CMBA Member News

• Rave in the Nave for January 
• CUMC Preschool begins fall registration
• Blood Drive at CUMC
• World of Smiles offers toothbrushes
• Local Business Owner in TV Series
• The Village Gallery of Arts
• St. Pius X School announces annual Auction
• 25+ Families Helped Each Week
• Urgent Care for kids signs up
• Local distressed properties near 20%
• DuFresne’s puts the brakes on hunger
• Advanced Planning and Health Fair Workshop
• “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”

Rave in the Nave for January 

Christ United Methodist Church’s performing arts series, Rave in the Nave, presents Linda Hornbuckle & Janice Scroggins in performance Saturday, January 23 at 7:30 pm. Back by popular demand, the soul-blues duo of powerhouse vocalist Linda Hornbuckle and Grammy nominated pianist Janice Scroggins return to raise the rafters with their spirited music. Tickets are $15 and are available through the Church office – 503-646-1598 or office@cumcpdx.org.

Mark your calendar for the February 20th performance of Jane Fellows. Acclaimed actress Jane Fellows performs her one-woman show about poet Emily Dickinson, Belle of Amherst. This show has sold out to unanimous rave reviews for two seasons running at Mr. Hood Repertory Theater. Tickets are $15 and are available through the Church office – 503-646-1598 or office@cumcpdx.org.

CUMC Preschool begins fall registration

Christ United Methodist Preschool in January will begin taking registration for classes for the 2010/2011 school year that begins in September 2010. The preschool began 46 years ago as a kindergarten, and became a preschool after Oregon public school offered kindergarten. To see what is happening check out the CUMC Preschool page on the church’s website: www.cumcpdx.org or contact the school at 503-646-2265 or the church office at 503-646-1598, office@cumcpdx.org. 

Blood Drive at CUMC

The church will also be hosting a Red Cross Blood drive on February 2, from 2-7 pm. Please don’t be shy, come and donate! If folks want to sign up for a specific time they can call or come by the church office 503-646-1598, 9:30 am to 5 pm, M-F.

World of Smiles offers toothbrushes

Sonic Care just designed a brand new kids toothbrush. If you purchase one at World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry we will give you a $15 certificate off and we will always carry them for less than what you pay in the store!! This new and improved brush moves in a kid friendly way; with the two different size kids’ heads to help the toothbrush fit just right for their mouths. The less aggressive vibrations and a fun design means your child will brush in style and remove more build-up.

These tooth brushes are wonderful but if your child is under the age of eight we still strongly suggest parent assistance. Get them the gift that will truly keep on giving all year around and help provide a better report card from your dentist. All children have the right to grow up healthy, happy and free of cavities!

Local Business Owner in TV Series

Investigation Discovery Channel’s series “I Almost Got Away With It” begins Jan. 12 at 10 pm. Episode 3, “Jerry Bowen,” stars Jim Craig of Westside Martial Arts, and airs Jan. 26. Pat Brady, a second degree blackbelt at Westside Martial Arts, is also in this episode. Jim Craig plays Jerry Bowen, a business owner from rural Alabama accused of killing his ex-wife. Bowen jumped bail, burned off his fingerprints, and was on the run for four years. Tune in and find out—is he really guilty?

The Village Gallery of Arts

Immerse yourself in the fresh, pure, luscious colors of dry pastel! Register now for a pastel drawing class with new Village Gallery instructor Eve Kenyon. Eve provides a supportive, energetic classroom with individual attention for all skill levels.

The January group show features watercolor artist, Sandra Wood. Sandra’s watercolors are not timid but pop out with her technique using vivid color saturation. One of Sandra’s paintings took “Best of Show” at the VGA October Awards Show.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 4 pm and Sunday from noon until 4 pm. We are closed on Mondays.

We are located next to the Cedar Mill Library at 12505 NW Cornell Rd. You may call (503) 644-8001 or stop by to register for classes. Visit the website at villagegalleryarts.org for class info and schedules.

St. Pius X School announces annual Auction

This year's auction will again feature the hilarious game of heads and tails

St Pius X School is proud to announce our 31st annual auction – “Our Schoolhouse Rocks!” There will be two events associated with the auction: a LIVE event on Saturday, February 6 at the St. Pius X Community Center and an ONLINE event kicking off on February 7 and running until February 19. To access our online event, go to www.stpiusxcatholicschool.cmarket.com

St. Pius X School is a not-for-profit school located in Cedar Mill. We provide an outstanding education for nearly 300 students, from Kindergarten through 8th grade. The annual auction is our largest fundraiser. Every contribution provides critical funding for music, science, art, technology, tuition assistance, and facility enhancements. St Pius X does not receive any tax dollars and must depend on the auction to bridge the gap between tuition and the total cost of educating a child.

