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MEMO Calendar...

The MEMO Calendar is your vehicle to publicize community events. Let your Mid-Multnomah County neighbors know about events of interest, meetings, fundraisers and the like. To ensure publication, please send submissions for each month by the 15th of the previous month. Calendar submissions for the March issue are due Friday, February 13. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Or mail your editorial submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR, 97230. To leave a phone message, call 503-287-8904. Mid-county MEMO fax number is 503-249-7672.

EVENTS
Women’s history events
In recognition of women’s accomplishments throughout history, Mt. Hood Community College, or MHCC, announced more than a dozen commemorative events scheduled during winter term with the theme “Women Inspiring Hope and Possibility.”

See the courageous historical figures Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman come to life through award-winning actress Ruby Reuben, at “From Slavery, Out of Slavery.” Reuben, a member of the Sojourner Truth Theater Performing Arts Troupe, will also present “We Have Always Had Kings,” at the Thursday, Feb. 5 event.

“Women in Literature: Off Broadway,” on Wednesday, Feb. 11, will feature women from MHCC’s Literature department performing some of their favorite pieces of literature written by women.

Friday, Feb. 13, “Women in Film,” brings Bushra Azzuoz, an Arab-American filmmaker who grew up in Mosel, Iraq and Beirut, Lebanon. Her latest film project is a reflection on the cycles of violence, terrorism and war that have ravaged both the U.S. and the Middle East.

All events will be held in the Town and Gown Room (2057) on the Gresham campus from noon to 1 p.m. and are free and open to the community. For more information or a complete list of events, contact MHCC at 503-491-7213.

Free public seminars on Oriental medicine
Interested in alternatives for staying healthy during the winter cold and flu season? Here is a good source of information.

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine is sponsoring a series of free Saturday Seminars for the public in February on the health benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Each Saturday seminar starts at 10 a.m. and goes for two hours.

The seminar on February 7 will focus on two elements of Chinese medicine - medicinal herbs and acupuncture. Free sample acupuncture treatments will be available.

On February 14 the public will see a demonstration of gentle qigong meditative exercise and be introduced to the benefits of Oriental massage. The seminars are free, but space is limited. To reserve your place, call 503-253-3443 ext. 550. The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine is located at 10525 S.E. Cherry Blossom Drive near Mall 205.

Valentine’s Tea
Oregon Baptist Retirement Homes will host their annual Valentine’s Tea on Friday, February 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on their campus at 1825 N.E. 108th Ave.

The tea will feature refreshments, entertainment and free gifts for all attendees, along with tours of the six acre campus. Everyone is invited.

Oregon Baptist offers independent and assisted living options for seniors. The independent campus offers studio, and one- and two-bedroom options. The Johnson Assisted Living Center offers five levels of care to match the needs of residents. All rates are month to month in both neighborhoods.

Oregon Baptist is a not-for-profit retirement community and was started in 1944.

For more information or directions call Linda Williams at 503-255-7160, or visit their website at www.obrh.org

Help yourself to produce
Harvest Share, a program of the Oregon Food Bank, provides free produce to low income people monthly. Bring your own bag on the first Tuesday of each month to the East Portland Community Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave., at 10:30 a.m. or the third Monday or each month to Glisan Street Baptist Church, 10401 N.E. Glisan St. at 11 a.m. Distribution is done on a first come basis.

Lunch and learn
The Community Education BrownBag topic for this month will be about new Code and Program Guides. Sponsored monthly by the Bureau of Development Services, or BDS, the meetings are held in the 1900 S.W. 4th Avenue Building, in Second Floor Conference Room 2500-A. This event is free to all interested parties and will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13.

Designed to provide public education, the discussion, and feedback session will explore:

• What are Code and Program Guides ~ when and why would you need them?
• Highlights of the new Code Guides including alternative methods for existing buildings, egress through elevator lobbies, and corridor alcoves
• Learn about new options for remodeling, expanded corridor and lobby use
• Question and Answer session with the BDS Code Development team of experts

No reservation required. Pack a lunch and join them.

Things to do
Metro has some great opportunities to give nature a helping hand or to discover the natural wonders around you. Look what’s happening in February:

Volunteer ventures
Valentine’s Day Planting Party for Singles Only, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, February 14

Are you single? Do you want to do something productive on Valentine’s Day? If you answered “yes” to both questions, help plant native trees and shrubs at a former horse stable on Fanno Creek. The Fanno Creek Trail runs through this Metro greenspace next to Woodard Park in the heart of Tigard. Enjoy a walk through rare Oregon oak and ponderosa pine forests. To register and receive directions, call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 8.

New Volunteer Orientation at Metro, noon to 1 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 18
Start your Metro volunteer experience on the right foot. Join a new volunteer orientation either during the lunch hour or in the evening at Metro Regional Center, 600 N.E. Grand Ave. Learn about Metro’s Regional Parks and Greenspaces Department, hear about the benefits of volunteering, receive information on volunteer job opportunities in the field and office, complete your volunteer application and enjoy the company of other new volunteers. To register, call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 7.

Beggars-tick Wildlife Refuge Work Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, February 28
Join Metro and the Johnson Creek Watershed Council for a planting at this vital Southeast Portland wetlands. You’ll have an opportunity to see some of the birds that rely on this area in the winter while you work to improve their habitat. For more information, call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 8.

