http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/index.php Portland and surrounding area community news and information http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643245494380100 As the Oregon legislative session wrapped up this week, a flurry of bills reached the floor for last-minute votes. Notably absent from the action were a pair of bills that would change the state’s regulatory rules regarding liquefied natural gas terminals and pipelines. Both House Bill ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643221945843400 Intel Oregon and the Portland Beavers baseball team paired technology with sports this month to create a community and education-based competition: the Intel/Beavers Engineering Challenge. A team of students from Gaston High School came to Portland June 14 to demonstrate a unique T-shirt launcher ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643180179448500 When Sylvia Barajas-Everson found out that two of the Washington County college students she mentored through high school were chosen to participate in a national Latina leadership conference in Washington, D.C., this week, she was ecstatic. Here were two former first-generation high school ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643158173147300 Working wizards Adelante Mujeres announced a new business development project this week aimed at boosting entrepreneurial development and sustainable business practices. The small-business cooperative, called Adelante Empresas, grew out of the non-profit’s work with The Cleaning Wizards, ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643142869186100 It looks like an unremarkable plastic tub, or a garbage can on steroids. But it’s actually a home composting bin — the “Earth Machine,” to be exact — and it’s a hot commodity at the Forest Grove Farmers Market. Since the market opened May 13, members of a ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643129674036100 An an actor and director, Dan Harry has had to deal with his share of community theater mishaps over the years: missed cues, failing props, ailing actors. But never in the many years he’s been involved with Theatre in the Grove has he seen a show canceled on account of darkness. Until ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643118357529900 Step up to the podium — poets in particular. The Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro will host a monthly open poetry reading beginning Tuesday, July 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Readings will continue on the second Tuesday of the month during the summer. All are welcome to ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643104446764900 Novelist Amy Belding Brown wrote about the difficulty of writing in a recent post on her blog, Sifted Light. “I like to get tasks taken care of, out of the way. I like the freedom of feeling unburdened time lying ahead of me. Except when it comes to writing. When I’ve cleared an ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643083480589900 This Fourth of July, you can end the day in Banks by viewing the only fireworks in western Washington County — but start it earlier at the the Sunset Park Family Festival. Cousin Kenny’s BBQ of pork and beef are featured this year, along with kids entertainment playland and vendors. ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643066365844000 Each year the Forest Grove Rotary Club rounds up a few volunteers to put on the annual Concours d’Elegance car show. OK, they actually have to recruit about 400 volunteers to pull off the all-day event on Pacific University’s Forest Grove campus. This year is no different, so if ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642993838852000 A two-year delay in the development of Pacific University’s Health Professions Campus in Hillsboro is expected to cost the university an additional $4.2 million, pushing the total cost of the project to $34.9 million. The jump in price also led Pacific to request broader authority to issue ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642971637076900 Wal-Mart is in the final phases of negotiations with Cornelius building officials over how much the retailer owes in building permits, the final hurdle in construction of a new supercenter on TV Highway. The fees could total as much as $1.7 million, but the exact amount won’t be known until ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642962771798600 Beginning today, Child Care Resource & Referral in Washington and Columbia counties will combine to become one service delivery area. In addition to a Hillsboro site in Washington County, an office is now open in St. Helens to serve parents and child care providers in Columbia County. The ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642917156776800 Motorcyclists Bruce Wayne Pryor, 40, of Forest Grove, and Jonathan Carney, 20, of Gaston, were injured in separate single-vehicle crashes Monday night. Both men were transported by LifeFlight, assisted by Gaston firefighters ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642843445046100 Portland rockers Point Juncture, WA (who are pictured at left and below but aren’t actually from the fictional town of Point Juncture, Wash.), played a set of noisy indie tunes at SakeOne on Saturday as part of the sakery’s summer concert series. The Minus 5, a “pop ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642825434639200 Last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the parents of a former Forest Grove High School student to seek private tuition reimbursement has put the district at the center of a national debate — and on the hook for a rising legal bill that could hit $725,000. The 6-3 decision in ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642797219246800 or the past month, Forest Grove’s newest