglés / English Class Sundays, 4:00 - 5:00 PM English classes for beginner to intermediate learners. This class provides a friendly and encouraging environment to build language skills. Location: Hoyt Community Room, Sandy Library

Monthly & Bi Monthly Activities

Teen Dungeons & Dragons

2nd & 4th Wed. and 1st & 3rd Thur, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Following old-school D&D rules from 1980—just like in the hit show Stranger Things—we are a friendly group of players both experienced and new to the game who gather around the table. Using a flexible, sandbox-style approach, the players choose their adventure. Will you explore the mysterious ruins seeking the rumored treasure within? Or clear a cave complex of ferocious orcs and earn great reward and fame from the local lord? No matter what you choose, adventure and treasure awaits! We play the traditional way, rolling dice in-person around a table using “theater of the mind” and are open to players ages 13 to 3,000 (sorry, no liches allowed).

Seats are limited. Registration is required. Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library Info: Dungeon Master Steve Williamson, gaming@ruckerworks.com

Sensory Playgroup

Monday, Apr 7 &21, 10 - 11AM

This inclusive playgroup, presented by Todos Juntos, is designed for families with children ages 3 - 5 who have developmental needs and neurodiverse challenges. It offers a safe, supportive environment where children can engage in sensory activities tailored to their unique needs, while building essential social, emotional, and school-readiness skills. Sign up is encouraged. Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Info: April at aprild@todos-juntos.net

LEGO Club

Saturday, Apr 5, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Join us for LEGO fun and creative

building challenges. Location: Hoodland Library Community Room

Kids Club - LEGOs

Tuesday, Apr 8, 4:00 - 5:30 PM

Visit the library after school to make LEGO creations that will be displayed at the library!

Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Hoodland Public Library

24525 E. Welches Rd.

Welches, OR. 97067

Info: hoodlandlibrary@ci.sandy.or.us or 503-622-3460.

Hoodland Fiber Arts Circle

Saturday, Apr 12 & 26, 3:00 PM

Fiber artists, come join other handcrafters at an informal Fiber Arts circle. Weavers, spinners, knitters, crocheters, if your work is portable, you are welcome. Hoodland Library Community Room

Mahjong Saturday, Apr 12, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Come play mahjong at the Sandy Library!

Beginners are welcome. An introductory course will take place at 2:00 PM, followed by regular play at 2:30 PM. No set required to join, but if you have one, please bring it with you.

Location: Hoyt Community Room, Sandy Library

Adult Egg Hunt

Thursday, Apr 17, 9:00 - 10:00 AM

Kids shouldn’t get to have all the fun. Come to the Sandy Library for an Adult Egg Hunt! Look high and low to find eggs hidden all over the library. Find a “golden” egg and win a prize! Bring a sack to hold your eggs while you hunt. Light snacks and refreshments are provided.The Sandy Trolley will be available from the Senior Center at 8:45 AM. Call (503) 668-5569. This program is for seniors and adults with disabilities. Sandy Public Library Info: Carol at ccohen@ci.sandy.or.us

Teen Egg Hunt: Friday, Apr 18, 8 - 9:30 AM

Gather your friends and find some eggs! The annual Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt happens on Friday, April 18 in Meinig Park. Meet us under the gazebo! Bring a flashlight, jacket and a bag for eggs. $10 gift cards will be awarded to 8 lucky teens that find the “golden eggs!”The middle school egg hunt (grades 6 - 8) will take place at 8:00 pm. The high school egg hunt (grades 9 -12) will take place at 8:45 pm.Meinig Park Gazebo. Info: Kris at kritchie@ci.sandy.or.us

Internet Basics Tuesday, Apr 15, 10:00 AM

In this class, learn basic internet terminology and how to navigate a browser, locate a website, identify common domains, build search skills, and stay safe while searching in this class. Space is limited. Registration is required. Contact the library at 503-668-5537 to register for a class. Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library Info: Maureen at mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Author Visit Caroline Allen Presents Magical Hands and Nature Connection

Wednesday, Apr 9, 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Join us for a special author visit featuring Caroline Allen, the writer of Blue, a beautiful story about our connection with nature. After reading from the book, Caroline will guide kids through an interactive craft project called “Magical Hands,” where each child will trace their hand and bring it to life with nature images—using scissors, glue sticks, and a touch of creativity. This program is perfect for elementary-aged children who want to connect with nature, learn about trees, and express their creativity! Hoodland Community Room Info: Monica at msmith@ci.sandy.or.us

Creation Station, Maker Lab

Monday, Apr 28, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Planting & Painting. Creation Station is a twice-monthly interactive program that welcomes adults with developmental disabilities and offers several arts-and-crafts stations with a variety of materials to accommodate different interests and abilities. Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy LibraryInfo: Katie at kmurphy@ci.sandy.or.us

Teen Advisory Board

Monday, Apr 14, 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Teens help shape library programming and create an engaging space for peers.Location: Hoyt Community Room, Sandy Library

Teen Hangout

Monday, Apr 7th & 2st, 4:00 - 6:00 PM

This month: Using stencils, tracing, craft paper, or freeform design, help create objects and animals for an iSpy wall. The final product will be hung up in the Children’s Area during summer as kids play daily iSpy games. We’ll also have Spy x Family, a spy comedy show, provided via the library’s Crunchyroll account! This is a drop-in program that provides teens grades 6 - 12 a dedicated space to hang out, make friends, watch movies and YouTube on the big screen, play games, share interests, listen to music, get creative, and more! Themed crafts and events held monthly. Snacks provided! Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Librar Info: Kris at kritchie@ci.sandy.or.us

French Conversation Group

Mondays, Apr 14 & 28, 2:30 - 3:30 PM|

Improve your French conversation skills in a friendly setting. All levels welcome. Location: Hoodland Library Community Room Book Clubs

Men’s Book Club

Monday, Apr 8, 7:00 PM

Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library Info: Maureen at mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Women’s Book Club

Thursday, Apr 10, 6:00 PM

Book Club Trivia Challenge! Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library Info: Maureen at mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Hoodland Library Book Group

West With Giraffes by Lynda RutledgeHoodland Library Community RoomInfo: Alex at asteinmetz@ci.sandy.or.us

Digital Book Club

Thursday, Apr 3, 7:00 PM

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Via Zoom. Please email Kat for the Zoom link. Info: Kat at kaden@ci.sandy.or.us

Author Talk:

Moving Your Aging Parents by Nancy Wesson: Saturday, Apr 5, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Join us as Nancy Wesson, award-winning author of Moving Your Aging Parents, shares valuable information for anyone engaged in the process of orchestrating the downsizing and relocation of another human being, whether it’s yourself or aging parents. After a decade of helping clients with the process, a robbery—then declining health—resulted in Nancy moving her own mother multiple times. These moves birthed radically new insights about the unique nature of moves involving family—resulting in a broad-based, heart-centered process that heals old neural networks, supports emotional needs, and addresses logistical challenges of physical challenges. Her book has been called “a reference book for managing the environment to create a special place of retreat.”

Kids STEM Club Catapults

Tuesday, Apr 22, 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Kids in grades 1 - 5 are invited to join us for a fun and creative STEM workshop. Build your own catapult cut from our laser engraver and test them out at the Sandy Library by launching marshmallows. Registration is encouraged. Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library Info: Greg at gfox@ci.sandy.or.us

Children’s Day/Día del Niño

Saturday, Apr 26, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Join us for a magical, laughter-filled event for the whole family! Featuring Magic-o Fantastic-o with Stefano Iaboni: Enjoy activities from local organizations. Free books for kids! ¡Únase a nosotros para disfrutar de un evento mágico y lleno de risas para toda la familia! Con Magic-o Fantastic-o con Stefano Iaboni: ¡Prepárese para un caos mágico mientras Stefano trae trucos asombrosos, objetos que desaparecen y mucho cha-cha-cha!

Ongoing Events & Activities

Free Reading Tutoring

One-on-one reading support for students in grades 1-3. The program is run by volunteers, and we’re always looking for more tutors!

Info: Contact Monica at msmith@ci.sandy.or.us

Art Exhibits

Hoodland Library Featuring a beautiful quilt made by a member of the local Hoodland Piecemakers group. Also enjoy rotating exhibits from Clackamas County artists.

Sandy Library: The current group art show by Creation Station members is on display through March 15, followed by an exhibition from the Fiber Arts group. Don’t miss out on these wonderful community art displays!

Sandy Edible Gardening Group Monday, Apr 28, 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Share the highs and lows of edible gardening with your neighbors as we swap tips, timelines, strategies, and resources. This group is open to all - whether you are just starting out or gardening year ‘round. Together we’ll go from seed to maximizing the bounty of the harvest.

Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Info: Maureen at mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Sandy Public Library

Monday: 10 am to 7 pm

Tuesday: 10 am to 7 pm

Wednesday: 10 am to 6 pm

Thursday: 10 am to 6 pm

Friday: 10 am to 6 pm

Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm

Sunday: 12 pm to 5 pm

Hoodland Public Library:

Monday 10 am - 4 pm

Tuesday 10 am - 6 pm

Wednesday 12 pm - 7 pm

Thursday 12 pm - 6 pm

Friday 12 pm - 6 pm

Saturday 12 pm - 5 pm

Tech Help Have a question about using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Call the library at 503-668-5537 to schedule an appointment with a librarian. Help is available on such topics as: EMAIL

SOCIAL MEDIA

MICROSOFT WORD

PC BASICS

USING THE INTERNET

Curbside Delivery of hold items is available. Call us from the parking lot during our open hours, provide your library card number, and we will check your items out and bring them to you.

Mobile Printing is available from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. Send what you need printed to the library using one of our mobile printing options, then come to the library during our open hours to print your documents. Info: ci.sandy.or.us/ library/page/mobile-printing-princh

The Sandy and Hoodland Library’s newsletter is being emailed on a monthly basis. Call us or email libraryassistants@ ci.sandy.or.us if you would like to be added to the mailing list. Or follow our blog at sandylibrary.blogspot.com/2024/ eCards: If you don’t already have a LINCC library card, you may apply for an eCard by visiting lincc.org. An eCard grants immediate access to on-line resources, including eBooks and eAudiobooks. You may also place up to five physical items on hold, but must upgrade to a full library card with your current photo ID and proof of address (if not on your ID) to check them out. eCards are available to all residents of the LINCC Library District (Clackamas County), ages 13 and up. Request a Book Bundle: Don’t know what to read next? Let us pick something out! The more you can tell us, the better the recommendation will likely be. Visit www.ci.sandy.or.us/library for the form, or email libraryassistants@ ci.sandy.or.us and we will send the form to you. www.ci.sandy.or.us/library.

The Cultural Pass program offers passes to cultural venues so you can treat the family to a free or discounted adventure. Visit culturalpassexpress.quipugroup.net/. Some SAM/STAR and MT HOOD EXPRESS bus passes may be purchased at the libraries, including the SAM/ STAR 24-ride punch pass and a pack of five individual ride tokens, and SAM and MT HOOD EXPRESS daily unlimited ride passes.

Check out these Facebook groups for more information on what’s happening at the libraries: City of Sandy, Oregon – City Government Sandy Public Library – Friends Sandy & Hoodland Libraries - Storytime Parents Group

Earth Day Celebrates 55th Anniversary

By Robert Matsumura, For The Mountain Times

Every year on April 22nd, millions of people around the world celebrate Earth Day, a day commemorating environmental protection and raising awareness about our planet’s well-being. But how did Earth Day come about? The story of Earth Day is both fascinating and inspiring, a testament to how a collective push for change can have a lasting impact.

The Spark of the Movement

Earth Day actually dates back to the late 1960s when environmental concerns swelled across the United States. Issues of water pollution, air quality, pesticide use, and the loss of wildlife were looming large in the public consciousness. Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring had already brought to light the dangers of pesticides, and a growing concern for the environment was beginning to take root.

It wasn’t until 1969, however, that the idea of Earth Day began to form. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin — alarmed by the lack of political attention to environmental issues —vowed to take action. He envisioned a nationwide teach-in focused on the environment to engage the public and pressure politicians to embrace the environmental cause. Nelson drew inspiration in part from the student protests of the 1960s, which demonstrated how grassroots movements could galvanize the public and bring about real change.

The First Earth Day: A Massive Success

Earth Day was born on April 22, 1970. Nelson, with the assistance of activist Dennis Hayes, mobilized an astonishing 20 million Americans across the country — about 10 percent of the U.S. population at the time — who came together in rallies, teach-ins, and protests. The movement was not just about protesting, but about generating a dialogue around the need for

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environmental regulation and conservation.

The first Earth Day was a monumental success. People from all walks of life came together, including students, teachers, scientists, and activists. For the first time, environmental issues were discussed on a grand scale, clearly showing that protecting the Earth was no longer a niche concern but one that deserved national attention.

The Birth of Environmental Legislation

The success of Earth Day extended far beyond rallies, however. Significant changes in U.S. policy resulted from this event. In the wake of the first Earth Day, Congress passed major environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was also created in 1970. It was clear that public opinion had shifted, and lawmakers took notice.

Earth Day Goes Global

Although Earth Day was born in the United States, its message resonated around the world. In 1990, Earth Day went international, with 200 million people in over 140 countries participating. Since then, Earth Day has continued to grow. Events now take place in countries across the globe, with the Earth Day Network actively coordinating the activities.

A Day for Action and Reflection

Today, Earth Day is more relevant than ever. Earth Day is a reminder that everyone has a role to play in protecting our environment.

So this April 22nd, whether you’re planting a tree, cleaning up a local park, or simply recycling a plastic container, remember that Earth Day is a day to celebrate the planet we all share, ensuring that it continues to be a healthy and enjoyable place for generations to come!

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HOW TO

SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)

Community News

Nunsense to Open at Sandy Actors Theatre April 25

By Sandy Actors Theatre

For The Mountain Times

Prepare for an evening of faith, humor, and a little bit of mischief, as the hilarious and beloved Off-Broadway sensation Nunsense opens on Friday, April 25 at Sandy Actors Theatre.

Written by Dan Goggin, Nunsense became an international phenomenon and launched an entire series of nun-inspired musicals that have kept audiences laughing for years. Now it’s back with an all-new production that promises to be an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.

Set in the convent of the Little Sisters of Hoboken, Nunsense is a lighthearted spoof about five nuns who must come together to stage a fundraiser to bury the rest of their sisterhood. Tragically, most of the sisters perished from botulism after eating vichyssoise prepared by the ill-fated Sister Julia Child of God, leaving only five survivors.

Meet the Sisters: Sister Leo (Morgan

Amburn), the ballet-loving dreamer of the group who brings her passion for dance to the stage.

Sister Robert Anne (Jennifer Collins), the streetwise, tough-asnails nun who finds her voice through humor and heart.

Sister Mary Amnesia (Melissa Stanley), the sweet, befuddled soul who can’t remember who she is but still manages to steal the show.

Sister Regina (Rebecca Hetrick), the no-nonsense Mother Superior who runs the convent with an iron fist… and an unexpected sense of humor.

Sister Mary Hubert (Vicki Guthrie), the novice mistress who helps guide the others, all while trying to maintain her own sanity. Together, they will entertain, delight, and inspire with their unique personalities and talents.

Anita Sorel, director of this production, acted as dramaturg for the original production of Nunsense. It’s the dramaturg's job to know as much as possible about the play at hand, including its themes, language, period, history, music, and even past stagings, and to hold the current production to a high standard of historical and textual accuracy.

