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The Mid-county Memo is a newspaper dedicated to serving the community. The Memo Pad is a special section dedicated to your accomplishments, births, and celebrations of milestone events, and other news of interest. If you have something special to announce or news your neighbors should know, publicize it in the Mid-county Memo Pad.
Submissions for each issue are due by the 15th of the previous month. Please have submissions for October in by Monday, Sept. 16. We prefer e-mailed submissions sent to Dawn Widler, Department Editor at editor@midcountymemo.com. You may also mail complete information to 4052 N.E. 22nd Ave., Portland, OR, 97212-1503, phone 503-287-8094 or fax 503-249-7672.
Mid-county resident becomes a Marine
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| Recent United States Marine Corps Basic Training graduate, Spencer Chao. |
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Memories and pizza
The 2001-2002 morning kindergarten class at Ventura Park Elementary will be featured in the September/October issue of “Memory Makers,” an international magazine for scrapbookers. The class, taught by Gina Schuermyer, is known as the “Giraffe Class.” Schuermyer entered a scrapbook page describing the class in a contest held by the magazine, and the page won in the “Our class” category. Not only is the page and a class photo to be featured in the magazine, but the class also won a pizza party and scrapbooking supplies for each student.
Schuermyer, the mother of three children has been teaching for 14 years. The “Giraffe Class” was her fourth at Ventura Elementary. She is an avid scrapbooker and teaches scrapbooking class for adults and children at Scattered Pictures, a scrapbook store located at 13852 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
Congratulations to Ventura Park Elementary, the David Douglas School District, and the “Giraffe Class” of 2002.
Local resident serves important post
Parkrose resident Duke Shepard has been named to County Chair Diane Linn’s staff. Neighbors may remember Shepard’s recent involvement in erecting new unique Parkrose bus shelters. He wanted to build better bus shelters. He brought his idea to local organizations and enlisted their help. He then took his idea to Parkrose High School. The students competed to come up with unique and artistic designs for the new shelters.
Shepard has now been appointed policy advisor on business and labor. He recently worked as the Multnomah County Director of Economic Development. Shepard has also worked at a job creating high tech business and workforce partnerships, as labor organizer for the Oregon Nurses Association and as campaign director for the ballot measure raising Oregon’s minimum wage.
Duke Shepard also serves on several local, state, and national boards and committees. In addition, Shepard was appointed by Oregon Governor Kitzhaber to serve on both the Oregon Progress Board and the Oregon Commission on Voluntary Action and Service.
The Mid-county Memo congratulates Duke Shepard on his new position and wishes him the best.
More budget cuts hit college hard
Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) is taking steps to cut $5.7 million out of its current budget as a result of the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1022. College administrators have begun the process of eliminating positions, increasing tuition and reviewing steps that would result in the reduction of classes and services.
“The college must take action now to deal with such a devastating decrease in state funding. What makes this even more challenging is that we have already cut $2.7 million this fiscal year. Now we are faced with an additional $5.7 million in cuts,” stated Dr. Robert Silverman, MHCC president.
Among the immediate steps being taken is the reduction in management and faculty positions. Positions currently vacant will go unfilled indefinitely. “What this will translate to is fewer opportunities for students and increased work loads for managers and staff at the college,” Silverman said.
The college has also started the process of reducing classes, increasing class sizes and examining what services will be cut. Students are being encouraged to enroll as early as possible for the fall term at Mt. Hood Community College, since there will be fewer class offerings as the result of state budget cuts.
“Students should be aware that there will be fewer opportunities. They need to know that some class sections will be eliminated and that getting into a class is on a first come, first serve basis. The earlier they register, the better their chances are of getting the classes they want,” said Dr. Robert Silverman, MHCC president.
Fall term begins Monday, Sept. 23 and registration is currently underway.
Budget reductions will also force the college to look at increasing tuition beginning winter term. If approved by the MHCC Board of Education, tuition could increase a minimum of $10 per credit hour. Tuition and fees currently stand at $48.50 per credit hour.
