Mid-county Memo Blog

Right now, today — from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Parkrose High School Community Center, 12003 N.E. Shaver St. — there’s a Fix-It Fair being held. Fix-It Fairs are free events designed to save Portlanders money and connect them to resources. Join your Mid-county neighbors and talk to experts about how to spend less and stay healthy. Fix-It Fairs are crammed full with resources for helping you to create a healthy home, including:  How-to classes on various home and garden topics, money-saving, cost effective tips and free giveaways. Bring your bicycle, free, minor tune-ups and flat tire repairs are available for students and families.
Fix-It Fairs are held 3 Saturday mornings during the winter at various locations around the City of Portland from November to February.
The 2009-10, 23rd Annual Fix-It Fair season Is presented by The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability with support from these sponsors: Energy Trust of Oregon, Pacific Power,  Portland Development Commission, Portland Lead Hazard Control Program, and Portland General Electric.

We received a note from the Portland Police Bureau about a rash of burglaries at Portland schools, and in east Portland at David Douglas and  Parkrose schools. If you have any information, call Detective Mary Wheat at 503-823-0010.

“Portland Police are investigating a series of burglaries at schools in the Portland area that began in early December. Investigators believe that twelve burglaries have occurred at various schools and that the burglars are attempting to steal laptops and computer equipment.”

We received an e-mail from Scott Bradley, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Parkrose, requesting publicity for an upcoming marriage seminar at his church. It was too late for the print version of the January edition of the Memo by the time it was received (editorial deadline: 15th of every month),  so I told him we’d place the notice on our blog site; it follows.

“Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage! Register now for a 2-day marriage seminar. This is a wildly entertaining and informative marriage event designed to bring hope and positive change to marriages. Cost is $35 per couple or $18 per individual.

Donate your returnable bottles and cans to for a a good cause.

The monthly Parkrose Middle/High School Bronco Boosters can collection, is this Saturday, Jan. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Parkrose Middle School, 11800 N.E. Shaver St. in east Portland.

Donations of refundable cans and bottles support the PHS Scholarship Program. Call Dave Luce at 503-255-3745.

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.

The bicyclist killed this morning on Northeast 122nd Avenue at Fremont Street has been identified.  Willamette Week obtained the man’s identity.

Read their updated story here: http://tinyurl.com/my2tab.

Our condolences to his family.

An e-mail from the Portland Police Bureau about a bicyclist’s death on Northeast 122nd Avenue this morning follows. When it happens close to home, literally, it reminds me of how fishing line thin the line between life and death, happiness and sadness, tragedy and peace is. I will post the victim’s name when released.

“BICYCLIST KILLED BY HIT AND RUN DRIVER
Posted: August 27th, 2009 4:03 AM

“Tonight at approximately 2:15 a.m., Portland Police Officers responded to the area of Northeast 122nd and Fremont Street on a report of a hit and run incident involving a car and a bicyclist. When officers arrived, they found a 52-year-old deceased male bicyclist and determined the vehicle involved had left the scene.

A note from Pastor Scott Bradley at Abundant Life Church in east Portland about an event they’re having Saturday, August 29. For more information about this event or Abundant Life Church itself, Pastor Bradley’s e-mail address is: Scott@coolchurch.com. His missive follows:

“Our church is planning a free community barbecue and school supply give-away on Saturday, Aug. 29th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The Parkrose Community is invited to attend or donate supplies.

“Our address is 4536 NE 116th Ave. or visit our blog or call 503-254-1686 for more information.

We received a note from Rev. Chuck Currie of the Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, 4715 N.E. 106th Avenue in Parkrose.  Currie is on the cutting edge where it comes to recognizing injustice, and man’s inhumanity to man. The subject of this Sunday’s sermon is about the gun-totin’ Kentucky man of the cloth, and, apparently, the bullet. Rev. Currie’s press release follows:

“Recently, a pastor in Kentucky had his parishioners bring their guns to church for a special celebration of guns and God.  “I don’t see any contradiction in this,” the Rev. Ken Pagano, the pastor of the New Bethel Church, told The New York Times.

New personnel arrives with the realigning of Portland’s police precincts from five to three. Recently, we received an e-mail letter of introduction from Mary Tompkins, the new crime prevention coordinator for the Parkrose and Argay Neighborhood Associations of east Portland, it follows.

“Hello: Argay, Beaumont-Wilshire, Hollywood, Parkrose, Rose City Park, and Roseway neighborhood association representatives.

“I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to all of you, as your new Crime Prevention Coordinator. Due to the recent Police Bureau precinct restructuring, I have been given this wonderful opportunity to work with all of you.