In March, Mid-county homeowners and other Friends of Trees volunteers planted 245 trees in the Argay, Parkrose, Parkrose Heights, Russell, Sumner and Wilkes neighborhoods of east Portland.

Following the planting, Friends of Trees‘ nonprofit partner, Verde, planted an additional 310 trees from Friends of Trees in the same neighborhoods.

Cal Calloway behind one of six new Golden Raindrops Crabapple® trees recently planted for him by Friends of Trees.

The 555 tree orders were the result of an overwhelming response to a special offer of free trees to residents in some of Portland’s neighborhoods most in need of trees.

The annual Safe Routes to School Spring Kick-Off event is tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Russell Academy, 2700 NE 127th Ave.

Brought to you by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the free family event celebrates health, safety and physical activity.

Safe Routes to School annual Spring kick-off event is tomorrow.

You can learn how to safely ride a bicycle, map and plan a bicycle trip and do basic bike maintenance.

Games and activities for the kids, a free raffle for a new bicycle, art projects, a healthy lunch and a community bike ride at 1 p.m. are all part of the event.

Bruce Altizer

East Portland businessman Bruce Altizer announced last month that he is running for the seat held by Amanda Fritz on the Portland City Council.
If elected, he would be the first Portland City Council member ever who lives east of 82nd Avenue.

Altizer, who was born in Seattle, grew up in New Mexico and Lebanon, Oregon. Appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1973, he graduated with a degree in Applied Science and Engineering. After graduation, Altizer served 11 years active duty in various parts of the United States and Asia, retiring from the Army Reserves in 1988 with the rank of Major.

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

Hundreds of people showed up for an open house at Glendoveer Golf Course last month to tell Metro what they thought of proposed changes for the golf course and tennis facility. In dozens of different ways, they all told Metro pretty much the same thing: keep your hands off Glendoveer; and if you are going to do anything, upgrade the existing amenities and do more maintenance.

Joanne Lund, right, in black shirt, grew up near the golf course and went to David Douglas High School. She warned Metro’s Mary Anne Cassin, left not to make drastic changes at Glendoveer.

Due to increased interest, the Glendoveer community open house meeting date and location has changed.

The new date is Monday, Aug. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Glendoveer fitness trail parking lot, located on Northeast 148th Avenue and Halsey Street. Metro Councilors and staff will be there to listen to your ideas and concerns, answer questions and provide information about next steps.

The Glendoveer property, acquired by Metro from Multnomah County in 1996, consists of 242 acres, with two 18-hole golf courses, two parking lots, four covered tennis courts, the Ringside restaurant, a driving range, pro shop, and a two-mile public soft surface walking and running trail.

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.

The Russell Neighborhood Association meets tonight, from 7 to 9 p.m. at University of Western States’ Hampton Hall Conference Room, 2900 N.E. 132nd Ave. The meeting notice from RNA Chair Bonny McKnight about tonight’s meeting and guest follows:

Russell Neighborhood Association is beginning a discussion which will be very important to every resident of East Portland as it grows into full urban status as part of the City of Portland, Here is why we think it is important.

A news Release from the Portland Police Bureau about their response this morning to a shooting at 2:15 a.m. in “a parking lot at Northeast 122nd and Halsey.” That would be the Refectory Restaurant.

“Last night at around 2:15 a.m., Portland Police responded to a parking lot at Northeast 122nd and Halsey on a call of shots being fired in the area.

“When officers arrived, they discovered that a shooting victim had left the scene in a friend’s vehicle.

“A few minutes later, officers responded to a call at Northeast 102nd and Halsey on a call of a vehicle that had just crashed into a gas pump at a gas station located at that intersection.