Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
Kim Sabin concluded her internship in April. The health and wellness series she led concluded with a Heart Healthy lunch on the 16th. Nearly 40 people attended the meal and took home valuable hand-outs on nutrition.

The center hosted a “Bright Idea” planning meeting. All prior suggestions were compiled into a survey, and participants were asked to mark their favorite ideas for day trips, movies, center activities, dine-outs and hikes. People wrote in additional ideas, the results (close to 50 surveys) were tallied, and the valuable input will help shape future offerings at the center.

Parks
There was a tremendous turn-out for this year’s Solv-It in Sandy. The annual Earth Day event drew close to 200 volunteers to clean up local parks, Centennial Plaza, the bus shelters and sweep sidewalks. Tickle Creek Trail bridges were cleaned and the Clackamas River Basin Watershed Council hosted a work party for the Shade Our Streams project in Sandy Bluff Park. Dozens of people took advantage of the free shredder with over 6,000 pounds of sensitive documents processed.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Recreation Department staff met with representatives from Camp Fire Columbia to develop a new day camp option for Sandy residents. During the month of July, a 3-day and 5-day camp experience will be available at Camp Namanu. Transportation will be provided to/from the Sandy Community/Senior Center. The program will feature all the traditional summer camp experiences including swimming, crafts, and songs. The day camp also focuses on preventing summer learning loss with 30 minutes of reading each day and theme-based learning modules that include astronomy, creative writing, science and much more.  The cost of the program includes a 6:1 camper to counselor ratio,  all activities, transportation, snacks and lunch.

In June and August the department will be partnering with the library to provide two day camps.  They are modeled on the successful Saturday Kids’ Club at the library adding lunch in a local park and swimming at Olin Bignal pool, two popular activities from the Sandy Recreation day camps.

These new camps align with the department’s goal of engaging more community partners to provide cost-effective and broad based programs for area residents and families.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 11,501.  The ridership overall decrease was 11%;   The SAM-Gresham decreased 12.2%; SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 15.5%; STAR increased this month by 3.8%; and ED ridership decreased by 36.9%.

Sandy Transit staff and Advisory Committee members attended Transit Day at the Capitol April 8^th.   Julie Stephens, Andi Howell and Caren Topliff attended transportation hearings and discussed transportation needs with Representative Mark Johnson, Senator Chuck Thomsen’s staff and Governor Brown.  As an Oregon Transportation Association board member, Julie Stephens stood with Governor Brown as she signed a Proclamation declaring April 8^th as “Oregon Transit Day”.

On April 18^th 300 people rode Sandy Transit services for free in conjunction with Sandy’s Solv-It activities to promote Earth Day.

Sandy Transit is scheduled for a triennial review by Oregon Department of Transportation in May.  In preparation for this review, transit is collecting and sending a list of documents and materials as requested from the reviewing agency prior to the scheduled two-day visit.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
Landscaping on the north side of the building was completed by Valley View Landworks. The new xeriscape motif will require lighter maintenance and much less water. It does a nice job of highlighting the Sandy Style sign and reader board.

The Center partnered with the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) to provide a pick-up/drop-off site for free spay and neutering of cats. Over 60 furry friends received the free service as well as flea prevention treatment.

In addition to the popular, monthly Alzheimer’s Support Group, Cami Henderson has coordinated educational offerings for those wishing to learn more about the disease and caring for people with memory loss. The first class, “Effective Communication Strategies” took place on March 18th.

Parks
Staff time was spent completing a Local Government Grant application in hopes of funding improvements to Meinig Park. Included in the request is money to realign paths to accessible standards, improve the riparian corridor along No Name Creek, install an off-leash dog area in the upper/south area of the park and upgrade path lighting. Thanks to a previous allocation of funds from the City Council for a park master plan, construction drawings for the Meinig project are already complete. Applicants are required to make a presentation before the grant committee sometime in early June.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Mountain Storm Youth Basketball completed the season for grades 3-6 with two Jamborees held in the Sandy High School gym.  23 Teams played basketball this season with a record number of 3rd and 4th graders participating.

