UPDATED: You’ve seen a firestorm of media coverage about the blaze that leveled nearly half of the Marysville School – but did you know about the beautiful new 3.35-acre park Marysville School Community Park, that opened just weeks before? See exclusive photos of the playground – and the disastrous fire that followed – right here …

Students, faculty and guests assemble under one of the Marysville School’s brand new covered play pavilions during the playground’s dedication.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The sounds of fun and laughter of young students – floating in the air during the dedication of newly-completed, $1.4 million, 3.35-acre park Marysville School Community Park on October 19 – contained no hint of the anguish and fear the school’s children would experience less than a month later, as flames ripped through their historic schoolhouse next to the park, on November 10.

For years, the students of Marysville K-8 School had only two choices at recess: Play in the blacktopped parking lot, or stay inside the classrooms at the school, located at 7733 SE Raymond Street, a short distance south of Holgate Boulevard.

But, after five years of planning and fundraising – from sources both public and private – the Marysville students and neighborhood children were given in October grassy mounds, climbing rocks, a gravel trail, and sculpted equipment on which to play. The renovation also included new covered play pavilions, security lighting, and basins landscaped with native plants for stormwater treatment. More than 30 new trees and thousands of plants were added to the park.

Children play in one of the many newly opened playground areas.

Teachers bridge their hands, providing a gateway through which a Marysville School class can play on the grassy mounds.

“What’s the big deal about a covered playground?” Marysville Principal Lana Penley asked dignitaries and community leaders at the 2:00 p.m. dedication ceremony in October, at which we were present. “Believe me, where you live in a place where it rains from October until June, having a covered playground is important.” Both students and faculty cheered in agreement.

“What was once a brown-and-black lot has become a first-class playground,” Penley continued. “We have the best playground in the whole city of Portland. We will be proud to say, ‘We go to school at Marysville – you know, the school with the $1.4 million playground’.”

Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard says he’s happy to support the playground because his mother attended Marysville School.

Commissioner Leonard shares a secret
Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard beamed with joy as he rose to speak at that dedication ceremony. He told the group that he’d advocated for the project for a personal reason.

“If I share this here with you, can you keep a secret?” Leonard asked the kids. “My mother, born in 1921, went to school here! When they were raising money, I kept hoping that Nancy [Wilgenbusch, former President of Marylhurst, and the project’s committee Chair] wouldn’t ask for more money, because I’d have given her whatever she asked for, inspired by the memory of my late mother.”

Cutting the ribbon dedicating the new playground are Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard and Marysville Principal Lana Penley.

Before he helped cut the ribbon, Leonard concluded by thanking all involved, and added, “I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life.”

Another day, that would also be long remembered in the neighborhood, came only three weeks later.

Firefighters cut their first “roof trench” to relieve smoke and heat built up in the attic of the school.

When flames erupt from the roof’s peak, firefighters scramble down ladders.

Fire rips through schoolhouse
At 11:40 a.m. on November 10, alarm bells started sounding at Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) stations throughout inner SE Portland. Crews from PF&R’s Station 25 Engine and Truck companies, close by on SE 52nd Avenue, jumped into their boots, slid into their fireproof turnouts and headed out. When they arrived minutes later, they saw thick black smoke pouring from the southeast side of the U-shaped, single-story, colonial-style frame structure.

Neighbor Rebecca Bruster wets down her fence while firefighters try to save Marysville School from burning to the ground.

“I could feel the heat from my backyard as I looked at the school,” said Rebecca Bruster, whose property is just east of there. “It was so hot, I thought our wood fence and maybe our garage would catch fire,” she said, hose in hand, wetting down her property.

Portland Police Bureau officers swiftly helped crying kids and staff members escape the building as it quickly filled with smoke. While it was traumatic, the hasty exit was orderly – the school had conducted an elaborate fire drill only the previous week, so everyone knew what to do and where to go.

“All 460 students and 17 teachers have been accounted for, and have been evacuated to Holgate Public Library,” PF&R spokesperson Kim Kosmas told us at the scene. “Two adults were transported for minor smoke inhalation. No children were injured.”

Within minutes, a large section of the roof in the southeast corner of the building collapses.

Aggressive firefighting prevents total loss
The fire spread rapidly through the structure and in the attic spaces, revealed PF&R spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt, speaking to us afterward. “Firefighters used very aggressive tactics, including making ‘trench cuts’ – holes cut in the roof, spanning the entire attic space. These openings direct fire and smoke out of the attic into the air, instead of allowing them to spread through the entire structure.”

Two alarms were sounded, and as the fire grew into an inferno, it became a three-alarm blaze, bringing more than 100 firefighters to the scene. Clackamas County Fire District #1 and the Gresham Fire Department provided companies in “mutual aid”, to respond to calls from Portland stations left vacant by the crews at the scene of the fire.

Water poured directly down into the fire from the turret on the top of Truck 25’s extended ladder doesn’t even slow the flames.

Checking his records, Oswalt said the school’s last fire inspection was in May 2008. “At the time 14 violations were noted by the inspector, none of them major violations. The re-inspection was in December, 2008, at which time, all of the violations had been abated.”

