Wednesday, January 25, 2012 By James Mayer, The Oregonian Source article

The next Reynolds School District superintendent should respect teachers, be a knowledgeable educator and, most important, not already be working for the district.

That was the message delivered Tuesday afternoon by about two dozen teachers who spoke anonymously to the consultants hired to conduct the superintendent search.

"I am begging you, don't hire anyone in the district," one teacher said.

Reynolds School District has been in turmoil for several years, and the next superintendent will be the fourth in less than 10 years. The district and its teachers have been locked in a bitter contract battle since May (2011).

Neighborhood Connections is a publication from the City of Gresham
Communications & Community Outreach offering City of Gresham news, Public Safety information, Community Activities & Events, Training & Workshops, Volunteer Opportunities, and more.

Inside this Issue

• Crime Reports
• Neighborhood Safety Forum
• Community Forum for Wireless Communication Facilities (WCF)
• Basic Mediation Training
• New Downtown Development Rules Proposed
• Charter Review Committee
• Gresham Composts – Businesses Recycling Food Scraps
• Workshop: Negotiation for Win-Win Solutions
• What’s Your Opinion of Code Violations in Your Neighborhood?
• Earth Day is April 21
• Water Crews Flushing Pipes
• Raptor ID Class
• Winter Birds in Your Yard
• Amphibian Surveys: Volunteers Needed
• February is Plant a Tree Month (Free Tree Giveaway)
• Texas Hold ‘Em Fundraiser
• Auditions for East County’s Got Talent
• Free Activities at the Library
• Volunteer Today at Girl Scouts

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

Facebook - Read more
Twitter - Read more
Subscribe to City media releases - Read more

Gresham Neighborhoods listing

For more information, visit the Neighborhood Associations page at GreshamOregon.gov or contact Cathy Harrington at 503-618-2482, or email Cathy.Harrington@GreshamOregon.gov.

Stranger Danger Alert A message from HB Lee Middle School:

Early Tuesday afternoon January 17, 2012 an HB Lee Middle School student reported being accosted by an unknown person while walking home from school through Columbia View Park. Get Map.

Fortunately, the student was able to return to the school and report the incident to school personnel. The City of Gresham Police Department is investigating the matter. If you have any information about the incident please contact Gresham Police at (503) 823-3333.

Click to enlarge

Drop-in's Welcome When: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 4-6PM Where: Community Room Human Solutions - Rockwood Building 124 NE 181 Gresham, OR Get Map!

Free Behavioral Support Group
The Talk it Over support groups are for parents, caregivers, and siblings of a child or teen with a serious behavioral disorder, and is a free public service of Trillium Family Services. This new group will be more accessible to families in East Multnomah and Clackamas Counties and more convenient to public transportation.

Groups meet twice monthly on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday from 4PM-6PM in the Community Room at the new Human Solutions Rockwood building located at 124 NE 181st, Gresham, Oregon (one block north of E Burnside MAX Blue Line Station).

Open to the public. FREE. Drop-in's welcome

Learn the Do's and Dont's of Holiday Recycling, Plus... Ways to Recycle Your Tree (Including curbside for free!)

With the holiday's upon us, here's a few tips for proper disposal of unwanted wrapping paper, wreaths and trees.

Holiday Recycling Questions

• Can glossy holiday gift bags go in the blue cart?
  Paper gift bags can be recycled. Tip: Usually if you can tear the paper fairly easily it will pulp up at the paper mill. Gift bags can be reused or donated to charity.
• Can cellophane or foil wrapping paper go in the blue cart?
  Non-paper wrapping material should not go in the blue roll carts. Most “foil-like” paper is metallic ink on paper and is accepted with recycling.
• Can present ribbons be recycled in the blue cart?
  Non-paper ribbons are not accepted (very few ribbons are paper-based).

  Plenty more tips below this break!

Neighborhood Connections is a publication from the City of Gresham
Communications & Community Outreach offering City of Gresham news, Public Safety information, Community Activities & Events, Training & Workshops, Volunteer Opportunities, and more.

Inside this Issue

• Crime Reports
• What’s 60 Feet Tall and All Lit Up in Gresham?
• What will be Referred to Voters in the May Ballot?
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Workshops
• What Code Violations Most Concern You?
• East Metro Mediation’s Basic Mediation Training in April
• Help Volunteer to Survey Amphibians This Winter
• Prepare Your Water Pipes Before Freezing Temperatures Arrive
• Prepare Your Yard for Winter - Free Healthy Home and Garden Consultation
• O’ Silent Pipe
• Free Activities at the Library
• Volunteer Today at Girl Scouts
• Thinking Ahead: Create the Future You and Your Loved Ones Desire

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

Facebook - Read more
Twitter - Read more
Subscribe to City media releases - Read more

Gresham Neighborhoods listing

For more information, visit the Neighborhood Associations page at GreshamOregon.gov or contact Cathy Harrington at 503-618-2482, or email Cathy.Harrington@GreshamOregon.gov.

After big holiday meals, no one likes to be the one stuck doing clean-up But if you aren't careful with leftover gravy, pan drippings and sauces a grease-clogged drain could end up costing you a bundle.

When fats, oils and grease are poured down the drain, they stick to the inside of pipes causing messy sewer backups and expensive cleanup and repair in your home

The simple solution
Pour the grease into a can, freeze it, and toss the can in the trash.

Walking and biking to HB Lee Middle School will soon be safer and easier. The Oregon Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Gresham and Reynolds School District $169,000 to add bike lanes, signs to slow traffic, and new crosswalks on 172nd Ave between NE Halsey and NE Glisan.

New crosswalk, signs and paths
The Gresham project includes extending a bike and pedestrian pathway and building a covered bike structure on the HB Lee campus. It also includes a new mid-block crosswalk and two signs advising drivers of the school zone and their actual speed. The improvements are expected to make it safer for students who face speeding drivers and have difficulty crossing the street as they walk or cycle to school.

One of 10 statewide awards
The project is one of 10 Oregon Department of Transportation awards statewide to promote healthy living among children and reduce congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution around schools.

A partnership for healthy students
It also highlights a new public health partnership between Multnomah County, the cities of Gresham and Portland, and local school districts to prevent obesity and chronic diseases by boosting children's physical activity and healthy food options.

Even the smallest leak in your home can allow the winter chill to enter.

Sealing all air gaps and properly insulating walls, the attic and crawl space in your home can help keep indoor temperatures more moderate – both in the winter and summer. These are just two of the improvement opportunities offered with Clean Energy Works Oregon (CEWO).

CEWO is a new non-profit, partnering with the City of Gresham, to provide homeown-ers with an easy, all-in-one solution to im-proving energy efficiency in the home. Improving the energy efficiency in your home increases comfort and protection from both inclement weather and rising energy rates.

• No-money-down, easy financing
• Free extensive home energy audit by a trained building expert
• Work conducted by a certified contractor
• Repayment of loan through the utility bill

It includes home and water heating, insulation, windows, and air and duct sealing.

Apply today and receive up to $2,000* in instant rebates toward the cost of your home energy improvements.