See why this group, which usually performs at their studio in the Gateway area, is now heading to the Newmark Theater on April 5 …

The White Rabbit (Riley Willis); two Tweedles (Annie Willis and Sophie Gunz); and the Cheshire Cat (Emily Sevy) suspect they might be late to a very important date!

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Metro Dancers, part of Portland Metro Performing Arts Center (PMPA), have been rehearsing and polishing their parts as they get ready for their production of “Alice in Wonderland” this weekend.

All of Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters from his two marvelous books,  “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”, will be on stage in this unique music and ballet production.

The White Queen (Meng Paulson) dances her part with grace and ease.

“Remember the busy White Rabbit, the mysterious Cheshire Cat, and the domineering Queen of Hearts?” asks PMPA’s executive director, Nancy Yeamans, as we watch some of the production numbers being rehearsed.

“They’re all here! It’s an absolutely wonderful, fun visual feast for kids and adults. It’s got spectacular music, and it has outrageously wonderful costumes done by fabric artists.”

Red Queen is played by grade school teacher Karin Schulz; her class will be coming to see her. Her dancing partner is the Red King (Dave Larison).

Audience members will go on a visit to the Tea Party, the Chess Game, the Nursery Book, and the Garden of Live Flowers. Watch as Alice tries to play her way through a game of croquet with flamingoes for mallets, and some uncooperative playing cards as wickets. Winning is losing, in the illogical logic of Wonderland.

There are still seats available, but this show isn’t at the PMPA hall in Gateway.

This production will be presented onstage April 5 at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway St. at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for high school age kids and adults; $14 for children

For more information, see www.pdxmetroarts.org or call (503) 408-0604.

Who is winning this dizzy chess game? In Wonderland, it makes no difference – it’s all for fun!

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Business and unions weren’t satisfied with the office; see who’s donated what to make this “cop shop” an attractive addition to the neighborhood …

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs tells Sergeant John Anderson, “This is looking really good.”

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
The first step to getting a Portland Police Bureau East Precinct substation in the Parkrose district was finding the location. The Rossi family helped out by giving the cops a favorable lease ($1 per year) on an office on NE Sandy Blvd.

While the interior of the office was adequate, area companies and volunteers wanted this substation to be a showplace.

Business and unions pitch in
Sergeant John Anderson has been guiding the project. He said that Parkrose Hardware has helped out a great deal in refinishing the police substation.  “They’ve donated the paint, lighting fixtures, locks, and exterior lighting, and the store manager has helped us take out the old fixtures and install the new lights.”

Western Pacific Lumber donated the wood trim and wainscoting borders for the office walls. Volunteers from the Painters Union, Local No. 10 – their union hall is just across the street – gave the office a professional paint job. “And, and inmate work crews from Multnomah County Jail will come out and help us by pressure-washing the outside of the building,” Anderson said.

Police presence in Parkrose
“The citizens want to have a police bureau close by,” said Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs, as he checked the progress of the substation. “People will be able to get crime prevention information, crime statistics, and ask a question or put in a request for an officer here.”

The office will open in a few weeks, we’re told. This summer, officers plan on holding an open house to officially inaugurate the new facility.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See how their late-winter planting will provide
shade for summers to come …

Kathi Glover and Jillian Perkins, both of Parkrose Heights, are helping a neighbor plant a magnolia tree, as part of the outer northeast Portland Friends of Trees “action day”.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Early on a blustery Saturday morning a few weeks ago, a large group of folks, dressed for digging in the dirt, showed up at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on NE Halsey Street for a “winter planting action day”.

The minions of tree lovers – mostly local neighbors – fanned out over an area that extended from PDX Airport, east to Gresham, and south to Burnside – to plant trees.

In Parkrose Heights, we caught up with Kathi Glover, as she helped plant trees in front of someone else’s house. She told us that this was her first activity with Friends of Trees.

Planting trees for one another
“We just finished planting trees in my yard,” Glover told us, as she took a brief breather. “We’re all volunteering in our own neighborhoods. I think we have yet one more yard after this.”

Working with Glover was another Parkrose Heights neighbor, Jillian Perkins. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors plant trees,” she added.

Helping to plant the new magnolia trees is Walt Quade, crew leader for Friends of Trees.

From planter to crew leader
“I like to see trees being planted in our neighborhood,” is how Walt Quade, a crew leader for Friends of Trees, explained his efforts. “This is one of the best ways of doing it.”

