King School to Have New Leadership

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LaDrena Rhodes, principal of King School has decided to resign at the end of this year, June 30th. Staff were informed in a meeting on Monday after school and parents will receive a letter today. King School has an ambitious agenda to make progress on its transformation to an International Baccalaureate School and to raise student achievement in the coming year. Expectations will be high to see that the next principal will be able to tap the enthusiasm for progress and willingness to collaborate amongst staff to accelerate the gains King has been making recently.

Portland Public School’s Human Resources will conduct a meeting at the school on Monday, April 19th for the King community of parents and teachers to discuss what they value about King School and what they want to see in the next principal. A survey will be distributed to guide the selection process and is on the school website: http://www.king.pps.k12.or.us/

If the position is not filled within PPS, an interview committee will include members of staff and parents at King. The expected make up is four of each. Applications will be distributed to those interested in being selected for the committee. To learn more, come to the meeting on the 19th at the school, 4906 NE 6th at 6:30. Parent, staff, and community involvement are crucial to making the best of this change.

Art on Alberta Fundraiser at Radio Room

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Art on Alberta announces another fundraiser for their 11th annual 2010 Art Hop murals project on Saturday, April 17, at Radio Room. The 3rd Annual Colour Party, with the theme of “Black & White: Absurdly Bright,” begins at 7:30pm. Proceeds from a suggested entry fee of $10 will go to paint and anti-graffiti materials for murals which will be painted by area underserved youth and the attending public at Art on Alberta 2010 Art Hop, Saturday, May 15, 2010. This event is a themed event for all ages with over $500 in prizes awarded to the best costumes that fit the theme, “Black & White: Absurdly Bright.” Participants are asked to wear outfits of black and white with the addition of one single outrageously bright clothing item, accessory, hair or make-up color, etc. There will be a photo area at the event, jello shots, and colorful dance music. Come have some fun and support Art on Alberta! Radio Room is located at 1101 NE Alberta. For more information about Radio Room and this event, please visit www.radioroompdx.com. For more information about Art on Alberta and Art Hop, go to: www.artonalberta.org.

Sign Up for Public Alerts

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April is National Earthquake Preparedness Month, and in Portland, earthquakes are a constant and significant concern. The City of Portland, in close collaboration with partners in the region, state and federally, is always looking to be better prepared for such an event. Individuals, families, offices and places of business need to be prepared and know about the tools available to them in case of an earthquake or other emergency.

Portland’s Office of Emergency Management (PoEM) unveiled a new feature of the city’s coordinated information website, www.publicalerts.org, designed to rapidly get information out to residents in times of emergency.

You can now go to publicalerts.org, click on the Sign Up button, and register to get voicemail, email and text messages sent directly to your mobile phone in times of emergency. The information you provide is protected and confidential. It takes only a minute to sign up, so register yourself, and tell your friends, neighbors and coworkers about it. In the coming months, they will continue to add features and abilities to the site.

In the meantime, please take a moment to go online, visit www.publicalerts.org, and sign yourself up.

Be Counted!

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Take a Census 2010 Quiz. Choose the best answer.
Multnomah County census takers are which of the following:

a. Your neighbors
b. Your friends
c. Your loved ones
d. All of the above

If you chose “d. All of the above” congratulations. On May 1, 2010 your friends, neighbors and loved ones will be on the streets making sure the people of Multnomah County are accurately counted and receive their fair share of federal funding. Please help to insure their safety and yours. If you suspect fraud, call the police non-emergency line. Help inform your neighbors of some basic facts.

Census takers never ask for your social security number.
Census takers never ask for money.
Census takers never ask to enter your home.
Census takers always wear an identification badge.

When it comes to funding for schools and roads, it pays to be counted.

Clean Energy Upgrade Financing

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The City of Portland has developed a program to help homeowners save energy and improve the comfort of their home: Clean Energy Works Portland. Clean Energy Works Portland is a financing program designed to make upgrades to your home easy, with no upfront costs. Follow these four simple steps to take advantage of this unique opportunity:
1. Apply for the pilot program. Go to CleanEnergyWorksPortland.org and fill out the short application to see if you and your home qualify for the pilot.
2. Receive an in-depth home energy assessment. You will be paired with a certified Building Performance Institute contractor and an Energy Advocate, who will be with you every step of the way to answer questions, explain the recommended measures and financing options and help you through the installation process.
3. Install energy-saving improvements with qualified contractors. Once you decide which improvements you would like (weatherization is required), the contractor assigned to you will perform the work.
4. Repay through your heating utility bill. Thanks to federal stimulus funding, you will pay no upfront costs. The cost of the energy-efficient improvements will be financed through a low-cost, long-term loan that you can repay on your monthly heating bill. To date, participants have financed between $4,000 and $20,000 worth of energy upgrades to their home. The average loan amount is $11,000.

Apply here: http://www.cleanenergyworksportland.org/