For a while, it looked as though Citizen Participation Organization 3, serving Garden Home, Raleigh Hills and West Slope, was on the fast track to becoming inactive.
When former chair Jason Yurgel announced his departure from the position in late 2013, the group was left leaderless. Without a chair, CPOs lose their “active” status and give up regular meetings and monthly newsletters to hundreds of local residents.
But a new volunteer has stepped up and, with the help of other
…
For a while, it looked as though Citizen Participation Organization 3, serving Garden Home, Raleigh Hills and West Slope, was on the fast track to becoming inactive.
When former chair Jason Yurgel announced his departure from the position in late 2013, the group was left leaderless. Without a chair, CPOs lose their “active” status and give up regular meetings and monthly newsletters to hundreds of local residents.
But a new volunteer has stepped up and, with the help of other experienced CPO 3 leaders, hopes to keep the group going.
Joy Patterson, 63, has lived in the Garden Home for 22 years. The retired administrative assistant was born and raised in Oregon, and has been active in the Beaverton School District as a parent volunteer while raising her own children.
“I’ve never found anywhere else I wanted to live,” she said.
When she read that CPO 3 was in danger of disbanding, she decided to volunteer.
“I thought it was the least I could do, mainly because I didn’t want to live in an unrepresented community,” Patterson said. “I really feel good about this.”
Patterson said she has a lot of support from fellow CPO members who have served in leadership roles in the past, and who will likely continue serving alongside her as officers for the group.
If you go
What: CPO 3 meeting, election of officers
When: 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 20
Where: Garden Home Recreation Center, 7475 SW Oleson Road
A full slate of officers will be elected at CPO 3’s next meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at the Garden Home Recreation Center. The officers were nominated at a previous meeting, but nominations remain open and others are invited to attend the meeting and volunteer if they are interested.
Patterson has been nominated as chair, Ken Cone as vice chair, BJ Cone as secretary, Stan Houseman as Washington County Committee for Citizen Involvementrepresentative, Ben Marcotte as alternate WCCCI representative, and Ruth Robinson as member at large.
Patterson said that, if elected chair, she aims to tap into local resources and select guest speakers and topics that will bring people in for meetings.
Her concerns for the area include tracking dangerous intersections and promoting environmental protection.
“But I don’t really have an agenda,” Patterson said, adding that she mainly wants to learn what her fellow CPO 3 residents are worried about.
“There’s stuff going on all the time,” she said. “I look at this as being a facilitator of information about what has come up, what will come up and do we want it to come up? We will be dedicated about staying on top of what’s going on in our area.”
–Kari Bray