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Happy St. Patty’s Day! Vol. XXXII, No. 3 n A Free, Independent Newspaper n www.mountaintimesoregon.com
March 2024
n SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF MOUNT HOOD n
Welches, Brightwood, Wemme, Wildwood, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Government Camp, Sandy and Boring
Welches Cabin Returns to Family After 50+ Years
HFD Swears in New Volunteer Firefighters
By Adrian Knowler The Mountain Times
Sue Ellen White has fond childhood memories of her time spent in the old growth forest around the Welches, Oregon cabin that her grandparents built during the Great Depression as an escape from city life in Portland. Completed in 1931, the cabin is located near the Salmon River and sits on two and a half forested acres that White would explore as a child. The home served as a base for her grandparents when they’d hike up with seal skins on their skis and take a few laps near what is today the Timberline Lodge Ski Resort. White’s parents sold the cabin in the 1960s, when she was a college student. She said she didn’t think much about the sale at the time, but as she grew older and had a family of her own, she regretted the decision and missed family time spent in the home. On trips up to Mount Hood, White would often drive by the cabin, and was saddened to see it falling into disrepair, suffering from a case of what she calls “blue tarp syndrome.” She put the address into real estate website Zillow in order to be notified if it went up for sale, and in 2021 White got the email she was waiting for. White and her husband John Goertzel purchased the cabin and got to work restoring and renovating. “It was full of junk, junk everySee CABIN Page 7
By Hoodland Fire District For The Mountain Times
Hoodland Fire District swore in seven volunteer firefighters earlier this week in a ceremony marking the end of their probationary periods. The volunteers and their families assembled with other volunteers, career firefighters and district officials for the ceremony at the fire district board meeting. The oath of office was administered by Fire Chief Jim Price and each volunteer had the honor of having a family member pin on their badges. Our newest members are Aaron Beers, Zach Cram, Nate Forrar, Natalie Hanson, Vivianna Perez-Wolfe, Jacob Sale and Nate Seifert. Ceremonies are posted on the fire district’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
All the volunteer firefighters completed their basic firefighting training over the past year and have become certified as a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firefighter 1. Beyond their structural firefighter training, all the firefighters were trained in hazardous materials response, wildland firefighting and emergency vehicle driving. In all, each volunteer firefighter completed between 250 to 300 hours of training both online and in-person. Hoodland Fire District has open recruitment of volunteer firefighters’ year round, with a new training “company” starting around October 2024. The fire district also has open recruitment for student firefighters through the end of April. Student firefighters are career-minded young
adults who affiliate with HFD and volunteer their time in exchange for training, experience and educational support in pursuit of college degrees in the fire and EMS related fields. Student firefighters receive tuition assistance that includes books and other education expenses. Each position is for two years, with the potential of continuing for a third year to obtain your paramedic degree and certification. Along with the financial assistance all resident students will receive free room and board at our Government Camp Station and a living stipend of $400 a month. More information and applications for either being a volunteer or student firefighter is located on the fire district website www.hoodlandfire.us.
Young Cancer Survivor Shares Her Story Ty Walker
The Mountain Times
Danielle Iseminger is a breast cancer survivor. The 37-year-old Corbett woman and mother of two was determined cancer free in late December. Just two months after undergoing double mastectomy surgery, she
is playing volleyball, jogging, hiking and playing games with her family again. Her battle with cancer has been nearly a year-long journey since she stepped into the OHSU Mobile Mammography Clinic at Sandy Seventh-day Adventist Church last April. She’s not quite sure what made See SURVIVOR Page 11