6 The RAPS Sheet Summer 2021 In memoriam: Joseph Poracsky, 1945-2021 JOSEPH PORACSKY, who served Portland State for 31 years as a professor of geography, died April 8, 2021, in Lawrence, Kansas. He was 75 years old. Professor Poracsky was born June 21, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Andrew and Mary (Anzalone) Poracsky. He attended Waterford High School, Waterford, Connecticut, then entered Clark University, where he played on the varsity basketball team, earning a bachelor’s degree from Clark in 1968. Professor Poracsky earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1981 while serving in the Navy and the Navy Reserve. In 1984 he was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. Professor Poracsky joined Portland State in 1982, teaching cartography, remote sensing, and urban forestry. He served on and chaired the Portland Urban Forestry Commission. When not in the classroom, Professor Poracsky enjoyed traveling to Italy and the Oregon Coast, following the University of Kansas basketball team, and listening to Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Van Morrison. He also coached the Lawrence Boys Club basketball team in the early 1980s. He is survived by his wife, MJ Riehl, of Portland; stepsons, Troy and Darren; his sister, Fran (Michael) Hastedt, and brother, Rocco, both of Connecticut; and his first wife, Laura Stull, and daughter, Kristina; son, Rome; daughter-inlaw, Nikki; and four grandchildren, Finley, Sawyer, Ayden, and Sydney, all of Lawrence. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Barbara Musorofiti. Remembrances may be made to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association and the National Audubon Society and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044. Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com. AN ONLINE SURVEY of RAPS members conducted last spring showed that most want to resume attending RAPS activities in person. A total of 26 RAPS members responded to the survey. Sixty-two percent said they planned to attend the RAPS Summer Picnic on August 19. All but one who were planning to attend preferred the potluck format where food is shared. Most respondents (76 percent) also planned to attend Thursday member meetings on campus beginning fall term, while the remaining 24 percent preferred to attend by Zoom. Of those who planned to attend on campus, 84 percent preferred the format where the event was preceded by a buffet lunch, with the remaining 16 percent wanting to have the event follow a lunch break where members brought their own food. Six members who were planning to attend by Zoom offered some indicators of when they would be comfortable returning to in-person meetings: n When the county allows indoor gatherings at 50 percent occupancy: ................................................................2 n When all metropolitan counties are moderate or low risk status for a month or longer:......................................3 n When a majority of adults in metropolitan counties are vaccinated to prevent COVID-19: ............................6 Members also offered suggestions for the resumption of RAPS programs and activities, and topics that might be covered in member events. Several wished to have activities like hiking and bridge resumed early in fall. Several mentioned their wish to have meetings focused on key PSU topics like supporting BIPOC students, assisting homeless students and staff, the art displayed in PSU buildings, and perspectives of leadership team members. Several members advocated for a return of the PSU opera preview; meetings focused on science and engineering; lectures on economy, politics, history, and culture; and consideration of the economics of aging. Local issues were also mentioned as potential RAPS events: city of Portland challenges along with potential solutions, and a preview of the 2022 Oregon Governor’s race. When asked for ideas to have RAPS promote better member connections and involvement, individual survey participants advocated for: setting up a phone tree with colleagues, meetings combining Zoom and face-to face formats, having some meetings focused on engaging in discussion about key topics, and mailing materials to members who prefer paper to online format. One member offered: “Don’t rush the return to campus; allow the educational return to occur before ours.” Survey shows most RAPSters ready for return to normal
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