SMART Event at King Celebrates Giving 2 Million Books to Oregon Children

smart2MFrom SMART:

Start Making A Reader Today, SMART, is celebrating putting 2 million books in the hands of more than 152,000 children who need them most across Oregon.

SMART has operated in the Portland metro area since 1992; in that time, more than 2,000 SMART volunteers have given away nearly 475,000 books to 46,971 children.

SMART is holding a special event to celebrate this milestone on Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at King Elementary School, 4906 NE 6th Ave., Portland, Ore.

At the event, small groups of policy makers, educators and donors will experience the SMART program firsthand by reading with SMART students, and participate in giving a book to a child. In addition, there will be remarks from SMART’s executive director, Chris Otis, and King principal, Kim Patterson.

The event is part of a statewide campaign, 2 Million and Still Reading, which brings attention to the importance of access to books in the home in a child’s literacy development.

For more information about the event, visit www.getSMARToregon.org or call 971-634-1605.

About SMART®
SMART, Start Making A Reader Today, is a statewide nonprofit organization that envisions an Oregon where every child can read and is empowered to succeed. We partner with schools around the state and engage community volunteers to read one-on-one with PreK through third-grade children, helping strengthen literacy skills and encourage a love of reading. Since 1992, SMART has steadily grown to become Oregon’s largest volunteer literacy program. Children in the program receive 14 new books throughout the school year to keep and read with their families. Visit www.getSMARToregon.org or call 877-598-4633 to learn more about SMART.

New liquor license applications in King.

The following Liquor Licenses applications were received for consideration by the City of Portland the week of November 12th- November 20, 2012.

Please follow this link to see the applications in their entirety: http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=48007&

If you wish to comment please fill out the attached comment form and submit it to the City of Portland Liquor License Notification Program.

Attn: Theresa Marchetti

By mail to: 1221 SW 4th Ave Ste 110, Portland OR 97204

By fax to: 503-823-3050

By email to: theresa.marchetti@portlandoregon.gov

 

Neighborhood: KING

MLK MARKET

4069 – B NE MLK BLVD

[Formerly the site of the Miracles Club, on the west side of King Boulevard]

 

Neighborhood: KING

7-ELEVEN #35861H NO/OPS

5150 NE MLK BLVD

[Nearly ready to open, this 7-11 is at NE Sumner & MLK.]

Follow-up on OLCC licensing concerns.

To submit your comments or opposition to the issuance of a OLCC license, use this form: Application Comment Form

Our neighbor Rick Sills writes this update to a post earlier this week about the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s apparent lack of interest in considering neighborhood input into licenses:

By way of background, Ken Peterson, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association’s (GPNA) Land Use Chair, and the GPNA have for months been working to try to mitigate alcohol-related problems in their neighborhood .  Neighbors understood that these problems would only be made worse by the proposal of yet another convenience store (Jacksons #562) at the corner of N.E. 33rd and Broadway that would sell alcohol.  This proposed store will also be within 500 feet of Beverly Cleary Grade School, which is already adversely being impacted by alcohol-related problems near the school.  On 10/25/12, the OLCC Commissioners, after being fully informed at a public hearing of alcohol-related problems near Beverly Cleary Grade School and of strong neighborhood opposition, with apparent indifference to the livability of Grant Park and the safety of its schoolchildren, granted the proposed store an unrestricted OLCC license. Continue reading

Thank you to NECN for sponsorship of the King Backpack Program.

For many Portland children, the federally-sponsored school lunch is their main source for a nutritious, satisfying meal during the day. If there’s not enough food in the house, these children can go hungry on the weekend when the school lunch isn’t available.

Backpack Lunch volunteers pack two weekend lunches each Friday into the backpacks of Portland schoolchildren at risk of hunger on the weekend. We invite you to help us sustain and expand our ability to feed hungry schoolchildren in our midst.

Thank you to the Board of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods for accepting the King Backpack Program as a fiscally-sponsored project, and to the staff of the Coalition for their help in structuring the program successfully.

The Backpack Lunch Program is an all volunteer program — there are no paid staff. If you wish to make a monetary donation, make check out to NECN-KNA. Please write “Backpack Donation” on the check and mail to King NA, 4815 NE 7th Avenue, Portland, 97212. $100 sponsors a school-year of weekend lunches for one child. Each donation, regardless of amount, is important.

 

 

 

 

Tannenbaum Madness on Alberta Street!

Tannenbaum Madness:
Join us on Alberta Street this holiday season!

Tannenbaum Madness is a season long walking tour of whimsical, wacky and sometimes-weird window displays created by Alberta Street’s local, independent retailers and an atmosphere created by our community.

Tannenbaum Madness opens on the day after Thanksgiving (Nov 23rd) and continues throughout the season. Incorporated into the festivities is Shop Local Shop Late, where many Alberta retailers will remain open until 7PM on Fridays between Thanksgiving and Christmas just for YOU! Please support your local independent businesses this holiday season.

Opening Night (Fri., Nov. 23rd) will include celebrations from 4-8PM. The street will be aglow with festive lights, music, gallery openings, restaurants serving some of the best food in town, and a little of the usual madness. All are welcome to come out and join the fun — grab some friends and carol your way up the street, enjoy a hot beverage, get a start on your holiday shopping, and bring the kids for crafty DIY ornament-making with Art on Alberta at Umpqua Bank. We are actively looking for carolers, wacky Santas, mischievous elves and more. If you would like to join the madness, visit: http://albertamainst.org/whats-happening/tannenbaum-madness/opening-night/join-madness/.

New this year, we hope you’ll join us for the Alberta Street Christmas Treet Lighting on Sat. Dec 1st at 4:30PM. Check albertamainst.org for the latest updates. Festive events will continue throughout November and December. Walking maps and additional events will be regularly added to our website as they become available!

Participating businesses include: abrahams&duffy | Alberta Main Street | antler gallery & store | Backtalk | Bin 21 | Bristlecone | Community Cycling Center | Flywheel Skate & Style | Frock | Garnish | Grasshopper | Green Bean Books | Guardino Gallery | Local Discoveries | Mimosa Studios | Modern Domestic | pedX | Random Order Pie Bar | RED SAIL | Redbird Studio | Salt & Straw | Screaming Sky Gallery | Six Days Art Co-op | Suite 6 Boutique | The Make House | The Pencil Test | The Shoe Store | The Waffle Window | Tumbleweed | Umpqua Bank Alberta/Art on Alberta