greenspace, Thatcher Park, has been home to a steady trickle of playground-loving toddlers and softball-loving grownups. But questions about the recreational amenity still linger around the city’s water coolers. Where are the tennis courts? Can ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124643261564651000 The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a lot of things to a lot of people. The group claims about a million members nationwide, with thousands of lodges. Elks hand out dictionaries to school kids, help out with local scout groups and donate thousands to charity. Between July 5 and 9, ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642934877949400 Burning leftover straw and rubble on agriculture land will be all but illegal come 2010. The Oregon Legislature passed a bill phasing the practice out on Monday, part of a flurry of last-minute measures before the legislature adjourned. Large plumes of smoke from the field fires can cause ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642733355529600 It’s one of the tell-tale sounds of summer: the tinkling of “The Entertainer” blaring from the trebly speaker of an ice cream truck. But in Cornelius, it’s a sound you’re not likely to hear — even in the dog days of August. The culprit is the city’s ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642708024665100 Marv Ott, who led the Banks School District for the last four years, begins a new job today as interim superintendent of the Fern Ridge School District in Eugene. He took three “furlough days” last week and early this week – doing his part to respond to the tough economy – ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124642649315561900 Last Thursday Jack Musser took down the last of the plaques and pictures from the walls of his office in the Forest Grove School District administration building. At least one of the photos will go up inside the home the newly-retired school superintendent shares with his wife, Faye. “That ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124639157349928200 What’s this? Gasoline prices going down? AAA Oregon reported Tuesday that just ahead of the normally busy Fourth of July holiday weekend, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the state dropped about two cents to $2.80. Nationally, the average price dropped about a nickel to ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124582872831278600 Fifteen teenage racing cyclists wheeled through Forest Grove and surrounding locales last week during a six-day camp designed to make the good riders even better. Besides Oregon, their home states included Washington, Idaho, Montana and California. Riders from Corvallis, Eugene, Lake Oswego and ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583864714709100 As of next month Forest Grove residents will be able to legally own a small flock of Pearl White Leghorns, Golden Bantams or Rhode Island Reds – as long as they’re registered. After nearly two years of discussion, the city council Monday adopted a new law allowing up to four chickens ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583822093514000 A major federal grant will open new doors for aspiring math and science teachers at Pacific University by offering their senior year and first two years of teaching school free of charge. The $748,950 grant from the National Science Foundation will fund 35 scholarships beginning next year to ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583785134994900 To help shore up next year’s $52 million general fund budget – which they adopted Monday night – members of the Forest Grove School Board also gave administrators a green light to seek salary and workday concessions from the district’s employee unions. If approved by the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583755826313200 In a week, the Forest Grove School District will close the books on a chapter that has lasted for a decade under the leadership of Jack Musser. Musser, 62, is retiring as superintendent of the 6,000-student district, which educates children and teenagers in Forest Grove and Cornelius. The ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583722848091900 Although they require special care, colorful dahlia perennials can grace Oregon’s gardens from July until frost. Native to central Mexico, the first wild dahlias were mostly single-flower types that grew on well-drained volcanic soils. Today’s come in a great variety of forms, from ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583677052016500 With clear skies and sunny weather just beginning, now is a great time for Oregonians to plan for the warmer months ahead, keeping summer cooling costs at bay and staying comfortable even as temperatures rise. Energy Trust of Oregon offers many resources to homeowners looking to make ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583630223216300 It’s a dozen years old, the proud predecessor of the newer, and larger, Forest Grove Community Garden. Yet Pacific University’s community garden played a vital role in establishing an ongoing spirit of cooperation among area gardeners. Coordinator Ellen Hastay can describe each of ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583588181393100 A current of reflection, interaction and response between human beings and their environment runs through an exhibit next month at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center. Artists Alan Rose, Julia Haack and Dave Edgar’s work will be displayed in the center’s main gallery ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583566578556100 Architect Frank Lloyd Wright advocated using natural, native materials in many of his buildings – so it’s not surprising artist Diane Yolton of Forest Grove uses natural materials in her jewelry. She was a fan of Wright’s when she was growing up in Wisconsin, home of ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583519063033400 Some call it the "LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Fast-Track Bill." But House Bill 3058 is about far more than fossil fuels and environmental issues, despite the fact that environmentalists have taken center stage in opposing it. