Uncertainty, other cliffs ahead could hit national economy

The slowly growing national economy avoided a fresh crisis when Congress averted the fiscal cliff at the last minute. But the recovery in Oregon and the United States facesnew challenges to stay on track, according to local economist John Mitchell.

“The worst that could have happened at the start of January didn’t happen, but there’s still much uncertainty ahead,” Mitchell, a principal at M&H Economics Consulting, told members of the Portland Business Alliance during his annual economic preview on Wednesday morning.

During a fast-paced and frequently amusing presentation, the good-natured Mitchell rushed through reams of economic data that showed the U.S. economy began recovering in June 2009, with the economies in Portland and Oregon picking up steam a short time later.

Mitchell warned that the world is still an uncertain place, however, with unexpected developments on a regular basis.

“Look at it this way — Twinkies are gone and the Lone Ranger is making a comeback,” Mitchell said of the bakery bankruptcy and an upcoming big screen western.

According to Mitchell, the Federal Reserve expects the U.S. economy to grow between 2.3 percent and 3 percent in 2013, and between 3 percent and 3.5 percent by 2015.

“That’s slow, but at least we’re moving in the right direction,” Mitchell said.

But, Mitchell noted, the recovery still has a long way to go before it reaches pre-recession levels.

“The bad news is, we now have 4 million fewer jobs than we did in January 2008. The good news is, we have 5 million more jobs than we had in February 2010,” Mitchell said.

More cliffs ahead

Turning to Oregon, Mitchell noted the Brookings Institute says the state has the 21st fastest growing job rate in the county. Its recovery has been aided by a rebounding housing market and uptick in the Portland metropolitan area.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday that Washington County wages are growing at 8.5 percent.

“The housing market has been late coming to the party. Interest rates are at all time lows and affordability is soaring because housing prices fell so much, but people have to still be slow to begin buying again,” Mitchell said.

Despite that, Mitchell pointed to statistics that show housing construction has increased for six consecutive quarters. Residential construction permits in Portland increased 44 percent from 2009 through November 2012.

Mitchell warned that the recovery is still at risk, however. He noted that Congress faces more challenges in coming months, including a vote to raise the debt ceiling in March. And the automatic across-the-board federal budget cuts known as “sequestration” were only postponed for two months, Mitchell noted.

“Congress avoided one cliff but there are other cliffs ahead,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell also pointed out that no one knows what the 2013 Oregon Legislature might do with personal and business taxes. Lawmakers will meet in Salem next week to organize themselves, then reconvene in February and begin taking up legislation.

East County professionals encourage communities to see mental health as a 'we' issue

In the aftermath of the shootings at Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook Elementary School last month and at Taft High School this week, national conversation has surged about gun control and access to mental health resources.

Shauna Signorini, director of Involve Families, a children's mental health training and consulting business based in Troutdale, urges communities to provide support for families coping with mental illness and see it as a “we” issue.

“Get support, get education and get advocacy,” Signorini said. “It starts with a community helping those who are in need and a lot of people caring, networking and collaborating.”

After a young member of her family experienced severe mental health issues, Signorini wanted to help other families in her situation. Today, she leads professional development courses for professionals working with kids who have mental health issues; consults with mental health, family engagement and trauma organizations; and leads workshops for parents.

Signorini describes how mental health issues are often dealt with when they reach a crisis point. She and other Multnomah County mental health professionals advocate for helping kids early on with social, emotional and behavioral issues, and challenge communities to be a part of the solution.

“Our experience was so difficult,” Signorini said. “I felt like we were in a maze blindfolded, and for every 100 phone calls we made, five were relevant and two were appropriate to us. When you have a family member in crisis, it’s so hard to reach out and experience a system so hard to navigate. Training gave me hope, and I wanted to offer hope to other families.”

To become better educated about mental illness and learn how to navigate the children’s mental health system, Signorini recommends East County families take community classes and workshops and use resources offered through not only Involve Families, but FACT Oregon, National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Swindells Resource Center.

Even without exact diagnoses and initial mental health appointments, books such as Ross Greene’s “The Explosive Child” can offer a starting point for families to cope, she said.

At Swindells Resource Center at Providence, there are 5,000 books, with a significant section devoted to mental and behavioral health. The library is available to anybody, and it will mail books to families in rural areas.

Jody Wright, center director, said Swindells offers a care notebook, or organizer for families to keep track of medical care, specialists they’ve worked with and other information in one organized spot.

“Call us, connect with us,” Wright said. “The word I hear over and over again is ‘isolated,’ that 'other people don’t understand.' I tell families to do whatever they need, whether it’s a support group or self-education.”

Wright encourages family and friends of those coping with mental illness to take judgment off the table and not assume they understand what the families are going through.

She said it’s best to assume everyone is doing the best they can under their circumstances and that their intentions are good. She also encourages families to explore Family to Family Health Information Center and Oregon Family Support Network.

Signorini said there are rarely simple answers for families, and the best support they can receive is unconditional love and help.

“Be persistent and don’t give up,” Signorini said. “It will take time, and you will have ups and downs, but practice good self-care. If you deplete everything you have, you have two people who can be in crisis.”

Signorini said yoga in particular was a wonderful practice for children experiencing mental health issues.

Jennie Ehleringer of Yoga for All offers yoga classes for students with mental health struggles and behavioral disabilities.

“Yoga releases all these little emotions,” Ehleringer said. “It’s a very gentle way of releasing stagnant worries and stresses that get stuck in the body. Yoga is something kids can access at any point in life. Whether you go to Holland or Africa, yoga is yoga. It’s a player on their life journey of taking care of themselves.”

Ehleringer and Signorini agreed mental health services could take time to access, but they encourage families and communities to be persistent and not let conversations about mental health resources drop.

“Above all, stay involved, keep talking and keep doing,” Signorini said.

Resources

• FACT Oregon — factoregon.org

• Family to Family Health Information Center — oregonfamilytofamily.org

• Involve Families — involvefamilies.com

• NAMI — nami.org

• Oregon Family Support Network — ofsn.org

• Swindells Resource Center of Providence — oregon.providence.org

• Think Kids of Oregon Health & Sciences University — ohsu.edu/ thinkkkids.org

• “The Explosive Child” by Ross Greene

Ways to help famliies coping with mental illness

• Offer childcare for other children during appointments

• Provide transportation to or from appointments

• Volunteer for respite or childcare to give a parent or parents time alone

• Write a card to show you care

Coming events through Involve Families, involvefamilies.com

• Whole Child — Healthy Child — 9:30-11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, 24375 S.E. Stark St. Learn about the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects for a child's wellness. Pregistration is required at eventbrite.com/org/2946982479. Cost is $30.

• Partner with Youth and Families, a workshop on how to work with people with mental health issues, will be held at a later date in January. Cost is $75.

University of Evansville

Daniel Handy of Corbett was named to the University of Evansville dean's list for fall semester 2012.

An international studies major, Handy is spending spring semester studying abroad at Harlaxton College, Evansville's British campus near Grantham, England.

To make the Evansville dean's list, students must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average.

Harding University

The following students were named to Harding University's fall semester dean's list:

Gresham — Shelby Traughber, sophomore; and McKenzie Evans, sophomore.

Troutdale — Matthew Albright, senior.

Wood Village — Rebecca Williams, senior.

To make the Harding dean's list, students must earn at least a 3.65 with 12 or more credit hours.

HEALY — William Michael Healy, the son of Christopher and Kristen Healy of Gresham, was born at 1:03 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.

William joins sisters, Madeleine, 9; Danielle, 7; and Caitlin, 5. His grandparents are Steve and Jeanne Williams of Boring and Tom and Nancy Healy of Gresham. He has two great-grandmothers, Marge Searcy of Prineville and Doris Healy of Vancouver.