The K-1 basketball program led by Carol Cohen has been very popular as well. The program teaches fundamental basketball skills and is a wonderful introduction to the sport. Attendance at long-time programs like Kinderdance and Pee Wee Soccer is very strong this year.

Work has begun on the Summer Recreation & Leisure Guide, and new sections are being developed. They include more detailed information on how to register, and how to use the electronic guide to share with friends and family etc. New this year is a Summer Camp information section.

Sandy Library and the Recreation Department will be collaborating on two summer camp sessions this year as a way to share resources and to help residents learn more about both library and recreation programs.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 11,188.  The ridership overall decrease was 7.5%; SAM-Gresham decreased 10%; SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 3.7%; STAR increased again this month by 12%; and ED ridership decreased by 50%.

In the regional grant process, Sandy grant requests were fully funded for a total of approximately $820k.  The biennial grant awards include operating funds of $252k for STAR; $72k to backfill lost JARC funds; $98k for ED (frail Elderly & Disabled medical trips outside of Sandy); $131k for preventive vehicle maintenance; $166k for the replacement of 2 vehicles (MV1 for ED & LowFloor Cutaway for STAR); $100k vehicle match for transit vehicle replacement (SAM) awarded through ODOT federal rural capital funds (5339) at $311k.  The vehicle replacements and preventive maintenance funds will help keep the fleet in a state of good repair.

The general public 5311 Small City and Rural Transit program funds in the next biennium are approximately $832k.

The FLAP—Federal Lands Access Program grant from Federal Highways was also awarded continuing funds through years 3 and 4 of the original 4-year request.  The annual amount of approximately $50k funds the new weekend service which connects the Portland area to Sandy and the Mt Hood Express service to Timberline.

The Transit Advisory Committee convened March 18th with Councilor Lois Coleman joining the committee.  The agenda included recent grant awards, vehicle replacements and surpluses, and Transit Day at the Capitol scheduled for April 8th.  We will have a group of 5 meeting with our legislators and attending the event.

We took delivery of a new transit vehicle, an MV1.  It is a 6-passenger vehicle slated for frail-elderly and disabled trips into Gresham & Portland for medical appointments.  The retired vehicle will be passed to the Senior Center for their use while awaiting their new, smaller vehicle.

Transit will promote Earth Day with a fare FREE day on April 18th in conjunction with Solv-It in Sandy activities.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
The Center is fortunate to have Kim Sabin on staff for a few months. Kim is completing her internship as she works towards her Nurse Practitioner degree through Gonzaga University. Ms. Sabin is focusing on health and wellness in older adults. She is conducting a 4-week Heart Health class that will culminate in a Heart-Healthy lunch in April.

She has taken a holistic approach to understanding the needs of the elderly by doing a ride-along with a Meals-on-wheels driver, escorting Cami Henderson on a home visit to assess care needs, assisting Iris White in the kitchen as she prepares meals for in-home and on-site recipients, and helping Sarah Reis in the Change of Pace Alzheimer’s respite program. Kim has observed the Tai Chi for Better Balance class and will sit in on other classes offered in March.

Parks
The International Trails Symposium will be held in Portland in May and Kathleen Walker, Mckenzie Jensen (Mt. Hood National Forest) and I will be presenting on Pyramid Strategies for Low Cost Multi-Use Trails. We will be providing information on developing partnerships and seeking out low-cost alternatives for building high-quality trails. Kathleen and Mckenzie will focus on the miles of trails at Government Camp, and Kathleen and I will gush about our local gem, the Tickle Creek Trail.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Mountain Storm basketball games were in full swing during the month of February. Boys and girls, grades 3 through 6 made use of all OTSD gyms for practices and games. The season wraps up in March with a jamboree at Sandy High School for the younger kids on the 7th, and 5th/6th graders playing on the 14th. A big shout-out for the wonderful volunteer coaches and team parents.