Before the fire was completely out, PF&R investigators had arrived to begin interviewing staff, and anyone who was in the part of the building they believe was the area of origin. “The structure is severely unstable, and and heavy equipment is removing unstable portions of the building to allow investigators to access the area where they believe the fire began,” reported Oswalt.

UPDATE
Late Friday night, fire bureau spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons said investigators interviewed approximately 100 witnesses and conducted two full days of digging, searching for the fire cause and origin. “Fires of this magnitude are labor intensive and require extensive information gathering. While tremendous progress has been made, we are unable to provide a fire cause at this time. The fire remains under investigation.”

Simmons said the preliminary damage estimates set the loss of the structure at $2,750,000 and content damage loss at $1,500,000. Anyone with information that they feel would be of value to investigators is urged to call (503) 823-3791.

The fire burns fiercely along the east side of the school; neighbors watch from a yard.

Dealing with the aftermath
“Our focus is making sure everyone is safely out of the building, and we’ve done that,” said Portland Public Schools (PPS) spokesman Matthew Shelby at the scene. “This is one of our older schools; it’s a wood frame structure. That makes it particularly susceptible to fires like this.”

“There’s a lot of history in this building,” said Shelby, when he again spoke with us later. “It’s really sad, especially with the wonderful playground we just dedicated here. From what I can tell, that’s pretty much undamaged. But, as of today, we don’t have custody of the building. We can’t even begin to speculate on amount of damage to the building. I’m not an expert, but I’d say it’s a third to half of the building.”

School bus drivers and PPS representatives are on hand to help Marysville School students learn bus safety tips before they start school at Rose City Park, across town, on November 14 in the Fred Meyer parking lot on SE 82^nd Ave. of Roses at SE Foster Road.

Students bussed across town
Asked why the school system selected the shuttered building in Rose City Park, located five miles north from Marysville, to which to move the Marysville student body and staff, Shelby responded, “The Kellogg School building was considered; from a geographic perspective, it makes more sense. But, since it was closed in 2007, the building has been used for storing surplus furniture. The rooms are packed with all kinds of desks and cabinets. We were able to get Rose City Park open quickly. It’s being stocked as a temporary solution until Winter Break. We haven’t made any long- term plans beyond that; we don’t have a good sense yet of how long we’ll need an alternative site.”

Shelby added that the PPS would be reimbursed by the state for getting Rose City Park open. “We don’t know if we’d also be able to get reimbursed later on for going ahead and getting Kellogg up-to-date and running. After putting work into the Rose City Park building, we’d wonder whether it’s worth it to uproot the kids again, to move them to the Kellogg School building. It is being considered.”

For the end of this week, Shelby said, the Wattles Boys and Girls Club in Lents opened their doors to students. “Riding the bus will be a new thing for most of the students. “There, and over the weekend, we’ll have busses there so kids can comfortable with riding the bus, and learn safety procedures.”

Students, faculty showered with donations
Faculty and staff members are being encouraged to list items they lost in the fire, Shelby added. “We’re hearing there is quite a bit we may be able to salvage from the building.”

To help students – who dropped everything when the fire alarm sounded, and ran for their lives – Shelby said that Nike has stepped up to provide new backpacks and coats for all the students. “Powell’s Books donated 1,500 new books to their library. And, an independent landscaper came by, to spruce up the front of Rose City Park School.”

If you want to contribute, all donations are being channeled to Schoolhouse Supplies for distribution – they’re also handling cash donations as well.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

There’s time to go see this romantic stage production of an age-old love story that carries a message, while providing a wonderful theatrical experience. Look at photos from the show, and you’ll see why you should order tickets – online – right now …

“Beauty” (Felicia Seery, far left) hears the bad news brought to her brothers and sisters about their family’s waning fortunes from their father, Jean Louis (Jason Newman, far right) in Parkrose High School’s production of Beauty and the Beast.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Those who’ve seen Parkrose High School Thespian Troupe #1783 fall production, Beauty and the Beast, will most likely agree: This show is a great way to get into the Holiday spirit.

But, with only a special matinee performance on November 14 at 2:00 p.m. – and just two evening shows, on November 19 and 20, at 7:00 p.m. – you’ll need to make plans to see it right now.

After finding out that his crooked partners stole the family fortune, Jean Louis ends up in magical castle of The Beast (Oly Arellano). But, the Beast’s grinning mechanical man (Jackson Singleton – yes, he’s green) has some very bad news for Jean Lewis.

Beauty must make a difficult decision, to save her father and her family from destruction.

Beauty and the Beast opened on November 13 with a cast of about 70 actors and a technical staff of ten.

“This isn’t an adaptation of the 1991 Walt-Disney-produced musical animated film,” said Ms. Zina, the school’s theater instructor, and the show’s director. “It is based on the original fairy tale, La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, first published in French in 1740. The first version in English came out in 1757.”

The show onstage in Parkrose High’s professionally-equipped theater is an adaptation by Laurence Boswell, Zena explained. “Boswell adapted it for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the National Theatre in London, for their 2003 Holiday season. It was so popular; they repeated it in 2004, with additions and slight variations to their original script.”

A White Witch (Kenzie Billick Smith) and a mysterious young man come to Beauty in a series of dreams, each more troubling and odd than the next – but each bears essential for her.