Quade said he’s been volunteering with Friends of Trees for a dozen years. “I started as a homeowner. I wanted to have trees put in our yard.”

Because he appreciated the organization’s mission, and enjoyed the volunteers with whom he worked, he kept on planting trees.

“I thought this would be kind of neat to do, on a regular basis,” commented Quade. “I’ve got lots of trees in my yard now. After I volunteered for a while as a tree planter, I became a crew leader.”

Learn how you can get trees planted in your yard, or how you can volunteer, by CLICKING HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Visual stimuli abounded at this year’s SE Area ARTwalk! Come along; we’ll introduce you to some of the colorful artists we met …

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
There’s been a virtual explosion of talented artists – working in widely divergent media – in inner SE Portland within the last decade.

In 2002, artist Rin Carroll Jackson created the Southeast Area ARTWalk – now an annual event – to help artists connect with one another. The idea caught on, and now this first-of-March exhibition showcases the work of many area artists for patrons and regular folks who enjoy the creative stimuli of meeting the creative artisans.

This year’s Southeast Area ARTwalk included exhibits and demonstrations of 80 artists. The public participated by obtaining a free map, and embarking on a self-guided tour of the artists’ creative spaces, or their homes and businesses in the area.

If you didn’t take the tour this year, we’ll introduce you to some of the artwork we viewed on our tour and share notes from journal about the artists:

Amid the hustle and bustle of this popular coffee shop, stained glass artist Donald Leedy exhibits his colorful, reflective works.

Artist: Donald Leedy
Location: K&F Coffee, SE 26th Ave
Medium: Stained Glass
Contact: www.brokenglass12.com

“I love working with stained glass,” said Richard Leedy, “because I enjoy working in three dimensions. I recover both art and industrial glass to use in my projects.”

“I’ve always had affection for stained glass windows of all kinds,” explained Leedy. “There’s always been stained glass in my house. One day I picked up the tools and started creating it; and it’s worked out pretty well. Portland is a great place to be doing this work; people here are very receptive.”

After 12 years of experience, Leedy said he gets commissions for both fine art and for industrial stained glass works.

The multitalented Bonita Davis shows her oil on canvas paintings, hand-woven goods, and unique cards.

Artist: Bonita Davis
Location: K&F Coffee, SE 26th Ave.
Media: Oil on canvas; knitted handbags
Contact: www.bonitadavis.com

At the same bustling coffee shop, we also met Bonita Davis, an artist who creates stunning paintings that catch the eye.

“I’ve been involved with painting the longest,” relates Davis. “Oil painting on canvas is my passion; I’ve been pursuing it continuously for the past 15 years.”

Although Davis works full time providing rehabilitation services, she’s also learning how to create in a new medium – knit art. “Knitting is a relatively new skill for me. I really enjoy it, and it’s portable,” she said as she continued knitting a new purse. “The main attraction for me is the wide variety of beautiful yarns that are available.”

Richard Fung makes gallery-quality images using cameras that cost him from only $1.50 to thousands of dollars.

Artist: Richard Fung
Location: Bara Sushi House, SE 21st Ave.
Medium: Photography
Contact: www.richardfung.com

Moving westward, we were met by photographer Richard Fung in this home-turned-Sushi-bar.

“My medium is all types of photography,” said Richard Fung as he exposed his passion for taking pictures. “I work with all photographic media – including color, black and white, digital, and film. I’m photographically eclectic.”

For fine art photography, Fung said he likes to use a plastic camera from the ’50s trademarked the “Diana”. “These originally sold for $1.50, but the cameras now sell on E-Bay for $150. I like it because it produces kind of an ethereal effect; ‘Diana’ photos almost look like paintings.”

From portraits to urban settings and landscapes, Fung said photography has been a passion for him since he was five years old. “While I do commissioned photography, and sell my work at galleries, photography is an avocation. I’m also a recruiter for the City of Gresham Police Bureau.”

Painting as she talks, Penelope Culbertson says she loves expressing herself through art.

Artist: Penelope Culbertson
Location: Clinton Corner Café, SE 21st Ave.
Media: Watercolors and collage
Contact: culbertfam@aol.com

In addition to viewing her displayed artwork, we enjoyed watching Penelope Culbertson as she painted.

“I’ve been working with watercolors for about 25 years,” explained Culbertson. “I learned to paint in the tropics, in Hawaii – an area very well suited for the bright, fluid nature of watercolors.”

In addition to producing artwork and calligraphy, she’s also a teacher, offering both private classes and at a studio on SE 42nd Avenue.

