Genealogical expert speaks
The Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) hosts speaker Barbara Renick at its 2013 Spring Seminar Saturday, April 13 from 9 am – 4 pm at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge, 13121 SE McLoughlin Blvd. in Milwaukie.
Renick, speaks on utilizing the Internet to research family history, and will provide expert advice on the best online tools and techniques for conducting successful family tree research.
She has taught at genealogy conferences nation-wide, and at the regional Family History Center in Orange, California.
The author of Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family’s History and Heritage, and co-author of The Internet for Genealogists: A Beginner’s Guide, and an active National Genealogical Society member, Renick is currently board secretary and has served eleven years as a contributing editor to the NGS computer magazine.
Cost for members is $43 before 4/6; $48 after 4/6 and $53 at the door. Non-members, $48 by 4/6; $53 after 4/6 and $58 at the door. Lunch is $11.
For details and to register, visit: www.gof.org, or contact the Genealogical Forum of Oregon at gfoinfo@hotmail.com or 503.963.1932.
Kitchen Share adding new hours
SE Portland’s lending library for kitchen tools is located in the main corridor of St. David of Wales, 2800 SE Harrison Ave. They are adding a second day of the week to their open hours. Beginning April 20, they open on Saturdays 10:30 am – Noon, as well as Tuesdays 5 – 8 pm.
Indian Lentil Crepe Class with Kitchen Share Learn to make delicious adai from a professional cook. Saturday, April 20 at 12 pm at St. David of Wales Church. Registration required. To register for classes and to see the entire collection of dehydrators, ice cream makers, breadmakers and other gadgets, visit kitchenshare.org.
Craftsman Design and Renovation, based in the Rejuvenation building in SE Portland, announces that one of their projects has been selected to be featured on the Architectural Heritage Center’s Kitchen Revival Tour. The AHC Tour is Saturday, April 13 at 701 SE Grand Ave., 10 am – 4 pm. Cost: AHC Members: $20, General Public: $25. www.visitahc.org, 503.231.7264
Annual spaghetti dinner tradition
St. Philip Neri Church celebrates 100 years, with its 69th annual spaghetti dinner, Sunday, April 28 from Noon until 5:30 pm..
Originally comprised of mostly Italian-Americans in 1913, the dinner is a robust tradition and symbolic of the changing times and community.
Staffed by Paulist Fathers, the parish has become known for thoughtful speakers, social justice and environmental consciousness.
Its outreach includes daily AA meetings, weekly collaboration with the Catholic deaf community and the inner SE Portland neighborhood surrounding Clinton/ Division, Ladd’s Addition and Abernethy School.
The dinner will be held at Carvlin Hall at St Philip Neri Church (2408 SE 16th Ave), Tickets are $11 for adults, $5 for children 5-12 years (children younger than 5 yrs are free). To-go orders are $10.
All are welcome. See more at www.stphilipneripdx.org or call 503.231.4955.
Downsizing
The Upside of Downsizing Conference will be hosted by Hawthorne Gardens Senior Living Community, 2828 SE Taylor Street on April 11. A speaker presentation takes place at 9 am, followed by a complimentary lunch at noon. From 1 – 3 pm is an Open House and tours of the facility.
The Upside of Downsizing is a Portland business who facilitates conferences to provide useful tips and ideas for baby boomers and seniors thinking about moving to a smaller place.
After the morning conference Hawthorne Gardens will provide a tour of their facility and answer questions about their senior-related products and services.
They will show floor plans, costs and what to prepare for when considering assisted living.
Speakers for the conference will include a counselor to help with some of the emotional obstacles connected with downsizing; a realtor to share some tips on selling your home in today’s market; a house-stager to explain why properly staging your home attracts buyers and an attorney to help you protect your hard-earned assets by planning ahead for life’s events.
This event is free. Reservations are required so RSVP by April 4 at 971.222.0396.
Festival benefits Oregon Food Bank
The Food for Thought Festival, sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, is a four day celebration of culture, literature, food and music to benefit Oregon Food Bank on April 18 – 21.
It takes place at venues throughout the city, in partnership with guests such as Amy Ephron and David Steinberg and many others .
