Woodburn council adopts Mill Creek Community Center name, several park dedications

The Woodburn City Council on a unanimous vote approved a set of park and community-center names recommended by an ad hoc naming committee. Jesse Paloma, the city’s community services director, presented the committee’s timeline and explained why the aquatic facility will be rebranded as the “Mill Creek Community Center.” Paloma said, "The name recommended by the committee is the Mill Creek Community Center," citing the creek’s geographic ties across the community and the water features in the renovated facility.

The committee also proposed naming interior event and meeting spaces to reflect local history and community leaders, recommending Kalapuya for a heritage room, a room recognizing Jesse Settlemeier (the city’s first mayor as described by the committee), and a Medina family room to acknowledge a long-standing Hispanic-owned downtown business. Paloma also described a proposed fitness room name honoring local boxer Joe K. Hoot. The council moved to adopt the committee recommendations—Trillium Park, Kathy Figley Community Dog Park, Muir Park, Mill Creek Community Center, several internal event-space names (Kalapuya, Jesse Settlemeier, Medina) and the Joe K. Hoot fitness room—and the motion passed after a second.

Paloma told the council the committee limited use of general-fund dollars for these projects, relying instead on grant funds and Park System Development Charges. He also said the committee prioritized small interpretive panels outside named rooms so visitors can learn why names were chosen without overloading display space. The council thanked the committee for its work and for securing outside funds for many of the park and facility improvements.