“The best thing about painting is that I get to express myself,” Culbertson said colorfully. “My art allows me to exploit what I see, so I can share it with others.”

There wasn’t a good way photographically to capture Joel Barber’s perspective mural of the Roseland Theater; but all of his paintings – like this jolly bear – are colorful and imaginative as this one.

Artist: Joel Barber
Location: Cadenza Academy, SE 21st Ave.
Media: Painting and collage
Contact: www.joelbarber.com

A man known for his abstract figurative and surreal pop paintings, Joel Barber had stepped out for a moment when we visited. We admired his works on display.

The realistic perspective of a full-wall mural in one room almost caused us to lose our balance. The forced perspective of Barber’s painting made it appear as if we’d stepped on stage at the Roseland Theater – magically turning a short, wide room into a captious music hall.

Barber soon arrived. He said he’d been painting – and selling his work – since childhood; but professionally, for 25 years.

“My mom just sent me a series of pastels I painted as a child,” Barber related. “I was trying to sell plain rocks to our neighbors, without success. She suggested I do paintings and sell them. She and my grandmother purchased them all.”

Although Barber said he didn’t remember much about those paintings, he was surprised to see the “canvas” was painted edge-to-edge, and each painting bore a price tag, as in a gallery.

Barber calls art his “full-time job”, but admits, “I punch a clock three days a week. It helps the bills get paid on time. Working at Columbia Art Supply is great; instead of just ringing up sales, I get to share my knowledge, and teach.”

According to the artists with whom we spoke, this year’s ARTwalk was the best ever, in terms of the number of visitors and their level of interest. Look for this event again on the first weekend in March, 2009.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Police are baffled regarding the disappearance of a 32-year-old outer East Portland woman. Give them a solid lead, and you could get $1,000 from Crime Stoppers …

32-year-old Heather Dawn Mallory, seen here in her “chef whites” was taking classes at Oregon Culinary Institute downtown before she vanished without a trace on March 8.

Story by David F. Ashton
CRIME STOPPERS case #08-13 reads like a fictional detective story we’d see on TV – but it is not. This case is very real.

Police are so concerned about locating 32-year-old Heather Dawn Mallory, they’ve assigned it to their Missing Persons Unit and have Crime Stoppers has issued a $1,000 reward for information.

On Friday, March 7, 2008, Mallory attended classes at Oregon Culinary Institute and worked the entire shift at her job, says Portland Police Bureau’s Detective Tim Sukimoto.

After work, she spent the night socializing with several friends and arrived at her Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood home, about a half a block from Raymond Park about 10:30 am, Saturday, March 8.

Police ask you to be on the lookout for Mallory’s car – a bright red 2001 Ford Focus with Oregon plates 061BZX.

Disappears after a domestic dispute
After Mallory arrived home, she became involved in an argument with her husband, 35-year-old Brian Cole. She reportedly left home awhile later and has not been seen or heard from since.

Mallory reportedly left in a bright red 2001 Ford Focus bearing Oregon license 061BZX. There is a black-colored bike rack on top of the car and a child seat in the back seat.

Mallory is the mother of a 3-year-old child and has no prior history of being missing.

Described as a normal person
Based on information obtained from family and friends, investigators believe it is highly unusual for Heather to remain out of contact. She has been described as professional and responsible in her work habits. Mallory has no known history of mental illness or medical issues.

Investigators have confirmed that there has been no electronic activity on any of her accounts. At this time, detectives have no evidence of foul play.  However, Heather’s sudden disappearance and lack of any contact to family or friends, whatsoever, is considered highly suspicious.

Have you seen this woman? If you have, please call police, or CRIME STOPPERS immediately and help crack this case.

Mallory is a 5’5″, 120-pound white female with blonde hair and brown eyes.

CRIME STOPPERS is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to a resolution in this case, and you remain anonymous.

Call CRIME STOPPERS at (503) 823-HELP (4357). To speak directly with the investigator, call Detective Tim Sukimoto at (503) 823-0462.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Just in time for Easter, see (in LOTS of photos) how two SE Portland neighborhood groups bring their communities together with traditional Easter Egg Hunts …

Kaitlin and Jack Nelson get a real “two carrot” treat from the Easter Bunny at Westmoreland’s Easter Egg Hunt.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
There’s no better sign that springtime has arrived than seeing hundreds of kids in two neighborhoods running – baskets in hand – at the start of annual Easter Egg hunts on March 22.

