Happy Holidays Everyone!

We are starting to publish 2 newsletters, annually. We will begin with this year-end, service, and accomplishments newsletter that will recap 2022. In late spring 2023, we will publish a second newsletter recapping the summer months ahead of 2023. We look forward to seeing all of you in your park in 2023.

2022 Services: 

Clatskanie Parks and Recreation (CPR) provides park and recreational facilities, services, and programs that meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve. CPR is vitally important in establishing and maintaining the quality of life in our community, ensuring the health of families and youth, and contributing to the economic and environmental well-being of our community.

CPR is governed by a board of five members elected in May of odd-numbered years and serving four-year terms. Each board member must be an elector within the district. The Parks and Pool Operations Manager oversees the daily running of your Parks, as well as the Parks District finances. 

In the area of Services, we are proud to highlight our Maintenance Department (Eric (Supervisor), Bill, and Mark). It probably goes without saying, keeping your parks clean, in good working order, and fit for the many events hosted by CPR and the City of Clatskanie, our Maintenance Department is working hard year-round. This year was no exception. We started with flooding in early 2022 which covered all the paths and grounds with river silt. Main maintenance projects throughout the year included;

• General Park maintenance is done daily during the week and most weekends during the summer months. This includes picking up trash, emptying trash containers, sweeping hard surfaces, mowing, edging, and cleaning graffiti, 
• Removal of the sand in the play areas and the replacement with wood chips per OSHA mandates while keeping the safety of our young in mind.
• Removed the posts, and cabling in the City Park parking lot area and replaced them with large basalt boulders. This was done due to the age of the posts, potential trip hazards from the cables, and to reduce vandalism on the park grounds by vehicles driving onto the sports fields. 
• Keeping your sports fields green and in good condition requires an extensive amount of maintenance that includes, fixing broken irrigation pipes and sprinklers, strategically planned watering, mowing, and edging (and the occasional mole and beaver). 
• Installed temporary fencing along the river to keep soccer balls and skateboards from "swimming with the fishes."
• Skatepark work included replacing the deteriorating wooden ramp approaches with custom-cut steel approaches. We finished the summer season with a fresh coat of paint on all the walls in the skatepark. The painting was done by community volunteers, families included!
• Our Maintenance Department stepped up its efforts in Pool Maintenance in 2022. Pool maintenance is a year-round effort.
• Plumbing and fixtures were replaced in the Pool House.
• Park Hosts, Kelly and Anne kept the public bathrooms sanitized and provided some security for the City Park.
• Electric along the parking and paths in the lower park were updated to improve safety and address age-related maintenance issues. 
• Trees along 5th Ave were removed due to safety issues within the Kiddie Play area and to address the large tree canopies that were often issues with power lines in this area. The trees will be replaced with pollinator-friendly trees in early 2023, which will provide beauty and shade without a large canopy area.
• At the end of 2022 and into 2023, our Maintenance Department is rebuilding and staining 32 picnic tables that have seen their day with weather-related and graffiti issues. 

2022 Accomplishments:

2022 was a banner year for our community with the easing of COVID and near-perfect summer weather. A list of events includes;

• Your Pool was open in 2022 after an extensive 2021 capital project to repair, and upgrade the pool.  A new installation of a new splash pad was very popular with the young and those wishing to cool off during our hot summer days.
  • As for pool attendance, CPR hosted more than 300 children in swim lessons for 9 full weeks during the summer. We also provided jobs for 17 lifeguards.
  • We are actively seeking a Pool Manager for the 2023 pool season. If you have experience in this field, or know someone who has the experience, please contact our Parks and Pool Operations Manager at 208-249-7144 or by contacting us at Contact Us. You can also view the Job Description by clicking here. 
• Little League Baseball in the City Park from mid-March until early June.
• In April, we host the City-wide Bulky Waste Day.  This is an annual event that will return in 2023.
• In May, we hosted the Heritage Days Bark Dust sale. This is an annual fundraising event that will return in 2023.
• June is a very busy month for your Parks and Recreation. 
  • Events include Cycle Columbia County which uses your park every year as a rest area for its biking event. More on 2023 as their calendars unfold and we are notified.
  • Another very popular annual event, the Heritage Days Car Show drew in crowds of people who appreciate antique and customized autos. 
  • Starting in June, your Parks and Recreation hosts many weekend family events in our fully equipped and dry, park picnic structures.
  • In Cope's Park, the Clatskanie Farmer's Market starts their summer venue that runs through to the end of September. This year, the Farmer's Market recorded a record number of visitors and vendors. It was a very successful season at the Farmer's Market.
•  As the summer progressed, July was another active month with events for everyone. 
  • Heritage Day's 4th of July annual event was the finishing point for the popular parade and a marketplace for food, crafts, education, and entertainment. 
  • Popular with both the young and the old, this year CPR hosted a free Movie in the Park event.
  • Free Lunch in the Park is a popular event for those 18 years old and under, Monday through Friday at the Gazebo next to the Pool.
  • Ambassador's Soccer Camp Annual 5-day event.
  • And again, many reserved family events are under our fully equipped picnic structures.
• Moving forward into August, warm weather brought our community out to the Parks in earnest. 
  • We hosted another Movie in the Park and continued the popular Free Lunch program for those 18  years old and under. 
  • Another beloved free community event held on the first weekend in August, the Clatskanie Festival was in full force again this year.
  • High School and youth soccer practices begin as well as Youth Football.
  • And again, many reserved family events are under our fully equipped picnic structures.
• Winding the summer down with September and October.
  • Both high school and youth soccer games begin and run through October.
  • Big Band in the Park is an annual event hosted by the Clatskanie Arts Commission. 
  • As summer closes, many reserved family events are still held under our fully equipped picnic structures, but the park is now winding down for private or public events.
  • In October, the Annual City of Clatskanie Hazardous Waste Disposal event took place.