October 24,2001_________________________ ^ o r t la n h ® b » e r u e r ____________________________________ Page B7 Class Helps Seniors Tackle Tech T he non-profit education or­ ganization O A SIS has new pro­ gram to help m ature adults use technology and the Internet to enrich their lives. “O A SIS C onnections” is apro- gram m aking Internet access and training available to seniors at the M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty L ib ra ry - N orth Portland Branch, the Police A ctivities L eague in dow ntow n B eaverton and the Legacy H ealth System in northw est Portland. A classed called Introduction to C om puters gives an overview o f the com puter, basic use o f the W indow s operating system , b a­ sic keyboarding and m ouse skills, term inology, and basic w ord p ro ­ cessing. Introduction to the In tern et concentrates on how to use the Internet and e-mail to connect with fam ily friends heath inform ation and oth er resources on-line. A new course in 2002 w ill in­ clude Internet Im m ersion, explor­ ing the m ore advanced features o f the Internet, such as chat room s an d m essage boards. T he curriculum for each course is d esigned for m ature adults to ensure ease o f use and focus on topics o f interest to this audience. For m ore inform ation, call 503- 241-3059. Tentative contract agreem ent reached with city w orkers (A P ) — A tentative contract a g re em e n t w as rea ch ed early M onday betw een the city and about 1,800 union em ployees who w alked o f f the jo b for about 45 m inutes in the early m orning. “ I d on’t know ifw e ’re vying for the G uinness Book o f R ecords’ shortest strike in history,” said Y v o n n e M a rtin e z , a sp o k e s ­ w om an for the D istrict Council o f T rade U nions. D etails o f the agreem ent are still in flux, she said. Both sides, how ever, agreed to create a jo in t com m ittee to review health care changes, a m ain sticking point in the negotiations. W orksite m eetings w ould be held in com ing days and results o f a ratification vote would be known in about three w eeks, M artinez said N egotiations broke dow n Fri­ day after 13 hours o f debate about a new health care plan. Y vonne Deckard, P ortland’s director o f hum an services, said she asked for a “ tim eout” to avoid w orking on delicate contract language late at night. Deckard said she offered to resum e talks Saturday, but the union declined. “W e w ant to get a deal that w e think is fair to our em ployees,” she said. “ But we also w ant a deal that is not on the backs o f the taxpayers.” A strike likely would have taken parking-m eter attendants o f f the streets and affected the c ity ’s ability to clean backed-up sew ers or pick up leaves. The threat o f a strike led P ort­ land police to issue an order to lim it arrests and bookings o f non­ violent suspects at the county jail, in case fingerprint technicians w alked o ff theirjobs. Local police precincts also w ould have shut dow n, but patrol officers and 911 operators w ould have continued to w ork. F acing increased h ealthcare costs and a shrinking general fund bu d g et, the city w an ted trade union w orkers to begin paying a portion o f their health care prem i­ um s. T he costs w ould be up to $600 a year for fam ily coverage. T he city also w anted a 25 per­ cent cut in costs for its m ost popu­ lar health plan, on top o f an 8 percent cut im plem ented July 1. T hat could m ean w orkers w ould face deductibles for the first tim e, perhaps $250 a year, and m any w ould pay 20 p ercent o f m edical costs instead o f 10 percent. A fte r d ecad es o f to p -n o tch b en e fits, th e c h a n g es are too m uch to take, u nion leaders said. “ W hen I cam e to w ork for the city, they prom ised m e th ey ’d take care o f m e, and now th e y ’ve dropped that b all,” said city em ­ ployee John W ilson. Gresham Police Chief Seeks Sheriff G resham Police C h ief Bernie G iusto has entered the race for election as M ultnom ah County Sheriff. G iusto m ade the announce­ m ent last w eek in a new s confer­ ence listing key public safety is­ sues facing the s h e rif f s office and other police agencies in the Portland area over the next five years. He outlined a leadership initia­ tive to engage citizens in setting p o licy direction and priorities w ithin the M ultnom ah County C orrections System . H e also pro­ posed a set o f new priorities for the law enforcem ent operations for the s h e rif f s office. G iusto has led the G resham Police D epartm ent since A ugust Bernie Giusto 1996. Prior experience included a 22-year career w ith the O regon State Police w here he attained the rank o f lieutenant, serving in such roles as Special O perations, Se­ n ior Policy A dvisor to the S uper­ intendent o f State Police and P u­ bic Inform ation Officer. G iusto has a strong civic in­ volvem ent record. H e served three separate term s (1989-1995) as a m em ber o f the Gresham City Coun­ cil tw ice being elected Council President. H e is a past m em ber o f the M etropolitan H um an R ela­ tions (R ights) C om m ission and a charter m em ber o f the M ultnom ah C ounty C om m ission on C hildren and Families. G ov. John K itzhaber has tw ice appointed G iusto to the T ri-M et B oard o f D irectors. H e currently serves as the D irector for Tri- M et’s D istrict #6. Food Stam p Users Increase as Oregon Econom y Declines (A P ) - T he num ber o f O rego­ nians on food stamps jum ped more than 77,000 in S eptem ber com ­ pared w ith S eptem ber o f last year a n o t h e r s ig n th a t th e s ta te econom y is in rough shape. T h e 32 p e r c e n t in c r e a s e pushed the num ber ofO regon food stam p users to 315,691, roughly 9 percent o f the population. S ta te e c o n o m is t Tom Potiow sky said th e re’s no q u es­ tion the rise is related to O reg o n ’s unem ploym ent rate, now at 6.4 percent. M any o f the recipients likely are minimum-wage workers, w ho are often the first to lose their jo b s in a recession and w ho d o n ’t have savings to tide them over, he said. Jim Neely, state food stam p coordinator, said it w as the big- gest y ear-to-year increase he has seen since 1974, w hen he started working in the assistance program. P eo p le o u t o f w o rk o r w hose h o u rs h av e b een c u t a c co u n t for m uch o f the increase, he said. B ut th e food stam p p ro g ra m has also strea m lin ed th e ap p lica tio n p ro ce ss an d is re a c h in g m o re O re g o n ia n s elig ib le fo r h elp , N ee ly said. Oregon to Become Breeding Site for Condors B iologists are hoping to breed endangered condors at P ortland’s O regon Zoo. The zoo will be the fourth breed­ ing site for the C alifornia condor, a bird w ith a 9 -foot w ingspan that once lived in the Pacific N orth­ w est but nearly vanished from the Earth 20 years ago. Federal biologists considered proposals from zoos in San Fran­ cisco and O klahom a but chose the Oregon Zoo because o f its dedica­ tion to w ildlife conservation. “ W hat the O regon Z oo did right is they really found out the details first," said Bruce Palm er, condor recovery coordinator for theU .S. Fish and W ildlife Service. “T hey visited the existing condor facilities and asked them selves the hard questions about w hat it w ould take to do it and how com ­ m itted they w ere.” About lOOcaptivecondors live in breeding centers in Los A nge­ les, San D iego and Boise, Idaho. A dding the O regon Zoo to the list will boost the captive population and will produce m ore condor chicks for release into the wild, Palm er said. D epending on how soon the zoo builds structures such as vast flight pens, young condors that have not reached breeding age m ay arrive in Portland next s u m ­ mer. Three or four breeding pairs o f condors would then follow and could produce eggs the follow ing year. Palm er said. B lair C suti, the O regon Z o o ’s conservation program director, said the zoo will house up to 16 condors. Officials immediately will begin raising funds for the co n ­ struction, w hich they expect w ill boost the zo o ’s national role in w ildlife conservation. “ W e m