Museum holds Open House

Museum president Wynn Thies and Ken Funk counted 223 visitors to the Sandy Historical Society’s museum for our yearly Open House Friday, December 1. From babies in arms to parents and elders, people flocked to the gift shop, two galleries and our meeting room. They gravitated toward the brightly lit building facing the Christmas tree lighting celebration in Centennial Plaza before and after the annual festivities put on with the efforts of Sandy Parks and Recreation workers, Kiwanis, Rotarians, Sandy Public Library workers, and many others in a joint community effort.

Despite the weather alert, the crowd filled the plaza with party spirit as they sipped hot cocoa, enjoyed cookies from the Tollgate Inn and candy canes from the Rotarians while DJ Anderson emceed. Under a canopy tent, the high school choir led by Alec Chase treated everyone to holiday carols and cheer. The crowd joined Mayor Stan Pulliam in the countdown to the burst of light from the 40-foot town tree donated by Knapp Farms.

Visitors were then invited to come to the museum and were also invited to the awesome and free Winter Fest show of lights through the walkways of Meinig Park behind City Hall and Joe’s Donuts. The lights are scheduled to be on from 4 to 9 p.m. through January 2.

The museum provided a warm reception out of the cold rain. Inside the main gallery, the Mt. Hood Dulcimers, a group of friends and historical society members who met about sixteen years ago during an introductory dulcimer class taught in the Sandy Senior Center, played mellow music from their wide repertoire of Christmas songs. The gift shop remained open late, and sweet treats were offered. Upstairs in our meeting room, volunteers, staff, and interns led by Cathy Crownover supervised a variety of new crafts for children to make and take home. The celebration was a free gift of goodwill to all, and a great start to the holiday season.