Although his behavior is uncouth, the Beast shows kindness by presenting Beauty with one of his prize roses.

When Beauty tells the Beast she wants to leave his Castle, the invisible (to her) White Witch threatens to do away her!

Zena said the students chose this particular play because the work has “an incredibly romantic feel to it. It isn’t sappy, in a way little kids or adults won’t enjoy; it has a balance of romance and drama. And no, there is no teapot.”

After seeing the show, we can assure, you won’t miss the teapot at all!

The show provides a good challenge for the Parkrose High Theater students, Zena said, because of the variety of performances required in the show.

The colorful costumes, emotionally-evocative music, and contemporary pacing make this a great evening of theater.

Beauty is allowed to leave, on her promise she’ll return. However, she’s caught between her conniving sisters and solicitous brothers when it’s time for her to rejoin the Beast.

Alas, Beauty’s tardy return causes the death of the Beast.

There is a happy ending – but you’ll have to come to the show to see how it all works out!

The questions remain:

• Will the main characters, Beauty and Beast, gain a better appreciation of their families? Will their families learn to accept them?
• Is it possible for Beauty to trust – with more than just what she sees with her eyes?

Come find out, don’t miss the final performances!

We agree with Ms. Zina – this show gets “thumbs up!”

Plays two more nights
Beauty and the Beast continues on the evenings of November 19 and 20, with a 7:00 p.m. curtain time. And, there’s a special matinee performance tomorrow, Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. (no evening show on that date).

Buy your tickets online! CLICK HERE! Or, arrive early and get them at the door. Prices are still just $8; for those 18 & under, or 65+, $5.

The Parkrose High School Theater is located at 12003 NE Shaver Street, near NE 122nd Avenue.

The cast takes a well-deserved curtain call.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See how two events honored our veterans. If politically-incorrect speech offends you, DO NOT view this article. However, this speaker’s military service earned him the right to speak freely – he fought to defend your rights, as well …

Preparing to raise our nation’s flag, then lower it to half staff, are Jimmie Hale, retired US Marines – and Roy Powers, retired US Navy, who came from their VFW Post 4248, located in SE Portland’s Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
This is a story about two Veteran’s Day celebrations: one that was small and solemn; and one that was a grand display – the Hollywood Veteran’s Day Parade. You’ll see both in this article.

On November 10, Parkview Christian Retirement Community in Gateway held their annual veterans event. “About 50 of our residents have served in the Armed Forces,” said Lou Fontana, who works with Parkview and organized the annual event.

Bugler Earl Barton, a retired warrant officer, U.S. Army and with American Legion Post #185, sounds taps.

Members of the VFW Post 4248 Color Guard fire off a 21-gun salute to fallen service men and women.

Parkview Christian Retirement Community’s Lou Fontana welcomes guests to the Veterans Remembrance Observance.

After the bugle, flag, and gun salute ceremony, about 70 residents and guests filed into the facility’s community room. Fontana introduced their speaker, Ted Wolcheck. “Ted served in Vietnam at the time when Hamburger Hill took place – one of the bloodiest battles in Vietnam.”

Guest speaker, Ted Wolcheck, currently a Chaplin at Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail, begins his message.

Tribute spoken from the heart
Wolcheck struggled to keep his composure as he began his talk.

“This is a special time for us. We get together twice a year to remember something. God gave us an intellect, and gave us our will. He gave us another faculty – memory.  I want to remember what these people in the Armed Forces have done for us.”

He talked about holding memorial services when he was in Vietnam. Typically, Wolcheck said, he read from Psalm 23.

“Today I want to use a portion of Psalm 100: ‘Acknowledge Yahweh as God. He created us; we are his, we are his people. We are the sheep of his pasture’.

“This is deeply rooted in America’s history. Today, we are remembering the veterans who served God and country – not country and God, but God and country. We were founded on principles that we believe we were created by some one. We know that that someone is a loving God.

Wolcheck says the thousands of crosses planted on Normandy’s beach tell a story of which Americans should be proud.

“I’ve often wondered what can motivate a person to suffer and die for his country.”

Wolcheck paused to regain his composure, and continued, “I’ve come to the conclusion that it goes back to July 4, 1776. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.’

“Our country was founded on this concept and our Constitution was formed. Then, on December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights became part of our Constitution, the backbone of America. There are 10 amendments: Memorize them, remember them. The first one gives us freedom of speech – and to gather together. We have freedom to criticize, when we think something is wrong.

“The Second Amendment – Veteran’s Day is based on this – gives us a well-regulated military, being necessary to the security of a free State. You cannot have a free State without people who’ll defend you. Not many people realize that or seem to care about it today.

“I’m a chaplain at the Inverness Jail.  Those kids don’t know what’s going on; they have no idea what America is all about. I don’t know where we’ve gone.  I do not think they’re cowards. Get these guys out of jail, and give them two years of discipline, where they can learn to have love for their flag and their country.

“I believe the basis for the sacrifice veterans have made is based on the solid rock of the Constitution of the United States and the amendments, the Bill of Rights. No other country has them.

Americans have no reason to apologize for our nation, Wolcheck says.

