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Community News

• Get to know a newt
• Urban Forestry Summit: Creating Effective Policy for Increasing Tree Canopy
• Keeping the Holidays Safe
• Shakespeare Meets Jersey Shores at Sunset High
• Car Seat Check
• Multnomah County Kicks off Rural Comprehensive Plan Update
• Tom’s Aviation History
• For Those Age 50 and Older: Village 101
• Veterans Day Ceremony at Washington County Fair Complex
• Explorers of the West Winter Break Camps
• Option School Application Process for 2015-16 school year

Get to know a newt

Saturday November 8, 12- 4 pm, Nature Park Interpretive Center, 15655 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton.

Guests can explore, learn and observe during the district’s annual “Newt Day” tribute to these fascinating creatures, which enjoy the seasonally wet weather more than most. “This might be the only event in Portland where we hope it rains,” said Elisa Joy Payne, environmental education program coordinator for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District. “Newts are happy when it rains, and this event provides an opportunity to see what makes newts so special and why they love our winter weather.” Visitors will learn about the amazing adaptations of newts and other forest inhabitants at indoor exhibits and interactive activities hosted by THPRD nature experts. A self-guided adventure yields five miles of trail and is bound to include encounters with newts and other creatures.

This family-friendly event is designed to inspire exploration of nature during the season when it is tempting to stay inside. How do newts evade predators? Why can they survive both in and out of water? Guests will leave with a better understanding of newts, their environment, and their predators. Admission is $2 per person; children 2 and under are free.

The Tualatin Hills Nature Park is a 222-acre wildlife preserve in the heart of Beaverton that features evergreen and deciduous forests, creeks, wetlands, ponds and meadows. The park is home to a variety of birds, mammals, and smaller creatures. Its trails network includes 1.5 miles of paved pathways plus 3.5 miles of well-maintained soft-surface trails. Call the Nature Park Interpretive Center at 503-629-6350 for additional information.

Urban Forestry Summit: Creating Effective Policy for Increasing Tree Canopy

November 18, 9 am- 4 pm Winona Grange, 8340 SW Seneca St, Tualatin, OR 97062

Local governments have struggled with the best ways to promote and protect trees that add diverse benefits to their communities, including stormwater runoff reduction, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and cleaning the air. Often, regulations that require mitigation for tree cutting are seen as unfair and punitive, and can actually motivate clearing of urban forests before development. Recently some cities have used a collaborative approach to developing tree codes that achieve tree canopy goals through incentives, flexible regulation and community outreach.

Oregon Department of Forestry, Tualatin Riverkeepers, the Intertwine Alliance and Teragan & Associates are hosting a workshop to help improve urban forestry policies and regulations to motivate steady growth in tree canopy. The workshop is for planners, developers, homebuilders, arborists, landscape architects, community members, policy wonks, grass-roots organizations, and others interested in effective urban forestry codes and programs that increase the benefits of trees in our communities.

The cost is $15 (+$1.82 ticket fee) with lunch included. Register online at tualatinriverkeepers.org or tinyurl.com/TreeCode.

Keeping the Holidays Safe

To avoid a holiday fire, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue reminds you to use caution this season. Also, check your smoke alarms before the festivities begin.

Cooking

• Cooking fires are the leading cause of residential fires. Minimize your risk by following these tips:
• Don’t leave cooking unattended - turn off burners or set a timer if you leave the room.
• Heat cooking oil slowly and turn down the heat if it begins to smoke.
• Ensure cooking surfaces are clean and clear of combustibles.

If you have a stovetop fire, turn off the heat source, slide a lid or cookie sheet over the fire from the side, and leave the pan covered until it has cooled. If you have an oven fire, leave the oven door closed and turn off the oven. If the fire grows larger, get everyone out of the house and call 9-1-1 from a cell phone or neighbor’s house.