The nonprofit organization and the resort help build life lessons

As a young teenager, Travis Roundy was lost, wandering down a misguided path that left him straying from his true identity and the person he wanted to become.

Life was too confusing.

The people he was with and the choices being made seemed like inescapable realities despite the overwhelming awareness that none of it was right for him.

But these days that life is history.

Roundy, 19, is not spending this winter surrounded by ill-advised temptations and unsavory dilemmas but rather undertaking the responsibility of his job as a SkiBowl Adventure Park coordinator. He’s one of 14 young individuals hired by the Mount Hood ski resort through a partnership with AntFarm, a Sandy-based youth center dedicated to providing mentorship and opportunities to at-risk teens from the Sandy, Boring and Estacada areas.

For the past two weeks, AntFarm members have been asked to operate the park and are paid minimum wage to ensure the safety of customers, most of whom are children, who ride inflatable tubes down a hill.

“We’re focused on ... making sure the kids themselves are supported and comfortable and realize they have a support team here to fall back on and help them with what is essentially their first job,” said Sam Hardy, AntFarm’s work force development manager

SkiBowl’s Sean Malloy first thought of the possibility of partnering with AntFarm. Frustrated with his previous employees and the constant turnover, Malloy believed that AntFarm’s teens could provide the work ethic and reliability he was looking for.

And developing teens with those qualities is the goal of AntFarm’s work-readiness program.

Individuals looking to join the youth center are placed in the program and asked to volunteer, helping elderly folks who need their gutters cleaned or firewood chopped, as well as performing other forms of community service.

“After they demonstrate that they’re ready to be about AntFarm and help the community, they’re rolled into our paid positions,” Hardy said.

That’s when the program teaches teens about time and money management, responsibility and more. AntFarm made connections around the community and eventually partnered with the Bureau of Land Management and provided teens who built top-of-the-line bike paths at the Sandy Ridge Trail.

“We help them transition into real-world jobs,” Hardy said.

Seeing the teens AntFarm produced prompted Malloy to contact the youth center, which agreed to supply the resort with 14 of its hardest workers.

“So far (Malloy) seems pretty happy with the whole thing,”Hardy said.

And the teens are enjoying the opportunity to help SkiBowl’s visitors and spend all their days on the mountain.

“We have tons of little kids who go there, people who’ve never been to the snow before,” Roundy said. “You just get to see the smiles on their faces. You get to help them have a good time. It’s awesome.”

“Every day is unique,” said David Kreger, 19, who’s also working at SkiBowl. “Every day provides a new memory.”

The qualities displayed each day at the resort have been instilled by the program’s mission. Teens aren’t only helping SkiBowl’s visitors or their community, they’re building relationships with AntFarm’s new and young members and imparting the lessons they’ve acquired.

“I love this place and what it’s all about,” Kreger said. “There’s a lot of struggling teenagers out there who can’t figure out that transition from being a teenager to becoming an adult, and I feel this is what that’s about.

“I want to help people, and I feel this is a good way to do that. It’s a good way to help people realize their inner strength and figure out who they want to be. It’s all about supporting new people who come in and younger people so younger people don’t make some of the mistakes us older people have made.”

Before joining the program, many of the youths were unfocused or unenthused about their futures. Today, they’re diligent employees who’ve performed admirably so far. And, most importantly, they’re setting goals and aspirations.

Kreger wants to continue building trails while Roundy is thinking of becoming a drug and alcohol counselor.

“I love what AntFarm is doing,” Roundy said. “I think it’s the change that needs to be happening in our community.”

East of 82nd Avenue homeowners pay more, while others pay a lot less

When Jean DeMaster sold her Hollywood district home and bought a cheaper house in East Portland, her first property tax bill was a shocker. The new house cost $50,000 less, but property taxes were $600 more.

It turns out that residents east of 82nd Avenue, like DeMaster, routinely pay more property taxes than their counterparts in Southeast, Northeast and North Portland for similarly priced homes. East Portland residents often pay double, triple or four times as much.

82nd Avenue has long been considered an invisible dividing line, a psychological barrier that denotes less-desirable communities to the east. Now, new research by a suburban Portland fire district shows that 82nd Avenue is a demarcation line for property tax disparities as well.

“For the most part, it’s the poor people who are being screwed,” says Jody Wiser, leader of the advocacy group Tax Fairness Oregon. “It means that our current tax system is actually hurting many of our families that are struggling the hardest.”

Unequal property tax bills for same-priced homes is not a new phenomenon in Oregon; it derives from voter approval of Bill Sizemore’s “cut and cap” property tax limitation in 1996.

But the stark contrast between East Portland and closer-in eastside neighborhoods wasn’t so clear until the release of a color-coded map by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue last year. The map depicts most of the residential areas of North, Northeast and Southeast Portland in shades of blue, which means homeowners are paying property taxes on less than 60 percent of the true value of their homes. Starting at 82nd Avenue and moving east, neighborhoods suddenly shift to warmer colors, which means residents are assessed taxes on 80 percent, 90 percent or 100 percent of their home’s market value.

After seeing the map, DeMaster had a clearer understanding of why her tax bill went up when she moved from Northeast Portland to East Portland. As executive director of Human Solutions, an East Portland community development agency, she is one of many citizens pressing the city of Portland to address decades of neglect east of 82nd Avenue.

“We receive less services,” DeMaster says, “but it looks like we’re paying proportionally a higher share of taxes.”

In contrast, gentrified neighborhoods in inner North and Northeast Portland are paying the lowest share of property taxes relative to their home values.

“I think it’s outrageous,” says Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick. Many African-Americans and others displaced by gentrification moved to cheaper housing in East Portland, Novick notes. “Now they’re paying higher taxes than the people that displaced them.”

How it happened

Sizemore’s Ballot Measure 47 dropped assessed property values back to 1995 levels, then cut them another 10 percent and capped future increases at 3 percent a year — with little regard for what subsequently happens to neighborhoods or home prices.

As a result, some North and Northeast Portland homeowners only pay property taxes on 5 percent or 10 percent of their actual property value, says Randy Walruff, Multnomah County assessor.

Many of those neighborhoods were tarnished by gang violence in the early 1990s, which depressed home prices. Some empty lots were assessed at only $500 when county assessors walked door to door in 1996 to reset taxable values in inner North and Northeast Portland, Walruff recalls.

When Measure 47 set assessed values back to 1995 levels, that nullified the new values set by county assessors during the 1996 physical reappraisal. And there was no longer a need for assessors to walk door to door to physically reappraise properties every six years; now annual adjustments are principally a matter of adding 3 percent to the prior year’s assessed value.

Consequently, North and Northeast Portland had the most outdated assessed values in the county as Measure 47 took effect. In later years, North and Northeast Portland became more trendy, and Northeast Alberta Street and North Mississippi Avenue redeveloped into thriving commercial corridors. Housing prices skyrocketed.

Gentrified areas aren’t the only Portland neighborhoods where property taxes are relatively low. Many closer-in neighborhoods grew more desirable after 1995. As home prices shot up faster than 3 percent a year — at least until the Great Recession — market values zoomed much higher than assessed values.

In contrast, there’s been an influx of low-income people and immigrants into East Portland since 1995. Home values didn’t climb much faster than 3 percent a year, if that, so assessed values were closer to actual market values.

Home value trends on Portland’s west side were more varied, with no clear pattern. Gresham home values seemed to parallel those in East Portland.

A 2010 study by the Legislative Revenue Office found that Multnomah County had the most inequities in property tax assessments in Oregon. Tax assessments for about 4,700 Multnomah County homeowners were equal to less than 20 percent of their homes’ market values that year, while about 1,150 homeowners were assessed taxes on more than 90 percent of their homes’ value.

