Right now, today — from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Parkrose High School Community Center, 12003 N.E. Shaver St. — there’s a Fix-It Fair being held. Fix-It Fairs are free events designed to save Portlanders money and connect them to resources. Join your Mid-county neighbors and talk to experts about how to spend less and stay healthy. Fix-It Fairs are crammed full with resources for helping you to create a healthy home, including:  How-to classes on various home and garden topics, money-saving, cost effective tips and free giveaways. Bring your bicycle, free, minor tune-ups and flat tire repairs are available for students and families.
Fix-It Fairs are held 3 Saturday mornings during the winter at various locations around the City of Portland from November to February.
The 2009-10, 23rd Annual Fix-It Fair season Is presented by The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability with support from these sponsors: Energy Trust of Oregon, Pacific Power,  Portland Development Commission, Portland Lead Hazard Control Program, and Portland General Electric.

We received a note from the Portland Police Bureau about a rash of burglaries at Portland schools, and in east Portland at David Douglas and  Parkrose schools. If you have any information, call Detective Mary Wheat at 503-823-0010.

“Portland Police are investigating a series of burglaries at schools in the Portland area that began in early December. Investigators believe that twelve burglaries have occurred at various schools and that the burglars are attempting to steal laptops and computer equipment.”

We received a note from SnowCap Community Charities in outer east Portland with a special plea for volunteers on the upcoming holiday. SnowCap Community Charities is a philanthropic organization created to provide food, clothing, advocacy and other services to the poor in a large part of east and outer Portland, including Gresham, Wood Village, Troutdale and Fairview.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an ideal occasion to volunteer for community service and SnowCap Community Charities is setting aside Monday, Jan. 18 for special helpers.

We received a note from Melissa Ritchie (MMRitchie@columbia.com), a Parkrose Middle School Outdoor School booster, about a fundraiser this month in support of PMS Outdoor School. It follows:

“Please join us for an all day fundraiser at Parkrose Burgerville, 4229 N.E. 122nd Ave. (near the High School) on Thursday, Jan. 21st.

“Proceeds from the sales of the day will benefit Parkrose Middle School’s Outdoor School when you present them with a flyer or let your server know you are supporting Parkrose.  Dine in or Take out!

“Thank you so much!!
~Melissa”

A recap, with links, to the January 2010 issue of the Mid-county Memo follows.

A feature story about Multnomah County Sheriff’s office personnel adopting residents of a skilled nursing facility, a MCSO neighbor, is on this month’s front page.

Lee Perlman asks Mid-county business leaders, school and social service agency administrators to reflect on 2009 and what they see for 2010.

A story by Heather Hill about shop classes and vocational training for Parkrose High School students provided by a partnership with the Northwest College of Construction.

We received a news release from Portland Police Bureau about a shooting incident in outer east Portland last night. It follows:

“Last night (Tuesday, Jan.5) at 12:45 a.m., Portland Police Officers responded to the 100 Block of Southeast 160th (Ave.) on a report of a person being shot. Before officers arrived, 911 dispatchers received information that the victim was being driven to the hospital by a friend. The victim, 21-year-old Cherie Thompson, was taken to Emanuel hospital and received treatment for non-life threatening injuries from two gunshot wounds.

We received an e-mail from Scott Bradley, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Parkrose, requesting publicity for an upcoming marriage seminar at his church. It was too late for the print version of the January edition of the Memo by the time it was received (editorial deadline: 15th of every month),  so I told him we’d place the notice on our blog site; it follows.

“Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage! Register now for a 2-day marriage seminar. This is a wildly entertaining and informative marriage event designed to bring hope and positive change to marriages. Cost is $35 per couple or $18 per individual.

Donate your returnable bottles and cans to for a a good cause.

The monthly Parkrose Middle/High School Bronco Boosters can collection, is this Saturday, Jan. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Parkrose Middle School, 11800 N.E. Shaver St. in east Portland.

Donations of refundable cans and bottles support the PHS Scholarship Program. Call Dave Luce at 503-255-3745.

Interested in the City parks east of the river?

The East Portland Parks Coalition meets Thursday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the East Portland Neighborhood Office, 1017 N.E. 117th Ave.
Contact Alesia Reese, 503-253-4414 or e-mail her at: alesiajmr@yahoo.com with questions.

An e-mail from David Douglas School District’s Special Projects Director Dan McCue tells us Oregon’s senior Senator Ron Wyden is holding a Town Hall Meeting at the Howard Horner Performing Arts Center tomorrow on the David Douglas High School campus. It follows.

“The David Douglas website posts upcoming community events that might be of interest to residents, even if they are not directly related to the District. Here are a couple coming right up: