UPDATE: Parker returned to his home late Sunday evening, July 24. According to police, he called his mother around 10:00 p.m. and police picked him up from a Portland location and took him to his home.

Portland Police are looking for Levi Richard Parker, age 16, who was last seen at Ventura Park (near SE 117th and Stark). According to the police department press release:

Levi was with his mother at the park when he was approached by a man in his early 20's. The man offered Levi an hourly wage to do door to door marketing and told Levi's mother that he would bring the boy back by 8:00 p.m. that same night. Levi has not returned and is considered a missing juvenile at this time by detectives.

Levi is described as a light skinned black male, 5'6" tall, weighs approximately 130 pounds, and has short reddish blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, red Vans with white stripes, and possibly a black baseball cap with a green and white logo that appeared to be an outline of the State...

Earlier this year, Governor Kulongoski instructed school districts to expect an additional nine percent reduction in monies received from the State of Oregon. This was part of an across-the-board nine percent reduction in the state budget.

The David Douglas School District has now nailed down how it will deal with this reduction. 

The David Douglas School Board closed a $4.4 million gap in the District’s 2010-11 budget by spending down reserves, reducing funding for the District’s PERS debt fund and instituting a hiring freeze on most open positions created through attrition and administrative transfers.

The David Douglas School Board closed a $4.4 million gap in the District’s 2010-11 budget by spending down reserves, reducing funding for the District’s PERS debt fund and instituting a hiring freeze on most open positions created through attrition and administrative transfers.

However, employees who already have jobs will keep their jobs for now.

Superintendent Don Grotting told the Board that no employee currently...

The City of Portland has issued permits for the home  at 3265 NE 108th Avenue (NE 108th and Klickitat, in Parkrose Heights) to be demolished and replaced with a a new, two-story dwelling.

The current home is a one-story house built in 1953, with a shop in the rear. The owner is listed as Kim C. Nguyen. The new construction permit allows a single-family, two-story house with attached two-car garage.

Parkrose United Methodist Church is beginning a weekly "Monday Evenings In the Garden" series in its community garden. The first meeting was held July 12, and meetings will continue weekly.

The church describes this group as:

Community time in the garden each week together building community and attending to the soul:

◊ Checking in with each other on garden progress

◊ Sharing insights about your favorite vegetables

◊ Sharing poetry/meditations from: our own garden experiences, from creation spirituality resources, from world religion and “hands-in-the-dirt” spiritual practices and sharing resources and action potential around environmental issues.

During the first meeting, participants sampled nasturtiums, edible flowers with a strong peppery taste. Many participants had never tried nasturtiums before! Some members also brought fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs to share.

Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the community garden at PUMC, 11111 NE Knott Street. Gardeners from outside the community garden are welcome.

The garden...

We reported last summer that the city of Portland was in the process of purchasing the property at 11510 NE Knott Street (between Knott Park and Knott School), which at the time held a collection of rickety, vacant buildings. 

The purchase did go through, and the Parks and Recreation department has now razed the buildings and flattened the lot.  According to East Zone manager Doug Brennan, the lot will simply become part of the park, and will probably be seeded with grass at some point. However, the lot has no irrigation system, and the parks department has no money to install an irrigation system at this time, so this will probably not happen until fall 2010.  There are also several existing trees which remain on the property.

On Sunday, July 18, several miles of street in East Portland will be closed to automobile traffic for the first-ever Sunday Parkways event in this part of Portland.

Sunday Parkways events have been a success in other areas of Portland, and now the area east of 82nd Avenue will have its turn, too.  The event is planned around several city parks, including Lents Park, Ed Benedict Park, and Bloomington Park, all of which will have music, vendors, community booths and activities available.  More information on the streets involved and activities is available at the Sunday Parkways website.

Organizers are still looking for volunteers to help with this event, too. And yes, you can volunteer for half the day or for the cleanup afterward, so that you have time to enjoy the event yourself. Find out more and register to volunteer at PortlandSundayParkways.com. (UPDATE: Volunteer as an Intersection Superhero and you can also sign up for A Talk in the Park, "an opportunity for a small group of neighbors to sit down...

Portland Police have reported that they are investigating a homicide that occurred around 3:15 a.m. near NE 103rd and Clackamas (just south of Halsey, near Wunderland and Winco).

According to the press release,

An adult male was in the area visiting friends when a fight erupted with unknown individual/s. The male suffered at least one wound consistent with a stabbing which proved to be fatal. A second adult male suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The victim was found on the ground near a motorcycle, so the incident was originally reported as a motorcycle accident, but police quickly determined that it was not.

