Judith Louise Norval, 87, born in Cleveland, Ohio on February 17, 1938, passed peacefully at home in Zig Zag, OR September 10, 2025. Judith loved art and literature. She volunteered as a docent at the Long Beach Museum of Art while living in Cerritos, CA. When she and husband Ron retired to Oregon in 1993, she worked as a book and art seller at several establishments, including Wy'east Book Shoppe and Gallery in Welches. She was an avid reader, played Pinochle, Spite and

Robin Fritsch, a massage therapist at Mountain Life Clinic, was awarded $1,500 to pursue training to help clients with pain management for conditions such as sciatica and whiplash. HWC awards scholarships for continuing education Two Hoodland area residents looking to build their skills were awarded continuing education scholarships totaling $2,400 last month from the HWC Community Fund. Robin Fritsch, a massage therapist at Mountain Life Clinic, was awarded $1,500 to pursue

Mt. Hood Hospice and the Sandy Senior Center have partnered on hosting this event to honor veterans for three years. Credit: Mt. Hood Hospice As a nonprofit organization, Mt. Hood Hospice serves those nearing the end of life, and their families, regardless of their ability to pay. About a quarter of those they care for have served our country. As part of the national We Honor Veterans program, their team is dedicated to recognizing the unique needs of veterans and their fam

Every year, hundreds of tourists flock to Mt. Hood to jog through the summertime heat as participants in the annual Hood to Coast Relay. The organization has its eyes on celebrating the rich diversity on display for runners making the trek from the tip of the mountain all the way to the relay’s finish line in Seaside. Since the race is a fixture in the community, we asked locals for their personal opinions on the annual event, and the reviews were ... mixed. Across Instagram

It isn’t every day the mountain gets to celebrate a centenarian! On Monday, September 15, longtime resident Fred Thornberg turned 100 – bringing with him a lifetime of service, humor, and community spirit that has enriched the Mt. Hood area for more than five decades. Thornberg moved to Oregon from Utah in 1968 with his wife Dana, and worked as a home builder. “I was a Lion in Utah,” he recalled. “A friend asked me to join here, and I did.” That simple decision turned into 55

Welcome back, dear reader, to another installment of the chronicles of the Mount Hood golf scene. There will be no stone unturned by your intrepid reporter and no cliffhangers, as this is my last column for this year. Please, please no teeth gnashing or hair pulling. I plan on returning next year, unless I win a Pulitzer, in which case I'm out of here like a Cal Raleigh home run. Watching baseball makes me realize that every sport has its own jargon that is constantly evolvin

The staff at Mt. Pizza and Brews have been serving Sandy since May 23. Credit: Brit Allen. In her only four months in business in Sandy, Suzanne Jackson has already made a name for herself, serving up pizza by the slice and a family-oriented space and menu at Mt. Pizza and Brews. Knowing she grew up in the food industry, with her parents running a coffee shop when she was a teen, it’s not too surprising how natural the role of restaurateur is for Jackson. Jackson and her fat

Aidan DeOliveira always knew he wanted to have a career in public service. He says he wants to do something that helps people and now he’s getting his chance, through the Hoodland Fire District Student Program. A 2025 Sandy High School graduate, Aidan is on the right track to achieving his ultimate goal of becoming a firefighter-paramedic. He started the two-year program two months ago and has nothing but good things to say about his experience so far. “I love it,” Aidan sa

As Jamela Turin prepares for her first high school varsity game, she remembers her parents’ advice: “Don’t act younger than everyone. You can’t play like everyone’s older than you… act like you belong there.” Her parents told her this when she was notified that she, as a freshman, made Sandy High School’s girls varsity soccer team. She wasn’t just excited because she was a freshman on varsity – she was excited for her whole team’s potential to succeed. After several strenuou

The creation of art is typically demonstrated with brush strokes, camera flashes, and pencil markings, but to local herbalist Cari Gesch, turning art into a verb involves a plethora of plants, herbs, and passion incorporated into one glorious adventure of health and healing. A resident of The Mt. Hood Villages for the last 13 years, Gesch has immersed herself into the culture that is living in a mountain town, mere miles from a national forest with an abundance of the materia

The mornings are becoming crisp in Sandy, and nothing feels more welcoming than the smell of coffee and fresh baked goods at the AntFarm Café & Bakery. For more than ten years, the café has been part of local life, serving meals and drinks that not only nourish customers but also support the youth and family programs of AntFarm. From vision to gathering place Construction began and the café opened in 2013. Youth and volunteers helped strip floors, polish wood, and bring the v

A Sudden Shift in Funding. In early spring, AntFarm Youth Services learned that the funding which had powered its summer work experience program for nearly a decade had been cut. The news was sobering, but the response was immediate. Staff knew that if nothing was done, youth across Sandy, Estacada, and Molalla would lose a meaningful opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with their community. Rather than step back, AntFarm mobilized. Leaders, staff, and partners came toget