????? ??????Zach Abney, Parkrose High quarterback, was the center of attention at an event in the school cafeteria yesterday held to showcase him signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Harding University on an athletic scholarship. While the day was about Zach, his accomplishments and this honor, the theme was most definitely about community.

Zach Abney, center with tie, wears a Harding University cap for the first time at a ceremony to recognize him as a scholar athlete who has been offered a scholarship to play football at the Searcy, Ark. school. Supporting him are teammates (from left) Tonga Tokelau, Matteo Rigoni, Thomas Lott, Andre Johnson, Deontre Curry, Jonathan Boland, Cody Rowley, Marquis Hammick and Jerry Hunter.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Missing Persons Unit asks for help from the public in locating 16-year-old Kalpana Wagley, a recent Bhutanese refugee, missing since last Friday.

Kalpana Wagley, left, a 16-year-old David Douglas High School student seen here at a 2010 soccer clinic, was reported missing Friday. Mid-county Memo photo/Tim Curran

Wagley is described as a female Nepalese, five feet eight inches tall, and 104 pounds, with mid-back length black hair. Kalpana was last seen wearing knee-length, cut-off blue jeans, dark brown ski-type boots, and a black vest under a white jacket.

Football
Despite a conference record of 1-4, the David Douglas Scots took advantage of play-in game defeating North Medford 20-6 to advance to the 6-A state tournament. They beat West Linn 17-14, but were ousted by Oregon City 28-18 the following week.

David Douglas was upended Round 2 of the 2011 OSAA 6A Football State Championships. Oregonian photo/Jessika Brandt

Parkrose finished the season 3-5 to qualify for a state tournament play-in game against PIL champs, Jefferson. The Democrats prevailed 36-19, bringing the Bronco season to an end on a cold, wet and rainy night. Zach Abney, Quame Adams, Jonathan Boland, Marquis Hammick, Jerry Hunter, Thomas Lott and Henry Vy earned Northwest Oregon Conference honorable mention honors.

The Rev. Caroline Litzenberger was recently assigned to serve the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church parish as priest-missioner. A history professor at Portland State University, she will serve at St. Matthew’s on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Litzenberger and Deacon Marla McGarry-Lawrence extend a personal invitation to those not currently attending a church to worship on Sunday or stop by for a visit during the week to learn more about St. Matthew’s and the Episcopal Church

Rev. Caroline Litzenberger is the new priest-missioner at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Parkrose.

Rev. Litzenberger invites neighbors to join the St. Matthew’s community for worship, Sun., Nov. 13 at 9 a.m.

It was not just Parkrose celebrating a birthday last month. The Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services marked a year of operations at East Burnside Street and 102nd Avenue.

In a report to the Multnomah County Commission last month, Executive Director Martha Strawn Morris reported that more than 2,000 adults and 750 children had paid 7,000 visits to the facility.

One of its main offerings is enabling domestic violence victims to obtain restraining orders against abusers, and last year visitors obtained 557 such orders, nearly a quarter of all obtained in the county. This represented 90 percent of those who sought such orders at the center, as compared to 85 percent at the downtown county courthouse.

Editor’s note: The 2012 City elections will be a watershed event in city leadership… with Mayor Adams and Commissioner Leonard declining to run for re-election; and with Commissioner Amanda Fritz facing a serious challenge, for the first time in decades, there could be three new faces on City council. Veteran beat reporter Lee Perlman is assigned to interview major candidates for theses offices.

Oregon State Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, is running for Portland City Council Position Number 1 against incumbent Commissioner Amanda Fritz. Taking on a sitting council member is an uphill battle even if the incumbent is vulnerable, as Fritz is considered to be.

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, celebrating 35 years of promoting the integration of refugees, immigrants and the community at large into a self-sufficient, healthy and inclusive, multi-ethnic society, has planned an anniversary party and fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Nines, 525 S.W. Morrison St., in downtown Portland.

East Portland's Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization is the doorway to American assimilation for many immigrants and refugees.

The party theme – We All Share the Same Sky – is supported by world music, food, performances and celebration as well as an auction. Sophie Soong, of Fox News 12 is the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Posted online, a recap of the October 2011 edition of the Mid-county Memo  follows ….

At 15, Curtis Crawford joined the Knott Street Boxing Club; it changed his life forever. Crawford is a mixed martial arts fighter, youth boxing coach and a personal trainer at his gym, Curt’s Ultimate, in Gateway; he lives to fight.

Curtis Crawford, from left, with Curt's Ultimate Youth Boxing coaches Ray Monge and Joel Caldera. Crawford's gym, his mixed martial arts career and youth boxing program are featured on the Memo's front page this month.

East Portland Rep. Jefferson Smith throws his hat in the ring for Portland’s mayor.

If you travel Northeast Halsey Street in the vicinity of 119th Avenue, there is no doubt you have seen the colorful new storefront of U Can Do It Dog Wash.

Proprietor Sue Wade was convinced Mid-county was in need of a dog grooming facility that offers pet owners the option of shampooing their dogs themselves or turning the task over to her and her staff. Her intuition has paid off in the form of neighbors and potential customers dropping in to check the place out.

As you can see, U Can Do It Dog Wash professional groomer Taylor Case enjoys making dogs look adorable. COURTESY SUSAN WADE

Tonight, near 10 p.m., a home invasion robbery took place in the 2700 block of Northeast 102nd Avenue in east Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood.

Prior to arriving at the scene, officers learned there were three armed suspects wearing masks. A husband and wife and their adult son were the victims of the residential robbery.

The husband and wife suffered non-life threatening injuries in the course of the hold-up and were transported to a nearby hospital.  Police also report shots were fired inside the home by the suspects during the course of the robbery; it is believed one of the suspects was injured in the robbery.

The suspects fled the residence prior to officers arrival.  A police canine unit was called to the scene and officers are searching the area for the suspects; the investigation is continuing.