UPDATE: Portland Police have announced that the stabbing victim was 30-year-old Carroll Williams.

UPDATE 2: Police have arrested Thomas A. Kolpin, age 27, in connection with this homicide. 

Portland Police responded to a bank robbery today at 11:00 a.m. at the U.S. Bank in Menlo Park Plaza, 12203 NE Glisan Street. Officers arrived quickly, established a perimeter, and took a suspect into custody at 11:20 a.m.

The suspect is 22-year-old Stephen Larue, who is being held at the Multnomah County Jail pending review by federal officials.

Morning newscasts are reporting an early morning shooting at The Refectory restaurant at NE 122nd and Halsey. One vehicle left the scene with an injured man and crashed at the AM/PM gas station at NE 102nd and Halsey.  The man was transported to the hospital with a non-life-threatening neck wound. More information and links as they become available.

UPDATE: According to Portland Police, the shooting occurred at about 2:15 a.m. The victim left the scene in a friend's vehicle, which crashed into a gas pump at 102nd and Halsey a few minutes later. No one else was injured in either incident.

State Representative Jefferson Smith (D-District 47) has been running a 1000 Donors campaign for several months. However, he's now adding a twist. Or maybe you'd call it a flip.

If I am willing to prostrate myself for the various virtuous and nefarious interests that participate in this process, it has occurred to me that I can prostrate and jumble myself in another way. That is, if we are expected to do somersaults for private interests, I can do cartwheels for the public interest.

For every 10 donations, I will be performing a cartwheel. Not a figurative cartwheel, but an actual cartwheel. In the interests of disclosure, I must acknowledge that at nearly 6'4" and nearly two-hundred-and-*@^$% pounds, my cartwheels are not particularly impressive. What is impressive is the prospect that I perform a cartwheel at all.

Smith promises to record and post videos of the cartwheels.

Portland's Pedalpalooza is over now, but the two-week bike event included two rides on our own Rocky Butte: a sunset ride on June 25, and a Sisyphean Cruller Crawl, which started at Wilshire Park and ended up at Rocky Butte.

Seven students from Parkrose High School attended the Oregonian's journalism camp last week. Adviser Nerissa Ediza reflected on why so many Parkrose students attend the camp each year. Read pieces by and about the journalism students on OregonLive.com.

The Oregonian reported today on drastic cuts to school budgets, including this bit about David Douglas:

The David Douglas School Board recently rejected a plan that included $4.4 million in cuts, with board members saying they'd rather wait until questions about a legislative special session and federal support are more clearly answered. Additionally, some wanted to hold off on making decisions until the district's new superintendent takes office this week.

David Douglas had already adopted a budget which included $7.7 million in cuts. The $4.4...

Dave Anderson has been teaching language arts at Parkrose Middle School for 13 years, but he doesn’t just teach adolescents. He writes books for them as well.  Anderson’s first novel, Killer Cows, is currently available as an e-book and is scheduled for paperback release in August 2010.

Killer Cows is a combination of science fiction and humor.  A meteor crashes in a small town in Oregon, and local kid Randy Meyer discovers that it delivered a shipment of alien cattle who want to take over the earth, and only he and his friends can stop them.

I asked Anderson about how he came to be a young adult author. “When I first started teaching, I wasn’t really interested in young adult fiction,” he admitted. But he soon learned that young adult fiction is different now. “It’s not how it was when I was a kid – nothing is off limits.”  Books which have influenced him, and which he teaches in class include Jerry Spinelli’s Crash and Gordon Korman’s No More Dead Dogs (his personal favorite).

Anderson also has...

Here's the latest news from around Parkrose:

Parkrose High School's newspaper, the Bronco Blaze, won 21 awards in a state newspaper competition! In addition, 8 Parkrose students will be attending OSU's prestigious summer journalism program.

Updating a story we reported on before, Wayne Thompson, who was accused of intentionally backing his SUV (at 20+ mph) into a Mike Luther, who was riding a bicycle, was found not guilty of first and second degree assault. Thompson was, however, found guilty of third degree assault (a lesser charge), and sentenced to probation. The original incident took place near NE 122nd and Glisan on August 28, 2009. Luther suffered brain injuries as a result of the incident.

School's almost out, but Portland Parks and Recreation will have playground programs at both Argay and Knott parks this summer.

Bicyclists rejoice -- there will be bike activities in East Portland this summer! The East Portland Action Plan Bicycle Sub-Committee is leading several rides, and the city is holding a Sunday...