Bye-bye to progressive taxes

Oregon has long prided itself on having a progressive tax system, where those with higher means pay higher levels of taxes. Homeowners with more expensive homes paid more for schools and other local services than those with lower-priced homes.

But that’s not necessarily the case any more.

“You have taken the property tax system and turned it into something other than a progressive system,” says Eric Chambers, senior adviser to Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis.

And, as the Portland-area housing market recovers, inequities in property tax assessments will grow, according to economic analysts at the Legislative Revenue Office. “This is because the recovery will likely be uneven, with certain properties, neighborhoods and regions of the state growing more rapidly than others,” analysts concluded in their 2010 report.

Folks in East Portland appear to be getting hurt the most. Gresham, where assessed values also are more in line with home values, has a city tax rate that is close to half of Portland’s, Chambers notes.

“Even the people who are renting there (in East Portland) are having to pay more rent because the taxes are higher,” Wiser says.

One of the constitutional amendments being pushed by the Oregon League of Cities could exacerbate inequities for East Portland residents, Novick says. That amendment would enable residents to vote for local property tax levies that exceed overall tax rate caps set by 1990’s Measure 5 tax limitation. East Portland residents would have to pay the higher tax rate on a larger share of their property’s value than their counterparts elsewhere in the city.

Fueling more gentrification?

The negative ramifications of property tax inequities go beyond East Portland.

“We’re going to continue to see taxpayer confidence in the tax system erode,” says Walruff, the county assessor. “They don’t know why, but from their perception, it’s not fair.”

Unequal property taxes also skew the real estate market.

If a prospective homebuyer encounters a North Portland home with property taxes costing $200 a month less than a comparable East Portland home, the North Portland home is more affordable, and easier to qualify for a home loan.

Eventually, relatively low property taxes can drive up home prices in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland, while relatively high property taxes can drive down prices in East Portland.

“It encourages more rapid gentrification and instability in neighborhoods that used to be more affordable,” says Carl VanderZanden, a Northeast Portland landlord and real estate investor.

In effect, property tax disparities caused in part by gentrification can lead to more gentrification.

“You can argue that it’s somewhat of a self-fueled increase,” Walruff says.

Relatively low property taxes in the inner-east side are great for an investor buying rental houses, VanderZanden says. “You can go in and your property taxes are still minuscule.”

But that can hurt homebuilders, he says, especially those doing in-fill housing. This year, the average Multnomah County home is assessed at 73 percent of its market value, and a new in-fill home would inherit that property tax break. But a competing older home next door might have a much lower taxable value, making the new home a harder sell, VanderZanden says.

“The system is completely irrational,” he says. “I can hardly believe that it’s legal.”

Gilbert Victor Kamara

Feb. 25, 1919-Jan. 5, 2013

Gresham resident Gilbert Victor Kamara died Saturday, Jan. 5. He was 93.

Burial will take place at Willamette National Cemetery. Contributions may be made in Gilbert's memory to the OSU Foundation or the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.

Gilbert was born Feb. 25, 1919, in Astoria to Isak and Ethel Kamara. 

He graduated from Astoria High School in 1938 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1941, receiving an honorable discharge and two Bronze Stars.

On Sept. 9, 1946, Gilbert married Annette Bozarth in Vancouver, Wash. Retiring from a career in engineering, farming and real estate in 1985, he wrote memoirs and loved ballroom dancing.

Annette preceded Gilbert in death in 2010. He is survived by his daughters, Sherrie Kamara of Walla Walla, Wash., and Carol Chase of Gresham; and four grandchildren.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Dawne Mercedes Josephson

Nov. 29, 1922-Jan. 7, 2013

Gresham resident Dawne Mercedes Josephson died Monday, Jan. 7. She was 90.

A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. A funeral will be held at noon Tuesday, Jan. 15, also at Bateman Carroll, with a committal following at Willamette National Cemetery.

Dawne was born Nov. 29, 1922, in Minneapolis to Harold and Margaret (Geise) Adams. She married Robert E. Josephson on Sept. 6, 1947.

Dawne retired in the early 1980s after working at United Airlines and Hughes Aircraft, Electronic Specialties and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oregon. She enjoyed dancing, singing and watching old movies and musicals.

Robert preceded Dawne in death. She is survived by her children, Henry Josephson of Medford, Pamela Messinger of Portland and Judy Bennett of Gresham; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Margaret Elizabeth (Slaymaker) Leforgey

March 8, 1944-Jan. 5, 2013

Fairview resident Margaret Elizabeth (Slaymaker) Leforgey died Saturday, Jan. 5. She was 68.

A public cemetery service will be held at a later date at Willamette National Cemetery.

Margaret was born March 8, 1944, in Sweetwater, Texas, to DeLeise Slaymaker and William Bard Slaymaker.

She graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1962 and continued her studies at the College of San Mateo in California.

Maggie married Jim Leforgey in 1969. She worked for Meier & Frank as an auditor for 20 years and enjoyed sewing, arts and crafts and baking.

Margaret is survived by her husband; children, Tyson Leforgey of Fairview and Leanne Hedges of Fairview; brother, William Bard Slaymaker of Chandler, Ariz.; sister, Barbara Jones of Forest Grove; and one granddaughter;

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Elaine Riley

Sept. 27, 1925-Jan. 8, 2013

Longtime East County resident Elaine Riley died Tuesday, Jan. 8. She was 87.

A memorial service will be held at noon Sunday, Jan. 13, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Gresham.

Verva Dean Park

March 18, 1937-Jan. 2, 2013

Gresham resident Verva Dean Park died Wednesday, Jan. 2.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan.12, at Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring.

Verva was born March 18, 1937, in Shirlee, Ark., to Raymond and Goldie Harness. She was married for more than 50 years to Leonard Park before he died in 2011.

Verva spent many weekends at the bowling alley with her family. She also liked garage sales and crossword puzzles.

Verva was preceded in death by her husband and son, Dennis Park. She is survived by her children, Doreen Robinson of Camas, Wash, Diane Ruhnow of Springfield, Kelly Wilkerson of Gresham and Timothy Park of Salem; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Paid obituaries

Donna L. Senff-Mata

Born: 1-8-1932 – Died: 1-4-2013

Donna would have been 81 on Jan 8, 2013. She was always proud that she and Elvis shared the same birthday, only he was born in 1935. Donna was born to Annetta Martinson-Senff and Leon R. Senff in Abracrombie, N.D. and spent her first 7 years in N.D. and then the family moved out to Portland, OR.

Donna went to Gilbert Grade School, Gresham High School and graduated from Sandy High School in 1949. Donna had only one sister, DeLores “Boots” Senff-Fritz and she survives Donna. Boots lives in Gresham and has for 20 years with her husband, Geary Fritz. Donna has two daughters, Jody Hanson-Emerson (Dwight) and lives in Santa Clarita, CA, her other daughter, Dera Hanson is married to Paul Landry and resides in Rochester, MN. Donna has 5 grand children and one great-grand daughter.

Donna lived in Gresham, OR before moving to CA. Donna was proud of her German and Norwegian heritage.

Donna was married to Sal Mata who spent 21 years in the Air Force and Sal passed away August 1994 and is buried in Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA. Donna will be placed next to Sal and requested that there be no service.

Donna was heavily into Genealogy and self-published over 400 genealogy books. She taught computer and genealogy classes to hundreds of people while living in CA. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer , she donated her books to the LDS Family History Center & the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, UT.

Bradley James Lynch

July 25, 1962 - December 27, 2012

Bradley James Lynch, 50, died December 27, 2012, following a kayaking accident in the Columbia River.