Staff attended a workshop sponsored by Oregon Parks & Recreation Association titled The ABC’s of SMP (Sponsorship, Marketing & Partnerships). Presenters offered useful information, and the informal networking was invaluable.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 10,571. The ridership year-over-year has finally leveled out; this month the overall decrease was 2.4%. The SAM-Gresham decreased 5.6%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 5.8%; STAR increased again this month by 27%; and ED ridership decreased by 51%.

Staff was kept busy completing 7 grant applications for all transit operating programs and capital replacements.

Julie Stephens joined several transit staff from across the state in Salem to testify before a legislative committee on transportation. There is a proposed bill that would allow municipal agencies providing transit services to collect in-lieu payments comparable to payroll tax for state employees within their service area.

Mt. Hood Express ridership dropped to 3467 in February.

A retired transit vehicle was sold as surplus for $5183 to a gentleman in Michigan. He  refurbishes used vehicles and sells them at a reasonable cost so non-profit agencies can transport their clientele.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
The north side of the building will soon sport an updated landscape look. A xeriscape motif will cut down on maintenance and the need to water while enhancing the appearance of the sign and street-side view of the Community/Senior Center. 

Parks
A Clackamas County HEAL grant was awarded to fund completion of the Bornstedt Park community garden. With the current weather pattern, garden planting may come early this year.

Engineering work began on another grant-funded project, expansion of the trail system in Sandy River Park. Jim Slagle of Recreation Trails is surveying the alignment for a trail extension that will meander north of the current loop through the woods.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
January was a busy month with 24 youth basketball teams hitting the ground running.  The program has grown a lot this season in the 3^rd and 4^th grade age group. Mountain Storm plays games and holds practices in every Oregon Trail School, and space is tight. It is fun to see so many kids being active and healthy.

Winter/Spring classes started after the December break with a variety of offerings including long-standing favorites Kindergym and Kinderdance.  Bricks 4 Kidz provided a Family Fun Night to help introduce the after-school program.  It is a great, Lego-based learning curricula for grades K-6. The program takes place Thursdays from 4-5pm.

Summer planning has started and new ideas are flowing. Stay tuned.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 11,521.  The ridership decrease year-over-year continues; this month the overall decrease was 9%. SAM-Gresham decreased 11.8%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 5.6%; STAR had an increase of 11.5% this month; and ED ridership decreased by 48%.

The 15^th Anniversary event at the Transit Center was lightly attended. Mayor King, Councilor Coleman, and staff were able to interact with the riders enjoying coffee, treats, and raffle prizes consisting of transit passes and the iconic insulated grocery bags.

Even with the light snowfall, the expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 5563 in January.

The Transit Adventure this month took in Mary Poppins at the Children’s Theater.  Bernice Jordan helped two families navigate mass transit to and from their destination. The group included three adults (including a grandmother) and four children,.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
In its 27th year, Breakfast with Santa continues to offer a wonderful family tradition. Community members support the annual affair, and this year’s fundraiser netted over $2,000 for the Sandy/Boring Meals-on-Wheels program. A special shout-out goes to local merchants who so generously donated prizes for the raffle–some donated cash that directly enhances the bottom line. Several members of the Senior Center, and the community in general, made cash donations as well.

Parks
One component of Bornstedt Park yet to be completed is the community garden. If successful, a HEAL grant, submitted to Clackamas County, will fund the purchase of soil for the raised beds, gravel for walkways, a storage shed, and some garden tools.  Grants will be awarded in mid-January.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Mountain Storm is in full swing with 24 teams, including ten 3^rd and 4^th grade boys’ teams. We are very fortunate to have the use of school district facilities, and we are bursting at the seams.  Cedar Ridge, Firwood, Kelso, Sandy Grade, Welches and Boring gyms are in use for games and practices almost every night of the week. The Pioneer Building will also be used on occasion and the new High School is the place for the end of season Jamborees.

The Wednesday Playgroup is back in full force with great leadership and lots of happy kids and their parents getting together to play and learn.

