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.

Links and a recap of feature articles from the online editon of the November 2009  Mid-county Memo follow:

Latest photos and full story about the transformation of the former Children’s Receiving Center into the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services in east Portland.

Latest photos and full story about how former elementary schools within Parkrose School District — Thompson School and Knott Elementary — are being used these days.

A story about developers, for all intents and purposes, killing a proposed amendment to control the way garages are built on smaller parcels

A recap of and links to feature articles and departments from the October 2009  Mid-county Memo follow:

Terry Robb, Parkrose High School grad and featured performer at the Parkrose Educational Foundation’s inaugural homecoming dance, is one of this month’s front page stories.
Terry Robb: page one, Terry Robb: page two, Terry Robb: page three, Terry Robb: page four and Terry Robb: page 5.

The MAX Green Line opening ceremonies share this month’s front page. The new line opened to fanfare, speeches, bands, free rides and vows to build more light rail farther south and north.

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.

A summary of feature stories from the May 2009 edition of the Mid-county Memo:

The Gateway Green Project gets going with a grant for planning and an anonymous donation.

To meet Mayor Sam Adams’ first round of budget cuts, Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer  cuts the number of police precincts from five to three.  The Northeast Precinct will now stretch from Linnton to Gresham.

Western States Chiropractic College, the 105-year-old institution in Mid-county seeks to become a university.

Up next, Perlman’s Potpourri: news items from across the Gateway and Parkrose neighborhoods of mid-Multnomah County from veteran Beat Reporter Lee Perlman.

We received a note from Jodie Rossi, one of our Portland Christian Schools information sources, about an event tomorrow night at the Jr./Sr. High School, 12425 N.E. San Rafael St., in outer east Portland.
It follows:

“Everyone is invited to International Food Night, Saturday, May 8. This special event is an exciting opportunity to eat foods from other cultures prepared by our International Student Program students. We will also have a performance by the internationally famous Japanese Drum Dancers, Portland Taiko.

We subscribe to Portland Online, an information service run by the city that notifies you, if you subscribe, of various events and happeningings in the city.

Specifically, of course, we receive notice of events and happenings in the Mid-county area.

So, the other day we receive an e-mail from Portland Online informing us of the Parkrose Community Fair happening on Saturday, September 20.

Parkrose Community Fair? Wasn’t this an event held at Parkrose High School at the end of the regular school year?
It has moved, apparently, to September and will be held in the parking lot at Eastminster Church on Northeast Halsey Street at 125th Avenue in east Portland.

Kim Hill, a senior at Portland Christian Jr/Sr High School in east Portland, previously featured in the Memo for her basketball and volleyball skills, was again recognized recently for her athletic abilities.

The Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, last month announced that Hill has been tapped as its 2007-08 Gatorade Oregon Volleyball Player of the Year.

Kim Hill is the daughter of Argay residents Bradd and Terri Hill; Bradd Hill owns Chet Hill Insurance, Inc., in Parkrose, an independent agency started by his father in 1954.

The Mid-county Memo is always proud to promote our modern day heroes, those men and women of the Portland Police Bureau and the Portland Fire Bureau.

This past summer saw the retirement of Lt. Dennis O’Grady, who worked at Portland Fire Station No. 43, located at Northeast 133rd Avenue and San Rafael Street.

O’Grady was part of a contingent from Station No. 43 who in June 2002 hosted visiting firefighters from New York City’s Engine Company 306, one of the many brave units that responded to the horrific scene in that city on Sept. 11, 2001. The New York firefighters who came to Portland also participated in the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade.

Reader Walt Lersch, sent us an e-mail about an incident in the Hazelwood neighborhood last Saturday (6/16) evening.

To the editor:

Saturday evening when driving home from dinner I noticed something going on
in the Northwest corner of the vacant Albertson’s parking lot at N.E. 122nd Avenue
and Halsey Street. I dropped the family off at home and returned to see
what was going on.

There was a Boss Hawgs banner and Budweiser banner draped around the wrestling ring. The announcer stated that this was a preview of the full show which would take place at the same location the next day from Noon through the evening.