Brad was born July 25, 1962, in Nampa, Idaho. He came with his family to Oregon as a small child and grew up and attended schools in West Linn and Hood River. He graduated from Hood River Valley High School and Portland State University.

He worked in the nursery business all his working life, the last 12 years at Cascade Meadows Nursery in Boring, Oregon.

Brad was an avid cyclist and was well known in the cycling community, participating in more than 20 Cycle Oregon’s. He also loved skiing, hiking, camping, and all outdoor sports.

Brad is survived by his parents, Jim and Mary Lou Lynch of Boise, ID, his brother Patrick Lynch of Parkdale and Patrick’s wife and children Beatriz, Sebastian, and Izabel. He is also survived by his uncles Jim Hupe of Guatemala and Jack Acree of Boise, ID. He is survived by one aunt, Christine Hudson of Garden Valley, ID.

He was preceded in death by his uncle Mark Hupe of Nampa, ID.

Services will be private.

Harriett Valentine Nelson

Feb. 14, 1926 to Jan. 1, 2013

Born on Valentine's Day out in the country near Valentine, Nebraska and delivered by Harriett, the midwife who delivered the majority of her seven siblings, Harriett Valentine Allen joined the family of James Edward and Mary Irene Allen. The family moved into Valentine proper, where Harriett attended school, graduating from high school in 1943. During those years she met her future husband Donald Earl Nelson & they married after his Navy service in the South Pacific.

After their 8-8-1945 wedding they moved to Gresham where they lived the rest of their lives. Don and Harriett had three children: daughters Mary Jo Warr-King & Linda Whitmore, both of Gresham, and son James Donald Nelson of Seattle. Harriett also had six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Harriett worked first for the Cherry County Treasurer in Nebraska, then moved with her parents to Oregon to work in the office of the shipyards. After her years as a stay home mom, Gresham High School hired her to work in their office, a position she enjoyed through three principals and 24 years.

Harriett was always a busy housewife, sewing and cooking. She loved reading, walking, bridge, and travel, especially camping throughout the Northwest and snowbirding with Don. She took up golf and enjoyed opera after he died. Family gatherings were very important to her and she insisted on hosting them until she moved to Courtyard Fountains four years ago. She died of Alzheimer's disease on January 1, 2013.

No service will be held now. A family gathering is planned for the future scattering of her ashes. To honor Harriett the family recommends sending donations to either of two of her favorite charities, SnowCap Community Charities, PO Box 160, Fairview, OR 97024, or Gresham Historical Society, 410 N Main Ave., Gresham OR 97030.

The family thanks both the staffs of Courtyard Fountains and Pacific Gardens for the loving homes they made for Harriett in the last four years of her life.

The No. 1 Eagles get out fast for a 60-31 win over No. 3 City Christian on Friday night

PORTLAND — It was supposed to be a clash of two of the state’s best 1A basketball teams. But if you were in the back of the popcorn line Friday night, by the time you found your way to the bleachers this game was over.

The Damascus Christian girls put on a full-court press from the opening tip, creating repeated turnovers that led the No. 1-ranked Eagles to a 22-2 lead at No. 3 City Christian.

“They are a much bigger team, so we forced them to match our speed and intensity,” Damascus coach Dave Wakefield said. “I think it surprised City a bit when we jumped on them like that.”

The Lions never recovered from the early onslaught, trailing by 20 points most of the way. Damascus won the game 60-31 to take sole possession of first place in the Valley 10 standings.

Ana Wakefield led Damascus with 25 points, knocking down five 3-pointers on the night. She also scored on the opening possessions of the second, third and fourth periods. Wakefield drilled 3s to open the middle quarters, then beat two defenders with a crossover move that resulted in a layin off the glass to begin the fourth.

Look for extended game coverage in the Tuesday, Jan. 15, print edition.

View a photo gallery from the game at …

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/jan11dc-city_girls_hoops

The Scots force overtime with 10 seconds left and go on to beat Gresham 46-45

PORTLAND — The David Douglas girls basketball team erased a seven-point deficit in the second half Friday night to knock off Gresham 46-45 in overtime.

The Scots forced overtime when senior Tess Kuehl grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled under the basket. She went to the free-throw line after seeing the two teams miss the last nine foul shots combined. Kuehl ended that streak by sending her first attempt straight through the net to knot the score 40-40.

The free-throw line would be the only place the Scots would find points for the rest of the night, going 6 for 14 (.429) from the stripe in overtime to claim the one-point win.

Douglas didn’t secure the victory until the final seconds when rookie Sydni Dalton calmly sank two shots to put the Scots up 46-42.

Gresham’s Amber Peschka sank a half-court shot at the buzzer.

Look for extended game coverage in the Tuesday, Jan. 15, print edition.

View a photo gallery from the game at …

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/jan11_gre-dd_girls_hoops

Gresham police are looking for four to five suspects who stole marijuana plants during a home-invasion robbery on Friday, Jan. 11.

The suspects forced their way into a home in the 1700 block of Southeast 182nd Avenue near Mill Street at 3:54 p.m. and stole an unspecified number of plants, said Lieutenant Claudio Grandjean, Gresham Police spokesman.

The victims — there are at least three of them — are licensed medical marijuana growers, he said.

It's unclear exactly how many suspects are involved, but there were four or five people, Grandjean said.

Media reports indicate that the suspects tied up the victims, roughed up at least two of them and at least one was hospitalized, but Grandjean could not confirm that.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to cal the Gresham police tipline at 503-618-2719 or 1-888-989-3505.

It is the second murder case in which John C. Hardaway has pleaded to a lesser charge of manslaughter, instead of risking a murder conviction and a possible death sentence

Relatives of a Gresham woman who was beaten to death by her boyfriend say he is getting away with murder.

John C. Hardaway, 46, of Gresham was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 10, to 100 months in prison — or eight years and four months — after pleading guilty to the second-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault of Barbara Nadine Smalley, 58, as part of a plea agreement with the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.

Judge Eric J. Bergstrom upheld the agreement, sentencing him to the agreed upon time with credit for time served.

Hardaway has been in jail since his arrest on May 20, 2011, when Gresham police responded to a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor reporting a disturbance in the 17700 block of East Burnside Street.

The neighbor told police she heard a woman being beaten for 30 minutes before calling police. She also heard the victim being choked and screaming no. Just before police arrived, the neighbor heard one final “bang” sound.

At the apartment Hardaway shared with the victim, he waited three minutes to answer the door for police. Directly behind him, Smalley lay unconscious on the living room floor, along with pieces of a broken wooden coffee table, including the table legs, near her.

Paramedics rushed Smalley to a hospital, where she had emergency surgery for a traumatic brain injury. She died eight days later of blunt-force head trauma. Medical examiners determined it was a homicide.

Police believe Hardaway threw the woman onto the coffee table, breaking it, and then beat her with the table legs.

It wasn't the first time Hardaway stood accused of killing someone.

When arrested, Hardaway was on parole for the 1996 death of a Portland man, whom Hardaway shot in the face. In that case, Hardaway also made a plea deal. Instead of risking being found guilty of murder, he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and served about 14 years in prison. He'd been out for about a year when he killed Smalley.

As in the 1996 case, if convicted of Smalley's aggravated murder, Hardaway could have faced the death penalty.

Problems with the case

But there were problems with the case, her family said after the sentencing hearing.

Hardaway claimed that his girlfriend had a seizure and injured her head falling onto the coffee table, said David Stewart, Smalley's nephew, who works as a physician's assistant in an emergency room in Merced, Calif.

Despite the death being ruled a homicide, and Smalley having a black eye, broken bones around her eye socket and marks resembling cigarette burns on her body, doctors who treated Smalley would not testify that she'd been abused, her family said.

Another complicating factor: Hardaway was extremely intoxicated at the time of the crime.

