Arts volunteer seeks commission support for Estacada Founders’ Day grant and parade participation

Bev Nordstrom, a member of the Estacada Arts Commission, asked the Downtown Estacada Commission on April 7 to support a community-led Founders’ Day celebration and to provide a letter of support for a grant application due April 17 to the Clackamas Cultural Coalition.

Nordstrom said she is organizing an ad-hoc community committee to mark the city’s founding with events around July 4, including living-history actors, a fashion show hosted by Philip Foster Farm, a one-room schoolhouse exhibit, a time capsule and a presence in the city’s July 4 parade. She said the celebration concept had been shared with other commissions and that she is seeking letters confirming participation and partnership to strengthen the grant application.

Commission members said the commission has no objection to Arts Commission participants joining the DEC float in the parade, but several commissioners said DEC members are already fully tasked with parade assignments and cannot commit to staffing additional booths or fundraising tables. Chair Fox Hames and other commissioners asked Nordstrom to submit a sample letter; Nordstrom said she would provide one and that she would welcome limited DEC participation in the parade. Nordstrom described a tight grant deadline and multiple collaborating organizations; she said details such as the time capsule installation would be completed later.

The commission did not take formal action beyond agreeing to allow parade participation and to prepare a sample support letter on short notice. No city funding commitment was made during the meeting and timelines for DEC assistance were left flexible.