Mark York, (Producer/Director/Composer/Lyricist/Librettist) has graciously provided his services as Musical Director for this production. Mark is Executive Producer and Co-Founder of Mark York Productions and The Ziegfeld Society.

As Jim Dale’s personal pianist, Mark has appeared on stage with Mr. Dale in his One Man Show, Just Jim Dale, playing to rave reviews at Roundabout Theatre NYC - Off-Broadway

2014 and on London’s West End at the Vaudeville Theatre 2015. Nunsense will play April 25—May 18 at Sandy Actors Theatre. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults; $25 for seniors, veterans, first responders, and teachers; $23 for students; $12 for children under 12, available online at https//sandyactorstheatre.com or at the door.

On Thursday before the April 25 opening, in keeping with SAT’s usual practice, Wy’East Artisans Guild will offer their customary gallery presentation before the performance at 7p.m., with a theme suggested by the performance.

WHAT: Nunsense, by Dan Goggin, Directed by Anita Sorel

WHEN: April 25—May 18

WHERE: Sandy Actors Theatre

TICKETS: available online at https//sandyactorstheatre.com or at the door.

Join the Little Sisters of Hoboken for a night of laughs, love, and a little Nunsense!

Mt. Hood SBDS Supports Local Entrepeneurs

By MHCC

For The Mountain Times

When Richard Davis, an experienced attorney with 28 years in Barre, Vermont, moved to Troutdale, Oregon, in 2015, he knew establishing his own practice in a new, competitive legal market would be a challenge. After spending six years with a Portland law firm, Davis opened his own practice in Troutdale in June 2016, specializing in personal injury and civil disputes. However, he quickly realized that attracting clients in an area filled with seasoned attorneys required a unique approach.

The Challenge and Solution

To stand out in Troutdale’s crowded legal landscape, Davis needed a strong online presence. Enter Mt. Hood Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Working closely with SBDC Adviser Guy Edwards and the SBDC team, Davis received invaluable support in building his brand and digital footprint. Together, they created a website that effectively highlighted his practice areas and employed strategies to drive client

traffic.

How Mt. Hood SBDC Helped

Through regular online meetings, the SBDC offered tailored assistance to meet Davis’s needs. Key support included strategic planning for his market positioning, website development focused on his specialized services, digital marketing training, and techniques to boost online visibility. The SBDC team’s expertise made the process seamless and productive, helping Davis navigate Oregon’s competitive legal market with confidence.

Robert Neil Adelman (aka Roofer Rob) Born August 1, 1954 Passed Away March 4, 2025 May

Rest

Peace

Celebration of Robbie’s Life will be held at The Whistle Stop on May 3, 2025 Please check the May edition of the

Times for more details.

Looking Ahead

With a solid foundation and strategic tools in place, Davis plans to increase his practice’s revenue and implement more automation to streamline operations. The guidance and resources provided by the Mt. Hood SBDC have not only strengthened his practice but also set him up for future growth and success in Troutdale’s legal industry.

To learn more about MHCC SBDC and if they can help you email oregonsbdc@mhcc.edu or call 503-491-7658.

By Bri Dittlinger, MSW, LCSW,

The Mountain Times

“Mental health matters. Let’s shatter the silence.” - World Health Organization

Mental health is a topic that has historically been dismissed, shamed, and even fabricated. Mental health is more than just mental illness, silent struggles, or a laundry list of labels. Mental health is preventative wellness, facts and resources, and ways to hold space for yourself and your loved ones to ask for help and offer support. My hope is to share some mental health facts, tips, and resources to help break the stigma surrounding this topic, and create space for our community to embrace mental health.

Facts About Mental Illness:

Having anxious thoughts or a depressed mood doesn’t always

Mental Health Matters

equal a diagnosis: they can simply be symptoms of a particular situation, environment, relationship, or other stimuli.

According to SAMHSA [2020], 1 in 5 adults in the United States experienced a mental health condition within the past year, and 1 in 20 adults was living with a severe and persistent mental illness [SPMI].

In 2022, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 50.6% of individuals living with a reported mental illness sought some form of treatment, including inpatient or outpatient therapy or prescription medications.

There are over 450 mental illnesses listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [DSM-5], and over 100 different therapeutic modalities, or types of therapy [Mental Health Match, 2025], including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Inter-

IF YOU SEE IT, SAY IT

nal Family Systems, somatic therapies, and many more.

Facts About Mental Health Therapy:

You are allowed, and encouraged, to ‘interview’ multiple therapists until you find the right fit. Goodness of fit is one of the most important indicators in reaching your therapeutic goals [Kaiser Permanente, 2023].

Therapy is more than just a “rent a friend program.” It is a clinical intervention provided by a trained professional. Therapists will help you create a treatment plan to meet your personal mental health goals, and will help keep you accountable to those goals. Therapy can be skills based, process based, or a combination of the two [Psychology Today, 2025].

On average, therapy lasts for 8-20 sessions, or typically 3-9 months. Most therapy sessions

last 50-55 minutes, and are generally scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Many insurance companies cover mental health therapy; call the number on the back of your insurance card to see if you have coverage and what your copay may be. If you don’t have coverage, look for a therapist who offers a sliding scale fee for reduced out of pocket rates.