The Festival brings together noted writers, thinkers, artists and performers to share their wisdom and their work.
Net proceeds from the Portland Food for Thought Festival will be donated to Oregon Food Bank. To learn more about these organizations and for specific event details, venue information etc., see foodforthoughtpdx.org.
Purchase tickets for the festival on the website or by calling the Federation Office at 503.245.6219.
3rd Annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest!
EastBurn, 1800 E Burnside, hosts breweries from the Buckman and Kerns neighborhoods for the 3rd annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest Saturday, April 6.
Participants this year are Lucky Labrador Brewing, Coalition Brewing, Natian Brewery, Migration Brewing, Buckman Botanical Brewery, Cascade Barrel House, Burnside Brewing and the new Base Camp Brewing.
Each Brewery will pour their finest selections, with a few just coming out. The event starts at noon with food provided by EastBurn and of course lots of beer. This year’s feature is a battle of the IPA’s. Who will go home with the trophy this year?!
Admission is only $15 which includes a Brewfest Pint Glass (a real pint glass, not plastic!) plus 4 tickets. Tickets are $1 each which gets you one taster or a full pint for 4 tickets.
For more information about this EastBurn event, call 503.236.2876 or see www.theeastburn.com .
PP&R Arbor month activities
Portland Parks & Recreation, stewards of nearly 1.5 million trees across the Rose City, is taking Arbor Day up a few notches in 2013.
Celebrations of Arbor Day are being expanded to last throughout the month of April, including free bucket truck rides, guided walks, environmental education, a heritage tree scavenger hunt, tree plantings, history workshops and much more!
Celebrate the beautiful urban forest throughout the city and all during April.
Discover 300 Heritage Trees and learn how Portland’s trees work 24/7: filtering our water, cleaning our air, cooling the city, providing wildlife habitat, enhancing livability, and increasing property resale value.
Portland will be recognized as a Tree City USA for the 36th consecutive year, and you can learn about how much trees are worth over the course of their long lives.
The complete Arbor Month calendar and more information are available here www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/61386
For more information, call 503.823.5300 or visit portlandparks.org.
Portland Hill Walks features twenty-four miniature adventures stocked with stunning views, hidden stairways, leafy byways, urban forests, and places to sit, eat, and soak in the local scene.
The revised and updated edition by Laura O. Foster, offers five new walks in addition to well-loved classics, with new contemporary and historical photos and easier-to-follow directions.
Available at all major retail outlets, Timber Press, Inc. and amazon.com .
Avenue of Roses parade
The 7th Annual 82nd of Roses Parade & Carnival Days (starting at Eastport Plaza Shopping Center) is scheduled for April 27. The parade is scheduled to start off from Eastport Plaza at about 10 am, will close a section of SE 82nd Ave. from Holgate Blvd. to Yamhill St. from 8:30 to 11 am.
For the rest of the day, folks will get to enjoy the Carnival Days fair at Eastport Plaza. There will be music, pony rides, face-painting and classic cars until 3 pm. If you would like to be a part of this wonderful event or for more information and a parade application form, contact Raelynn Evans, Eastport Plaza Shopping Center, 503.771.3817, reveans@eastportplaza.
The day is organized by the 82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association and is meant as a celebration of the East Portland community.
SE School Board Candidate Forum
All candidates for Portland Public Schools Board of Education have been invited to outline their plans for neighborhood schools and answer questions at a forum on April 10.
Three of seven School Board members will be chosen by voters at the May election this year.
The forum is co-sponsored by the Franklin High School PTSA and the Cleveland High School PTA and will be held in the Gym at Franklin High School, 5405 SE Woodward, Wednesday April 10 at 7 pm. Admission is free and the public is urged to attend.
“This year’s election is critical to SE Portland,” notes Roger Kirchner, Co-President of the Franklin PTSA.
In 2012, voters approved a bond measure which will pay for a major renovation to Franklin High School and substantial improvements to other schools including Lewis, Abernethy, Hosford, Cleveland, Creston and Sellwood.
“We need leaders that will work with us to get the best value for the taxpayers’ dollars and the best outcomes for our students” Kirchner continued.