Hey, just a quick announcement that the East Portland neighborhood cleanup is this Saturday, May 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  at the 122nd and Burnside Park and Ride. Bring the junk you need to dispose of!  A modest donation is usually requested. I'll try to get more specific info later, but this is the first I've heard of the event this year -- haven't seen any other announcements!

UPDATE: Bulky waste such as furniture, metal, tires, and appliances will be accepted. Yard debris, electronics, food, animal, commerical and hazardous wastes will not. Suggested donations: $10 per carload, $20 per truckload, $2 per off-rim tire, $5 per on-rim tire (limit 5 tires total). Facility will close early if dumpsters fill up. For more info, contact the East Portland Neighborhood Office at 503-823-4550.

A fire at Eastside Foursquare Church (part of the Quality Inn/Rodeway Inn complex at 9727 NE Sandy Blvd.) destroyed both the worship space/meeting rooms and the Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage.  Today, the congregation met at a sister church, Portland Foursquare Church. Starting Sunday, May 9, they will meet for two services at Western Seminary, 5511 SE Hawthorne.

A possibly gang-related shooting shut down NE 122nd Ave. between Glisan and Halsey for several hours on Saturday while police attempted to coax a suspect out of an apartment at the Rochelle Villa apartments (1111 NE 122nd Ave.). The victim made his way to Portland Adventist Medical Center and was then transferred to a trauma center at OHSU. Residents at Rochelle Villa were asked to stay inside their apartments for the duration of the incident; some even had to leave newly purchased groceries out on the sidewalk. The suspect did eventually leave the apartment and was taken into custody shortly before 5:30 p.m....

With school funding from the state still not covering expenses at previous levels, Parkose and David Douglas School Districts are both working to balance their budgets for 2010-2011.

Parkrose superintendent Dr. Karen Gray delivered a budget message (PDF link) on April 28. She identified three major changes in expenditures for 2010-2011:

• Freezing administrative and classified salaries, including any step progressions for employees in both groups. In exchange, there would be no positions cut in these groups.
• Reducing certified (teaching) staff by 10 FTE (the equivalent of 10 full time teachers). Cuts would be made at levels, including at the district office.
• Reducing the ending fund balance/contingency funds by $300,000.

The district has held several budget communication events in recent months, and Gray has been visiting schools to talk with parents and staff about budget priorities.  According to Gray, "People told us that what they valued most was full day kindergarten, adequate teaching staff, lower class size,...

The Daily Journal of Commerce covers the Portland Immigrant Statue project, which will place a bronze statue of an immigrant at NE 98th and Sandy Blvd.

Columbia Family Medical Associates, near NE 122nd and Airport Way, will become part of the Portland Clinic as of May, and will change its name to The Portland Clinic - Columbia.

Jawanza Hadley, who's been an assistant coach in basketball, football and track at David Douglas (and is also a David Douglas graduate), will be moving to Gresham High School as head basketball coach.

Parkrose Farmers Market opens for the season on Saturday, May 1 at Parkrose High School. New hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The Parkrose High School Jazz Band will perform.

The David Douglas High School PTSA will hold its third annual Spring Craft Fair on Saturday May 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the high school.

Gateway Green will be one of 125 sites (and the only East Portland site) in the annual SOLV IT Earth Day clean-up day on Saturday, April 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Volunteers will help with invasive plant removal, litter pickup and trash removal. 

Gateway Green is a slice of land located near the I-205/I-84 junction, at the former site of Rocky Butte Jail.  It's currently slated for development as a recreational facility, with an emphasis on off-road biking.

To volunteer, register on the SOLV website. Volunteers must be age 16 and older, and should dress appropriately for the weather. A long-sleeve shirt, jacket, long pants, work boots and leather gloves are recommended as well, for protection from blackberry bushes. Participants will meet at the Gateway Transit Center Park and Ride.

Food and other items destined for a Ugandan orphanage were stolen recently from a storage container belonging to Abundant Life Church, which has a campus in Parkrose as well as in Happy Valley.  The storage container was also located in Parkrose, at 6339 N.E. 112th Avenue (near the airport).

Portland police are also investigating a couple of recent robberies. Crime Stoppers has issued alerts for suspects in an April 2 robbery at the Key Bank on NE 102nd Avenue and a pair of robberies January 27 that involved both the Plaid Pantry at NE 102nd and Glisan and a Plaid Pantry at 2010 N. Killingsworth.

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ is moving in with Parkrose United Methodist Church! Parkrose Community UCC has sold their building, and will now occupy Miller Hall on the Parkrose UMC campus at 11111 NE Knott Street.  Both congregations will continue to maintain separate identities, while sharing space and fellowship activities.  Parkrose UMC already hosts an Oromo Seventh Day Adventist congregation...