The database continues to grow, and residents seem to be accustomed to the newer electronic guide. We have been able to assist the library in promoting its programs now that there are no restrictions to the number of pages we can publish. The new city website has been very successful in helping to grow the database used to deliver the guide to resident in-boxes.

The Recreation Department will be working to evolve the guide even further to become a more comprehensive recreation and leisure resource. In addition to offering classes, the guide can help steer residents toward opportunities provided throughout the community and surrounding areas.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 10,915.  Compared with last year, the ridership reduction averages were fairly low this month with an overall decrease of only 4%.  The SAM-Gresham decreased 4.8%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 3.7%; STAR had an increase of 3.3% this month; and ED ridership decreased by 32%.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 5687 in December, an 81% increase over the same month last year.  The buses were full on many runs during the holidays with new snow on the mountain.

The additional Sunday service that began in December was met favorably with increased Sunday riders.  The new $5 interline “Day Pass” for SAM and Mt Hood Express (MHX) introduced in December, has also been quite popular.  It allows unlimited boardings on SAM and/or MHX for the day of purchase.  Passengers can go round-trip between Gresham and Mt Hood, and between ski areas, all day for only $5.

The Sandy Post featured the transit system, including coverage of the new Sunday service, the day pass, the partnership with Clackamas County (Mt Hood Express) and the 15^th year anniversary celebration scheduled for January 2^nd.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
Instructors Bonnie and Howard Newman are now offering Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays at 1pm. Grant funding from Clackamas County allows the Senior Center to offer the class free of charge. There are currently 14 participants.

The Medical Teams International Dental Van paid a visit on Tuesday, November 25th. Eleven low-income individuals received a dental exam, x-rays, and fillings or extractions free of charge. Senior Center personnel set up the appointments, volunteer dental professionals staffed the van, and a State of Oregon Innovations grant covered the cost of the mobile facility.

Parks
Signage and trail improvements in Sandy River Park made the Final Four of projects for the Ford Family Foundation Leadership Group, Highway to Hood. The other three vying for volunteer help and financial support were the Kiwanis Camp, Oral Hull and AntFarm. The group ultimately chose the AntFarm project, so look for good things to happen at their Leathers location.

In an interesting twist, tourism funds became available, and since the Sandy River Park project was already outlined, it was submitted for funding. Voila, phase two of Sandy River Park trail construction, along with enhanced signage, will happen sometime in spring 2015.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Youth basketball kicked off in earnest in November with 24 teams practicing in gyms at local schools. Games will begin after winter break. Great to see the kids experiencing the fun and fitness of team sports.

The Winter/Spring Recreation and Leisure Guide is in development and will be published online and through the email database around the 1st of January.

Despite the loss of support from Healthy Start, the free Wednesday playgroup is thriving. This program continues a long tradition of providing support and networking for young families in the community. It is also a great way to connect them to programs provided by the Recreation Department.

The second ever Sandy/Boring Corn Cross was held on November 1st. A race in Bend was scheduled for the same day, and the conflict made for slow pre-registration. Not to worry–hundreds of participants signed up the day of the event. Liepold Farms is a fantastic venue, and the new flyover drew lots of attention. Some dared to climb the steps and ride down the ramp, others preferred the go-under option. The event is sure to be bigger and better in 2015.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 9935. The trend of lower use from last year continues with an overall decrease of 24%. The SAM-Gresham decreased 26%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 18%; STAR had a decrease of 10% this month; and ED ridership decreased by 31%.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 2723 in November. The ski equipment boxes are mounted for the winter season. The ridership bumped up the last weekend after Thanksgiving and a bit of snow.

We took delivery of a new STAR bus. The low-floor cutaway bus will make boarding the in-town service much easier for all, especially the elderly mobile passenger. The passengers and drivers love the bus.

Preparations were made for the additional Sunday service beginning in December. New schedules and route maps are available and posted at bus stops with the changes. A new $5 interline “Day Pass” for SAM and Mt Hood Express (MHX) will be introduced in December. It will allow unlimited boardings on SAM and/or MHX for the day of purchase. Passengers can go round-trip from Gresham to Mt Hood and between ski areas all day for $5.

