You want to hold public office and represent, among others, the people of east Portland. Well, Democrat Jefferson Smith thinks there are some things you should know.

That is why, last month, District 47’s State Representative Smith — who has not ruled out a run for Portland’s Mayor himself — organized a pair of guided tours of the area, and invited candidates — whose jurisdictions if elected would include the area — to learn about it and the issues people who live there face every day. The response was considerably less than universal, but the following people showed up for the two tours: Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz and a challenger for her seat, State Representative Mary Nolan; Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel, and Alissa Keny-Guyer, who is running to earn the appointment for the remaining term of House District 46, recently vacated by Ben Cannon; State Representative Lew Frederick; Multnomah County District Attorney candidate Kellie Johnson; and Metro Council candidate Bob Stacey.

The August issue of the Mid-county Memo is posted online. A re-cap of its content follows …

This month’s issue has a front page feature story about the Native American Youth and Family Center housed in an old elementary school on Columbia Blvd. in east Portland.

Lee Perlman pens a piece about the results of the recently revived Barn Bash, a western style party that was annually held at Rossi Farms in Parkrose for ten years before it ended in 2007, is the subject of the second story on this month’s front page.

The July issue of the Mid-county Memo is posted online. A re-cap of its content follows …

This month’s issue has a front page feature story about a birthday party for three centenarians held last month at Providence’s ElderPlace Glendoveer facility in Mid-Multnomah County.

The revival of the Barn Bash, a western style party that was annually held at Rossi Farms in Parkrose for ten years before it ended in 2008, is the subject of the second story on this month’s front page.

Take a step back in time Friday, July 1 and participate in East Portland Community Center’s 14th Annual Independence Day Parade.

The old-fashioned neighborhood Independence Day parade steps off at 11:30 a.m., with pre-parade activities beginning at 10. Pre-parade activities include face painting, hot dogs, a climbing wall, and crafts at EPCC.

The colorful processional of all ages, from kids on their patriotically decorated bicycles to a military honor guard, winds through the community, including a  stroll through the nearby CherryWood Village Retirement Community before returning to the community center for more fun. Watch the festivities or join in the fun yourself. Dress up in your celebratory Americana best and march with the band.

Portland Parks & Recreation’s East Portland Community Center is at 740 S.E. 106th Ave., behind Floyd Light Middle School. Call Ali Rice at 503.823.3450, or e-mail her at Ali.Rice@portlandoregon.gov to find out how to join the fun.

Your April issue of the Mid-county Memo is posted online. The re-cap of its online content follows …

This month’s edition has stories about: the Senior Prom held at Care Center East; the Parkrose High School bond vote in May; a round up of east Portland high school winter activities; Bradford’s Sports Lounge — formerly the Candy Store; the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission meeting where activists demanded action on the many plans to make life better in east Portland; the Portland Plan Fair held last month at Mid-county’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization and the Portland Airport Master Plan’s final approval from the city .

March 2011 Mid-county Memo online edition re-cap

The March issue of the Mid-county Memo was posted online last week. This month’s issue has stories about Portland City Council’s Citywide Tree Project hearing; an interview with Don Grotting, new David Douglas School District Superintendent; Fir Ridge Campus’ African American Family Night; CherryWood Village’s ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating Oregon’s largest senior retirement community solar array; Mid-county Memo founder Tom Pry’s obituary and photos of last month’s one-day snow event Thursday, Feb. 24.

And, as always, the informative departments: Memo Calendar, Memo Pad, Business Memos, Memorable Menus, Letters to the Editor and Loaves & Fishes’ monthly menu.

Oh, and for your (additional) information, the online Memo Calendar has listings unpublished in the regular newspaper edition.

A news release from Portland Parks & Recreation about its acquisition of the 20-acre Roughton property in the Wilkes neighborhood. The property runs from I-84 on the north to Fremont on the south and between 152nd and 154th Avenues.

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) announced today the acquisition of a 20-acre property located in the northeast Portland neighborhoods of Argay and Wilkes. The site, known as the Wilkes Headwaters Property, is an invaluable addition to natural area  preservation and watershed protection, and will be managed by PP&R in the future as a hybrid park, one which features both a 4-acre developed neighborhood park and a 16-acre natural area.

A recap of the December issue, now online for the world to read — chock full of timeless articles about east Portland —  follows:
Eastminster Presbyterian Church opens a Homeless Family Warming Center; City Council approval of the Portland International Airport Master Plan is postponed; Parkrose Community Thanksgiving Dinner becomes a reality; Fall Mid-county sports round-up; Perlman’s Potpourri; Gateway Elks Lodge honors veterans and active duty personnel at its annual salute to the military.

Also on Veterans Day, Parkrose Chateau, an independent senior living community, welcomed the American Legion Riders from Portland Post No. 1; a new Gateway Park design was unveiled at an open house last month and Spirit of Portland awards recognize east Portland work.

Never forget the backbone of the Mid-county Memo, its Departments: Memo Calendar, Memo Pad, Letters to the Editor, the monthly Loaves & Fishes menu and our own Memorable Menus.

The print and online versions of the October 2010  issue of the Mid-county Memo have been published.  A recap follows:

East Portland’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization — with help from a Nike grant — treated current and former teenage refugee clients from Bhutan, Myanmar, Iraq, Vietnam and Somalia to an all-day soccer clinic at Knott Park last month.

The Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services, at the former site of the Children’s Receiving Center on Northeast 102nd Ave. at East Burnside St., officially opened last month.

A notice was posted recently at John Luby Park requesting feedback on turning a portion of the park into an official off-leash dog area.

Portland Parks & Recreation’s Ali Rice, 503-823-2967, is asking for your opinion on whether to turn a little over an acre at the south end of the park into an official off-leash dog area.

Should a portion of John Luby Park be converted into an off-leash area for dogs?

The area proposed is the only part of the park without towering Douglas Fir trees.

The area has been an unofficial off-leash area for years.