SpringRidge celebrates 33rd anniversary
10 September 2023 The Charbonneau Villager
Longtime resident says farewell to Charbonneau
Todd Johnson lived here for 43 years
By COREY BUCHANAN Pamplin Media Group
Todd Johnson ’ s friends were confused when he told them over 40 years ago he was moving to Charbonneau from Beaverton .
But Johnson had quickly grown fond of the community since the first time he visited his parents here and felt his friends were missing the mark when they referred to Charbonneau as a retirement community . The rest was history — Johnson stayed for 43 years before packing up and moving to central Oregon in July .
“ I will always remember it as a safe , quiet neighborhood that was a wonderful place to raise a family . That ’ s not what most people think of Charbonneau . They think of it as a great place to retire ,” said Johnson , who raised two boys in the community .
An avid sportsman , Johnson was initially attracted to amenities like the golf course , indoor tennis center and boating docks .
“ I said , ‘ Wow , this is a neat place . I think we ought to find a place to live here ,’” Johnson said .
From there , he spent over a decade with the golfers on the Men ’ s Club , relished early mornings boating on the Willamette River and played tennis regularly . In addition to the Men ’ s Club , Johnson also served on the golf club ’ s greens committee .
“ We put on a lot of events ,” Johnson said of his time with the Men ’ s Club . “ Besides the golf tournaments , there was always a New Year ’ s party ; there was a Christmas party , the president ’ s ball . Generally , after each golf tournament there was a social event so people could bring their own drinks and have dinner . There was a lot of social activity .”
He also said his children formed strong
Johnson
COURTESY PHOTO
bonds with the fellow kids who lived in Charbonneau and attended Canby schools .
“ They ( Johnson ’ s kids ) all rode bikes without worrying about anything . They had a lot of friends , both in and outside of Charbonneau . It was a great place to raise kids ,” he said .
Johnson felt that Charbonneau had slightly more of a small-community , neighborly feel in his early years living here and missed some of the old restaurants , but said the country club has improved in terms of communication with the residents and the golf course is more well-kept now .
Johnson was excited to move to the La Pine area of central Oregon , where he will hike , fish , bike and embrace a different outdoor environment . Still , he will miss the many people he ’ s met over the years in Charbonneau and , before he departed , surmised that leaving would be hard .
“ I took that exit off of the freeway and came to the second entrance for 43 years . You do that several times a day , a lot of times a week … it will be different . I ’ m sure I could shed a tear thinking back on all the great times we ’ ve had here ,” Johnson said .
COURTESY PHOTO : SPRINGRIDGE AT CHARBONNEAU
Longtime SpringRidge residents Grace and Clair are looking forward to the community ’ s 33rd-anniversary party .
SpringRidge at Charbonneau
By KERRY PHILLIPS
SpringRidge celebrates 33rd anniversary
Over three decades ago , amidst the hum of construction , Clair Simmons watched with curiosity as Charbonneau ’ s newest senior living community began to take shape . Although not ready for a maintenance-free lifestyle at the time , Clair knew in his heart that this special place would be his future home once he decided to downsize . Now , as SpringRidge at Charbonneau prepares to celebrate its 33rd anniversary , Clair reflects on his journey from onlooker to
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engaged resident and how the community has woven itself into the fabric of his life , creating a place he is proud to call home .
“ I lived in Charbonneau for 36 years and felt SpringRidge offered the many great benefits of being in the area with maintenance-free living and peace of mind for the future since independent and assisted living , as well as memory care , are offered ,” he said . “ Living here has exceeded my expectation . All my needs and wants are fulfilled .”
Since moving to the active retirement community seven years ago , he has gotten involved in numerous projects and spearheaded many activities , including Weekly Team Trivia on Tuesdays .
“ Living at SpringRidge is like a cruise ship that stays docked though we enjoy wonderful outings . In fact , we just visited Timberline Lodge ,” he added . “ The staff is lovely , and there is camaraderie amongst residents . We ’ re a big family !”
See SPRINGRIDGE / 11
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