Community News June 16

Magnitude 7.9 Nepal Earthquake:

The Firsthand Experience of Dr. Erin Moore

Tuesday, June 21 • 7 pm – 9 pm

Hinson Baptist Church, 1137 SE 20th Ave (enter on Salmon St)

Free (donations to Sunnyside Prepared accepted)

Registration required:

sunnysideprepared.eventbrite.com/?aff=na

A uniquely interesting and informative program for anyone preparing for the major earthquake predicted for the Pacific Northwest!

When a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated Nepal last year, SE Portland resident Dr. Erin Moore was working in a village in one of the hardest hit regions of the country. She served as a medical first responder, and stayed to coordinate improvised emergency relief for her community. Her experience led her to establish ParticipAid – working now to change the way that vulnerable communities rebuild after natural disasters.

Dr. Moore will have just returned from a four-month follow-up visit to Nepal and will generously share an update on the community’s recovery. Expect to come away renewed and energized to get prepared and care for ourselves, neighbors, friends, and others who experience disasters.

It will be real. Maybe a little emotional. Encouraging.

Sponsored by: Sunnyside Prepared (A committee of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association) www.SunnysidePrepared.com

 

Is Social Security looming on your horizon

New legislation closed the window on one strategy that some couples were using to boost their lifetime Social Security benefits. But despite reports of the demise of Social Security, it will provide at least 50 percent of the retirement income of most Americans for years to come.

Is it better to claim Social Security benefits as soon as I’m eligible, or wait? That depends. If you are healthy and do not need the benefits, it usually is better to wait. You can claim benefits at age 62. But from full retirement age (66 for those born between 1943 and 1953) benefits increase by eight percent yearly until you reach 70. So … wait if you can.

I’ve heard that the new law closes loop-holes that benefited couples. What has changed?  The law ended what was called “file and suspend,” under which a higher paid spouse could “file’ for benefits at full retirement age, then “suspend” before collecting payments. The lower paid spouse could then claim spousal benefits – 50 percent of the partner’s – as long as they also had reached full retirement age. The higher paid spouse could wait and claim benefits at age.

Should I still look into whether I should take my own benefit or a “restricted” spousal benefit?  YES. Suspend is gone, but restricting your application to a spousal benefit is not.  Talk with your financial advisor to find out which is best for you.

Can I claim my spousal benefit at age 62 and switch to my own benefit at age 70?  No. It doesn’t work that way. Talk with your financial adviser to find out what choices you do have before you apply.

Can I collect my spouse’s benefits if I’m divorced or widowed? YES.  Divorcees can get 50 percent of their spouse’s benefit if they were married at least 10 years and have not remarried. They can claim their own full benefits when they turn 70. Widows are eligible for survivor’s benefits as early as 60.

I’ve heard that Social Security is going down the tubes. Will it be around when I retire? Don’t panic. Social Security is on solid ground to pay full benefits at least until 2034, although the administrators are urging Congress to act to make sure remains healthy past then. Suggested changes include: 1) Raising the payroll tax rate; 2) Raising the ceiling on which Social Security taxes must be paid from the current level of $118,500; and 3) Raising the full retirement age.

Social Security rules can be challenging. To make the most of your benefits, please consult a Social Security office or a financial adviser.

By Bryan Brumley, CFP®, in SE Portland, 503.314.682

 

Recycle tips

By Bonita Davis, Master Recycler and Sunnyside resident

Planning a trip to the National Parks this season?   How about a local park?  These great places are our own backyard and are ours to enjoy and protect for future generations.    The National Parks were visited by 307.2 million visitors last year.    The 409 park system is on target for continued record breaking visits.   It has become necessaary to rethink how people get to and get around in the parks, but also what to do about the growing landfills within the parks.

Fifteen tons of trash were left behind in Denali in 1995 and by 2015 that figure was 220 tons!  What’s in the pile-up in some of our most pristine environments?  Food waste, plastics, left over camping equipment, fuel tanks, clothing, and recyclables such as plastic water bottles, metals, campground ash with plastics mixed in, and more.  In general, landfills have become the largest manmade “structures” on earth!

The short list for what we can all do to be part of “not feeding the landfills:”

Buy good, durable equipment that won’t become trash on your park visit.

After making your trip purchases, repackage what you plan to take with you to avoid packing throw-away items.

Pack it in, pack it out- even on day trips.

Take home items you can recycle:  tin, glass, plastics, paper, cardboard, batteries, empty bug spray and everything else.

Use a refillable water bottle or canteen and durable utensils and service ware.

