You’re climbing a mountain, going up a steep slope. You’re exhausted, but the summit is within sight, within reach. Somehow, you summon up reserves of strength, haul yourself up, and throw yourself triumphantly upon the sum…No, that was just a shoulder. The real summit looms ahead, and there’s a lot of it.

Amelai Salvador, from left, Joe Rossi and Luke Shepard at a Parkrose NPI meeting.

This might sound familiar to the steering committees of the six new Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative districts, of which four are in mid-county. There are rewards to be had, to be sure, including more than a million dollars in public funding for business development and local projects, but the hurdles these good people must overcome are steep and getting steeper.

Adair Fernee, elected last May to the Parkrose School Board, resigned earlier this month.

The district is taking applications to fill the vacancy.

Parkrose School Board member Adair Fernee, third from left, resigned earlier this month.

Superintendent Karen Fischer Gray said Fernee resigned for personal reasons. However, she did not submit a letter of resignation to the district.

When reached for comment, Fernee declined to speak on the record but sent us a letter (below) she asked to be published  in the April Mid-county Memo.

Parkrose School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Fischer Gray is one of four finalists for the vacant Superintendent’s post in the Reynolds School District.

Parkrose School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Fischer Gray, left, is one of the finalists for the vacant Reynolds School District post.

Parkrose, one of five school districts in Portland, has 3,465 students.

Asked if she thought her work in Parkrose was finished, Fischer Gray, who was Coos Bay School District Superintendent before moving to Parkrose in 2007 said, “You are never finished in a school district and I dearly love Parkrose. This is a possibility for extending my experience as a career educator.”

In the midst of an institutional crisis, new Parkrose Business Association president David Ableidinger presided over his first general membership meeting last week.

Luke Shepard, foreground, speaks at the recent PBA meeting.

Roiling the group was a post, “Rossi report stuns PBA” on this blog, in which longtime member Joe Rossi called the group to account for, among other things, not supporting his Centennial celebration and not giving his partner and friend Amy Salvador the group’s top honor last year, the Karl F. Lind Award.

ХудожникIn the wake of Judy Kennedy’s resignation as president of the Parkrose Business Association, the board voted to remove four members whose terms had expired at its meeting Wednesday.

A motion was made and passed to remove the board members whose terms had expired. Off the board are treasurer Marsha Lee, secretary Mary Brown, Mike Taylor and Gail Bash. The four held PBA board positions for at least ten years, some since the early 90s.

New PBA president David Ableidinger said there will be elections in May for the vacant posts. He also said that according to the bylaws, those stepping down cannot run again for at least one year.

Joe Rossi, Parkrose’s well-known promoter and leader of the Rossi family, stunned the board of the Parkrose Business Association recently with the delivery of a four page list of 23 grievances against the group.  He devoted five of his 23 points in particular to the method employed voting for the group’s annual top honor, the Karl F. Lind Award.

To read Rossi’s list of grievances it in its entirety, scroll to the bottom…

Joe Rossi, left, with sculptor James Gion at the Portland Immigrant Statue unveiling in October.

A Multnomah County Healthy Active Schools grant has funded a walking trail at Parkrose High School Community Center, 12003 N.E. Shaver St.

A ribbon cutting ceremony and Parkrose Active Transportation Fair is planned for Saturday, March 10. The ribbon cutting is at noon.

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new walking track at Parkrose High School is Saturday, March 10.

The fair continues until 2 p.m. There will be prizes including LED lights, bike helmets and bike locks. Bring your bike for free fixes and flat changes.

Be the first to use the new Bronco Community Fitness Trail while learning about walking and biking to school.

The Mid-county Memo is your newspaper. We want to hear from you. Discuss an important issue or address a concern you want to call to the attention of the community. We prefer e-mailed letters to the editor sent to Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Please put “Letter to the editor” in the subject line. You may also mail your letter to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230 or fax it to 503-249-7672. Deadline for the April issue is Thursday, March 15.

Cuts to Parkrose Bus Line 22 impact Sandy Blvd. travelers. COURTESY PORTLAND AFOOT

“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.