Waiting as patiently as possible, families wait for the “tiny tots” section to be opened for the big Sellwood-Westmoreland hunt.

Sellwood-Westmoreland’s Easter Egg Hunt
It was promoted as “come rain-or-shine”, and the brilliant sunshine drew hundreds of families to this annual event.

The event was free, but many folks brought canned goods for the FISH Food Bank, some gave cash donations.

In minutes, hundreds of kids get about the business of gathering their eggs.

Phoebe Diamond has great success finding chocolate eggs.

“We love helping SMILE put on this event,” said Edwina Swart, President of Oaks Bottom Lions Club. “It’s just great; the kids are having lots of fun.”

At 10 a.m. sharp, the ribbons cordoning off areas in the southern part of Westmoreland Park were lifted and the kids took off on their hunt. Actually, the colorfully foil-wrapped milk-chocolate were plentiful – making the kids’ mission more “gathering” than “searching”.

Leasa Wiebke appears to enjoy the Westmoreland Easter Egg Hunt as much as her daughter, Julia!

Because three football field-sized areas were swept clean of candies in minutes, the organizers made sure no one went home empty handed. They thoughtfully withheld a small bucket of treats for those too timid to grab their share.

10th Annual Woodstock Easter Egg Hunt

Some of the more than 200 kids at Woodstock Park await the start of their Easter Egg Hunt for some 1,700 candy-and-prize filled plastic eggs.

We had just enough time to head east to this event, now in its tenth year.

Set more as a “hunt”, families and kids gathered in the central portion of Woodstock Park. Tom Vice counted down the minutes, and at precisely 10:30 a.m., kids fanned out in three searching areas, each assigned to an age group.

“Ready, set go!” says Tom Vice. The kids didn’t need to be egged on.

Gale and Michael Budde tag along as Jill sets off to find her eggs.

At their event, the kids searched for plastic eggs containing candy, a toy, or a coupon good for a larger toy or sheet of stickers. See how many folks had come out on the sunny morning, organizers asked that each kid take only five eggs – most everyone complied and shared – so all were satisfied.

The “man with the megaphone”, Tom Vice, said the event was hosted by the Woodstock Business Association, and sponsored by Safeway, BiMart, The UPS Store, Papa Murphy’s, Hollywood Video, and Life House Church.

With a little help from mom and dad, Amy and Jeff Loney, Lucy quickly collected her Easter eggs.

“We prepared 1,700 Easter Eggs,” Vice recounted. “They were all gathered in about seven minutes. It’s incredible to see the great energy here. We easily have over 200 children participating.”

Jill Budde is exploring the contents of her newly-found Easter eggs as her parents, Gail and Michael look on.

Darren Almli and his little bunny-girl Shayla wait to redeem their tickets for prizes.

While their event features candy and prizes, Vice said, “The important thing is this event brings families, who live in the Woodstock area, together. We’re focusing on finding ways to help build community, and the best way is events like this that brings people together. Look around! So many people are here having a great time!”

Elise Nettle getting her treats directly from the Woodstock Easter Bunny.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Take a look and see how this inner SE Portland dance school is training young people who will be competing in the upcoming International Irish Step Dancing competition …

Four An Daire Academy students show off their Irish Step Dancing skill – which may take them to the international competition.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Behind the An Daire Academy of Irish Dance, hidden away in an industrial area of inner SE Portland, is a story of passion, romance, dedication – and Irish Step Dancing.

The international show theatrical production “Riverdance” popularized traditional Irish Step Dancing, in which dancers take rapid and sometimes acrobatic steps, while their torsos and arms remain motionless.

But the proprietors of this unique Portland-based dance school, Jim Mueller and Lauren Crowe-Mueller, started perfecting their dancing technique long before Riverdance-styled shows became all the rage.

Owners of the dance academy, Jim Mueller and Lauren Crowe-Mueller, tell how the love of Irish dance brought them together both in love and in business at an East Portland Chamber of Commerce networking event.

Portland natives, but strangers
Both members of this husband-and-wife team grew up in Portland and attended rival high schools – but in those days, they never met.

At an East Portland Chamber of Commerce function in March, Jim told the group he learned his first Irish steps as a postgraduate hobby, took to dancing, and started instructing.

A 1988 Portland Rose Festival Princess, Lauren studied nursing and musical theater, before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, where she took up Irish dance. She progressed, finally dancing with The Chieftains, and performing at renaissance festivals throughout the United States.

