Centennial psychologist retires

A retirement open house will be held for Centennial School District Psychologist Becky Thompson from 3-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at the Lynch Wood Library, 3615 S.E. 174th Ave., Portland.

Thompson has worked as a school psychologist for 14 years, first at the Multnomah Education Service District and then as a district employee for 11 years. Most recently, she worked at Lynch Wood and Pleasant Valley schools.

Learn how to transfer to a four-year college

Students interested in transferring from Mt. Hood Community College to a four-year college or university are invited to attend Oregon Transfer Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Vista Dining area on the Gresham campus, 26000 S.E. Stark St.

Representatives from Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, Portland State University and 20 other colleges and universities will answer questions about their schools.

Presented by Mt. Hood’s Academic Advising and Transfer Center, Student Outreach and Recruitment, and Associated Student Government, the event is part of a statewide effort by the Oregon Transfer Days Task Force to educate community college students about opportunities available to them as they pursue their academic and career goals.

For more information, call Calvin Walker, academic adviser, at 503-491-7173 or email calvin.walker@mhcc.edu.

Individuals requiring accommodations because of a disability may call the Disability Services Office at 503-491-6923 or 503-491-7670 at least two weeks prior to the event.

Free children's health fair Feb. 9

A free children’s health fair open to all East County children and sponsored annually by the Multnomah Dental Society will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at Lynch View Elementary School, 1546 S.E. 169th Place, Portland.

Along with receiving free services, families can visit booths about health-related topics such as fire and bike safety, and sign up for the Oregon Health Plan.

Each child attending will receive a goodie bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste and information on caring for his or her teeth. The event will feature entertainment and prize drawings, with a grand prize of a Playstation gaming set.

The event is a part of the American Dental Association’s nationwide program, Give Kids a Smile, and mobilizes dentists across the nation to provide free oral health care services to thousands of low-income children.

Centennial earns grant for school lunches

Centennial School District has received a $29,000 Farm to School grant from the state to increase access to locally-sourced food through the school lunch program.

The money will expand Wednesday lunch options between February and the end of the year, with the intention of not only increasing the quality of lunches, but decreasing the use of pre-packaged foods.

Julie Mack, Active Healthy Schools coordinator, said the lunches can be a part of special events. Students will have the opportunity to compete in recipe contests and other promotional activities.

Tamie Tlustos-Arnold and Ken Quinby, 2012 Fairview City Council candidates who recently won positions 6 and 2, were not required to establish a candidate committee for their campaign finance activity, an Oregon secretary of state’s letter states.

The letter, dated Dec. 28, 2012, came in response to an election complaint filed by former councilor Barbara Jones in October that the candidates each should have filed a Candidate's Statement of Organization.

“After reviewing responses from Ms. Tlustos-Arnold and Mr. Quinby, the Elections Division has determined that neither candidate was required to establish a candidate committee because they did not exceed $750 in contributions or expenditures in 2013,” the letter states.

Both candidates provided accounting of expenses for the filing of candidacy, voter pamphlet statements and in-kind contributions for the production and mailing of postcards, and other campaign expenditures.

The letter also stated that the videos made by Ed Bejarana, a business owner, and posting of the videos on an existing website belonging to the Fairview Business Association did not constitute an in-kind contribution.

The investigation of the complaint was closed.

When “Beavis and Butthead” stepped out on a street corner in Gresham toting their rifles — one of them an AR-15 — as a form of public demonstration, all they really did was fan the flames of discontent and further erode the public's patience with gun ownership.

This really happened. See Mara Stine's front page story in today's Outlook.

Steven M. Boyce, 22, of Gresham and Warren R. Drouin, 22, of Medford shouldered their legally owned rifles on Wednesday, Jan. 9, and paraded them down the sidewalks in Portland and Gresham.

Why do you suppose they did this? They had hoped to demonstrate that these weapons are dangerous only when they're in the hands of people intent on lawlessness. They also wanted to demonstrate that laws allow them to openly carry these weapons in public settings.

I've been thinking about these guys by spinning their antics around one of my own recent experiences. I'm a waterfowl hunter, and every so often I like to go to Sauvie Island for a day of duck hunting, as I was a week or so ago.

At zero-dark-thirty I loaded my pickup and headed west toward Sauvie Island. En route I stopped at a Gresham 7-Eleven for coffee. It was then that I realized I'd left my shotgun in the bed of my pickup. I didn't want to leave it there while I went into the store, fearing it might be gone by the time I left the store. I was struck with a moment of humor and indecision: I'm standing in front of a convenience store in the wee hours of the morning with a shotgun in my hands. What might the man behind the counter inside the store think had he looked outside at that moment and saw a guy dressed in camo and holding a shotgun? I doubt his first conclusion would have been “Oh, another duck hunter in for coffee.”

So I quickly moved my shotgun from the bed of my pickup and into the safety of the cab and locked the doors, being careful to avoid drawing attention.

The point I'd like to make here is this: It is entirely appropriate to carry that shotgun and to use it for waterfowl hunting. But it is an entirely different thing to alarm anyone by brandishing that firearm. I did what I could at the moment to minimize the possibility that anyone would feel threatened in any way.

Several days later I heard about these two guys carrying their rifles along public streets (in the Sellwood area of Southeast Portland, and again along Gresham's Powell Boulevard), leading me to wonder if they'd paused long enough to consider how their actions might alarm other people.

I don't think they did. If they had, they well might have gone about their public-information demonstration in a different way.

Coming on the heels of shootings at Clackamas Town Center and in Newtown, Conn., the American public is justifiably on edge regarding firearms, especially the AR style of firearms. I have my own ideas about gun control, but that's another topic for another day, and one that I'm not addressing here.