Candles

• Trim candle wicks to 1⁄4 inch before burning and use sturdy candle holders.
• Keep candles away from decorations and other combustibles.
• Always extinguish candles before going to bed or leaving your home.
• Consider using flameless, battery-operated candles.

Holiday Trees

• A dry holiday tree is extremely flammable, so it’s important to keep your tree fresh.
• Make a fresh cut at the base of the tree before placing it in your stand. Immediately add water and check the water level every day. Don’t allow the water level drop below the base of the tree.
• Place your tree away from heat sources.
• Turn-off the tree lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
• When the needles begin to fall from your tree, it should be removed.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue wishes you and your family a safe and happy holiday season! Additional safety tips can be found at www.tvfr.com.

Shakespeare Meets Jersey Shores at Sunset High

November 7, 8, 14 and 15, 7:30 pm, Sunset High School Auditorium, NW Cornell Road

Sunset High School’s theater department presents the Portland premier of Ken Ludwig’s “Midsummer/Jersey,” the hilarious high-octane re-telling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream set on the boardwalk of a seaside town in modern-day New Jersey. Ludwig is the author of such famous Broadway shows as “Lend Me a Tenor,” and “Treasure Island.”

Sunset’s talented cast acts out the story that revolves around the impending marriage of the Governor of New Jersey, the love affairs of four beach-bound high school crushes, a lively crew of fairies, and the staff of the local beauty salon, run by Patti Quince and Stylist Nikki Bottom. The night takes a magical turn when Oberon and the impish Puck arrive on the scene armed with a powerful love potion and a desire for mischief making. With several weddings and the acting careers of six beauticians hanging in the balance, the lovers take to the boardwalk, backed by pop music and an iPhone-obsessed wood sprite.

Doors open at 7 pm; curtain rises at 7:30 pm. General admission tickets, which are $10 for Adults and $7 for Students and Seniors, can be purchased at the door or online at: seatyourself.biz/shstheatre.

Celebrating 56 years of live theater production, Sunset High School produces a diverse selection of productions, from musicals such as the classics like “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Damn Yankees,” and the “Wizard of Oz,” to some of Shakespeare’s greatest works like “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth.” These productions push the boundaries of design, creativity and interpretation, enabling students to experiment with different styles, roles and historical eras. More information on Sunset’s theater programs is available at: shstheatre.yolasite.com.

Car Seat Check

Saturday, November 15, 9-11:30 pm, Doernbecher Pediatrics Westside at Bethany Village, NW Laidlaw

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, along with Doernbecher, will be checking car seats in Bethany. If you are travelling for the holidays, please consider having your seats checked before you leave. The event will be held in the lower level of the parking garage.

Multnomah County Kicks off Rural Comprehensive Plan Update

November 6, 5:30-8 pm, Skyline Elementary School Gymnasium (11536 NW Skyline Blvd.)

Cedar Mill is near the northern border of Washington County, and many of our roads will need to extend into rural Multnomah County. In addition, much development is happening near the county line (North Bethany, Bonny Slope West.

Multnomah County has scheduled two open houses for property owners, residents and business owners within rural Multnomah County, and other interested parties, to kick off the county’s Comprehensive Plan update. The current County Comprehensive Plan was originally adopted in 1977. Although it has been updated for specific topics since then, a complete assessment of its policies, strategies and structure has not occurred since 1977.

The document needs to be revisited and revised to reflect the times and to better guide land use and transportation decisions in the county’s rural, unincorporated areas. The plan affects how people in the rural areas can build and develop their land, where businesses and services can be located, and what improvements may occur on roads serving rural areas.

The plan is the blueprint that will shape physical development in rural areas over the next twenty years. The open house will allow the public to share opinions about what issues are important, and what ought to be addressed in the updated Comprehensive Plan. Attendees will learn more about what the Comprehensive Plan is and how it is used. Attendees can share their opinions by completing a short comment form or posting comments on display boards.