“We veterans don’t apologize – like some people do now – we don’t apologize for America. What do they mean, apologizing for America?

“A prominent person recently said she never was proud of America until late last year. I realize, at that time she must’ve never stood on the beaches of Normandy and looked out over the 10,000 crosses there. When I was there, I had to move away from the people I was there with, because it was too much. I reflected what that – what those rows after rows of crosses meant.

“It meant, ‘This is America; for God and country’.  Those crosses represent the veterans of all the wars who’ve been protecting us. Can you get that picture in your mind? I can see it clearly.

“When I first got to Vietnam, there was a tragic mistake, and 70 paratroopers were killed. I was called on to do the ceremony. In a big circle, their weapons with their bayonets stuck in the ground with their well helmets on the top.  I asked myself why is this?

“We were there – many people misunderstood, including movie stars – we fight to help those who are being persecuted. You show me any other country that is there when they need help. We bailed out Europe two times. We helped Grenada. We helped Vietnam.”

Wolcheck’s message resonated with his audience members, many of them veterans.

Concluding his message, Wolcheck said. “We have lost the fervor of freedom. Freedom is not free – it costs. It costs the suffering, the dedication and separation from families.  You can’t imagine how wonderful it is that people will help other people.

“I don’t want to be politically correct. Being politically correct is a serious blunder. I want to be a God-fearing American, ready and willing to foster the freedom all of our veterans have won it for us.  God bless America, and all the veterans we remember today.”

Hollywood Veteran’s Day Parade
Although it’s out of our typical coverage area, another great Veteran’s Day event, held on November 11, is the Hollywood Booster’s Veteran’s Day Parade:

These girls, flags in hand, show their patriotic spirit while await the start of the parade.

This VFW Color Guard parades up Sandy Blvd. waving Old Glory.

This young man walked up and asked the man, “Are you a veteran?” The man said he was. “Then, I made this for you.”

By the way, if you haven’t lately, it’s never too late to thank a Veteran – but consider doing so while they’re still alive to appreciate your sentiment.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

It’s more than a stunt. Find out why this outer East Portland teacher is sporting this unconventional hairstyle …

Parkrose High School math teacher David Whitfield says that displaying his unconventional hairstyle is helping to raise money for classroom document cameras.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Speaking with a professional clipped British accent, David Whitfield – a calculus, algebra and geometry teacher at Parkrose High School – seems a most unlikely candidate for a Mohawk hairdo.

“I’m growing it because we’re getting pledges from kids and staff members to raise money to buy document cameras for the math department,” he explains.

A document camera is like modern-day overhead projector, Whitfield told us. “For example, when teaching math, if I’m drawing a graph on graph paper, I can use exactly the same graph paper that the kids are using, and they’ll see it projected onto a screen. Or you can project a book, or a student’s example of their work.”

Whitfield said he feels fortunate that his classroom is very technologically-advanced. “But some of our other classrooms have very poor technology. A document camera would be a good piece of technology for a fairly non-technological classroom.”

He said the video cameras cost about $300 each. “We have spare video projectors we can put into service.”

Whitfield says he hopes the necessary funds can be raised by Christmas vacation – for a very personal reason.

About his hairstyle, Whitfield commented, “I sometimes do get a funny look [from people]. But the kids think it’s great. I’m sure we’ll raise enough money to secure the document cameras by Christmastime.  I’d be very disappointed if we don’t.”

Asked why, Whitfield replied, “I’m going back to England for the holidays. My 86-year-old father said he is not taking me out for Christmas lunch if I’m wearing a Mohawk.”

You can chip in towards this cause: Drop off a donation at the Parkrose High School office during business hours.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Find out why dozens of demonstrators lined SE Foster Road a couple of days ago …

Steph Routh, with the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, stands on SE Foster Road with Jeanne Harrison, Jim Coon, and Chris Ashmore, as they try to raise drivers’ awareness of pedestrian safety.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
In the aftermath of an accident that critically injured pedestrians 29-year-old Jessica Finlay, and killed 23-year-old Lindsay A. Leonard on November 1, a number of demonstrators stood along both the east and westbound sides of SE Foster Road, just west of SE 82nd Avenue of Roses, on November 11th holding signs.

“We’re here to raise awareness for pedestrian safety,” explained Steph Routh, from the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition. “This is in response to two people being injured, and one person killed, right here within the last eight days.”

Routh said there’s been quite a “spate of collisions” between pedestrians and vehicles in the greater Portland area recently. “We are here, about 20 of us, just quietly holding signs, trying to remind people to watch out for other road users. Every corner intersection everywhere, marked or not, is legally a crosswalk – as are mid-block marked crosswalks. Pedestrians should use these crosswalks, and feel comfortable and safe doing so.”

Standing peacefully, sign-holders along SE Foster Road encourage drivers to watch out for pedestrians.

She’s involved with the issue, Routh told us, because walking and bicycling are her primary forms of transportation. “I also think that walking is a very basic need for any city – to be able to walk safely is an indicator of a healthy city. We want a healthy, sustainable city that everyone feels comfortable and safe within.”

Robert Valedz from the Portland Fruit Company watched the demonstration from his store across SE Foster Road. “One of my employees is the other injured person they’re talking about,” he said. “I just hope the drivers watch what they’re doing, get off their phones, and stop texting while driving – just watch for people crossing the street.”

