подаръциThe Resurrection Lutheran Players present “Pinocchio” on Saturday, May 19 at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, May 20 at 2 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1700 N.E. 132nd Ave.

Original art by Enrico Mazzanti

This one act play is enhanced with puppets and marionettes.

Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $3.75 for children. Contact Linda Highman, at 503-254-6257 or lindaehighman@msn.com if you have questions.

Letting go of belongings can be difficult, even if we have no need or use for them.

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 11229 N.E. Prescott St. in east Portland, is hosting a follow up to a Conversation for Seniors held last October that explored the challenges of getting rid of stuff.

The meeting on Friday, May 18 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. will be a chance for some to examine how they have progressed and for others to begin the process.

Join the discussion, share your story and learn from others. For more information, please call 503-252-5720 or send an email to marlaml@stmatthewepiscopal.org.

The May 2012 Mid-county Memo is posted online. A recap of its contents:

Last month, the top three mayoral candidates debated at David Douglas High School’s Howard Horner Performing Arts Center; the new Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative areas are approved; Parkrose School District averts a teacher’s strike; David Douglas special education teacher Annie Harrell is named Outstanding Teacher of the Year; Lee Perlman interviews City Commissioner Amanda Fritz and opponent, state Rep. Mary Nolan; the Planning and Sustainability Commission endorsed the Outer Powell Conceptual Design Plan; since 2006, east Portland neighborhood associations have been operating illegally; the Portland Housing Bureau is changing tax abatement area boundaries in east Portland … again; and, longtime Gateway hairstylist June Bauer’s obituary.

Noted Portland pianist Michael Allen Harrison will perform a benefit concert for Human Solutions at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26 St. Matthew’s Episcopal at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 11229 N.E. Prescott St.

Michael Allen Harrison

Donations collected at the concert will benefit Human Solutions’ Daybreak Shelter for Homeless Families, a 15-bed shelter that operates year-round and accommodates between four and eight homeless families at one time.

The Daybreak Shelter is supported by a network of 28 churches and synagogues located throughout Multnomah County.

Admission to the concert is free and open to the public. Donations to support the Daybreak Shelter will be accepted during the event.

The April 2012 Mid-county Memo is posted online. A recap of its contents follows:

Bre’Shay Barnes was named Rose Festival Princess from Parkrose; the new Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative areas struggle to meet financial goals; Parkrose School District declares impasse with teachers; PSD Superintendent Karen Fischer Gray is one of four finalists for Reynolds job; the first meeting between Metro and Glendoveer golf course lovers since a contentious open house in August; the Argay Neighborhood Association hires a lawyer to help fight infill development across the street from Argay Park and an east Portland high school winter sports roundup.

“February Fiesta” is this year’s theme for the 2012 St. Rita Silent Auction, Sat. Feb. 18, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

St. Rita Silent Auction is Saturday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call Mindy Malone at 503-936-0393 for tickets.

The annual event is held in the parish hall following the 5:30 p.m. Mass.

Tickets for the event are $10.00; a $5 gift certificate, good at any Elmer’s Restaurant location, is included with the purchase. Food and a beverage are also included.

To buy a ticket or find out more about what items are being auctioned this year, call Mindy Malone at 503-936-0393.

Posted online, here’s a recap of the February 2012 edition of the Mid-county Memo ….

Tom West, girls varsity basketball coach at Portland Christian for 30 years, was named Oregon’s 2010-2011 National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year.

Former Portland Christian girls varsity coach Tom West, center, holding plaque, was named 2011 National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year. West quit coaching after 30 years at the school. He won three state titles, including a 29-0, undefeated record in 2007.

To meet the emergency needs of homeless families in the community this winter, 60 shelter beds were opened for homeless families with children in November by the Family Shelter-to-Housing Partnership, a group of faith-based and non-profit agencies. However, before November was over, the Homeless Family Winter Shelter exceeded its 60-person capacity.

On any night this winter, dozens of homeless families spend the night at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in east Portland. Dozens of kids fill the hallways including, from left, nine-year-old Marley McFallo, five-year-old Daniel, and his seven-year-old brother Elisha Smith, six-year-old Jeremiah Moreno and eight-year-old Dante McFallo. The Human Solutions run shelter needs volunteer overnight hosts. Mid-county Memo photos/Tim Curran

ikoniHuman Solutions’ 10th annual Epiphany Choir Fest will be held Sunday, Jan. 8, at 5 p.m. at Parkrose United Methodist Church, 11111 N.E. Knott St. in east Portland. The Epiphany Choir Fest is a celebration of the culmination of the holiday season, as well as a fundraising event to benefit Human Solutions’ Daybreak Shelter and other services for homeless families.

Local church choirs plus a bell choir will perform Christmas anthems and carols, and the combined choirs will perform the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.” A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert.

Now in its third season, the Parkrose Heights Community Garden, in addition to growing flowers, fruits and vegetables, has seeded the growth of community in its soil. The once empty 5,400 square foot plot houses 22 raised beds farmed by neighbors both within the church’s many faith communities and beyond. Gardeners have grown squash, peppers, spinach, sunflowers, okra, fennel, corn, and an abundance of tomatoes. This year, the garden donated 600 pounds of tomatoes to the SnowCap charities thanks to efforts from tomato-grower extraordinaire Clay Osburn.