Youth Farm Fundraiser: Our Kickstarter Campaign just went live!

We’re doing a Kickstarter campaign to raise some funds for our summer jobs program, but it’s basically a pre-order for the awesome shirts Daniel Ness (one of our farmers) has designed. Feel free to check out the link, pick out a shirt if you like it, and share with anyone you think would be interested.

Thanks so much!

http://kck.st/wosNmY

Tigard Library Will Host Irish Concert and Dance

Tigard Public Library will host an Irish concert and dance on Wednesday, March 14, from 6:15-8:30 p.m. Tim Birr, from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Pipes and Drums, will kick off the evening with a bagpipe prelude.  Musicians Hanz Araki and Kathryn Claire will sing and play the flute, whistle, fiddle and guitar in a short concert.

Then, in the spirit of a traditional Irish céilí (community social gathering), participants can learn some traditional dance steps from Sam Keator ,of S & A Entertainment, accompanied by the musicians. Keator arranges, teaches and calls céilís throughout the year in Oregon and Washington.

This free event is for all ages. It will be held in the library’s Community Room and is sponsored by Friends of the Tigard Library.  For information, visit the Library’s website at http://www.tigard-or.gov/library and click on Programs & Classes or call the Adult Reference Desk at 503-718-2517.       

Public Hearings on TriMet service

TriMet wants to hear from you -- public hearings on fares and service

TriMet is facing a $17 million shortfall. Tough budget choices are

ahead. Share your comments on proposed service cuts and fare

changes effective September 2012. Tell TriMet what’s important to you.

Monday, March 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Clackamas Town Center, Community Room, Lower Level

12000 SE 82nd Ave.

Tuesday, March 20, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Beaverton Library, Conference Room

12375 SW 5th St.

Wednesday, March 21, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Portland Building, Auditorium

1120 SW 5th Ave.

Thursday, March 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Multnomah County East County Health Center, Sharron Kelly A & B

600 NE 8th St., Gresham

Tuesday, March 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Multnomah County Library, North Portland Branch

2nd Floor Meeting Room

512 N. Killingsworth St.

Visit trimet.org for more information about the proposal.

Tualatin River Native Plant Sale

 Mark your spring calendar for May 5, 2012 at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (19255 SW Pacific Highway, birdfest@friendsoftualatinrefuge.org, 503-625-5944 x227).
Landscape with native plants, avoid watering and pesticides, and entice birds, bees, and butterflies into your yard. Plants will be supplied by Bosky Dell Nursery of West Linn which specializes in Oregon natives. Reappearing favorites from last year will be: wood violets, pink checker mallow, wild ginger, star-flowered sedum, evergreen strawberry, purple penstemon, evergreen huckleberry, mock orange, and low Oregon grape.
Enjoy presentations on: “Flowering Natives of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge,” at 10:00 am by Ginny Maffitt and “Plants and Fungi of Oregon’s Varied Ecoregions” at 11:00 am by Jake Hurlburt. Both presentations will be held in the Visitor Center’s Riparian Room.
Visitors may park at the Refuge and there is no entry fee. All purchases are cash and carry.
This event is hosted by the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Beginning in February 2012, follow these links for more information: http://tualatinriverbirdfestival.org/ and http://www.fws.gov/tualatinriver/.

Tigard Students! Enter 2012 “If I Were Mayor, afterschool would be…” Contest

Tigard students from fourth to twelfth grade, including students who are home schooled, are encouraged to enter the 2012 "If I Were Mayor, afterschool would be…" student contest sponsored by the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) and Oregon Afterschool for Kids (ASK).

Students must submit their original work with a completed entry form to Joanne Bengtson at Tigard City Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd, Tigard, OR 97223 by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2012.  The contest rules and entry forms are available online at www.tigard-or.gov/mayor and at City Hall.

Mayor Dirksen will select one winner in each category: Elementary School Poster, Middle School Essay and High School Video or PowerPoint presentation. The local winner in each category will be awarded a $50 Visa gift card and recognition at the May 8, 2012 televised City Council meeting. 

