Annual Meeting Pops with Activity, Vision
Sandy Historical Society's annual meeting Sunday covered a lot of ground with much going on. The group re-elected Wynn Thies president, Julie Exner as treasurer, Kandy Clark as board member, voted for Austin Ernesti as board member, and for Gary Coats as member emeritus.
Friends of the museum have new projects in the works, and Cathy Crownover requested donations of blue jeans and any color of denim. They are working on denim purses and also plan to make a quilt out of denim.
A new raffle quilt decorated the rack. Garden Party from Shirley Crow features fabric flowers, birds, a tree, and animals sewn into a picture. Ticket sales at one for $2 or three for $5 began the same afternoon. All proceeds benefit the museum Michelle Clark, native liaison, will be coming to the museum February 9 with a visitor from Grand Ronde to evaluate spaces and make suggestions regarding a native display.
Great news came from Trajectory! Austin Ernesti, founder of the new non-profit, forestry-oriented company, presented the program of the day. He used PowerPoint-type illustrations on the big screen and was supported by Sandy High's natural resource T teacher, Paul Felstiner.
Trajectory's vision is connecting communities through sustainable forestry and workforce support. Its mission is to reinvigorate communities and their workforces by tying historical identities to modern workforce needs. The vision and mission mean reconnecting to the Oregon forest and how we use it.
Organization, program support, and engagement projects are already up and moving. The museum donated some "misery whip" saws. Sandy Chainsaw donated a chainsaw. Axis Range donated 30 axes. Tryon Machinery has donated the use of machinery to take out blackberries and such. Other donations are coming in, and more are needed including planning, funding, and supplies.
Ernesti was "pleasantly not surprised" at enthusiastic reaction to the recent first meeting of the Sandy High School Forestry Club. Forty-six students turned out to help move concrete blocks and clear up debris in the Byron Ball Forest, which stretches from near the high school to within about half a mile from Hwy 26. They also lined up to throw axes.
"Number one is ax throwing. Then, number two: they all want to do pole climbing." “The kids are really excited about it! Anybody can join. I think it's a very inclusive
setup. We're going to do cleanup on March 11th so the trails are a bit more user friendly."
Many more activities are planned.