Nature discoveries
How Animals Work, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, February 12
How can turtles breathe while they are at the bottom of ponds all winter? Why don’t ducks get hypothermia swimming around in freezing cold water with their bare feet? Why are there no warm-blooded animals with gills? Join Metro naturalist James Davis for a look at the incredible adaptations of different animals to meet the same basic needs - food, water, oxygen and shelter. Understanding how animals work greatly increases our awareness and appreciation for their amazing abilities and unique ways of life. Meet in room 370 at Metro Regional Center. Registration and payment of $8 are required in advance; call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 4.

Taxidermy Workshop, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, February 21
This workshop is for anyone who wants to learn more about animal anatomy. Participants will create study specimens, which will be used in the Metro environmental education program to teach people about wildlife. Guided by instructors, each person will work on skinning and stuffing a small wild mammal or bird accidentally killed by an automobile. (The study specimens, also called museum mounts, are not posed in lifelike positions.) Metro operates this program under state and federal wildlife salvage permits. Class will meet at Oxbow Regional Park in the naturalist’s office. Bring a sack lunch. A fee of $15 per person includes instruction and tools. There is also an additional $4 per vehicle entry fee payable at the gate. Advance registration and payment are required; call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 4.

Clackamas River Greenway Tour, 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, February 22
Metro’s open spaces, parks and streams bond measure has protected 608 acres in the Clackamas River Greenway. One of these areas, near Barton Park, offers a scenic and wildlife-rich winter walk through a shelter wood. Join Metro naturalist Deb Scrivens for the first public tour of this 174-acre property, focusing on native plants and the restoration of the area from farm to forest. To register, call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 4. Directions to the site will be mailed to you.

Breakfast with Birds of Prey, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, February 7
Each year, magnificent bald eagles, hawks and falcons spend the winter on Sauvie Island. Enjoy a morning of hawk and eagle viewing with hot drinks, pastries and spotting scopes provided. Metro naturalists Elisabeth Neely and James Davis will lead the trip and provide tips on raptor identification and behavior. Suitable for any skill level. Beginning birders and families are welcome. Meet at the barn behind the historic Bybee House at Metro’s Howell Territorial Park and carpool from there. A Sauvie Island parking permit is required (available at Sauvie Island General Store). Registration and payment of $8 are required in advance; call Metro at 503-797-1850 option 4.

MEETINGS
Gateway group catches up
That nasty ice storm forced cancellation of the Gateway Area Business Association, or GABA, general membership meeting last month, so the agenda for the meeting on Thursday, February 12 will likely be very full. Join other Gateway business leaders at 11:45 for lunch at J.J. North’s Grand Buffet, 10520 N.E. Halsey.

Business leaders to meet
February finds the always active Parkrose Business Association, or PBA, gearing up for a full slate of activities for the coming year. A general membership meeting on Thursday, February 19 will feature Uncle Don Wright in the guest speaker spot and Marlo Rivers of Pacific NW Federal Credit Union during the traditional Member Moment.

Join them at 11:30 a.m. for lunch at Steamers Restaurant, 8303 N.E. Sandy Blvd. The buffet will cost you $10.

For additional information, contact Gordon Boorse at 503-493-2215.

There is one in your neighborhood
Your neighborhood association is working hard for you. Find a meeting below and lend your support.

The East Portland Neighborhood Office, or EPNO, located at 735 S.E. 106th Ave., will put you in touch with your neighborhood association. EPNO office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact the office by phone at 503-823-4550, by fax at 503-823-4525 or by e-mail at epno@epno.org.

The Centennial Community Association will hold a general meeting on February 9 at 7 p.m. at Harold Oliver Intermediate School, 15840 S.E. Taylor St, in Room 65.

The Wilkes Community Group general membership meeting will feature an American Red Cross disaster preparedness presentation. Learn what to do and take home some valuable information. Meet in Joe Edgar Hall in the Teamster’s Complex, 1850 N.E. 162nd Ave. at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 10.

A Board Meeting of the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association is scheduled for Monday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m., at the East Portland Neighborhood Office, 737 S.E. 106th Ave. For more information, contact Chair Arlene Kimura at 503-252-9429.

Our Savior Lutheran Church, 11100 N.E. Skidmore will be the location for a general membership meeting of the Parkrose Neighborhood Association, or PNA, on Tuesday February 17, at 7 p.m. Contact PNA chairman Mark Gardner at 503-254-1752 for more information.

A general meeting of the Argay Neighborhood Association will be on held on Tuesday, February 17 at 7 p.m. in the library at Shaver Elementary School, 3701 N.E. 131st Pl.

Russell Neighborhood Association will meet Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at Western States Chiropractic College, Hampton Hall Conference Room, 2900 N.E. 132nd Ave. at 7 p.m.

Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors, or PHAN, will hold a board meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24 in Miller Hall at Parkrose United Methodist Church, 11111 N. E. Knott St. For further information call Carol Williams, 503-255-9596.

Glenfair Neighborhood Association will not hold a February meeting.

Information regarding Woodland Park Neighborhood Association was not available at press time.

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