Mid-county Memo Blog

A news release from the Portland Police Bureau about seven shooting incidents that occurred Wednesday night follows. Three in north Portland, four in east Portland. Portland Police Gang Detectives are on high alert because of the rash of shootings.

“The Portland Police Bureau’s Gang Enforcement Team is investigating 7 overnight shootings that occurred in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland.

“The first shooting occurred at 11:21 p.m. at North Albina and Killingsworth. Multiple gunshots were heard and officers arrived to find a TriMet bus kiosk damage. No victims or witnesses were located by police.

Three unedited news releases from the Portland Police Bureau about the murder, investigation and subsequent arrest at Northeast 103rd and Clackamas Street in the Hazelwood neighborhood early Saturday, July 10 follow.

“Portland Police Homicide Detectives arrested 27-year-old Thomas A. Kolpin yesterday, July 12, 2010, in connection with the stabbing death of Carroll Williams last Saturday morning.  Mr. Williams was stabbed after an altercation in the area of 103rd and Northeast Clackamas Street.

“Kolpin was charged with one count of Murder and one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and was lodged in the Multnomah County Jail in downtown Portland.  The US Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force assisted in the arrest of Kolpin.

The July issue of the Memo was posted earlier this week.

This month’s feature stories include: a story by Heather Hill about the schism at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Parkrose; Lee Perlman reports on the progress of PAC, or the Gateway Regional Center Urban Renewal Area Program Advisory Committee; Perlman also reports on the wrapping up of the Portland International Airport’s Master Plan; finally, this month’s Perlman’s Potpourri, a beat reporter’s round-up of news and information in Mid-Multnomah County.

As always, the Memo Calendar, containing east Portland’s most comprehensive listing of community events.

Parkrose High School Community Center is the site for the final competition of Portland Parks & Recreation’s Portland Teen Idol Competition.
PP&R announced the twelve finalists for the fourth season of Portland Teen Idol, the teen talent program modeled after the national television show American Idol. The finals will be held tomorrow, Thursday, July 1, at Parkrose High School.

Admission is free and the twelve finalists are Jeyonna Barr, Michelle Brayson, Tabitha Card, Bliss Croton, Carly Dillon, Alex Hall, Gracie Heacock, Patience Murphy, Natalia Orozco,Jackie Salzinger, Blake Slover, and Kayla Wonderly.

We received a news release from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office about the Kyron Hormon case today. His mother, Desiree Young, asked the MCSO to release a leter she wrote to her son. It follows:

“Dear Kyron,

“I am so soooooo sorry that this has happened. I am sorry that I was not there to protect you.  I will never be able to forgive myself for being so many hours away when you needed me the most.

A note from Portland Parks & Recreation Information Officer Beth Sorensen about free summer swim lessons follows.

“Did you know that Portland Parks & Recreation offers FREE swim lessons to the public every summer?  No catch!

“Anyone 3 years or older qualifies for five free swim lessons for beginners June 21-25 at any of our thirteen local PP&R neighborhood pools.  Last summer we taught more than 3,100 Portlanders how to swim during our free swim lessons and we’d like to teach even more this year.

A recap, with links, to the online version of the June issue of the Mid-county Memo follows:

June’s front page says Elmer’s Restaurants in affiliation with the Rose Festival Association, are bringing back the popular Rose Meal. Every day during the 2010 Rose Festival celebration — May 22 through June 13 — Elmer’s Restaurants will donate 20 percent of all proceeds from their special Rose Meal menu in support of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation.

Also on the front page is Lee Perlman’s report on last month’s Portland Plan workshop at David Douglas High School in outer east Portland.

A news release from the Oregon State Police follows with statistics comparing this year’s number of traffic fatalities and driving under the influence of intoxicants arrests during the the Memorial Day holiday weekend to last year’s follows:

“Preliminary statistics for the 2010 Memorial Day holiday weekend period indicates statewide traffic fatalities and Oregon State Police DUII arrests were slightly down from 2009 holiday period. This is based upon preliminary information for the reporting period from May 28 through May 31, 2010. Please note the fatality count number may change until confirmed that no other fatal crashes were reported by other Oregon law enforcement agencies.

We received notice from Eden Dabbs at the Bureau of Planning and and Sustainability about next week’s Portland Plan Senior Day. It follows. In this round of meetings, the City especially wants to hear from seniors, elders, their friends and families to help shape Portland’s future

“The senior community, family and friends are invited to the Portland Plan Senior Day discussion. The event is co-sponsored by Elders in Action, Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services, Native American Youth and Family Center and Hollywood Senior Center. Deborah Stein of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will lead the dialogue, and door prizes, ice cream and beverages will be provided!

Portland Plan Senior Day
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
1:30-3:30 p.m.
NAYA Family Center Cafeteria
5135 N.E. Columbia Boulevard

A Media Advisory from Strikeforce, a mixed martial arts cage fighting promotion company, about their Challengers Event Friday at the Rose Garden follows. Rivaling boxing, mixed martial arts, with almost no help from the mainstream media, has become an incredibly popular phenomena.

More than one Portland native is participating. They work out at Matt Lindland’s Team Quest Martial Arts Gym in Gresham at 182nd and Southeast Stark St.

“Friday’s night’s STRIKEFORCE Challengers headliner, former Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland, and two other popular area fighterstook part in a workout at Team Quest Martial Arts and Fitness just days before the event to be broadcast live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).