Carol:
Corn Cross for the kids was a huge success. We had over 74 kids signed up but due
to the rain in the morning we had 56 who raced. and 85% of these kids ages 2-16 that came from Sandy. The kids course was longer this year with more time in the corn maze. Liepold’s was very happy with the turnout and realized how much fun these kids have on their bike and the other activities the farm offers. Thanks to Coach Robbie with his skills and bringing his obstacles and air bag. The kids were challenging themselves on these fun obstacles. This was the second year Northwest Trails Alliance came to be part of Corn Cross. They gave out medals to all the kids. Parents were so excited to have the kids go through the maze and have it more challenging. Everfresh & CCB were our sponsors for this event.



Finishing up on sponsorships for Winterfest events so far, we hope to have $17,000 raised. I have some new sponsors that I am working with like 26 Electric and Bigfoot Plumbing.
I also went out and helped out Sarah McIntyre pick up some sponsors for her fundraising campaign for the mobile library unit. I made some introductions for her while we went to their businesses.
Amy:
-Continued working in the community gardens with the Sandy Rotary Club and other volunteers. We collected food from the gardeners to donate to the Sandy Action Center Food Bank – so far donating 82 pounds of food throughout the Summer!
-Got fully CPR/AED Trained.
– Helped run Kids Cross!
– Hosted a guest speaker to discuss the impacts wasps have on our local ecosystem.
– Advertised the Leave the Leaves and Lights Out Oregon social media campaigns.


– The Mt Storm Instructional League K-2 classes began in September and are going well!
-Plans and advertising for Winterfest is underway!


