True crime writer Ann Rule to speak at annual 'Bagels & Books' event

True crime writer Ann Rule to speak at annual 'Bagels & Books' event

From the Gresham-Barlow School District:

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Automotive Repair You Can Trust
Fun & Exciting state of the art bowling.

Photos: Celebrating Japanese culture in Gresham

Still need to drop off your ballot?

Still need to drop off your ballot?

Election Day is Tuesday and if you haven't dropped off your ballot yet, you have until 8 p.m. that day to do so. No need to panic, though. There are plenty of locations that serve as drop-off points.

'Stamp Out Hunger' today

PORTLAND, Ore. – If you’re feeling charitable, you can help "stamp out hunger" on Saturday.

“Stamp Out Hunger” is the annual food drive by the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon State Association of Letter Carriers. Postal carriers in Oregon and southwest Washington delivered 1.5 million yellow, biodegradable bags to homes this week.

If you would like to donate, simply fill the bag with non-perishable food – like canned soups, cereal and pasta – and leave it outside for your mail carrier. Items like peanut butter and tuna fish are in high demand for kids, since schools and food pantries need help with their summer lunch programs.

“Nobody raises more food in one day than letter carriers do across the country  by l,” said Kevin Card, the president of the Oregon State Association of Letter Carriers. “It's that one time we can work with our customers to do something really incredible.”

The drive can bring in two million pounds of food for Oregon and southwest Washington; however, donations were down by 18 percent last year. Organizers do not know the reason.

Community Sponsors

Grand opening ceremony for Boring Station Trailhead Park set for May 19

Make your way out to the Boring Station Trailhead Park at 11 a.m. May 19 for its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Boring Station Trailhead Park was a stop and shipping location during streetcar operation. Clackamas County Parks purchased nearly seven acres from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1999, from SE Dee Street to 1/3 mile south of Highway 212. Community organizations have invested both time and resources into planning and developing the site. The Friends of Boring Station Trailhead Park (FBSTP), in conjunction with the Boring-Damascus Grange and the Boring Community Planning Organization, have cleared the site of debris and resurfaced it with sand and gravel. They have also contributed to bringing a stage, electrical access, water and sewer service, storage area, and a monument to the site.

Immerse yourself in another culture at 'A Skoosh Japanese'

Immerse yourself in another culture at 'A Skoosh Japanese'

What: Sample a smorgasbord of Japan:

  • Try your hand at: origami (paper folding); koto (13 string instrument); and get dressed in a kimono.
  • Talk with artists as they display their work: calligraphy, bonsai, and hand made paper with sumi-e (ink wash drawing).
  • Watch demonstrations of: ikebana (flower arranging); sushi making (no raw fish); and a tea ceremony.
  • Interact with students who went to Saru Island for a watershed exchange, folks who traveled to our sister city Ebetsu, and members of the Mount Hood Community College Japanese Club. 
  • Learn about the Portland Japanese Garden (one of the top two Japanese Gardens in the US), and find out about the current restoration of Tsuru Island – Gresham Japanese Garden in Main City Park.
  • Talk with author Clarence Mershon who wrote about local Japanese Americans during WW II; learn about the internment of the Japanes Americans, and talk with local folks who experienced that time.
  • Finish off the evening with a performance by PSU Taiko Enseble.

When: Monday, May 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Reynolds teachers vote to go on strike

PORTLAND, Ore. - Teachers in the Reynolds School District voted Tuesday afternoon to authorize a strike.

Teachers say they have been working without a contract since last June and that enough is enough. Their collective voice was heard loud and clear when 94 percent of those who showed up to vote said 'yes' to a strike.

The school district said last week they offered their teachers $3 million in raises over the next three years but teachers instead want close to $13 million. They also believe their current contract is too vague.

"We really want things to change," said teacher Kim Stoffregen. "We want to have what's best for our kids and we don't feel like we're getting that."

"We feel like this has been dragging on too long," said Joyce Rosenau, President of the Reynolds Education Association. "We have been bargaining for over a year now and progress is not being made. And we feel there needs to be a sense of urgency. We want this settled."