Public safety

December 23, 2008, Portland OR

Cold Temperatures, Snow, Freezing Rain and High Winds are Dangerous What will you do without lights? How will you stay warm? What will you eat?

Winter is quickly approaching, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about winter storm preparation. Household emergency supplies should include enough food, water and supplies to last four days without power or help.

2010, Wet and wild winter predicted

A recent story in the Portland Tribune said Portland area residents are in for a wet and wild winter according to a series of forecasts presented by members of the Oregon chapter American Meteorological Society.

Two years ago an arctic blast delivered a series of three storms that began December 14, 2008 and kept a grip on the area for over two weeks. Portland reported six days where the temperature never got above freezing with high winds, blowing snow, and numerous road closures. Portland General Electric estimated 60,000 customers were without electricity on December 21st. And, on December 23, the airport reported a whopping 10" of snow in one day making it the snowiest December on record.

BRRRrrrr

The 2010 Farmers’ Almanac claims this winter will see more days of shivery conditions: a winter during which temperatures will average below normal for about three-quarters of the nation. Western Washington, Oregon, and northwest California should expect above-normal snowfall in most places. The coldest (and snowiest) periods will occur in mid-December and mid- to late February.

AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Bastardi is predicting that the worst of winter's cold and snow will be from the Pacific Northwest to the western Great Lakes. "That will put cities like Portland and Seattle colder and snowier this year".

Winter Checklists and Wind Chill Chart below the break

East County Courts, Rockwood Click for MultCo website

It's official. East County Courts will be built! New three-story facility will house courts and county data center

After more than 40-years the East County Courts will be built in Rockwood. Ground breaking on the new court facility will begin before year's end

Unanimous Approval

The Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously October 28, 2010 to approve final plans for construction and financing of a new East County Courthouse in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham. Approval to build the facility culminates years of effort to replace the current leased courthouse space in Gresham, which is leaky, cramped and inadequate.

“As a long-time East Multnomah County resident, I am very excited to see this courthouse finally become a reality,” said District 4 Commissioner Diane McKeel. “This project will create new jobs and provide a catalyst for economic growth and development in Rockwood and East County. I would like to acknowledge the partnership, perseverance and support shown throughout this process from my peers on the Board, the courts, law enforcement, East County cities, neighbors and the business community.”

City of Gresham Police

New service saves the City time & money Residents can now report nonemergency crimes online

Online reporting system offered by Gresham Police

Gresham Police Department is launching a new crime reporting service that will allow residents to file police reports online beginning Oct. 11. The new service will allow people to file certain reports at their convenience. These reports include:

• Vandalism (including graffiti)
• Lost property (excluding firearms and prescription medications)
• Theft from vehicles
• Theft (excluding firearms or prescription medications)
• Vandalism to a motor vehicle
• Additional property Information (supplemental information to a prior report)

Click here to File a Police Report

Stark Street Project nearing completion Overnight paving 8PM to 6AM Drivers advised to seek alternate routes

Expect delays overnight

Starting today, crews will grind and place new pavement overlay on Stark Street in Rockwood between 190th and 199th avenues, including the approaches to Stark on Burnside Road. This work is part of Rockwood in Motion and the second phase of safety and boulevard improvements to Stark Street. The work is being conducted at night to minimize delays to the public.

Night work is anticipated from 8PM to 6AM Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 29-30, and will include flagging of the Stark/Burnside intersection, which may delay traffic in the area. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

Paving will continue the first week in October to the east of Burnside on Stark Street down to 199th Avenue; Monday or Tuesday night, weather permitting. This work is anticipated to be finished in one night between 8PM. and 6AM. This pavement work will take one lane at a time and may require minor, periodic detours from side streets as the crews work around cooling asphalt.

Crosswalk and westbound MAX platform *CLOSED* for construction Please support local Rockwood restaurants and businesses

Closure Notice:

Beginning Monday, July 19, the north-south crosswalk on the west side of 188th Avenue and Burnside Street will be closed for construction of the new MAX platform. The westbound MAX platform for the Rockwood/E 188th MAX Station will also be closed as of that day, and riders will be directed to a new temporary westbound platform located directly across from the existing eastbound platform (just east of the intersection of 188th and Burnside). There are no changes for eastbound riders at this time. The MAX will continue to operate on schedule with no service interruptions anticipated.

Vehicular traffic both eastbound and westbound on Burnside Street will continue to be limited to one lane in this area until the new light rail platforms open in early 2011.

See Traffic Impact Map for a visual illustration of the pedestrian and vehicular traffic impacts.

Hungry? Eat in Rockwood!

There is a world of great dining options in Rockwood. Please support local Rockwood restaurants and other businesses during the construction. They are open and look forward to serving you!

