SENIOR CENTER (Nancy Enabnit)
Two special events highlighted the month. On October 22nd the third ever Candidates’ Forum was hosted by the Center. Candidates for state, county and local offices presented information to the 90 or so in attendance.
Another world premier Halloween Skit was performed by staff. The adoring audience had rave reviews for Snow White and the Seven Senior Dwarfs.
PARKS (Nancy Enabnit)
A draft park survey was presented at the October board meeting. Members reviewed the questions and made suggestions for the final product. The survey is scheduled to reach Sandy homes in January, 2013.
RECREATION (Sarah Richardson)
Preparations for the 2013 Winter/Spring Recreation Guide are in full swing. New classes include pre-school music, adult fitness and antiquing.
The new season of Mountain Storm youth basketball is in high gear with grades 3 & 4 hitting the court.
New fitness, computer, and pre-school classes were added to the fall calendar after the publication of the Fall Recreation Guide. The relatively new online system and database allows new classes to be added and advertised mid-season. Email blasts, Facebook, and occasional newsletters help to advertise new classes and to remind residents of deadlines and upcoming classes.
TRANSIT (Julie Stephens)
October was a very busy month for transit with many projects and strong ridership. Total ridership this month was 23,128, representing an increase of 7.6% from the same period last year. The SAM-Estacada route led with an increase of 22%; SAM-Gresham increased 6.6%; STAR’s increase trailed with 2.2%.
The transit center at the plaza on Hoffman Avenue continues to take shape. Two new street lights were installed; curbs and sidewalks have been completed along with the road surface repaved. The shelter stands strong with its beautiful wood handsomely stained as the roof is being added. Plumbing and preparation for the bathrooms awaits arrival of the pre-fab building. Lighting will soon be installed in the shelter and final completion, which includes a change in traffic direction, is slated for early December. The tentative date to begin use of the new facility is January 7, 2013.
The solar lighting at bus shelters arrived just in time for the dark winter months. Drivers and passengers are enjoying the improved visibility. Thank you to the Public Works crew for the installation!
The new bus for the Estacada route is in the barn and ready to roll into service as soon as staff can be trained. The bus is new for our system. It is a larger (31’) body-on-chassis style. The chassis is a Freightliner equipped with a heavier-duty engine and transmission and increased seating (26 passengers) as the route often runs at capacity. The diesel engine should provide improved fuel efficiency.
Staff continued work with TriMet and the other regional transit providers toward an update of the regional Elderly and Disabled Transportation Plan that will be adopted just in time for the biennial grant process.
It looks as if a funding source from the Oregon Department of Energy, the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC), which has made solid contributions to our transit system since 2004, will not survive as a viable option in the future. The loss of this funding, along with other recent changes to the federal grant programs, will necessitate a thorough review of options.
The Transit Adventure, with thirteen participants, explored the Pearl District using the Streetcar in addition to SAM and MAX.