 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
MEMO BLOG | |
Memo Calendar | Memo Pad | Business Memos | Loaves & Fishes | Letters | Home |
Friends of Trees announces planting project
As Portland’s canopy of trees has lost its leaves for the winter, it’s easy to forget about the benefits these trees provide. City trees do much more than add beauty. In addition to reducing global warming, they trap pollutants on their leaves and filter storm water runoff with their limbs and roots.
Portland has been increasing its tree cover for many years now. A Portland State University study showed that from 1972 to 2002, our canopy grew to over 26 percent, with the greatest increase in neighborhoods where Friends of Trees organized neighborhood plantings. Friends of Trees has planted about 320,000 trees and shrubs in the Portland-Vancouver area since 1989.
That’s why Friends of Trees and the city of Portland received a national Award of Excellence for Community Trees at the U.S. Conference of Mayors this summer. And it’s why the National Arbor Day Foundation has selected Portland as a site for celebrating National Arbor Day this spring.
Friends of Trees is planning a December 2007 planting in the Argay, Russell, Parkrose and Wilkes neighborhoods. The organization is currently seeking individuals who want to volunteer their time planning for this project. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Brighton West at 503-282-8846, ext 19.
Course teaches identity theft prevention
Learn what identify thieves don’t want you to know through a new online class being offered exclusively through the Community Education department of Mt. Hood Community College.
This two-hour, voice-narrated course is designed to provide you with an understanding of workplace identity theft. The course is broad and covers different areas of exposure and prevention whether you are working in an office or working from a remote location.
Additionally, because identity theft occurs in places other than the workplace, this course also elevates personal awareness to ensure you are just as knowledgeable about protecting your own identity.
You will learn how to recognize areas of vulnerability, prevention measures and recommended steps to take if identity theft occurs. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be better prepared to prevent the preventable.
Visit http://www.mhcc.edu/pages/2523.asp to register for the class. For more information, call the MHCC Community Education department at 503-491-7572.
SMART honored in top ten nonprofits
Start Making A Reader Today was honored as one of the most admired nonprofits in Oregon. SMART was selected through a survey that the Portland Business Journal sent to 2,500 CEOs and top-level managers throughout Oregon. They made their selection based on five criteria: innovation, quality of management, community involvement, quality of products and services, and branding and marketing.
SMART ranked eighth out of the top ten nonprofits selected for this honor. Last year, SMART was also among Oregon’s top ten most admired nonprofit organizations.
Linda Wright of U.S. Bank and SMART’s board chair accepted a plaque in recognition of SMART at the business journal’s Oregon’s Most Admired Companies award luncheon at the downtown Portland Hilton Hotel on Dec. 7.
SMART is an organization dedicated to children’s literacy and is active in Mid-county schools. SMART provides volunteers who commit one hour a week to read one-on-one with K-3 children for a half hour each. Children participating in SMART receive free books to keep and read with their families. It’s a simple approach that makes a difference. If you would like to volunteer in a neighborhood school or wish to learn more about SMART, call 503-937-4800, or visit online at www.getsmartoregon.org.
Elks select student of the month
Sabrina I Mei Skau, a senior from David Douglas High School, is an outstanding student and award-winning musician. She has been chosen Teenager of the Month for January by the Gateway Elks Lodge.
Skau has earned a 4.00 GPA. She is a member and chapter officer of the National Honor Society. She has been honored as Student of the Month at David Douglas in three different academic years and placed first in the high school science team competition.
Skau’s writing skills have resulted in a short story being published in the Harvard Summer Review and being honored as a regional winner in the Scholastic Art and Writing Award.
She is an oboist in the David Douglas band and the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra who also arranges music.
Sabrina is the daughter of David and Helen Skau.
OBRH spotlights pinochle-playing resident
 |
| Bob Ritt, Oregon Baptist Retirement Homes Resident of the Month, loves to play pinochle. |
| Submitted Graphic |
He enjoyed fishing and hunting in Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota and became an avid ice skater at a young age. That background led him to a second job as a guard at the Lloyd Center and Memorial Coliseum ice rinks. A special perk was seeing hockey games for free.
Ritt also enjoyed riding motorcycles, owning several Indian Motorcycles before giving up the activity at the request of his new bride in 1941.
Shirley Ritt met her future husband while he was installing sewing machines at the garment factory where she was on the office staff. They have been married for 65 years and have raised two daughters.
Ritt worked with industrial sewing machines for 45 years. He traveled for the Singer Company, Jantzen and Union Special Industrial Machines over the years. Shirley worked for Multnomah County for many years. The couple retired together in 1982. Shirley now lives at Powell Valley Memory Care Community where she receives around-the-clock care.
Ritt recalls sharing cruises and vacations with his wife and says his favorite vacation remains their honeymoon to Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills of the Dakotas.
Among Ritt’s hobbies these days are listening to jazz, Glen Miller and sixties music in addition to playing pinochle. He looks forward to the monthly Men’s Breakfast at OBRH and attends church at Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Service to match ridership demand
TriMet will modify its schedule for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Jan. 15, to match ridership demand.
TriMet carries more riders on the MLK holiday than on any other holiday, so the agency is providing more service than a typical holiday or Sunday schedule. Based on last year’s figures, ridership is anticipated to be 75 percent of a normal weekday.
As a result, MAX will run on Saturday schedule; 60 heavily-traveled bus lines will run on weekday schedules; 16 bus routes will run on Saturday schedule; 12 weekday express lines will be canceled, including the five lines serving Marquam Hill; other canceled lines are 23-San Rafael, 37-Lake Grove, 41-Tacoma, 81-Kane Road/257th Avenue and 157-Happy Valley.
For specific information on routes and schedules, visit trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. except Monday, Jan.15.
On Sunday, Jan. 14, downtown Portland bus stops are moving from 5th and 6th avenues to 3rd and 4th avenues, Columbia and Jefferson streets, and 2nd Avenue in preparation for construction of the Portland Mall MAX Light Rail project.
Parkrose vocalists garner honors
A half dozen members of the Parkrose High School A Cappella Choir have been selected for the All-State Honor Choir. Aranda Curtman, Margaret Drew, Dared Dike, Julie Johnson, Brianna Jordan and Steven Ennis will travel to Eugene later this month to rehearse for a performance with other statewide honorees on Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Hult Center in Eugene.
Curtman, Johnson, Jordan and Ennis were also chosen to perform with the All-Northwest Honor Groups in February. More than 900 of the most musically talented high school students from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon and Wyoming will convene at the Oregon Convention Center. The All-Northwest Honor Jazz Band and Jazz Choir Concert is Friday, Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 18, there will be two concerts: the All-Northwest Honor Women’s Choir and Mixed Choir Concert at 1 p.m. and the All-Northwest Honor Band and Orchestra Concert at 3:30 p.m.
Contact Lesley Bossert, Parkrose High School Choir Director at 503-408-2695 for ticket information.
 |
 |
 |
MEMO Advertising | MEMO Archives | MEMO Web Neighbors | MEMO Staff | Home