Each winner from Tigard will be entered into the statewide contest, where three students will receive a laptop computer from the OMA and Oregon ASK. Statewide winners will be notified (along with their Mayor) in mid-July.  The winner and his/her parents will be invited to the OMA Annual Conference in Florence on July 28, to be recognized and receive their prize.

Cat Owners - Spay & Save in Honor of World Spay Day

In honor of World Spay Day on February 28, the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland’s Spay & Save program is pleased to offer a special spay/neuter promotion for cats during the week of February 27 to March 2.  The Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland will offer a total of 500 FREE spay/neuter surgeries for the cats of qualifying clients (surgeries normally are $10 per cat).

Find more information about this project on the Alliance website http://asapmetro.org/news/2012-a-spay-odyssey-is-here-free-surgeries-february-27-march-2/.

Classical Violin and Cello Trio Will Perform at Tigard Library

Violinists George Shiolas, Casey Bozell and special guest cellist Levi Manselle will perform a variety of music selections from around the world on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Library Community Room.  The performance will feature solos, duos and trios from Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Haydn, Bartók and Piazzolla.

Shiolas was has been a soloist with numerous American orchestras, including the Oregon Symphony. He has released four solo recordings. Bozell is currently an active orchestral chamber and solo performer. She performs with the Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theater and Linfield Chamber Orchestra. Manselle is one of the Northwest's leading young cellists as well as a musical entrepreneur.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the Tigard Library. Admission is free.  For information, please call the library at 503-718-2517 or visit the Library’s website at www.tigard-or.gov/library and click on Programs & Classes. 

Urban Forestry Code Revisions Public Hearing - Continued

On February 6, 2012, the Tigard Planning Commission met and received public testimony on updates to the city’s urban forestry related codes and standards.  For the purposes of a discussion of project details, the hearing was continued to March 5, 2012. Public testimony will not be taken at the March meeting; however, the public is invited to attend and hear city staff brief the commission about details of the code.  Following is important information regarding the continuation of the hearing.

To ensure all stakeholders have ample opportunity to provide written testimony to the Planning Commission, the hearing record is being held open until Friday, February 17 at 5:00 p.m. Testimony may be sent by email to Planning Commission Secretary Doreen Laughlin at doreen@tigard-or.gov; or by US mail to Tigard City Hall, Attn: Doreen Laughlin, 13125 SW Hall Blvd, Tigard, OR 97223; or by fax Attn: Doreen Laughlin at 503-718-2748.

The March 5 public hearing is scheduled to be continued to April 16, 2012. At the April hearing, the commission will consider any amendments that had been requested by the February 17 deadline.  Public testimony will be allowed only on the amendments requests. It is likely that on April 16 the Planning Commission will consider a motion on a recommendation to City Council regarding the amendments requests and urban forestry proposal.

For more information, or to view the proposal, visit www.tigard-or.gov/ufcr. The proposal is also available for viewing in the Tigard Public Library reference section.

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT

Region: PORTLAND URBAN AREA, OREGON
Geographic coordinates: 45.393N, 122.843W
Magnitude: 2.2 Md
Depth: 67 km
Universal Time (UTC): 10 Feb 2012 03:39:54
Time near the Epicenter: 9 Feb 2012 19:39:54
Local standard time in your area: 9 Feb 2012 19:39:54
Location with respect to nearby cities:
3 km (2 miles) WSW (254 degrees) of King City, OR
4 km (2 miles) N (0 degrees) of Sherwood, OR
6 km (4 miles) SW (233 degrees) of Tigard, OR
21 km (13 miles) SW (228 degrees) of Portland, OR

ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : UW 60377952
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:

or

Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
U.S. Geological Survey
University of Washington

http://www.pnsn.orghttp://earthquake.usgs.gov/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/uw60377952.php

Free Safety Seminars

The Tigard Chamber is partnering with Karate on Main to bring five free safety seminars targeted at kids, families and women. The series kicks off Thursday, Feb. 23^rd and continues for five consecutive Thursdays from 7-8 p.m.  Doors open at 6:45 p.m., seminars start promptly at 7 p.m.  All seminars will be held at the Tigard Chamber’s Pearson Community Room (12345 SW Main Street, Tigard).