“We met in a class taught by Tony Comerford in Seattle,” Lauren said; “We became engaged at his Feile na Nollaig (Irish dance event) in December of 1999, and were married in our hard [dance] shoes in May of 2000.”

Jim added, “Thanks to the Comerford School, we became successful open champions, competing at the North American, All-Ireland, and World Championships, in both solos and teams.”

Opens studio in Portland
Under Comerford’s direction, the Muellers opened a dance studio in Portland in 2000.

“In 2005, Tony said we were ready to, and able to, operate our own school; and, with his blessing, in 2005 we opened the An Daire Academy of Irish Dance,” explained Lauren.

She informed us that instructors must be certified in Irish dance if their students are to compete. “The examination process was difficult, but we were both certified before we opened our school.”

Wee dancers Kate, Emilie, and Kendal admirably perform a “Three-hand Reel”.

Armless dancing explained
“Why don’t you use their arms when you dance?” is the question they’re most frequently asked, Jim said.

“It started with the church movement in Ireland,” he related. “When St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, the church was very tied into the state. As the British came into the Emerald Isle, their magistrates tried to suppress the Irish; getting them to submit to their will.”

Because the Irish are such a celebratory people, he continued, they tried to break their spirit by decreeing that dancing was an offence to God. “The Irish learned to dance with her hands at their sides. So, if a church magistrate walked past the window, appeared as if they were listening to music and having a good time.”

It wasn’t long until competitions arose to see who could dance the best steps – with their arms at their sides.

These fast-stepping An Daire dancers demonstrate the speed, precision, and skill required to enter and win Irish Step Dancing competitions.

Workout on the dance floor
It’s only been within the last decade that the Irish dance form has come on par with jazz and ballet, Jim mentioned. “Irish dance technique is very young. Over in Ireland, it’s still ‘Shut up, put your shoes on, and dance’.”

Lauren explained that they realized, early on, that poor technique will limit the life of a dancer, due to injuries. “We want to help dancers enjoy a lifetime of dance, without injury. So, we’ve created special warm-up exercises and strength training, based on the ballet and jazz. It’s a great workout.”

This top ranked Irish Step Dancer, Allie Lewis, traveled to Ireland in March, to enter in the 2008 dance competition.

Dancing for fun, and prizes
“This year has been especially wonderful,” Lauren beamed, “because not only do we have dancers going for solo competitions, we also have three teams of dancers going to the 2008 international competition in Ireland.”

Jim added, “We’ve got our fingers crossed; we’re hoping we can get a team on the [winners] podium in Belfast.”

Wide variety of skills taught
Visiting their studio, we learned they also teach Highland dance, and offer music lessons on Celtic and medieval eclectic instruments as well.

“We do a lot of fun things here at the studio,” Lauren concluded. “All told, we have just shy of 300 dancers throughout the Northwest. If you know anyone who wants this type of musical education, please tell them about us.”

This dance troupe appeared more than a dozen times at various St. Patrick Day observances around the greater Portland area this year.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Meet these schools’ ambassadors to the 2008 Portland Rose Festival. Will one of these ladies become the Portland Rose Festival Queen? Take a look …

Standing with her court, Brenda Estela Olmos has just learned she will represent David Douglas High School at the 2008 Portland Rose Festival.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

David Douglas High Princess
It is always an invigorating experience to visit “full-school assembly” at David Douglas High School. The student body is well behaved; but when it’s time to cheer, the nearly 3,000 students nearly lift the roof of the gymnasium.

Last week, when we visited the assembly at which the David Douglas High 2008 Portland Rose Festival Princess was announced – it was an occasion to cheer.

Almost overtaken by emotion, Olmos does her best to smile, as she’s presented with a bouquet of roses.

After the announcement, Olmos told the enthusiastic crowd, “I thank my family for being there, for all the good times and the bad times. Thank you for this honor.”

Olmos said she’s been involved with Student Council, National Honors Society, Link Crew, Peer Mediation, Key Club, Academic All-Stars, MECHA, and Varsity Soccer.

Her other activities including working at a Subway store, volunteering at Mill Park Elementary as a tutor, playing in the River Park Soccer League, and participating in American Friends Service Committee and youth group. Her hobbies are playing soccer, coaching basketball and soccer, gardening, and listening to Mexican music.

After the selection, Principal Randy Hutchison commented, “This is a great opportunity for our kids.  It’s nice to see how many showed up for the competition. Any one of the students would’ve been a great selection, and we’re proud of them all. Brenda will make a great ambassador for David Douglas High School.”

