After a long, soggy winter, Menucha has finally welcomed spring! Birds, blooms and ukuleles were here last week. These photos by Wm Leler give you a taste of the sights enjoyed by the 2nd annual Menucha Ukulele Band Camp. Watch this space for more photos to come…
Rocking out on the rock steps: guitar queen Del Rey.
Twin ukulele comedians, Greg and Jere Canote with happy camper Cindy.
Join us at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 8, for an Easter worship service sponsored by Menucha and East Multnomah County Reformed Tradition Churches. Clergy from a number of churches will share worship leadership.
If the weather is good, the service will be held at the picnic/pool area overlooking the majestic Columbia River Gorge. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the service will be held in Wright Hall.
Coffee, tea, orange juice and pastries will be served afterwards. All are welcome!
The brickwork on Wright Hall’s new terrace is almost complete. A run of temperatures below freezing slowed the project down in December but with some good weather, we hope it will be finished soon.
As these photos show, the terrace will provide Menucha guests with a wonderful space to gather and enjoy the long view to the west and the closer view across our expansive lawn. We imagine that the area around the circular fire pit will become a favorite conversation spot. 
Our thanks go to Ron Summers of Summers Masonry and his crew for their hard work on this project. (Scroll down for more photos.)
Located in the basement of Wright Hall, in the space that was originally a prohibition bar…. Just Wright Java is a great place to relax. Wi-fi is available as is the daily paper.
Just Wright Java is open from 6:30 to 7:45 am, 8:30 am to 9:00 am, and 2:30 to 4 pm when groups are in residence.
Coffee drinks are $2.50 and are either purchased with a coffee card that is sold in the office and gift shop or via credit card swipe at the point of sale.
Menu includes espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, and Americanos.
In the summer months we serve Italian Sodas. Pastries are sometimes available as well. As we gear up for more regular business, you will find all your local cafe amenities will be available.
The Friends of Menucha Foundation Board
Invites you to the 9th Annual Menucha Fundraising Dinner
When: Sunday September 11, 2011; 5:30 PM
Where: Wright Hall, Menucha Retreat and Conference Center
Purpose: To join together to replace essential aging equipment in the Menucha kitchen.
Details: $100 per person or $700 for a table of 8. Tickets include wine, hors d’ oeuvres, and dinner. Our keynote speaker is Al Jubitz and our honorary co-chairs are Don and Rosemary Pullin. Live music from the Nightingale Strings will kick the night off at 5:30 PM; dinner with program to follow
Call for Volunteers in the Gift Shop at Menucha! Do you have a spare day/time frame when you can come on up and volunteer in our gift shop? Contact Becky Leamy in our office. Excellent customer service skills required. 
The Fourth International Croquet Tournament is ready to receive registrations, both players and spectators here at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
Follow this link to find out more: Croquet Tournament
Call our office today and register for the event! We look forward to all-comers: defending champions, other returnees, and new-comers to this fun-filled friend-raising event. Be there, July 16, 2011!
A reporter and photographer from the Gresham Outlook spent several hours at Menucha recently, inspecting Wright’s new chimneys and roof and learning more about what makes this place so special. The article published on Saturday, April 30, talks about our “ample array of eye-catching, soul-nourishing attributes,” and says Menucha is “less a place than an overall experience designed to take the work-weary suburbanite…elsewhere.” Follow this link to read the whole article and see the photos. “Paradise Renewed” article
We’re proud to announce the success our “Raise the Roof” campaign to repair the roof and chimneys of historic Wright Hall. “Raise the Roof” first brought in $69,500 from individual supporters. Then grant-writing efforts led to contributions totaling $152,500 from The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, The Collins Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, The Kinsman Foundation and The Wheeler Foundation. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s gift of $85,000 is the largest received to date by Menucha.
Many thanks go to our volunteer grant writer Joyce Malin, president of the Friends of Menucha Foundation. “Joyce told our story in a way that was compelling to every foundation we approached. She went five-for-five,” Executive Director Spencer Parks said.
Work on restoring the chimneys started in late March. The second stage of the project will be to repair the deteriorating roof, gutters and downspouts (including any unforeseen dry-rot areas and adding insulation where appropriate). Finally, workers will repair and/or rebuild damaged brick at the front entry, back area patio and steps.
Head of Maintenance Ernie Yoder expects the roof to be completed by mid-May and the last of the work to be done by the end of October. Principal contractors are Raindrop Roofing NW and Summers Masonry of Gresham.
Check our Facebook page for weekly updates. www.facebook.com/menucha.retreat
Join us at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 24, for an Easter worship service sponsored by Menucha and East Multnomah County Reformed Tradition Churches.
If the weather is good, the service will be held at the picnic/pool area overlooking the majestic Columbia River Gorge. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the service will be held in Wright Hall.
Coffee, tea, orange juice and pastries will be served afterwards.
