Check out this from the Gazette Times out of Corvallis:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/10/17/news/top_story/3aaa01_dogstar1017.txt

Kobie, formerly a Guide Dog (dropped from the program due to allergies), has found a home on the large and small screens.  He’s working alongside comic genius French Stewart and perennial powerhouse Morgan Freeman.  

Just out of curiosity, do you think the other dogs sit and stare at him at the dog park, afraid to approach and ask for a paw print autograph or do all the mutts mob him trying to get a lock of his fur?

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A not-quite-one-day-old baby girl and her mom are doing just fine after a bit of a scary delivery.  Apparently, the tot didn’t want to wait until they arrived at the hospital to make her grand debut.  Mom gave birth on I-205 near the Stafford Road interchange.  

Special kudos go to mom’s sister.  That area of 205 is a bit sparse in terms of signage and landmarks.  You’re three miles north of I-5 and a few miles south of West Linn / Lake Oswego / Oregon City so she had to hop out and run (at around 4 in the morning mind you) to find some sign of where the delivery was taking place so she could alert the 9-1-1 operator.

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Five Ridgefield High grads have earned AP scholar awards based on their scores on the Advanced Placement exams.  Cameron Conley, Samuel Padula, Brandon Pickett, Christine Woodward and Emily Marso each earned a three or higher on three or more total exams.  

AP classes are college-level and passing the end-of-year exams earns the student college credit.  Of the 1.6 million kids to take exams last year, only about 18% earned the Scholar Honor.

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From the “Hell Yeah” file special kudos to James Roberts, an employee at Boat Works in Wilsonville.  Apparently a woman was driving through the area when four kids on a train trestle overhead (allegedly) threw a rock at her sunroof, cracking it and causing her to nearly get hit when she veered into traffic after the startling impact.

            The victim, who wasn’t hurt, reached out to Roberts who was working nearby.  Cops say he then ran down ALL FOUR TEENS and held them until the authorities showed up.  Two of the suspected stone throwers are looking at multiple charges.  And James Roberts is officially the “GoodNewsPDX  Stud of the Week.”

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Vancouver Urban Forestry wants to help all of us learn how to properly trim our leafy outdoor friends.  They’re offering a free tree pruning workshop November 1^st at the Marshall Community Center on Mcloughlin.  For info go to www.cityofvancouver.us/urbanforestry

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$31,491.08.  That’s how much CAMEO, an organization formed in memory of Breast Cancer victim, Cathy Mayer, raised this year for the YWCA Clark County SafeChoice Domestic Violence Shelter.  On top of the cash donation they collected a ton of toys for children living at the shelter.  The bulk of fundraising took place at the group’s “Blue Rendezvous” event at the Pearson Air Museum.  That cash donation has been earmarked to pay for a children’s advocacy specialist at the shelter, someone who will help kids heal and avoid repeating the cycle of domestic violence.  If you want to get involved, go to www.encouragingothers.com.

For now, we can only say Kudos to you, Cameo!

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Gresham is getting some new residents  15 trees courtesy of  the Gresham Redevelopment Commission, the City of Gresham, Friends of Trees and AmeriCorps.  The platning takes place on the 25^th as part of Make a Difference Day.  There’s another planting on the calendar for March of 2009 but they want to take the number up to 100 trees.  To donate visit friendsoftrees.org

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They say teens are self centered and lazy these days.  Not the Clackamas High Key Club.  Partnering with the local Rotary and some neighbors, they helped clean up the yard of Julie Corbin, an elderly woman who has spent much of the last five years in and out of the hospital.

Corbin said it best herself . . . “People are so nice.”

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Talk about walking the walk.  Six teachers from Milwaukie High completed the Portland Marathon.  Why?  To model healthy habits and the importance of exercise to their students.

When I was in high school, I thought it was “Above and  Beyond” when my teachers spent an extra half hour explaining derivatives and iambic pentameter. 

Kudos to the Mustang finishers Cassandra Thonstad, Andrew Fiske, Shannon Greene, Barbara Hacke, Barbara Jensen and Greg Kahle.

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When it comes to donating to worthy causes, a complaint I hear quite frequently is: I want to give . . . but I just don’t know if the money will get to the people who need it. Case in point, panhandlers. While many people I’ve spoken with would like to help those in need, they feel odd about giving money to someone on the street for fear that their heartfelt donation will simply go to a bottle of wine or a pack of cigarettes instead of food or a clean place to sleep. As a rememdy, many people these days are offering those asking for a helping hand something tangible like a sandwich or even a gift certificate to a local fast food place (my own personal favorite . . . gives the person in need a chance to make their own choice, but you can be sure your donation ONLY goes for food). Another place this dilemma rears its ugly head is funding out local schools. There seem to be two primary camps on this in the Portland Metro area. One side arguing for more funding for schools citing overcrowded classrooms and underachieving test scores (not to mention crumbling facilities, over-worked teachers and dwindling extra curricular activities). The most common means to achieve that economic boost is via a tax hike (either temporary or permanent). On the opposing side are those who say the funding is there, it is just not being used properly (pointing to spending that is viewed as excessive or unnecessary like PERS). They aren’t interested in throwing MORE money at the problem until the schools learn how to budget more efficiently. However, while the public goes back and forth on what to do, every day children go to their classroom and may not have the tools necessary to adequately participate in their own education. Basic school supplies. Pens, pencils, crayons, calculators. There are teachers who buy these needed items out of their own pocket, but that only feeds fuel to the flames of the aformentioned debate (already undercompensated teachers shelling out their own dollars to do their job). And while community members would love to help, some fear donating money will only wind up being used in a way that they see as innapropriate or unnecessary. Enter School House Supplies (schoolhousesupplies.org) I had a chance to talk with the organizers of this group at their first annual donation drive kick off party and I’ve gotta say, it’s a pretty cool idea. They accept donations of new or gently used school supplies (backpacks, crayons, markers, pencils, everything except computer equipment) .. . $8 Million to date. Then, they disperse it in two ways: 1. Kids in need gets a back pack at the start of the school year. Each one is STUFFED with all the supplies they’ll need for the next nine months (taken straight from the schools own recommended supply list sent out at the start of the year). 2. Teachers are given multiple shopping trips to the supply warehouse where they can stock up on whatever items their room needs over the course of the year. Free of chrage, of course. Sam Leech, a 3rd grade teacher at James John Elementary calls the system invaluable. He says a generation of kids coming through the Portland School System are growing up NOT knowing what it feels like to be different or singled out because they can’t afford colored pencils or notebook paper. They are just like their classmates. And it’s all thanks to School House Supplies. SHS is trying to raise $75,000 in supplies for Portland kids this year. To donate or volunteer, check out the website: www.schoolhousesupplies.org

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