97070.com

This does include the North Wilsonville area.

Sheriff Gordon invites you to attend the next Washington County Urbanization Forum on June 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Hillsboro Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro. Citizens can get information directly as they listen to more than 30 top county leaders discuss future growth, service delivery and related costs, and annexation. The forum includes County Commissioners, Mayors, City Managers, the County Administrator, your Sheriff, and many others. We will see you there!

Directly from the Washington County Sherif’fs office -

We have all watched the news and seen the dramatic events of Search and Rescue missions for lost or injured people unfold. What most people do not know is that frequently the rescuers are members of the Washington County Sheriff?s Explorer Post. This group of young men and women, age 14 to 20, have a strong desire to serve their community and to join in the experience of finding lost people.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining this elite life saving organization, then contact us today. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2008.

The Clackamas County Victim Assistance Program is seeking volunteers who are open, have the ability to care about others, have good listening skills and no criminal background. 

As a volunteer Victim Advocate, volunteers become an "informed friend" to victims of crime while assisting them through the criminal justice system. This work is accomplished by providing crisis intervention, offering emotional support, providing community referrals and informing victims of their case status and rights. 

Applications are currently being accepted for the spring, 2008 training session. All accepted applicants would receive the necessary training to prepare them for their roll as an advocate. 

Applicant interviews are now being scheduled. Training begins April 15, 2008. For more information or an application, call 503-655-8616 or stop by the Victim Assistance office at 708 Main Street in Oregon City.

Washington County’s Sheriff’s Department invites you to mark your calendar — April 17 is the "Identity Theft, Scams & Fraud - Here & Now" event, SKID presentations begin in the spring, and you can join Citizen Academy #20 this month! Can you help us find some stolen vehicles . . . or maybe you can help us solve the home invasion robbery case in Bethany? Your Sheriff’s Office is more successful at fighting crime than ever because of citizen support, involvement, and awareness! We are proud to have you as our community partners in public safety.  For more information follow the link to the Washington County Sheriff Dept. or call  503-846-6048.

This just in from Washington County~

2008 ushers in Oregon’s first commuter rail, a great new way to get to and from work. Beginning this September, the Westside Express Service, known as WES, will provide service along I-5/217. The 14.7-mile line has stations in Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, and connects to MAX at the BTC. Together the stations have nearly 700 Park & Ride spaces. Each new comfortable train car offers Wi-Fi so you can use a laptop or just sit back and relax with the morning paper.

WES will run every 30 minutes during am and pm rush hours at average speeds of 37 mph, with a top speed of more than 60 mph. A one-way trip between Beaverton and Wilsonville is a reliable 27 minutes. Riding WES will require a TriMet All-Zone fare, cheaper than the price of gas. You can get more information on the TriMet website.

Under the umbrella of Washington county’s Adopt-a-Road program, interested groups can now adopt roadway landscaping.

The first Adopt-a-Landscape permit was issued to Nike. They now maintain the landscaping on the Murray Boulevard medians at Nike’s entrance. A permit from the county is required to work on medians in the roadway. The next Adopt-a-Landscape permit will likely go to the Garden Home Crossing Committee, a group of residents who plan to install and maintain the landscaping along the newly improved Oleson Road. Interest is growing; residents in Cedar Hills and in Cedar Mill may be the next to sign up.

For more information, contact LUT Operations at 503-846-ROAD (503-846-7623).

Clackamas County Commissioners are seeking a citizen knowledgeable in human resources and compensation management to serve on the County’s Compensation Board for Elected Officials. There is currently one vacancy available on this three-member board to serve for three years.

Duties of the Compensation Board for Elected Officials include yearly review of Clackamas County elected officials’ salaries, and submission of a recommended compensation schedule to the County’s Budget Committee.  Reviewed salaries include those of County Sheriff, Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk, Commissioners and District Attorney.

In order to have balance and diversity of membership in the areas of geography, gender, interest and experience, Commissioners recruit for volunteers from all backgrounds and areas of the County.

Interested individuals need to complete an application form.  Applications may be completed and submitted online via the County’s Web site, http://web3.co.clackamas.or.us/citizenin/app.asp, or contact Clackamas County Citizen Involvement, 503-655-8552, or at 2051 Kaen Road, Oregon City.

The application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, February 27.

For more information contact Heather Pedersen at 503-742-5484.

This article came to us from Dennis Griffiths, Program Coordinator with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.  I thought it was worth passing along. For more articles like this, visit the Washington County Sheriff’s website.

I recently received an email that appeared to come from Chase Card Services regarding an annual report and summary of my credit card account. The trademark symbol was that of Chase and every aspect appeared legitimate. However, it was not from Chase!!

Legitimate credit card companies, banks, credit unions and other financial institutions do not send e-mails requesting personal information. Never provide card or account number verification, your date of birth, address, or phone number or anything else to these scam artists!

The most important rules are DO NOT RESPOND to these e-mails and DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS. While clicking on the link normally appears to just open the form requesting personal information, behind the scenes it can also be transmitting information back to the sender confirming your e-mail address. For more information, visit www.onguardonline.gov/phishing.html. This is a government site with a great deal of information and really clear explanations of phishing scams!

WES, the new commuter rail line from Wilsonville to Beaverton, is scheduled to begin service in fall 2008. To help spread the word, TriMet is kicking off employer outreach activities on January 31 at the Westside Economic Alliance’s "State of the County" address by Washington County Commission Chair Tom Brian. Also, starting in early February, employers within one-half mile of any of the five stations in Wilsonville, Tualatin, Tigard and Beaverton will be sent a direct mail piece which will include details of the new service plus information on scheduling an employee transportation fair or receiving additional WES materials.

WES will operate during peak commute hours in the morning and afternoon so it will be ideal for employees who work near one of the five stations. Travel time on WES from Wilsonville to Beaverton Transit Center will be only 27 minutes, providing a great connection via MAX to either Hillsboro or downtown Portland. Bus routes and some shuttle services will also be available at each of the five WES stations.

TriMet will be working hard over the next eight months to connect with employers along the WES alignment to demonstrate how the new service will provide a connection to their employment site and the larger TriMet system. If you are interested in learning more about the WES or scheduling an employee transportation fair over your lunch hour, visit trimet.org/commuterrail or call TriMet at 503-962-7670.

Applications are being accepted by the Clackamas County Commission for volunteers interested in serving on the county’s Historic Review Board.

The board meets monthly to review projects and proposals including applications for alterations, demolition, conditional uses and zoning of potential historic properties/landmarks. 

If you are interested, you need to act by Friday, February 8.  Applications may be completed and submitted in person at the Public Services Building  on the fourth floor of 2051 Kaen Road in Oregon City, or online at the county’s website.