When police tested his blood-alcohol level, it came in at 0.23 percent, which is nearly three times the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent, said Smalley's sister Patricia Collins. It's estimated to have been at 0.30 percent during the beating, she added.

Hardaway's attorney, Russell Barnett, argued that with Hardaway in an alcohol-induced blackout state, there's no way to prove he intended to kill Smalley. Barnett did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

“It's a free pass,” said Jack Collins, her brother-in-law.

As long as someone has a high enough alcohol tolerance to function at such high intoxication levels, he or she can commit murder and get away with it on a lesser charge of manslaughter, he said.

One more factor made prosecuting the case difficult: Smalley was on life support for about a week after the beating. Because the brain physically changes when on life support, the defense can argue that the state of her body at her time of death was not the same as when she was admitted. Put another way, the case against Hardaway would have been stronger had she died at the scene instead of at the hospital.

Given all that, there was a possibility a jury wouldn't convict Hardaway of aggravated murder, but might convict him of manslaughter. Because Hardaway agreed to plead guilty to that very offense in the second degree, the outcome would be the same, the family reasoned. That's why they agreed to the plea deal even though they didn't want to.

“It's just wrong, wrong that this happened,” Stewart, Smalley's nephew, said, adding that Hardaway needs to be put to death or kept in a cage until he dies. “This is something that he's done twice.”

Honoring the victim

Hardaway made no statement during his sentencing hearing. But Smalley's family had a lot to say.

Smalley was a generous, forgiving, open-minded soul who'd fallen in love with Hardaway. She knew about his criminal record but still opened her home and heart to him, said her oldest son Michael Shields.

She told some of the May-December relationship: Smalley was 14 years Hardaway's senior. Her sister Judy Infusino said Smalley told her that she'd finally met the love of her life. “But you took that love, that caring, and threw it out the window like it was nothing,” Infusino tearfully told Hardaway in court.

Smalley's son Aaron Thompson said his mother was his best friend and mentor. While he once felt animosity toward Hardaway, “Now all I feel is pity and hope that you learned your lesson,” he said.

Shields told Hardaway he “lost out on being a recipient of unconditional love.” His mother loved Hardaway in spite of his past and was willing to build a future with him, he said. But Shields didn't like how Hardaway tried to intimidate and scare him. Eventually, Shields came to the conclusion that Hardaway was evil.

Even with that knowledge, it did not stop Hardaway from driving a wedge between Shields and his mother. Looking back, it was textbook abuser behavior to isolate Smalley from friends and family. But at the time, her family didn't realize that's what was happening because they had no idea she was being abused.

“She kept her abuse from us,” Shields said.

After his mother died, anger consumed him.

But in honor of his mother, he's decided to not let Hardaway dictate how he lives the rest of his life. “I won't let you live rent-free in my head," he told him.

Smalley's sister Patricia Collins said Hardaway preyed on a vulnerable woman with emphysema and asthma. “He is untrainable, untreatable and unreformed," she said. “He was leeching a roof and food from her. It's too bad the state of Oregon doesn't have the ability to cage him for the rest of his life.”

Smalley was an amazing gardener who loved to crochet. Infusino uses a motorized scooter to get around and uses a rug that her sister made as a lap robe. It's too beautiful to walk on, and her scooter would tear it anyway. Instead, Infusino wraps it around her, “so I can always keep her close to me," she said.

Smalley's brother Stephen Smalley visited his sister about a week before she died. Although she never said that she and Hardaway were a couple, he suspected as much.

He is comforted knowing that his last words to his baby sister were “I love you.”

Ever since one of their sisters died in 2003, it's how the surviving four siblings always ended each phone call or visit.

“She didn't deserve to die like this,” he told Hardaway before urging him to use his time in prison to change his ways. “Please don't bring this kind of sorrow to yet another family. It's your choice.”

Two men break no laws by carrying assault rifles in plain sight down Powell Boulevard

Gresham residents, including many who support the right to bear arms, question the tactics of a local man who walked the streets of downtown Gresham with a rifle slung over his shoulder as a political protest.

Steven M. Boyce, 22, of Gresham, and Warren R. Drouin, 22, of Medford are part of the open carry movement, which advocates the right to openly carry properly holstered handguns in every day life. Last week, they were seen openly carrying rifles, including an AR-15, while walking along Gresham's Main Avenue and in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood.

Their actions sparked an onslaught of 9-1-1 calls from people who have a heightened awareness of firearms and the danger they may pose in the wake of last month's fatal shooting at Clackamas Town Center and the massacre of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut grade school, said Lieutenant Claudio Grandjean, Gresham police spokesman.

The shootings have triggered growing debate about whether some weapons, such as the semi-automatic rifles, should be banned or otherwise regulated.

The two men told police they were demonstrating their second amendment rights and hoped to educate the public, said Sgt. Pete Simpson, Portland police spokesman. During both incidents in Gresham and Portland on Wednesday, Jan. 9, they kept their weapons slung over their shoulders and did not threaten anyone.

One carried an AR-15 and the other carried a weapon similar to a long gun, Simpson said. One of the men also carried a handgun on his belt.

And their actions are perfectly legal, police say.

Gresham has no prohibition against people openly carrying weapons. Portland has a more restrictive ordinance that prohibits such action unless the person has a license to carry a concealed weapon, which both Boyce and Drouin do.

“Officers explained to the men that they would likely continue to generate 9-1-1 calls from an alarmed public, which would require a police response,” Simpson said. That response could also tie up officers who otherwise could respond to real emergencies, he added.

“But neither seemed interested in these concerns,” Simpson said.

That's no surprise to Grandjean.

“We have encountered these knuckleheads before,” he said, referring to similar second-amendment protesters. “They have cameras and post their interactions with police on YouTube.”

But last week's incident was unique because second-amendment protesters usually openly carry handguns, not rifles, he said.

John Pierce, co-founder and spokesman for the Virginia-based organization OpenCarry.org, said in an email to the Outlook that his organization “promotes the right to openly carry properly holstered handguns in daily American life.”

It's motto is “A right unexercised is a right lost.”

However, rules on the website's forum state, “We do NOT promote the carry of long guns."

Even so, Pierce wouldn't go as far as to say he opposed how Boyce and Drouin staged their protests. He admitted that their actions make people uncomfortable.

“So in that regard, the police are having to respond,” but their actions also are within the limits of the law, Pierce said.

“We only actively promote the legal and responsible open carry of handguns,” Pierce said. “However, there is a marked difference between not promoting and condemning.”

Boyce told the media in an interview outside his home on Southeast Salquist Road that he usually carries a handgun, but he and his friend decided to bring assault rifles “just because we can.”

They were not threatening, running or causing any harm, he said.

As for tying up police resources, part of the protest's aim is to have police respond, so officers and the general public don't assume that anyone with a gun is dangerous.

Grandjean said police are specially trained in how to handle open carry protesters, adding that a less skilled officer many confuse them with a real threat and over-react.

“We have to address this issue very carefully,” he said. “When we're sworn in as police officers, we take an oath to protect people's rights and we take that seriously. And those rights include the right to bear arms. But we also have a duty to protect people from undue alarm.”

And alarm is exactly what the men caused those who saw them.

Three people in Gresham called 9-1-1 between 12:20 p.m. and 12:35 p.m. to report armed men on Powell Boulevard at Main, Hood and Roberts avenues. Seven people in Sellwood called police to report them, and one school went into lock-down.

“Of course people are going to call 9-1-1, with the timing and the kind of weapons they had,” Grandjean said. “There is no indication of them doing anything threatening, but in the environment we're in, that was threatening enough.”

Gresham residents seem to agree.

