Greathouse/Muma

Rachel Greathouse and Jeremy Muma were married Saturday, Sept. 22, at Club Paesano in Gresham.

The bride’s father escorted her down the aisle for the double-ring ceremony, officiated by Pastor Tom Santallines of Mountainview Christian Church.

Rachel wore a sweetheart gown with pearls. She carried her grandmother and great-grandmother’s rings tied around her bouquet.

The bride is the daughter of Alan and Nancy Greathouse of Corbett. Rachel graduated from Corbett High School in 2004 and works at the front desk of Roberts Street Clinic.

The groom is the son of Steve and Dar Muma of Fairview. Jeremy graduated from Reynolds High School in 2006 and works at Southern Wine and Spirits.

Stephanie Russell, the bride’s best friend, was the maid of honor. The bride’s other attendants included Joanna Gunderson, the groom’s sister; Charlie House, a friend of the bridge; and the bride’s cousins Jen Samson and Becky Morris.

Josh Muma, the groom’s brother, served as best man. The groom’s other attendants included Ryan Greathouse, the bride’s brother; Michael Gunderson, the groom’s brother-in-law; and the groom’s friends Ryan Newman and Andy Seeley.

The couple honeymooned at Waikaloa, Hawaii.

Rachel and Jeremy Muma reside in Gresham.

The Gresham City Council is to be applauded for its willingness to listen to concerns of residents and to act upon what it heard.

You’ll recall that Mayor Shane Bemis in September raised the possibility of enacting a $7.50 per month fee — paid by every household and business — as a means of providing necessary funding for police, fire and park services.

In the weeks that followed, the city listened to feedback from people representing homeowners, renters, landlords, business owners (small and large), people living on fixed incomes and from those who could easily afford the added expense.

What the city heard wasn’t all that surprising: People are worried that their rents will go up; that they’ll be required to absorb the cost on a fixed income; that Gresham could come back and raise the fee at a later date without notification; and that the public won’t have a voice in the fee.

Those messages were heard loud and clear.

Rather than simply implement a fee, the council is asking that city staff put together a levy proposal that would accomplish the same goals. If the council chooses to go with a levy, it would require approval by Gresham residents.

We think that’s wise, but at the same time we are worried about what might be in store for Gresham’s future. If Gresham residents were to defeat such a levy, they might wind up saving a few dollars in exchange for an erosion of city services.

This city already has pushed its staff and programming to a breaking point. Without the fee — or a levy — Gresham faces even deeper cuts to its municipal services.

Unless Gresham comes up with additional revenue, possibilities for balancing the budget include closing a fire station (which would increase response time); continuing to watch as the population grows while the police presence stagnates or declines; and ignoring park maintenance. None of those choices make sense for the livability of the fourth-largest city in Oregon.

So we applaud the City Council for its efforts to involve the public in this important funding decision. Yet we are painfully aware that a final outcome must be that costs increase in order to maintain services.

The following students were named to Good Shepherd School’s fall honor roll:

Eighth grade

4.0 — Katelin Booth, Brooke Burrell, Caitlin Holmlund, Jennifer Kitchen, Beulah Russell, Jasmine Teeny.

3.5 to 3.9 — Brittney Biggs, Josh Brink, Michael Callaway, McKennah Joy, Lauren Tatro, Jenna Young.

Seventh grade

4.0 — Lauren Anderson, Nathan Bartol, Hailey Fuson, Elizabeth Lewis, Noah Schweitzer.

3.5 to 3.9 — Emma Beckers, Samuel Butler, Bethany Cox, Alexa Edwards, Cambria Georgeson, Emily Gorham, Katherine McMahan, Rachel Stewart, Jamey Wolf.

Sixth grade

4.0 — Zack Bressel, Katelyn Chung, Ellie Gentry, Jacquelyn Krebs, Abby Leadham, Savannah Springer, Connor Strauss.

3.5 to 3.9 — Jacob Campbell, Averie Everett, Jessica Findlay, Luke Garner, Sebastian Hryciw, Megan Jefferis, Brody Reid, Haven Russell, Jacob Sale, Jacob Teeny, Jeremiah Urback, Chloe Williams.

Army

Young — Army Cadet Andrew J. Young recently graduated from Army Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Leader Development and Assessment Course at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash. A student at Oregon State University, he is the son of Eric and Linda Young and grandson of Lillian Ronnes of Damascus. Young is a 2008 Sam Barlow High School graduate.

Navy

Dasalla — Navy Petty Officer Third Class Mayli M. Dasalla recently returned to the United States after a more than seven-month deployment in the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas. A 2009 graduate of Gresham High School, Dasalla is the daughter of Richelle A. Grodigan. She joined the Navy in March 2010.

McLaren — Navy Petty Officer First Class Andrew S. McLaren recently returned to the United States after a more than seven-month deployment in the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas. A 2009 graduate of Gresham High School, McLaren is the son of Lisa O’Malley of Troutdale and Gary McLaren of Aurora. McLaren is a 2001 graduate of North Marion High School of Aurora and joined the Navy in December 2001.

MONDAY, NOV. 19

Damascus City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 19920 S.E. Highway 212. Call 503-658-8545 or visit damascusoregon.gov for more information.

Central City Neighborhood — 7 p.m., MetroEast Community Media, 829 N.E. Eighth St. For more information, call Bob Pung at 503-758-7436.

TUESDAY, NOV. 20

Gresham City Council Business Meeting — 3 p.m., City Hall, Council Chambers, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway. For more information, call 503-618-2697.

Gresham Redevelopment Commission — After 3 p.m. business meeting, City Hall, Council Chambers, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway. For more information, call Cecille Turley at 503-618-2545.

Multnomah Education Service District Board — 6 p.m., Multnomah Education Service District Boardroom, 11611 N.E. Ainsworth Circle, Portland. Call 503-257-1504 or visit w3.mesd.k12.or.us for information.

TUESDAY, NOV. 20

Gresham Eagles Pinochle — Noon, Fraternal Order of Eagles, 117 N.E. Roberts Ave. For more information, call 503-667-3019.

Gresham Senior Writers Club — 12:30-2:30 p.m., Gresham Senior Center, 600 N.E. Eighth St. Call 503-826-1619 for more information.

Creative Writing Group — 1 p.m., First Baptist Church, 224 W. Powell Blvd. Join other aspiring writers for critique and guidance in writing for fun or publication. For more information, call 503-665-2159.

Northwest Flyfishers — 6:30 p.m., Sam Cox building at Glenn Otto Park, Troutdale. Mike Allen will give a presentation on Wilderness First Aid at 7 p.m. For information, call Larry Kirkhart at 503-661-4126 or email info@nwflyfishers.org.

MONDAY, NOV. 19

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) — 9 a.m., Wood Village Green Mobile Court, 23300 W. Arata Road, Wood Village. A support group for weight management and healthy lifestyles. For more information, call Edna at 503-666-1091 or visit tops.org.

La Leche League — 10 a.m., Mountainview Christian Church, 1890 N.E. Cleveland Ave. Breastfeeding help for mothers and mothers-to-be. For more information, call Melissa at 503-492-3168.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) — 6 p.m., Parklane Christian Reformed Church, 16001 S.E. Main St. Weigh-ins begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6 p.m. Visit tops.org for information.