Check out this guide to beginning therapy to get started on your journey, provided by Mental Health Match: https:// mentalhealthmatch.com/ articles [2025].

How to Help: Create a safe and respectful space for you and your people to talk about mental health and personal wellbeing without judgment, shame, or guilt.

Share resources when you can, or help research resources when you don’t

Mountain

Mutual SUPPORT GROUP FREE Monthly Peer Support Group

know of any off the top of your head.

Practice using person first or “I” language, and avoid derogatory words or labels when referring to someone’s mental health.

Normalize accessing care for mental health, just as you would for physical health, and support your people in accessing care when they need it.

Create and practice a wellness routine. There are multiple areas of wellness, including physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, and occupational well being [National Wellness Alliance, 2025].

Follow these tips to begin your wellness routine today: https:// www.everydayhealth. com/self-care/start-a-selfcare-routine/ [Everyday Heath, 2024].

Local Mental Health Resources: Search for local therapists here: PortlandTher-

apyCenter.com or PsychologyToday.com

United Way: Call 211 for a list of local resources Tri Counties Mental Health Resource Guide: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dochub. clackamas.us/documents/ drupal/478bbfa5-6447457e-8c08-58691f886560

National Lines for Life Crisis Lifeline: Call 988 Clackamas County 24/7 Support Number: Call 503-655-8585

Clackamas County Urgent Mental Health Walk-In Clinic: 11211 SE 82nd Ave., Suite O Happy Valley, OR | Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Project Respond: A mobile crisis team that provides in-the-moment support, assessment, safety planning, and connection to other community resources. Call 503-988-4888 to ask for a response from Project Respond.

· Community lead activities · “Pop-Up” style, different each month · Find more details on our instagram page · 18+ Folks who reside in the villages of Mt. Hood

The open, confidential peer support group focuses on identifying, coping and processing difficulties that arise within ourselves and our community in a safe, non-judgemental way. Our shared goal is to help shed some light upon the dark side of this mountain by creating a supportive community for healing.

Facilitated by fellow community members: Erika Dixon LSC, M.Ed. & Kimberly Holland LCSW Instagram: @mountainmutualsupport mounthoodhealing@gmail.com

Rhody Water Wins Best Taste Award

By Steven Graeper, Rhody Water Association

For The Mountain Times

The Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU) held its 47th Annual Technical and Management Conference at Sunriver Resort in March. The conference proved successful for all attendees, especially Rhododendron Water Association. At the annual awards banquet Rhododendron Water Association was awarded with the Best Tasting Surface Water in the State of Oregon for 2025. Rhododendron Water Association also won the award in 2012 & 2014.

Crooked River Ranch won this year for Best Tasting Ground water and Best Tasting Overall. The overall winner competes nationally at the National Association of Water Utilities annual conference held in Washington DC later in the year.

Rhododendron has been

blessed with excellent tasting surface water. This was proven again this year by an unbiased independent judging panel who, in a double-blind taste test of submitted samples, judged the samples on clarity, bouquet, and taste in both the Ground Water and Surface Water categories.

Steve Graeper, president of RWA, was proud to accept the award saying, “I am proud as heck to have our water association receive such a great award. It is quite an honor to know we have the best tasting surface water in the state. It couldn’t be done if it weren’t for the efforts of Water

Master David Jacob and the Rhododendron Water Association Board of Directors.”

The award will be presented to the Association membership at their May annual meeting.

The first water lines serving Rhododendron were installed in the early

KINDERGARTEN

KICK OFF - 2025 If your child turns 5 on or before Aug. 31, 2025, then it’s time to sign up for kindergarten!

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events begin at 5:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8

THURSDAY, APRIL 10

TUESDAY, APRIL 15

TUESDAY, APRIL 22

TUESDAY, APRIL 29

Outdoors

The Angle: Bluegill Fish

By Lucas Holmgren

For The Mountain Times

Creating memories with kids is a heartwarming experience for parents. For a parent looking to take their children fishing, a smart place to start is fishing for bluegill,

perch and crappie in local lakes and ponds. In the Northwest, there is a surprising abundance of “panfish.” The most popular of this aptly named category of fish that are easily pan-fried is the bluegill. Bluegill can be found in virtually every

lake and many smaller ponds in the Oregon and Washington area. Summer months are often the best chance for them, so if you go out in spring and don’t find any near the bank, just wait until it warms up more. They’re easy to see, and plenty of information exists online about which lakes they dwell in.

As a general rule, bluegill will usually be active when your local pond is 60-65% Fahrenheit. As the water temperature warms they can still be very active in the deepest months of summer, although they will often retreat to more shaded areas.

Once you’ve found bluegill in your local lake, float-fish (bobberfish) an earthworm on a small (size 12, 14 is ideal) hook. Using light fishing line, attach a small “Crappie Float” or even the classic red-and-white plastic bobbers, but make sure the float is small enough to be easily

pulled under. Adding a split-shot under the float can help with casting and getting the hook down to depth faster. The simplest float and hook with a worm has accounted for millions of fish.

Unlike other species, bluegill don’t necessarily need the bait to be near the bottom, but I like to make sure it’s at least floating at about half of the total water depth. The rod and reel you use doesn’t need to be expensive, but it should not cause issues that take all the fun out of fishing. When bluegill are near the bank, even a long stick with fishing line tied to it can be used to catch fish, but ideally an ultra-light spinning rod with quality line on it will make things much easier.