Meghan Browne was working the counter at Jazzy Bagel at Main and Powell on Wednesday when she glanced out the window overlooking Powell and saw the armed men.

“We freaked out at first,” she said. Eventually, a customer left her two children inside and went out to ask the men if their weapons were real. They were, but they also explained why they were carrying the guns.

“They were just making a point, pretty much,” Browne said. And she gets that, but "it's inappropriate I think to be around civilians with that sort of weapon,” she said.

Co-worker Amanda Moore is a gun owner and agreed with Browne.

“It's OK, you can do it, you have the right,” she said. “It just isn't smart. It's scary. It just makes us gun-owners look bad."

Ralph Mowatt, a Gresham-based National Rifle Association training counselor, said such a “show of strength today is ridiculous,” adding that weapons should be kept concealed. “These people who are open carrying are just fueling the fire. ... It's not helping the situation at all in any way. ... You see a young man with a rifle over his shoulder, that's kind of scary because we don't know his intention."

Mowatt also pointed out that the area they chose in Gresham for their protest has a particularly sad history.

Nearly three years ago, an off-duty Clackamas County Sheriff's deputy gunned down his wife and her two friends at the M&M Lounge just a block away from the bagel shop. Two months before that shooting, two men were seriously injured when a man opened fire on a poker room that shared a parking lot with the bagel shop.

“So who do we trust and where do we go?” Mowatt asked. “It really is a sad state of affairs we're in. But hopefully we get it all sorted out.”

The city of Gresham is offering two free information fairs about energy efficiency Saturday, Jan. 19 and 26, to raise awareness about the benefits of energy conservation and opportunities to increase home energy efficiency.

"Energy efficiency and conservation strategies provide residents with two great benefits — a more comfortable home and savings on their energy bills," said Nicole Cousino, energy program coordinator. “Regardless of whether one owns or rents, lives in a single-family home, mobile home, apartment or condominium, there are no-cost, low-cost and advanced energy efficiency opportunities and incentives available.”

Both fairs will include representatives from the Energy Trust of Oregon and Multnomah County's Weatherization and Energy Services to answer questions about incentives and assistance opportunities. Indow Windows will display its locally manufactured window inserts, and Home Depot will showcase products and techniques for do-it-yourself weatherization. Educational presentations and videos will be screened throughout the day, and the water division will distribute free home water conservation kits.

The fairs are from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Rockwood Public Library, 17917 S.E. Stark St., and from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Gresham Public Library, 385 N.W. Miller Ave.

Funding for the fairs and the city's energy program coordinator position are from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and are part of the federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant initiatives.

For more information about energy efficiency programs or the fairs, visit the city's website at GreshamOregon.gov/City/Sustainability.

TUESDAY, JAN. 15

Collette Vacations Slide Presentation — 10-11:30 a.m., Chinook Conference Room of the Gresham Senior Center, 600 N.E. 8th St., #130. The presentation will feature “Trains of the Colorado Rockies,” departing July 19, 2013 for nine days, and Washington D.C., departing Sept. 25 2013 for seven days. Everyone is welcome to attend.

THURSDAY, JAN. 17

Elks Bingo — 6:30 p.m., Gresham Elks Lodge, 3330 N.E. Division St. Members and guests welcome. For more information, call 503-666-1805.

The Gresham Outlook welcomes calendar notices for weekly public events and support group meetings in East County. To submit an item, send the information to Dateline, The Gresham Outlook, P.O. Box 747, Gresham, 97030; email landerson@theoutlookonline.com; or fax it to 503-665-2187 at least 10 days before the event or meeting.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16

Gresham Toastmasters — 6:30 a.m., Elmer’s Restaurant, 1590 N.E. Burnside Road. Learn how to be a better speaker and to be more confident in front of an audience. For more information, visit greshamtoastmasters.freetoasthost.org or call George Miller at 503-666-9278.

Kiwanis of Damascus-Boring — 7 a.m., Pub 212, 20400 S.E. Highway 212, Damascus. For more information, visit kiwanisofdamascusboring.org.

Overeaters Anonymous — 10:30 a.m., St. Henry Catholic Church, 346 N.W. First St. All welcome. Call 503-665-9129 or visit sthenrygresham.org for more information.

Gresham Rotary Club — Noon, M&M Restaurant, 137 N. Main Ave. A worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Visit clubrunner.ca/Gresham for information.

Rockwood Kiwanis Club — Noon, Abby’s Pizza, 21255 S.E. Stark St. For more information, call George Riley at 503-661-6754 or Sandy Christoffer at 503-789-0961.

Historic Downtown Gresham Kiwanis — 5:30 p.m., SnowCap Community Charities, 17805 S.E. Stark St. A community volunteer group that supports the youth of East Multnomah County with its projects.

THURSDAY, JAN. 17

Gresham Breakfast Lions Club — 6:45 a.m., M&M Restaurant, 137 N. Main Ave. An international community service group that participates in a variety of projects. For more information, call Kent Carter at 503-522-6997.

Optimist Club of Gresham — 7 a.m., Heidi’s of Gresham, 1230 N.E. Cleveland Ave. The Optimists conduct service projects aimed at helping youth. Contact President Bob Hollingsworth at 503-407-3387.

Soroptimist International of Gresham — Noon, Gresham Elks Club, 3330 Division St. A worldwide organization for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Visit sigresham.org for information.

Red Cross Mobile Blood Drive — 1:30 to 7 p.m., St. Henry Catholic Church, 346 N.W. First St. For more information, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Friends of Powell Butte Nature Park — 7 p.m., Powell Butte Nature Park, caretaker’s cottage adjacent to the parking lot, Southeast 162nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard, Portland. Meetings are open to all. Call Louise Shorr at 503-823-6131.

Hoodview Amateur Radio Club — 7:30 p.m., Mt. Hood Community College, Room 1001, 26000 S.E. Stark St. Learn about becoming an amateur radio operator and meet other enthusiasts. For more information, visit wb7qiw.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 18

Gresham Earlyrisers Kiwanis Club — 6:45 a.m., M&M Restaurant, 137 N. Main Ave. The Earlyrisers club is a service group dedicated to changing the world, one community and one child at a time. For more information, contact Dick Vaughn at 503-760-2106.

Connect with Success AM — 7 a.m., Rivermark Community Bank, 225 E. Burnside Road, Gresham. A networking opportunity for members and guests of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce. Call 503-665-1131 or visit greshamchamber.org for information.

Celebrate Recovery — 6 p.m., Good Shepherd Community Church, 28986 S.E. Haley Road, Boring. A 12-step recovery program based on Christian values. Child care available; must be 18 years of age or older. For information, call 503-666-8501 or visit goodshepherdcc.org.

Oregon Association of Parliamentarians, Rose City Chapter — 7 p.m., 18428 S.E. Pine St., Suite 205. OAP teaches, promotes, and disseminates the philosophy and principles underlying the rules of deliberative assemblies. Visit parliamentarians.org/or.

Columbia Gorge Rockhounds — 7:30 p.m., Fireman’s Hall, 36930 Historic Columbia River Highway, Corbett.

SATURDAY, JAN. 19

Sanctuary Church Food Pantry — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sanctuary Church, 3101 S.E. Orient Drive. East County residents in need of food supplies may obtain an emergency food box. The food pantry is open the first and third Saturday of every month. For more information, call 503-663-9146.

American Legion Post 30 — 2 p.m., Legion Hall, 150 W. Powell Blvd. A service organization open to all veterans. Call 503-481-7172 for more information.

Country Cut-Ups Square Dance Club of Boring — 7:30 p.m., Boring Barn, 13987 S.E. Richey Road. A square-dancing club that invites families, couples and singles to dance. For more information, call the barn at 503-663-4298.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16

Fairview City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 1300 N.E. Village St. Call 503-674-6202 for information.