Troutdale Lions — 7:15 p.m., Sam Cox Building, Glenn Otto Community Park, 1106 E. Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale. For information, call Jon Brown at 971-322-4582.

TUESDAY, NOV. 20

Full Gospel Business Men — 6 a.m., Shari’s Restaurant, 881 S.W. Highland Drive. A fellowship of evangelical businessmen. For more information, call Stephen Rogers at 503-666-4793.

Columbia River Gorge Kiwanis Club — Noon, Tonkin Gresham Honda, Community Room, 24999 S.E. Stark St., Troutdale.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) — 4:30 p.m., Highland Community Church, 4100 S.E. 182nd Ave. A support group for weight management and healthy lifestyles. Weigh-ins start at 4:30 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. meeting. For more information, call 503-666-0923 or 1-800-932-8677, or visit tops.org.

Gresham Society of Artists — 6 p.m., Gresham Senior Center, 600 N.E. Eighth St. For more information, call Jo Curry at 503-254-5923.

Northwest Flyfishers — 6:30 p.m., Glenn Otto Community Park, 1102 E. Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale. For more information, visit nwflyfishers.org.

Boring-Damascus Grange Meeting — 7 p.m., Grange Hall, 27861 S.E. Grange St., Boring. Members hold events, community service and fundraisers and oversee the grange. Visit boringgrange.org or call 503-663-1853 for information.

Gresham Elks 1805 — 7:30 p.m., Gresham Elks Lodge, 3330 N.E. Division St. The Elks are involved with and support several charity projects. Call 503-666-1805 for information.

As I write this, there are people in our community who are worrying about where, or if, they are going to get their next meal.

There are children sitting in class pleased that the three-day weekend is over because the only place they get a good hearty meal is at school.

There are parents lying awake at night with hunger pangs because they chose to give the remaining amount of food to their children so they would not go hungry.

The act of just writing these sentences weighs heavily on me because I have been so blessed to have never needed to worry about if or when I would eat again.

I believe that no one in our great state and country should have to worry about going hungry. The fact that 1 in 3 people in the United States is obese, but there are people who cannot get enough to eat, baffles me beyond belief.

If you did not know, Oregon is the hungriest state in the nation.

Approximately 13.6 percent of households in Oregon (nearly 500,000 people) are insecure about where their next meal will come from.

These people lack access to consistent amounts of nutritious food. About 5.9 percent (nearly 200,000 people) face very low food security or hunger.

That means these Oregonians ate less, skipped meals or went for a day or days without food.

I am amazed that my home state that I love has these problems and that so many people do not know how severe this problem has become.

What can we do to help?

If you read The Outlook on Tuesday, I hope you noticed a paper bag in the layers of the paper. This paper bag signifies the annual Riverview Community Bank Fill A Bag food drive — now in its third year — benefiting SnowCap Community Charities.

If you are not acquainted with SnowCap, it’s the only food bank located in east Multnomah County, and it has been serving our neighbors who are struggling for more than 40 years.

I would like to be able to write that the necessity for food has diminished since Fill A Bag started in 2010, but the facts are the need has amplified. Our neighbors need our assistance.

Please, if you have the means, fill a bag with food and bring it to one of these local companies: Riverview Community Bank (Gresham or Wood Village branches), Gresham Outlook, Gresham Ford, Drake’s 7 Dees, Twelve Mile Market, Advanced Care Chiropractic, Town Fair Chiropractic, Troutdale General Store, Classique Floors and many more.

Also attached to the bag is a letter with an envelope: If you desire you can just mail a check. At this time, SnowCap can purchase 20 pounds of food for $1, so a check for $20 goes a long way to aiding a family.

Thank you for your generosity.

Casey E. Ryan is vice president/branch manager of the Gresham and Wood Village branches of Riverview Community Bank.

David Edward Kaady

July 20, 1945-Nov. 10, 2012

Former Gresham resident David Edward Kaady died Saturday, Nov. 10. He was 67.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Greater Grace Lutheran Brethren Church, 3707 S.E. 162nd Ave., Portland.

Dave was born July 20, 1945, in Portland and attended Centennial High School. He married Rita Anne Zittleman on Nov. 29, 1964, in Sandy.  

Dave worked in auto detailing for 50 years. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, landscaping, target shooting and dirt-bike riding. 

He is survived by his wife; daughters, Sherry Kaady Wilson and Tricia Kaady of Portland; brother, Ritchie Kaady of Portland; sisters, Sherry Rasmussen of Vancouver, Wash., and Georgia Klein of La Crosse, Wis.; and granddaughter, Chelsea Wilson.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

 

Paula Boul Wilson

June 18, 1954-Nov. 10, 2012

Gresham resident Paula Boul Wilson died Monday, Nov. 10. She was 58.

A memorial service will be held in June at Paula’s house, with a family friend leading the service.

Paula was born June 18, 1954, in Belleville, Ill., to Robert and Rose Boul.

She attended Academy of Notre Dame Belleville and received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Houston.

She married Alan Wilson on Aug. 5, 2011, in Gresham. Paula worked in production finance for Radio City Productions in New York City before retiring in 2010.

Paula is survived by her husband; daughter, Nicole Stewart of San Diego; sisters, Mary Boul of Dickinson, Texas, Diane Boul of Orangevale, Calif., and Jodie Schneider of St. Charles, Mo.; and brother, John Boul of St. Louis, Mo.

Bob Wesley

July 6, 1938-Nov. 8, 2012

Gresham resident Bob Wesley died Thursday, Nov. 8. He was 74.

No memorial service will be held.

Bob was born July 6, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, master’s degree in analytical chemistry and doctorate degree in inorganic chemistry.

Bob married Judith Anderson on July 1, 1961, in Broadbrook, Conn. He worked at North American Aviation and taught at Mt. Hood Community College.

One of his proudest moments was participating along with thousands of others in the Selma-Montgomery march in April 1965.

Bob is survived by his wife, Judith; sons, Steve Wesley of Gresham and Mike Wesley of Gresham; brother, Richard of Cincinnati, Ohio; and three grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Mt. Hood Community College Scholarship Fund or Mt. Hood Hospice.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Paid obituaries

Daniel Lee Mershon

December 14, 1951- November 6, 2012

Homer resident Dan Mershon died unexpectedly of a stroke while on vacation in Maui. He was 60 ys. old. Dan was born in Portland, OR the son of Alfred and Norma (Kent) Mershon. He attended all 12 yrs. at Corbett, OR area schools graduating in 1970. He was active in all sports, excelling in football.

Dan grew up commercial fishing on the Columbia River, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He married his high school sweetheart Christy and together they raised 2 sons, Joshua and Nathan. Dan followed the fish from Corbett, to Astoria, Oregon and on to Homer, Alaska where he lived and worked for over 30 yrs. He fished for salmon in Bristol Bay on the Gray Ghost, Cook Inlet on the Lady C, crab and halibut on the F/V Magnum and tendered the M/V M&M, a storied career.

Adventure was a big part of Dan’s life. He was a pilot and a sailor taking his family on sailing trips to Hawaii, American Samoa and Tonga. Dan loved the water and was either working or playing on it at any given time. Besides windsurfing his greatest passions were his grandkids and little dog Corky.

