James Mayer had a good story in yesterday’s (Thursday’s) inPortland section of the Oregonian entitled “Potholes are the pits, Portlanders say.”

It talks about new Mayor Sam Adams and his obsession with potholes. Another Adams stunt or is he serious?
Portland has a backlog of street maintenance (30%) that grows larger every year. True, potholes are a small part of the problem, but they are the most visible.

And, last month’s December to Remember storms only exacerbated the situation.

Take Sandy Boulevard in east Portland for instance, from Northeast 82nd to around 47th Avenues to be exact. Let us now call it “Pothole Boulevard.” please, take it and fix it Mayor Adams.

Memo readers are invited to attend a “night of fun and special travel prices” from Carnival Cruise Lines and Mexico Unlimited at The Bungalow Rose and Addie’s You and I Travel on June 20.

There will be local entertainment, ethnic cuisine and special prizes for the first 30 people to arrive at the event that Friday night. The cost to attend is $10.00. It’s set from 4 to 8 p.m. The Bungalow Rose and Addie’s You and I Travel are located at 7545 N.E. Sandy Blvd. in east Portland

Please call Debbie at The Bungalow Rose to RSVP, or for more information, at 503-255-6221.

The Bungalow Rose Floral & Gift Shop is hosting an open house Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15, at the shop, 7545 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Ample parking is available.

Debbie Mannings, owner and operator of The Bungalow Rose Floral & Gift Shop, invites all Memo readers to her shop to celebrate the holiday season.

There will be the smell of cinnamon in the air as carolers sing favorite classics and themed Christmas trees are loaded with discounted Christmas ornaments.

There will be fresh Noble Fir Christmas trees, greenery and holiday flowers available. Cider and cookies will be served.

Addie’s You and I Travel Service at 7545 N.E. Sandy Blvd. in east Portland always has something good going on in the travel world.
Addie Lindstrom and her staff are available to help Mid-county Memo readers with cruises and vacation travel. She also specializes in business fares and last minute fares.

Addie’s Winter 2006 newsletter just came out, and Addie’s offers myriad packages, including EcoAdventures. Costa Rica, Belize and Guatemala trips, with visits to national parks, rainforests, volcanoes, coral reefs, Mayan ruins and colonial cities.

There are also EcoAdventures’ packages to South America with a wide variety of trips, ranging from the wildlife of Galapagos Islands to cosmopolitan cities.

For those of us who have to use our automobiles, a question sometimes arises: Who can I trust to maintain and repair my car?

For me, Rich Riegel, it’s been a challenge.

Finding someone you trust is daunting. I know that many women feel intimated by automobile mechanics, thinking that some women’s lack of knowledge about auto mechanics make them easy prey for unscrupulous auto shops. I’d like to say, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, some of us guys get taken in when the mechanic says something like, “You’ll have to replace your Johnson Rod,” which is a line from a “Seinfeld” television show episode. There is, of course, no such thing as a Johnson Rod, but how are we to know?