This column is about kindness and sensitivity, and about putting other people's fears ahead of your own selfish interest in making a point.

These guys were successful only in communicating a lie: That people who own weapons are insensitive and selfish. Who wants to stand in that corner?

What these guys fail to recognize is that with great rights come great responsibilities. Those who own guns have a responsibility to use them wisely and safely, and in a way that does not cause anyone to feel threatened.

People in Gresham who saw these men clearly had no idea about their intentions. And people were justifiably nervous. These guys did nothing to advance public approval of gun ownership, and might have actually served to set it back.

Thanks, guys, but the next time you plan to help the cause of gun ownership, just don't.

Steve Brown is executive editor of The Outlook, Sandy Post and Estacada News.

Robert Raymond Tisdale

March 25, 1923-Jan. 11, 2013

East County resident Robert Raymond Tisdale died Friday, Jan. 11. He was 89.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at Wood Village Baptist Church, 23601 N.E. Arata Road. A full obituary will appear in a future edition of The Outlook.

Richard Arthur Webb

July 25, 1945-Jan. 11, 2013

Former East County and Sandy resident Richard Arthur Webb died Friday, Jan. 11. He was 67.

A service will be announced in a future edition of The Outlook. Affordable Funeral Alternatives is handling arrangements.

Matthew William Courtain

Jan. 7, 2013-Jan. 8, 2013

Newborn Matthew William Courtain died Tuesday, Jan. 8, at Randall Children’s Hospital. He was 1 day old.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. Interment will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Matthew was born Jan. 7, 2013, in Portland to Brandon and Rachael (Hurt) Courtain of Estacada.

He is survived by his parents; sister, Morgan Courtain; and grandparents, William Courtain of Estacada, Gay Ballard of Chandler, Ariz., and Roberta Lundquist of Portland.

Contributions may be made in memory of Matthew to Randall Children’s Hospital. Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Margot Borcea

Dec. 19, 1959-Jan. 8, 2013

Portland resident Margot Borcea died Tuesday, Jan. 8. She was 53.

A funeral service will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home in Gresham. She will be buried in El Salvador.

Margot was born Dec. 19, 1959, in El Salvador to Felix and Petrona Aguilar. Margot moved to the United States in 1988, first to California, and then in 1989 to Oregon.

In the summer of 1988, she married Florin Borcea. Margot was a happy, social woman, a loving wife and a hard worker. She treasured her family and God.

Margot was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her siblings, Raul Aguilar, Roberto Aguilar, Angela Aguilar, Gloria Aguilar, Elena Aguilar and Ermelinda Aguilar; two nephews; and two grandnephews.

Bateman Carroll Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Connie Marie Stevens

July 7, 1950-Dec. 25, 2012

Longtime East County resident Connie Marie Stevens died Tuesday, Dec. 25. She was 62.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Jan. 19, with a time and location to be determined.

She was born July 7, 1950, in Portland to Alvin Knapp and Mary Jane Davis. Raised in Portland, Connie graduated from Marshall High School in 1968.

She married her high school sweetheart and had three children. After the couple divorced, Connie returned to the Portland area. She was a certified nursing assistant in nursing homes and provided in-home care much of her life.

Connie enjoyed crocheting, cross-stitching and various forms of crafting. Her favorite place was the beach.

Connie was preceded in death by her son, Keith. She is survived by her companion, Jim Vinyard; children, Brandi Sage, Kevin Stevens, Darla Schlegel and Jamie Vinyard; siblings, Vickie Knapp, Dave Knapp and Tim Knapp; and five grandchildren.

Arrangements are being handled by Crown Memorial Center in Milwaukie.

Patricia Louise Anderson

March 3, 1933-Dec. 29, 2012

Gresham resident Patricia Louise Anderson died Saturday, Dec. 29. She was 79.

A private memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 5127 S.E. Salquist Road, Gresham.

Patricia was born March 3, 1933, in Baker to Boyd and Jessie Nell Grogan. She married Norman Anderson in 1960; the couple later divorced.

Patricia was a homemaker and certified tax preparer. She belonged to the Jehovah’s Witness Church and enjoyed painting, playing piano, Western music, Cadillacs and natural medicine.

She is survived by siblings Shelly Lewis, Richard Grogan and Ann Grogan; children, Roxana White, Donald Anderson, Harold Shannon Anderson, Mark Anderson and Jay Dee Anderson; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Crown Memorial Center of Milwaukie is handling arrangements.

Paid obituaries

Mary Lou McKeever

Mary Lou McKeever passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 7th after a long battle with brain cancer. She went to be with the Lord, her parents John and Grace Burris, brother Lloyd Burris and many friends who preceded her in death. Her devoted husband of 54 years and youngest daughter were by her side as she moved on to her next journey.

She was born Mary Lou Burris on August 21, 1937 near Queen City, Texas. Shortly after World War II began her family moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas. After the war her family moved to Salem, Oregon. Where she graduated from North Salem High School in 1955.

After graduation she worked for the Department of Motor Vehicles until 1959 when she married Michael McKeever. They had met months earlier at a church function at the First Baptist Church in Salem where she was an active member. He was visiting a friend while on leave from Ft. Lewis army base in Washington state. After his honorable discharge they moved to Gardena, California before settling in Portland, Oregon to raise their family.

Mary Lou was active in her church, She had a soft place in her heart for the elderly and children. Befriending many who would have been alone if not for her friendship.

She love sports, much of her time through the years was spent at sporting arenas cheering on her favorite teams. She played hostess in her home to several players of the Portland Thunder, Portland Breakers and Portland Trail Blazers throughout the years. While her illness kept her from attending games any longer. She watched them with passion up until the very end. She was most at peace when spending time with her husband in their Portland Rose Festival award winning garden.