He is survived by his wife, Christy, son Joshua and his wife Mei, grandchildren Jonah, Micah, and Hannah, all of Homer, son Nathan and his wife Chandra ,White Salmon, WA, sister Karen Beyer (Mark) of Tillamook, OR, brother Phil Mershon (Sherol) of College Place, WA, brother Paul Mershon (Susan) Corbett, OR. and father-in-law John Schaffer (Judy) Sammamish, WA. He also leaves a large extended family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers and sisters-in-law as well as many good friends. We believe that being a man of faith he is in the Lord’s care but we miss him deeply.

Due to the number of family living in the Pacific Northwest a memorial will be held at the Corbett Community Church, in Corbett, OR on Saturday Nov. 24, 2012 at 1 pm with an informal get together to be held in Homer, Alaska at a later date. Cards and remembrances may be sent to the family c/o Mershon, 845 NW Kennedy Lane, White Salmon, WA 98672.

Lori Luna’s second-grade daughter and twin sons in kindergarten were among the last students to attend Springdale School when it closed in 1996.

For nearly 20 years, the Springdale School Community Association and the Corbett School District worked to renovate the historic school site built in 1931.

This fall, the school reopened to the Corbett Arts Program with Spanish (CAPS), with Luna as the principal. The school is listed on the historic registry and fully renovated.

From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 17, the community is invited to a grand reopening of Springdale School at 32405 E. Historical Columbia River Highway.

Gary Law, a founder of the community association, attended Springdale School from first through eighth grade, from 1945 to 1953. He lives within view of the school.

“Being a father and grandfather, it’s wonderful seeing kids like they were (at the school before it closed),” Law said. “We’re seeing the fruits of saving and being good stewards. It’s a beautiful building and a visible landmark.”

The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., a cider press in the play shed and musical performances by school choirs.

“The main idea is for the community to see the results of the renovation,” Luna said.

Before and after pictures will be on display, along with historical exhibits by the community association.

The Corbett Arts Program with Spanish has 135 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

For information, call CAPS at 503-261-4294.

Trinity Lutheran to host Advent Festival Nov. 17

Trinity Lutheran Church, 507 W. Powell Blvd., will celebrate its annual Advent Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.

This family event features crafts children can make for Christmas. Young people will serve a chilidog lunch, and the women of the church will offer baked goods.

The women also will have small items such as napkins and cards for sale. The Fiddlers will entertain with music.

Adults can create an evergreen centerpiece or wreath with the help of Wendall Cook from Nancy’s Floral.

The Star Walk allows winners to select a sweet treat to take home.

For more information, call 503-665-3197 or visit trinitylutherangresham.org.

Poverty summit focuses on partnerships

With 16 percent of East County living below the poverty level, the organizers of an annual poverty summit are trying stay focused on hope.

The fifth annual KEY Poverty Summit, an opportunity to discuss the needs of impoverished citizens with service organizations, churches and community members, is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 17, at Mountainview Christian Church, 1890 N.E. Cleveland Ave., Gresham.

This year’s summit focuses on partnerships, with organizations presenting about their programs and how others can support them. Lunch will be provided between noon and 1 p.m.

To register, visit mvclive.com or call 503-907-2918. For information, email keyconversation@gmail.com.

Quinby, Tlustos-Arnold lead in unofficial election

As of unofficial election results released at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ken Quinby and Tamie Tlustos-Arnold were winning Position 2 and 6 on the Fairview City Council.

In the race for Position 2, Quinby held the lead at 49.89 percent, or 1,320 votes, ahead of Barbara Jones with 49.09 percent, or 1,299 votes. That’s a difference of 21 votes.

Tamie Tlustos-Arnold leads for Position 6 with 49.88 percent, or 1,273 votes, ahead of Brian Cooper at 48.90 percent, or 1,248 votes. That’s a difference of 25 votes.

A spokesman for the Multnomah County Elections Office said some ballots are yet to be counted, and he expects some of those may involve races in Fairview.

While the remaining uncounted ballots are unlikely to change the outcome of the races, it’s still too close to call. Multnomah County was planning to release another round of revised results at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Soroptimist International taking grant applications

Soroptimist International of Gresham is accepting applications for three grants for women and girls between Dec. 3 and Dec. 14. Awards will be presented March 7 at a reception in Gresham, with first place recipients going on to regional and national awards.

Dec. 3 deadline

Violet Richardson Award — Recognizes girls age 14-17 engaged in significant volunteer work with a focus on making their community and world a better place to live. Volunteer work benefiting girls and women will receive preference. Grants of $1,500 and $1,000 to first and second-place recipients.

Rudy Award — Acknowledges a woman whose personal or professional activities work to improve the lives of women and girls. The $500 award will be rewarded to a charity of the recipient’s choice in their name.

Dec. 14 deadline

Women’s Opportunity Award — Provides women with cash grants to improve their education, skills and employment. Applications must be the primary financial supporter of their family and enrolled in a college or vocational/skills training program. Grants of $3,500 and $2,000 to first- and second-place recipients.

For information or to request an application, call Peggy Johansen at 503-665-8370 or Julie Reed at 503-674-1214.

Completed applications can be submitted online to Julie Reed at jureed@lhs.org or emailed to P.O. Box 802, Gresham, 97030.

EUGENE — Stanford used a controversial touchdown in the final minute of regulation, a sturdy defense, the Ducks' inability to kick field goals or move the ball consistently, a fumble recovery on offense in overtime and then at OT field goal Saturday night to spoil No. 1-ranked Oregon's dream of a national championship.

The 13th-ranked Cardinal won 17-14 with a 37-yard field goal in the first round of overtime at Autzen Stadium.

Oregon fell to 10-1 overall, 7-1 in the Pac-12, failing to win the Pac-12 North Division title.

The Ducks will try to regroup next Saturday, Nov. 24, in the Civil War game at Oregon State.

Stanford won the overtime toss and gave Oregon the first crack. The Ducks wound up with third-and-9 from the 24, and Mariota threw incomplete — in one direction, as receiver Josh Huff broke the other way. So Alejandro Maldonado came on to try a 41-yard field goal, and it hit the left upright and bounced back into the end zone — no good.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan fumbled running on second down — but the Cardinal managed to beat several Ducks to the recovery. After one more run, Stanford's Jordan Williamson got his three-pointer to go just inside the left upright.

In regulation, Stanford fumbled away some chances. The Ducks took advantage of one fumble and went ahead 14-7 on a 95-yard drive, capped by De'Anthony Thomas' short touchdown. The Ducks recovered another fumble with Stanford threatening.

But the Cardinal (9-2, 7-1) held down the UO offense, running back Kenjon Barner included.

It was 7-7 at halftime — a surprising defensive battle through the first 30 minutes. Stanford did its job, making it a shorter game, which helped the Cardinal compete with the high-flying Ducks.

Strong defense continued in the second half. After a Stanford punt, the Ducks faced 95 yards to the end zone, but calmly went downfield in their no-huddle uptempo offense, picking up large chunks of yardage, with QB Marcus Mariota completing six passes. He hit Will Murphy for a first down on third-and-10. Mariota hit Colt Lyerla for 17 yards on third-and-4. Josh Huff reached high for an 11-yard pass from Mariota.