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

There’s no reason to feel that you’re all alone when trying to solve business problems, says the president of Mt. Hood Community College. Take a look and learn more …

Laurie Larsen, with Compaction and Recycling Equipment, and Judy Kennedy, with Pacific Northwest Credit Union welcome members and guests to the monthly Parkrose Business Association meeting at the Holiday Inn – Airport banquet room.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A lighthearted group of business people got good, serious advice about how to learn more about business management – and heard from a Portland City Commissioner at the October meeting of the Parkrose Business Association (PBA).

After announcements, it was time for the monthly “Member Moment”, at this meeting, featuring Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz.

PBA’s president, Wayne Stoll, Century Associates, welcomes Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz to her “Member Moment” spot in the meeting.

“I’m your City Commissioner,” Fritz began. “I’m a member of four of the of the City’s 35 neighborhood business districts. I selected these associations because they asked me to join – and I’ve renewed my membership here in Parkrose.”

Amanda Fritz addresses PBA members during her Member Moment.

Fritz continued, “I ran on public financing – that’s why I say I’m your commissioner. I do feel my work is to represent you. I recognize that the government is you; it is all of us.”

During her remaining minutes, Fritz told about her duties, responsibilities, and triumphs, so far. (You can read a detailed, exclusive interview she gave to East Portland News by CLICKING HERE.)

The enthusiastic “Dr. Ski” – Dr. John Sygielski – president of Mt. Hood Community College – talks and moves quickly as he talks about the school.

Introducing Dr. Ski
After introducing three new PBA members (this business association continues to grow), PBA president Wayne Stoll introduced the month’s featured speaker, “Dr. Ski” – A/K/A Dr. John Sygielski – president of Mt. Hood Community College.

Warming up the group, Sygielski quizzed, “What is our mascot, and what are our sports team named?”  He answered question, “We are Saints, and our mascot is the St. Bernard.”

Serves a large, diverse population
Sygielski said 31,000 students went through their college last year. “Outstanding faculty members provide a great education. 46% of our students transfer to a higher institutions of learning, 39% of them graduate.”

Mt. Hood Community College isn’t an East County-only organization Sygielski said. “We also have the Bruning Center at Gresham Station, the Center for Advanced Learning, and the Maywood Park campus on NE 102nd Avenue at NE Prescott St.

On the western edge of Parkrose, Sygielski says Mt. Hood Community College maintains a full-service campus.

At the Maywood Park campus, Sygielski said the college serves more than 700 students, including business and community partners, and run several exciting programs, including:

• Life Education for Adults at Parkrose – with the Maywood Park Campus and Parkrose High School offering classes to help graduates transition to new opportunities after high school;
• Sustainable Building Adviser Program – a noncredit program for professionals who wish to create environmentally responsible and cost-effective buildings;
• Workforce Training Classes – to assist community members affected by the economic downturn;
• Community Skills Center – including a state-of-the-art computer lab, that permits students to register and begin classes anytime throughout the year.

Business people can get one-on-one help with business plans, Sygielski notes.

Offers help for business people and workforce training
Of special interest to business people, Sygielski noted was the college’s Small Business Development Center.

“If you need help writing a business or marketing plan, they can help,” advised Sygielski. The center provides free counseling and can hook you up with business professionals who will help you evaluate your plans.

To help young people be ready to enter the workforce, Sygielski says Mt. Hood has teamed up with Parkrose High School.

Parkrose School District superintendent, Dr. Karen Fischer Gray says “Ski” is a great “educational partner” with her schools.

“Since Ski came to the college, everything has changed.” Parkrose School District superintendent, Dr. Karen Fischer Gray spoke up. “We’ve been invited into their visioning process, we’ve created extended options and dual credit programs. We’re lucky to have him as an educational partner.”

Additionally, Sygielski noted, the college has become with the multi-district ACE Academy. “The average age of our students is 30, at Mt. Hood. We’re trying to bring in younger students, by sending our staff out to the schools.”

Offers business help in the community
“Small businesses are critical to the success of the area,” Sygielski went on. “How can we partner with you? Put on sessions?”

PBA members welcomed the suggestion, and offered to start a dialog with the college to develop programs such as a “Banking 101″ seminar, given native languages; or a yearly business summit.

You’re sure to get a warm welcome when you visit the Parkrose Business Association.

Meet the PBA on November 19
One of our favorite business groups the PBA, gets together again on November 19 at 11:30 a.m. Guests are welcome.

This month their featured speaker is John Perkins, Architect. The Member The meeting is at Holiday Inn Airport, 8439 NE Columbia Blvd. (in the hotel building, around the back at the Flirt’s entrance – not the Convention Center next door.)

The meeting is free, and the buffet lunch is $17including dessert and gratuity; reservations are NOT required. For more information, see their web site: www.parkrosebusiness.org.