Mary Lou leaves behind her loving husband Michael McKeever of Portland, eldest daughter Marcia Collins of Portland, youngest daughter Mitzi Hathaway and son-in-law Jay Hathaway of Gresham, brother John Burris of Portland, sister Virginia Pelot of Beaverton, her beloved grandchildren Courtney, Cole, Nikkita, Austin and Zachery as well as many nieces and nephews.

Service will be held at 10am January 19th at the Gresham Memorial Chapel 257 SE Roberts Ave. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made in person or online to Clear Creek Community Church at 4100 SE 182nd Gresham, Oregon where she was a member.

James (Jim) Harvey Peery

August 16, 1934 - January 12, 2013

A visitation and Rosary for Gresham Resident James (Jim) Harvey Peery will be at 10 a.m., Friday, January 18 at Saint Henry Catholic Church followed by an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial.

Jim passed away January 12, 2013 in Clackamas at the age of 78.

Jim was born August 16, 1934 in San Diego, California, the son of Marion and Frances (Orcutt) Peery. As a young child Jim lived in San Diego, later moving to Oregon where he graduated from Tigard High School. After high school, Jim attended Portland State and enlisted in the Air force Reserves.

On October 31, 1959 Jim married Marian Plaisance in New Orleans, Louisiana, and to this union nine children were born.

Jim worked as a Senior Engineering Technician for the Federal Highway Administration for 35 years, retiring in 1988.

Jim was a long time member of St. Henry Catholic Church. He enjoyed volunteering at Zarapaths Soup Kitchen, and being a Scout Master when his children were growing up. For hobbies Jim enjoyed camping, photography, listening to Jazz music and reading. He love all thing science, especially space, the weather and geology. Over the years, Jim shared his love of the outdoors and sense of adventure with his family during numerous camping trips, and he created within his children a passion for Sci-fi, gadgets, electronics and learning.

Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marian; children; Jayne, Jim, Chris and wife Michelle, Mike, David, Ken, Anne Huntington and husband Tryce, George, and Mary, sisters; Marian Metzentine and Bernice Tubbs, eight grandchildren; Justin, Dillon, Jill, Sarah, Beth, Lisa, Everett, and Cory, and one great grandchild; Matthew.

For those who wish to make a donation in Jim’s memory; the family suggests St. Vincent De Paul or Zarapaths Kitchen.

As a loving and faithful father and husband, Jim will be greatly missed.

Northeast 238th Drive in Wood Village will be closed to northbound traffic between Glisan Street and Arata Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, to repair several potholes that have opened up due to recent cold weather and rain. The southbound lane will remain open during the work.

Alternate routes for northbound traffic include west on Northeast Glisan Street, north on 223rd Avenue and east on Halsey Street; and east on Southwest Cherry Park Road, north on 257th Drive and west on Halsey.

Multnomah County maintains this section of Northeast 238th Drive and 300 miles of roads and bridges.

Sheriff Dan Staton will not make immediate changes

In the wake of proposed national legislation intended to curb gun violence, Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton on Thursday, Jan. 17, released a statement that he will not begin enforcing any laws that have not yet been passed.

Staton's announcement comes one day after President Barack Obama formally announced his proposals to reduce gun violence, including a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Law enforcement officers around the country have objected publicly to the proposal, including Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller, who called it unconstitutional.

He also said he would not enforce any federal regulations.

Staton said he has a procedure for evaluating and understanding any new legislation that affects Multnomah County residents. He would go through the same due diligence before enforcing any new gun control laws.

“I do not ... plan to make any immediate change of policy or practice with regard to recent reports I have heard of gun control measures proposed by elected officials locally or nationally,” he wrote.

Staton added that if laws are passed, he will evaluate the regulations before choosing to enforce them.

“No change in the practices of this office will come without both a clear understanding of the measures proposed or enacted into law, or a chance to hear back from the citizens of Multnomah County regarding these proposals,” Staton wrote. “Nor do I believe that a fast-tracked approach will be effective in improving what is a very complex issue in our country.”

Staton also discussed his obligation to support the Constitution, privacy rights for concealed handgun holders and create tougher screening for gun licenses.

“The first line of my oath of office is that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and I have and intend to continue to do that very thing,” he wrote. “I support the rights of citizens granted by the Constitution, and have worked hard to ensure those rights are protected."

Last month, mass shootings locally at Clackamas Town Center and nationally at a grade school in Newtown, Conn., spurred the gun control debate.

Staton said he's aware that local citizens are eager to see steps taken to prevent further violence.

“I am personally shocked and saddened by the recent events that have brought these issues front and center, and I will be engaged with my fellow elected officials, public safety partners and the citizens of this county as we thoughtfully consider what measures might be taken to curb the violence seen in these recent events,” he wrote.

Longtime family-owned dealership under new ownership and management

After nearly 30 years as a family-run business, Gresham Toyota-Scion has a new owner.

And while devoted owners and buyers of Toyota and Scion vehicles won’t see a change in the commitment to customer satisfaction or the dealership’s services, new general Manager Ken Cornelison said “big plans” are coming.

“We will begin a full remodel starting in April,” Cornelison said. “We intend to put between $2.5 million and $3 million into the building, which will include expansion of our service area and showroom and a new façade. We’re also expanding our Express Lube area to be more convenient for customers.”

The New York-based Summit Automotive Group finalized purchase of the dealership from the Cheney family in November, when former GM Mike Cheney retired. Summit is no stranger to the car dealer industry, with dealerships across the United States, with a Northwest presence in Kennewick and Pasco Washington. The dealership retained close to 95 percent of Gresham Toyota’s workforce, Cornelison said, and currently employs about 65 people.

What enticed the group to Gresham and East County was the legacy established by the former owners, Cornelison said.