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters lists HB 3058 as ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583207297357700 A bill that would effectively streamline liquefied natural gas (LNG) development in Oregon has met a roadblock in the state senate: time. As the state legislative session winds down to a June 30 adjournment, lawmakers' attention has shifted to more pressing matters, namely, the budget. House ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124583088609740900 A stolen puppy. A grainy surveillance tape. A quick hand-off at a movie rental store. It was all part of a recent investigation into a theft at a Forest Grove pet shop. On June 11 at 4:37 p.m., police received a call from an employee of the Farm and Garden Store in Forest Grove saying that a ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124582993350305600 The massive bailout of regional and national banks was supposed to unfreeze lending and help the sputtering economy. But most local banks are trimming their total lending, making it harder to pull the Portland area out of recession. A review of first-quarter 2009 state data shows that nine of the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124582826904003700 Two years ago, when Michael Burger took the reins at Merix, his job was clear: right the ship. Burger launched a turnaround effort at the printed circuit board manufacturer in April 2007 that hinged on streamlining operations and chasing after contracts that require the company’s ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124582710640480800 The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Forest Grove School District a stinging defeat Monday when it ruled that the parents of a former special needs student can seek reimbursement for their son’s private education. In a 6-3 decision, the justices interpreted the federal Individuals with ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124582660139872600 The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Forest Grove School District a stinging defeat Monday when it ruled that the parents of a former special needs student can seek reimbursement for their son’s private education. In a 6-3 decision, the justices interpreted the federal Individuals with ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124535786763230200 Hans Running drove over last Friday, as he always does, from Hillsboro. Michael Moore walked over from his downtown Forest Grove office. Jim Sehorn decided to hop on his electric scooter. Bob McNicol was there with Bob Epler, Dave Saucy, George Horner, Sam Junab and Herb Drew. There was the usual ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465436022155100 In a flurry of votes Monday night, Forest Grove City Council settled on language allowing chickens to roost inside city limits. Chicken advocates have been clucking over the city’s building code (which prohibits fowl from coexisting with people in residential zones) since Rose Buchanan, a ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124569420010657600 The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Forest Grove School District a big defeat Monday, saying the parents of a former special education student have the right to seek reimbursement from the district for their son’s private tuition. Justices voted 6-3 in favor of the family, which no longer ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124535812512790600 Get ready to smell the asphalt. Forest Grove’s annual street maintenance program is swinging into gear at the end of this month. But unlike last summer, when construction crews lined TV Highway from Cornelius to downtown Forest Grove, Nick Kelsay, project manager for the city, says the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526737197289700 Megan Daughtry left her hand-me-down Honda Accord in a Pacific University parking lot last week to get onto a bus and join the rest of her graduating class for Forest Grove High’s grad night. She left her cell phone behind, as school regulations dictated, so she had no idea that someone lit ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526659398380700 Last winter, as local credit markets ground to a halt, planned subdivisions sat vacant and contractors sat out the cold. But with the summer solstice just around the corner, Forest Grove builders say the deep freeze on housing starts may be thawing. Construction began on 17 new single-family ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124528678705001300 Here are a few guidelines: Mulching: Organic mulches, such as leaves, hay and grass clippings, keep weeds under control and improve soil as they break down. Apply a layer of organic mulch two to four inches deep to your vegetable garden. Avoid the leaves of black walnut trees or ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124528586099473600 In just over two weeks, an untended portion of the Kennedy Gardens in Beaverton was transformed into a lush garden — the beginnings of a soon-to-be thriving field of vegetables that will help feed the hungry in that community and beyond. As the project unfolded, a Cornelius business owner ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124528374797844700 You’ve got until June 28 to see Theatre in the Grove’s production of “The Foreigner,” but don’t wait that long. This is one of the funniest American plays and the TITG cast has it down perfectly. The play is set in a rustic lodge in Georgia. Charley, a depressed ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526795663710300 The downturn in the economy has touched almost every business section – even garbage. So, why should people care that less waste is being produced during the recession? Well, in Forest Grove, it means that there’s less money for community projects. Here’s why: For each ton of ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526790461894200 A $45,000 grant has made possible the continuation and expansion of the Latino Outreach Program at the Cornelius Public Library. Library director Karen Hill said she was pleasantly surprised at receiving the gift, which was awarded by the Paul G. Allen Foundation. "I was in shock," she ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526784829280900 Adelante Mujeres, a Forest Grove non-profit that helps low-income Latino families gain job skills, has received a $135,000 grant from United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. The funds will benefit Adelante Chicas, a program of Adelante Mujeres that reaches out to girls being raised by parents new ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526779859831900 In an unusual move spurred by the grim economic forecast, local public school teachers appear to have signed off on a plan to cut days from next year’s school calendar and delay scheduled salary increases. Teachers and classified employees in the Banks School District voted June 11 to ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124526769761225700 Forest Grove’s senior center and its most visible program are heading into the final phases of a divorce this month. But the end of the marriage between the center and its Senior Guardianship and Assistance Program, or Senior GAP, isn’t closing an era of cooperation. Senior GAP, ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124508985720826000 Oregon’s unemployment rate hit 12.4 percent in May, a jump from April’s revised 11.8 percent. That’s the highest unemployment rate that the state has recorded since 1976, higher than the 12.1 percent set in November 1982. In May, 240,615 Oregonians were unemployed, more than ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465457965812800 Last Thursday Forest Grove Fire & Rescue put in a day’s worth of work in a couple of hours when a massive storm front lashed Washington County with a dust storm and torrential rain. Firefighters also learned how difficult it can be to wrangle Forest Grove’s new 30-by-60-foot ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124468149744040600 Forest Grove Police are looking for a gold-colored, late-model van following a Thursday morning vehicle arson at Pacific University. The fire was started around 3:23 a.m. in the parking lot of the Pacific Athletic Center on the Pacific University campus. Police said the victim left her car parked ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124459071698036700 A process meant to get politics out of decisions about where the Portland area should grow seems to have been sidetracked by, well, politics. A series of e-mails obtained this week by the News-Times details an invitation-only roundtable of members of the Metro Policy Advisory Council, a gathering ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465602589290900 The day is overcast, just on the cool side – the kind of day that often frequents Forest Grove in the spring. Occasionally, the sun peers through the clouds to supply volunteer workers, helping to cultivate a brand new community garden, with moments of warmth. The drizzling skies over the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465592051395400 For years, the word “green” has been associated with money. Today, the color also signifies environmental awareness. Often, the two connotations go hand in hand: environmental initiatives are notorious for being expensive. Luckily, not all “green” practices come with a ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465583356869800 While a deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Darryl Wrisley was accused of attempting to rape and sexually abuse a woman while on duty. He was also accused of official misconduct. Though an internal investigation by the sheriff’s office concluded that the woman told the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465560720455600 Rose Thompson, 16, is the first official graduate of the Forest Grove Community School, a free, public charter school in the Forest Grove School District. Thompson, who came to FGCS as a junior in 2007 after completing her first two years of high school through an online program, will graduate ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465557385312200 An expert in the art of teaching “academically talented and intellectually gifted” students has evaluated practices at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove and concluded that teachers need additional training to best serve those high achievers. Kathi Robinson, executive ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465548501236400 The Forest Grove School Board will decide June 22 whether next year’s budget, already reduced by $4.2 million in the wake of the state’s economic downturn, passes muster. District leaders continued to meet this week with representatives from the teachers’ and classified ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465517647162600 By Debby de Carlo of the news-times The board members of Theatre in the Grove pick each year’s productions. Dan Harry is on the board, so he got to lobby for an old favorite, “The Foreigner.” “It’s a very popular play and a lot of fun,” said Harry, who is ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465507782821900 Ready for a concert in the park? Forest Grove Music in the Park offers concerts the second Sunday of June, July, August and September at Rogers