Here at the GNPDX Fitness Desk (which occasionally doubles as the GNPDX Science Desk, the GNPDX Sports Desk, the GNPDX Food and Wine Desk, the GNPDX Editorial Desk and the GNPDX Lunch Table), we love stories of people finding unique ways to get in shape (mainly because it motivates us to drop the doughnuts and sweat a little bit).
And, as a policy, we at GNPDX in general love stories of people pursuing their dreams and, at the same time, helping others.
That’s why we tip our collective Good News Caps to Daniel Iverson.
At one point, Iverson was spending 16 hour days, training clients one-on-one at a corporate chain. It’s work he loved and still misses, but he felt as though he was limited in exactly how big of a difference he could make. Even if he booked every hour of his day, that’s only 16 people. He wanted bigger, better and more helpful.
So, after hearing about the Adventure Boot Camp concept, he decided to give it a shot. Starting with about 10 members, his practice has exploded to over 100 clients training under his watchful eye every day.
He credits the explosive success with the special format. Rather than training by yourself in a gym with weights and treadmills, he takes small groups out into nature where they work with obstacle courses, park benches and their own body weight to get incredible results.
Add to it a friendly, supportive atmosphere from your fellow Boot Campmates and it’s a recipe for pure success.
While business is booming, Iverson does have spots available and can accomodate nearly any age and fitness level. For more info, check out his website, PortlandBootCamp.COM (sorry, having issues with the software this morning and can’t make the hyperlink).

As 2008 drew to a close, Ken Lynch had to make some changes.  Out of work and living in Hoboken, New Jersey, he decided to return to his native Portland, spend some time with his family and contemplate his next career move.

As he drove across the US in a U-Haul, he made two decisions: he wanted to learn to play the guitar and he wanted to learn Spanish.  But it was easier said than done.  Finding a class that fit his needs proved prohibitive.  So seizing the entrepreneurial spirit, he decided to start his own class.

And that is how MindGlo got started.  Now offering dozens of classes in myriad areas, MindGlo is Portland’s new adult learning center.  Instruction is held in informal settings like local coffee houses and Whole Foods markets. 

Lynch says they are steadily expanding their course catalog and new classes start all the time.  For more info check out their website.

For about fifty years, Bob Friedler could hear everything clear as a bell.  Then, things started to fade.  He would have to stare at someone if they were speaking because if they were off to the side, he couldn’t pick up their words.  In public, he’d miss things going on around him.  He even started reading lips.

“Finally, my wife said, you’re DEAF!  You’re going to the audiologist,” says Friedler.

At The Oregon Clinic, doctor’s set Friedler up with a top-of-the-line, digital hearing aid.  Invisible unless you stare directly into his ear canal.  And man is it effective.

“It was a little disconcerting at first.  I was hearing things I hadn’t heard in years and my brain had to get used to it.”

If you’re concerned about your own hearing, or the hearing of a loved one, you’ll want to visit the Oregon Clinic ( 9155 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, Oregon 97225 ) free open house this week.  It’s a 9-5 event through the 28th of August but evening appointments are available by request.  Call 503-935-8100 for more info.

This weekend, you can protect your kids as you do your back to school shopping.  Clackamas Town Center is hosting a safety fair on Saturday which will include Secure Child.

Spear Headed  Johnny Walker with North Star Financial, Secure Child provides a free kit to each parent including:

A photo of your child (which can be age-adjusted once you get a second photo taken)

Hair sample

Finger Prints

Other stats about the child

And it’s all free.

Thousands of families have taken advantage of the free service so stop by the Town Center Saturday.

After 25 years, the Children’s Gym has decided it’s time to celebrate.

The gymnastics academy in the Hollywood District is hosting a giant block party this weekend as a thank you to all the families who have helped the facility succeed.

It started as a few lessons a week given by Traci Vogel which quickly grew into a self-sustaining learning center, currently at max capacity student-wise (700 kids).  Vogel says they’re eyeing bigger and better things in the near future, including a massive expansion to include dance, martial arts and other activities.

For more info on the party which is open to all, go here.

Fundraiser’s will go under the razor in Vancouver this weekend.  It’s a St Baldrick’s event . . .  donors chip in and sponsor volunteers who shave their heads . . . all the money goes to cancer research.

 

This weekend’s event has a bit of a bittersweet twist.  The man who kickstarted the planning is Sam Marks, a high school junior who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  He lost his own battle in July.  The event is going forward in his honor.  For more info, go here.

After that nasty late-spring scare that almost forced Oregon Ballet Theatre to close its doors, the dance organization seems to be bouncing back nicely.  Executive Director Jon Ulsh spoke with GNPDX and says they cut their operating expenses by $2 million dollars to ensure that doors can stay open while maintaining the integrity of their artistic presentation.

Fundraising is on track, ticket sales are strong, even the OBT school is fully enrolled.

But, there are still lots of ways you can help through fundraising and volunteering.  Check them out here for more info.

Hey everybody . . . Sorry for the lagged posts this week.  We’ve been working through some back end issues but (fingers crossed) it’s all fixed.

 

Thanks for reading!

As countless music programs are cut from local schools, one local man is trying to fill the gaps.
As a child, Charles Lewis relied on the consistency of music classes as he moved from school to school with his mother and several siblings.  Now, seeing those classes disappearing, he wants to make sure this generation doesn’t miss out.
So he started Ethos, it’s a non profit music center offering free classes, workshops and instrument rentals for kids in need.  For more info, go here.

You may have heard the bummer news that several Portland schools are struggling to hit the No Child Left Behind mark.  Well, no need to worry . . . the Portland Boys and Girls clubs are doing their part to get kids back up to speed.

A few years ago, they realized that about 1 in 5 kids suffer from dyslexia.  Wanting to help, staff developed a special literacy program to work with those kids.  The results?  Immediate success.  Kids who were 2 or 3 grades behind were caught up or exceeding their classmates.

The technique is multi-sensory.  They say the letters and words out loud, write them with big scripted letters using their entire arm.  And it works.

But it ALSO works for ALL kids.  Yeah, when they tested the system with kids who were struggling but NOT due to dyslexia, they saw the same improvement.

So now the program is going into all the Boys and Girls Clubs in PDX and is open to any families that want the extra help.  For the club near you, go here.