An online open house is also available at multco.us/compplan for the public to learn about the project and share their opinions. The online information is identical to that at the public open houses. Online comments can be submitted from November 5 – 19.

For more information, contact Rich Faith, Multnomah County Senior Planner, at rich.faith@multco.us or 503-988-3931.

Tom’s Aviation History

Tuesday, November 11, 7-8 pm, Beaverton Historical Society, 12412 SW Broadway, Beaverton

Tom Philo has been active in reading about, researching, and sharing knowledge of all types of history since grade school. Tom joined the Oregon Eighth Air Force Historical Society chapter in 1997 due to his love of aviation and history, and volunteered to become the secretary soon after joining. One of his first presentations to the chapter was a photo journey of what remains of the Eighth Air Force bases in the UK, culled from photos that he has taken during his seven trips to the UK since his first trip “over there” in 1982.

Asides from reading books on all aspects of the Eighth Air Force, and history in general, he has also flown in a few WW II aircraft including a Boeing B-17G “Flying Fortress”, North American B-25H “Mitchell,” a Boeing AT-6 “Texan” trainer, plus he has “stick time” in a Travel Air “Mystery Ship” bi-plane as well as a Boeing “Stearman” bi-plane. He has sat in numerous different WW II type aircraft over the years as well as looking through the insides of many Allied and Axis and taking photos.

There is a $2 suggested donation for this event. For questions, contact (503) 430-0106 or visit the website at HistoricBeaverton.org.

For Those Age 50 and Older: Village 101

Saturday, November 22, from 11:30 am - 1 pm at the Beaverton Public Library, 12375 SW Fifth Street, Beaverton

The organizers of Viva Village! will introduce “Village 101: The Village Movement in Washington County,” at a public information session. Viva Village! is a nonprofit grassroots organization whose purpose is to provide area residents with programs and services that will enable them to live independently in their own homes/neighborhoods for as along as possible.

From the first Village developed in the early 2000s, the Village Movement has grown in the U.S. and Canada to include more than 150 established and developing Villages. The movement was started in response to the growing number of seniors who prefer to stay at home as they age, instead of moving to costly senior community or care centers. Viva Village! will serve the greater Beaverton area including Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Bonny Slope, and parts of Bethany. It is one of eight Villages under development in the Portland area.

The session is free and open to all. For more information see vivavillage.org or call 503-644-7417.

Veterans Day Ceremony at Washington County Fair Complex

The public is invited to a Veterans Day Ceremony. Washington County Commissioner Bob Terry will host the event, with special guest speaker Bill Ivey. Mr. Ivey is the Executive Director of Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. The event will also feature speakers who served in Vietnam, including Mayor Jerry Willey and Ret. Colonel Herb Hirst.

The ceremony is sponsored by Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services, in partnership with Memorial Fund for Veterans of Washington County. Parking is available at the Trimet Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport Park and Ride. The event will take place rain or shine (covered seating will be available). Refreshments are provided by Edgewood Downs. For more information, call Vicki Horn at 503-846-3051.

Explorers of the West Winter Break Camps

Campers ages 8 to 11 will have a blast at Explorers of the West Camp this winter as they travel back in time to learn about the first visitors to Oregon and how they got here. Camp runs from 9 am to 4 pm December 29-31 and January 2. Register by the day, or for the entire session. Learn all about the earliest explorers, Lewis and Clark, the Mountain Men, and the early naturalists. It's an action pack week filled with lots of hands on history and fun! For complete details and prices visit the website here.

Option School Application Process for 2015-16 school year

The process for applying to Beaverton School District option schools is being revised for students wishing to apply for the 2015-2016 school year.

Applications are now being accepted. All applicants must reside within the Beaverton School District boundaries. Current Beaverton School District students will again be able to apply online, using their student ID.

Resident students not currently attending a Beaverton school will need to complete a paper application available online, or at any school office. Applications will be due no later than Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 4 pm. For more information, please contact the Learning Options Office at 503-591-4440.

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