After the gym cleared, Olmos told us, “I’m really excited. I thank all of my peers who supported me. I look forward to representing my school and meeting many people in the Portland Rose Festival program.”

Madison High Princess

Introducing Madison High School’s 2008 Portland Rose Festival Princess, Jill Tremblay. PRF Photo

Last week Madison High School also held their 2008 Portland Rose Festival Princess selection assembly.

The outcome: Representing Madison will be Jill Tremblay.

In the future, Tremblay said she plans to enroll in Portland State University’s Pre-Dental program, and later attend Oregon State University.

She’s been recognized for her participation in the Academy of Science & Natural Resources, Class Council, Track (hurdles and pole vaulting), and Cheerleading.

The other activities Tremblay said she enjoys are Art (drawing and painting), snowboarding, exercising, and Cosmology. She is involved with the Ascension Church Youth Group, and volunteers at Providence Children’s Hospital.

Marshall Campus’ Princess

The students at Marshall Campus selected Kim Pham as their 2008 Portland Rose Festival Princess. PRF Photo

And, during the same week, the four schools at Marshall Campus selected their 2008 Portland Rose Festival ambassador.

From the Pauling Academy of Integrated Science at Marshall Campus, Kim Pham won the title.

Asked about her plans, Pham said, “This fall, I plan to attend the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. I’m not quite sure what I’ll be studying, but I’ve been contemplating Pre-Med for a very long time, so that might be it.”

Pham said she likes being active, and participates in tennis, soccer, National Honor Society, Music Club, and the school’s 2008 Yearbook – of which she’s the chief editor.

“I’ve done a lot of volunteering for Hands On Portland, and other projects,” Pham told us, “including cooking at Clark Center, Multnomah Summer Reading Program, serving seniors for Loaves and Fishes, playing the Easter Bunny for Easter Seals, and volunteering for Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children.”

Her hobbies include cooking, baking, riding bikes, going to concerts, playing guitar, writing poetry, drawing, and being in the outdoors.

Coronation on June 7
The 2008 Portland Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation takes place on June 7, just before the start of the Grand Floral Parade. For tickets, or more information, see CLICK HERE and we’ll take you directly to their web site. Or, call their hotline: 1-877-789-ROSE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

In exchange for learning about law enforcement, see the many ways these young people help build the community …

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Cadets Nathan Huff and Ryan Mele tell community members about their experiences, at a Commander’s Forum not long ago.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Regular readers have read our coverage of the Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Cadets, and the good work they do in the community.

At a recent Commander’s Forum – a meeting held each month by East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs – a roomful of community members were introduced to the Police Cadets and their work, by their main sponsor, Sgt. Michael Gallagher.

East Precinct’s Sgt. Michael Gallagher tells how the Police Cadet program helps young people prepare for a law enforcement career.

On-scene career training
“The Police Cadet Program helps introduce young people, between the ages of 16 and 20, to a law enforcement career,” began Sgt. Michael Gallagher, the leader of East Precinct’s program.

“The program includes classroom instruction, hands-on training, and mentorship,” Gallagher continued. “When Cadets complete the program, we encourage them to apply to the Portland Police Reserve, and when they’re eligible, with the Portland Police Bureau.”

Giving Cadets an understanding of the criminal justice system, and of the professional ethics applied to law enforcement, are the goals of the program, he added – as well as helping them understand of Oregon laws.

Wide variety of assignments
The program doesn’t relegate the Cadets to backroom clean-up chores, Gallagher said. “Police Cadets work many details and assignments in uniform, and are involved in the following areas of community events and services…”

Although Police Cadets have no police powers, they do provide valuable service to their community while they learn about police work.

On patrol, Cadets do vacation house checks, traffic speed watches, and help out by directing traffic around road hazards, traffic accidents, and crime scenes.

Helping out at the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division’s “Holiday Deliveries” is one of the many missions for the Police Cadets. Most Cadets volunteer about 90 hours of service monthly.

Police Cadets help maintain order when the LPGA Golf Tournament comes to Portland, assist in loading and delivering Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division boxes, and help out at community fairs – like the East Precinct Annual Open House, and the Gateway Fun-O-Rama Parade and Gateway Community Fair at 111th Square. Typically, the Gallagher said, Police Cadets volunteer about 90 hours per month for service and community activities.

“An important activity for our Cadets is ‘Underage Alcohol and Tobacco Missions’,” Gallagher reported. “They go into stores, bars, and restaurants, and attempt to buy alcohol. If they’re asked, the Cadets never lie about their age; they show their real driver’s license. Doing this, we help the OLCC cut down on alcohol sales to minors.”