Fishing near lilypads and logs can be perfect ambush points for these aggressive little fish. If you’re not getting bites, try adjusting the depth you are fishing or move to another area. Once

Bradford Bixby Emerges From Hibernation

By Bradford Bixby

For The Mountain Times

Welcome back, dear reader, from our annual winter hibernation.

While dwelling in my cave I had a lot of time to think and I came up with a few observations about this game we love so much. For instance, golf is an easy game: it’s just hard to play. No matter how badly you play it’s always possible to play worse. Golf can be defined

as an endless series of tragedies obscured by an occasional miracle. Golfers have no math skills: they shoot six, yell fore and write five. In golf you can hit a two acre fairway ten percent of the time and a two inch branch ninety percent of the time. Most golfers aren’t bad putters, they just can’t catch a break. And finally golf was once a rich man’s sport, but now has millions of poor players.

All right, enough of this malarkey, let’s get down to business. Last year literally two days after I submitted my last column for the season our beloved Clair Jones hit a hole-in-one on Thistle number five. Belated

congratulations to you sir. The month of April will have two cool events for us all. First the Mount Hood Sasquatch Festival is happening at the Resort from Friday April 11th through Sunday April 13th. The hours are 4pm to 9pm Friday, 9am to 7pm Saturday and 9am to 3pm Sunday. There will be vendors, speakers, presentations and activities for the kids. There’s something to entertain everyone, so come on out. You may not know this, dear reader, but Squatch and I have something in common: we can both predict a cold winter, because in the fall our back hair grows in extra thick.

The second April event is the Spring Into Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday April 26th. It’s a nine hole four-man scramble that is open to the public. We will have an open house in the pro shop at 9am followed by a 10am tournament start. It’s a great way for members and non-members to enjoy our game together. So call the pro shop and sign up.

And finally I want to give kudos and high fives to our grounds crew.

you’ve found biting bluegill, you’re likely to find many more!

Before you take the kids out though, make sure the water and the weather are warm enough. If the bluegill are active and the weather is nice, pack the snacks and the tackle, and go fishing!

Under the supervision of JD Clorizlo our course has made a phenomenal recovery and is now in amazing shape. The crew has worked long and hard the past couple years and it really shows. The traps are weedless and trimmed, the greens are in great shape and will be stellar after plugging in the late spring. In fact, the whole place is looking like a destination resort course we can all be proud of. They even opened the Foxglove for play in late February; I’ve never seen it open before June. I just point out that JD comes up from southern Oregon periodically to give the staff instruction and training, trusting our hard working crew to make sure it gets done - as they have done admirably. I’m telling ya the place is being groomed top to bottom like a Kardashian on spa day. The pride is back so let’s spread the word. That’s enough for this month so get out and play. Just remember to “Hit Em Straight”

Lucas Holmgren is the Host of the Salmon Trout Steelheader Podcast and a musician.

Kids can catch fish closest to shore in safe, shallow ponds.

Mister Hole-In-One Clair Jones

Multiple different species of panfish exist in our Washington and Oregon lakes.

Mt. Hood Lions Club: Mountain Roar

By Lion, Milt Fox

For The Mountain Times

JIM TURIN MEMORIAL LIONS SCHOLARSHIP DINNER, SAT. APRIL 5TH!

Please plan to attend our Jim Turin Memorial Lions Scholarship Dinner on Saturday, April 5th. Happy Hour begins at 5:30pm, with dinner at 6.00pm. This year’s dinner will include Spaghetti, Italian Sausage, Italian Bread and Salad (we’ll be using some of Lion Jim’s famous recipes).

Price at the door is $8 for kids 10 and under, and $20 for adults.

Special Adult Presale tickets are available for $18 at Welches Clackamas County Bank, Welches Mountain Building Supply, Coffee House 26, and the Whistle Stop Tavern, or ask

any Lion. Our Scholarship Committee Chairwoman is Lion Cindi Sempert, with Lion Craig Calvert heading up the kitchen crew. Our club’s Scholarship program began in 1998. Please come out in support of this very important Lion’s Club project. Thank you! BINGO!

Remember, Bingo continues every Friday night through May 2nd, with doors opening at 6:00pm and Bingo starting at 7:00pm. April is a busy month for us with Club Elections to be held at our April 9th meeting. We will hold our New Member Initiation at our April 23rd meeting. New members will be treated to one of our great steak dinners.

COMING UP!

Swimming Lessons Dinner, Saturday May 3rd!

Please plan to come to a wonderful Mexican dinner in support of our Swimming Lessons program on Saturday May 3rd. Happy hour starts at 5:30pm,

dinner begins 6:00pm. The menu includes chicken fajitas, rice, beans, salsa and tortillas. Tickets at the door are $8.00 for kids 10 and under, and $20.00 for adults. Special adult presale tickets are available for $18.00 at Mountain Building Supply, Welches Clackamas County Bank, Whistle Stop Tavern, and Coffee House 26 or ask any Lion.This event is chaired by Lions Nolberto Perez and Craig Calvert. We will also be offering several raffle items. Please come and enjoy.

