“Farther than roads you
have ever imagined…”
My heritage is Italian, German, and
English. This couple is my Great
Grandpa and Grandma Totten. They rode
that Harley from Minnesota to Portland and “landed” there. Unfortunately, I do not know much about them
except that my Great Grandpa came to the Portland area via a boat up the
Pacific Ocean when he 
initially immigrated to the US. My Great Grandma came from the German part
of Russia (Odessa area) and liked parties, dancing, and tomboy-ish types of
things. This is only half of my heritage – the rest comes from Italy – Genoa
and Venice area – of whom I visit every year….right along the Mediterranean
coast in little towns along the coast west and east of Genoa. They are
“country” people, versus city folk and enjoy making things from scratch and
spending time with family – like all good Italians, family all live in the same
area and spend time together quite frequently. Here’s a photo of me and two of
my Italian cousins. I’m on the right…
“Waken the
dreamer that’s living in you…”
Me? I
live in Milwaukie (born and bred) and enjoy getting involved in the local
community. My step-dad is the Mayor…and so there are some neat benefits from
that ;o) Right now I work full time for Multnomah County and teach part time for
PSU. I certify families in the
five-County region (Multnomah, Clackamas, Columbia, Clatsop, Washington) who do
foster care for children with developmental disabilities. I also do all the foster care placements of
these children – including those because of abuse or neglect (who are wards of
the State). It is a tough job, but very
rewarding. My dream, however, is to
either have a small restaurant or build houses (diverse, eh?) – and eventually
be able to spend a few months out of the year in Italy with my family. Their vacation homes are in the foothills of
the Italian Alps in an area called Vara.
I would like to have a second home there. The hills are “alive” with chestnut trees, the towns are small
and friendly, and the food is great.
Also, there is great mushroom hunting and hiking opportunities. (The
photo is of me in the Cinque Terre, Italy, 2003.)
“So now go with the
wind at your back and the sun on your face, with a song in your heart, and the
promise of grace. Go in peace, and in truth, and let love lead your way…”
I’ve been teaching at Portland State in the
Communication Department since September 1996. I enjoy communication because it
is so diverse and applicable in every part of our daily lives. My hobbies include remodeling my house,
hiking, cooking, snowshoeing, and riding my bike. I have a passion for the stories and history of who I am and
where I am from. I am single (know any
great guys out there?), spend time with family and friends, and have the best
friend in the world to spend my time with – my dog, Travis, a Jack Russell
Terrier. He says “hello.”
Check these places out if you’re looking for
good eats: Gino’s in Sellwood (part of Liepzig’s Tavern on 13th) has
good Cioppino, Assagio on 13th is a great family style Italian
place, and Potstickers on Milwaukie Avenue in Sellwood has a great won-ton
soup. Thien Hong’s on Sandy (60-something) has great Vietnamese food – my
favorites are salt and pepper squid and walnut shrimp. The little Mexican dive
near the intersection of Concord and McLoughlin has great food (south side
towards the river). And I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting things……
I hope that this term is challenging for you as well as informative. This class will be more like a learning process than something tangible like math. Let me know if you have any questions or comments -- I love hearing from you! Good luck and "ciao,