Click here Rockwood in Motion Restaurant Guide (pdf).

IMPORTANT

Please observe all detours and other signs and signals near the site for safety. Please avoid closed crosswalks and sidewalks, and do not enter the posted construction area.

Try this: Guess your child's height and weight. Write it down Then measure him or her and see how close you come

How'd you do?

No one wants to imagine going through the nightmare of having their child go missing. The very thought strikes fear in every parent.

Fortunately you can prepare for the unthinkable by ordering a free Child ID kits from the Oregon State Police.

Since June 4, 2010 close to 3,000 "Complete Identification and DNA Kits" (which are free and are available in English and Spanish) have been sent to people in Oregon as well as nationally (and Canada too!).

The kits help families record important information like dental information, physical information and a photograph. In addition, they provide the necessary tools for taking a DNA cheek swab sample and fingerprints.

Interested?

Child Complete Identification and DNA Kits are available to order by calling 1-800-282-7155, or by email at childidkits@state.or.us. The kits are free of charge!

Click to enlarge

Just Say No! Then, quickly close your door Don't let these pushy salespeople take "Advanage" of you

Aggressive and rude!

Several Capri Terrace residents in West Gresham's Wilkes East Neighborhood have reported being confronted by "pretty darn aggressive" and somewhat rude salespeople going door-to-door selling ADVANAGE cleaning sprays for Georgia based T&B Sales. This company has a sketchy reputation and many complaints for its over-the-top high-pressure sales tactics - dating back to their beginning in 2000.

One neighbor said "I had to be aggressive right back in order to shoo him away, I thought his tactics were a bit peculiar. His foot-in-the door antics was a bit unnerving to me".

Reports of T&B Sales representatives going doot-to-door selling Advanage cleaner without a permit or license have appeared recently in local newspapers from Portland to Longview and on several television stations warning area residents -- including this May 21st story on KGW TV's website.

"Don't even engage them in conversation," said one local sheriff's community policing office. "Just explain to them that you're not interested and close the door."

T&B sales has a troubled history in Oregon. In 2008, the attorney general's office issued a consumer alert after sales reps were charged with fraud, theft and illegal drug activity.

If a T&B Sales representative comes to your door you should contact your local police non-emergency telephone number. In Gresham the non-emergency number is 503-823-3333.

Improving citizen safety though understanding and participation

When: Saturday May 15, 2010 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Where: Gresham City Hall
Council Chambers
1333 NW Eastman Pkwy
Gresham OR
Get Map!

You're Invited!

The spring's quarterly neighborhood safety forum topics will be:

• Update on City Enforcement Objectives
• Effective Crime Reporting and why it is important
• Property Crimes are on the rise – what you can do to protect yourself
• Organizing your street/block – it’s fun and easy and we’ll give you just the “tool” to get you started

Judging from Commissioner McKeel’s reaction the East County courthouse construction could start in December 2010

Source: The Gresham Outlook (Apr 20, 2010)

Judging from Commissioner Diane McKeel’s smile following Tuesday’s briefing on the East County courthouse project, the embattled building is likely to become a reality.

The five-member board of commissioners will decide on Thursday, April 22, whether to build the structure, more than 25 years in the works.

During its Tuesday meeting, county commissioners considered both two-courtroom and three-courtroom configurations for the building, which is proposed for county-owned land on SE 185th Ave and Stark St in Rockwood. Get Map!

Depending on the number of courtrooms, the project could cost between $17.4 million and $20.7 million. A few million dollars from selling surplus county land south of Edgefield in Troutdale is earmarked for the courthouse. The rest of the money most likely will be financed through bonds.

County commissioners seemed to like the idea of moving ahead with the project now to take advantage of the weak construction market and low interest rates.

If approved, construction could start in December, with the building finished in early 2012.

The long-running effort to obtain decent court facilities for East Multnomah County is once again coming to a critical decision point

Source: The Gresham Outlook (Mar 31, 2010)

And that means East County citizens and leaders must maintain a sense of urgency about finally pushing this project over the top.

On Tuesday night, Multnomah County officials – including Commissioners Diane McKeel and Judy Shiprack – held a meeting in outer East Portland to update the community on the preliminary design for a courthouse that would be built in Rockwood, at Southeast 185th Avenue and Stark Street. That session will be followed on April 22 with a presentation to the full board of county commissioners, who then will decide how to proceed with the courthouse project.

(Everyone in the greater East County area (especially Gresham & West Gresham) is urged to attend the April 22 meeting (501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214). If you cannot attend please submit written statements by email to the County Commissioners here (http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/cc/) prior to April 22 to be added to the record and show your support for this important project! Ed.)

(UPDATE: View preliminary design photos below. Ed.)