Transition Projects, Inc. (TPI) opened a winter shelter this week, one that offers something other don't - the opportunity for couples to spend the night together rather than being separated by gender. The shelter, at NE 3rd and Burnside, is one of only two in Portland that allows couples to sleep together, writes Anne Saker in this morning's Oregonian.

At a press conference this morning, Nick joined Commissioner Deborah Kafoury and County Chair Ted Wheeler to announce the comprehensive set of winter services the City and County will provide this winter.

TPI and Human Solutions will offer winter warming shelters to families and individuals each night through March. Two day shelters will offer options for homeless families - one in SE and one in SW. A warming shelter for homeless families will open nightly on NE 81st. Additionally, a warming center for adults will open nightly through March.

Joining TPI and Human Solutions are dozens of non-profit and religious organizations offering services and places to keep warm and dry during the winter.

"With winter fast approaching, we must ensure that people who have no choice but to sleep outside are safe," Commissioner Fish said at this morning's press conference. "Now more than ever, it's time for our community to come together to face this humanitarian crisis."

For more information about shelter locations, hours, and services, call 211 or see Anne Saker's piece in today's Oregonian.

Nick volunteered at the 14th annual Trails Blazers Harvest Dinner last night at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers' annual Harvest Festival offers haircuts, medical advice, dental work, access to telephones, and holiday dinners to thousands of Portlanders in need.

Organizations like the Blazers are part of what make Portland great - even in a crowded field of corporate giving, their commitment to service in our communities stands out.

Along with serving food, Nick got to meet several important folks from the organization, including President Larry Miller and Rudy Fernandez.

Nick was thrilled to meet two of his favorive basketball players at the Oregon Mentors Annual Recognition & Awards Luncheon this Wednesday, and he was honored to be a part of the celebration honoring outstanding mentors and mentoring programs in Oregon.

12-time All-Star Bill Russell joined the NBA the year Nick was born, and Greg Oden is among the Commissioner's favorite new Blazers.

Nick had a great time at the event, one of the few where he wasn't the tallest in the room.

Jonathan Maus, Editor-in-Chief of bikeportland.org, sat down with Nick last week to talk about off-road biking possibilities in Portland, specifically in Forest Park.

Since late August, Nick has overseen the Forest Park Single Track Advisory Committee. Using the Forest Park Natural Resource Management Plan as a guide, the Committee will develop recommendations to balance the growing demand for off-road cycling options with the park's other user groups.

The Committee, made up of walkers, bikers, hikers, joggers, and representatives of a wide variety of other user groups, hopes to have a plan outlined by late Spring.

Nick and Parks Bureau Director Zari Santner have urged the Committee to look at both long-term and short-term options so that some recommendations can be implemented in time for next summer.

Creating off-road biking opportunities is a priority for Nick, who told Jonathan that though "we're a 'Platinum' city, the one area where we have a weakness is off-road cycling...we're doing really well as a bicycle town but this is an area where we need to do better."

Thanks to bikeportland.org for the photo!

For much more of their conversation, read Jonathan's article on bikeportland.org.

Several stories this morning explore the possibility of a Parks bond: Fred Leeson in the Oregonian; and Nathalie Weinstein in the Daily Journal of Commerce.

Sasha Ingber covers the Census 2010 Complete Count Committee in this morning's Willamette Week. The Committee, whose work could bring a new congressional seat to Oregon, is co-chaired by Nick and County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury.

In The Bee, Eric Norberg looks at the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge mural unveiled last month.

Last week, Bike Portland's Jonathan Maus interviewed Nick about possibilities for increasing off-road cycling opportunities in Forest Park. His interview was posted yesterday afternoon on bikeportland.org.

Almost half of all American children, and 90% of African-American children, will rely on food stamps at some point during their childhood, the latest "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine" reports.

And this isn't a consequence of recent economic circumstances; the study aggregated three decades of data to arrive at these numbers, which indicate a true crisis in our communities.

In light of the fact that the average household receives a monthly benefit of only $222, the efforts of groups working to counter the notion that eating healthfully is prohibitively expensive becomes even more important.

One such group is Food Hero, part of the Oregon State University Nutrition Education Program (NEP). Food Hero offers families and individuals affordable, fun, and easy ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diets, both through its website and through public outreach at events around Oregon.

Its website, www.foodhero.org, includes recipes, tips for buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, and fun ways to engage kids in preparing and enjoying healthy meals.

Nick was honored with a SCRAPPY for his work on reuse at last night's SCRAP Awards, held at The Nines in downtown Portland.

The evening, themed 'Incognito,' featured performances from the Transcendental Brass Band, a "Junk to Funk" fashion show, and both silent and live auctions.

Nick shared the "2009 Reuse Visionaries" award with County Commissioner Jeff Cogen. The two were honored for their work on ReUse Week 2009, a event earlier this year designed to draw attention to the wide variety of reuse organizations in Portland.

Nick and Jeff gave a lively acceptance speech, promising that ReUse Week 2010 would be bigger and better than ReUse Week 2009.

Special thanks are due to Debbie Caselton, outstanding City employee, leader in the Diverse Empowered Employees of Portland (DEEP), and SCRAP Board Secretary, who helped arrange the evening!

Check our 'Photo Gallery' for more photos of the festivities!