These seminars are free, and you can sign up to attend any or all that are of interest. If you have questions regarding the series or an individual seminar, contact Robert Ellis at 503-968-1600 or sensei@karateonmain.com

---

Dealing with Bullies - Strategies for Parents and Kids

Date: February 23, 2012

Instructor: Robert E. Ellis, Chief Instructor Karate on Main

Learn:

The Signs Your Child May be Bullied

What to Do if Your Child is Bullied

What do I do if my child is bullying others?

Parental Responsibilities

Cyber Bullies

Dealing with Bullies -Strategies for Kids

Register - Dealing with Bullies

Stranger Danger

Date: March I, 2012

Instructor: Robert E. Ellis, Chief Instructor Karate on Main

People who look friendly are not always safe. Learning how to deal with strangers is essential to give children and parents skills to prevent abduction and associated anxieties and fears.  

Reducing children's vulnerability requires basic understanding of these offenders and their behaviors. This seminar helps parents and children develop specific ground rules to enhance personal safety.

Register - Stranger Danger

Online Safety - What Families Should Know

Date: March 8, 2012

Instructor: William Eisenhauer, Professor Portland State University

Advances in computer technologies allow our children to reach new sources of information and cultural experiences and interact with friends and the global community in ways most parents never dreamed possible. These new technologies require personal responsibility and the need for true awareness of online risks. This seminar for parents, teens, and children identifies these risks and the mitigating actions that can be taken while online to increase web usefulness while minimizing hazards.

Register - Online Safety  

Peaceful Conflict Resolution for Kids and Adults

Date: March 15, 2012

Instructor: Christopher E.  Fender, JD, MS

Learn:

What conflict is, why it happens, how it escalates, and how you can prevent seemingly innocent events from turning hostile.

Conflict resolution skills, strategies, and solutions that you can use to take charge of conflict situations.

To manage and mediate conflicts, enhancing your personal productivity and performance.

Register - Peaceful Conflict Resolution

Women's Self Defense - Why should you care?

Date: March 22, 2012

Instructor: Robert E. Ellis, Chief Instructor Karate on Main

If you are a woman, you are a target for certain kinds of criminals. The best self-protection for most crimes is prevention. If prevention fails, your best chance is to fight back. But you must know HOW to fight back.

Learn:

●Danger Recognition  ●The Attack Timeline  ●Your Most Powerful Weapon  ●Avoidance Strategies  ●De-escalation Strategies  ●Verbal Self-Defense  ●Empowerment  ●The Defensive Mindset  ●How to Stay Calm  ●Targeting Your Opponent  ●Escaping  ●Effective Defensive Techniques

Register - Women's Self Defense

Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program

This program prepares neighborhoods to survive emergencies and disaster situations, saving lives, reducing the severity of injuries and trauma, and reducing property damage.

Neighborhoods generally consist of 15-20 homes in urban areas or 5-7 homes in rural areas. MYN can also be implemented in condos and apartment complexes. MYN begins with a single individual soliciting interest and inviting the neighborhood to his or her home or a centralized public site for a 90 – 120 minute meeting, facilitated by a trained presenter and the MYN program DVD in a play, pause and discuss process. The presentation focuses on the “golden Hour” and the 9-steps to take immediately after a disaster or emergency occurs.

Local, county, state and Federal Emergency Management leaders believe that an informed, responsible and committed public can play a major role in safeguarding property and saving lives. This is one of the most effective ways to ensure that we are better prepared and more resilient in dealing with emergencies of all kinds.

MYN is now active in thirty-four states in addition to originating state of Washington. MYN, designed to improve disaster readiness at the neighborhood level, teaches neighbors to rely on each other during the hours or days before fire, medical, police or utility responders may be able to reach them.
Please contact Mike Lueck, Tigard’s Emergency Services Coordinator at mikel@tigard-or.gov to set up a presentation in your neighborhood.

Tigard Public Library Will Offer Genealogy Workshops

Volunteers from the Tualatin Family History Center will present two free genealogy workshop sessions at the Tigard Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.  The workshops will instruct participants about how to explore family roots using the AncestryPlus and Heritage Quest genealogy databases available at the Library. 