“Gresham Toyota had a good reputation,” he added. “We don’t want to change that. We want to complement that. We are looking forward to growing our business and becoming an active member of the Gresham community.”

Gresham Toyota-Scion

Where: 950 N.E. Hogan Drive, Gresham

What: complete line of new Toyota and Scion vehicles, as well as Certified Toyota Used Cars; full parts and service

Hours: sales — 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday; service department — 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday

Call: 503-667-1135.

John Andrew recalls his youth in Gresham, growing up in a house still being used

In Gresham’s early years, the annual Multnomah County Fair was a big occasion. Folks came to town by horse and cart from rural areas and then-far-away Portland to wander the grounds where the Gresham Town Fair shopping mall now sits.

But for John Andrew, as a youngster of about 11, the impending fair was announced by the arrival of the Indians.

“They opened the fair every year,” John said. “They came from Maupin or Madras, and one year they tethered their horses to the fruit trees in the orchard next to our house. They didn’t speak any English, and my mom told me, ‘John, don’t you go over there. They steal kids.’ Well, I had to go see what that was all about.”

Young John cautiously wandered toward the massive tepee pitched nearly in the family’s backyard. The open flap called to him, so he stuck his head through the opening and came face-to-face with what he referred to as a “squaw.”

“She had a bowl in her hand and motioned for me to come in,” he said. “I did and she offered me what I now know was jerky. I remember it was smoky and tasted really good. She was quite nice. But it took me a long time to tell my mom that I disobeyed her.”

John Andrew, 90, is a soft-spoken man, with sharp blue eyes and an even sharper memory of growing up on the berry fields and farmland that once dotted Gresham’s landscape. The nonagenarian is one of a dwindling number of folks who can reminisce about coming of age along with his hometown.

What makes John’s story unique is that the home of his youth still stands. The white clapboard sided building, located at 343 N. Main Ave., is now Victorian House Antiques and Collectibles. And although some of the aesthetic changes have altered the house he remembers, just gracing the door reminds him of the good old days of his childhood.

John was born July 6, 1922, on the family farm where Northeast Cleveland Avenue and Stark Street intersect. His father farmed 40 acres of strawberries on the land, which became an integral part of life for John and his five siblings.

“All of us kids picked strawberries,” he said. “We would get out of school in May and pick berries in the summer. When I was older, I had a morning paper route for The Oregonian newspaper. I’d come home from doing that, breakfast would be ready and then Dad would take us up to pick strawberries all day.”

In 1931, John’s family moved to a two-story Victorian home on Hood Avenue. The house boasted three bedrooms upstairs, a novelty at the time, and was slightly larger than most homes in the neighborhood. It was equipped with city water services and electric lights and also included an adjacent lot with fruit trees and a wood shed.

The house was owned by Duane Ely, one of Gresham’s earliest land developers and business owners. Ely, who lived in Oregon City, purchased plans and materials for the house through the Sears Roebuck Catalog in 1912, and had it built on Hood Avenue between Northeast Fourth and Fifth streets. John’s family paid Ely $12 a month for rent.

“My dad could have bought the house for $1,000 with the spare lot besides,” John said. “It was sort of a big deal because very few houses had three bedrooms upstairs. We also had a radio and phone. But nobody turned on the radio until Dad got home and turned on his programs. And you didn’t use the phone without permission. We had the ‘hoot and holler’ phone and knew the switchboard operator was down the street, so we had to be careful what we said.”

Simple but trying times

John remembers hanging out regularly in Ed Osborn’s blacksmith shop as a youngster. He recalls clearly the days Osborn, the only blacksmith in Gresham at the time, put new shoes on the farmers’ horses.

“I can still see him with a horse’s foot between his knees scraping it to put on a new shoe,” John said. “The farmers all knew what day to bring their horses in, so there would be long lines of farmers walking behind their team of horses without their plows. Every now and then, they would stop to rest from all the walking they had to do to get into town. The horses were used to that, so they never did get tired. But I was fascinated by the blacksmith process. I would stand for hours next to the forge. Ed was so patient. If I got in the way, he’d just say, ‘OK, John, you need to move now.’”

One of John’s chores as a young boy was to cut and stack wood in the shed for heating and cooking purposes. Laying in all that wood for winter was arduous and meant time away from more exciting adventures.

“I got all the kids in the neighborhood to help me,” he said, laughing. “I probably stacked thousands of cords of wood over time, but my mother always made a big pot of beans to feed all those kids. And they all wanted to help because they wanted those beans.”

Gresham was a growing community in the 1930s, but as the country sank deeper into the Great Depression, work for John’s father as a floor cover installer became harder to find. John remembers his father bartering with other local businesses for furniture or medical services for his young family and expecting his three sons to help with family finances. John and his brothers had paper routes as youngsters, and John eventually worked for W.R. Hicks and Kidder Hardware.

But the Depression also brought out a spirit of camaraderie and compassion among neighbors, who not only took care of each other but strangers in need.

“We had a lot of ‘tramps’ who came to our house looking for something to eat,” John said. “I found out later they were World War I veterans who had no place to go. Most of them were wounded; they had no money. My mother always gave them something to eat, but not until they did some work around the house first. They’d pull weeds or pick apples up off the ground, but they never came in the house.”

The worries of his parents were mostly shielded from John and his siblings, producing what he called a “loving and fun childhood.” Warm summer days were spent swimming in Johnson Creek, a bit of a hike from home at the time, with a rest generally taken near the landmark fountain that once stood at the entrance to the city on Main and Powell. In September 1937, that same fountain marked John’s only brush with celebrity so close to home.

