• “Recreational Immunity” and park safety
• Join the Metro Nature in Neighborhoods grants review team!
• THPRD News
• Dog Run construction beginning at Ridgewood Park
• December Events near Cedar Mill from THPRD

“Recreational Immunity” and park safety

By Virginia Bruce

A trail user in Newberg sued the city after she was injured walking her dog on a city-owned trail. A recent Valley Times article discussed an Oregon Court of Appeals ruling holding the jurisdiction responsible. 

Most jurisdictions, including THPRD, are not following the insurance industry’s recommendation to immediately close all trails after the decision. They have been operating under the concept of recreational immunity, which says users of recreational facilities assume responsibility for normal hazards of recreational activities. 

CIS is the insurance company that many jurisdictions (but not THPRD) use to insure their facilities. They have a whole page of recommendations resulting from this case. Maintenance, reporting, and signage are among the top suggestions. 

In early November, a child fell into a drainage canal in a Beaverton area park. Neighbors claimed that the fence separating the canal from the trail had not been maintained. THPRD has since installed a new fence. The district has a “Report a Concern” page for park users to report problems. 

Most of us who regularly use park facilities have occasional mishaps (wasp attacks, falls, etc.) but we don’t want to live in communities without parks and trails. Park districts struggle to fund regular programs and improvements (see Budget Update, above), and maintenance is part of that picture. 

Join the Metro Nature in Neighborhoods grants review team!

Are you committed to helping improve water quality and fish and wildlife habitat in our region? Do you want to see greater community partnerships and environmental and economic equity? You can help by joining Metro’s restoration and community stewardship grants review committee. Members have input on up to $750,000 in restoration and community stewardship grants to community organizations and groups seeking to support and create partnerships across greater Portland.

To apply for membership, please send an email that briefly explains why you are interested in participating in the review committee and attach either a resume which details your background and experience in an email to the program manager Karissa Lowe, Karissa.Lowe@oregonmetro.gov. Detailed instructions are available here. Metro staff will begin reviewing committee applications in December 2023.

THPRD News

Save the date for THPRD Winter registration!

Winter Registration is here! Registration for Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation in-district patrons begins on Saturday, December 9. Out-of-district patrons can begin registering on Monday, December 11. Save the date and sign up for your winter programs! To register, visit the THPRD website. Download the Winter & Spring 2024 Activity Guide here.

Budget Update for Levy Task Force

Volunteers on the district’s Levy Task Force have finalized their recommendation for the Board of Directors. They recommend a five-year local option levy for the May 2024 ballot of $0.50 per $1,000 assessed value. If approved, the levy would increase taxes on the average home in the district by about $152.12 per year, or $12.68 per month. The THPRD Board of Directors will vote on the levy referral in January. 

To learn more about how adopting this levy would impact potential changes to trash collection, restrooms, jobs, facility hours, afterschool programming and access to pools or splash pads, visit the THPRD Local Option Levy page.

Help THPRD in its Holiday Gift Card Drive

Please bring your donations of gift cards to support Beaverton School District families in need. We are collecting gift cards, in any amount, now through December 8. Please drop by your donation to any facility.

Winter Break Camps Begin Soon

Join us for diverse winter break camps starting in November. Sign up for single days or the whole week. More information can be found at this link

Dog Run construction beginning at Ridgewood Park

THPRD is beginning construction on the new dog run at Ridgewood Park. Beaverton approved the plans mid-November. Construction is expected to be completed in the winter months of 2024. The future dog run area will be closed during construction. To learn more about Ridgewood Park, visit the Ridgewood Park web page and click on the IMPROVEMENTS tab.

December Events near Cedar Mill from THPRD

Compiled by Victoria Jimenez, CMN staff

Sunset Swim Center

Monday-Friday, 2-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-12:30 pm,3707 NW Science Park Dr.

Sunset Swim Center is a 25-yard indoor pool offering all levels of swim instruction as well as drop-in lap swim, open swim, and family swims. The pool also hosts high school water polo and swimming teams. Visit the web page for schedules.

Join us in writing letters to Santa!

Through December 18, participating facilities, free

THPRD is offering mail boxes to let Santa Claus know how good you’ve been this year! Write a letter to Santa and drop it in any one of the colorful red Santa’s Mailboxes throughout THPRD and we’ll deliver your letter to the North Pole! Near Cedar Mill, boxes can be found at the Cedar Hill Recreation Center, Sunset Swim Center, Tualatin Hills Athletic Center, and the Tualatin Hills Nature Center. For more information about locations, please visit the THPRD website or call THPRD at 503-645-6433.

Volunteer to help with bi-lingual registration

Tuesday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 6, 3:30-7:30 pm, H.M. Terpenning Recreation Complex, 15707 SW Walker Rd.

Practice your Spanish language skills while helping families in your community at THPRD’s Centro de Bienvenida—a Welcome Center for English Language Learners and Financial Aid Families. With staff support, volunteers will welcome and guide families through the selection of classes and opportunities with THPRD. All levels of bilingual skills (English Spanish) are welcome. Please bring a reusable water bottle to drink from throughout your shift. For more information or to sign up, visit the THPRD website. 

THPRD welcomes you to Let Go Restorative Yoga

Wednesday, December 6, 6-8 pm, Tualatin Hills Nature Center, 15655 SW Walker Rd., registration required, $18

Bring awareness to the beauty of healing your parasympathetic nervous system in this cozy two-hour yoga workshop. Learn different styles of pranayama (breath-work) along with long held poses. Use code NP22401 to register. Please visit the event website for more details. 

Volunteer for Jenkins Estate garden work party

Thursday, December 7, 9-11:30 am, Jenkins Estate, 8005 SW Grabhorn Rd.

Help us spruce up the Rhododendron Gardens at Jenkins Estate! Volunteers will help weed and mulch, as needed. Please bring a reusable water bottle to drink from throughout the day. Tools and gloves will be provided. No gardening experience necessary. Parking is available in the lower lot, just below the Rhododendron Gardens. To register, please visit the event page on the THPRD website. 

Save the date for a Joyous Kwanzaa special event!

Friday, December 29, 5-8 pm, Tualatin Hills Athletic Center,15707 SW Walker Rd., free

Join us for Beaverton’s 2023 Joyous Kwanzaa Celebration, a partnership with Beaverton Black Parent Union (BBPU). This is a time for communities to come together to remember the past and to embrace African American traditions of food, music, love, and unity. Bring your family and friends for this joyous community event!

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa.