Wood Village Garden grows
The Wood Village Community Garden located next to City Hall is open for planting.
Garden plots are 10 by 10 feet and can be rented for $20 for the entire season until October. Application packets are available at Wood Village City Hall or on the city's website.
The 25 plot garden has all the materials one needs to start growing a garden from quality soil to plentiful water. All you need to bring is a shovel and plants or seeds.
Contact Greg Dirks at GregD@ci.Wood-Village.or.us or 503-489-6854 for more information.
Plaza dedication in memory of Gussie McRobert
In honor of National Trails Day, the city of Gresham is dedicating a plaza in memory of former Mayor Gussie McRobert, who championed parks and green spaces during her 10 years as the city's leader.
The public event is at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1, at the new Gussie McRobert Plaza, where the Springwater Trail connects with Main City Park.
McRobert served from 1989 to 1998 and was a vocal proponent of trails, parks and open spaces. The new plaza named in her memory is a new gateway leading Springwater Trail users through Main City Park and into Gresham. An interpretive panel explaining McRobert's role in parks and open space preservation will be unveiled during the dedication.
Be sure to bring your tennis shoes: Following the dedication, the East County Windwalkers will host a 5K and 10K Volkswalk. The walks are free, open to anyone of any age and will start shortly after the 10 a.m. dedication at Main City Park.
Golf tournament held for triple amputee
Registration is open for the second annual Cpl. Jon Schumacher Golf Tournament at Mt. View Golf Course in Boring on July 13.
Schumacher grew up in Gresham, graduated from Centennial High School in 2002 and became a triple amputee in October 2011 during his second deployment to Afghanistan. He was profiled in a two-part series in The Outlook last summer.
The tournament is a fundraiser for Schumacher and his family's ongoing needs. He, his wife and their two sons, ages 1 and 6, live in Southern California.
Those who don't golf also are encouraged to attend the tournament's dinner.
Dinner costs $25, golf with dinner is $125, and sponsoring a hole costs $150. To register, go to www.SchumacherGolf.com.
Earth Day a success in Gresham
About 1,060 cars dropped off hard-to-recycle items during the city of Greshams 12th annual Gresham Earth Day Recycling Collection event Saturday, April 20.
The event was organized by the Recycling & Solid Waste Division and garnered 110 volunteers from various schools and organizations.
"Im always impressed with how many people stop by to bring us their materials and make a difference, Tristan Whitehead, business recycling coordinator for the city, said in a press release. "We also want to make sure folks know they can make a big impact year round by reducing waste, such as bringing durable bags for shopping.
The citys Earth Day Recycling Collection Event is held annually in April. Metros Recycling Information Line, 503-234-3000, offers year-round assistance with how and where to recycle non-curbside collected items. For more information, visit GreshamOregon.gov/Recycling.
Help Free the Girls
Soroptimist International of Gresham is launching a new service project to help women who have experienced human trafficking.
Through June 15, Soroptimists are collecting new or (gently used) bras and forwarding them to Free the Girls, an organization with a mission to help provide an income for women who have been rescued from human trafficking in third world countries.
Rescued women are able to sell the bras to provide for their families. The bras are considered a luxury item in these countries, allowing women to upgrade their economic status.
To host a donation bin or find where the nearest bin location is, visit sigresham.org. or call Elizabeth Delplato at 503-667-9491. To learn more, visit freethegirls.org.
Learn about disability benefits
Geri Horning, a benefits consultant and owner of All Oregon Disability Entitlement Services, will speak to the Gresham Area Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue Support Group from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Gresham Wellness Center, 333 S.E. 223rd, Suite 206.
Horning will give a short overview of Social Security benefits, then focus in on issues specific to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
The event is free. For more information, call 503-661-1302 or 503-522-7303.
Tour highlights gorge gardeners
The public is invited to experience the beauty of nearly a dozen gardens in the Columbia River Gorge during the fourth annual Eastside Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19.
Sun Drops is a self-guided tour, directing participants to scenic points along the Historic Columbia River Highway, and includes a peek into the private gardens of residences from Gresham to Cascade Locks. The event is a fundraiser for the West Columbia Gorge Consortium, which conducts programs to promote the art, culture and heritage in communities in and near the West Columbia Gorge.
Tickets for the tour are $20 per adult. There is no charge for children.
For ticket and tour map pick-up locations, or to buy tickets online, visit EastsideGardenTour.com.
Benefit Luncheon
Trinity Lutheran Church will host a spaghetti lunch from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18 at the church, 507 W. Powell Blvd., Gresham.
The event is a fundraiser for the Jensen family, whose son, Grant, lost his left leg in 2012 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma. In January, the family learned Grants disease has metastasized despite his chemotherapy treatments.
Grants mother, Erin, is a dental assistant at the Gresham office of the Multnomah County Health Department.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children. The event will include live music, a raffle and face painting.
For more information, call 503-988-4910.
Hospital seeking volunteers for cancer research study
Adventist Medical Center invites local residents to participate in a new long-term study that has the potential of changing the face of cancer for future generations.
The American Cancer Societys Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) needs men and women, ages 30 to 65, who have never been diagnosed with cancer. Volunteers will be asked to complete a comprehensive survey about their lifestyle and health, as well as provide a small blood sample during an event Wednesday and Thursday, June 12-13, at the hospital, 10123 S.E. Market St., Portland. Upon acceptance into the study, participants will receive follow-up surveys they can complete at home over the next 20-30 years.
Interested men and women can enroll in the CPS-3 online at cancer.org/cps3 or by calling 1-888-604-5888.
For more information, visit adventisthealthnw.com.