“(President) Franklin Roosevelt came through Gresham and stopped at the fountain,” John recalled. “He was in an open touring car, smoking a cigar like he always did. He was on his way up to Timberline Lodge for the dedication, and I got a really good look at him because I was probably about 50 feet away from the car. They didn’t have all the security around the president like they do now.”

Leaving home

John graduated from Gresham High School in 1940. In 1941, he enlisted in the Navy, serving in Cuba before being assigned to a squadron charged with the experimental use of jet airplanes in Brunswick, Maine. After his discharge in 1945, he married his sweetie, Laverne, who had traveled to the East Coast to attend her twin sister’s wedding in Rhode Island three months earlier. The two pairs of newlyweds then embarked on a cross-country trip back to the Northwest in a 1936 Oldsmobile.

“It took us a while,” John said, “flat tires and all. The engine quit in Wyoming, so we had to find a place to stay while they overhauled it. It was quite an adventure and something Laverne probably never expected, but even after that, she stayed with me for 56 years.”

The couple raised two daughters and a son in Gresham while John worked for Peterson Plumbing. Eventually they moved to Southeast Portland, where John founded Andrew Heating and Air Conditioning.

“I figured I’d learned enough to go out on my own,” he said, “so I opened my own business out of the trunk of my car. I carried all the tools I’d need for service calls and worked that way until I found a shop. I owned the business for 40 years. Then I retired and my kids took over.”

In the late 1990s, Gresham businessmen Frank and Billy Hartner bought the little Victorian house and moved it to its current location on Main Avenue. The dual stoves used to heat and cook in the house were removed, as was the inside staircase. Vacant for some time, it eventually become home to a dress shop, a body piercing studio and hair salon. Last year, it reopened as Victorian House Antiques and Collectibles.

John brought Laverne to Gresham to see the house in 2002, shortly before she died, and he continues to make periodic visits to the house to reminisce.

But one memory leaves no doubt that the tidy little building is indeed the home of his childhood.

“My older brother had a .30-06 gun he couldn’t take with him when he left home,” John explained, laughing. “I was probably 14 at the time. My younger brother and I wanted to see how it worked, so we took it upstairs to our bedroom. Well, the gun went off and the bullet went through the side of our house and into the house next door. It’s all covered up now, but if somebody ever takes that wall apart, they’ll find that bullet hole.”

MHCC student mentors others to learn from mistakes

Twenty-year-old Clemente Tescahua applied a few “ah ha” moments gleaned as a young teenager to avoid what he refers to as “heading down the wrong path.”

He now shares those lessons learned with middle and high school students wavering at the same crossroads where he once stood. Clemente is an intern counselor and tutor for Latino students at Estacada Junior High, a community recycling advocate near his home and a mentor for high school students with the Oregon Leadership Institute at Mt. Hood Community College.

But Clemente’s calling also was impacted twice by the acts of a total stranger — a woman who once saved his life and later returned to save him from himself.

Those experiences have combined to form a master plan for Clemente, who aims to help kids help themselves before they destroy their futures.

Soft-spoken but ready with a smile, Clemente is the oldest of four children of Sandy residents Federico and Maria Aguirre-Tescahua. He is the first in his family to graduate from high school (Sandy High class of 2011), and the first to attend college (Mt. Hood Community College class of 2013).

Those accomplishments, however, nearly didn’t happen.

In middle school, Clemente linked up with a crowd of peers who conflicted with his parents’ approval and his upbringing. His friends’ influence caused him to skip school, party frequently and “sell anything I could get my hands on.” Clemente blew off warnings from his parents about his future and ignored the example he was setting for his younger siblings.

But a brush with a security guard shortly before his freshman year at Sandy High School was a wake-up call.

“I had made a lot of new friends, but not the kind of friends you’d like to follow,” Clemente said. “When I got caught, my mom came to pick me up, and seeing her crying was really hard. I didn’t want my family to suffer like that and I thought, ‘What would my sister think if she saw me doing that?’

That wouldn’t make me a good brother.”

Guardian angel

Faced with disappointing his family, Clemente drew upon a horrific event earlier in his life that demonstrated the depth of familial importance.

In 2000, then-8-year-old Clemente was heading home with his family on Highway 26 near Sandy when a drunk driver struck their vehicle head-on. Behind the impaired driver was another car driven by Obie Murphy, an educational assistant at Sandy High School. Murphy helped the family out of their damaged car after the impact and called for medical personnel. Though lucky to be alive, Clemente faced a personal challenge in the wake of the accident.

“My eyes were cut by glass, and I lost my eyesight,” Clemente said. “I had laser surgery, and I still have some problems, but they say it’s a miracle I can see at all. Obie was my angel (the night of the accident). Ever since then, I’ve had a lot of respect for her, and now we’re friends.”

Tough love

Clemente entered high school and though he began distancing himself from the co-horts he’d gotten in trouble with, his parents still weren’t happy with his choice in companions. Nor were they pleased with the direction his life was taking.

“They sat me down and told me I was going down the wrong path,” he said. “And if I didn’t want to go to school, I would have to get a job. They wanted me to work so I wouldn’t be on the streets doing what I was doing.”

Clemente took the ultimatum to heart. He shed the saggy attire in favor of casual dress clothes, and immersed himself in school activities. By his senior year, he was president of the Latino-oriented Azteca Club and the HOSA Club at Sandy High School, and volunteering at the nearby Sandy Vista Apartments, teaching oral health care to Latino youngsters. He became reacquainted with Murphy, who was adviser for the Azteca and Hosa clubs. Her influence put him on the course he’s charted for his future.

Clemente will complete his associate’s degree in general studies at Mt. Hood Community College this spring. He plans to pursue his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Portland State University, with a career goal as a high school counselor.

“I think high school is the time to get your act together,” Clemente said. “I want to help guide kids and open doors so they can take advantage of the opportunities out there.”