We’re preparing for our 15-year anniversary on January 1, 2015 at the Transit Advisory Committee meeting on December, 17, 2014.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
Once again, members of the Center looked forward to a world-premiere Halloween skit written and performed by center staff, with special guest Seth Atkinson joining in this year’s fun. Folks were thoroughly entertained with the theme, “Dancing with the Stars–All Girl Version.” Performances of the Charleston, the Hustle and the Twist wowed the audience as did snappy dialogue from the emcee and judges.

Parks
The Park Board continues to meet with a main goal of updating the original Master Plan, adopted in 1997. There was a trail component included in the initial plan, but the new plan will feature a more extensive vision of trails in and around the city as well as potential connections to regional trails. Another goal is to pursue rezoning of all Park land as parks, rather than residential zoning with a conditional use.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
Fall recreation classes and programs were in full swing in October. Mountain Storm registrations came rolling in and it looks like we will have a record season for 3^rd and 4^th grade teams.

The new after-school Bricks 4 Kidz program concluded a successful first session and we look forward to more programs for Winter/Spring. Long-time fall staples of Kinderdance and Pee Wee Soccer continue to be popular. Sandy and Troutdale Recreation Departments are looking for ways to collaborate on more teen programs and look forward to trying out some new ideas this winter.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 12,802.  Fares were implemented in October 2013, therefore this is the first month that provides comparative annual data. Though the ridership isn’t flat, the reduction has slowed to an overall total of 21%. SAM-Gresham decreased 25%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had a drop in use of 22%; STAR had an increase of 26% this month; and ED ridership had a decrease of 20%.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 2439 in October.  The bike trailers are off and ski equipment boxes are being constructed for the winter season.  The City was honored with an award for partnership at the Summit-to-Summit event at Timberline.

Julie, Andi, Joyce, Janice, along with Transit Advisory Committee members Joseph Lowe and Roxy Tolva, attended the Oregon Public Transportation Conference in Seaside.  It was multi-generational themed with excellent keynote speakers and very well attended.  We focused on updated federal regulations for ADA, procurement, grant and asset management.  Julie and a colleague from eastern Oregon co-led a rural provider round-table.

In response to the top two requested improvements in the recent survey, additional runs will be added on Sundays to the SAM-Gresham route beginning December 1, 2014.  Sunday service was introduced lightly last year with fewer runs than the funding allowed.  The addition will result in 8 runs on Sunday, more evenly spaced between 7 AM and 9 PM.  New schedules and route maps are at the printer and will soon be reflected at bus stops and on the website.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
It’s time to give a shout-out to the dedicated crew of Meals-on-Wheels drivers. Iris White heats up the food and packages it for delivery. Four routes are delivered four days each week. Currently there are 49 individuals who receive a hot meal and, more importantly a welfare check, from one of 16 caring volunteers. The service boundary encompasses the entire Oregon Trail School District, exclusive of the Hoodland corridor. After people begin to receive meals, Cami Henderson conducts an in-home visit and explains the other services provided by the Center.

Parks
Joe Preston & Steve Gillis kept the parks looking snazzy for the peak use season. That was no easy task since new facilities, Bornstedt Park and the Sandy Bluff Dog Park, created quite a bit of additional work for the crew.  Many thanks to Joe & Steve.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
It has been a year since the Recreation Guide went completely electronic. For the most part the impact has been positive.  The new reader board, more flyers to schools, email newsletter blasts etc. have helped to provide the community with information about recreation and leisure opportunities. Feedback indicates they like the frequent reminders.

The Recreation Department and the Library have started to talk about collaborating more frequently on programs. Working together in the summer to provide camps, classes and other programs is an exciting possibility.