The instructors recommend that participants bring their own family information to research. Each session will last 90 minutes. Registration is required to attend one of the two sessions.  Please call the Library at 503-718-2517 to register.  The program will be in the Technology Room on the second floor of the Library. 

For more information, please call the Library at 503-718-2517 or visit the Library’s website at www.tigard-or.gov/library and click on Programs & Classes.

Gelato Sisterhood of the Amalfi Shore at Tigard Public Library

Local author and world traveler Chantal Kelly will introduce readers to the sparkling Amalfi Shore of Italy at the Tigard Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. Kelly’s book, Gelato Sisterhood on the Amalfi Shore, is part travelogue and part historical review.

Her mesmerizing story may capture the imagination of anyone who has ever been tempted to indulge in the charms of Italy. Kelly’s book will be available for sale and signing after her presentation.

This free program will be held in the Community Room. For more information, please call the Library at 503-718-2517 or visit the Library’s website at www.tigard-or.gov/library and click on Programs & Classes.

Press Release - Tigard Chamber Shops Local and Assumes Tigard Area Farmers Market Operations

The Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) has officially assumed responsibility for the operation of the Tigard Area Farmers Market in an agreement reached with Market Board Officers Stan Baumhofer and Marland Henderson. "The synergies that exist between the chamber and the farmers market make this a natural fit and I am excited about the changes. We share a focus on the local economy, supporting local businesses, and promoting relationships within our community," stated Debi Mollahan, Tigard Chamber CEO.
About Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC)
The TACC, established in 1955, is a forward thinking membership organization which provides opportunities for consistent and sustainable long-term business growth! The TACC is creating a strong, interconnected business community where strength through collaboration and power through partnerships makes Business Soar. We do this by building a strong local economy, providing business networking, promoting our community and representing the interests of business with government.
About Tigard Area Farmers Market (TAFM)
The TAFM, established in 1993, is focused on bringing farmers, community and non-profits together in a way that benefits all. Farmers

GROW. GATHER. GIVE. grow local produce, plants, and flowers; our Tigard Community members gather together to buy these products; and weekly non-profit booth space gives all the opportunity to give back. Tigard Area Farmers Market.

Stan Baumhofer and Marland Henderson have been stewards of the Tigard Area Farmers Market for the last 20 years, each volunteering countless hours. Under their leadership they have tirelessly ensured an ongoing commitment to bring fresh and locally sourced produce, plants, food, and crafts to the community. The market they helped to create supports local farmers, provides a community gathering place, and has a loyal following.

Moving forward, the TACC will continue to ensure that residents in Tigard and the surrounding areas have access to the high quality produce they have come to expect - while continuing to offer programs that expand access to healthy food and support sustainability. In addition, the chamber will continue to direct market focus toward programs that bring business, farmers and community together in a way that benefits all.
TACC and the Market have already taken steps forward and are unveiling a new logo that captures the energy of the market. The logo design was graciously donated by Adam Crowell of 3 Spur Interactive (www.3spur.com), a local web and graphic design company.

Newsletter article from Clean Water Services

We value your input

Clean Water Services along with its member cities improve water quality, protect fish habitat and manage drainage by operating and maintaining the stormwater conveyance system, establishing design and construction standards, regulating activities that can impact the Tualatin River watershed and enhancing streams and floodplains. Please join our efforts by participating in an electronic survey to enhance the basin’s surface and stormwater program. Sign up for the survey panel at cleanwaterservices.org/survey/signup. In March, you’ll receive a link to the electronic survey that can be completed at your own convenience over a two-week period. We’ll share the results with you. Thank you for your participation. For more information, contact Karen DeBaker at (503) 681-3643.

WTA's Commuter News for Tigard/Tualatin (February 2012)

 

CERT volunteer of the year

The CERT volunteer of the year has been posted on the web:

http://www.tigard-or.gov/city_hall/departments/public_works/emergency/cert.asp

Cute video clip

Especially good for the neighborhoods near dog parks!

http://www.cleanwaterservices.org/Residents/ToolsAndTips/Doody.aspx