Clemente knows well the temptation that leads kids to believe they are large and in charge at a young age. And he understands how the choices made during middle and high school can impact the future. But his experience provides a hopeful reality check: It’s never too late to rechart your life’s course.

“I tell the students I mentor that what you’re doing will become a life habit if you keep it up,” he said. “I ask them, ‘Is this the way you want to live?’ But if you don’t want to change for your family and friends, do it for yourself. Don’t let the darkness of your past drag you back. Keep moving forward.”

Do you know a Shining Star?

Shining Stars is a 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 our 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, Jan. 29 issue of the Outlook.

TUESDAY, JAN. 22

Wood Village City Council — 6 p.m., City Hall, 2055 N.E. 238th Drive. For more information, call 503-667-6211.

Fairview Planning Commission — 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1300 N.E. Village St. For more information, call Devree Leymaster at 503-674-6206.

Troutdale City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall basement, 219 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. A public hearing will be held on the comprehensive land use plan map and zoning district map for the Edgefield North Property regarding economic development. Call 503-674-7237 or visit troutdaleoregon.gov.

Damascus City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 19920 S.E. Highway 212. Call 503-658-8545 or visit ci.damascus.or.us.

Troutdale Selection Committee — 6 p.m., City Hall basement, 219 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. Conducting interview with applicants interested in serving on city committees. For information, call 503-674-7237 or visit troutdaleoregon.gov.

Gresham is the proud owner of a missing 3-acre link in a 2-mile stretch of largely publicly owned land that happens to be prime salmon habitat.

City councilors on Tuesday, Jan. 15, agreed to pay $112,500 for the 2.87 acres of land at 1835 S.E. Liberty Ave. along Johnson Creek.

The city plans to use the property to improve the creek's water quality, which will improve the already impressive fish habitat there, said Steve Fancher, Gresham's director of environmental services.

The property is between Hogan and Reneger roads near the Springwater Trail, and is the missing link in a stretch of nearly 2 miles of property along Johnson Creek that is almost entirely publicly owned by Gresham, Metro or both.

“This particular property is significant because it helps fill a bit of a gap,” Fancher said. “And this particular stretch has some of the best salmon habitat on it.”

“This is exciting,” said Matt Clark, executive director of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council. The council's watershed action plan 10 years ago identified this area of the creek as having the highest quality salmon habitat of all of Johnson Creek.

Volunteers in recent years have found coho carcasses in the creek in Gresham and near the city's western edge.

“We know that there are spawning salmon being found around this section of Johnson Creek, so protecting it is very important,” Clark said.

Plus, steelhead and rainbow trout have been found in other parts of Johnson Creek and its tributaries, including one near Reed College, he added.

“Salmon are using the site, and juvenile coho salmon do use it year-round,” Fancher said. “So it's providing good habitat now. It has potential to be even better, and it happens to be in this 2-mile stretch of prime salmon habitat in Gresham.”

Owning the property also makes it easier for the city to maintain a nearby section of the Springwater Trail.

The creek, as creeks do, has moved or meandered over time. “And in a couple places it has gotten very close to the Springwater Trail on this property,” Fancher said. Any closer, and the creek will erode soil next to and possibly under the trail, creating a scenario in which the trail could collapse.

“We try to identify those before they happen and do some geo-engineering along the creek banks to help keep the creek from moving closer to the trail and move it away from the trail a bit,” Fancher said. But in order to do that work, the city either has to own the land or get costly, difficult construction easements from private property owners.

Eroding soil also produces sediment that is bad for the creek's water quality, Clark said.

Purchasing the property fills the gap in 2 miles of almost entirely publicly owned land, “making a uniquely large-scale floodplain reconnection and fish habitat enhancement project possible in the future,” according to the city council packet.

The property includes an 800-square-foot house built in 1930 that is prone to flooding due to being in the flood plain. It is in such bad shape that it does not add significantly to the property's value, so the city plans to remove it. The house also is a suspected source of bacteria in Johnson Creek because it is still connected to a septic field next to the creek. Demolishing the house means the septic system can be decommissioned. This, coupled with improving vegetation on the creek banks, also will improve water quality and fish habitat.

Money for the purchase is from the 2006 Metro bond that voters approved to protect green spaces and preserve natural areas. Of Gresham's $2.6 million share, $400,000 is budgeted to improve Johnson Creek habitat. The city plans to use $50,000 of the earmarked funds to stabilize the creek banks where the it has meandered.

St. Henry Catholic Church rings in its 100th anniversary

When President John F. Kennedy Jr. was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, the first bells in East Multnomah County tolled at St. Henry Catholic Church.

The church filled a few hours later for a requiem Mass, where Father Augustine Meyer said, “Only through prayer, love and charity will we heal the wounds.”

Today, the church that began in January 1913 is home to at least 1,500 families and remains a leader in the religious community, with involvement in numerous ministries including Zarephath Pantry and St. Vincent de Paul.

“There’s a marvelous core of folks who form the spirit of this parish,” Father Charles Zach said. “It’s a very special time to highlight who we are.”

Sunday, Jan. 13, a 100th anniversary Mass and open house drew 735 people, including former priests and Archbishop John Vlazny. The event featured a museum display with decades of relics — photos, songbooks, baptism and wedding gowns, newspaper clippings and devotional items — including artifacts unearthed from a 1988 time capsule.

“People were very taken with seeing themselves as children — seeing the legacy of the parish and how it connects to the whole Gresham community,” Father Zach said. “This is a church of volunteers. There are a lot of fingers connected with the community.

“It was important for people to see so many returning pastors and clergy. You really don’t see it as a work force, you see it as family,” he said.