Caroleana:
Caroleana had over 271 senior related calls this month. The center had 7 new meals on wheels clients and 3 Reassessments for current clients; which involved a home visit with each client and a completed NAPIS form for Clackamas County.
Caroleana helped support our team by packing coolers several times throughout the month and delivered several routes for the Meals on Wheels program.
We continued to hold congregate lunches on Tuesday. In the month of Sept we served 113 meals over the 5 weeks. 17 of those being new folks to the lunch program. We had one volunteer who played the piano while participants ate their lunch; which was very enjoyable.
Shopped with Carol for the volunteer appreciation thank you baskets.
Met with Jolie from Mt Hood Hospice and continued the planning process for our annual Veterans pinning ceremony.
Carol and I attended the AARP Age-Friendly summit at PSU. We networked with other agencies that were in attendance and learned a great deal about older Americans issues in Oregon.
Caroleana had an Energy Assistance meeting with Marcos; the Program Coordinator and Anfisa, support staff. She learned about funding available and where grant funds are coming from. Also learned about new requirements for the Clackamas County EA program.
She scored very well on the program feedback for the last fiscal year. Submitted approximately 142 applications with only 5 corrections and 2 denials. That is a 96.4% score; which was notated as Superior.
It was noted “ Sandy Community/ Senior Center had provided the necessary information to assure the intake process is effective, efficient and reduce the burden to low-income seniors in your community”
Marc:
Senior Trips:
- Alpine Events pop-up dinner in Rhododendron – 9 people
- Hike at Molalla River State Park with Lunch at Backstop Bar & Grill in Canby – Full bus with John joining us for the very first time on an outing!
- Mt. Angel Oktoberfest – Full bus
- Dine out at Nicholas in Gresham – 13 people with 3 meeting us there
- Swan Island Dahlia Festival in Canby – full bus
- Hike at the new Mitchell Point Tunnel that opened earlier this year and lunch at Big Jim’s Drive in Hood River with a stop at Packer Orchards on the way back. Full bus with Amy joining us.
- Mini golf at the Aerie at Eagles Landing and lunch at the Happy Valley Station Food Carts – 9 people with 3 meeting us there
Meals on Wheels:
- 819
- Drove one of the routes when a driver needed the day off
Miscellaneous:
- Took the new bus in for its first lift inspection
- We all had our CPR class to get recertified
Chelsea:
Processed invoices related to various park projects.
Attended meetings in regards to various ongoing park projects, including weekly meetings for Deer Pointe Park. We also had a few meetings at Meinig for the renovation project.
Set up the September Parks & Trails Advisory Board meeting, posted the video recording, and wrote up the meeting minutes.
Prepped the November & December senior newsletter. We have a lot of special senior events that happen around the holidays so it’s quite the newsletter build.
Updated the center TV with the most updated flyers and information
Continued to monitor the budget for Deer Pointe park.
Redesigned the new park and Bike rule signs. We are working to get these printed and put up in our parks soon.
Applied for a T-Mobile grant for the Meinig Park renovations. This entailed a grant proposal, budget, pictures of the existing park, design plans, 5 letters of support, and answering questions on the grant application.
Created a sign for the Jolly Trolley stop.
Completed an online CPR training as well as attending the in person training.
Drafted a contract for the playground installer for Deer Pointe as well as BOLI paperwork.
John:
Winterfest Planning and Community Engagement
The Parks and Recreation Department continues preparations for Winterfest, Sandy’s signature community-wide holiday event. This month, staff presented to the Parks & Trails Advisory Board (PTAB) to provide updates on event planning. Topics included the history of Winterfest, improvements made in recent years, and exciting additions planned for 2025:
- A new showstopper holiday decoration to enhance the festive atmosphere.
- The launch of a Holiday Fun Run, encouraging families and individuals to end the season in an active and spirited way.
- The creation of a Winter Bazaar, where vendors can rent table space to sell locally made goods, crafts, and products.
In addition to these highlights, staff have been updating the Winterfest website, applications, and event documentation to ensure smooth participation for community members, vendors, and volunteers.
Staff Training and Safety
This month, the department also coordinated First Aid and CPR certification training for Parks and Recreation staff. This training ensures staff are well-prepared to respond to emergencies and continue to prioritize the safety of participants across programs, facilities, and events.
Program Development at Cedar Park
Staff met with a possible community partner to begin exploring a skate and bike competition at Cedar Park. The vision for this program includes a multi-day event featuring competitions on the skatepark, pump track, and jumpline, complemented by:
- Local vendors and sponsor booths.
- Family-friendly activities and entertainment.
- Opportunities to highlight Cedar Park as a regional recreation destination.
Parks & Facilities:
- Asset maintenance projects underway, including bridge repainting

- Landscape beautification completed with weeding and new bark installation

- Installed a new smart irrigation clock at Sandy Bluff Park, improving staff safety and making the park a more responsible water user
- WinterFest lights have been installed on city facilities
- Deer Pointe Park construction is progressing nicely

- Welcomed Ryan Schneider to the team as our new Facilities Maintenance staff member

- Sandy Parks and Recreation awarded $649,790 from the 2025 Local Government Grant Program – Large Grant for Meinig Park renovations
Upcoming dates to remember:
October 1st- Mt. Storm registration for grades 3-6 opens
October 2nd- Volunteer Appreciation Party

October 6-8- Several staff members will be out of the office for the ORPA Conference
October 20th- Parks staff begin Meinig Winterfest installation
Oct 21st- Grief during the holidays class at the center.

October 23rd- 4th Bee City USA Meeting from 6-7pm at the Sandy Community & Senior Center
October 24th- Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt

October 25th- Creepy crawly encounters at the Sandy Community Center from 12:30-1:45pm

November- Open Gyms and skill assessments for Mt. Storm start.
November 2nd- Discover the secrets of the season and explore our Autumn forests with Sandy’s Bee City USA Action Group & Clackamas River Basin Council (@clackamasriver) on a guided hike along Tickle Creek Trail, from 2–4 PM

November 4th- AARP Safe Driving class at the center.

November 14th- Veteran’s Ceremony at the Center

November 21st Tree lighting at Centennial Plaza to kick off Winterfest!