Rex Burkholder

Metro's Natural Areas Program has purchased 550 acres in western Multnomah County during the past two years, including a significant addition last month. As this network of wildlife habitat grows, so do the possibilities for restoration and recreation.

Members of the Metro Council and the Metro Exposition and Recreation Commission generally agree that there need to be more hotel rooms near the Metro-owned Oregon Convention Center. But it's unlikely that a massive, publicly financed "headquarters hotel" will be built in the Lloyd District.

To create jobs and save money, several European metropolitan areas are building public-private partnerships that create innovative clean energy solutions the Portland area can learn from, says Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 16, check out the following opportunities to get dirty, have fun and help out.