Community News June 2015

Southeast Little League at Safeco Field

 

By Kerry Beeaker, SEPLL Communications and league parent

 

On Sunday, May 17, a group of Southeast Portlanders headed en masse to represent their Little League teams in a Seattle Mariners match-up versus the Boston Red Sox. Three hundred and five tickets were sold to families in Southeast Portland Little League (SEPLL) for this trip north in honor of MLB’s Little League Days at Safeco Field. SEPLL president Colette Livermore said, “The Mariners sales rep was thrilled such a large group from one league came from ‘south of the border’!”

The players, both boys and girls, including some as young as three years old on their first tee-ball teams, were decked out in their SEPLL uniforms. Once inside the stadium, the kids were invited to participate in a special pre-game parade on the field itself.

For one SEPLL team, it was their second year attending as a team. League parent and first-time Little League Days participant Shelly Ambuehl said, “Now that we know how much fun it is, maybe we’ll coordinate a chartered bus next year.”

Despite the traffic jam getting out of Seattle and back on the road to SE Portland, the entire day was a thrill for both young and old.  The SEPLL organization thanks all involved for making the quickly-organized trip a huge success. Being a part of major league baseball was truly memorable for all the kids (and their parents), if only for this one special day each year.

The SEPLL organization’s schedules, volunteer info and more are posted at www.sepll.org – the program is always looking for volunteers to help maintain the field, staff the concessions shacks and beyond. No experience is necessary and there is no need to be a league parent to volunteer. All are also welcome to “like” the group’s Facebook page (facebook.com/seportlandlittleleague) for updates, photos and announcements.

Finally, it should be noted that the Mariners prevailed over the Red Sox, with a final score of 5-0. SEPLL would like to think it had something to do with the quality of crowd participation that day, especially coming from Sections 310 & 311.

 

Crafters space birthday party

 

ADX, a local makerspace community located in the historic central-eastside is celebrating 4 years of operation!  Currently ADX offers paying members (think a gym membership for your crafting muscles) access to their wood shop, metal shop, screen printing, jewelry fabrication, sewing, and digital design bridge featuring 3D printers, a laser printer, and full Autocad suites provided by ADX’s community partner Autodesk, as well as a self service kitchen and community hang out space, loading bay and factory floor–currently home to over 27 in-house small businesses.

To celebrate four years of continued growth and success and to thank the community at large, ADX will be hosting a birthday party at its facility on Saturday, June 6th from 2 – 9 pm. There will be live music and free beer provided by Buoy Brewing, Burnside Brewing and Atlas Cider for those over 21 years old.  There will also be a bring-your-own T-shirt station manned by Ryonet–a local screen printing supplier. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blank T-shirt and choose one of our designs, or bring their own screen and tee to have printed.

 

June recycling

By Bonita Davis

Certified Master Recycler

 

Buying and selling used items is a great way to prevent sending useable materials to the landfill.  Reuse reduces waste and is a smart thing to do.

Keeping things safe is just as important.

Some consumer items get tossed because they pose a danger.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.gov, provides information on recalls, safety educations, laws and regulations that affect consumers.  Visit their easy-to-use website, and click on the Recall Tab for news on products that pose fire hazards, electrical malfunctions, mechanical failures, flammability, lead paint violations, design flaws, choking and fall hazards and more.  Products range from toys, baby furniture, sports equipment, to cleaning equipment, and everyday household items.  A search tool allows you to go straight to the item in question.

Resellers are not required to test used products for safety, however, resale stores, resellers (including those who sell on auction websites), and persons who give away used products for free cannot knowingly sell or give away products that do not meet the requirements of the law.   Click on the ReSale and Thrift Store Information Center tab to find out what can and cannot be resold.

According to CPSC, if a product is hazardous or does not comply with standards, the product should be destroyed, and not sold or given away to others.  When in doubt, throw it out!

Apps such as Safety Checker, ReCall Watch, Latest Recalls, and Recalled! might be worth your review.

The Oregon E-cycles program, www.deq.state.or.us./lg/ecycle, accepts broken electronics.  The program sorts and recovers materials for new manufacturing.  To find a business near you that provides e-cycling, call Metro Recycling Hotline at 503.234.3000, or go to www.oregonmetro.gov and search Find a Recycler.

 

Buying and selling used items is a great way to prevent sending useable materials to the landfill.  Reuse reduces waste and is a smart thing to do.

Keeping things safe is just as important.