Visit www.subaru.com/environment to learn more about their partnership with the NPS to achieve Zero Waste, starting with Denali, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons.   Visit or call Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics at 1.800.332.4100 or www.LNT.org.

If you are staying closer to home, the same strategy will work for a Metro Greenspace, Oregon State Park, the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area or your favorite Portland Park.  This is a change we can all make happen.

 

GRAND FLORAL PARADE

June 11 • 10 am – 2 pm

Startss Memorial Coliseum south on MLKJr. Blvd and over the Burnside Bridge

 

Displaced migrants and El Salvador

 

Portland Central America Solidarity Committee presents an evening with Professor Moisés Gómez.

For decades, the United States government has imposed economic and military policies in Mexico & Central America that have resulted in massive displacement and family separation. Rather than change its policies or assist victims, the US has a dangerous new plan: stop migrants and asylum-seekers from leaving their countries of origin, no matter the cost.

Join us on Friday, June 3rd for a community event with Professor Moisés Gómez of the University of Central America and the Jesuit Migration Network El Salvador.  He will be crisscrossing the US this spring to share his research and analysis on:

  • The root causes of migration and forced displacement
  • The impact of US-sponsored border militarization in the region
  • How people in the US can join the fight to defend the lives and rights of Central America migrants

Friday, June 3

Musician’s Union Local 99

325 NE 20th Ave.

Talk begins at 7:15 pm (Social hour at 6:30)

Questions? coreteam@pcasc.net

 

 

Milk Carton Boat Race

 

A unique Portland tradition dating back to 1973, the Milk Carton Boat Race will welcome boaters back to the historic Westmoreland Park Casting Pond on Sunday, June 26 at 11 am. It is free to attend and participate in the races; and with great food, giveaways and entertainment, it promises to be a fun event for all ages. The Rose Festival sanctioned event will be produced by the Royal Rosarians and sponsored by the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council (formerly Dairy Farmers of Oregon).

Registration is open at www.dairyfarmersor.com and will remain so until June 1 or the race is filled, whichever comes first. There is no cost to enter. Participants are encouraged to read the rules to ensure their boats will pass inspection.

“What better way to celebrate June Dairy Month than a Milk Carton Boat Race?” said Pete Kent, executive director of the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council. “We appreciate the involvement and leadership of the Royal Rosarians and the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, and look forward to seeing this year’s new fleet of milk carton boats on the water.”

The Rose Festival Foundation is a non-profit that serves the community by providing families with events and programs that promote the arts, education and volunteerism. We value environmental responsibility, cultural diversity, patriotism and our floral heritage.

 

Party at the Division/Clinton triangle

 

Community Vision is proud to break ground at the triangular lot at 1949 Division Street early Fall 2016 and would like to share the excitement with the neighborhood, friends, and the community on June 11th! This event is free admission and open to the public.

Party on the Property is taking place at Seven Corners, 1949 SE Division on Saturday June 11th from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. Community Vision will share the mission of the Seven Corners Community Collaborative building with the neighborhood, an effort to provide services and resources to individuals and families experiencing disabilities. Neighbors, families, and friends will be able to connect with local vendors including New Seasons, Nossa Familia Coffee, face-painting and more!

Community Vision has been working for 26 years to empower people with disabilities to live, work and thrive in the community of their choice. Community Vision is the largest nonprofit organization in Oregon that focuses on providing individualized housing, supported living, meaningful employment and home ownership services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. Learn more about Community Vision at www.cvision.org

 

Montavilla Coop is Growing

 

Montavilla Food Co-op (MFC) has been awarded a significant and highly competitive grant from Food Co-op Initiative (FCI), a national organization that supports start-up co-op initiatives across the United States.  The grant includes a $5,000 cash award, mentoring, a site visit from a co-op development expert and other cooperative development resources.  MFC will use the funds to develop financial projections, improve volunteer management and grow membership.

This is the second time that MFC is receiving the annual award from FCI.  “This is a very select group,” said FCI Executive Director Stuart Reid. “We are only able to provide funding to a limited number of deserving co-ops, but MFC had such tremendous success with their award last year that we made the unusual decision of awarding a second grant.”

MFC is a grassroots, volunteer-led effort to build a cooperatively owned grocery store in Montavilla that will supply healthy food, support local farmers and producers, build community wealth and advance sustainability initiatives in Montavilla.

MFC President Amanda Lamb said, “This year, we’re celebrating the significant milestone of welcoming our 500th member-owner, finalizing our financial projections and recruiting and training a larger team of volunteers to help with internal readiness and increase the pace of member-ownership growth.”