SWIMMING LESSONS!

Our next big club project is our Swimming Lessons program, which will be held at Camp Arrah Wanna again this year. We began giving Swimming Lessons in 2019 and then took a 2-year break so we could all have Covid 19. We’ve been going strong since 2022. Lion David Buoy is our chairman, and he is helped by a wonderful crew of Lions. We are planning to begin regis -

tration for this year’s lessons by mid-May. We are also making plans to be able to instruct up to 90 kids again this year. Swimming lessons will begin on Monday June 16th through Friday June 20th and begin again on Monday June 23rd thru Friday June 27th. More to come in next month’s column.

CHUCKWAGON BREAKFAST!

This year’s Chuckwagon Breakfast will be held on Saturday July 5th and Sunday July 6th.

We will be having a car show each day again this year. So if you would like to show your favorite car, please give our Club President Lion David Anderson a call at 971-373-3869. The price to show your car is $20 per car, per day. We’ll keep you informed on these and other events in future columns.

It’s great to be a Lion.

Fatal Crash on HWY 26 Near Rhododendron

By Clackamas Co. Sheriff’s Office

For The Mountain Times

On Monday, March 3, 2025, at 4:50 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 26, near Rhododendron.

The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Chevrolet Malibu, operated by Selena Mae Brust (27) of Portland, left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a rock before rolling off the northern side of the roadway. The vehicle had been reported as stolen to the Gresham Police Department prior to the collision.

The operator of the vehicle (Brust) was transported to an area

hospital for evaluation before being lodged at the Clackamas County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangerment, and Manslaughter II.

A passenger in the vehicle, Nathan Andrew Bergstrom (45) of Beaverton, was declared deceased at the scene.

The highway was impacted for approximately seven hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hoodland Fire, and ODOT.

Robin Ekloff Owner

Thanks

Alpine Event Center and the Community for Supporting Meals on Wheels

By Brittany Kintigh

For The Mountain Times

The Hoodland Senior Center would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Jan and Todd Ostrom, owners of Alpine Event Center, for generously hosting the recent fundraiser brunch that raised critical funds for the Meals on Wheels program. The event, held on March 9, 2025, brought together local community members for a morning of delicious food, good company, and support for a cause that is close to the hearts of many folks in the community.

The staff at Alpine Event Center played a pivotal role in making the brunch a success. From the warm, welcoming atmosphere to the

seamless organization of the event, their dedication to ensuring every detail was handled with care was evident from start to finish. The venue provided the perfect setting for the event, and their team went above and beyond to make sure all attendees felt comfortable and well-cared for.

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the wonderful community turnout. The brunch was attended by dozens of local residents, all of whom shared a common goal — supporting the Meals on Wheels program, which provides vital meals to homebound seniors in the Hoodland area. The outpouring of generosity and kindness from community members will go a long

way in ensuring that seniors in need continue to receive nutritious meals and the companionship that the program provides.

“We are so grateful to everyone who attended and to Jan and Todd for providing such a beautiful space for our fundraiser,” said Carianne Stearns, Executive Director of the Hoodland Senior Center. “The support from our community is invaluable and will make a tremendous difference in the lives of homebound seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels.”

Thanks to the contributions of those who attended, the event raised vital funds that will help ensure the continued success of the growing Meals on Wheels

program. The Hoodland Senior Center is deeply thankful for the ongoing support of our community and looks forward to future opportunities to work together in making a positive impact on the lives of local seniors.

The Hoodland Senior Center would also like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone interested in learning more about the Meals on Wheels program or getting involved to visit the center or contact them directly.

Together, we are making a difference. Thank you again to Alpine Event Center and all who attended for their support and generosity.

ASKEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN

From the publisher’s desk

HELLO, MOUNTAIN TIMERS,

Continuing with our traditional April Fools’ Day paper “wrap” of our regular April edition. We hope you have gotten a

chuckle out of this year’s pretend stories. While we always take our regular job of reporting the local news seriously, we appreciate you allowing us to have a little fun with this national holiday.

Sincerely,

Matthew Nelson Publisher The Mountain Thames

Oregon’s Deepest Mystery: Secret Tunnel Leads to Idaho

By Gus Diggerly

For The Mountain Times

In a geological twist that has left both scientists and road trip enthusiasts baffled, a secret

tunnel beneath Mount Hood has been uncovered, allegedly stretching all the way to Idaho. The tunnel was discovered last week when an

unsuspecting hiker stepped into what appeared to be a shallow cave and, five hours later, emerged somewhere near Boise.

“Honestly, I just thought I was going into a cool-looking crevasse,” said local hiker Cliff Hikerly. “Next thing I know, I’m in a different time zone, being greeted by a very confused Idaho farmer and a herd of equally confused cows.”

The origin of the tunnel remains a mystery, with experts offering a range of theories. Some believe it was carved by ancient lava flows, while others suspect it may have been the work of hyper-motivated badgers. One particularly enthusiastic

historian has suggested it might be a long-lost pioneer shortcut that failed to catch on due to its complete lack of signage and lighting.

State officials, caught off guard by the discovery, are now debating what to do with the newfound subterranean passage. “We could turn it into the world’s first interstate hiking trail,” suggested Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Lana Longfoot. “Or, if we get really ambitious, maybe a very inconvenient subway.”