Corbett School District Board — 7 p.m., Corbett Grade School Library, 35800 E. Historic Columbia Highway, Corbett.

Gresham Police Landlord Forum — 3 p.m., City Hall, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway. Gresham police, landlord attorney Jeffrey Bennett and other experts offer free advice on matters important to landlords. “Oregon Landlord Tenant Law.” Call Detective Jim Leake at 503-793-5092 for information.

Gresham Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Committee — 6:30 p.m., City Hall, Barlow and Oregon Trail rooms, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway.

Multnomah County Rural Fire Protection District No. 10 Board — 6:30 p.m., Training Center, Upper Building, 19204 N.E. San Rafael St. For information, call 503-666-6704.

Pleasant Valley Neighborhood Association — 7 p.m., Pleasant Valley Grange Hall, 17115 S.E. Foster Road. For information, call Linda Bauer at 503-761-2941.

Troutdale Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Troutdale City Council, Council Chambers, 219 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. A public hearing on a variance on the development code to allow an internally illuminated freestanding sign, which is not permitted under current code in the central business district.

THURSDAY, JAN. 17

Multnomah County Board of Commissioners — 9:30 a.m., Multnomah Building, First Floor Commissioners Boardroom 100, 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. Visit multco.us or call 503-988-5274.

Clackamas County Board of Commissioners — 10 a.m., 2051 Kaen Road, Oregon City. Call 503-655-8581 or visit clackamas.us/bcc for information.

Metro Council — 2 p.m., Metro Regional Center, Council Chamber, 600 N.E. Grand Ave., Portland. For more information, visit oregonmetro.gov or call 503-797-1793.

EVERETT, Wash. — The Portland Winterhawks' offense overpowered the Everett Silvertips on Saturday in an 8-0 win before an announced crowd of 6,742 at Comcast Arena.

The Hawks (37-5-1-0) extended their winning streak to 14 games. Everett fell to 17-25-0-2.

Portland can match its team record of 15 consecutive victories by beating the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 7 p.m. Friday at the Rose Garden. The Hawks have won 15 in a row twice -- in the 1979-80 and 1997-98 seasons.

In Taylor Leier and Troy Rutkowski each had two goals. Other goals came from Chase De Leo (6:59 into the game for a 1-0 lead), Brendan Leipsic, Nicolas Petan and Taylor Peters.

Petan (29 goals) and Leipsic (28) are the team leaders in goals and points this season. Petan has 74 points, Leipsic 71.

Brendan Burke posted his second shutout of the season, with 31 saves.

Portland fired 43 shots and was 3 of 6 on power plays while holding Everett scoreless in seven attempts.

The Hawks led 1-0 after one period and 4-0 through two periods. Petan scored short-handed 32 seconds in to the final period.

Through two seasons in the NBA, DeAndre Liggins has been a player in waiting, summoned only off the bench, never to start.

But for the first time in his career, with the Oklahoma City Thunder missing two starters Sunday at the Rose Garden, the 24-year-old guard from Kentucky was finally one of the starting five.

Fighting through nerves, Liggins was perfect from 3-point range and finished with 11 points. But on a night when defense meant more than offense, Liggins was one of the key factors in a gritty 87-83 win over the Trail Blazers.

“This was my breakout performance, my first start as an NBA player,” Liggins said. “It's a blessing. I played well today, but my thing is to continue to get better every day and try to learn.”

With forward Serge Ibaka and guard Thabo Sefolosha injured, Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks was forced to roll out a different starting lineup for the first time this season. So in came Nick Collison and Liggins.

Despite the alterations, the Thunder locked down on the defensive end as well as they have all season.

They held Portland to 36 percent from the field, 29 percent on 3-pointers and their second-lowest point total of the season.

“It was one of our best defensive games of the year,” Brooks said. “It's kind of surprising, because we did not have two of our best defensive players, but that's what teams do. Teams step up and figure out ways to win. Our guys came in off the bench and did a great job.”

Oklahoma City was forced to rely on defense.

After scoring 116 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, the Thunder, who rank first in the NBA in points per game (105.6), had their second-lowest scoring total of the season — they had 84 in their season opener against San Antonio on Nov. 1.

Even the Thunder All-Star guard Russell Westbrook fought through a horrid shooting performance, scoring 18 points but going 5 of 21 from the field and 1 of 5 from 3-point range.

“You have nights like that,” Westbrook said. “You have 82 games. Sometimes you're going to make shots.”

“(Westbrook) didn't shoot the ball well, but he had nine assists,” Brooks said. And, "his defensive game was at a high level.”

Westbrook held Portland's two-time rookie of the month, Damian Lillard, to nine points on 3-for-14 shooting.

But Sunday was a united effort.

Liggins went 3 for 3 from beyond the arc and gobbled up nine rebounds in what he called his best game since being selected by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft.

Before the game, Brooks pieced together his lineup and wasn't sure how he'd distribute minutes. Liggins tallied 39 minutes and 36 seconds of playing time, more than even Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who scored 33 points after posting a season-high 42 points Friday in Los Angeles.

Liggins was energized, and his coach sensed it.

“I knew that's what he brings to our team; that's how he made the team from training camp on,” Brooks said. “He gives us energy every practice. You're happy for him, because you want him to have some success because he works so hard. With our team, there are not a lot of minutes. But he has been playing the last three or four games and done well with them.

“He wasn't coming out. We needed his energy tonight. I'm sure that's one of his best games as an NBA player.”

The Thunder, who lead the league at 29-8, were able to fend off one of the NBA's hottest teams and snap Portland's nine-game home winning streak. Not even the Miami Heat were able to do that when they came to the Rose Garden last Thursday.

The Thunder are 2-0 on a three-game road trip, but they will play six more games on the road this month.

They don't know how long they'll be without Ibaka, who has been suffering from a bruised chest.

But after Sunday's performance, Brooks wasn't too concerned about the possibility of being without one of the league's best power forwards.

Oklahoma City scored 46 points in the paint, and the performance of the bench, along with Liggins, gave the coach flexibility and confidence in his roster.

“We always seem to have enough energy,” Brooks said. “And if we don't, then we manufacture with the guys off the bench. Very rarely do we have games where we're disappointed in our energy. And if it does happen, I take the blame for that, because we have a team full of guys who are ready to play and just have to figure it out.”

After the game, Liggins had every reason to walk around like the king of the locker room. But In a quiet corner of the dimly lit room, he remained true to form.

Softspoken and selfless, he said, "My job is to come in and play as hard as I can. I know my role.

“My job is make an impact on the defensive end. We have enough guys who score.”

There was no Serge Ibaka, no Thabo Sefolosha in Oklahoma City’s lineup Sunday night at the Rose Garden.

There was way too much Kevin Durant, however, for the Trail Blazers.

Durant scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half to lift the Thunder past Portland 87-83 Sunday night at the Rose Garden.

It was the eighth win in 10 games and 20th in the past 25 outings for the Thunder (29-8), who despite missing starters Serge Ibaka (chest buirse) and Thabo Sefalosha (neck strain) snapped the Trail Blazers’ nine-game win streak at home.

Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge collected a season-high 33 points and 11 rebounds — his 17th double-double of the season — but missed a shot in the closing seconds that could have forced overtime. Teammate Nicolas Batum added 21 points and seven boards.

The Blazers (20-17) had the ball trailing 85-83 after Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins made 1 of 2 foul shots with 8.5 seconds left.

After a timeout, Wesley Matthews inbounded to Aldridge, who was defended — and played to his right — by Perkins. Aldridge took one dribble forward, then pivoted left and launched an 18-foot fadeaway that found nothing but air.