The mission of the Montavilla Food Cooperative is to connect the east Portland community to healthy food, support local farmers and producers, build community wealth and advance sustainability initiatives all within a centrally located, cooperative grocery.

Support the effort to bring a cooperative grocery store to Montavilla by attending a pancake breakfast on Saturday, June 4, 8 am – 12 pm at Montavilla United Methodist Church, 232 SE 80th Ave.

For more information: www.Montavilla.coop

13th Annual Buddhist

Festival in the Park

 

v                    A Declaration of InterDependence

Saturday, June 4 • 11:00 am – 4:30 pm

Colonel Summers Park • SE 17th and Taylor

The Portland Chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship is delighted to announce that Stephanie Kaza will give the keynote talk for Portland’s Thirteenth Annual Buddhist Festival in the Park. Ms. Kaza brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to the intersection of ecology and Buddhism.  In these two realms it is a basic tenet that no individual stands alone, that we all need each other and the flora and fauna of this Earth to survive. We are interdependent.

As a city Portland has been feeling the effects of climate change and has enacted plans to become a sustainable city. Microclimate changes have caused more storms and flooding in areas even as the city works to complete major sewer system upgrade. The city’s interdependence is feeling the strain as people seeking this kind of reform migrate here, causing a housing crisis and bringing more vehicles, and pollution, to the streets. This migration signals a hunger from US citizens to see more of this kind of reform, and also points to the wealth and the growing pains a sustainability plan can bring to a city.

In addition to her talk, Stephanie Kaza also leads a workshop supporting the theme. Buddhism offers tools for changing minds and behavior that can be beneficial to individuals and interdependence. While the Dharma talk and panel discussion occur in the park’s main shelter, the children’s pavilion will be busy with story times, crafts, and other activities, including a Dharma Rain exercise led by Heidi Enji Hoogstra of Dharma Rain Zen Center.

In keeping with the theme of interdependence, there will be no sales at this year’s Buddhist Festival. Participating groups will have non-perishable potluck food and beverages available to festival-goers.

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

For more information contact Heidi Enji Hoogstra, 503.236.5741,

bpfportland@yahoo.com    For a schedule of the days events: PortlandBuddhistFestival.com

 

 

v MATTHEW FOX, noted “maverick” Christian theologian and author, will be speaking about “The Mystics in Ourselves and Others” on Friday, June 3 at 7 pm at Unity of Portland, 4525 SE Stark. The founder of the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality and the University of Creation Spirituality, his work is inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions that has awakened people worldwide to the neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the Western world.  Among his many books are Original Blessing, The Reinvention of Work, A Spirituality Named Compassion, Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, and Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times.

 

ENJOY JUNE VIKING BREAKFAST on Sunday, June 12. Mid-Summer celebrations are very important in Scandinavia so the Norse Hall’s next Viking Breakfast is set for Sunday, June 12.   From 8:30 am to 1 pm, we’re serving all-you-can-eat pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, lingonberry jam, fruit  and lots of coffee.  Prices are $7 for adults, $4 for children 5 to 12, and children under 5 are free.  In addition, there’s a Children’s Nordic Story Time is scheduled in our library at 10 am.  The Norse Hall is located at 111 NE 11th Avenue in Portland.  There is free, on-street parking near the Hall.

 

BREAKFAST FORUM – June 16,  7:30 – 8:30 am,  Mt.Tabor Presbyterian Church Library, 5441 SE Belmont St., What is to be Done?  Speaker Richard Lancefield, Attorney, will talk about Foster Care in Oregon and Multnomah County. The state of Oregon has engaged in detailed planning, following the catastrophic loss of a child.  We will explore possible solutions.  Ann B. Clarkson, a Reed neighborhood resident, will facilitate the discussion.  The Breakfast Forum is an informal group which meets monthly to learn about and discuss political issues in respectful ways.  Free.  No registration required.  For info call 503.774.9621.

 

EXPLOSIVE EVIDENCE – EXPERTS SPEAK OUT ON 9/11, Tuesday, June 21, 6 – 8 pm at the Belmont Library, 1038 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. This 60-minute documentary, from Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, presents the science-based evidence for explosive demolition of the Twin Towers and Building 7 on September 11, 2001. The presentation is targeted to a general audience – a technical background is not required. Free DVDs of the full, 97-minute video will be handed out during the Q&A following the screening. Please bring along friends who are not already familiar with the evidence behind the tower collapses on 9/11. For more information call 503.481.8692 or email PortlandAE911Truth@yahoo.com. Free.

 

BUCKMAN ELEMENTARY SUN School is seeking tutors and classroom volunteers in its after school program. Commitment is one hour a week from 3:30 – 4:30 or 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Starting March 28th, 2016 and ending June 9th, 2016.  Help students develop math and or reading skills in a fun supportive environment. Please contact Brittany at bmorris@impactnw.org for more information.

