By Marie Kennedy, The Mountain Times Inside Sandy High School’s gymnasium, evacuees clutched character cards describing medical needs, lost housing, and emergency triage situations as Red Cross volunteers, county staff and chaplains moved between stations in a mock shelter testing how a large wildfire evacuation would stress real-world services in the Sandy-Mount Hood area. Meanwhile, a parallel exercise unfolded over the radio. The two-day drill simulated a Public Safety Pow

By Justin Andress, The Mountain Times Beginning June 5, the expansive lot behind Dick Hannah Ford will host the fourth annual Sandy Invitational Chainsaw Competition and Forest Festival. The yearly celebration draws attention to the work being done at Trajectory, a Sandy-based nonprofit that works to bridge the cultural divide between forestry conservation and the logging industry. And what better way to get the public excited about that mission than with a celebration of the

By Justin Andress, The Mountain Times It’s early May, and Austin Ernesti and Wayne Stone are standing in an expansive field behind Dick Hannah Ford, a Sandy landmark that runs the length of two city blocks. The two men are talking choker races, single- and double-buck, and log burling. As the fourth annual Sandy International Chainsaw Competition and Forest Fest approaches, Stone and Ernesti are two of the myriad people charged with making sure that the event’s timber sports

By Pat Erdenberger, For The Mountain Times Most of you know that the mission of the Hoodland Community Planning Organization (HCPO) is to bring County information to our Hoodland community members. Our goal is to provide a resounding voice back to the County. We also provide speaking opportunities of interest to the community. The Hoodland Community Planning Organization Community Meeting will be held June 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the Mt Hood Oregon Resort. This is a public meetin

By Cassie Kanable, For The Mountain Times Hello Welches Families! As another school year wound down, May was packed with celebration, community, and appreciation at Welches Schools. One of the highlights of the month was Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, where we had the opportunity to recognize the incredible people who support our students every day. Staff enjoyed pastries and coffee from Mt. Hood Roasters, a taco lunch from Los Venados Mexican Grill, charcuterie boxes and

Mt Hood Folks get 25% off tickets - use code - NWWRF25 - in your shopping cart or at the gate. The original Oregon Roots Reggae event at the best reggae site in Oregon. The festival brings a weekend of Heavy Roots to our stages this year. With Reggae Legends from Jamaica, Virgin Island, Spain, Belize and Greece and rising stars from Jamaica, Northern Cheyenne, California, Oregon and Washington, it is going to be a great weekend. The site features; green grass, sandy soil(no

At the Historic 1937 Steiner Log Church, Welches, OR Mike Gudge and Mike Westby with the Historic Steiner Log Church in Welches are pleased to invite everyone to attend a very special Quilt and Lewis & Clark Art Show. The Show will run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Welches quilter Jean Ludeman and her husband, watercolor artist Steve Ludeman, will exhibit their quilts and art. Both Jean and Steve’s award- winning works have received national and inte

For this season at the Mt. Hood Community College Theatre Department, the sky is the limit. In keeping with their theme of “elevate,” the department will produce Laurel Ollstein’s “They Promised Her the Moon,” highlighting the story of lesser-known aviator and trailblazer Jerrie Cobb. Cobb was trained and meant to be the first female astronaut on the moon, but that dream was never actualized. “The theme is obvious in the idea of someone wanting to go to space,” said Direct

Early March brought a lively evening of conversation, dinner, and dancing as the Hoodland Women’s Club hosted its annual Spring Fling on March 7 at Alpine Events in Rhododendron. Guests arrived for a relaxed hour of mingling before sitting down to dinner. The celebration continued on the dance floor as DJ Nathan Ostrander kept the music going throughout the night. The event was held at Alpine Events in Rhododendron, with new owners Dani Wolfe and Tony Kelner at the helm. The

Music by Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi will fill the historic Steiner Log Church in Welches this spring when the Bach Cantata Choir presents two special performances on Sunday, May 17. The choir will perform the same one-hour program twice that afternoon, with concerts scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. and again from 5 to 6 p.m. at the small hand-built Steiner Log Church, 68835 E. Barlow Trail Road. The performance will feature 30 voices from the Bach Cantata Choir accompanied by two vi

