????? ??????Zach Abney, Parkrose High quarterback, was the center of attention at an event in the school cafeteria yesterday held to showcase him signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Harding University on an athletic scholarship. While the day was about Zach, his accomplishments and this honor, the theme was most definitely about community.

Zach Abney, center with tie, wears a Harding University cap for the first time at a ceremony to recognize him as a scholar athlete who has been offered a scholarship to play football at the Searcy, Ark. school. Supporting him are teammates (from left) Tonga Tokelau, Matteo Rigoni, Thomas Lott, Andre Johnson, Deontre Curry, Jonathan Boland, Cody Rowley, Marquis Hammick and Jerry Hunter.

СВЕТИ ГЕОРГИThe Parkrose Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative wrapped up its three organizational meetings last month with creation of a seven-person steering committee for the next step: a formal commitment to the Portland Development Commission and city, then formation of an “urban renewal light” district bringing physical, permanent improvements along Sandy Boulevard, from Northeast 99th to 120th avenues.

Colleen Gifford, from left, David Ableidinger and Luke Shepard at a Parkrose Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative organizational meeting held last month. Gifford, hired by the Parkrose Business Association through a grant from the City to recruit steering committee members for the Parkrose NPI, one of six areas in Portland designated by the City and Portland Development Commission.

As the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission continued their review of the draft document last month, Mid-Multnomah County had a prominent place in the draft Portland Plan.

Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission members, from left, Chris Smith, vice-chair Howard Shapiro and Mike Houck listen to testimony at the Portland Plan hearing held at Parkrose High School Community Center in November.

At their January 24 meeting, after praising Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and other bureaus’ staff work, they approved the Plan unanimously and forwarded it to City Council. Accoring to BPS staff, Council is expected to act on the Plan in April.

ИконописState Senator Jackie Dingfelder and Representatives Michael Dembrow and Alissa Keny-Guyer host a town hall Monday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mt. Tabor Hall on the Portland Community College Southeast Center, 2305 S.E. 82nd Avenue.

Oregon State Representative Michael Dembrow, along with House and Senate colleagues, hosts a Town Hall Monday, Jan. 30

Topics include legislation they intend to propose this session. They also want to hear from constituents what issues they are concerned about.

Dembrow reports on the recent hearing the House Revenue Committee held focused soley on the Senior Property Tax Deferral Program.

Art students at Portland Christian Schools will offer their works for sale at the Portland Christian Art Show on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the secondary campus in east Portland; 12425 N.E. San Rafael St.

Attendees will be able to bid on auction items as well while shopping for original art.

Kento Sato, a Portland Christian sophomore, will display this untitled work at the PC Art show on Saturday, Jan. 14. COURTESY AUBREY PARK, PORTLAND CHRISTIAN ART TEACHER

The $2 admission fee includes light refreshments. Additional fare will be available for purchase. Children six and under are free.

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

Carolyn Johansen feels she and her husband Jan were designed by God to help other people. For years, while running a small business and raising two sons in the Wilkes neighborhood of outer east Portland, they talked about how they could do just that.

To pursue their dream of helping people look and feel better, when their two adult sons took over the day-today operations of the family business — a measurement testing and calibration company — they opened A Better You, a holistic health spa in Gateway. “This is my second vocation,” said Jan. “I’m still in the National Guard. I’m in the Army band; I do all the programming for both companies. I’m a techno-geek.”

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.

Editor’s note: The 2012 elections are a watershed moment in city politics. For the first time in decades, with the mayor declining to run for re-election, Randy Leonard retiring from his council seat and incumbent commissioner Amanda Fritz facing a serious challenge, there will be at least two, if not three new faces at City council. Veteran beat reporter Lee Perlman interviewed the major mayoral and city council candidates. Beginning with this issue and in upcoming editions, we publish the interviews; first up, former city Council member Charlie Hales.  

Gateway Elks Lodge selects a teenager from our community each month during the school year to receive Teenager of the Month honors. The winner of this award is chosen from applications from local high school teenagers who strive to make a difference in their school and community. At the end of the school year Gateway Elks Lodge will recognize one of the monthly winners as Teenager of the Year.

Vanessa Harris, Gateway Elks Teenager of the Month. COURTESY SONNY SAECHAO