Early beginnings

The first St. Henry service was held Jan. 1, 1913, above the Gresham Drug Store at the site of the current Jazzy Bagels on the northeast corner of Main Avenue and Powell Boulevard, led by the newly appointed Rev. Henry Bruenagel. Its first church, on Northwest First Street, which cost $800, was blessed Sept. 21, 1913.

A succession of additions came when the 1,378-pound bell tower arrived in 1914, when the sanctuary and sacristy were added in 1915 and when the parish house was constructed in 1918.

“I sense the same zeal and commitment that moved your parish founders to build and sustain a place of worship for the community still prevails,” Vlazny, the archbishop of Portland, wrote in a letter to St. Henry before the 100th anniversary event.

Al and Ben Olbrich, now St. Henry members in their 90s, were baptized by the original Rev. Bruenagel and are among the members of six founding families who remain involved in the parish today.

“It’s rather impressive to look back,” said Father Zach, the 10th pastor at St. Henry who came to the parish in 2009 from Junction City. “In 1912, Gresham was a town of 500. By the time we got to building our school and new church, the population was between 5,000 and 10,000. Today, our population is upwards of 100,000.”

From the 90-somethings down to the infants, St. Henry is now a largely multiethnic parish with members from Indonesia, Samoa, Nigeria and Kenya. Father Zach said the church wants to welcome more Latino families as one of its pastoral goals.

“We’re a melting pot at St. Henry, but we’re really missing the multicultural wealth of the Mexican community,” Father Zach said. “There’s a saying that ‘We’re going to be integrated in heaven.’ It’s time we start here.”

A new church and school

In 1951, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary told St. Henry they would staff a Catholic grade school at the church. The next year, the church was remodeled, with an imported wooden crucifix and bronze tabernacle added. A school, auditorium and convent were built in 1953.

St. Henry transitioned to a modern building more fitting of the downtown Gresham neighborhood in 1964; Father Meyer called it a “house of God” rather than a temple or cathedral. Members have called the building home for nearly 50 years.

On Sept. 25, 1969, St. Henry made the front page of The Gresham Outlook when it announced it would dismantle the 56-year-old church and one of Gresham’s oldest landmarks, which hadn’t been used since the new church was completed.

The school operated until 1971, when the Superior General of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary determined they no longer were able to support the St. Henry school because of a severe personnel shortage.

The 2013 centennial

time capsule

As St. Henry rounds out its centennial celebration in July — the church decided to span the festivities over the course of a year— it once again will bury a time capsule, this time with 100th anniversary mementos.

“It’s nice to see this correlation of where the church was to where it is — to see the camaraderie among different parishioners,” said Angie Eckroth, a museum coordinator for the centennial celebration.

“I love the atmosphere and the people of St. Henry’s,” said Ilene Burkhardt, another planning member for the centennial celebration who organized the luncheon.

Kevin Williams, a young member and the time capsule committee chairman who became affectionately known as “The Digger” after bringing up the 1988 capsule, will do the honors of burying the 2013 capsule, a hermetically-sealed vault provided by Bateman Carroll, at a picnic in July on church grounds.

“We go back over the 100 years and think it was the Stone Age,” Father Zach joked. “In 100 years they’ll think this was the Stone Age. The capsule will celebrate this era.”

PORTLAND — The David Douglas wrestling team flexed its muscles Wednesday night, showing why it is the class of the Mount Hood Conference with a 64-6 win over Gresham.

The teams split the first four lightweight bouts before the Scots ran off 10 straight wins to claim the 64-6 dual victory.

Jeremiah Baker got the win streak started with a hard-fought 7-3 victory over Gresham’s David Nelson at 132 pounds.

The wrestlers traded the lead twice before Baker went in front to stay by scoring a takedown with :08 on the clock in the second round. He added an early escape point in the third period, followed with a clinching takedown, going low to knock out Nelson’s legs with 1:10 to go.

“I just kept constant pressure and stayed calm,” Baker said. “There’s no room for panic in a match like that — if you panic, you get scored on.”

Nelson kept battling to the final whistle, but Baker kept him flat to his belly on the edge of the mat not leaving his opponent much space to mount a threat.

“This was my last time wrestling in this gym, and I wanted to be sure I could look back on it and have a good memory,” Baker said.

Baker’s decision put the Scots up 12-6 early in the night, and the flow of nine straight victories to follow quickly put the team score out of reach.

Look for expanded dual coverage in the Friday, Jan. 18, print edition.

View a photo gallery from the dual at ...

http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/jan16gre-dd_wrestling

Mt. Hood’s Brock Otis thought he was the hero.

With the Saints trailing by one, Otis stole the ball and it took it the length of the floor, finishing with a two-handed slam. The dunk put Mt. Hood in front with less than 10 seconds remaining.

With the pressure on Clackamas, the Cougars hustled down the court, but had no easy shot. The Cougars finally found forward Grant Sitton in front of their own bench. No one else was open, so Sitton pulled the trigger with the toes of his Nikes a few inches behind the 3-point line. The shot splashed through the nylon with 1.2 seconds left, robbing the Saints of the win.

Mt. Hood’s football-throw from three-quarters court found nothing but air, and Clackamas escaped with a 71-69 win.

“We just wanted to get a hand up and we did a really good job,” Mt. Hood coach Geoff Gibor said. “He made a really big shot, and he made a few of those tonight. Obviously, we wish we had it again.”

Look for expanded game coverage in our Friday, Jan. 18, print edition.

Kody Kennedy erupts for a game-high 30 points, a dozen of them coming in the first quarter Tuesday

The David Douglas boys’ basketball team wanted to run against Barlow, and the Bruins were just fine with that. Barlow outpaced the Scots 91-72 Tuesday night in the Mount Hood Conference opener for both teams.

The Scots’ offense was always in transition, whether Barlow scored or not. That got them some layups and pull-up jumpers in the first four minutes.