Cadets undergo formal training
Each post has training every week, Gallagher went on. “They are taught how to protect themselves in hand-to-hand situations. And, at our firing range downtown, they learn to shoot various firearms, and are taught firearms safety by the range instructors.”

In addition, Police Cadets learn:

• Community Policing philosophy;
• Ethics and decision-making;
• Cultural awareness;
• Driving techniques;
• Crime scene control;
• Report writing;
• Oregon laws; and,
• CPR/First Aid

Sgt. Gallagher narrates videos of past Police Cadet training exercises, and tells about the extensive training program developed for these young people.

Beyond classrooms and schoolbooks
Not all Police Cadet training takes place in the classroom or during a patrol car ride-along. “They learned how to search a house,” said Gallagher. “And how to execute a search warrant. From a field trip to the Police Academy in Salem, to Camp Rilea on the Coast, the cadets get a wide variety of training.”

But it isn’t t all work. They also have softball games, and participate in other fun events, Gallaher added.

‘Clean noses’ a requirement
“We hold the Cadets to a higher standard of conduct,” Gallagher explained, as he turned to the topic of membership requirements. “It’s just as we do for our police officers. For example, they can’t be where underage alcohol is being used, or get traffic tickets.”

Specifically, Portland Cadet recruits:

• Maintain a “C” grade point average with no failures in high school;
• Have no arrests or convictions which would prohibit employment as a police officer; and,
• Are a U.S. citizen, or have a valid green card.

If you know of a young person who would benefit from this program, he or she can get more information by talking with Portland Police Cadet Officers in East Precinct at (503) 823-4836.

And, if you know of a young person in Inner Southeast who would benefit from this program, they can get more information by talking with Portland Police Cadet Officers in SE Precinct at (503) 823-2143. Sgt. Charlie Brown, or Officers Sue Kahut or Tom Kaplan will be happy to tell you more.

Or, download the application form by CLICKING HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Why are they doing that, and which was the featured instrument when we visited Midland Library? Find out right here …

Oregon Symphony member Jeff Johnson talks about being a string bass player, and demonstrates the instrument for the children at Midland Library.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
There’s almost always something interesting happening at Midland Library, in the Mill Park neighborhood on SE 122nd Avenue.

On a rainy Saturday, early in March, we went to see Symphony Story Time, to learn about the program.

“This is for preschool age children and their families,” explained Monica Hayes of the Oregon Symphony. “It is important for young children to meet members of the orchestra family. Also we pair literature about music with music itself, so they get the most out of the experience.”

On successive Saturdays, the Oregon Symphony featured woodwinds…brass…and then percussion, in the library presentations.

When we visited, we met Jeff Johnson, a 16-year veteran of the Symphony. He was tuning up his string bass, getting ready to talk with the children.

“It’s important to get out into the community and reach audiences of varying sizes and ages that wouldn’t normally be exposed to this music,” said Johnson. “We don’t want to have our musical life restricted to the concert hall.”

The best part about playing a string bass, Johnson tells us, is that the musical parts they play form the “foundation of the orchestra. Being at the ‘bottom of the orchestra’, we have a chance to listen to the rest of the orchestra as it plays.”

The bass line, Johnson continues, is the foundation of all music. “Perhaps not so much in modern music, but certainly in jazz and standards. That’s another thing I like about the instrument; it’s so versatile. I’ve played many different types of music at one time or another.”

Midland Library children’s librarian Sue Ciesielski reads the story of “Berlioz The Bear”, as Johnson illustrates passages musically on his bass.

The bass and the bear
After the youngsters are seated, Johnson tells them about his life and times as a professional musician.

“When I was very young, I wasn’t tall enough to play the string bass.  My mother had me stand on a chair to be able to play the instrument. I’ll show you how I play it, and let you touch the instrument. Before we do that, my friend Sue and I are going to read some stories, and I’ll play along and supply some sounds to go with the story.”

The kids eagerly agree when he asks the question, “Does this sound like a good thing to do?”

With that, Sue Ciesielski, children’s librarian at Midland, opens and starts reading the storybook, “Berlioz The Bear”.

Johnson comments, “this has always been one of my favorite books, ever since I can remember.  Can you imagine why?”

As Ciesielski reads, Johnson musically illustrates the story on his bass, to the delight of the kids. The children look enraptured as the librarian and musician gently guide the next generation into the land of symphonic music.

