Mt. Hood Park Association Sponsors its First Senior Day at Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course!

The first senior-only event was recently held at Mount Hood in the clubhouse with over 20 seniors attending the event.  This event was four months in the making by the Association and was the result of senior surveys conducted at a number of senior housing facilities to determine their level of interest in visiting Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course. Based on the overwhelming interest of seniors recorded in these surveys, the Mt. Hood Park Association, with the support of Melrose’s Park Commission and Park Department, held the event on Tuesday, October 29th.

The festivities began with a lecture by local amateur birder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Fells organization, Dana Jewell. Dana provided attendees with recommendations on clothing and equipment needed when hiking and birding at Mount Hood. He also discussed the many different varieties of birds that frequent Mount Hood and spoke about their habits, activities, and migrations during each month of the year.  Dana’s wife, Inge, also spoke about how they have been able to document the presence of over 146 species of birds at Mount Hood over the past 20 years!

After the lecture a lunch was served after which Myron Dittmer, president of the Association provided a slide presentation on the history and development of the park and golf course beginning in the 1930’s as well as winter and summer activities held at the park over the years. He also discussed the many different types of animals and trees commonly found at Mount Hood.

Following this presentation, attendees drove up to Slayton Tower, the highest point in the park, to view the foliage and experience the panoramic view of the area including the mountains of New Hampshire, Revere Beach, and the Boston skyline. Based on the success of this event, it is expected that additional events will be scheduled next year.

The Association would like to thank the following organizations which provided assistance in making this event so successful - Council on Aging, Melrose Park Commission, Melrose Park Department, Melrose Recreation Department and the Golf Management Company. Also special thanks go out to the following companies who provided refreshments for the event - Sysco Foods, US Foods, and Honey Dew Donuts of Melrose.