The Times

Officials have yet to release cause of death for man found in backyard of Tigard houseless resource centerFive days after a man's body was found at a Tigard resource center for homeless individuals, authorities have yet to release the cause of his death, other than that it's believed to have been a homicide. A look into the suspect's criminal history shows he had convictions for robbery, theft and assaulting a police officer. On Sunday, June 27, the body of William Mayberry, 53, was found at a backyard area of the Tigard Just Compassion, 12280 S.W. Hall Blvd., with Tigard police...

Diana Delgado Gonzalez: 'We must make sure they are not more powerful than the people.'In every life, in every movement, there are moments that define the path forward. For me, one of those life-defining moments as an individual was when I realized that children and I suffered for years with shortness of breath, headaches, and constant problems with our eyes because we couldn't afford to pay the high heating bills that would have kept mold from infecting our home in the winter. That is why I stood up and spoke out to help pass a bill last year that is...

Gentle and quiet, fat and toothless, old and set in their ways - we love our pets anyway.Oregon pet owners agree: pets are best for making you laugh. A survey from Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found that 75% of Oregonians say their pets often make them laugh. Only 2% said their pet never makes them laugh. Roughly two-thirds of Oregonians said their pets often reduce their stress levels or feelings of loneliness. One in three Oregonians have adopted a pet in the past two years, roughly since the start of the pandemic, the survey found. Nearly all Oregonians consider...

The county is looking to spread the word about this resource, which could lose funding if more people don't sign up.With inflation driving prices up across the board, and with grocery prices in particular skyrocketing, Washington County officials want residents with young children to know that there are resources available to support them. Washington County's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (usually referred to simply as WIC) can support 24,000 more people, officials say. The federally funded program gets its money through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the funding can go away if not enough...

On Saturday, July 23, community members are invited to Harleman Park in Cornelius to remember Brown.Members of the public are invited to celebrate the life of Ralph Brown, the former Cornelius mayor, Hillsboro schoolteacher and principal, and Forest Grove school board member, later this month. Brown was 76 when he was reported missing last spring. He suffered from memory problems late in life and drove away from his home in Cornelius on the afternoon of May 16, 2021. One of his children briefly reached him via phone that night. After that, he was not seen or heard from again. Brown's...

Pamela Loxley Drake writes a travelogue of sorts from the airport in her latest column.Last week, I hopped onto a plane. Er, last week I stood in line for a very long time waiting to get cleared by TSA for my flight. The benefit of my ripe old age of 75 is that I can now leave my shoes on when checking through. I guess that it is assumed that I can no longer bend over, or perhaps feet smell worse after 75. Regardless of the reason, I was grateful to leave them on. As I was saying before...

Fans flock to North Plains to see Phil Mickelson and other star golfers perform.Thursday morning in North Plains started in protest. At Veterans Memorial Park, a dozen family members of victims of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks gathered under the big American flag on June 30, taking turns denouncing the Saudi-sponsored LIV Golf tournament under way at the other side of town. The autocratic government of Saudi Arabia has faced widespread condemnation over its role in perpetuating ongoing mass starvation in Yemen, its persecution of women and homosexuals, and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which was allegedly carried...

The most serious violent incident at Cook Park prior to the June 23 stabbing was an alleged assault in 2005.The stabbing of a 15-year-old boy by a fellow 15-year-old boy last week was an anomaly for one of Tigard's most used and loved city parks, city officials say. Tigard police reportedly were called to the park just before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, on a report of an assault with a weapon. Officers found one of the youths had stabbed the other, according to police. The injured youth rushed to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition....

Fire risk, runaway pets and impacted vets are all consequences of fireworks displays. Some are trying to change that.The negative impacts of fireworks are causing some people to rethink the way we celebrate America's birthday. They aren't anti-fireworks, they say. They are for smarter, safer displays that mitigate the impacts to vulnerable people and property. Previous incidents have led officials to urge better behavior from the public. In 2017, a family's Beaverton home was severely damaged by a fire suspected to be caused by illegal aerial fireworks. The Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter in Hillsboro — and other animal...

Nearly 80% of respondents had moderate or great concern about the loss of public forestland.Significant rainfall this spring noticeably greened up the Oregon countryside and appears to have calmed nerves across the state, according to a survey about wildfire danger conducted in June by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center. The survey, conducted from June 2-11, found that 60% of respondents felt wildfire was a threat to their local communities. In May 2021, that number was 68%. The wildfire perception survey interviewed 1,446 Oregon residents 18 or older. The survey sought to gauge how concerned Oregon residents are heading into...