Come this month and learn more about their Holiday Event, December 11 at The Grotto.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

It’s not clear why a man allegedly killed his children’s mom and his little boy; but you can learn more about this tragic situation in this story …

On the day of the investigation, Portland Police Bureau detectives kept everyone a block away from the scene, while they investigated what they believe is a murder/suicide.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The day after police and family members entered a well-kept home on a dead-end segment of SE 123rd Avenue, a block north of SE Salmon Street, and found the bodies of a man, a woman, and a young child – neighbors had little to say about what police are calling a murder/suicide that took place there.

“Officers were at the residence twice during the evening of November 4th, and took a missing report from a family member of the deceased woman,” Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Detective Mary Wheat told us. “Officers did not have adequate information at that time that would have allowed them to force entry into the residence.”

On November 5, at 10:00 a.m., Wheat said Portland Police Officers again responded to the residence on a call of a shooting and possible murder/suicide.

“Homicide Detectives were called to the scene to investigate and were at the location throughout the day and into the evening hours,” Wheat said. “At this time, detectives believe that the man shot the woman and the boy and then shot himself. A handgun was recovered at the scene and detectives believe it was the weapon used in this incident.”

The day following the homicide investigation, nothing now seems amiss at this Mill Park home, where police say they found three deceased individuals.

Next-door neighbor Lynn Metz was just returning from a medical procedure at a hospital, when she and her driver found her street barricaded. Metz lifted her pant leg, showing the stitches and bandages there, making it impossible for her to walk any distance. Detectives refused her request to return to her home, next door to the crime scene.

“They were quiet, and seemed like nice people,” Metz said about her deceased neighbors. “Really, this isn’t something you want to talk about.”

Family becomes suspicious of foul play
An individual who said he was close to the family, but wished not to be identified, said at the scene that the man and woman had been together for “quite a while” and had two children, but weren’t married.

The individual asserted that the woman left the home about October 31 – and added the understanding that the man asked the woman to return, feigning illness. It was then that she and the child were killed, and the man took his own life, according to this account.

Police suspect this man – shown in a 2006 photograph provided by the Portland Police Bureau – 29-year-old Ceantwan Lorenzo Barr shot a woman and her child earlier this week, and then turned the gun on himself.

The Medical Examiner’s Office completed the three autopsies by the following morning, and on November 6 identified the deceased as 29-year-old Ceantwan Lorenzo Barr, 28-year-old Tameka Yvonne Medina, and four-year-old Ashawn Medina-Barr, according to Detective Wheat.

“An 11-year-old daughter was not present and was unharmed, and is safe with family,” Wheat added. “This investigation is continuing.”

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Here’s why you should see this romantic stage production, debuting on November 13 …

Working out the blocking for their production of “Beauty and the Beast” – shown here in front of the chorus – are Parkrose High School junior Amanda Coalwell, who will play the maid; sophomore Felicia Seery, playing Beauty; senior Kenzie Billick-Smith, who will portray the witch; and senior Jackson Singleton, as The Beast’s man.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Parkrose High School Thespian Troupe #1783 presents a romantic play, to help get folks into the Holiday spirit.

On November 13, a cast of nearly 70 will premiere Beauty and the Beast.

No, this isn’t an adaptation of the 1991 Walt-Disney-produced musical animated film.

It is based on a fairy tale La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, first published in French in 1740, with a version in English in 1757.

“This adaptation is by Laurence Boswell,” explained the show’s producer and theater instructor, Ms. Zena. “Boswell adapted it for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the National Theatre in London, for their 2003 Holiday season. It was so popular, they repeated it for their Christmas season in 2004, with additions and slight variations to their original script.”

Zena said the students chose it because the work has “an incredibly romantic feel to it. It isn’t sappy, in the way little kids or adults won’t enjoy; it has a balance of romance and drama. And no, there is no teapot.”

Felicia Seery and Kenzie Billick-Smith get coaching from the show’s director, Ms. Zena.

The show provides a good challenge for the Parkrose High Theater students, Zena aid, because of variety of performances required in the show.

• Will the main characters, Beauty and Beast, gain a better appreciation of their families?
• Is it possible for Beauty to trust – with more than what she sees with her eyes?

Come find out, starting November 13th!

Opens Friday night
Opening night for Beauty and the Beast is Friday, November 13, continuing on the evenings of November 19 and 20, with a 7:00 p.m. curtain time (please come early to buy your tickets).

• There is a special matinee performance on November 14 at 2:00 p.m. (no evening show on that date).

The price is right; cost of tickets at the door are: adults, $8; for those 18 & under, or 65+, $5. It’s at the Parkrose High School Theater, 12003 NE Shaver Street, near NE 122nd Avenue.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Find out why no one has yet been charged, after a tragic accident that witnesses say took place in a well-marked, but poorly lit, crosswalk just south of the Freddie’s parking lot …

Within minutes of the tragic incident, police investigators set up their equipment and start collecting data.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As of today, one young woman lies in a hospital bed, clinging to life with severe injuries from a car-versus-pedestrian accident that claimed her friend’s life the evening of November 1.

After hearing the police call regarding the incident, at about 7:25 p.m., we drove to SE Foster Road, just east of SE 80th Avenue, and came upon a grim scene. An ambulance was rushing away with a victim who officials identified as 29-year-old Jessica Finlay, a Southeast Portland resident, on board – transporting her to OHSU Hospital.