Park in Forest Grove – and it all started with music jams in Theresa Carter and Keith Cantrell’s back yard. “We’d invite the ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465493989248100 The Cornelius Chamber of Commerce will host the district’s Metro councilor at a luncheon to discuss how businesses can work with Metro, the regional government that determines planning, recycling and waste management policy. Councilor Kathryn Harrington will also talk about how town centers ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465483489187700 When Mike McCabe’s father, Alfred “Mac” McCabe, died two years ago, an amazing thing happened. Mike was at the funeral, and one of his relatives nudged his arm. “I turned around, and there were a bunch of my football players across the parking lot, buttoning the fronts of ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465429753803800 Starting next month, if you’re late in returning Michelle Tullier’s book “Overcoming Procrastination” to the Forest Grove City Library, you’ll pay. Despite concerns raised by a parade of impassioned patrons, the Forest Grove City Council has decided to reinstate late ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465410601944000 An event of charity, civic pride and good, old-fashioned fun, the Second Annual Celebrate Cornelius Com-munity Fundraiser Festival dives into the summer with a new feature: the Cornelius Celebrity Dunk Tank. People who attend the festival, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 20 in the lot ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124465394127832000 A process meant to get politics out of decisions about where the Portland-metropolitan area should grow seems to have been sidetracked by, well, politics. A series of e-mails obtained by the News-Times this week details an invitation-only roundtable of members of the Metro Policy Advisory Council, ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124443211596123000 A single-car crash in Laurel left an 18-year-old Cornelius man and his passenger dead Saturday night. Washington County Sheriff's officials say Grant Knighton, 18, of Cornelius, and Gabriel Darrah, of Aloha, also 18, died when Knighton's car slammed into a tree in the western Washington County ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124424509655061000 An 18-month investigation targeting a major West Coast drug trafficking operation has let to nearly three dozen indictments in Washington and Clackamas counties. Dubbed “Operation Corridor Express,” the investigation took aim at drug dealers and traffickers who operated in the two ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124398174860126700 Oregon’s gasoline prices have jumped to a seven-month high, according to AAA Oregon. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline increased nearly nine cents in the past week to $2.60. The national average jumped 10 cents to $2.50 a gallon. Rising crude oil prices and some ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124409618243479500 The Forest Grove School District’s second “I Have A Dream” class is set to graduate this Saturday. Although the 112 students will also walk at commencement with the Class of 2009 at Forest Grove High School, they’re having their own ceremony as well, said Connie Potter, ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124409614314695700 Members of the community can view the completed 2009 Viking House, an annual project by Forest Grove High School students and staff, this Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Chris Higginbotham, a teacher at FGHS, and more than a dozen of his advanced building construction students worked on ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124409608753478700 A day after retiring as the Banks School District superintendent, Marv Ott will begin a one-year interim as head of a larger district in the Eugene area. Ott leaves Banks June 30 after a four-year tenure and starts his new job July 1. Eligible to receive a Public Employees Retirement System ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124409540623960100 On May 16, Marissa Hedin should have been basking in the glow of a victory that, just the day before, had propelled her team, the Greyhounds of Gaston High School, forward in the 2009 prep softball playoffs. Instead, the 18-year-old senior pitcher and first baseman found herself at Legacy Emanuel ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124409516683822900 Thieves ran off with more than $300 in cash and assorted personal items this weekend after breaking into two downtown Forest Grove businesses. Forest Grove Police said someone broke into Izgara restaurant and Le Soleil Tanning and Salon, both located at 2036 Main St. in the city’s downtown ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124405606143044500 Water bills will increase this summer in Washington County as Clean Water Services and local cities raise rates to fund new construction and the increased cost of doing business. Washington County Commissioners approved the countywide sewer district's budget, which increases sewer rates by 5.5 ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124405369458701500 In a world where the Zap Truck – a tiny three-wheeled electric car – turns more heads than a Hummer, maybe Barb Smith’s 1957 BMW Isetta isn’t so strange. But with its tiny motorcycle engine and funny front-loading hatch, her three-wheeled wonder is still a load of ... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=124405343764124200 Last week’s news that Pacific University is bringing back football was cheered by many alumni who miss the tradition of watching their beloved Boxers engage in weekend gridiron battles. “It was part of the spirit of Pacific,” recalled Pam Ross, who attended Pacific in 1965. Now ...