Nominate your neighborhood hero
Nominations are now being solicited for the City of Portland’s annual “Spirit of Portland Awards.” The Spirit of Portland Awards, given annually to individuals, neighborhoods, businesses, and volunteers, are one way the City recognizes the importance of citizen involvement in shaping the livability of Portland. The Mayor and City Commissioners will present the awards in late fall. Award categories include:
• Individual Volunteer
• Business
• City Employee for Improvement of Neighborhood Livability
• City Employee for Improvement of Business Climate
• Volunteer Group/ Non-Profit Organization
• Neighborhood of the Year
• Non-Profit/Neighborhood Office Employee
• Youth Volunteer of the Year.
The selection committee will be comprised of representatives from the Mayor’s and City Commissioners’ Offices, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, each Neighborhood District Office, and past award winners. They will determine the winners from among the nominees by evaluating them in the following five categories: assistance with implementing outstanding projects, enrichment and revitalization of our community and neighborhoods, provision of a special service to citizens, demonstration of a commitment to the community and demonstration of overwhelmingly responsive, courteous, and creative actions.
Nomination forms can be obtained at the seven neighborhood district offices or at the Office of Neighborhood Involvement at City Hall, 1221 SW Fourth Ave., Room 110, Portland, OR 97204. The forms also can be downloaded at http://www.myportlandneighborhood.org/committees.html. Nominations are due to the Office of Neighborhood Involvement by Friday, Sept. 27. For more information, please call Amanda Shepard at 503-823-4519
Learn to manage your estate
Learn how to save taxes, protect your assets and plan efficiently in the Mt. Hood Community College fall term class, “Planning Your Estate.” The class will also have sections on asset protection and charitable giving. Participants will also have the opportunity to have a simple will created. Bob Kabacy, an attorney in Gresham and member of the MHCC Foundation Board of Directors, is teaching this non-credit class.
Class will be on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Sept. 25 on the MHCC Gresham campus. Open registration is happening now. For more information or to register, contact MHCC’s Center for Continuing Education at 503-491-7571. People requiring accommodations due to a disability should contact the MHCC Disability Services Office at 503-491-6923 or 503-491-7670 (TDD).
New staff for the CIC
The Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) has announced that Kathleen Todd will direct the operations of the CIC, replacing the recently retired John Legry. The CIC elected Todd as the new Executive Director of the Multnomah County’s Citizen Involvement Office.
“Kathleen Todd is a natural fit for this added responsibility,” said CIC Chairperson Jim Davis. “She has many years of experience with the office, serving as the Program Director of the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee program administered by the Office, as well as serving as the Livability Program Director for the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods prior to her tenure with Multnomah County. Kathleen Todd has the skills and vision to help lead the Office of Citizen Involvement in meeting the goals and projects as laid out by the CIC.”
An all-volunteer board manages the CIC, which was created by voters in 1984. The committee is composed of 15 citizen volunteers. Of the 15 members, 12 are from neighborhood and community groups and three are “at-large” volunteers. For more information or to apply for membership, please contact the Office of Citizen Involvement at 503-988-3450.
Elders in Action grant first of its kind
Senior women ages 60 and older have the highest incident of breast cancer, yet they also have a great chance for successful treatment, if the cancer is detected early.
Elders in Action, a leading non-profit advocate for Portland-area seniors, has received the first grant of its kind in the country from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Elders in Action will use the grant, which totals nearly $40,000, to educate senior women through its Ombudsman Services and Community Education programs about the importance of early detection.
Recognizing that women ages 60 and older may have special concerns and fears about breast cancer screenings, Elders in Action Ombudsman program takes a unique approach in how it plans to encourage women to get mammograms. Through the work of two specially trained volunteer groups, the program will actively promote breast health awareness to seniors throughout the metro area and also link them to Elders in Action’s Ombudsman Services program. Ombudsman volunteers are available to provide personal, one-on-one support throughout the screening process and during any needed follow up procedures.
Elders in Action Community Educators are available to speak to seniors about breast health screening, risk factors, prevention and local resources. Ombudsman volunteers will serve as personal advocates throughout the mammogram screening process, helping prepare women for what to expect and discussing what types of questions they may want to ask their doctor before, during and after the procedure. The volunteers also are available to help schedule and accompany women to appointments, if desired. The service is free for Portland-area seniors. For more information, contact Elders in Action’s Ombudsman Services program at 503-823-5293.
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