On March 20, the Sandy Parks and Rec Department and Sandy Library are taking over the Sandy Community Center for a night of wholesome, nearly silent fun. For 15 dollars, kids in grades six through 12 can spend two-and-a-half hours hanging with their friends in an environment parents can feel comfortable with. It’s time for the fourth annual Silent Disco at the Sandy Community Center. The Silent Disco is organized by the Parks Department’s Recreation Coordinator, Carol Cohen,

Grief Made Visible is a collection of writing and visual art that fosters greater awareness and understanding of grief within our community. Each year, participants from Mt. Hood Hospice’s free community grief support groups are invited to share artwork and writings that reflect insights from their personal grief journeys. The exhibit typically features 50-70 pieces created by 10-20 artists. Hosted throughout the month of April at AntFarm Café and Bakery in Sandy, Oregon, th

Seven years ago, the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival returned home to the Mt. Hood Community College campus, where, in its heyday, it drew in thousands of jazz enthusiasts and big name musicians like B.B. King, Rosemary Clooney, and Tito Puente. Now under the management of the college — and its Director of Jazz Studies/Music Instructor Dan Davey — the festival has expanded to not only serve up five days of terrific tunes, but opportunities for middle and high school musicians to comp

Photo of the Glade Trail in 1957 by Hal Lidell. (MHCCM Collection 2007.044.0126d, Donated by Judy Pahl in memory of Hal Lidell. On a clear winter morning in Government Camp, it’s easy to imagine what the mountain looked like decades ago. Before high-speed lifts and groomed runs became the norm, skiers carved their way through trees and open glades, following routes that felt more like backcountry adventures than resort laps. For many longtime locals, those early ski routes we

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month — a time to focus on prevention, early detection, and caring for your long-term health. At Orchid Health Hoodland Clinic, we believe proactive, preventive care is one of the most powerful tools we have to keep our community healthy. Cervical cancer is largely preventable when detected early through regular screenings, yet many people delay or skip these important exams. Our Hoodland team is here to change that by providing care that

Happy New Year to all of you from the Mt. Hood Lions Club. Let’s hope we have a great 2026! Christmas Toy Drive Dinner, “The Polar Express“ That mean old Grinch couldn’t derail “The Polar Express.“ Thanks to all of you for attending our Christmas Toy Drive Dinner the evening of Saturday December 6th. We had a great turnout with about 160 in attendance. There were lots of toys contributed for the local children. This year we will also be giving out lots of gloves to folks. The

Clackamas County and Homeless Solutions of Clackamas County are inviting all neighbors to a poignant evening of reflection and remembrance at the annual Longest Night Homeless Persons’ Memorial candlelight vigil. The powerful gathering is set for December 21st in Oregon City , intentionally held on the first day of winter—the longest night of the year—to honor the memory of those in our homeless community who tragically lost their lives over the past year. Last year's ceremo

For the first time in several years, the Resort hosted a Halloween event for kids of all ages on Friday, October 31. The doors opened at 6:00 p.m. and while there was a slow start (in part because folks were finishing up attending the long-time mountain tradition, Spooky Alley), things really began in earnest a short time thereafter. Games, vendors, food, beverages, and live music together with an extremely accommodating staff made for a most enjoyable evening. The Mountain T

As temperatures drop and fall settles in, come enjoy an evening of fairytales with more than a dash of dark humor from the Sandy High School Drama Department. “Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” written by Don Zolidis, opens Friday, Nov. 14, and runs Nov. 15, Nov. 20-Nov. 22. All performances are at 7 p.m. and will be on the Sandy High main stage, 37400 Bell St., Sandy. “This production is like if you took the original ‘Brothers Grimm’ stories before Disney got their hands on

Closing the chapter on yet another successful Bar Wars Golf Tournament, members of The Mt. Hood Villages, golf participants, and the sponsors are reveling in the afterglow that is community fellowship, outdoor enjoyment, and competition. Hosted on October 1st at The Mt. Hood Oregon Resort, local bars competed for the glory that is “Bar Wars Champion.” While the weather was less than stellar [although typical Mt. Hood liquid sunshine in October], teams from local bars assemble