OKC’s Russell Westbrook rebounded and was fouled with 1.7 seconds remaining. His two free throws cinched the victory.

Portland coach Terry Stotts said there were three options on the final play.

“Nic (Batum) was setting a backscreen (for) Wes,” Stotts said. Then “Nic was coming for a handback to an open court. We didn’t get the handback. If that wasn’t there, L.A. was going to drive. (The Thunder) defended it well. Kendrick did a nice job.”

When asked if he’d have preferred that Aldridge drive to the hoop, Stotts shrugged.

“It’s easy to say that in retrospect,” he said. The Thunder “pushed the catch-out past the 3-point line.

“I‘m not going to criticize our guys. They played their asses off, were in position to put it into overtime and didn’t quite get it done.”

Aldridge said he wanted to get the ball to Batum but was denied the chance by Durant, who was tightly guarding him.

“If I could have, I would have, but I didn’t feel like it was a good pass to try to make,” Aldridge said. “I didn’t want to turn it over.”

Aldridge said he considered a move to the basket, but Perkins took away his right hand, “and I don’t go left too often. I didn’t want to go left.”

“I took one dribble and shot it,” he said. “Thought it was good, and it was bad. A bad shot by me. Have to do better.”

With two starters missing and a third, Westbrook, enduring a nightmarish shooting night, Durant was a one-band band for major portions of Sunday’s contest. The four-time All-Star small forward was 12 for 21 from the field and 7 for 8 from the foul line and had six assists and four rebounds in his 39 minutes.

His most successful accomplice was DeAndre Liggins, thrust into the starting lineup for the first time in 31 career games by Sefalosha’s absence. The 6-6, 210-pound Liggins, averaging 1.0 points, 1.1 rebounds and 4.5 minutes in 12 games this season, came up big with career highs in points (11) and rebounds (nine), sinking all three of his shots from 3-point range.

It was a rough night offensively for both starting point guards. Westbrook had 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists but was 5 for 21 from the field. Portland rookie Damian Lillard — who scored a season-high 37 points in Friday’s loss at Golden State — finished with nine points and nine assists with a 3-for-14 shooting performance.

“It was just me missing shots,” Lillard said. “A lot of shots I missed, (Westbrook) wasn’t even near to contest them.”

Lillard “had some good looks, probably better looks than he had at Golden State,” Stotts said. The Thunder “bottled up his pick-and-rolls pretty well, corralled him and didn’t let him drive.”

Trailing by a point at halftime, Oklahoma City opened a 63-52 lead midway through the third quarter, Durant scoring 11 of the Thunder’s 21 points in the run. He finished with 13 points in the quarter, sending OKC into the final period ahead 68-59.

The Thunder led 84-74 with 3:20 remaining, but the Blazers scored the next six points, Batum’s put-back making it 84-80 with 1:55 left.

Neither team scored again until Batum nailed a 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds to play to close the margin to 84-83.

Westbrook was stripped as the Thunder brought the ball upcourt — he thought he was fouled — but Batum’s driving layup went off. Perkins was fouled on the rebound with 8.5 seconds to go, setting up the final seconds of drama.

Oklahoma City shot .451 from the field (32 for 71) while Portland shot only .360 (31 for 86).

Going against “the top team in the league, probably, it was just a rough night for us as a team offensively,” Lillard said. “L.A. really had it going and carried us offensively, and Nic knocked some shots down. Outside of those two, we struggled.”

Matthews said the Blazers won’t spent time worrying about the defeat.

“Just bumps in the road,” he said. “That’s how the season goes. We feel like we’re supposed to win every game. We won nine straight at home against a lot of quality competition. Just have to let it go.”

NOTES — Portland’s next action is Tuesday night at Denver. ... Portland has lost two straight after winning 12 of its previous 15 outings. ... Sunday’s loss was the first for the Blazers at home since Dec. 8 vs. Sacramento. ... The Thunder have won five in a row in their series with the Blazers. ... It was the fewest points OKC has scored since an 86-84 loss to San Antonio in the season opener. The Thunder entered Sunday’s play leading the NBA with a 105.7-point average. ... It was Aldridge’s third game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. ... Matthews had a forgettable offensive game, collecting seven points on 2-for-8 shooting with four assists and four rebounds in 39 minutes. ... Batum defended Durant most of the game, but Matthews took the OKC star on the final few possessions, holding him scoreless. “They talked among themselves to decide how to do it,” Stotts said. “I give them latitude on the matchups.” ... Portland has shot under 40 percent in its last three games. “We’ve played three good defensive teams (Miami, Golden State and Oklahoma City),” Stotts said. “That’s part of it. Tonight, we missed a lot of shots we can make. We were 15 for 36 in the paint.” ... OKC won the points-in-the-paint battle 46-30. ... Portland was 6 for 21 (.286) from 3-point territory Sunday after firing up a franchise-record 43 3-point tries in Friday’s 103-97 loss at Golden State, making 15.

Before the game, Brooks gushed about Lillard. “Is he really a rookie?” the OKC coach asked rhetorically. “He plays like he’s a six- or seven-year veteran. He has great poise. He controls the game. He figures out what the game needs and he gives it to his team. He’s a tremendous 3-point shooter. He takes a lot of shots deep. You don’t think he’ll take it, but he makes it. We’re aware we have to get out there and guard him, but he has a way of getting open. He has a knack for using screens. Usually it takes a couple of years to acquire a great pick-and-roll game, but he already has that. His teammates seem to really enjoy playing along with him. That says a lot about a rookie in this league. Very rarely do you come in and enjoy the respect of your teammates right off the bat. It tells you he has high character, great work ethic and the skill set to lead them. He has a chance to be one of the top point guards in the league.”

Each sports will be recognized at annual Oregon Sports Awards

A host of new prep categories, and host Neil Everett from ESPN, will spice the 61st annual Oregon Sports Awards.

The stage show takes place Sunday night, Feb. 10, at Nike's Tiger Woods Center.

Everett, a SportsCenter anchor and commentator, is a University of Oregon graduate.

He'll oversee the 90-minute-plus production, which also will feature various celebrity award presenters to be announced.

The stars of the show, of course, will be the many finalists and winners of 38 awards — athletes, coaches and conributors from the ranks of professionals, collegians, other amateurs, high school and Oregon communities.

For the first time, these expanded Oregon Sports Awards will honor high school athletes from every Oregon School Activities Association-santioned sport, with finalists from the 6A through 1A classifications and around the state.

The other 19 award categories have been part of the show before — some of them dating to the event's inception in 1948 as the Hayward Banquet of Champions.

The OSA will give trophies to the Bill Hayward Amateur Athletes of the Year (male and female), the Harry Glickman Pro Athletes of the Year (male and female), the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year, the George Pasero Teams of the Year, the Ad Rutschman Small-College Athletes of the Year (male and female), the Nike-Steve Prefontaine Prep Distance Runner of the Year (to a high school senior) and the Lou Burge Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

Other categories include the Les Schwab Friend of Sport, the Terry Porter Make It Better Award (presented by the Portland Trail Blazers), the Ultimate Fan Award (presented by the Portland Timbers), the Game-Changer Award and the DNA Award.

The new high school awards will go to the state's top competitors in football, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, boys and girls swimming, baseball, softball, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls golf, and boys and girls tennis.

A statewide panel of experts votes on the awards.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a preshow reception with light hors d'oeuvres and beverages.

The show starts at 7 p.m.

Coffee and desserts will be served after the production.

Tickets are $50 each. To order or for more information, contact Chelsea Corrado at ccorrado@gosportsone.com or 503-721-7477, ext. 24.

Visit oregonsportsawards.com for extensive information on the show, its history and awards.

Also, follow the event on Twitter (@ORSportsAwards) and Facebook (Oregon Sports Awards).