Voters have additional opportunities to hear school board candidates at an April 3 forum sponsored by Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods at Concordia University and a third forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Community and Parents for Portland Schools at the Blanchard Education Service April 16.
School board members represent geographic zones but they are elected district-wide. Ballots will be mailed on May 3 and must be returned by May 21.
Marathon planting restores park
Over three days this winter, Portland’s Watershed Revegetation team and contract employees planted over 17,000 native trees and shrubs in Mt. Tabor Park. The revegetation work covered more than 32 acres of the park’s natural areas. The planting was part of the Mt. Tabor Invasive Plant Control and Revegetation Project. It was the project’s largest single planting effort since park restoration began in fall 2010.
In the last three years, invasive plants on 61 acres have been removed and 23,150 native plants planted on 44 acres.
Friends of Mt. Tabor Park Weed Warriors have hand-pulled invasives from six acres and planted over 1,700 native plants on two acres. The Weed Warriors welcome volunteers and post volunteer opportunities at taborfriends.org.
The restoration work in Mt. Tabor Park is part of Portland’s Tabor to the River Program. The project enhances natural area stormwater management just as Tabor to the River green streets do in urban areas.
More information about the Park Invasive Plant Control and Revegetation Project is at www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/mttabor.
April Neighborhood clean ups
Laurelhurst Spring Clean Up
April 27 • All Saints School, 3847 NE Glisan • 8 am to 1 pm. Fee range is $6 to $15. Gently used and clean furniture, kitchenware, and basic household items will be collected for free and redistributed to those in need. Info: www.laurelhurstpdx.org or timothyhenkle@yahoo.com.
Mt. Tabor Spring clean up
April 27 • Mt. Tabor Middle School Parking lot, SE 57th & Oak • 9 am – 1 pm. Fee, $10 – $25 Volunteers needed, call, 503.232.3888 or email amychom@gmail.com
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Kerns/Buckman Spring Clean-Up
April 20 • Hinson Baptist Church – 1315 SE 20th • 9 am – 12
Donation: $10-30 depending on load. Can’t bring the load yourself? Pick up is available. Call or email the contact info to schedule a pick up. More volunteers are needed to help with clean up efforts.
Contact:Â kernsna@gmail.com or call 503.704.4095
Check with each organizer for acceptable and non-acceptable items.
OREGON SYMPHONY MT. TABOR CHAPTER ANNUAL TULIP SALE–“Fresh from the Fields” tulips are available for sale Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12 at 5631 SE Madison in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood from 9 am – 6 pm. Tulips come in a rainbow of colors, ten stems per bunch and will sell for $6. The tulips are grown and supplied by a local Oregon company. The Wooden Shoe Tulip and Bulb Co. To guarantee availability for large orders, pre-orders of 10 or more bunches may be arranged by calling Barbara Coates at 503.252.5822. Place -re-orders before April 8.
Rummage Sale to benefit Mt. Tabor Middle School PTA–Hundreds of fantastic bargains, many at $1… great quality items! Saturday April 27, 9 am to 2 pm in the Mt. Tabor Middle School cafeteria, 5800 SE Ash St. Contact Shauna Johnson if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation of gently used items to the sale: shaunajohnson@juno.com or 503.772.0427, or bring donations directly to Mt. Tabor Middle School on Friday, April 26, 4 – 7 pm.
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How Will You Celebrate Earth Day? Here’s an idea, come to Glencoe Elementary, SE 50th & Belmont on Saturday, April 20 from 9 am – 12 pm. They will be pulling weeds, replacing them with new plants and eating doughnuts while sprucing up the school grounds. Bring gloves and tools, if you have them.
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2013 Franklin High School Auction “A Passage to India”–Franklin High School PTSA and Foundation will hold their annual auction on April 13 from 6 -10 pm at the Ambridge, 1333 SE MLK Blvd. Bid on weekend getaways, restaurants, outings, and other items. The event benefits arts, sports and academic enrichment at Franklin High School. Tickets include complimentary wine and beer prior to 6:30 pm, an Indian buffet and a Bollywood dance performed by Franklin students. Ticket price is $25 prior to April 5, $35 after April 5 and at the door. Order tickets and view the online auction catalog by going to the Franklin Auction website at www.franklin.schoolauction.net/2013. Tickets can be purchased at the school front office. For more information, contact Lisa Zuniga, at lisazuniga@comcast.net .