Some programs were in transition in September, namely the Wednesday playgroup. It is back up and running now, but September numbers will reflect the delay in reorganizing after Healthy Start lost funding. The turnout the first week was very strong indicating the need for such programs in our community.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month of 11,442, shows a slowing trend of declining ridership, 33% from the same period last year. SAM-Gresham decreased 36%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had the greatest drop in use, 44%; STAR had an increase of 12.7% this month; and ED ridership had a decrease of 61%.  The opening of the dialysis facility in Sandy has shifted many ED rides to STAR.  The result is significant cost savings per trip, better usage of STAR and an increase in the percent of people with disabilities using STAR.  STAR remains, however, available to the general public.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 2510 in September.  The bike trailers have brought out a new mountain bike ridership that takes the bus up to Ski Bowl and Timberline and rides trails back to Rhododendron.  The bike trailers will remain through October or until the snow flies.  Ski equipment boxes are being constructed for the winter season.

Julie and Clackamas County partner, Teresa Christopherson, attended the Conference on Transportation and Federal Lands in Washington, DC.   It was rich with shared information on innovative projects and areas of research affecting multimodal transportation, tourism, recreation, travel and access to and in National Parks and Federal Lands.  The Mt Hood Multimodal Plan and subsequent transit project with its unique partnerships was presented by ODOT and WFHA.

Transit staff worked to design and conduct multiple online, newsletter and on-board transit surveys in September.  The surveys were performed jointly with Mt Hood Express to fulfill a requirement for the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Grant.  Online surveys were available for one week, newsletter survey responses are still coming in, and on-board surveys were conducted on all routes during all hours over three days—approximately 140 service hours.  A BIG thank you to the on-board survey volunteers (off-duty drivers, TAC members, PSU students, willing husbands and family) and staff who performed many extra shifts to get the job done.

Online and newsletter results are still being tabulated.  Andi has entered all 336 on-board surveys into Survey Monkey for analysis.  Preliminary results show great satisfaction with the service, especially the drivers, a desire for more Sunday service, later weekday service, a very high percentage of transit dependent riders and once again, that SAM brings as many riders into Sandy daily as those transported elsewhere.  This is significant and clearly identified because the surveys are conducted in one direction only.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
Staff time was spent preparing an application for the Clackamas County Small Grants program. The request was for money to pay mileage to those Meals-on-Wheels drivers who request reimbursement. Meals-on-Wheels can only exist with the help of the 16 permanent and many back-up volunteer drivers who deliver a hot lunch to the community’s most frail, elderly individuals. The four routes range from 20 to 30 miles and head off in all directions.

Fun excursions were planned to the Tualatin Crawfish Festival, Strawberry Island, Rainbow Trout Farm, Clackamas County Fair and Hood River. Rounding out the month was an overnight trip to Lincoln City.

Parks
Meinig Park is the place to be in August. Katie Murphy put together another fantastic line-up of musicians for the Dale Nichols Main Stage & Theater in the Woods acoustic series. Concerts culminated with the Volunteer Recognition Picnic including a performance by On the Rocks a Capella group.

Saturday night movies are always popular, however, this year’s presentation of Frozen (Sing-a-long version) was by far the biggest hit–perhaps of all time. Sound production for all offerings is provided by Shira Otchis of She-Rock Sound. After the showing of Frozen, Shira commented that the kids knew all the words to the songs AND all the words to the movie as well.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
The Fall Recreation & Leisure Guide was created in August. With the Fall Guide the transition to an electronic version completes a full year. The new board out front, along with more frequent flyers to schools etc. has helped the process.  The electronic guide is very inexpensive to produce and meets the growing reliance on and comfort with digital information.

Adult Softball completed the season with a tournament on August 9^th. The Mt. Hood Athletic Club team triumphed.

New field trips focusing on local parks and activities gained some momentum this summer, and the Recreation Department continues to create and source new programs that meet the needs of local families during the summer months. New ideas are always welcome.