ight be able to build the flight pen for next year for a h alf­ m illion dollars, b ut w e 'd need about $2 m illion to $3 m illion fora com plete facility," he said. C alifornia condors w ere once com m on in O regon. T hey w ere m entioned in the jo u rn als o f the Lew is and C lark expedition 200 years ago. B ut settlers hunted and poisoned them to near extinction. T he O reg o n Z o o ’s success in other anim al-conservation efforts helped it get the co n d o r project. The Multnomah County Health Department is currently recruit­ ing for the following position: PHARMACY TECHNICIAN COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE Application m aterials and for­ mal jo b announcem ents are available at: w w w .C Q .m u ltn o m ah .Q r.u s/ jo b s /, in person or by mailing a self-addressed stam ped en­ velope requesting application form s to: M ultnom ah County Hum an R esources D ivision, 1 1 2 0 SW 5m Avenue, First Floor Lobby, PO Box 14700. Portland OR, 9 7 2 9 3 -0 7 0 0 . A s s is te d access to M ultnom ah County job inform ation and web site is available at Multnomah County Libraries. Multnomah County Health De­ partment is actively recruiting persons from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds to enhance service to our diverse communities. Bilingual/bicul- tural candidates are encour­ aged to apply. An Equal Oppor­ tunity Employer Notice To Contractors WWTP Digester Gas Moisture Removal System, CIP No. 309700 Sealed bids for the WWTP Digester Gas Moisture Removal System, CIP No. 3 0 9 7 0 0 will be received by the Office o f the D irector o f the D epartm ent o f Environm ental Services at Gresham City Hall, 1 3 3 3 N.W. Eastman Parkway, Gresham, Oregon 9 7 0 3 0 , until Friday, November 9, 2 0 0 1 , 9 :0 0 a.m. local time. The bids will be publicly opened at 1 :0 0 pm on November 9, 2 0 0 1 in the Springwater Trail Room, City Hail. The character o f the work is the installation o f a filtration sys­ tem to remove moisture from methane gas produced by anerobic digesters at the C ity's w astew ater treatm ent plant, which is used as fuel for the p la nt's Waukesha CoGeneration Engine. The m ajor q uantities involved are: Centrifugal Blower, Max 5 hp, 9 0 0 sefh Particulate Filter, 5 m icron, 9 0 0 sefh D igester Gas Chiller Piping Concrete Slab, approx. 8 ' x 3 2 ’ Questions concerning this project should be addressed to Clint M oshofsky, Project Manager, (50 3) 618 -2 63 7. Plans and specifications may be reviewed at the o ffice o f the Departm ent of Environmental Services at the Gresham City Hall. Copies may be obtained from the D epartm ent o f Environmen­ tal Services by paying a non-refundable fee o f $ 25 for each set o f plans and specifications requested. If ordered by mail, add a $5 processing and mailing charge. Prior to obtaining plans and specifications, contractors m ust have purchased the current City o f Gresham Public Works Standards 2 0 0 1 , as shown by the records o f the Departm ent o f Environmental Services. This project is fo r a public work and is subject to ORS 2 7 9 .3 4 8 to 2 7 9 .3 8 0 , the Oregon Prevailing Wage Law. CITY OF WEST LINN Job Opportunity Accounting Supervisor $ 3 4 0 2 -$ 4 3 4 1 /m o DOQ. Un­ der the direction o f the Finance Director, plans, organizes and directs the accounting function o f the City o f W est Linn. De­ signs, recommends and imple­ ments new accounting systems and internal control policies and procedures. Coordinates, trains and reviews the work o f the accounting s ta ff. Provides ad­ m inistrative and technical as­ sistance to the Finance Direc­ tor. Requires Bachelor's Degree in accounting; a m inimum of four years experience in audit, g e n e ra l a c c o u n tin g , re p o rt preparation and computerized s y s te m s e x p e rie n c e (IB M AS 400/H T E ); and tw o years experience in supervision. Gov­ ernmental accounting, work pro­ cessing and com puter spread­ sh e e t experience desira b le . S u c c e s s fu l c a n d id a te m u st p a s s p re -e m p lo y m e n t drug screen. Application packets