Christmas Toy Drive Dinner! “POLAR EXPRESS” We hope you’ll come out to this year's Christmas Toy Drive Dinner and make it the best ever! The dinner will be held Saturday December 6th. Happy Hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6:00 p.m., price at the door is $30.00.Special presale tickets are available for $25.00 at Welches Clackamas County Bank, Welches Mountain Building Supply, Coffee , The Brightwood Tavern, Mt. Hood Cannabis, and the Whistle Stop Tavern. Lion Ch

Name : Leslie Stockdale Place of Birth : St Helens, Oregon How long on the Mountain : 38 years (6 months after we got married) If you were not brought here as a child, what brought you to the Mountain : Definitely as a child, we used the old Ivy Bear as the icon of We’re Almost there, usually heading to Lost Lake for summer vacation Profession : Customer Service (DG 4 years) Other professions: OTSD custodian for 12 years Maid Service at the Resort for 9 years And Thri

All kinds of wildlife — furry mammals, flying birds, crawling amphibians, and even tiny insects — need food, water, and shelter to survive. Each species has its own needs. Some animals can live in small spaces, while others need much larger areas. Some animals need consistent conditions all year, while others only need them at certain times in their life cycle. Your yard or property might already have some of the habitat needed by wildlife. But by improving what’s there or ad

When it comes to creating art that has fundamental and realistic touches, Mt. Hood Villages resident Cassandra Peters sets the bar high. A resident of the area for almost two years, Peters finds passion in the work she creates and shares with her community. Gifted in the art of photorealistic paintings and drawings, Peters takes an image and replicates it through paint with as much of photogenic likeness as possible. “My primary focus is rendering subjects such as people, pet

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

As immigration continues to be a topic of relentless discussion, it goes without saying that many people are accepting risk and danger to enter countries for better opportunities. Whether it is due to economic crisis, organized crime, or an overall desire to better themselves, refugees continue to risk everything for a chance at a better future. And while many members of our community can say they have experienced this firsthand, a few members of our Mt. Hood Villages family

Name: Julie Frederick-Todd Place of birth: Scobey, Montana How long on the Mountain: 1990 - short break from 1995 to 1997, then back again. If you were not brought here as a child, what brought you to the Mountain: My sister brought me to the mountain. Back in the late 70s we went to Parkrose and skied as teenagers. She was on the ski team and ended up coaching at Cooper Spur and working at Timberline Lodge for 20 years. Everyone who skied the mountain knew Camille for h

It isn’t often an entire community can say they have witnessed greatness born. It also isn’t often an entire community can say they witnessed greatness flourish. And it is almost never that an entire community can say they have witnessed greatness become legend. But now, the entire communities of Mt. Hood Villages and Sandy can say, without a doubt, they have been a part of that most unique phenomenon with the life and death of Jeff Flood. Born to Colene and Jeff Flood on J

We look forward to the beginning of the school year. Take care when driving to keep all of our children safe. Schools are an important community asset. They provide the physical infrastructure for education from pre-K to Seniors and other community workshop space. Our area does not have a community space as we once had at the Dorman Center. That space for meeting has not been replaced and there is no plan to provide a useful space for the entire community to use. Our hope is

Late summer rain couldn’t dampen the spirit of the nearly 200 supporters who came out to the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp Walk, Roll, or Stroll at Oaks Amusement Park on Sept. 14. The rain-soaked participants helped make the Kiwanis fundraiser the largest in its18-year history. “Together, we made history,” Kiwanis Development and Communications Director Skye Burns said to the supporters. “Thanks to your amazing generosity and enthusiasm, we raised over $54,000, making this our most

For immediate release: " Vancouver, WA – October 12, 2025 – Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of serious illness and death among women—especially among women of color and those in rural communities. To raise awareness and funds for breast health education, and funds for early detection, financial assistance, and emotional/psychological support programs, Pink Lemonade Project has been named the beneficiary of the 19th Annual Girlfriends Run/Walk by WHY Racing Eve

As we close the chapter on September and Suicide Awareness month, mental health continues to grow into the limelight with different organizations around the country. From small face-to-face groups to large online communities, mental health is seeing advanced awareness in reducing the stigma and focusing on a positive change. And although The Mt. Hood Villages is a small community, the need is not relative to its size. Acknowledging the mental health crisis throughout all wa

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

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

For four years, Mt. Hood Hospice has recognized those — Vietnam veterans, their family members and the people of Vietnam — impacted by Agent Orange with a small but meaningful ceremony around Agent Orange Awareness Day. The nationally recognized day, August 10, commemorates the anniversary of the first time the herbicide Agent Orange was used as a weapon of war in Vietnam in 1961. Mt. Hood Hospice outreach and volunteer coordinator Jolie Phanton led the ceremony on Monday, A

Even those who never officially met Susan “Phoenix” Lane likely saw her somewhere on the mountain, whether she was riding her Harley in one of her flowy skirts, tending the counter at the Hoodland Bazaar, driving through town with her dogs in her old truck, or painting faces at the Hoodland Farmers Market. Christen Prudence met Lane at the market eight years ago. It was the start of a spiritual friendship, during which Lane recently invited Prudence to participate in the sou

At an age when most people are content to take it easy, Rosemary Nichols is rewriting the playbook on aging. At 86, she’s not only lifting weights – she’s breaking barriers on the world stage. This past July, Nichols competed in the 2025 USPA Power Nationals in Pittsburgh. Taking the platform in the 85+ age division, she claimed world records in all three lifts – squat, bench press, and deadlift – in the International Powerlifting League. Her final deadlift of 92.5 kilograms