Adopt or Foster a Pet from Animal Services

Multco FY 2012 Budget Process: What is Most Important to You?

23,000 new E-books Available from the Library

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As a parent to three young children, I work hard to make sure my kids are given ample access to healthy foods and opportunities to be active. But the reality is that kids spend a large part of their days at school.

Since my oldest son Alexander started school five years ago, I've been impressed with the positive changes in the quality of food served in school meals. But as we have made improvements in the nutrition and taste of our school meals, we still have to improve the other foods that are found on our campuses, from snack bars and vending machines, classroom snacks, and food sold by our students to raise money for school events. At the same time, we need to ensure that our kids are getting enough exercise during the day, including time for recess and PE to get their bodies moving. Both of these - healthy food and physical activity - are key to battling childhood obesity.

Multnomah County is working with Gresham-Barlow, Parkrose, Riverdale, Portland, David Douglas, Reynolds, and Centennial School Districts as part of our Healthy Active School Plan to develop and implement policies that will have a lasting impact on healthy eating and physical activity in our schools.

Each of these school districts has committed to work on at least four out of these six priorities, with many districts committing to more than four:

· Develop wellness policies that restrict the availability of candy and sugar sweetened beverages and set nutrition standards for food served in schools outside of school meals. · Set minimum standards for minutes of PE per week.
· Work to expand farm to school partnerships.
· Promote the availability of clean drinking water.
· Improve the appeal of healthy school food.
· Conduct a Health Impact Assessment in decision making related to closing or building schools, with a focus on potential impacts on healthy food access and safe places for physical activity.

I'm interested in hearing from kids, parents, teachers, administrators and others on what your school is doing or could do to improve the health and well being of students. Send me an email at district1@multco.us. Learn more about the grant that is funding these activities at http://www.multco-itstartshere.org/.

Thanks for your feedback!

Sincerely,
Deborah Kafoury
 

Adopt or Foster a Pet from Animal Services

You may have seen advertisements published in the Oregonian and Willamette Week by Gimme Shelter Portland, an organization interested in improving Multnomah County Animal Services.

Portland is proud to be a pet friendly town and the health and welfare of animals is an issue that is very personal for a lot of our community members. One important way you can help is to license your pet. You can now license your pet or renew your pet license online at http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/pets/license.shtml.

There are a couple of additional ways you can help care for dogs, cats, and other pets currently housed at the County's animal shelter. Visit the Animal Services website to find out how you can adopt a dog or a cat from the shelter. The adoption application is available online, as well as pictures of dogs and cats looking for a place to call home.

Some animals brought to the shelter are not quite ready for adoption, Multnomah County Animal Services relies on foster care volunteers to provide love and care to these animals. Foster volunteers open their homes to kittens needing time to grow, cats and dogs that need a little extra attention, or animals recovering from an illness or injury. For more information or to get involved with the Foster Care program, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 503-988-7387 x25255.

Shelter Hours:
11:00AM-6:00PM Tuesday,Thursday,and Friday,
12:00PM-6:00PM Wednesday,
11:00AM-4:30PM Saturday & Sunday

Contact:
503-988-7387 (phone)
Shelter Location:
1700 W Columbia River Hwy.
Troutdale, OR 97060
 

Census 2010 Data Available for Oregon and Multnomah County

Last year, I co-chaired the Multnomah County Complete Count Committee to ensure that all residents were counted in the 2010 Census. Now, the data is starting to arrive.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics for Oregon. These data provide the first look at population counts for small areas and race, Hispanic origin, voting age and housing unit data released from the 2010 Census.

State officials will use this data to realign congressional and state legislative districts, taking into account population shifts since the 2000 Census. (The official 2010 Census Redistricting Data Summary File can be used to redraw federal, state and local legislative districts under Public Law 94-171.)

Multnomah County Auditor Steve March presented preliminary information to the Board on April 5th and will coordinate the redistricting process for Multnomah County Commissioner Districts. The Public Forum on Redistricting of County Commission Districts will be held Tuesday, May 3, 2011, 5:45 -7:00 pm, in the Multnomah County Board Room (501 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR 97214).

Links and information:
Data Homepage
Search American Fact Finder for Local Data
Brief: Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010
Brief: An Overview: Race and Hispanic Origin and the 2010 Census
 

Multco FY 2012 Budget Process: What is Most Important to You?

Over one-fourth of Multnomah County's budget comes from the state and federal government. These funds help us to provide public safety, mental health care, services to aging and disabled residents, health clinics, homeless and domestic violence shelters and more. With significant reductions in state funding on the horizon, we will have to make tough decisions about what programs we can continue to provide. I would appreciate your input on the programs that are important to you.

Current information, including program offers and a road map of the FY 2012 budget process, is available on the budget office website. You can find an updated listing of hearings and opportunities for public comment by visiting the Office of Citizen Involvement and the Office of the Board Clerk's websites.

You can also let us know which programs and services are the most important to you by taking this survey. Survey results will be analyzed and delivered to County leadership to help inform our decisions as we work to adopt the budget by mid-June.

Upcoming Budget Hearings:
Monday, May 16 - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Multnomah Building, First Floor Boardroom, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Wednesday, May 25 - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Multnomah County East Building, Sharron Kelley Rooms, 600 NE 8th Street, Gresham
Tuesday, May 31 - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
(IRCO), Gymnasium, 10301 NE Glisan, Portland

Citizen Involvement:
Video of FY 2012 Budget Forum
Volunteer Opportunities
Join the Citizen Involvement Committee, Citizen Budget Advisory Committee, or apply for a position on other County Boards and Commissions
 

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 30th

Each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. In an effort to address this problem, The Drug Enforcement Administration, partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, conducted the first ever National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010. The purpose of this National Take Back Day was to provide a venue for persons who wanted to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.

The second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Click here to find a collection site near you.
 

23,000 new E-books Available from the Library

A new streaming e-book collection brings library patrons a vast range of adult nonfiction - everything from cookbooks to career development - that can be read online. There's nothing to check out or download, and no expiration date. You can access the 23,000 new e-book titles, using your library card and associated password, from any computer.

Click on the following link to go directly to the library homepage. For more information, you can also read a recent news article posted on the KATU website.