We recently received a note from  from Brenda Brady, Interim Director of College Advancement at Mt. Hood Community College in east Multnomah County.  It follows:

With Oregon’s unemployment rate the second highest in the country, Mt. Hood Community College has increased its efforts to assist the unemployed with a wide variety of retraining opportunities, job search strategies and skill development.

The MHCC Career Planning and Counseling Center offers workshops for unemployed individuals to learn about new “green” careers, search strategies, how to write a resume and techniques to cope with stress. The MHCC Small Business Development Center offers a new free seminar, “Navigating Your Business Through an Economic Downturn,” designed for small businesses suffering from the recession.

Argay Neighborhood Association chair Valerie Curry intends to resign.  Curry, who has served on the ANA board for six years and as chair for two — and has done yeoman’s work — told the Memo if a current Argay board member, or someone doesn’t get on the board, get up to speed and take over, November 2009 will be her last meeting as chair.

“We need a president and secretary, there’s no vp (vice-president), I go to too many meetings the city wants me to go to, I have to take meeting minutes, I have to do articles for that EPNO (East Portland Neighborhood Office) paper, answer phone calls; my interest is in crime and livability, that’s where my real interest lies,” Curry said.

With just one first place finish and 2.5 points to spare, the Portland Christian Boys Track & Field Team took first place at the OSAA/U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires State Championship 3A/2A/1A Track & Field  meet that concluded yesterday.

Senior Nathan Rowlett, PC’s lone first place finisher in the javelin, threw himself into first place with a 187′ throw.

It was a total team effort, besides Rowlett’s first place finish, there were just two other PC top three finishers  in the individual events: Andrew Landstrom placed second in the Boys 3,000 Meter Run and David Nuttleman garnered second in the Boys Pole Vault event.

We’ve been receiving notes from Eddie Kunz’ parents, Raymond and Sue,  about where he’s playing ball and how he’s doing since being drafted by Major League Baseball’s New York Mets two years ago.
Kunz, a standout athlete at east Portland’s  Parkrose High School—majoring in baseball—pitched for the Oregon State Beavers during both NCAA championship runs, and was subsequently drafted by the Mets in the first round.

Currently assigned to the Buffalo Bisons, the Mets’ Triple A farm team, Kunz’s skills are utilized there as a middle reliever.

The e-mail note, from Eddie’s Dad Raymond, follows:

We received a reminder from East Portland Neighborhood Office of the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association’s general membership meeting Monday, May 18 at the EPNO office, 1017 N.E. 117th Ave.

Hazelwood, one of the larger NAs in east Portland,  is chaired by Arlene Kimura.

Mt. Hood Community College will hold a dedication ceremony for the new biodiesel lab at 2 p.m. today on the Gresham Campus. The biodiesel lab originated as a Sustainability, Health and Safety program student project and is the only biodiesel lab on a college campus in Oregon.

“Oregon’s future lies in sustainable industry,” said Oregon State Representative Brent Barton of Clackamas.

The biodiesel lab is located at the Fisheries building. Click here for  directions.
For more information about the biodiesel lab or the Sustainability, Health and Safety program, contact Program Director Dr. Javid Mohtasham at 503-491-7440 or javid.mohtasham@mhcc.edu.

Monday, in an unexpected move, Parkrose High School Community Center principal Roy Reynolds was  reassigned vice-principal at the middle  school.

Parkrose Middle School principal Ana Gonzales takes over for Reynolds, creating a vacancy  filled by Molly Davies.

A Parkrose School District statement sent to parents follows:

“Parkrose School District is undergoing changes. One of these changes is a shift in leadership beginning May 11, 2009 and will continue into the next school year.

At Parkrose High School, we have a new principal. Ms. Ana Gonzalez, principal from Parkrose Middle School is our new Principal. Mr. Roy Reynolds will be the new Assistant Principal at Parkrose Middle School.

A summary of feature stories from the May 2009 edition of the Mid-county Memo:

The Gateway Green Project gets going with a grant for planning and an anonymous donation.

To meet Mayor Sam Adams’ first round of budget cuts, Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer  cuts the number of police precincts from five to three.  The Northeast Precinct will now stretch from Linnton to Gresham.

Western States Chiropractic College, the 105-year-old institution in Mid-county seeks to become a university.

Up next, Perlman’s Potpourri: news items from across the Gateway and Parkrose neighborhoods of mid-Multnomah County from veteran Beat Reporter Lee Perlman.

The David Douglas High School Theater Department presents its annual senior-directed One Act Festival this week.
Performances begin Wednesday, May 13 at the Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center, 1400 S.E. 130th Ave., in outer east Portland and continue through Saturday, May 16.
Tickets, available at the door only, are $5 for each night of $6 for both. Curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. each night. Call 503-261-8270 for more information.

A NIGHTS — May 13th and 15th Condensed Theater Classics:
“Lives in the Wind” by Matt Casarino
Directed by John Ellis & Renee Sanders; Technical Direction by Cameron Lenocker

We received a note from Jodie Rossi, one of our Portland Christian Schools information sources, about an event tomorrow night at the Jr./Sr. High School, 12425 N.E. San Rafael St., in outer east Portland.
It follows:

“Everyone is invited to International Food Night, Saturday, May 8. This special event is an exciting opportunity to eat foods from other cultures prepared by our International Student Program students. We will also have a performance by the internationally famous Japanese Drum Dancers, Portland Taiko.