However, Barlow beat them at their own game.

“They were quicker than we are, so we really had to attack them,” Barlow coach Tom Johnson said. “I was pleased with the way we came out tonight, especially being on the road after two tough losses.”

The Bruins ended the nonleague schedule with losses to Clackamas and Southridge last week.

Led by senior guard Kody Kennedy, the Bruins ran the floor with more purpose and vigor than David Douglas. Kennedy knew exactly what he wanted to do on each possession, and he executed most of the time. He would bring the ball up the court and penetrate to the rim regularly and had two options from there – lay it in or draw the foul. That game plan gave Kennedy 12 points in the first quarter and put Barlow in control with an 11-point lead.

Look for extended game coverage in the Friday, Jan. 18, edition of The Outlook.

The Oregon Department of Revenue's tax processing session will get a later start than usual this year because of the late tax law changes made by Congress to resolve the “fiscal cliff” crisis. Oregon will begin processing electronically filed returns on Jan. 30 instead of the original date, Jan. 22, to coincide with when the Internal Revenue Service opens its electronic filing system.

Theater presents ‘Bye Bye Birdie’

Corbett Children’s Theater will present the comedic musical “Bye Bye Birdie” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, and Friday, Jan. 25; at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26; and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27.

Performances take place in Corbett schools’ multi-purpose building, 35800 E. Historic Columbia River Highway.

Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for students and seniors, with $2 off for matinees.

For more information, call 503-261-4266 or visit corbettchildrenstheater.com.

“Bye Bye Birdie” tells the story of a rock ‘n’ roll singer about to be inducted into the Army. Before he’s inducted, Conrad Birdie descends on Sweet Apple, Ohio, to plant one last kiss on a lucky fan, Kim MacAfee, before a national TV audience. However, she’s pledged to a high school sweetheart, so chaos is bound to ensue.

A play preview will run in the Tuesday, Jan. 22, issue of The Outlook.

Subs for Sandy survivors

A group of sudents in the Gresham High School International Baccalaureate (IB) History Americas program are holding a benefit for those affected by Hurricane Sandy Monday, Jan. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 27, at Jazzy Bagels.

The fundraiser will coincide with the Adventures in Jazz series in downtown Gresham cafes and restaurants Saturday, Jan. 26, with all proceeds from the specialty $5 “Jersey Sub” at Jazzy Bagels going to the American Red Cross’ efforts on the East Coast.

All students in the IB history program were assigned to create humanitarian benefits in groups. The Jazzy Bagels benefit is an effort by five students, Cole Lindhorst, Daniel Eckhardt, Hugo Martinez, Ryan Heath and Jacob Sailing; Jazzy Bagels Owner Kevin Conord; and Jerry Letendre of Thumann’s, New Jersey-based delicatessen products. Franz Bakery also donated to the benefit.

Provide input on future principals

The Reynolds School District seeks community input on what skills and traits students, staff, parents and community members seek in principals for the 2013-14 school year.

Principal positions will open up at Alder, Fairview, Margaret Scott and Troutdale elementary and Reynolds High schools.

An online survey will be available through Friday, Jan. 25, in English, Spanish and Russian.

To fill out the survey, visit reynolds.k12.or.us/district/input-wanted-principal-openings.

Applications for the principal positions are available at reynolds.cloud.talentedk12.com/hire/index.aspx.

Activist to speak Jan. 22 at Mt. Hood

Mt. Hood Community College Associated Student Government will host Kasha “Hug Dealer” Kilson-Anderson, a community activist, volunteer, poet, writer and DJ 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, for an event called “Living the Dream,” in the student union.

Kilson-Anderson will speak about knowing who MLK Jr. is but moving beyond with better understanding and involvement of what can be done today.

The event will kick off Black History Month events, including a Freedom Riders exhibit by Roosevelt High Shool students. Additional Black History Month events are in the works for February.

ODOT closes 138th Avenue for three days

The Oregon Department of Transportation will close Northeast 138th Avenue at the railroad crossing north of Sandy Boulevard for three days beginning Sunday, Jan. 20.

Union Pacific crews will repair the crossing pavement and make track improvements as part of ODOT’s safety improvement project on Sandy Boulevard between 122nd and 141st avenues in the Argay neighborhood.

The closure will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, and end by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, with a signed detour available. Sandy Boulevard will remain open during the closure.

For more information, visit tripcheck.com or call 1-800-977-6368.

Help those in need through United Way

Nearly 15 percent of Oregonians live below the poverty level, According to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Northwest Natural, Oregon Food Bank and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette have launched the “Help with the Basics” campaign, encouraging Portland area residents to give $30 to help those less fortunate afford food, housing and heat this winter.

When you donate $30, $10 will go to Oregon Food Bank, $10 to United Way’s Community Relief Fund to assist with housing and $10 to the NW Natural’s Gas Assistance Program.

In turn, NW Natural is making a $10,000 matching donation from its shareholders’ Corporate Philanthropy Fund.

Donations can be made now through March 30 at unitedway-pdx.org/basics, or by mailing a check to: Help With the Basics,

United Way, 619 S.W. 11th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, 97205.

Hamilton College

Kathleen A. Conners of Gresham has been named to the dean’s list at Hamilton College for the 2012 fall semester.

A senior majoring in classical studies and theater, Conners is a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy. She is the daughter of Susan Jossi and William Conners.

To be named to the dean’s list, she carried a course load of four or more graded credits with a GPA above 3.5.

Air Force Reserve

PAOLA — Lt. Col. Brett R. Paola has assumed command of the 302nd Fighter Squadron in the 477th Fighter Group in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Brett has served in the military for 18 years. He is the son of Maria Paola of Damascus.