Thomas capped the 16-play drive (3:20 of clock time) by scooting in for a 6-yard TD run, and Oregon pushed ahead 14-7 with 6:35 left in the third quarter.

The game seemingly continued to get away from Stanford. On a first down, QB Kevin Hogan hit Kelsey Young for 12 yards, but the receiver/running back coughed up the ball, with UO's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu forcing and recovering at the Stanford 39. But a holding penalty hurt UO's possession, and \Maldonado missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, wide right.

Later, Stanford forced another UO punt, and went on the move from its 49. Stepfan Taylor ripped off an 18-yard run as part of his 100-yard night, but he fumbled, and Oregon's Erick Dargan. It was Ekpre-Olomu's sixth forced fumble of the season.

The Cardinal made it interesting, marching behind Taylor's runs to the UO 26. On third down, the Ducks stopped Remound Wright short of the fourth down. And then Jordan Williamson missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with 8:05 left.

With 6:28 left, the Cardinal got the ball back at their 22, and began to move. Soon, Stanford had a first down on the Oregon 21. With 2:17 left, the Cardinal went for it on fourth-and-1. They got it up the middle, getting a new set of downs at the 10.

On first down, Zach Ertz caught a 10-yard pass in the back of the end zone. The pass was ruled incomplete, but the call was overturned after a lengthy officials' review. The score, with the PAT, tied the game at 14-14 with 1:35 remaining.

Oregon took the ball at its 22, and got a pass-interference call on Stanford on third-and-10. Then came a completion for a first down and a 2-yard run by Mariota to the Oregon 49 with 57 seconds remaining. Stanford stuffed a run by Barner, and Mariota threw incomplete long. On fourth-and-9, Oregon punted into the end zone, giving Stanford an opportunity with 36 seconds to go. The Cardinal chose to settle for overtime.

Defenses showed well in the first half, with Oregon gaining 231 yards and Stanford 213. Mariota had a 77-yard run (with Thomas inexplicably running with him, rather than blocking somebody), but the Ducks couldn't capitalize, as they punted three times and Stanford stopped them twice on fourth down.

The Cardinal owned a 20:16 to 9:44 advantage in time of possession, but punted four times.

After Mariota's run on UO's second drive to the visitors' 15, the Cardinal stopped Mariota on fourth-and-2.

Led by Hogan, the Cardinal drove 93 yards on 15 plays and 7:01 of clock time, and went ahead on Hogan's diving 1-yard TD run.

Another UO punt followed and, on the next drive, Mariota threw high in an attempt to Lyerla on fourth down.

Stanford had a great opportunity on fourth-and-1 at the UO 41, but Hogan, on a fake run, threw short to an open tight end Ryan Hewitt.

The Ducks took the ball and scored quickly — a 22-yard Mariota-to-Keanon Lowe pass, a 9-yard Barner run and a 28-yard Mariota-to-Lowe TD passing play.

More punts, and then Hogan sailed a pass, intercepted by Dargan. But Mariota, after a 3-yard run loss where he fumbled into the hands of offensive lineman Kyle Long, returned the favor, being intercepted by A.J. Tarpley with only a few seconds remaining in the first half.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

STANFORD 0 7 0 7 3 -- 17

OREGON 0 7 7 x 0 -- 14

FIRST QUARTER

No scoring

SECOND QUARTER

STANFORD — Kevin Hogan 1 run (Jordan Williamson kick) 12:39

OREGON — Keanon Lowe 28 pass from Marcus Mariota (Alejandro Maldonado kick) 3:26

THIRD QUARTER

OREGON — De'Anthony Thomas 6 run (Maldonado kick) 6:35

FOURTH QUARTER

STANFORD — Zach Ertz 10 pass from Hogan (Williamson kick) 1:35

Att. — 58,792

CORVALLIS — Oregon State took care of business against underdog California Saturday night at Reser Stadium — and how.

The Beavers — ranked 15th by the Associated Press, 16th in the BCS and 17th by USA Today — laid the hammer on the outmanned Bears from the the start en route to a 62-14 victory.

Sean Mannion passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns as the Beavers (8-2 overall, 6-2 in Pac-12 action) broke an early 7-7 tie with 42 unanswered points.

Oregon State took the second-half kickoff and marched to paydirt, Storm Woods carrying the final yard for a TD and a 42-7 advantage with 11:28 left in the third quarter. That was pretty much it for the Bears (3-9, 2-7) in what may have been the swan song for beleaguered coach Jeff Tedford.

OSU’s Terron Ward made it 49-7 with a 47-yard TD scamper with 4:58 to go in the quarter.

Cal got back on the scoreboard on Allan Bridgford’s 1-yard sneak with 58 seconds left in the period, drawing the Bears to within 49-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, Ward scampered 17 yards for another touchdown. The PAT missed, banging off an upright.

The final touchdown came when running back Malcolm Agnew took a short pass from backup QB Richie Herrington, a redshirt freshman, and dashed across the goal line from 8 yards.

Mannion threw for 239 yards and four touchdowns as Oregon State jumped to a 35-7 halftime lead. Mannion completed 16 of 24 passes — including six for 94 yards to Markus Wheaton — as the Beavers took control early.

The Beavers had 19 first downs and 333 yards total offense and took advantage of three turnovers and seven penalties for 88 yards by the Bears in the half.

Oregon State had a great scoring opportunity on its first play from scrimmage after a Cal punt. Mannion went deep to a wide-open Wheaton, who had to wait for the ball but still made the catch for a 48-yard reception to the Bears’ 30. Two plays later, Mannion’s pass went through the hands of Colby Prince to Cal’s Josh Hill, who made the interception at the Bears’ 23.

On Cal’s next possession, OSU’s Jordan Poyer got the ball back on an interception at the Bears’ 44. Four plays later, Mannion found Wheaton over the middle for 11 yards, a TD and a 7-0 lead with 9:10 left in the first quarter.

Cal responded immediately, going 82 yards in nine plays, mostly on the ground but aided by a 15-yard taunting penalty by OSU’s Scott Crichton. Sofele covered the last nine yards for a score to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:30 to go in the quarter.

The Beavers came right back, moving 68 yards in just five plays. Woods’ 38-yard run took them to the Cal 19. Two plays later, Tyler Anderson dived in from the 1 and Oregon State was back on top 14-7 with 4:34 remaining in the period.

After John Braun’s fumble recovery gave Oregon State the ball at the OSU 39, the Beavers the increased the margin to 21-7. The score came on Mannion’s wounded-duck 48-yard TD pass to Brandin Cooks, who came back for the ball and crossed field to race past three Cal defenders with 10:56 left in the second quarter.

Soon it was 28-7 after Mannion’s third TD pass, a 14-yard hook-up with reserve tight end Connor Hamlett.

Oregon State regained the ball on Cal’s third turnover, a fumble by Darius Powe that was recovered by Poyer at the OSU 35. The Beavers marched 65 yards for another TD, Mannion finding Micah Hatfield in the back of the end zone for six yards and the score and a 35-7 advantage with 15 seconds to go before intermission.