Eleven U.S. stadiums - 10 of them NFL fields - among 16 venues announced on June 16.Seattle's Lumen Field and Vancouver, British Columbia's B.C. Place were among 16 venues chosen as host sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Eleven of the 16 venues are in the United States, two in Canada and three in Mexico. The only other time the World Cup was held in the United States, in 1994, Stanford Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area was the closest venue to Portland. Schedules for the...

Readers of The Times write in to share their stories in this week's edition of letters to the editor.Editor's note: Have a letter to share? Email your thoughts to Editor-in-Chief Mark Miller at mmiller@pamplinmedia.com. Letters should be no more than 400 words. All submissions must include the name and hometown of the author. Submissions should not include profane or defamatory language. We may lightly edit submissions for style and clarity. We encourage writers to suggest their own headline when submitting a letter; otherwise, a headline may be generated based on the contents of the letter.A D V E R T...

From Lake Oswego to Oak Hills, Hillsboro to Tigard, check out fireworks displays, parades and more, from June 30.Exhibits A THOUSAND WORDS — Like the pages of a book, artists Joy Cartier, Mark Dunst, Jane Kearns, Stacey Stoudenmeyer and Eliza Williams explore the messy, imperfect space between thoughts and words in this exhibition through July 22. Mixed-media artwork includes paper and paint. Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, 527 E. Main St. in Hillsboro. MEMBER SHOW — The Village Gallery of Arts features artist Laura Hopper through July 31, with artwork by Rose West also displayed. Hopper thinks of...

The expanded teen programs and gathering space is courtesy of partnerships with Comcast and HGTV.Kids are already using the new Teen Center at the Inukai Family Boys & Girls Club in Hillsboro, which had a grand unveiling ceremony on Tuesday, June 28. The expansion of the only Boys & Girls Club in Washington County came courtesy of a partnership with Comcast and HGTV, which provided big grants to help with the total $200,000 price tag. "This would not have been possible without the work and contributions of Comcast," said club chief executive officer Terry Johnson, noting that the...

Dan Forester, who previously worked at Multnomah County Elections, will now head the Washington County department.Washington County has a new elections manager for the first time in over three decades. Dan Forester, a former employee of the Multnomah County Elections Division, has been tapped to replace Mickie Kawai, who has retired from managing the Washington County Elections Division after 35 years. Forester worked at Multnomah County Elections for eight years, in many different roles, according to a press release from Washington County. He most recently managed a project to improve that elections division calendar and ensure ballot tabulation...

Charles Gallia: Congress should make American Rescue Plan Act subsidies permanent before insurance premiums rise.Through my work as a co-founder of the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership, which ensures children with special health needs receive the care they deserve, I have witnessed the need for greater access to quality, affordable health coverage across Oregon. When this need was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded health insurance subsidies to more Oregonians and Americans than ever through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), helping thousands of families find plans that fit their budgets. Unfortunately, as those same families are paying higher...

The chair, which allows those with mobility issues to navigate sand and snow, is available from the American Legion.Individuals with mobility challenges in Tigard and surrounding areas now have a way to access hard-to-navigate places, such as Oregon's beaches and snow parks. Beginning July 1, such locales will be accessible by checking out an electric all-terrain wheelchair — designed to successfully power through sand, snow and mud — thanks to the collaborative efforts of David's Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems, Tigard American Legion Post 158 and Oregon Parks Forever. Tigard will become the first of 10 locations outside Medford — where...

Bart Brewer: There are many other roadblocks communities face, such as barriers to careWith the state of mental health care in this country being what it is, it's no surprise that we often look at it from the perspective of the majority. Fighting for proper mental health care is already such a battle that often minorities within this realm aren't included in the conversation. With July being National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, now is a perfect time to try and correct for that by addressing how racism and the language used around it can affect mental health. ...

Timothy Rake: 'This Fourth of July, we are still uneasy with the progress we have made towards Jefferson's self-evident truths.'"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Nearly a quarter of a millennium has run its course since those words were enshrined on parchment in the most profound passage of America's founding text. A declaration known to every American school kid. And nearly a half-century has run its course since I found myself...

Emily Jung Miller's exhibit, '1,000 Moons,' will be on display at the Reser until Aug. 13, alongside 'Invisibilia.'The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton unveiled new exhibits on June 22, including one centering on grief and loss from COVID-19. "1,000 Moons" is free to the public at the Reser's gallery, which is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The exhibit, plus another called "Invisibilia," will be available until Aug. 13. Forest Grove-based artist Emily Jung Miller created "1,000 Moons" after her grandparents died from COVID-19 in January and February 2021. Using materials that held her memories...