are available at West Linn City Hall, 2 2 5 0 0 Salam o Road, W est Linn, OR 9 7 0 6 8 , or by calling (503) 722-3427 (voice mail) or (5 0 3 ) 6 5 6 -4 5 1 8 TDD. Com­ pleted inform ation m ust be re­ ceived by November 16, 2 00 1, 4 :0 0 p.m. EEO Clark County, Washington Job Opportunities We are seeking qualified candidates to be part o f our dynamic public service organization. SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM SPECIALIST $ 3 ,8 0 2 -$ 5 ,3 7 4 /m o . DOQ SHERIFF'S SUPPORT SPECIALIST II $ 1 1 .4 7 -$ 1 4 .6 5 /h r. DOQ Job inform ation, applications, and benefits inform ation are available from: Clark County Human Re­ sources 1 0 1 3 Franklin St, Vancouver WA Job Hotline: (36 0 ) 3 9 7 -6 0 1 8 TDD: (36 0) 3 9 7 -6 0 3 2 www.co.clark.wa.us EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER All proposals m ust be subm itted on the form s furnished by the City o f Gresham, mailed or delivered to the Departm ent o f En­ vironm ental Services, City o f Gresham, in a sealed envelope plainly marked, “SEALED BID for the WWTP Digester Gas Mois­ ture Removal System, CIP No. 3 0 9 7 0 0 " , bearing the name and address o f the bidder. Each m ust be accompanied by a c e rtifie d check, ca shier's check or bid bond in an am ount not less than ten percent (10%) o f the total bid. BY ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL 1 3 3 3 N.W. Eastman parkway Gresham , Oregon 9 7 0 3 0 Request For Proposals MERC, a com m ission o f Metro Regional Government, Located at 7 77 M artin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Portland, OR 9 7 2 3 2 - 2 7 3 6 , is requesting proposals fo r Special In spection/T hird Party Testing and Inspection Services fo r Steel C onstruction fo r the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) Expansion Project. MERC requests a Testing Agency to provide se rvices neces­ sary to evaluate, Inspect, and provide te stin g fo r steel con­ struction fo r th e Expansion o f the Oregon Convention Center in accordance w ith Specification Section 0 1 4 0 0 prepared by Zim m er Gunsul Frasca Partnership (ZGF), project architect. P roposals w ill be due no la te r th an O ctober 3Q. 2 0 0 1 . 11:00A M in the Oregon Convention Center Expansion Project O ffice a t 8 3 4 NE M artin Luther King Jr., Blvd, Portland, OR 9 7 2 3 2 , located across the stree t from the Convention Cen­ ter. Postm ark dates w ill not be considered. A copy o f the com plete RFP may be obtained by contacting in w riting th e Oregon Convention Center Expansion O ffice via fax (5 0 3 -2 3 8 -0 6 4 7 ) or e-m ail (vickibaker@Qregoncc.QEg). Please provide in w riting the contact name, company name, phone num ber and fax num ber to which to send th e docu­ m ents. Copies will not be mailed. All requests will be answered w ithin one business day o f receipt. It is th e responsibility o f th e requesting party to verify receipt o f the RFP docum ents; please provide in w riting th e contact nam e, company nam e, phone num ber and fax num ber to which to send th e docu­ m ents. Copies will not be m ailed. All request will be answered w ithin one business day o f receipt. It is the responsibility o f th e requesting party to verify receipt o f the RFP docum ents; please contact the OCC Expansion O ffice at 5 03 -2 3 8 -0 6 0 7 if there is any problem or delay in receiving a requested copy. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL W orksystem s inc. (WSI) is issuing an RFP for a design center developm ent plan in N /N E Portland. The RFP is available at h ttp ://w w w .w orksystems.org/CQrttEac- All funding o p p ortu nities are listed at www.worksystem s.o rg . under Contractor Inform ation. If you wish to be notified about fu tu r e fu n d in g o p p o r tu n itie s , p le a s e e m a il: lilianm ick@ worksystem s.org and ask to be added to the pro­ curem ent notification list. All notifications are done by em ail only. If you have additional questions regarding procurem ent, please call 5 03 -2 41 -4 6 00 . fr Come visit us on the web at www.portlandobserver.com yj