April 28, 2016

This Saturday, join the Bureau of Environmental Services Tree Program, Portland Parks & Recreation, and many other community partners to celebrate Portland’s 2016 Arbor Day.

Arbor Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1872, and is now recognized worldwide as a day to honor trees everywhere. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Share your Tree Story!”

Enjoy free music, storytelling, historic tree tours, arts and crafts, and much more. If you would like to submit a tree story, email TreeStory@portlandoregon.gov.

For more information, visit Portland’s Parks and Recreation website. We hope to see you there!

2016 Arbor Day Celebration

Saturday, April 30^th, 8:30am – 2:00pm

Portland’s Farmers Market at the PSU South Park Blocks

(near SW Park Ave. and Montgomery St.)

New demographic statistics muddle Comp Plan update
Jim Redden in the Portland Tribune

Portland rolling in bucks as City piles up $25.6 million more than expected
Jim Redden in the Portland Tribune 

Big financial windfall for Charlie Hales’ final budget
Brad Schmidt in The Oregonian

City, county, and PSU partner on toxic air research
Jim Redden in the Portland Tribune

May 2, 2016

May 1^st marks the beginning of STEM Week Oregon!

STEM Week Oregon is a two-week state-wide celebration that engages young people in activities involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

According to the U.S Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in math and interested in a STEM career.

Our very own Betsy Quitugua has been a huge STEM fan since childhood, and is currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.

This week she will join students across the state indulging in many fun STEM related activities.

Interested in participating in a STEM related activities? Check out STEM Oregon’s Toolkit of resources for Educators and Community Partners.

For more information, visit the STEM Oregon website.

May 3, 2016

May 1^st kicks off National Small Business Week! And, join Venture Portland as they celebrate neighborhood businesses for the entire month of May!

Venture Portland encourages Portlanders to spend the month of May honoring our local small businesses. With the warm, sunny weather we’ve been having, it’s the perfect time to get out and shop local.

Portland’s small businesses create and help drive the economy and contribute to the city’s quality of life. Here are some facts about our small businesses:

• More than half of Americans own or work for a small business.
• Small businesses create 2 out of every 3 U.S jobs.
• 98 percent of Portland’s 19,200 businesses have 5 or fewer employees, but provide more than 267,000 jobs in total.
• 70 percent of every dollar spent stays in the local economy.

To learn more about Portland’s small businesses, check out Venture Portland’s website.

May 5, 2016 

Older adults are an important part of the Portland community – and this month, we celebrate them!

Yesterday, Council presented a City proclamation honoring May as Older Americans Month in Portland.

Created by President John F. Kennedy, Older Americans Month became a nationwide celebration in 1963. This year’s theme is Blaze a Trail. It emphasizes ways older adults are reinventing themselves through new work and passions, engaging their communities, and blazing a trail of positive impact on the lives of people of all ages.

Nick is proud to serve as Council liaison to Elders in Action, a local nonprofit dedicated to creating a vibrant community of elders who are active in civic engagement.

Learn more about upcoming opportunities for older adults on the Elders in Action website.