NOTES — It was Mike Riley’s 80th victory as coach at Oregon State. Riley is 80-65 in his dozen seasons — 72-51 since returning for his second stint in 2003. ... The third quarter was played in a torrential downpour. There were more empty seats than spectators by midway through the quarter. ... Mannion matched a school record for TD passes in a half. ... OSU lost two players to injury in the second quarter — Cooks, who was shaken up after a reception on a helmet-to-helmet hit, and Anderson, who suffered an apparent knee injury. ... Cooks passed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yardage and moved into sixth place on OSU’s single-season list with 1,048 yards this season. ... Oregon State has won 11 of its last 14 meetings with California. ... Brennan Scarlett, Cal’s 6-4, 255-pound sophomore outside linebacker from Central Catholic, came into the game with 40 tackles, including six tackles-for-loss and 2 1/2 sacks. ... Jacob Wark, a 6-4, 255-pound sophomore tight end from Jesuit High, came into the game with six catches for 55 yards in a reserve role for the Bears. ... Maximo Espita, Cal’s 6-2, 220-pound tight end from South Salem High who backed out of a verbal commitment to Oregon State to sign with the Bears, is playing as a true freshman, mostly on special teams. ... Joey Mahalic, the former Wilson High quarterback and baseball player, signals in plays from the sidelines for the Bears. Mahalic, who played pro baseball for three years, is a freshman in eligibility.

kerryeggers@portlandtribune.com

Twitter: @kerryeggers

SCORE BY QUARTERS

California 7 0 7 0 -- 14

Oregon State 14 21 14 13 -- 62

FIRST QUARTER

OSU — Markus Wheaton 11 pass from Sean Mannion (Trevor Romaine kick) 9:10.

CAL — Isi Tofele 9 run (Vincenzo D’Amato kick) 6:30.

OSU — Tyler Anderson 1 run (Romaine kick) 4:34.

SECOND QUARTER

OSU — Brandin Cooks 48 pass from Mannion (Romaine kick) 10:56.

OSU — Connor Hamlett 14 pass from Mannion (Romaine kick) 7:13.

OSU — Micah Hatfield 6 pass from Mannion (Romaine kick) :15.

THIRD QUARTER

OSU — Storm Woods 1 run (Romaine kick) 11:28.

OSU — Terron Ward 47 run (Romaine kick) 4:58.

CAL — Allan Bridgford 1 run (D’Amato kick) :58.

FOURTH QUARTER

OSU — Ward 17 run (kick failed) 12:50

OSU — Malcolm Agnew 8 pass from Richie Herrington (Romaine kick) 2:24

ATT: 43,779

Five takeaways and a last-minute stand at midfield send the Wildcats to a 27-24 first-round win over Pacific Lutheran

MCMINNVILLE — None of the numbers on the scoreboard were in Pacific Lutheran’s favor when it took to the field for its final drive against Linfield in the first round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs Saturday afternoon.

The points showed Linfield with a 27-24 lead. The clock didn’t have many ticks left with 1:33 remaining.

But most troubling for the Lutes was the zero showing under timeouts.

Pacific Lutheran found itself in trouble immediately when Linfield lineman Mike Maierhofer broke into the backfield and sacked QB Dalton Ritchey for a 12-yard loss, trapping the Lutes inside their own 10-yard line.

Pacific Lutheran received a ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card on the next play when a facemask penalty on the Wildcats ended up in an automatic first down.

The home fans had reason to worry a few plays later when Ritchey connected with Daniel Herr over the middle of the field for a 23-yard gain on 3rd-and-4 to move the ball into Linfield’s side of the field.

With the clock rolling under a minute, Ritchey stepped to the line and spiked the ball.

Needing one mid-range pass completion to give their kicker a chance at a tying field goal, Ritchey dropped back to pass on second down. Linfield’s Marq Randall came around from behind and almost knocked the ball out of the QB’s hand. The pressure was enough to force Ritchey top step forward where he was met with a crushing hit by Wildcats’ linebacker Brian Dundas for an 8-yard loss.

With time ticking away, Ritchey picked himself off the turf, sprinted to the line and spiked the ball again.

In a flash it was 4th-and-18, and the Lutes were down to their final chance.

Lutes’ receiver Kyle Warner had been the team’s main weapon all day, pulling down 12 catches for 205 yards. So it was no surprise when Ritchey targeted him going over the middle near the first-down marker, but the throw whizzed past about a stride too far in front.

Linfield’s offense returned to the field took a knee and celebrated.

The No. 3-ranked Wildcats face No. 14 North Central out of Illinois in next Saturday’s second round. Linfield is expected to host the game at 12 p.m., although the NCAA announces the official host sites Sunday afternoon.

North Central picked up a 41-21 road win at Cal Lutheran, keeping the Wildcats from a rematch with the Kingsmen who they beat by a field goal early in the season.

“It’s hard to beat a good team twice, so it will be fun to have a chance to play somebody new,” Linfield coach Joseph Smith said.

Linfield looked to take control of Saturday’s game early in the fourth quarter, driving into the red zone when QB Mickey Inns hit Tom Knecht with a short pass. Knecht made a move for the goal line, but was hit at the 3-yard line and the ball popped out leaving Pacific Lutheran’s Greg Hibbard with an uncontested recovery.

The Wildcats no longer had the ball, but they would need only one play to find the end zone.

The Lutes went to the air with Ritchey firing a quick throw toward the sideline, but the pass traveled barely halfway to its destination when Linfield’s Tyler Robitaille stepped in front, made the two-handed pick and took a couple strides into the end zone.

“They had been hitting that out pattern all day, so we tried to fool them and bait them into throwing it again,” Robitaille said. “I was surprised that he threw it, but I broke on the ball and it was right there for me.”

The Lutes’ fifth turnover of the day put Linfield in front 27-17 with 12:02 to play.

Pacific Lutheran had a chance to make it a one-possession game again, facing 4th-and-1 deep in Linfield territory with about six minutes left.

Head coach Scott Westering called time out and chose against a 30-yard field goal try. Instead, Ritchey lined up in the shotgun, faked a handoff inside and bolted around left end for a 12-yard touchdown run. The gutsy play brought the Lutes within 27-24 with 5:25 on the clock.

“Pacific Lutheran is a good team, and they just keep coming back,” Smith said. “I didn’t expect this one to get out of hand.”

With no timeouts, the Lutes needed a quick stop to put their offense back on the field. They were on the verge of just that after forcing Linfield into a 3rd-and-4 play that had Inns scanning the field for an open receiver. With his main options covered, the senior QB stepped up in the pocket to give himself another half-second. It was just enough time to spot Deidre Wiersma breaking open over the middle. He caught a low dart at the knees for a 7-yard gain.

“Getting that first down was big,” Inns said. “It gave our defense a little more room to work.”

It also allowed the Wildcats to run another two minutes off the clock before punting the ball away.

Inns finished the day 22 for 35 for 210 yards with one interception. Charlie Poppen was his top target with seven catches for 70 yards.

Pacific Lutheran got on top early when Niko Madison ran in from 6 yards out, and the Lutes maintained a 7-3 edge midway through the second quarter.

But the wheels fell off before halftime.

Linfield cut the gap to a single point when Josh Kay connected on his second long-range field goal of the day.

Pacific Lutheran fumbled the ball away on its next drive with Linfield’s Dominique Forrest recovering near the sideline.

