President's Corner
Park Gathering, WFA and Seasonal Changes
By Scott Harvey
Greetings fellow club members,
September Meeting:
We’ll be kicking off the September club meeting with pizza and refreshments this month at an outdoor location along the Willamette and Tualatin Rivers –– Willamette Park @ 1100 12th St, West Linn OR 97068. We have reserved the pavilion shelter near the corner of 12th St and Volpp in West Linn for our outdoor meeting. This will be our first in-person OWA gathering since the Covid restrictions went into effect back in early spring of 2020.
Note: West Linn Parks do not allow alcohol and we are subject to the mask mandate (masks are required outdoors anytime six feet of distance cannot be maintained). So, grab your camp chairs and come on down to the Willamette Park shelter and mingle with fellow OWA boaters and river people. Everyone has river stories to share!
Wildnerness First Aid:
There are still some open spots available in the OWA Wilderness First Aid Training event Saturday, Sept 25th and Sunday, Sept 26th. WFA will be held at McIver State Park just several miles southwest of of Estacada and along the Lower Clackamas River. Travis Reid with Oregon Rescue LLC will lead the instruction for this course. The sign-up for this 2-day training is on the Oregon Whitewater Association webpage: oregonwhitewater.org. We have several camp sites reserved at McIver State Park for those individuals helping out with training, members traveling a fair distance for the training or for those who are enrolled and would prefer to camp at McIver Park. Contact Matt Saucy, Training Director for availability.
Future Club Meetings:
Planning for the group OWA club meetings in the future is murky at best due to the resurgence of Covid-19 and the Delta variant. Restaurant and gathering location requirements are ever changing as well. We are all keeping tabs on current conditions and will keep everyone informed as information becomes available. It’s basically a week-to-week call in deciding whether to proceed with an enclosed indoor gathering, an outdoor environment gathering, or a basic zoom connection club meeting. Everyone’s well being and health is our main consideration when planning for the OWA group gatherings.
Wildfires:
We have now marked one year since the destructive and devastating fires ravaged through the forests of the Northwest and most notably the Oregon Cascade Mountain range. Loss and destruction has accrued in unimaginable terms and have hit especially hard in the mountains, forests, and rivers we all cherish –– our unique and special backyard we call Oregon. Nothing in life should ever be taken for granted. Respect and preserve what we hold dear.