We are currently accepting advertising placements for the Live Event catalog. Additionally, we are offering to place a logo as a ‘live link’ on our Online Auction homepage. Finally, any item donated, big or small, contributes to the overall success of the auction. All donors will be listed in the auction catalogs (online and print versions). Please contact the auction team at St. Pius X School at auction@stpiusx-pdx.org if you are interested in contributing to the success of the auction. CMBA member Lee Davies Real Estate is a presenting sponsor for this event.

25+ Families Helped Each Week

Our goal is to offer a “cup of cold water in Jesus name” to refresh and encourage those in need. Helping Hands, a ministry of Sunset Presbyterian Church, serves those in need of emergency food and free used clothing.

The emergency food pantry is stocked to serve 25+ families per week, providing a 3-5 day supply. The Clothing Closet selections vary from week to week as all items are donated by families and friends of Sunset Presbyterian.

Helping Hands Community Center is located in the modular building on the west side of the church campus, south of the ARCO station. Open hours are Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to noon, and Thursday afternoons from 4-7 pm. Food Drives are held quarterly with a reminder banner posted on Cornell Road (in front of the church). Donations of food and clothing are received anytime the church office is open and on Sunday during worship times 9 & 11 am and 5:30 p.m. Receipts for donations are available from the church office or the Helping Hands Community Center.

Urgent Care for kids signs up

Pediatric Urgent Care now has signs on the building to guide parents of sick children to the only pediatric-only Urgent Care in the Portland metro area that is open 365 days a year. Hours are Monday to Friday 7 - 10 pm and weekends and Holidays 1 - 9 pm. Staffed by board certified Pediatricians in a kid friendly office setting. Pediatric Urgent Care is located at 11790 SW Barnes Rd, Suite 140. Call (503) 597-KIDS for more information.

Local distressed properties near 20%
by Lee Davies

Recently, I thought it would be interesting to see just how many “Bank Owned” and “Short Sales” properties are impacting the real estate market in my backyard, west of the Willamette. Much to my surprise, distressed properties are far more prevalent than I had anticipated. 

Homes that are either short sales (those homes that homeowners owe more than the present value of the home and cannot make up the shortfall) or bank-owned foreclosures in the Realtors Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) add up to being close to 20% of the current inventory and these properties are typically priced well below the competition.

In many micro-markets around town, if you cast a net around a sampling of 50 homes for sale in a similar price range and area, it would be a common fact that upwards of 10 would be distressed sales. In a sampling of this size it would not be uncommon either to see only five homes sell per month based on the past year’s averages (a 10 month supply), or in other words, it may take at least 10 months to sell one’s home. As a result, ordinary homeowners who are hoping to sell are now competing with these distressed properties and it quickly becomes apparent that in order to be competitive, homes must be clean, well maintained, updated, staged, and priced well.

On the other hand, there are many great opportunities for home buyers and with the rates once again at record lows, we have seen sales increasing. While it may seem frustrating to see these properties impact the market, the fact is the sooner they are absorbed by new happy homeowners, the sooner we will see the market stabilize and begin appreciating. If you would like to know what’s going on in your micro-market, call one of our brokers today and we can update you hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly with email alerts or reports that will give you the knowledge to make your next move.

DuFresne’s puts the brakes on hunger

“Wow!” That is the word Nancy Scheewe thought of when she looked at her shop and saw how much food they collected for the Oregon Food Bank this December.

Nancy says, “This is our sixth year of collecting food by offering a Free Brake Inspection with a grocery bag of food. And if you were in need of brakes the pads and or shoes were free. By the middle of December we had already collected more food than we did the whole month of December 2008. We could not have done this without all of our neighbors In the Cedar Mill area. Special thanks go out to all of you.”

Advanced Planning and Health Fair Workshop

Learn how to complete some of those necessary items in life that come with advanced age. Take advantage of workshops and specialists in the areas of Financial Planning, Reverse Mortgage, Senior Living Options, Wills and Living Wills, Advance Directives, Ethical Decisions and more… Join us for a relaxed morning of making sure you’re up to date with the information you need.

Saturday, February 13 at Sunset Presbyterian Church, Cornell Rd. at Hwy 26, across from Oak Hills from 9 am to noon. Open to everyone: children of aging parents and especially important to those 55+. Plan now to enjoy some coffee and donuts and see if all your bases are covered for the future.

“Actions Speak Louder Than Words”

Westside Martial Arts, LLC, located at 13496 NW Cornell Rd., is proud to present, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” on January 16, 2010 from 1-4 pm. This is a dynamic and life changing three-hour workshop where you will learn, “The Three Ways to Enhance Your Cyber Dating Experience,” “Five Things You Must Do Before Traveling Abroad,” “Four Actions That Enhance Your Life”, and much, much more. Learn tips for stress relief, protecting you and your family, and rebuilding your self-image. This three-hour, hands-on, workshop is only $50, and open to everyone over 12 years of age. Call 503-430-7355 to register for this fun, informative, and powerful workshop. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle.

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