Finlay’s friend, 23-year-old Lindsay A. Leonard, also of SE Portland and a recent Reed College graduate, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Detective Mary Wheat.

What looked like merchandise was scattered in the street 20 feet east of the crosswalk; a sheet-covered victim lay a half block west of the crosswalk.

Members of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team arrived, and went to work, making measurements, talking to witnesses, and examining a Chevrolet Impala, with noticeable impact areas on the windshield and car body.

“The driver of the car is being completely cooperative,” Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division Sgt. Mike Fort told us at the scene. “There are no obvious signs of driver impairment.”

The reason why the car struck two pedestrians in a marked crosswalk wasn’t obvious, Fort said. “That’s why we secure the scene, and bring in our Major Crash Team.”

Using part of the “Total Station” system, officers take precise measurements that will help them reconstruct the scene in a virtual, computer environment.

Every member of the team, Fort continued, has a specific duty. “The Reconstructionist is technically in charge of this investigation, and his job is making sure all the data is gathered. Other team members speak with witnesses; still others check to see if security and surveillance cameras in the area recorded the incident. They take photographs, and make measurements with a ‘Total Station’ system.”

The Total Station, we learned, is an electronic/optical surveying instrument that helps crime scene investigators take precise measurements of scenes and with specialized software, and process data that produces maps and 3-D animation sequences.

Traffic Division investigators examine every piece of evidence, being careful not to disturb it, all while being respectful to the deceased.

“In short, we try to get the very best data we can, of all kinds, while the information is still available,” Fort explained.

“What we understand, so far,” he told us, “is that two pedestrians were walking south, at the crosswalk, away from the Fred Meyer store; the car was going west on SE Foster Road, and struck them.”

We spoke with five individuals at the scene who, while none of them claimed to be direct witnesses, said they’d been in the immediate area. Each of their stories differed, some substantially. Some said the driver’s sight-line might have been obscured by a bus or vehicle at the time of the accident.

An officer checks over the vehicle said to have struck the women at the crosswalk.

One witness said the driver was very emotional for about the first 10 minutes, and then just looked “frozen”.

“The driver of the car has been identified as 40-year-old Tito Jose Feliciano of Vancouver, Washington,” Wheat later reported. “Mr. Feliciano cooperated fully with the investigation, and has not been cited or charged with any violation or crime.”

Asked why the driver of a vehicle that struck pedestrians who were apparently walking in a well-marked, if poorly lit, crosswalk was not cited or charged, Wheat responded, “The case is still under active investigation. The findings of the investigation will be sent to the District Attorney’s office for review.”

Police make sure the accident scene is undisturbed until all available evidence is collected.

The results of our own online research indicate that the deceased pedestrian, Leonard, worked with a local company, Sock Dreams, on S.E. Powell and in Sellwood. She was born in Upland, California, and graduated from The Webb Schools in Claremont, California, in 2004, before coming to Portland and attending and graduating from Reed College this year.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

We’re not sure who had more fun – the adults who built this “haunted house” in the gym, or the kids who went through it!

Sacramento Elementary School teacher Chris Sullivan here coaches this alien on how to avoid scaring the littlest kids too badly.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Sacramento Elementary School students, and their parents and friends, came back to school for a good Halloween-like scare on October 27 and 27 – visiting the “Haunted House of Aliens”, set up in the school’s gymnasium.

“This is to raise money for the Sacramento Kids’ Club,” said Sacramento teacher Chris Sullivan. “My uncle put together a hunted house attraction for Woodstock Elementary School last week; he agreed to help us out.”

Kao Saesho, who also works with the Kids’ Club after-school program, spreads spooky cobwebs in one of the rooms.

As kids adjust to the dim glow of these alien faces – something, we’re not sure what, because it was dark – reaches out and “greets” them.

And, help them “Uncle Barry” Sullivan did. As helpers put finishing touches on the dark rooms, Sullivan said, “My friend Randy Riedel wanted to do this big haunted exhibit for Woodstock’s Harvest Party, so I helped him put it together. It went over very well. We’re happy to bring it here, for these kids to enjoy – and to support their club.”

At this spooky event, they also sold popcorn and offered face-painting. “We’re using the money to pay for additional after-school activities for the kids, like athletics and arts,” Sullivan said.

After dressing the wizard, Barry Sullivan prepares to put the finishing touches on this, his fourth haunted house.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Learn what two mistakes almost cost the lives of two house-sitters, when an early morning blaze erupted …

Firefighters did their best to save this house on S.E. 76th Avenue, after a fire broke out in the bedroom. Dick Harris, PF&R photo

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Just before 5:00 a.m., the stillness of the early morning hours on November 3 was shattered, as flames ripped through the modest rental house at 6750 SE 76th Ave.

According to Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) records, the fire called in at 4:50 a.m., and the first engine arrived at the blazing house four minutes later.

A person who said he was a next door neighbor told us that the occupant of the house was visiting friends in Eugene; his roommate and a visiting friend were “house-sitting” in the home, just north of their residence.

“Prior to the arrival of firefighters, a Portland Police sergeant, on patrol in the area, reported that the house was ‘fully engulfed in flames’,” reported PF&R spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt. “When firefighters arrived, they confirmed the sergeant’s report and began ‘fire attack’ and rescue operations.”