That set the stage for Linfield’s ‘Beef’ package, which takes the QB off the field and puts four running backs behind center. Chad Coburn took the shotgun snap and simply followed his load of running mates into the end zone for a 13-7 lead.

Pacific Lutheran’s next possession ended quickly, as well with Forrest dropping into the middle of the field and intercepting a pass thrown just behind his shoulder pads.

“They came out in a bunch-receiver set, and I just read the QB’s eyes,” Forrest said. “The ball came right to me.”

Coburn converted that turnover into points with a 1-yard plunge through the middle to make it 20-7 Linfield at the half.

Forrest led the Wildcats’ defense with 10 tackles and a pair of takeaways, while Maierhofer came up with two sacks and three tackles for loss.

SCORING SUMMARY

Pacific Lutheran 7 0 10 7 — 24

Linfield 3 17 0 7 — 27

First quarter

LNF — Josh Kay 47 FG, 7:13

PLU — Niko Madison 6 run (Jacob Schrader kick), 2:35

Second quarter

LNF — Kay 42 FG, 7:09

LNF — Chad Coburn 4 run (Kay kick), 6:13

LNF — Coburn 1 run (Kay kick), 3:22

Third quarter

PLU — Lucas Sontra 21 pass from Dalton Ritchey (Schrader kick), 8:30

PLU — Schrader 20 FG, 1:35

Fourth quarter

LNF — Tyler Robitaille 5 interception return (Kay kick), 12:02

PLU — Ritchey 13 run (Schrader kick), 5:25

View a photo gallery of the game at …

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/nov17linfield_playoff

A man who robbed a Gresham bank last summer will spend eight years in federal prison — the maximum sentence allowed for the crime.

David Earl Cohens, 48, of Portland pleaded guilty in March to one count of bank robbery and was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 19, to 96 months in prison for robbing the Key Bank at 1532 N.E. 181st Avenue near Halsey Street on Aug. 11, 2011.

On that day, Cohens demanded money from two tellers, who handed over $2,662, said Gerri Badden, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney's Office.

As one of the tellers triggered a silent alarm, Cohens left with the money in a laptop computer bag and got into a black Cadillac driven by Delbert Bernard Brown, 61, of Portland.

Within minutes, Gresham police issued a bulletin with the suspect's physical description, including his clothing and direction of travel.

A nearby Portland Police officer got behind the get-away car, whose driver pulled over without being directed to. The officer noticed Cohens sit up in the back seat and took both men out of the car.

That's when she noticed a $20 bill on the floor of the car, a hat and a computer bag in the back seat — all of which matched robbery details provided by the bank tellers.

A Gresham bank robbery task force officer searched the car and recovered the stolen money in the computer bag, a fishing hat worn during the robbery and a loaded revolver. The gun was found in the back seat where Cohens had been sitting.

Police arrested both men and took Brown, the get-away-car driver, to the hospital for treatment of chest pains. Brown also pleaded guilty in March to one count of bank robbery and will be sentenced in January.

Cohens was sentenced to 16 months in prison for a 1994 jewelry store robbery. He also was convicted of burglary in 1995.

District Court Judge Michael Mosman had the option of sentencing Cohen to as little as 77 months but instead gave him the maximum sentence of 96 months.

Mosman noted that the robbery had profound effects on one of the victims. According to a police report, she said the robbery was scarier than most bank robberies because of Cohens' abusive and foul language, as well as his abrasive demeanor.

After the robbery, the teller had a hard time sleeping, got a dog and saw a counselor. She still gets nervous whenever she sees a customer wearing a hoodie or carrying a backpack.

Damascus city councilors are getting closer to voting on new council rules that will give councilors more authority in how the government body operates.

But a new issue popped up during the Thursday, Nov. 15, work session.

City Manager Greg Baker asked for direction on a Wednesday, Nov. 14, email from Mayor Steve Spinnett in which the mayor directed Baker to have staff send him what appears to be a copy of any and all emails coming into or out of City Hall.

“I would like to becc’d on all City Manager correspondence with any member of city council, code development, department heads, CCI, councilor to councilor and any correspondence with other government organizations such as ODOT, DLCD, METRO etc.,” Spinnett wrote. “I would also like all communications to and from the city, city councilors and any other citizen committee that includes any communications with the public.

“I may have mentioned that before but I would like to be contacted and made aware of ALL interactions the city has with the public, such as meetings, potlucks etc.”

In closing he said he’d rather be cc’d on an ongoing basis than “rely on public information requests that put an additional burden on city staff.”

Spinnett was the only councilor absent due to a vacation, so Council President Diana Helm presided over the meeting.

Baker explained to the council that following the mayor’s directive would cripple the city from getting any work done. “It puts an extraordinary burden on the staff,” Baker said, adding that he’s confused and shocked by the email.

So was Helm. “Wow,” she said. “It’s insane. It’s paranoid. It’s scary. I don’t even understand it. This is just one more hurdle. If they feel they’re going to find a smoking gun let them go ahead and keep making public records requests. It’s reprehensible.”

“Or is this a form of harassment?” asked Councilor Marlo Dean.

After almost every councilor agreed the request was unreasonable, Helm asked Councilor Barbara Ledbury, who remained quiet, if she had something to say.

“No, I’m just so discouraged by it all,” she said, shaking her head.

In the end, the council determined the mayor’s directive was against council rules because it was made without consulting the council.

Rule changes

As for the proposed council rule changes, councilors agreed on some of the more minor ones, but are still ironing out the big one — how to maintain decorum during council meetings.

Councilors agreed to allow the city manager to set meeting agendas, with input from any councilor, not just the mayor. The mayor now sets the agenda with input from the city manager.

They want to require a council consensus for the mayor to schedule a public hearing. He is the only one authorized to so do now.

The issue of decorum, or rather how to maintain it, is a bit more complicated. Councilor Mary Wescott proposed language that would allow the council by a majority vote to appoint a presiding officer to maintain order and decorum in council chambers if the mayor is not doing so.

“We’re not trying to go around the mayor,” Helm said. “We want something more...” she continued, pausing to struggle for the right word, “functional,” Wescott said.

“Yes, functional,” Helm echoed.

Comments from citizens have grown increasingly hostile in recent months and Spinnett is failing to control the meetings, councilors have said.

In October, two citizens’ comments were interpreted at threats, prompting six-month bans from city property, including City Hall. The city lifted the ban within about a week. An attorney representing both citizens has filed torte claims against the city alleging the residents were targeted not only because of what they said but for being Spinnett supporters.

One resident told the council “Off, off, off with your heads,” while another referred to a cartridge box, or a gun during his comments.

Spinnett has questioned whether the proposed changes in regard to council decorum violate the city’s charter by removing the mayor’s authority to enforce order in council meetings and transferring it to a majority vote of council.

City Attorney Tim Ramis seems to agree with Spinnett. Having someone else preside over a meeting and dictate decorum is a “gray area,” Ramis said. Having a disruptive person removed is particularly problematic.

Councilor Marlo Dean suggested moving for a recess, or even ending the meeting if a meeting disintegrates to the extent that people need to be removed. “You might as well adjourn,” he said. “We leave, we’re done.”

