kmcdade

How do you solve a problem like...I'm not even sure what the problem is. The Portland Plan is attacking something big; so big I don't even know how to describe it!

The Portland Plan is a gigantic project in which the city of Portland will come up with a new, comprehensive, 25-or-more-year plan for the city. The city's current comprehensive plan is 29 years old, so it's clearly time to evaluate and rebuild.

As part of the project, the city is holding a series of regional meetings, in which area residents and other stakeholders are invited to find out more about the Portland Plan and provide input on where the city should be going in the next 25-30 years.

November 19's meeting for East Portland was held at David Douglas High School, with about 130 people in attendance. A Portland Plan meeting is a high-tech event, with video cameras on all sides of the room, photographers, a digital projector, and an electronic response system. All participants were given a small, wireless electronic keypad for providing responses to various survey questions throughout the evening - and response tallies were provided instantly onscreen!

One thing missing was publicly announced wireless internet access for the meeting. As an employee of David Douglas School District, I was able to figure out how to get online - but access for everyone would be great for those who are social media users - we're used to reporting live on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. I and several others did manage to live-tweet from the meeting, and you can see the chatter on Twitter under #pdxplan.

The meeting followed a digital slide presentation format, although there was plenty of room for discussion, too.  Portland mayor Sam Adams led us through the presentation, assisted by City Commissioner Amanda Fritz and various staffers. First, we looked at basic demographic information for both East Portland and the entire city.  This incorporated survey data from the group that attended the meeting -- for instance, of the meeting participants:

• 43% actually live in East Portland (east of 82nd Avenue)
• 79% live in single family homes
• 84% are white/Caucasian
• 26% work in East Portland; 17% work in the Central City (downtown-ish)

For comparison, here are the citywide statistics:

• 26% of Portland residents live in East Portland (east of 82nd Avenue)
• 61% live in single family homes
• 74% are white/Caucasian
• 12% work in East Portland; 38% work in the Central City

You can download the handout we received with statistics about East Portland here (PDF link). The citywide statistics were presented in the slide show; I've got a paper copy, but it doesn't seem to be available online.

Next, the workshop was divided into three issue areas:

Group 1

• Prosperity, business success and equity
• Education and skill development
• Arts, culture and innovation

Group 2

• Sustainability and the natural environment
• Human health, food and public safety
• Quality of life and civic engagement

Group 3

• Design, planning and public spaces
• Neighborhoods and housing
• Transportation, technology and access

We covered each area as a whole group with the slide show, voting on what we thought was most important to address and how we thought various issues should be addressed. Results will be posted on the Portland Plan website at a later date; you can also take the survey online. Then we discussed each area with our table groups, with a facilitator from the city guiding discussion and writing down ideas and comments.

And that's the process involved in these community workshops - they alternate between disseminating information and gathering input; and I felt like there was a very strong emphasis on gathering input.

Mayor Adams and others also gave several nods to the existing East Portland Action Plan, which is doing similar work specific to East Portland.

If you aren't able to attend a workshop (the next is December 1 in St. Johns), there are other ways to get involved: take the survey, read the Portland Plan Handbook, discuss it with friends and neighbors, or organize your own community meeting (the Portland Plan folks will come to you).  You can contact the Portland Plan via email, Twitter, and Facebook as well.

Parkrose's girls water polo team are now the class 5A state champions! The Broncos beat Ashland 16-9 for the state title. The boys team placed second, also playing against Ashland, in a very close game (11-10). Junior Courtney Garcia was the girls MVP, and senior goalie Nathan Clement took MVP for the boys. The following players also won spots on the state all-star teams:

Boys 1st team in 5A

Boys 2nd team in 5A

Girls 1st team in 5A
Courtney Garcia - junior

Girls 2nd team in 5A

Congratulations to all of the Bronco players and their coaches, Gary Muzzy and Ben Talbott.

Madison High School's SUN Community program is now offering a free Yoga for the People class on Monday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00.  It's taught by Monica O'Neal, who is trained and certified through the Movement Center.  Participants should bring a water bottle and towel; mats are provided.  There is a suggested donation of $5 to help with upkeep of mats/materials, but a donation is not required.

Madison High School is located at 2735 NE 82nd Avenue.  Enter at the front of the building and follow the signs for YOGA.

David Douglas High School's football team won against Barlow on Friday, 42-14 to clinch the #4 playoff spot in the Mount Hood Conference. They'll play at South Salem in the first round on November 13.

Parkrose United Methodist Church is planning a free community Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, November 26 at 2:00 p.m., open to all. Turkeys are provided; bring a side dish or dessert to share if you're able.  RSVP to welcome@parkroseumc.org.

The Portland + Oregon Sustainability Institute is planning to establish one of five eco-districts in the Gateway area. Eco-districts "bring together residents, businesses, utilities and other groups to create and manage their own energy and wastewater systems, saving money and creating better places to live and work."

The United States House of Representatives voted yesterday to pass a sweeping health care reform bill. The bill passed by a vote of 220-215. All but one Republican voted against it, and 39 Democrats also voted against it. Oregon's representatives voted along party lines, for a variety of reasons.

