Despite their efforts, all the Mountain’s women couldn’t put the new
community center together.

Facing a $700,000 gap in funding the building (on the site of the Dorman
Center), the Hoodland Women’s Club, on April 7, voted to discontinue the new
building project.

“At that time a few members asked to attempt to bring in money on their
own, which was granted,” project originator and steering committee member
Barbara Saldivar wrote in an email to The Mountain Times. “But to no avail.”

The dream of a new community center was hatched in 2002 when Saldivar
presented the idea at an HWC meeting. Club members Judith Norval, Nancy
Spencer and Marilan Anderson joined in the effort and soon numerous HWC
members and others from the community threw in their support.

The center gained momentum immediately when County Parks dedicated
$250,000 to the project. A conditional use permit was granted. A donor came
up with $100,000 for the senior center and those monies were earmarked for
the new center so they could be included in it.

In 2006 the County Library System went through some changes and as a
result the Hoodland Library became part of the Sandy Library and the library
board and City of Sandy received $1 million from the county – of which
$250,000 was earmarked for the new center to house the Hoodland Library.
The economy dipped and efforts to raise more money became difficult, and
the new center was put on hold.

In 2010 Saldivar and the new chair of the building committee Kay Baker
began writing grants to secure a project manager to help move the project
forward, resulting in a special projects grant from the county.

“In January, 2011, Diane Lokting was hired to help navigate the project
through the many county processes and apply for grants,” Saldivar wrote.
“A business plan was developed. If HWC could fund the building of the center,
it should be self supporting.”

It went well for a while. Grants were received from Meyer Memorial Trust,
Ford Family Foundation, Autzen Foundation, Collins and Oregon Community
Foundation.

“We all put a lot of work into raising the funding needed,” Lokting said. “But
with the turnaround in the construction industry which raised the cost to build
the Community Center, the gap in funding needed was just not breachable.”

Still, more grants were written, but without success.

In March, 2012, facing a $700,000 gap in funds, the steering committee made
a final push for a $300,000 grant from Murdock Foundation. Murdock said the
project didn’t qualify for their grants.

Then came the April 7 decision to discontinue.

“I was proud to be the project manager for the Hoodland Women’s Club,”
Lokting said. “Through this work I came into contact with many amazing
people. First and foremost are the women whose vision to bring a community
center to Hoodland was a dream of over a decade. My thanks to these
incredible women, as well as our supporters, from local residents and business
leaders to the Clackamas County Commissioners as well as Sen. Chuck
Thomsen and Rep. Mark Johnson ... The demise of the project is very sad.”

With the dream dashed, the HWC went back to work.

County Commissioners have been asked to put the $200,000 into a park on
the Dorman Center site.

The library has been asked to use their $250,000 donation in the community.
Letters will be going out to those who donated funds to the project. They will
be able to have their money returned or put into a different project.

Donations received can be redirected to: Mt. Hood Learning Center, a new
preschool and daycare program to be located at Welches School; the HWC
scholarship fund; or to a Project Bike Rack, where, in partnership with local
businesses, unique bike racks would be installed in front of businesses to
attract cyclists to stop there.

The club members keep their heads high.

“HWC does not feel that this project was in vain,” Saldivar noted.