“And what about the meeting after that?” asked Councilor Randy Shannon, pointing out that anyone who wants to hamstring city government would just create a scene, causing the council to adjourn and preventing it from ever getting anything done.

“You really think these are the kinds of meetings we’ll have for the next two years?” asked Councilor Barbara Ledbury, referring to Spinnett’s recent re-election to two more years in office.

“You think?” replied Wescott.

“It’s hard to see Damascus get to this point,” Ledbury said.

The rule changes are not expected to be voted on until early December.

Sam Barlow High School Senior Sarah Yates devotes time and energy to others

If Sarah Yates didn’t have her eye on nursing school, she would make an excellent journalist.

“I like listening to other people’s stories,” Sarah said. “It helps me to be less narrow-minded and expand my horizons. I think I am better able to help people when I know what they’ve been through.”

The 17-year-old Sam Barlow High School senior holds a volunteer résumé that reads like a phone book. The gifts of her time and talent have impacted those at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, My Father’s House, Zaraphath Kitchen and Gresham Manor, among others.

But volunteering, according to Sarah, is a “passion” that continually inspires her to find new ways to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Sarah entered high school as a member of the volleyball team. When the activity turned out to be less than her cup of tea, she decided to turn her spare time and energies into helping other people. She’d harbored a desire to volunteer at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center since she was in middle school, but didn’t meet the age requirement until two years ago. To date, Sarah has logged more than 350 volunteer hours on the hospital’s general surgery floor.

“I wanted to see what the nurses did and explore if that’s what I want to do,” she said. “But there is such a need. The nurses are so grateful for simple things like making sure there are gloves in the rooms. The little things that I can do to help them is so rewarding.”

After seeing how much hospital patients appreciated a friendly greeting or minor assistance, Sarah began spending time at Gresham Manor retirement residence earlier this year. She helped with a variety of resident activities at the facility before taking on the role of home computer tutor a few months ago. One Saturday each month, Sarah travels from residence to residence, teaching seniors how to email or navigate Facebook. The one-on-one contact, she said, was far more satisfying than participating in group activities.

“I felt I wasn’t able to connect with the residents on a personal level,” Sarah said. “So when the opportunity came up to teach computer skills, I took it. It’s fun because they love to talk and I can hear their stories. It’s so interesting. They open up a whole new world of thinking for me.”

A lifelong Gresham resident, Sarah admits to growing up in a warm and loving family. She credits her parents, Steve and Tracy Yates, with teaching her compassion and a desire to help those less fortunate than she. That example led her to further stretch her volunteer time with organizations that address homelessness and poverty.

“That strikes a chord with me,” she said. “They’re human, and a lot of people are afraid of them, but they’re just like everybody else. They didn’t choose to be where they are. They’re grateful when somebody will even talk to them. And they have great stories.”

In January this year, Sarah coordinated a gently used clothing drive at Barlow, called Jeans for Teens. The annual drive is sponsored by trendy clothier Aeropostale, which donates the collected jeans to homeless shelters and other nonprofit agencies around the country.

Sarah researched the project, contacted the store and together with other members of Barlow’s Key Club set up collection barrels at the school. In less than a month, the group collected 200 pairs of jeans. It was a labor-intensive project for the spunky teenager, as well as an eye-opening experience in how easy it is to take things for granted.

“What made me want to do it (Jeans for Teens) is because I saw where somebody asked homeless teens what would make them feel normal,” Sarah said. “They all said a pair of jeans. I never thought a pair of jeans would make someone feel like they fit in with everybody else.”

A nearly straight-A student, Sarah hopes to attend the University of Portland, study nursing and maintain her myriad volunteer activities. Her dream job, however, would be to spend every day in the childcare center at My Father’s House, sitting on the floor interacting with the children.

“Kids are just so joyful,” she said. “I don’t have a care in the world when I’m there. But there is such a need for volunteers everywhere. I just wish I didn’t have any homework. Then I would be able to do so much more.”

Do you know a Shining Star?

Shining Stars is a new feature that recognizes local students quietly doing great things in the community. Outlook readers, parents and teachers are encouraged to tell us about a student of any age, whose talents outside the academic arena are making our world a better place. Do they volunteer regularly at a retirement center? Have they taught an artistic practice to a youth group? What are they doing in the community that makes us proud to call them neighbor?

Tell us about a Shining Star you know by contacting Anne Endicott at 503-492-5118 or via email at aendicott@theoutlookonline.com.

And watch for the next Shining Star in the Tuesday, Dec. 4 issue of the Outlook.

Iconic Rockwood food cart moves to new digs down the street

Best Burger addicts — rejoice.

Bracing against the East Wind to get a fix from the iconic cart is a thing of the past.

Best Burger has moved, to not only offer folks a place to sit indoors, but beginning Saturday, Dec. 1, a new menu as well.

“We are going to have killer breakfasts,” said John Cartisser, owner of Best Burger. “We hired a new head chef and I don’t think Gresham has seen anything like our breakfast. We’re going to crank it up a few notches.”

The trademark orange food cart has been closed the last two weeks while Cartisser and his crew have been remodeling their first real-deal restaurant.

The building at 17527 S.E. Stark St. has been home to several eateries, most recently Tios Tacos, and notable for sharing the location with Wok’s Up bar and volleyball courts.

But the opportunity to move from cart to table service came up suddenly, Cartisser said, proving that sometimes, you have to be careful what you wish for.

Cartisser, a lifelong Gresham resident, actually got into the food cart business by accident. After his contracting business took a hard hit as the economy sputtered, he began looking for a way to combine his passion for food and some form of income.

“I scraped together $800 and bought a flat-bed,” Cartisser said. “I framed the cart from scratch and was just going to put it on Craigslist to sell. But I got orders for four other carts and I built them side-by-side for other people. Because of that, my cart was paid for from day one.”

Cartisser opened Best Burger on the corner of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard in the summer of 2011. But when you do everything yourself, a food cart isn’t the most streamlined cooking arena.

“We do our own barbecuing and smoking,” Cartisser said. “It took two hours to pull everything out of the cart and get it going. And at first, I was sitting there for 10 hours waiting for a customer. It wasn’t easy.”

In October 2011, Cartisser anchored his Best Burger cart in a parking lot on Southeast Stark Street and 185th Avenue.

Peddling his trademark handmade burgers and ribs, the cart attracted a cult-like following. In June, Best Burger went head-to-head with some of Portland’s better known food cart vendors in Gresham’s first cook-off.

Best Burger was named as the People’s Choice Award winner, besting the likes of VooDoo Donuts, Saucy’s BBQ and Taco Pedaler.

Surprised and pleased by the overwhelming public response to his menu, Cartisser began considering a more permanent facility.

“To serve the customer properly, they need to have a place to sit,” he said. “Once the cart took off, we had to start looking to find brick and mortar.”

Cartisser admits he was in the beginning stages of scouting a new location for Best Burger when the owner of Wok’s Up approached him about moving into the former Mexican restaurant.

A fully-equipped kitchen, an on-site bar and a remodeling job that could be completed on a shoestring budget, all satisfied Cartisser’s requirements for a permanent home.

“This has been crazy!” Cartisser said, laughing. “We had less than fours weeks to get the restaurant up and running. The whole thing is a miracle that gives me goosebumps every time I think about it.”

