Community News July 2020

July 5, 2020   Community

Cedar Hills Ready says know your neighbors

Though this year’s Quake UP! event was postponed, the pandemic underscores how important it is to prepare for disasters. Daily life has changed for everyone, becoming more challenging for many, but the current situation is far better than what the Cascadia Earthquake will bring. The current situation is far better than what climate change will bring. Tap water, plumbing, electricity, communication, transportation, food supply chains, etc. will all be disrupted. The importance of enough toilet paper will pale in comparison to that of enough food and water, let alone a working toilet.

One of the best ways to prepare is to connect with neighbors on your street and develop a plan for disasters. Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) is a free 90-minute educational program to help neighborhoods prepare for disasters. It’s fun, you’ll gain friends, and you’ll get to know your neighbors before an emergency happens—and that might save your life. Statistics show that 70% of all survivors of disasters are rescued by other survivors. Your neighbors are your most immediate source of help. Beaverton and numerous other cities in Oregon, Washington, and California have utilized MYN to increase neighborhood preparedness.

There are many other steps that individuals can take to become prepared. Since it will be some time before we can have a large educational fair like Quake Up! 2019, we are developing distanced gatherings for you and your neighbors to help connect and prepare. We want to know what information you will appreciate in these gatherings, so please take a minute to complete our CHR Virtual Events Questionnaire.

Looking for an After School Care Provider for School Re-Opening?

Wednesday, August 12, 6:30-8 pm, online event, sign up for instructions

Are you wondering what you are going to do about care for your kids when school reopens this fall? You are not alone.

Washington County Kids is sponsoring the Washington County Kids Care Expo in August to help families interact with afterschool providers. Families will be able to participate in a FREE online event to hear from providers and ask questions.

The event will start with a short presentation regarding child safety, followed by breakout sessions with providers. Families can sign up for breakout sessions with specific providers to find out about them and ask questions. Providers are already signing up to participate in the three evenings.

Pre-registration will be required. Spanish translation will be available. Free handouts with fun activities will be provided to all participants.

TVF&R burn ban in effect

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has enacted a High-Fire Danger Burn Ban. Outdoor burning will be banned throughout TVFR’s jurisdiction, which includes portions of Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas and Yamhill counties. (See jurisdiction map on page two.) It’s likely the ban will remain in place until fall.

The burn ban prohibits all of the following:

  1. Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
  2. Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.).
  3. Any other land clearing or slash burning.

The burn ban does not prohibit:

  1. Small backyard recreational fire pits (maximum three feet in diameter and two feet high) in a safe location. Use only clean, dry firewood.
  2. Outdoor fireplaces, grills, portable fireplaces (chimineas, etc.) and similar appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, propane or natural gas.
  3. The use of fireworks as allowed under Oregon law.

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thursday, July 23, 2-7 pm, Starbucks, 18320 NW Evergreen Pkwy

Vicky Siah
Vicky Siah and BSD Superintendent Don Grotting volunteered at the June drive

Vicky Siah, a student at Westview High School, has volunteered with American Red Cross to set up blood drives in our area. She coordinated a successful drive last month, and has scheduled another in July. She says, “Even in one of the most tumultuous of times, our community was willing to step up, putting the needs of others before ourselves. Please come to the July blood drive and help those in need. The May blood drive brought the community together to close the national blood shortage—51 Oregonians signed up to give blood to those in dire need. It received an outpouring of support from prominent community leaders, including BSD Superintendent Don Grotting, who came to donate. We have made a difference, but the shortage still exists and we cannot stop halfway. Please come to donate by signing up at this link.

Red Cross testing all blood donations

The Oregon Washington Blood Services Region wants us to know that The American Red Cross is now testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The antibody test used by the Red Cross is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms.

At the same time, there continues to be an urgent need for blood donations after hospital demand for blood products increased in recent weeks.

THPRD News

Summer Camps 2020

Find the perfect summer camp for your kids with our many Summer Camp options. We offer a variety of fun activities throughout the summer for children to do arts and crafts, play sports, and stay safe too!

Various camps run from July 6 to September 4. Summer Camps are for children ages 6-13. See a full list of classes and their description here,

http://www.thprd.org/activities/summer-camps and register online at thprd.org.

Volunteer greeters needed for THPRD camps

We are recruiting volunteer greeters to help answer questions and direct parents to the drop-off and pick-up locations at each site. Volunteers must be 16 years or older to participate in these activities. Multiple shifts are available. Sign up here!

Dog Run Work Party at Jackie Husen Park

Thursday, July 9, 9-11:30 am, Jackie Husen Park, 10955 NW Reeves Street

Help us mulch and generally spruce up the Dog Run at Jackie Husen Park! Volunteers will help weed and mulch, as needed. Please bring your own hand sanitizer, face mask and a reusable water bottle to drink from throughout the day. If possible, we also ask that you bring your own gardening gloves and hand tools. Extra tools and gloves will be available. Ages 12+. Sign up here.

Catlin Gabel and partners improve habitat

Several people have been asking about why Catlin Gabel removed dozens of trees on their property at the South end of 90th. It was reported at the March 12 Trail Update meeting of Neighbors for Smart Growth that they have been conducting a significant habitat restoration project, by removing invasives/non-native trees and replanting hundreds of new trees:

Partners in the project were Catlin Gabel School, Providence St. Vincent, Tualatin River Watershed Council, Habitat Restoration NW, and funded by OWEB (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board). The project removed invasives and installed native plants; worked on 2.5 acres; removed English holly, English ivy, invasive cherry, blackberry; removed 25 truck loads of debris; installed over 2000 native trees and shrubs; and included hundreds of Catlin students and community volunteers.