Free Dahlia WorkShop – Old House Dahlias hosts a free dahlia workshop demonstrating planting dahlias and the do and don’ts when you plant, how to make your plant stand up with less staking, what to look for if a plant is infected with virus or parasitic bugs and how to harvest, divide and store dahlias. Learn how to root cuttings and increase the amount of dahlias without dividing tubers. Dahlia tubers will be for sale . Class is held at 8005 SE Mill St. and dates are April 20 and 21, 10 am, 12:30 pm, 3 pm. Size of classes are limited. Call Mark to schedule time at 503.771.1199.
Historic Walking Tour of Buckman In honor of National Preservation Month. Saturday May 4 and May 11, 4 pm start times. Meet at The C.A. Ball House 546 SE 14th and walk to 12 locations representing the diversity of the Buckman Neighborhood. Noted tour guide, Khris Soden, will share his insight into local history. End the tour at ENSO Wine bar at 1416 SE Stark for a no-host wine tasting with hosted snacks.$10 donation suggested. RSVP to Historic. Buckman@gmail.com to be assured of a spot.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK PROGRAM In a partnership between four Portland area high school track teams, community centers, Portland Parks and Recreation, and Foot Traffic, a school-based middle school track and field program is up and running. Practices start April 1. Grant, Franklin, Jefferson and Wilson high school track teams coordinate practices for middle school students in their area, and athletes will have an opportunity to compete in 8 all meets and the Hershey Championship meet. Track meets are open to the public (team membership not required) and the cost is $30 per athlete with scholarships available. Visit www.foottraffic.us for meet dates, locations and team information.
Deep Green by local filmmaker Matt Briggs will be shown at the Quaker Meetinghouse, 4312 SE Stark St. at 7 pm on April 13. Matt will introduce the film and answer questions after the show. Admission is free. Deep Green emphasizes solutions to the global climate crisis. Briggs visited nine countries, including China, to interview people with the most advanced ideas and cutting-edge technologies. The film was updated in 2012 and involved an international team of National Geographic and award-winning cinematographers as well as superb animators. The result is visually stunning and technologically up to date. Preview the event by googling “Deep Green”.
Grieg Lodge Birthday Brunch & Benefit for the Scholarship Fund isSunday, April 14, 8:30 am to 1 pm. The lodge is celebrating 103 years of Norwegian heritage! Brunch will be served from 8:30 am -1 pm. In addition to the traditional pancake breakfast menu of all-you-can-eat pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and fruit, they offer ham & asparagus strata, au gratin potatoes, riskreme and Bløtkake (Norwegian birthday cake). The scholarship award ceremony takes place at 11 am. The Library and Landhandel Nordic Boutique will be open and children’s storytime is from 10 – 11 am. Ticket prices for the brunch are adults $10 (advance), $12  (at door); children 5-12  $5; and under 5 free. Seating is limited and you are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Purchase tickets from Kathy Gasperson at 503.235.3643. Norse Hall, 111 NE 11th Ave. 503.236.340, www.norsehall.org .
GOAL-SETTING ESSENTIALS – Thursday April 11, 6:30 – 7:30 pm. If you’ve given up setting goals because they seem like a recipe for failure, this free class is for you. Learn how to set the right goals at the right time to boost your self-confidence and get to where you want to be. Offered as a service to the community by a licensed mental health counselor. No registration required, just drop in. Classroom opens at 6:15 pm. No food or pets, please. 1235 SE Division St., #207. For more information, visit www.TinaGilbertson.com/free_events.html.
OFF THE COUCH meets April 19 from 7 – 9 pm. Differently-abled individuals, 18 and older, are invited to Off the Couch Events for games, crafts, dancing and snacks. Admission is $7 per participant and first companion is free. New venue: Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont St. Email OffTheCouchEvents@gmail.com for details.