Spearheaded by the efforts of George Wilson, board director of the Villages at
Mt. Hood, and local pharmacist Jeff Williams, the idea of a pharmacy is once
again a possible prescription on the Mountain.

At the Villages Town Hall meeting, held Jan. 12 at the Resort, more than 50
residents were on hand to hear the presentation for location and funding
options for a local pharmacy and drug store.

“Right now it can be a 60-mile ride for local residents to get to a pharmacy,”
Williams told the audience. “And I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think this was
viable.”

Williams believes the funding will not be a problem.

“There are people here who could fund it,” he said. “I could do it myself, and
I’m not opposed to that. It doesn’t take much money to fund a pharmacy.”

Wilson was impressed with the turnout, and praised political leaders for
showing up at the Town Hall.

“The Villages board of directors feel successful in their role with the first phase
of this project,” Wilson told The Mountain Times following the Town Hall, “by
providing the forum for discussion and educating our community about the
benefits of planning, implementing and developing our own infrastructure, and
to also getting residents to think and talk about the transition from possibility
to reality.”

State Sen. Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River), House District 52 Rep. Mark
Johnson (R-Hood River, and County Commissioner Paul Savas threw their
support behind the project.

Thomsen pointed out that there are tax credits available for rural pharmacies,
and offered “When you get close, let us know. We can help.”

Johnson pointed to block funding access and the Community Care
Organization through the Oregon Health Plan as funding possibilities.

“The Community Care Organization is unique to Oregon,” Johnson said. “You
should be in contact with them.”

Savas was impressed with the energy in the room and said the county would
do what it could.

“There are grants available,” Savas said. “I’ll get back to our folks at county
health to see what we can do to help.”

Jeff Zimmer of Mercury Development (Hoodland Shopping Center) was
interested in providing a pharmacy for the Mountain residents, and told
Williams “You are spot on,” in citing the need for the community.

Steve Graeper, of the Rhododendron CPO, sidelined from the meeting with the
flu, still weighed in by email saying his group would be interested in locating
the pharmacy in Rhododendron.

“If we all pull together, we can do this,” Wilson said. “I’ll be staying in contact
with organizations and leaders in the area.”

* * *

Peter Lagerwey, of Toole Design Group, also made a presentation to the Town
Hall with ideas of how to develop strategies for a Mountain biking and
pedestrian project.

“There are things that can be done right away to improve biking and
pedestrian safety in our community,” Lagerwey said. “And there are things
that will take long-term planning in order to accomplish, such as planning for
a biking-pedestrian overpass over Hwy. 26.”

Wilson, an avid biker, turned the project toward working with government
agencies.

“The point is to get started doing what we can achieve immediately, and
continue planning for the future by working with Clackamas County, Oregon
Department of Transportation, Portland General Electric and other agencies to
bury power lines, provide high-tech fiber optic cable, and build biking-
pedestrian pathways all at the same time when future road construction is
scheduled anywhere within our Hoodland community,” Wilson said.

* * *

Still looking to the future of the Villages and the local community, Wilson
stressed the importance of everyone working together.

“I would like to see our Villages Board partner and endorse other community
clubs and organizations within our community,” he said. “(Such as) our local
Parent Teacher Association, Women’s Club, Senior Center, Lions Club, CPOs,
and Mt. Hood Chamber of Commerce. There are many ways in which
partnering could be beneficial for all our local community organizations.”