The public response has been overwhelmingly excited, with some enterprising individuals already planning the first-ever “Hood-to-Boise Underground Ultra-Mar-

athon.” Others, however, have voiced concerns. “I have a bad feeling about this,” said local conspiracy theorist Dirk McGuffin. “One day it’s a tunnel to Idaho, the next, it’s a wormhole to another dimension. I’m just saying — stay vigilant.”

Geologists from the University of Oregon are conducting further studies to determine the tunnel’s exact length, stability, and snack break potential. Early estimates suggest that at a brisk walking pace, one could travel from Oregon to Idaho in about eight hours, depending on stamina and whether or not they get lost in the inevitable lack of cell service.

As for the hikers who plan to attempt the

underground journey, officials have issued the following recommendations: bring a flashlight, wear sturdy shoes, and carry enough trail mix to last at least half a day. Also, be prepared to explain yourself to bewildered Idaho residents upon arrival. Whether this tunnel turns out to be a geological marvel, an engineering fluke, or just a really determined gopher’s pet project, one thing is clear — it has already achieved legendary status. As Cliff Hikerly, the first accidental explorer of the tunnel, put it: “I may not know how I got there, but I do know one thing. Idaho smells different. Maybe it’s the potatoes.”

Coast to Hood: A Race in Reverse, Literally

By Skip Tripson For The Mountain Times

Jumping off of the famous Hood to Coast Relay, an ambitious and deeply unnecessary counterpart has just been announced: the Coast-to-Hood race, in which participants

must traverse the entire course in reverse — literally. Competitors will be required to run, walk, or bicycle backwards while maintaining an uninterrupted view of the Pacific Ocean at all times.

“People have been running toward the coast for years,” said event

From Page 1

love endures.

“We had a rough patch in the ’60s when all these folks started trying to take blurry pictures of us,” said Mrs. Sasquatch. “We almost moved to Canada, but we can’t ice skate and the poutine

didn’t sit well with us.”

To mark the occasion, the couple are planning a quiet celebration consisting of a moonlit hike, an artisanal mud bath, and a meal of their favorite delicacies: locally-sourced berries and a

director Miles Retread. “But no one ever considers the journey back. We wanted to fix that — and also, frankly, we wanted to weed out the weak.”

The new event, scheduled for late August, will challenge runners to cover the grueling 199-mile route from Seaside to Mt. Hood, all while facing westward. To ensure compliance, runners will be issued helmets with rearview mirrors and will be subjected to random “forward-facing infractions” by race officials, punishable by time penalties and stern looks of disappointment.

Safety concerns have been raised by both participants and medical professionals. “Running backwards for 199 miles

fish that Mr. Sasquatch insists he caught with his own hands — though it’s rumored he occasionally “borrows” from the nearest fishing lodge. “Let’s just say I’m a fan of catch-and-release,” he muttered, not making direct eye contact.

The couple also plans to exchange heartfelt gifts. Mr. Sasquatch said

is, in a word, dingbatty,” said Dr. Jump Slipton, a sports medicine specialist. “We’re anticipating record-setting numbers of twisted ankles, neck cramps, and extreme dizziness. I really can’t overstate how bad of an idea this is.”

Despite these concerns, sign-ups have already surpassed expectations. Local ultra-runner Cliff Tumbles says the backwards approach appeals to him. “I’ve been looking for something more challenging than just ‘running normally,’” he said. “If I don’t finish with at least three bruises and a mild concussion, was it even worth it?”

To level the playing field, organizers have allowed competitors to

he got his bride a bouquet of fresh pinecones (her favorite, he said), while Mrs. Sasquatch found a rock that resembled her husband’s likeness (another for the collection, she said). “I love seeing my pookey’s face in basalt,” she explained.

“And he thinks it’s hilarious.”

Their secret to a

choose from several categories, including Backwards Sprinting, Slow and Confused Walking, and the ever-popular Retrograde Bicycling Division — in which racers must pedal backwards without toppling over. The latter category has already garnered interest from competitive cycling clubs nationwide.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has expressed mild concern, particularly over the necessity of a team of trained spotters who will walk forward alongside racers, shouting warnings about upcoming potholes, road signs, and bewildered tourists. “We can’t stop them,” said a spokesperson, “but we will be watching this unfold the way you watch

successful marriage? Simplicity, space, and an aversion to human nonsense. “We never argue over things like money, TV remotes or thermostats,” said Mr. Sasquatch. “Mostly because we don’t have those.”

As for their future plans, Mrs. Sasquatch said, “We just take it one

a toddler run with a tall glass of milk — deeply concerned, but too fascinated to intervene.”

As for race-day preparation, veteran runners suggest training regimens that include walking backwards on treadmills, developing a high tolerance for disorientation, and practicing apologizing to strangers after colliding with them unexpectedly.

Whether Coast to Hood will become a beloved tradition or just a cautionary tale remains to be seen. But if there’s one thing race organizers are sure of, it’s that competitors will cross the finish line with one clear thought in mind: They never want to see the Pacific Ocean again.

century at a time. Hiding in the woods is kind of our thing. As long as we have each other, we’re happy to stay off the grid for another 300 years.” Happy anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Sasquatch. May your love remain as elusive as you are.