The 2nd Annual Bark for the Park is scheduled to take place September 20^th at Bluff Park from 9:00am-1:00pm.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month, of 11,599, continues the same trend of declining ridership, 43% down from the same period last year. SAM-Gresham decreased 44.7%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had the greatest drop in use, 57%; STAR had a modest decrease of 8.8% this month; and ED ridership had a decrease of 47.6%.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 3103 in August. Operators just placed a second new bus into service.  The buses will tow bike trailers that accommodate up to 12 bicycles through September.  Standard two-place bike racks will be regular equipment throughout the year and ski equipment boxes are in production for winter use.

Staff is looking into the option of providing WiFi on the SAM Gresham route.  Ridership loss, subsequent to the introduction of fares, improved the quality of the bus ride. The intent is to appeal to the commuter as well as the silent generation who are interminably connected to technology.

This winter will see the introduction of a $5 interline day pass for use on SAM and Mt Hood Express. It will allow on/off boarding throughout the day between the systems.  Travelers will be able to access multiple destinations on the same day.

Ad campaigns as well as on-board and off-line surveys will be conducted in September to further identify transit use and barriers to that use.

Senior Center (Nancy Ream Enabnit)
As always, the Mountain Festival Pie Booth occupied a great deal of time and effort in early July. The annual fundraiser for Meals-on-Wheels grossed over $4,000 with anticipated net profits of around $3,000. A big thank you shout-out goes to our community partners at EverFresh Fruit who donated nearly all the fruit used in the pies.

Local pioneers Howard Vaeretti and JoAnn McDermed Bernhardt organized a van tour of the area and offered historic highlights of Sandy. Mr. Vaeretti’s grandfather migrated from Italy and established a homestead on TenEyck. Howard still lives on the property along the Barlow Trail. Another Sandy Pioneer, Grace Wewer Reich, added her historic perspective as well. Her father owned the land now known as the Nicholas-Glenn neighborhood. The trip was so popular, it will be repeated in September.

Additional staff time was spent authoring an Oregon State Department of Human Services Innovations Grant. The application was for money to fund Medical Teams International Dental Van visits for each of the 10 Senior Centers in Clackamas County. A July 30th email confirmed funding of the project.

Parks
Park facilities have seen an increase in use this summer. The splash pad at Bornstedt Park has kept many families cool as temperatures rise. Sandy Bluff Park is getting lots of action with the new off-leash dog area and special events including the Family Fun Festival. Activities in Meinig got rolling in early July with another successful Shakespeare in the Park, Mountain Festival, and the launch of the 2014 Sandy Summer Sounds & Starlight Cinema. Thanks to park maintenance staff Joe Preston and Steve Gillis who keep things looking spiffy.

Recreation (Sarah Richardson)
July was busy as usual with Mountain Festival events, Adult Softball and a variety of camps and classes. Mountain Festival events were very well attended this year with the Pet Show growing dramatically. The Bike Derby and Parade continue to be favorite family events.

New summer camps and field trips were offered with mixed results. A survey this fall will help in planning for next summer. New field trips focused on local parks, and new, successful activities were introduced.

There were 7 softball teams playing on the High School fields this summer.  The season will end with a tournament on August 9^th.

Transit (Julie Stephens)
Total ridership this month was 12,133, continuing the same decrease of 40% from the same period last year. SAM-Gresham decreased 42%; again this month, SAM-Estacada had the greatest drop in use, 54%; STAR had a modest increase for the first time in a year, 3.5% this month; and ED ridership continued to decrease by 23%.

The expanded Mt. Hood Express ridership was 2885 in July.  A new bus is now in service, truly making it an express run.  It has a bike trailer that can accommodate up to 12 bicycles at a time.

The relocation of the bus transfer center during Sandy Mountain Festival was challenging for the first couple of days, though improved signage (thank you to Public Works!) helped this year.

Congratulations to Andi Howell who recently received word she has passed the test to become a Certified Community Transportation Manager (CCTM). Andi attended the CTAA conference in St. Paul in June and (successfully) completed the management training course. Her training and certification will be helpful as she assists the Transit Department in additional areas throughout the coming months.

Andi again took the lead with Janice and families to decorate a SAM bus for the Sandy Mountain Festival Parade in July.  Congrats again, as SAM took third place in the community organization division.