The new Best Burger boasts a rustic décor, with picnic tables for casual dining and walls covered in burnt orange, yellow and chocolate brown.

Breakfast will include French Toast, Eggs Benedict, Biscuits and Gravy and Chicken Fried Steak, all adhering to Cartisser’s high standard of homemade preparation.

Best Burger quietly opened their doors Thursday, Nov. 15 with their traditional menu, and plan an official grand opening for Saturday, Dec. 1 to unveil the breakfast menu.

“What a ride this has been,” Cartisser said. “We’re not going to do anything special for the grand opening. We’re just going to open the doors, turn the music on and cook up some serious food. That’s what people want.”

Volunteers assist clients getting clothes, food items

Students from Centennial Learning Center provide much welcomed volunteer help at SnowCap Community Charities, 17805 S.E. Stark St. Portland, which serves low-income folks in East County.

Recently, student Markus Thomas, 17, spent his first day at SnowCap, rolling up his sleeves and working as a “personal shopper” as he joined his schoolmates filling food carts for clients.

Meanwhile, down the hall in the donated clothes closet, classmates Yolanda Blanco, 20, and Flor Soriano, 18, helped a low-income couple find some warm attire appropriate for the coming chill of winter.

Blanco has been volunteering at SnowCap since late summer, helping folks pick out donated clothes for their families or select food. She also helps stock shelves and sort clothes.

“I actually like it,” she says. “It kind of relieves my stress a little bit, and I like working there after school. I really like helping people.”

She also has empathy for the folks she serves.

“I don’t really have that much money, so sometimes I have to live paycheck to paycheck and food stamps to food stamps, so I understand how it is,” she says.

Over at the intake window, Rusty Simms was assisting another student in registering a new client. Simms coordinates the evening program at Centennial Learning Center, an alternative middle and high school at 17630 S.E. Main St., Portland. The school serves 165 students from the Centennial School District.

Simms and his students volunteer each Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. to relieve other volunteers who serve more than 8,000 clients a month. Simms began recruiting the student volunteers for SnowCap in January 2008.

“We determined that a program of volunteering would teach certain academic skills coupled with community service responsibilities,” Simms says. “We began in the warehouse sorting food donations, then began organizing food boxes for clients.”

Eventually, the students moved from working solely in the warehouse to helping keep the food pantry and clothing facility open and then stationing themselves in the front office doing client intake.

“By volunteering at SnowCap, students are presented a chance to experience customer service, inventory control, business management and how to plan a healthy meal,” Simms says. A member of the SnowCap board of directors, Simms says his students bring a “can do” attitude to their weekly SnowCap stint.

“They are aware that they are being prepared for future employment or additional post-high school education opportunities.”

Under Simms’ direction, the relationship between Centennial Learning Center and SnowCap has developed into a community partnership.

“Many families at my school and in my district have access to SnowCap services,” he says. “We have middle schoolers who pack 40 food boxes once per month, which are voluntarily delivered by our school bus drivers to four elementary schools and then distributed to families who cannot travel to SnowCap.”

In addition, five students, including Blanco, from the day school program currently volunteer sorting food and doing food cart help every week.

“When community garden space got completely full at SnowCap this year, we were able to offer garden space at the school to SnowCap gardeners,” Simms says, noting four families have gardening plots at Centennial. He adds the school plans to work with Portland Parks and Recreation to open a large community garden within the next two years.

Judy Alley, SnowCap’s executive director, notes the student volunteer workers enable the agency to remain open to clients on Tuesday afternoons.

“These students provide us with an extra, much-needed shift,” Alley says. “Once word got out, our clients started to look forward to coming in on Tuesdays and working with the students. They are a favorite with many and help offset demand for additional volunteers from other sources.

“The students learn how to relate with our ‘customers,’ exhibit a hard work ethic and are a joy to work with,” she adds. “We have never had a problem with students not showing up for a shift.”

Watercolors and sculptures on display through Nov. 30

If her comments are any indication, Bev Jozwiak is the opposite of the stereotypical tortured artist.

“I am a very prolific painter,” she says of her watercolors and acrylics. “My philosophy is to sell them rather than store them under my bed.”

And sell them she does, at prices ranging from $200 to $1,400 a pop. You can see her latest work at the Caswell Gallery in Troutdale through Friday, Nov. 30

“I called this show painting ‘Life With life,’” she says. “I like to paint animals, some still lifes, but my true love is doing figurative work. I like people going about their everyday business. Never a posed portrait.

“I also mean ‘life’ as in energy and lots of impressionistic brushwork,” she says. “I never want my painting to look like a photograph. In my opinion that is why we have the camera.”

“Bev believes in keeping original art affordable and accessible to everyone,” says Linda Kiley, gallery spokeswoman, who notes Jozwiak’s work is familiar to Caswell’s visitors.

“We love her ability to capture common subjects in their everyday environments and somehow make them seem exquisitely unique and special. Her work is impressionistic, and she strives for realism while expressing the love and energy that goes into each piece.”

The Vancouver, Wash., artist has won multiple awards and been featured in numerous magazines including American Artist, The Artist, Watercolor Artist, The Collector and International Artist. She even had a calendar published by Hallmark. She spoke at length about what went into the creation of three of her works in the exhibit.

‘Top Chefs’

“’Top Chefs’ is from an ongoing series I have been working on,” she says. “It has been a successful series, garnering me entry to some big competitions, a full page mention in American Art Collector magazine, and a big article coming soon (April 2013) in Watercolor Artist.

“I look for subjects that I can create good design with, and that fills my need to create figures in their everyday life. This works perfectly for both.”

‘Blowin’ in the Wind’

“The coast is one of my favorite places,” Jozwiak says. “I always have camera in hand and take a multitude of photos when I go. Many unposed, but some, like this one, posed just right.

“I do a lot of figures without much or any of their faces showing,” she says. “The viewer can relate, and many times I have sold a piece because it reminds them of their own kids, or someone they know. I loved the feel of the wind in this piece, with the scarves and hair whipping around their faces.”

‘1st Street Hotel’

“This is my rain series — what could be more typical in the Northwest?” she says. “Although it is raining, I use warm colors and find them anything but depressing. Very impressionistic, with varied color, and lots of brushwork showing, they are really fun to paint.”

The Regats

In addition to Jozwiak’s work, the Caswell Gallery is highlighting pieces created by Jacques and Mary Regat.

“We have not shown them in the gallery since 2006, so when they were available to show at the gallery, we jumped at the chance to reintroduce them,” Kiley says.

The painters and sculptors hail from Alaska, and their subjects reflect Alaskan culture and heritage, Kiley notes.

Jacques Regat is a self-taught painter and carver from France who is also a trained machinist and tool-and-die-maker. In Alaska, he developed a strong kinship and respect for the cultural myths and history of its native people, which became an inspirational theme reflected in many of his works.

Meanwhile, Mary Regat is also primarily a self-taught artist who began sculpting while living in a remote logging camp on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska. Her first efforts were a 28-foot dugout canoe. She eventually took up residence in Anchorage and began sculpting in stone. Her style is expressive and impressionistic, capturing the emotions and moods of her subjects.

The couple met and married in Alaska. They work in bronze, silver, wood and stone, lithographs, oils and acrylic.