Sandy thinks of itself as the gateway to Mt. Hood for the north Willamette valley. Drive through town some cold winter weekend morning and you will agree. Ski racks are as much a requirement now as gun racks were when I was a kid. The town is named for the nearby Sandy river which draws its name from the glacial silt running off Mt. Hood. The Sandy river used to have a great smelt run but that has gone away. Some think that as salmon restoration progresses the smelt will return. The lowly smelt would never merit any help on its own.