City of Fairview schedules public open house Jan. 5

The Metro Council recently granted conditional approval for Metro and the City of Fairview to move forward with plans to develop an 18-hole disc golf course at Metro’s Blue Lake Regional Park. The course, which developers hope to open in mid-spring 2011, would be the first gold-level disc golf course in the Portland metropolitan area. The proposed course would expand outdoor recreation options and create economic opportunities for East Multnomah County and the city of Fairview. City of Fairview residents and other members of the public are encouraged to weigh in at an open house on Wednesday Jan. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake House in Blue Lake Regional Park located at 21154 NE Blue Lake Rd. in Fairview, OR.

When the Civic Drive MAX station officially opened in Gresham in early December after 13 years of planning, the benefits went beyond connecting the neighborhood to the region, residents to jobs and visitors to the vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Civic Drive neighborhood. For several small and emerging businesses in the region, the benefits translated into jobs.

Stay active and get fit during the winter months by cycling or walking. No gym membership needed, just head out your door. Leaving your car behind to walk and bike for trips is good for the planet, your health and your wallet. People who choose to walk or cycle as their primary mode of travel save their households an average of $694 per month. Here are some tips to help you get moving during the new year:

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Collecting donated food products efficiently is a huge challenge for service organizations. While there is an abundance of food waiting to be donated, the cost of transportation often limits those donations. The burden of collection falls on shelters and kitchens themselves, which have to put their limited financial resources and precious volunteer time into collecting donations. As a result, the amount of food donations that reach the hungry can sometimes be sporadic, unpredictable and inefficient. One day, B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery employee Roberto Casanueva asked if some surplus food from his delivery route could be donated to a downtown shelter. With that, the B-share program was born.

With much of the strategy now adopted into Metro code, agency can start using new approaches to planning. A few pieces await discussion in 2011.

Metro has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to study the best ways to improve transit in the Southwest corridor between downtown Portland and Sherwood. The Alternatives Analysis grant is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s livability initiative. Oregon's congressional delegation has supported Metro's efforts to fund this project.The study will determine what mode of transit - light rail, commuter rail, rapid streetcar or bus rapid transit - would best meet the area's future travel needs. The corridor, identified as near-term priority under Metro’s Regional High Capacity Transit System Plan, shows the greatest ridership potential in the region.

Metro Councilors recently joined students at several schools around the region as part of the Reaching and Empowering All People (REAP) "Future is Now Tour." The tour, which brought students from diverse backgrounds and decision makers together to discuss Metro’s role in the community and brainstorm solutions to the region’s problems, paired Metro Councilors with students in their district.

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With only a week and a half left until the lights go dark for another year, don't miss your chance to visit the Oregon Zoo's annual ZooLights tradition. With the zoo decked out in more than 1.25 million lights and 200 electrified animals covering prowling the grounds, this is an experience you truly won’t want to miss.