Parkrose Little League players, coaches, parents and sponsors gathered on Saturday, April 3 for the 2010 season opening ceremony at the Burnside Field. The ceremony was well-attended despite rain.

League representatives introduced the team sponsors, and then the teams took the field, from the oldest Junior team players down to the five- and six-year-old T-ball players.  Boy Scouts performed a flag ceremony, and a quartet from Parkrose High School performed the national anthem.

Teams were also scheduled to play on Saturday, but many if not most games were rained out. 

The City of Portland is holding a two-part Education Summit on April 10 and 12.  The first part will be a Community Town Hall, held at Parkrose High School from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m..  This is a FREE event.

Michael Geisen, a science teacher at Crook County Middle School and the 2008 National Teacher of the Year, will be the keynote speaker at the town hall.  Participants will also take part in interactive polling and table discussions. This is an opportunity for all community members -- parents, students, teachers, and anyone else who is interested -- to give input on our educational system.

The town hall will be followed by a Leadership Summit on April 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center. Tickets to this event are $15.  The keynote speaker is Gregory M. Darnieder of the U.S. Department of Education - Special Assistant and Advisor to the Secretary on the Secretary’s Initiative on College Access.

Participants can register for both events through Eventbrite; again, the...

News Release from: Parkrose Sch. Dist.

PARKROSE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION WORK SESSION MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Posted: April 2nd, 2010 4:28 PM

The Parkrose Board of Education of School District No. 3, Multnomah County, Oregon, will convene in a Working Session on Monday, April 5, 2010 in the District Office Boardroom at the hour of 5:00 p.m. The Board will swear in newly appointed member Adair Fernee and hear a report on full day kindergarten . The agenda is posted at https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicHome.aspx?ak=1000205 or on the Parkrose School District Website at http://do.parkrose.k12.or.us/School-Board/Meetings-and-Agendas.php.

.

Contact Info: Trista Lorenz Crase at 503-408-2114 or via email at

trista_lorenz@parkrose.k12.or.us

Just in from Parkrose Athletic Director Sanjay Bedi:

The Parkrose Elite Dance Team brought their A game to the State Dance Competition and broke the 5 year "2nd Place" spell by outright winning 1st place!

• Congratulations to Coach Shannon and her fabulous assistant coaches Caysie, Laurie, Marline, and Samantha.
• Congratulations to the kids that have worked hard all year and gave the performance of the year!
• Congratulations to the great group of parents that have helped behind the scenes throughout the season!
• Congratulations to Taylor Ballard for placing 3rd in the State Drill Down and to Belinda Washington for placing 6th in the State Drill Down.
• Thanks to all the fans that came out to support the team at State!

In addition, Haley Sawtelle of David Douglas High School won first place in the Drill Down competition.

Complete results are available at OSAA.org.

UPDATE: Video of the winning performance courtesy of vanalsty on YouTube.

Menlo Park Elementary in the David Douglas district has been named a 2010 Celebrating Student Success Champion School by the Oregon Department of Education.  This award honors schools for their progress in "closing the achievement gap." Fifteen schools were honored this year. Menlo Park is the fifth David Douglas school to be recognized with this award, and this is the fourth consecutive year in which a David Douglas school has received it.

The Parkrose Board of Educationhas appointed Adair Fernee to serve out the remainder of Katie Larsell's term, which ends in 2011. Fernee works in the accounting field and has three children, two of whom attend Prescott Elementary. She has volunteered for the district in several roles.

David Douglas School District recently asked parents, staff, students and other community members to participate in a budget priorities survey, anticipating that the district may have to cut $3 million to $7 million from the 2010-2011 budget. The results are in.  The district says, "It...

So far, I've not covered the Aaron Campbell shooting (which happened at the Sandy Terrace Apartments in Argay on January 29th) on ParkroseGateway.com, aside from a few tweets the night it happened. It's been more than amply covered in the local media, so I have little to add, but did want to provide a roundup of both basic news stories and insightful stories and columns on the shooting, some of which you may not have seen in the mainstream media.

• The original report by the Oregonian, plus their focus page on the Campbell shooting.
• Oregonian columnist Anna Griffin gives some insight into the neighborhood where Campbell was shot: Portland's poor eastside planning didn't kill Aaron Campbell, but it sure didn't help.
• Matt Davis and Sarah Mirk of the Portland Mercury have found two "troubling new details" in the case, including a procedural issue with the firing of a beanbag round at Campbell's back prior to the fatal shooting, and the discovery that supervising sergeant Liani Reyna "failed to promptly call SERT even...