Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
The Center opened late on January 21st to allow Sandy’s finest to conduct a Run, Hide, Fight training for Community Services staff. Chief Kim Yamashita and officers Armando Olmos and William Weatherbee provided invaluable instruction in what to do if faced with an active shooter situation.
Popular trips for the month included a hike on the Trolley Trail in Gladstone, the World of Speed Museum in Wilsonville, and the annual favorite St. Aidan’s Crab & Shrimp Feast. A tour of several area nurseries got folks excited to get busy in their gardens.
Parks
Crews from Mosaic Ecology began removing invasive species, primarily from the western end of the Tickle Creek Corridor. The effort is part of a consent agreement between the City and DEQ. Work will take place over several months and consists of initial removal, spraying and follow-up treatment. Native species will be planted once clean-up work is completed.
Talks began with consultants Mackenzie to finalize plans for the Meinig Park improvement project. When completed the park will sport a new off-leash dog area, upgraded lighting, No Name Creek riparian restoration and realignment of some pathways to provide enhanced accessibility.
Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Mountain Storm is in high gear with 28 teams of girls & boys, grades 3-6. Games and practices fill the area gyms most nights of the week.
Zumba returned to the Community Center with great success, and more adult fitness classes are being developed.
New Cooking classes, with an amazing selection of topics and savory menus, have also had early success. Check them out and look for more options this summer.
Summer camps and programs are in the planning stages. Already on the calendar for summer 2016 are Challenger Sports Camps and the return of Camp Namanu Day Camps. The Recreation Department is also looking to develop art and theater camps by partnering with teachers who are available during the summer. Stay tuned. Field trips, special events and Mountain Festival activities will round out summer programming.
Total ridership this month was 9653. This is a decrease in ridership of 16.2% from January 2015. The SAM-Gresham ridership decreased by 16% with a total of 8390 rides; SAM-Estacada ridership decreased by 19.8%; STAR decreased this month by 17%; and ED ridership increased by 45%.
Sandy Transit staff and a Sandy Transit Advisory Committee member are involved with the Special Transportation Funding Advisory Committee (STFAC). The STFAC is appointed by the TriMet Board of Directors and advises TriMet by making informed recommendations about the distribution of grants funded by the State of Oregon’s Special Transportation Fund (STF) and the Federal Transit Administration’s New Freedom Program. The STFAC also helps develop the Coordinated Transit Plan for Elderly and People with Disabilities (CTP). This plan sets the priorities for new services for the elderly and disabled. This committee will meet twice a month from January through May.
Sandy staff have updated the City’s Transit web page by adding a trip planner and links to staff bios. Interactive route maps are in construction and are expected to be added to the web page soon. These maps help riders identify stop locations along the routes.
In January, SAM celebrated 16 years of service through the collection of SAM stories. In the coming months, stories will be selected and shared on-line. The winning authors will receive a free bus pass. January’s winner was a very touching story of a girl who has been a Sandy rider her whole life, even after her family moved to Troutdale. She received a free February bus pass.
Our partner, Mount Hood Express has nearly completed their Mt Hood Service and Sustainable Operations Plan report and the Service Expansion Analysis report. These reports have been shared with the Mt Hood Transportation Alliance, of which Sandy is a member, and will be reviewed at the February meeting.