Some consumer items get tossed because they pose a danger.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.gov, provides information on recalls, safety educations, laws and regulations that affect consumers.  Visit their easy-to-use website, and click on the Recall Tab for news on products that pose fire hazards, electrical malfunctions, mechanical failures, flammability, lead paint violations, design flaws, choking and fall hazards and more.  Products range from toys, baby furniture, sports equipment, to cleaning equipment, and everyday household items.  A search tool allows you to go straight to the item in question.

Resellers are not required to test used products for safety, however, resale stores, resellers (including those who sell on auction websites), and persons who give away used products for free cannot knowingly sell or give away products that do not meet the requirements of the law.   Click on the ReSale and Thrift Store Information Center tab to find out what can and cannot be resold.

According to CPSC, if a product is hazardous or does not comply with standards, the product should be destroyed, and not sold or given away to others.  When in doubt, throw it out!

Apps such as Safety Checker, ReCall Watch, Latest Recalls, and Recalled! might be worth your review.

The Oregon E-cycles program, www.deq.state.or.us./lg/ecycle, accepts broken electronics.  The program sorts and recovers materials for new manufacturing.  To find a business near you that provides e-cycling, call Metro Recycling Hotline at 503.234.3000, or go to www.oregonmetro.gov and search Find a Recycler.

 

Willamette River swimmers

By Will Levenson

In my ongoing role as Willamette River evangelist and ringleader of the not-for-profit organization Human Access Project, I sometimes feel like the Kevin Bacon character in Footloose. But instead of trying to take the shame out of dancing and turning it into a love of artistic expression as he did, I am trying to coax Portland to drop what is frequently a feeling of shame about the Willamette River and turn it into love.

With all the habitat restoration and pollution source control work that has been done, it is now safe to swim and recreate in the river that flows right through the middle of our city.  It is time to forgo the negativity many people feel from the past abuses humans have afflicted on the Willamette River – and embrace, cherish and celebrate the therapeutic values our river can uniquely provide. The Willamette River is safe for human recreation in downtown Portland (according to the EPA, DEQ, City of Portland and Oregon Health Authority). NO, the Willamette River downtown will not kill you or harm you in any way! It’s a fact.

Helping people “get into” the Willamette River will do more than provide therapeutic value and enjoyment for our community. It will create river stewards who are unwavering in their resolve to protect the Willamette River and improve its health.

To engage individuals and extend our reach in the community, last summer the Human Access Project launched the River Hugger Swim Team. The goal is to embrace the river as we swim across it, east side to west side and back. It’s about a 20 minute, ¼ mile swim across (about 45 minute round trip) – a piece of cake for intermediate swimmers and above. River Huggers is an advocacy swim group that meets three days a week, all summer long, during morning rush hour (7 am) to demonstrate that the Willamette River is safe and fun to swim in.

The River Hugger group started in Spring 2014 with 12 people and one safety kayaker. By the last swim of the summer, our group had grown to 38 people with three safety kayakers. Overall, 80 individuals took part.   The River Hugger Swim Team will be another tool to help the Portland community overcome their fear and negative feelings about the Willamette River. River Hugger Swim Team Runs: 6/15 – 9/15, 7 – 7:45 am, www.humanaccessproject.com

Also don’t forget to mark your calendars for The Big Float V set for July 26th. The Big Float V, 7/26/15, www.thebigfloat.com

 

Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church Sunday night a prayer service at 9 pm, 5441 SE Belmont. This musical form reflects an ancient tradition of the church and most all spiritual practices to pause at the end of the day as candles are lit and chant. If you would like to learn to sing chant, please come at 8 pm.  Jena Viemeister provides vocal  instruction and composer Jim Day will help us prepare the music for the evening.

 

Business Beat

 

ZOOM+SMILE HEALTHY CLEAN WHITE 57 is a complete dental exam, cleaning and whitening that takes place in less than an hour (57 minutes, actually). ZOOM+Smile is the first in a number of new services we’ll be launching this year as part of our ZOOM+ Performance Health Insurance System. We’re building the nation’s first health insurance that improves human performance, offering an innovative, complete line of on-demand healthcare plus coverage within a neighborhood campus. ZOOM+Smile officially opens on June 1 and will be open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm at 3130 SE Division Street in Portland. For more information about ZOOM+Smile, please go to www.zoomcare.com/smile.