Rep. David Wu (D-1st District) voted yes on the health care bill. Wu said in an official statement, "I voted for this bill because, in addition to covering millions more Americans, it will increase security and stability for those who already have health insurance."

Rep. Greg Walden (R-2nd District) joined other Republicans in voting against the health care bill. However, he says on his website that access to quality, affordable health care is one of his top priorities, and he's been working toward that as co-chair of the House Rural Health Care Coalition (much of Walden's district is rural).

Earl Blumenauer (D-3rd District), has been a staunch supporter of the health care reform bill, and voted yes. Blumenauer said "Tonight I voted for every Oregonian who has faced bankruptcy when they've lost their care or has been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Tonight, I voted to protect every Oregonian who has health insurance but sees their costs rising every year." Blumenauer also authored the end-of-life planning portion of the bill.

Peter DeFazio (D-4th District) voted yes on the health care bill. DeFazio was considered a potential swing vote, and said after the vote that while the plan isn't perfect, "This bill reforms the worst and most lucrative abuses of the insurance industry. It takes away their unfair anti-trust immunity, meaning they no longer can collude or price-fix to drive up premiums or restrict coverage. If we didn't do anything else, this will go a long way toward bringing down the cost of health care coverage."

Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-5th District) voted yes on the health care bill, announcing "I am proud to have cast a historic vote today to overhaul America's failing healthcare system to improve the healthcare of all Americans. This bill prohibits exclusions based on preexisting conditions and ensures American families will no longer be one illness or job loss away from bankruptcy."

The Senate will consider the bill next (and has already developed its own version of the bill). Oregon's senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, are both Democrats and supporters of health care reform, although Wyden has been critical of the existing plan and has in fact proposed his own health care reform plan. With 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans and two independents in the Senate, any vote on health care reform is expected to be close.

State playoff spots for 6A football are up in the air tonight, as David Douglas faces Barlow and Hood River Valley faces Central Catholic in the last of the regular season games.

David Douglas, Hood River Valley, and Barlow are currently tied in the league with 3 wins, 3 losses each. Two of the teams will go to the playoffs as the #4 and #5 teams in the league, and one will be knocked out of the playoffs. A David Douglas win over Barlow would put them in the playoffs, but if David Douglas loses, the spot could go to Hood River.  So it's a must-win game for David Douglas -- and for star defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who was profiled today in the Oregonian.

The game is tonight, November 6, at David Douglas's Palermini Stadium (1500 SE 130th Avenue) at 7:00 p.m. Playoffs begin November 13.

In addition to maintaining a Facebook fan page for ParkroseGateway.com, I sometimes browse Facebook for material or events to cover. Recently I ran across a group mysteriously called Laundry Love Parkrose. The statement on their group page says "For those living below the poverty line, washing clothes presents both a logistical problem and a financial hardship. Laundry Love Projects partner with local laundromats in cleaning the clothes the homeless and working poor."

The project is sponsored by Eastside Foursquare Church, which owns and operates the Quality Inn and Suites. We received a school newsletter today which explained a little more about the project. Volunteers will be at the Parkrose Laundry at NE 131st and Sandy Boulevard on Thursday, November 12 with quarters, laundry soap, and dryer sheets for anyone who is struggling to make ends meet and needs help getting the laundry done.  They'll continue doing this on the second Thursday of each month.

If you know of anyone who needs this assistance, please let them know about the event. For more information, contact Sara at Eastside Foursquare Church, 503-226-4900.

Parkrose HIgh School's boys and girls' water polo teams will compete in the Class 5A state tournament Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation Center November 13 and 14. Both Bronco teams placed first in the Northwest Oregon league, and also qualified for the tournament via playoff games.

Both teams will face off against West Albany in semifinal matches on November 13. The championship matches will be played on November 14; the winner of the girls' match will face either Bend or Ashland, and the winner of the boys' match will play either Summit or Ashland.

The David Douglas High School theater department is now selling tickets for its fall musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Performance dates will be December 3-6 and 10-12 at the Horner Performing Arts Center, 1400 SE 130th Ave. Tickets are $7 for students and seniors and $10 for adults, and can be purchased in advance. Over 100 David Douglas students are in the cast! For more information, contact the Horner Performing Arts Center box office at 503-261-8270.

The Parkrose Thespians will present Laurence Boswell's Beauty and the Beast, November 13, 14, 19 and 20. Tickets are $8, and can be purchased online. For more information, contact Ms. Zena at (503) 408-2621.

[edited to include information from both schools - KM]

David Douglas student-athlete Owamagbe Odighizuwa attended the Oregon-USC football game this weekend as a potential recruit for the Ducks. Odighizuwa is the top-rated high school player in Oregon, and is in the top 20 nationally according to rivals.com.

The David Douglas boys soccer team clinched a Mt. Hood Conference playoff berth with a win over Reynolds on Tuesday. In girls water polo, the team has a perfect record in the league, with one more match against Barlow on November 3.

International visitors from The Labyrinth Society visited the Parkrose Community Peace Labyrinth at Parkrose High School during their convention, which was held at the Edgefield Manor in Troutdale.

Four school districts in east Multnomah county are looking for new superintendents.

Scott Boxell, an Oregon City High School counselor, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in an Estacada-area campground. Boxell was a Parkrose High School alumnus.