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FEATURE ARTICLES | |
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To fully serve the community, the Mid-county Memo offers this section to showcase upcoming special events, celebrations of milestones in our readers’ lives, those seemingly small accomplishments that often do not receive the recognition they deserve, and everyday events that should be shared with friends and neighbors.
Memo Pad submissions for the December issue are due by Tuesday, Nov. 15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Or mail editorial submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave, Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, call 503-287-8904. The fax number is 503-249-7672.
Young readers invited to enter contest
Write a letter to your favorite author, and you might win an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for yourself and your parents. The trip to our nation’s capitol is the national prize in Letters about Literature, a writing contest for readers in grades 4 through 12 sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores.
To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Young readers can select authors from any genre-fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The Oregon Center for the Book will select the top essayists in the state on each of the three competition levels. Deadline for entries is Dec. 1.
To obtain the required entry coupon, call the Oregon Center for the Book at 503-378-2112 ext. 239 or visit the Center for the Book Web site at http://www.loc.gov/letters. To see winning Oregon letters from previous years visit the Oregon Center for the Book Web site http://www.oregon.gov/osl/ld/aboutcenter.shtml.
State winners advance to national competition and receive cash prizes plus a $50 Target gift card.
Teachers, librarians, or parents interested in obtaining copies of the contest guidelines and the 16-page teaching supplement to guide students through the reading-writing process should visit the Center for the Book Web site at http://www.loc.gov/letters.
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| Once she wandered the hills of Southeast Oregon on horseback. Now, Oregon Baptist Retirement Homes resident of the month Juanita Murphy roams the city on TriMet. |
| SUBMITTED PHOTO |
The 1947 Lakeview Rodeo Queen now resides at Oregon Baptist Retirement Homes. Juanita Murphy has lived in the OBRH community for almost four years and is the November resident of the month.
Born on Feb. 23, 1928 in Spokane, Wash., Juanita was the first of three children born to parents Olive and Chester Olson. The family moved to Wenatchee where Murphy’s father and uncle owned a lumber mill. After the death of her mother when she was eight years old and the loss of her father’s mill to fire a year later, the family relocated to Lakeview, Ore.
Murphy’s habit of daily horseback rides through the surrounding countryside resulted in the young girl becoming an accomplished rider. Horse and rider were entered in races at local rodeos. The experience culminated in being selected as rodeo queen at age 24.
Among the memories of her youth in Lakeview are the camping trips into the canyons with her Dad, bedding down in the grass near a gurgling creek.
As a young adult, Murphy worked for First National Bank, first in Lakeview and then in Portland where she met her husband Gene. She retired from banking after a 35-year career.
The Murphy’s raised three children: Monica, David and Monte. There are five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
When first considering a move to a senior community her daughter thought she was way too young to do so and discouraged her. But Murphy persisted and now enjoys daily opportunities for fun with other seniors, security, and freedom from mandatory meal preparation, maintenance, yard work and housekeeping.
Murphy has adjusted to studio living and feels she has all the space she needs. She reads extensively and when cabin fever hits she hops on the bus at the stop in front of her community and rides to the Lloyd Center for some roaming time there. Juanita is a calm reassuring presence in the OBRH community and a helpful neighbor.
Festival of Lights volunteers needed
Over 600 volunteers are needed to help staff the 2005 Christmas Festival of Lights at The Grotto. The 18th annual celebration, “A Time of Hope,” opens Friday, Nov. 25 and continues nightly through Dec. 30 (except Christmas Day). Individuals, families, neighborhood groups and community service organization willing to volunteer for several evenings or as little as three hours one evening are needed to carry out this month-long presentation. Volunteers assist as greeters, hospitality hosts, ticket sellers, gift shop attendants, parking patrol, food booth helpers, petting zoo helpers, office assistants, St. Nichols and the angel. All shifts are three hours with two shifts available each evening.
To volunteer, call 503-261-2408 or register online at www.thegrotto.org.
Loaves & Fishes seeks drivers
People who live in or near the Cherry Blossom neighborhood can help feed homebound seniors in their community by volunteering to deliver Meals-On-Wheels on weekdays.
“The deliveries take about an hour, and people can volunteer to help once a month or once a week,” said Joe Lyons, manager of the Cherry Blossom Loaves & Fishes Center. “We work closely with volunteers to make sure their route fits well with their schedule.”
The Cherry Blossom Loaves & Fishes Center is located at 740 S.E. 106th Ave. The phone number is 503-256-2381.
Since 1970 Loaves & Fishes Centers has provided a nutritional and social lifeline for seniors through 21 meal sites in Multnomah and Washington counties and Meals-On-Wheels delivery to homebound seniors. With the help of more than 6,600 volunteers, the nonprofit agency now serves 4,000 meals daily and more than 1 million meals each year.
Credit union collects food for SnowCap
The Mall 205 branch of Unitus Community Credit Union will support SnowCap again this year.
Fro the fourth year running, Unitus is asking members and employees to contribute non-perishable food items like canned fruit, vegetables, soup and diapers for infants over size four. Each year, Unitus collects such staples in hopes that individuals and families in need don’t have to go without the essentials during the holiday season.
“One of the most important credit union philosophies is ‘People Helping People,’” said Patricia Smith, president and CEO of Unitus. “As a credit union, we are proud to devote our time and attention, particularly during the holiday season, to families and individuals at risk in our community. That’s just one of many reasons why we continue to get involved with SnowCap year after year,” continued Smith.
In addition to non-perishables and diapers, Unitus will be donating $5 to SnowCap for each membership account and checking account opened between Nov. 14 and Dec. 16.
Individuals are invited to bring donations to 10555 S.E. Washington St. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Last year, Unitus Community Credit Union collected almost 2,500 non-perishable food items and donated over $3,000 to SnowCap.
Review committee applicants sought
The last of Portland’s combined sewer overflow projects is about to begin and the City needs your help overseeing its construction.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will allow you to oversee the biggest public works project in the history of Portland and at the same time, work toward improving the water quality of the Willamette River.
The project will extend along the east side of the Willamette from Sellwood to Swan Island at an estimated cost of $400 million. When completed, the project will significantly reduce the amount of sewage overflowing into the river each year.
Mayor Potter is seeking 12 to 15 enterprising citizens for the Eastside CSO Review Committee to foster community involvement and ensure project goals are being met. Committee members will be selected based on their interest in civic affairs and ability to advise City Council and Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services.
This is your last chance to apply. The deadline, recently extended, is now Thursday, Nov. 10. Applications can be accessed from the Mayor’s Web site, www.portlandonline.com/mayor, and sent to City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 340, Portland, OR 97204-1995; e-mailed to mayorpotter@ci.portland.or.us; or faxed to 503-823-3588.
For questions, please call the Mayor’s Office at 503-823-4798.
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