After storytime, brother and sister, Matthew and Ruth Benzar, help the little kids make “shoebox violins”. “These show and demonstrate the structure of a violin,” says Matthew.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

“HOUSE RECYCLING” PROGRESS REPORT:
Learn what surprisingly new information ‘Ms. Q-Renew’ has discovered – and is passing along – as she attempts to recycle every piece of an old SE Portland old house into a new one …

Sitting on a bench made entirely from hawthorn tree branches and siding removed from the old house, Shannon Quimby told us she’s glad an artist found a use for these items that most redevelopers would toss into a landfill.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
If Shannon Quimby has her way, the house she’s building at 2022 SE Rex Street in the Westmorland neighborhood won’t have a dumpster on the construction site. “If we have one, it won’t be very large,” she says.

As we’ve been reporting, instead of bulldozing the old house on the property, Quimby’s team dismantled the building, piece by piece, and has stored it in two large containers. Last month, they carefully moved mature trees – instead of cutting them down – to make way for the new home.

Quimby, who hosts “Q-Renew” shows on the Home & Garden TV Network, calls her project “REX” – for Reuse Everything eXperiment. “We’re recycling an old house into a new one, to show it is possible, and practical, to save building materials, instead of dumping them into a landfill.”

In front of the newly-poured foundation, Quimby reminds us that the massive holly tree they removed is being milled into open beams that will grace the house. “But we didn’t know what to do with the branches until an artist, Tim Boyden contacted us. He specializes in making garden furniture from reclaimed materials. He’s making benches, and trellises and tables for the project from our tree branches, old siding and floorboards.”

Quimby says this thin layer of concrete will keep the home warm and dry – and save $1,000 per year in energy costs.

Energy savings from the ground, up
We noted that the crawl space in the new home looked like a shallow basement.

“It’s called a conditioned crawl space,” Quimby states. “I don’t know why this isn’t a standard building practice. Over plastic sheeting, we poured a thin layer of concrete, and seal it where it joins the foundation.”

In addition to eliminating the possibility of mold, mildew and dry rot, Quimby adds, “The $1,000 it cost will cut our energy usage and bills by that amount every year! And, it will give us additional under-house storage space.”

Quimby invites neighbors to drop by and follow their progress as their project continues. Learn more by visiting www.shannonquimby.com.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See what transportation planners say they can do to ease slow-moving traffic around Airport Way and I-205 – and when they plan to take action …

Matt Freitag, ODOT consultant, and Port of Portland project manager Robin McCaffrey ask people to tell them how they’re affected by congested traffic around PDX.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Matt Freitag, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) consultant and project manager, didn’t mince words when he began our conversation: “There is congestion at the Airport Way/I-205 interchange. We’re looking for ways to alleviate it on both the Airport Way East and Airport Way West.”

Primarily, he added, ODOT, with the help of the Port of Portland, is looking for a way to speed up sluggish traffic traveling from eastbound Airport Way to northbound Interstate 205.

Handles 200,000 cars per day
Congestion at this interchange has been a problem since 1998, we learned; and east- and westbound traffic issues on Airport Way have been documented since 2000. The documentation shows that the Airport Way interchange is used by nearly 200,000 vehicles daily.

At an open house a couple of weeks ago, Freitag added, “We were trying to get some information out on what citizens see as a congestion issues, and get suggestions regarding what they perceive are the issues we should be looking at.”

Robin McCaffrey, Port of Portland, also working on the project, commented, “The I-205 north interchange design cannot handle today’s peak-hour traffic, much less tomorrow’s [increased] traffic.”

Smooth sailing a long time off
McCaffrey explained that they are in the early stages of the project. “We’re developing information, and getting all of our alternatives lined up.”

The timetable for improvements won’t be complete until 2014, noted Freitag. “In 2009 we’re hoping to move into a more in-depth analysis of specific solutions and alternatives. We want to be moving into design by 2010. We need to find a solution that works here, we don’t want to rush into it.”

Ross Monn talks with Scott King, a Port of Portland airport planner.

Wilkes Community Group Chair Ross Monn stopped by the open house. He commented, “You don’t go into this area after four o’clock. The traffic is clogged. . .  I look forward to something being done to help improve the situation here.”

Deposit your two-cents
“We’re in the early stage of this,” McCaffrey noted. “There will be many opportunities for people to give input; we encourage people to participate.”

To take a look for yourself, and register your comments, at the ODOT web site. We’ll take you there if you CLICK HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service