 

SPEAK FRENCH and learn the latest slang with a fun Parisian who just moved to Portland! We will be meeting on Monday and/or Wednesday at 6 pm at The Albina Press, 5012 SE Hawthorne Blvd. $20 per class. Contact: leslie@hoppingfroggies.com

 

THE HAWTHORNE DIABETES GROUP, led by medical nutritionist and certified diabetes educator Julia Hanfling, provides a platform for people to share their experiences with diabetes, including pre-diabetes, newly diagnosed, long-term complications, and care-givers for both Type I and Type II diabetes. Larissa Ienna, FNP, CDE, will join us for a discussion on making sense of how sleep and stress affect blood sugars and overall health. This event takes place on Thursday, June 16, 7 – 8:30 pm at Colonial Hts. Presbyterian Church, 2828 SE Stephens St., $10 donation requested. No one will be turned away. For information 3peachesnutrition.com/ and RSVP: meetup.com/Hawthorne-Diabetes-Group/

 

OREGON LITERARY FELLOWSHIPS APPLICATIONS are due Friday, June 24, 2016. Fellowships are awarded to Oregon writers in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and writing for young readers. Fellowships are also awarded to support Oregon’s independent publishers and small presses that demonstrate a commitment to literary publishing. Fellowship applications and guidelines can be found on the Literary Arts website www.literary-arts.org. There is no charge to apply.  A writing sample and an application form are required. Recipients are determined by a panel of out-of-state judges. Applications may be mailed via U.S. mail or hand delivered to the Literary Arts office at 925 SW Washington, Portland, OR, 972015.  If you have questions about how to apply for an Oregon Literary Fellowship, contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org or 503.227.2583 x107. The 2017 Oregon Literary Fellowship recipients will be announced in January 2017.

 

NO END TO THE OREGON TRAIL – On May 5th, the National Museum of Play inducted The Oregon Trail into the Video Game Hall of Fame.  The game was started in the 1970s to help school children learn geography and American History.  The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his or her party of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon’s Willamette Valley on the Oregon Trail via a covered wagon in 1848.  The game has sold over 65 million copies worldwide.and it is considered to be the most widely distributed and continuously available educational game ever. The 1990 MECC version of The Oregon Trail is available for free on The Internet Archive, a non-profit library of digital content and programs.  It’s currently the top-viewed game on the archive.  The 1992 version is also in the archive.  The Oregon Trail has been adapted to use on IPhone, IPod and Facebook app.

 

THE FRIENDS OF LAURELHURST PARK work party will occur on June 8. Volunteers meet at the Ankeny Street Park building at 9 am. The work consists of pruning, mulching, planting and generally working in close cooperation with the Parks Bureau to maintain and improve our fantastic park. There are usually more than 20 volunteers, some quite young, and the whole event is fun for everyone. Tools, gloves and water are provided, and all volunteers receive supervision and support from FLP and Portland Parks staff. We encourage those who wish to volunteer to contact us in advance, if possible, peggy.glascock53@gmail.com, 503.232.2406 orKastb@peak.org, 503.477.7469 on the web atlaurelhurstpdx.org.

 

CAMP FIRE COLUMBIA, SUMMER IN SOUTHEAST PORTLAND

Namanu Day Camp in the City Open House

Friday, June 17

4-6PM

Sunnyside Methodist Community Center
3520 SE Yamhill St.
Portland, OR 97214

Bring the whole family out to Namanu Day Camp in the City on Friday, June 17 from 4-6PM for a fun-filled afternoon at day camp! Our Open House includes the opportunity for new and returning Namanu Day Camp Families to tour our day camp location, meet our staff, and learn about the unique adventures and themed sessions ahead for this summer. There will even be some fun games, too!

RSVP HERE

 About NAMANU DAY CAMP IN THE CITY:

Namanu Day Camp in the City is more than a traditional day camp. Our action packed, themed sessions include games, arts & crafts, sports, field trips, camp crafts, and nature crafts that are intentionally designed to combat learning loss through creative and dynamic activities.

We strive to engage campers in meaningful, empowering ways to help them learn about themselves, each other and the world around them. We use Portland’s outdoor resources to connect kids to nature and help them look closer at the natural world around them.

This summer, Namanu Day Camp in the City will be more aligned with our residential Camp Namanu through camp crafts, songs, and the historic lore that has made Camp Namanu such a magical experience.

For more info and to register for Namanu Day Camp in the City CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community News June 16

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