 

12th Annual Buddhist Festival in the Park

 

Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World

Saturday, June 13

11 am – 4:30 pm

Colonel Summers Park

SE 17th &Taylor,

Buddhist Peace Fellowship, is proud to host the 12th Annual Buddhist Festival in the Park. The theme, Peace in oneself, Peace in the world–is a popular saying of Thich Nhat Hanh, known simply as Thay by his students. He suffered a severe illness this past year and when he the worldwide community he founded sighed with relief and treasures every moment he still lives. He is a hero to many people.

This past year, Portland lost two of their peaceful heroes, Kyogen Carlson, Abbot of Dharma Rain Zen Center, and James Blumenthal, a founding faculty member of Maitripa College. Portland Buddhist Peace Fellowship and numerous Portland Buddhist communities wish to remember and honor all three during the Portland Buddhist Festival.

Jerry Braza, a mentor and ordained Dharma teacher in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh, will give the keynote talk at 1 pm. Jerry has authored 2 books, including The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships.

The festival is free, and all are welcome.  Organizers ask for mindfulness regarding waste: please avoid single use water bottles and do sort recyclables.

For information contact Heidi Enji Hoogstra, 503.236.5741, bpfportland@yahoo.com www.PortlandBuddhistFestival.com

 

Cleveland senior earns scholarship

Graduating senior Helen Sanderson has earned the “Dream Big” $1000 college scholarship supported by the locally owned Mattress Lot. A committee which includes Cleveland High faculty, State Senator Mark Hass and several local business leaders selected Helen Sanderson to receive the scholarship. Mattress Lot awards $1000 scholarships to three East-Side graduating seniors each year.

Helen has a 4.0 GPA and is ranked number 1 in her class at Cleveland. She also posted test scores in the top 1% nationally. Helen’s essay included in her application described her experiences as student-leader at Outdoor School.

Helen’s parents are Ann and Geoff Sanderson. Helen plans to attend Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio this fall.

Mattress Lot dedicates a portion of their profits to scholarships for East-Side graduating seniors at Cleveland, Grant and Madison high schools. Mattress Lot owners Mary Ruth and Michael Hanna want to recognize top students by helping their families defray some of the costs for college. Mattress Lot is located at 24th and Sandy in the Kerns Neighborhood.

 

Seeking volunteer families for exchange students

 

 

Ayusa International (a non-profit) is actively seeking Portland volunteer host families for exchange students for the 2015-2016 school year. Besides giving a foreign high school student’s the chance of a lifetime to live and study in the U.S., host families learn about the people and culture of another corner of the world without ever leaving their local community.

Host families provide the exchange student with three meals a day and a bedroom (private or shared). A professionally trained Ayusa representative supports each host family, student, and local school throughout the program year. Ayusa¹s exchange students are 15-18 years old and come from more than 60 countries around the world. All students are fully insured, bring their own spending money and are proficient in English.

Families complete the online application at ayusa.org which includes questions about themselves and local high school, references, and a background check. Once the application is submitted, the local

After families are fully approved, they can select the Ayusa student they would like to host.

 

 

FREE SUMMER SOLSTICE LABYRINTH WALK–Celebrate the summer solstice a day early by walking the labyrinth in the Unity Church parking lot at the northeast corner of 47th & SE Stark. Saturday, June 20th, 8:30 – 10:30 am.  Labyrinths offer an opportunity for reflection or meditation. They have only one path so you cannot get lost in a labyrinth. For information, contact Judy Brodkey, Labyrinth Facilitator, at Judy@LivefullyCoaching.net.

 

LEAD POISONING PREVENTION WORKSHOP FREE workshop where participants learn how to prevent lead exposure in their home. Great for households with children or pregnant women in housing older than 1978, or those concerned about lead exposure. Qualified participants receive a free kit of safety and testing supplies!  Register for the workshop at www.communityenergyproject.org or call 503.284.6827×109. Tues, June 2, 6 – 7:30 pm – Community Energy Project –  2900 SE Stark St, Suite A.

