It's going to be an interesting and busy summer, combining campaigning, preparing for office, and continuing to provide practical help in neighborhoods all over the city. Oh, and making space for a little re-connecting with my family, too.

A sampling of the 19 campaign-related activities I attended over the past week:

Friday evening, I participated in a tribute/farewell for Wilkes Community Group leader Ross Monn, who is moving to Spokane. The room was packed with well-wishers, including Mayor-elect Sam Adams, US Senate nominee Jeff Merkley, Metro Councilor Rod Parks, Commissioner-elect Nick Fish, many Neighborhood Association leaders, and staff from several City bureaus, Metro, and the Port of Portland. It's good to know that the work of volunteers is recognized and valued in Portland. Everyone at the event had learned and achieved results from knowing Ross, and we all wish him well in his new neighborhood. It was satisfying for me to feel special connections to the elected politicians, the staff, and the community leaders assembled at the East Portland Neighborhood Office. Like Ross, I've worked hard to develop positive relationships with people in all three stakeholder groups, over many years.

On Saturday, I spent time at:

* HOST (Home Ownership a Street at at Time) Development's Helensview project in the Cully neighborhood. This 52-home project, selling family houses with several bedrooms at under $200,000, is building homes that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The homes are energy-efficient both in site and structure design and materials, and ongoing energy costs. This development offers buyers tax-abatements to reduce property taxes for the first ten years - demonstrating that the City's subsidy programs help regular families with lower incomes, and they are not limited to Urban Renewal Areas. I reviewed the "Homebuyer Opportunities Areas" maps and policies while serving on the Planning Commission. It's a good program, that helps improve neighborhoods and support first-time homebuyers.

* Portland Parks & Recreation's Mt. Tabor Yard Open House, outlining the community task force's work so far in planning upgrades for maintenance and horticultural facilities at this site. The process will add the Yard to the Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan. I am impressed with the improved working relationships between bureau staff and management, neighbors, at-large parks advocates, and Laborers Local 483, the main City union involved. I'm also glad the current version of the City Budget includes full funding to complete the planning process - something I mentioned as an important need in my answer on the City Budget in the City Club forum in May.

* Jobs with Justice's Immigration Forum and Training, held at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 501's hall on SE Foster Road. I learned lots of good information there, but perhaps the best was when it was announced the Hilton hotel workers have a tentative agreement on their contract. It was fun to celebrate that victory with hardworking people, many of whom helped on my campaign, too.

* The Portland Pride mixer at the Q Center on SE Taylor near OMSI. A highlight of the event was the announcement of this year's Spirit of Pride award to Laura Calvo... who is also a supporter of Amanda for Portland 2008. Many, many good things and good people are coming together this year. I was happy to hear that Pride organizers are taking particular care to be fair to both candidates in the Sest # 1 race. To determine order of appearance in their Parade, they shuffled the two entry forms and inserted them into the stack of participant papers blindly. I like knowing the process was managed so neither candidate was favored. The Pride Parade is coming up on June 15 - call the office, 503-235-2295, to join me marching!

* The Starlight parade. I arrived by the China Gate too late to squeeze through the crowds to the front, but I enjoyed watching some of my friends from Old Town, including supporter Carl Roberts, delighting in the show. Most entries received a smattering of applause; the one that was greeted with everyone clapping enthusiastically was the "Boatload of Survivors" - a boat-on-a-float carrying pink-hatted breast cancer survivors. I am looking forward to leading improved awareness on health care issues on the Portland City Council, and better collaboration between the City, Multnomah County, the state, and health care providers in the community and institutions.

I watched the Starlight Parade at 3rd and Burnside... after finding parking at 14th and Overton. Walking back to my car through the Pearl on the warm Spring evening was reminscent of being in London. The good parts of London -- I found the experience delightful. I'm glad to know there are over 1,000 affordable new homes in the Pearl, and that it's developed into such an exciting, attractive neighborhood.

Yesterday, my youngest child graduated from Wilson High School. Ali and I shopped and ate lunch in the Lloyd Center, then she sang the National Anthem at the ceremony at Memorial Coliseum. She earned Performing Arts Honors, National Honor Society, and the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM), as well as being voted Female Singer of the Year by her peers. And yes, I am proud of her -- perhaps especially since support services from Mom during her senior year were sometimes less than adequate, due to my campaign. It will be strange to be talking in the runoff to November, saying "I was a Portland Public Schools parent" rather than "I am a Portland Public Schools parent". Being an active parent volunteer in Portland's public schools has helped me grow into a community leader ready to help City Hall understand and support the school districts better. And after Ali turns 18 in June (one more vote - yay!), then when she and her two brothers are all in college in September, I will be able to focus even more time on City of Portland issues. I'm looking forward to that... as well as enjoying the here-and-now, this week and over the summer.