Each day members of our community quietly celebrate milestones, achievements and accomplishments–big and small. This department is meant to showcase these triumphs to the greater community.
When you send submissions, please include all details that apply: full names of any individuals mentioned, details of the milestone and everyone impacted by the event, and a contact name and phone number or email address. Send a photo if you have one. Please identify each individual from left to right (large group shots can simply be identified by the group name) and provide the name of the photographer so we can give proper credit. Memo Pad submissions for the February issue are due Thursday, Jan. 15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Or mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave, Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, call 503-287-8904. The Mid-county Memo fax number is 503-249-7672.
Royals add to coaching staff
Portland Christian School has been busy adding coaching staff. Meadow Lemon is the new head varsity baseball coach. The eldest son of Hall of Fame and Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon, he served as the marketing director for the Harlem Globetrotters, worked on the Atlanta Olympics Committee, the World Games and the Para Olympics. He has been successful in managing, coaching and recruiting for numerous teams and sports.
The girls softball team has a new leader as well. Elsa Griffith has been playing softball from a young age. She played on school teams and was part of a traveling team for four years. Her coaching career began in 2009.
Area choirs sing out in support of Daybreak Shelter
Seven local choirs performed Sunday, Jan. 11 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church at the annual Epiphany Choir Fest, a benefit for the Daybreak Shelter Network at Human Solutions. The event culminated in the combined choirs singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. More than $2,500 in donations were raised at the event.
COURTESY HUMAN SOLUTIONS
Budget committee seeks volunteers
A new member is needed to serve on the 2015-2016 David Douglas School District Budget Committee. The committee creates the following year’s budget, which is then approved by the School Board, which comprises one-half of the 14-member Committee. Applicants must be district residents, and will serve for a three-year term.
The committee does not make programming decisions, but determines levels of spending. A qualified applicant will write a letter including her or his education, professional background and other relevant information, and must include a home address.
Letters of application should be sent to: Special Projects, David Douglas School District, 1500 SE 130 Avenue, Portland, OR 97233 or to david_douglas@ddouglas.k12.or.us.
The application letter must be received by Feb. 6. The first Budget Committee meeting will be April 27, 2015.
Scots near the top
David Douglas wing player Lamariea Taylor scores two points against Parkrose earlier this season. The Scots were the No. 1 ranked 6A team in the state when they beat the 5A Broncos 83-64.
Memo photo/Tim Curran
David Douglas Basketball Coach Chad Reeves has the right to be proud of this year’s boys’ basketball team. Currently tied for second place in the Mt. Hood Conference with eight games left to play, and a 14-2 record, the Scots still have a shot at the top spot in the 6A Conference. The team ranks fifth with the OSSA, and recently received a fourth place ranking in the coach’s poll. A Media poll shows them at tenth in the state.
The Scots defeated Centennial on Friday, January 23 with a score of 67-48. Their next game is Feb. 3 with Barlow and against Gresham High School Feb. 24.
School board recognized
January is National School Board Recognition Month, honoring the work of school boards throughout the nation. For David Douglas School District, that means recognizing seven individuals representing years of service to the District from 1991 to 2015.
David Douglas School Board members, from left, are Shannon Raybold, Frieda Christopher (Chair), Kyle Riggs (Vice Chair), Christine Larsen, Bryce Anderson, Cheryl Scarcelli Ancheta and Donn Gardner.
COURTESY JOSH GRAY
With increasing complications facing education: funding issues, larger classroom sizes, aging infrastructure and greater concern over student safety, the job of a school board member has become more complex and demanding. The David Douglas District has managed to modernize and refurbish the district’s schools, keep music and physical education, and avoid furlough days. A $49.5 million bond measure was passed, thanks, significantly, to board leadership, among other accomplishments.
Vegetarian meals now an option for homebound
Meals on Wheels People have launched a daily vegetarian meal option for Meals on Wheels clients. Vegetarian meals have been available at the organization’s 34 neighborhood dining centers for several years, but pre-plated meals for homebound contained more traditional protein sources.
“We are receiving more requests for a vegetable-based diet from our homebound clients,” said Meals on Wheels People Executive Director Suzanne Washington. “We deliver nearly 3,000 meals to homebound seniors daily and about 100 of those have requested an all-vegetarian diet.”
Meals for homebound clients are created at the Meals on Wheels People central kitchen in Multnomah Village and shipped daily to the neighborhood centers where they are heated and sent out for delivery by volunteers. The number of requests for a vegetarian diet was not high enough to warrant creating a special meal package until recently. “Baby boomers, who are accustomed to a variety of different menu options, are driving this change,” Washington said. “We anticipate that the number of clients requesting the vegetarian option will double within six months.”
Current Meals on Wheels clients who are interested in switching to a vegetarian meal plan should call their center manager to request a change. In mid-county, your options are:
• Cherry Blossom Center; 740 S.E. 106th Ave.; 503-256-2381; meals are served Monday through Friday.
• IRCO Center; 10301 N.E. Glisan St.; 503-256-2381; meals are served Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Rockwood Center; 124 N.E. 181st Ave.; 503-953-8156; meals are served Monday through Friday.
