To raise awareness of pedestrian safety and traffic law, the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Bureau of Transportation are  conducting a crosswalk enforcement action Wednesday.

The sting operation — conducted once a month at different locations — takes place Wednesday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at a crossing of Northeast 82nd Avenue at Pacific Street.

A crosswalk enforcement operation includes a pedestrian decoy positioned at either a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk and pedestrians that jaywalk may be issued a warning or citation by the Portland Police Bureau. Law enforcement finds that crosswalk enforcement actions are an effective way to communicate pedestrian right of way laws to both drivers and pedestrians.

The Portland Police Bureau does enforcement actions in response to community requests and to educate the public about rules at marked and unmarked crossings. Click StreetSmart to learn more about the Go Safe effort.

The February issue of the Mid-county Memo was posted online last week.  This month’s issue contains stories about east Portland’s Lost Arts Kitchen, the University of Western States and the Portland Housing Bureau’s proposal last month to “adjust” the territory of one of its programs: the Single Family New Construction Limited Home Tax Exemption or LTE.

In this month’s issue you’ll also find a story about the fund raising event held at the Refectory restaurant last month for the Parkrose Senior All-Night Party, a story about how the American Legion’s Portland Post #1 fixed the flag at Glendoveer Golf Course and an obituary for a Parkrose artist, Mark Phillips and an update on the planning for Gateway Park.

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

A news release from the Portland Police Bureau about the shooting a few blocks east of 82nd Avenue early yesterday morning follows:

Early this morning, Sunday January 30, 2011, at approximately 4:42 a.m., Portland Police officers responded to the report of gunshots heard in the area of Northeast 87th and Hassalo Street. Several callers reported to 9-1-1 that they heard multiple gunshots in the area.

A news release from Portland Police Bureau Crime Stopper’s about a Mid-county murder murder follows. Crime Stoppers and police need your help solving this crime.

“Crime Stoppers, in cooperation with the Portland Police Bureau, wants your help in solving a homicide that occurred in East Portland.

“On June 11, 2010, at approximately 12:51 in the morning, 33-year-old David Cosmo Jenkins was shot and killed while driving a light blue, 1991 Oldsmobile westbound on E. Burnside at 90th Ave. Detectives believe he was coming from the area of 162nd and E. Burnside just prior to his death.

Links and a recap of feature articles from the December 2009  edition of the Mid-county Memo online version follow:

Latest photos and full story about the world’s largest choral festival, The Grotto’s twenty second annual Festival of Lights in east Portland.

Full story about east Portland neighborhood association leaders examining the different ways other neighborhood offices are run.

Latest photos and full recap of fall high school spots in Mid-County.

Latest photos and full story about Hall of Fame wrestling coach Marc Sprague joining the David Douglas Mat Club.

Mid-county Memo Neighbor of the Year (1994) William “Bill” Winge’s obituary.

A recap of feature articles from the September issue of the Mid-county Memo follows.

The three stories on the front page are: TriMet opens light rail service in Southeast Portland to Clackamas Town Center with the opening of the Green Line Saturday, September 12.

Marking the completion of the Russellville community — begun over a decade ago by the Rembold family — Russellville Park II opens with fanfare and politicos speechifying.

Mid-County’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization uses federal stimulus dollars to keep hundreds of teenagers working and learning.

Portland Parks & Recreation opens outdoor pools for the summer this Monday, June 22. Free swim lessons and free open swims are also offered as part of PP&R’s “Summer Free for All”
The outdoor pools — open through August — are located at these parks or schools: Creston, Grant, Montavilla (on Northeast 82nd Avenue at Glisan Street in east Portland), Peninsula, Pier, Sellwood, and Wilson.

In addition, PP&R operates six indoor, year-round pools: Buckman, Columbia, East Portland Community Center, Matt Dishman Community Center, Mt. Scott Community Center, and Southwest Community Center.

The June 2009 edition of the Mid-county Memo has also, after being sedulously delivered by the United States Postal Service,  been posted online.

Gracing this issue’s front page are the gracious ladies of the Elkettes, a 50-member strong ladies auxiliary of  the Gateway Elks

The four-story, 180,000 square foot new medical pavilion at Adventist Medical Center in east Portland opened last month.  Read Lee Perlman’s first-hand account of the dedication ceremony.

David Douglas School District’s  Fir Ridge Campus is featured in a story  by Heather Hill about  its annual Leadership Conference

Banfield Pet Hospitals, in cooperation with Meals on Wheels, is seeking donations of pet foods for MOW clients in east Portland as part of its annual Season of Sharing.

Shut-ins are very attached to their pets, and if necessary will skimp on their own food intake to feed them. Unopened containers of pet food can be dropped off at all Banfield outlets through January.

The Save Madison South/Save Roseway Coalition (www.savemadisonsouth.org), a non-profit organization created to fight the proposed Northeast Portland development of a ‘Big Box’ retail store, announced that SmartCentres, a Canadian development firm known for developing Wal-Mart SuperCenters, has withdrawn its option to purchase the 26-acre parcel of land adjacent to Madison High School on Northeast 82nd Avenue and Siskiyou street. The developer’s decision follows a one-and-a-half-year fight led by the coalition, and energized by the involvement of thousands of concerned neighbors.