With firefighters attacking the fire from all sides, and from the roof, one was injured. Dick Harris, PF&R photo

Oswalt said an occupant in the burning home told investigators, “I woke up, saw flames climbing up the drapes. I ran out and woke up my roommate on the way, and we both got out.”

Of the twenty firefighters that responded in three engines and one truck, one firefighter was injured while operating a saw on the roof of the house, Oswalt said. “He was transported to Portland Adventist hospital with a cut to the leg.”

As soon as the fire was extinguished, PF&R investigators were on scene and sifting through the rubble in an attempt to identify the cause of the fire. Investigators learned that one man was asleep in the bedroom, where the fire started; the other was sleeping on the living room couch.

Tries to rescue pets
Although the men first tried to quench the blaze, it spread quickly; they then focused their efforts on saving pets.

“One said he felt the flames licking at his leg and woke up the other one,” the next door neighbor reported. “They tried to get out the pets. They got two dogs out, but couldn’t rescue a Chihuahua hiding in the corner; and two cats died.”

In the light of day, it appears that the house, and it contents, are a total loss.

“It appears that both the front and rear doors of the residence were left open during the evacuation,” Oswalt noted, “and due to the air circulation, the fire burned fiercely and hot, spread rapidly throughout the interior of this structure.”

The neighbor commented, “I’ve seen programs on fire safety they talk about how fast a fire can move. Until I saw this, I had no idea how fast it can go from a small fire to a really big one, like this was.”

“Investigators determined that ‘combustibles too close to a baseboard heater’ caused this fire,” Oswalt later told us. “And, there wasn’t a working fire alarm in the structure. Because of these two factors, these two men were lucky to get out alive.”

This fire could have cost the two house sitters their lives, officials say.

Lessons that can save your life
As cold weather moves into the Portland area, Oswald said one of the most frequent causes of residential fires is combustibles close to heaters – flammable things need to be at least three feet away from a heat source – and more is better.

“Use great caution with portable electric heaters,” Oswalt added. “Make sure not to use extension cords with them, keep them on the floor where they can’t get knocked over, and keep flammable items far way from them.”

But, electric baseboard and wall heaters pose a hidden danger, Oswalt continued. “These heaters, controlled by a thermostat, turn on without warning when temperatures drop. Always keep combustibles at least three feet from these types of heaters.”

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

What makes your heart race, your knees buckle, and your body shake? Take a look at this, and see why thousands of adults and kids have already scared themselves silly – while, at the same time, discovering the science of fear – at a new, shocking exhibit …

OMSI’s Executive Director, Nancy Stueber, welcomes guests to the opening of “SCREAM! Featuring Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear”.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Opened just in time for Halloween, a different kind of “haunted house” is still running at Southeast Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

It’s not about spooks, witches, or goblins, though. “SCREAM! Featuring Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear” is title of their latest featured exhibit we’ve told you about in our Community Calendar.

“This exhibit provides a great time, because people love to be scared,” confided OMSI spokesman Lee Dawson at the opening. “And, you’ll go home with a better understanding of your fears. More importantly, you’ll probably learn that many of those fears are unfounded.”

OMSI educator Margaret Hill gets ready to see if guest Clifford Jones will flinch, when the guillotine’s blade drops.

Learn to face your fears
The new OMSI exhibit was chosen, Dawson explained, because fear is a universal emotion. “Everybody, in every culture, experiences fear. This exhibit is a good – and safe – way to dig a little deeper into an emotion that we sometimes take for granted.”

The “Fear Challenge Course” lets visitors face four common fears:

• Animals – sticking hands in a terrarium filled with creepy crawlies;
• Electric shock – waiting in nervous anticipation of getting zapped by a bolt of electricity;
• Loud noises – remaining calm in a loud noise anticipation room; and,
• Falling – riding a free-fall simulator.

Informational panels offer scientific insight into these particular fears, and human reactions to them.

We watched some adventurous visitors test their fear responses by putting their heads through the “business end” of a life-size re-creation of a guillotine. Yes, the heavy metal blade drops with a devastating “thud”. (This explores “Fear of the French Revolution”!)

SE Portland residents Barbara and Aaron Lance wait, anticipating a jolt of electricity.

Other exhibits include:

• Faces of Emotion – see facial expressions of fear, and other emotions universal in humans;
• Fear in the Wild – play a put-yourself-in-the-picture immersive video game, and decide how to respond to a tiger’s attack: Freeze, fight or run;
• Fear and Society – view a short film and various exhibit displays on how our collective fears are represented and transmitted through media and pop culture;
• Coping with Fear – Discover what fears are common at different stages in life, and learn about ways to help children move past their fears.

“Don’t be afraid!” Dawson exclaimed. “Come experience fear in a safe environment, and discover the science behind your physical and emotional responses.”

Lily Jones faces her fear of free-falling backwards in one of the more active exhibits you’ll find.

The exhibit – open at no extra cost, other than the usual museum admission fee – runs through January at OMSI. They’re located on the Willamette east bank, just north of the Ross Island Bridge, at 1945 SE Water Avenue. For general information, call (503) 797-4000 – or visit their website: CLICK HERE.

© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News