Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
It’s a known fact that many seniors who receive home-delivered meals give up their food to feed their cats and dogs. That’s why the non-profit FIDO started AniMeals, a partnership with Clackamas County Social Services and Senior Meals programs. Sandy Senior Center staff identify meals-on-wheels recipients who have pets and report the need to the AniMeals program. They, in turn, provide nutritious pet food once a month for the cats and dogs of people who receive home-delivered meals. A volunteer delivers the pet food to the center, Bernice Powell sorts and labels it by route, and the meals-on-wheels drivers deliver it along with the day’s lunch. Along with the 49 individuals currently receiving home-delivered meals, 11 dogs and 17 cats are fed as well.
Parks
Plans for Bornstedt Park really got rolling in January. Following a kick-off meeting early in the month, the 50% documents were formulated by Group Mackenzie. Those were reviewed by team members from Public Works, Planning, Parks Maintenance, Administration and Community Services. Comments were returned to the consultant to be incorporated into the 90% documents, due for completion in late February.
Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Mountain Storm Youth Basketball for 5th and 6th graders is underway with 10 teams. High School players and students are involved in helping to referee games and mentor the young players.
Among the new classes offered this season are Music for Babies and Toddlers, Zumbatomic, Adult Group Guitar, and Computer Instruction on Windows 8.
The Seniors will again be “Walking the Red Carpet” for a special Oscar Party on February 24th.
Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 19,243, a decrease of 3.6% from the same period last year. The SAM-Estacada route showed an increase of 4.2%; SAM-Gresham decreased 3.3%; STAR use decreased by 13.7% this month.
Ridership broke the 2.5 million mark with a total of 2,501,805 rides provided since January 2000. Average daily ridership is just over 1000.
The Transit Center opened on January 7, 2013 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The turnout was light, but the attendees were impressed with the improvements and enthusiastic despite the blustery, wet weather.
The Transit Assistant job search went very well with the unanimous top selection, from several well-qualified candidates, accepting the position. Andria (Andi) Howell will begin part time and be on board full time by mid-February. Many thanks to Heidi Wammack from the court department who became “transit Heidi” three hours a day to keep the transit tax database current. The full complement of staff time will be welcomed.
Transit is preparing for a Drug & Alcohol audit by ODOT in February. The operations contract requires the 5-year request for proposals (RFP) this spring.
Staff will join the technical committee for the second stage of the Mt. Hood Multimodal Transportation Plan during the next 6 months. Clackamas County has secured vehicle grants and private funding partnerships with Timberline and Ski Bowl to operate a pilot public transit service between Sandy and Government Camp and the ski areas. The Mountain Express service will extend to Timberline sometime later in the year.