Inside WashCo Radio

Here’s the weekly scheduled radio broadcast times (each program is released on Monday on our site, and to our subscribers). All programs are available through podcast subscription, or listen on the website. For more information, visit our website.

Shows through September are rebroadcasts. Shows are broadcast on KBOO (90.7FM) on Wednesdays, 9 am and on KUIK (1360AM) Fridays, 1:30 pm.

July 6: County Chair Kathryn Harrington discusses Washington County issues

July 13: Pro second amendment discussion with Justin Brecht

July 20: Goals and successes of the Family Justice Center with Toni Loch

July 27: Let’s talk about our State Legislature and State concerns with Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward

August 3: A look at Tualatin with Mayor Frank Bubenik

TVC helps theater groups, shares online arts and culture events

Wednesday, July 15, 6:30-7:30 pm, RSVP to receive Zoom link, visit www.tvcreates.org/networking to register.

Tualatin Valley Creates’ virtual networking events for Washington County’s creative community are designed to be casual platforms for individuals to connect. This month, we invite representatives of the region’s theaters to come together to share ideas, challenges, and wins. Ignite conversations, strengthen your network, and build collaborations with your peers as the state moves toward reopening venues.

Visit the TVC online calendar for a variety of arts, heritage, humanities, and culture offerings available for online participation on their website. While you’re there, you can sign up for their newsletter to stay informed.

PCC Music

The Music Continues: Study Music from Wherever You Live!

Tuesday, July 28 and Tuesday, August 25, both at 4 pm, Zoom

The Music Continues logo: Study Music at PCC Rock Creek Fall 2020

PCC Rock Creek is offering a full schedule of classes beginning in September for music majors or amateur musicians at every level. We have a robust applied music program and high-quality instrumental and choral ensembles, fully optimized for temporary remote instruction. We offer an array of pre-professional music coursework that will transfer to private and state colleges, offered by award-winning faculty, all at a fraction of the cost. Take classes in piano, voice, guitar, theory, history, jazz ensemble, choir, music technology, and much more.

PCC Rock Creek Music Department is presenting two free information sessions about our Fall class schedule and music program. For more information on how to register for classes and attend the information session, please go to www.pcc.edu/musicrc or facebook.com/pccmusicrc.

Viva Village news

Viva Village continues to provide limited volunteer services (grocery shopping, running errands, gardening, and transportation to health-related appointments) to its members during the pandemic. New membership and volunteer applications are welcome. To learn more about membership and/or volunteering and how to apply, go to the Viva Village website at vivavillage.org and click on Membership or Volunteering at the top of the page. You may also call the Viva Village Office (503-746-5082) and leave a message. Someone will be in touch with you soon.

To protect the health and well-being of members, volunteers, and the community, all Viva Village events are currently taking place online (via Zoom). The public is welcome to participate in any of the open-to-all July events listed below. To RSVP for the Zoom link, go to the Viva Village website to view and select the event(s) you wish to join.

Online Age Café (open to all)

Friday, July 3, 17, 31, 11 am-12 pm, open to all, RSVP for Zoom Link

Small group conversations exploring topics of interest and concern for older adults.

Sponsored by Viva Village, Beaverton City Library, and Washington County Disabled, and Veterans Services (DAVS)

Online Women’s Coffee

Every Tuesday, July 7, 14, 21, and 28, 10 am, open to all, RSVP for the Zoom Link

Online Men’s Coffee Break

Monday, July 27, 10-11 am, open to all, RSVP for the Zoom Link

Conversation and Coffee

Online Book Club

Friday, July 28, 1-2:30 pm, open to all, RSVP for the Zoom Link

Discussion: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson

Census update

Currently, all Area Census Offices in Oregon are back open with some field operations also opening back up. We are currently finishing up the “Update Leave” operation. This is an operation where Census employees will be visiting residences that do not receive traditional mail and leaving an invitation and a questionnaire encouraging response. This is a “no-contact” operation where employees simply identify these residences and leave the materials.

The second large field operation is “non-response follow up”. This is the traditional door-to-door operation where Census employees will visit those residences that have yet to respond. This begins August 11 and runs until October 31.

The Census plays a large role in distributing funds to various programs that are crucial for emergency response, schools, hospitals, roads, and countless social service programs.

The self-response window opened on March 12 and can be accessed online at 2020census.gov, over the phone in 13 languages, and by mail. The 2020census.gov website is available in 59 languages; simply click the globe icon on the top right corner of the main page to open a drop-down menu of options. As of now, the response window will be open until October 31 – extended from July 31 due to the Coronavirus.

Visit this page to see updated response rates for the 2020 Census in our community.

Gender Euphoria virtual exhibit

Opens Thursday, July 9, 12 pm, on the website

Gender Euphoria: Contemporary Art Beyond the Binary will open July 9, 2020 on Five Oaks Museum’s website and social media, and through interactive programming. In order to prioritize everyone’s safety, the exhibition will be entirely non-location based. In this shift of Gender Euphoria to a virtual form, Guest Curator Becca Owen hopes to demonstrate the adaptability and fluidity that characterize many experiences of transness and genderqueerness. Owen states: “The artists, museum team, and myself, the curator, will use digital technologies to share content as well as analog strategies that speak to the history of queer folks connecting across time and space.”

Gender Euphoria features works by gender non-conforming artists who explore feelings of delight, bliss, and elation in genderqueerness. Selected through an open call, the included artists reflect the variety of non-normative gender expressions; the exhibition depicts diverse truths about gender identity in opposition to the reification of a singular, dominant narrative of genderqueerness. The artists featured in Gender Euphoria explore intersecting identities, which are often connected to gender expression. The artworks and programming spark and make space for complex conversations around identity.

Visit the website for a full schedule of live-streamed events in conjunction with this exhibit.