 

CHURCH CLEAN UP DAY JUNE 13. Colonial Heights Presbyterian is located at 2828 SE Stephens Street. As an Audubon Silver Certified Backyard Habitat (recently featured on the EMSWC District Naturescaped Yard Tour), we need your help to maintain our grounds, which welcomes neighbors to enjoy our rain and pollinator gardens and other native plantings. There are also indoor jobs to help support space for health services and education, environmental awareness and action efforts, music and learning for folks of all ages. If you are interested in promoting community space in SE Portland for great things to happen, come join us for this work day and learn how you can be included in upcoming efforts for children’s music, neighborhood action for the environment, and  community building for the common good.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT POWELL BUTTE LOWER FLOODPLAIN, Saturday, June 13th. Join The Nature Conservancy in restoring Portland Parks & Recreation’s Powell Butte Lower Floodplain at a work party taking place on Saturday, June 13th.  Powell Butte, an extinct cinder cone volcano, rises near the headwaters of Johnson Creek – an urban creek with remnant populations of native salmon and steelhead. The park is comprised of 608 acres of meadowland and forest.  Possible projects include trail work, ivy and other invasive species removal, fence work and mulching or watering native plants.  After the three hour work party, volunteers are invited to stick around for a BYO sack lunch and informal hike.  Hiking boots, a daypack, lunch and snacks, plenty of water for the day, layers of clothing including raingear, a hat, and sunscreen.  Bring leather gloves and safety glasses if you have them – if not, you can borrow ours.  Registration is required.  For more information or to register, please contact 503.802.8100, orvolunteers@tnc.org

 

MONTAVILLA FOOD CO-OP PANCAKE BRUNCH (gluten free and vegan options available) Saturday, June 6th from 9 am – 12 pm at Montavilla United Methodist Church  232 SE 80th St., $10 suggested donation. Montavilla Food Co-op is dedicated to opening a democratically run, cooperative grocery in the Montavilla neighborhood. We’re working hard towards connecting the East Portland community to healthy food, supporting local farmers and producers, building community wealth and advancing sustainability initiatives all within a centrally located, cooperative grocery. We will be offering a delicious and healthy brunch made by some of Portland’s best up-and-coming chefs using locally and organically sourced ingredients. We will also have live entertainment from local artists and a fantastic raffle with prizes from community

 

PORTLAND MONTESSORI SCHOOL EXPANDS SUMMER CAMP OPTIONS–The school, located in the North Tabor neighborhood at 205 NE 50th Ave., is offering a number of popular camp options for children aged 3 and up. Full-day and half-day camps are offered, as well as before- and after-camp care, where children can engage in a variety of age-appropriate activities like art, cooking, reading and exploring scientific topics. The public is invited to attend see our school at Soccer Shots’ Orange Fest hosted at the school on June 13th, from 10 am to 3 pm. 503.688.2992

 

UNITY COMMUNITY TRUNK SALES–Gather any items you no longer want or need or get creative and sell your handcrafted wares and/or art at any or all of the Unity Community Trunk Sales. Saturdays: June 13, July 18, August 29, & September 26 from 8 am – 2 pm at the Unity of Portland Parking Lot on the NE Corner of SE Stark & SE 47th Ave. For just $25, you can rent a parking space and sell as much as you can fit in the trunk of your vehicle and the remaining space. It is like a mini flea market or a giant yard sale with dozens of sellers. Parking space rental fees will go to Unity of Portland; you keep the proceeds from all that you sell. If you register now for all four of the Trunk Sales you will get the last one for free!  To register for your parking space(s) go to unityofportland.org/trunksale.html or call Unity of Portland at 503.234.7441 Monday-Thursday between 10 am – 4 pm. If you’re not interested in selling, be sure to come by and see all the wonderful things that will be for sale!

 

SUPPORT THE LIBRARY–on Wednesday, June 24, the Laurelwood Public House and Brewery is teaming up with the Friends of the Multnomah County Library to help support the Multnomah County Library. Bring a book to either of the two Portland Pub locations – 5115 NE Sandy Blvd and 6716 SE Milwaukie Ave – and the pub will give you one free beer (limit one beer per person). The Pub has also agreed to donate a portion of the day’s sales to the Friends of the Multnomah County Library, so be sure to enjoy some tasty Pub food while sipping the best beer in town. From 5 – 8 pm. Friends of the Library board members will be at both locations selling memberships and books.

 

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON SIMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS in Microsoft Word taught by Laurel Smith, Sunday, 28 June,1 – 5 pm GFO Reading Room, 2505 SE 11th Ave, Ste B-18.  Learn to print a census and highlight a specific family or individual, or illustrate your family story without investing in Photoshop, attend this class to learn the magic of illustration in Microsoft Word. This is a hands-on workshop, so bring your laptop! Attendees will learn about three types of backgrounds and how to create and edit text boxes. We will discuss layering, rotation, and insertion of symbols. And we will explore online sites where you can find images to use to highlight your family projects. Registration information at gfo.org or call 503.963.1932.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community News June 2015

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