Community News July 14

New Manager at Seven Corners

 

New Seasons Market, locally owned and operated,  announced today it has promoted Laura Kremser to store manager for the Seven Corners store, 19th & SE Division St.

Kremser joined the company as an assistant store manager in training in May 2011.

Two months later, she helped open the Progress Ridge store in Tualatin as an assistant store manager. In April 2013, Laura put her well-honed skills to work at the Seven Corners store.

 

Airbnb Ready for Take Off

By Don macGillivray

Airbnb is a relatively new idea for short term lodging using spare bedrooms in private residences all over the city. To date they have not been regulated by the city, but it appears that this will take place in the very near future.

There are over 1,000 local hosts in Portland, who rent out part of their primary residence. Many hosts have an income below Portland’s median household income and the average host earns approximately $7,000 per year by renting their rooms for 86 nights per year.

This is a great opportunity for both government and local businesses as well as the hosts. Guests spend about $45 million dollars a year in the time they spend visiting Portland.

Everyone is not happy with this new business venture that is finding its way into neighborhoods. Many see this as a positive aspect of the “sharing economy”, but others question whether every homeowner or renter should have the right to rent out space in their home. There will be rules and periodic inspections and fees connected with the city license to do business.

With all the strings attached to the various types of ownership and leases, it is not clear if everyone will be able to do business in every situation. Neighbors rightly are concerned about the type of people that will be living near their home and what impacts this will have.

Airbnb is just one of these new short term rental businesses that allow guests to reserve a room through internet booking like buying goods. There are at least a dozen of similar organizations and this could expand greatly if short term rentals become successful.

While the Restaurant and Lodging Association does not seem too concerned about the impact of short term rentals on their businesses they may be losing guests if this concept takes off.

At the recent hearing before the Planning and Sustainability Commission and City Council, many hosts spoke in favor of the proposal and voiced many positives it brings to the city with very little downside.

Many of the 78 people that attended the hearing did not get a chance to testify. The Council decided they need more time to consider the issues and give more opportunity for feedback. They will have an informal Council work session the morning of Tuesday, June 24 and a second public hearing on Wednesday, July 2.

 

Knock Knock! It’s your neighbor

 

SE Uplift wants to spice up civic engagement by harnessing the transformative power of storytelling to build community, enrich contemporary life, and inspire authentic neighborly interactions.

They’d like to hear your true tales of misadventure, mishap and misconception.

The theme for this year’s storytelling extravaganza is “Mistakes of Neighborly Proportions”

Open call auditions will be held July 12 from 10-2 pm and July 22 from 2-6 pm at Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave.

Prepare your 10 minute story and come for open-call auditions. Find out about storytelling guidelines by contact ing ashe@seuplift.org for any questions or to request a specific audition time.

 

Leave no trace

 

By Bonita Davis

Certified Master Recycler

Sunnyside Neighbor

 

July 5 is the official start of summer, according to most locals, and time for living outdoors. Before venturing out for summer picnics, think about how you can continue to reduce, reuse and recycle when you leave home. “Leaving no trace,” is not just for campers!  A picnic kit can help avoid the one-time use of disposables.

Assembling a picnic kit can be fun! First thought, use what you use at home: tableware, durable plates and cloth napkins. Want something else? Material preference will determine your choices. New or used, ideas can include stainless bowls, enamelware, graniteware, Corelle (lightweight and nearly unbreakable) pie-tins and bamboo.

Reusable plastic choices include compartmented plates and plastic tumblers for a mid-century feel. Your local grocer has lunchbox kits that might be fun to use as well as stainless kits for on-the-go.

Mason jars are great for drinking glasses if you can transport them safely and glass is allowed at the site or use your own water bottle, stainless cup or reusable plastic tumbler.

Reusable “sporks’ in either bamboo or durable plastic do double duty as a fork and spoon- and some have a serrated knife edge. Invest in cotton napkins, or consider using bandanas, as a colorful option. Creative?  Make your own from cotton.

To carry picnic supplies, use grocery totes, bike pannier or carry totes, wicker picnic basket or any type of tub or pail. A durable cotton spread, lightweight blanket or checkered tablecloth will make your picnic kit ready-to-go for many summers. A tin box for cookies, salt and pepper shakers and jars of condiments will help you avoid throw-away packets.

Worldcentric.org estimates 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States. The majority of these are thrown out after just one use.  The EPA estimates that 780,000 tons of plastic and polystyrene cups and plates were discarded in 2008. You can help make a difference.

See www.resourcefulpdx.com for great summer ideas.

 

Students connect to STEM Center

 

by Christine Egan


Intel Foundation awarded an Seed Grant of $5,000 to the Washington County 4-H Youth Development Association to support Montavilla Young Makers Club at PCC’s Southeast Center.

The grant proposal includes a Young Makers camp at PCC this August. It also established the Montavilla Young Makers Club for local middle-school aged children in SE.

Participant recruitment for the summer camp and club focuses on students attending Vestal, Bridger, Mt. Tabor, Harrison Park and Creative Science schools in SE Portland.

The Maker Education Initiative’s Young Makers program brings together young people, ages 8-18, in small clubs, to work together to design and make a youth-chosen, open-ended project, culminating in an opportunity to share and exhibit at a showcase event.

PCC hosts both the August camp and monthly club meetings in the STEM Center within the Student Commons at SE Center, and recruit students and faculty volunteers to help 10-to-13 year olds explore STEM-related projects.

In this proposal, parent Romanna Flores is leveraging the new facilities at SE Center with her successful partnership with Oregon State University. She is experienced in establishing and leading LEGO Robotics clubs with elementary-aged children and capitalizing on her networks with parents, teachers and administrators from local schools, and staff from Intel.

“This Young Makers Club can make a huge difference for youth in SE Portland by helping to expand the possibilities and opportunities these students see for their futures,” said Flores.

Past revealed through paintings

 

Anna Magruder loves painting people from the past, and going on vintage treasure hunts. She is always on the lookout for striking images and stories from bygone days.

Her recent project, Oregon’s Painted History, brings those interests together. Funded in part by the Regional Arts and Culture Council, this series of historic surrealist paintings portray the hidden stories and people behind Oregon’s history.

Rather than recreating exact scenes of events, Magruder uses historic surrealism that relies on symbols and metaphors to capture emotional impact and broader implications of the topics.

Some paintings in the series use identifiable figures, such as Beatrice Morrow Cannady, editor of Oregon’s largest African-American newspaper and first black woman to practice law in the state. The painting shows her spilling tea into a sea of white while behind her stand a variety of African-American supporters. Other paintings show individuals who represent larger groups and concepts.

The opening is at the Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Ave. Opening reception is August 1 from 6 pm-8 pm. AHC hours are 10 am-4:30 pm Wednesday-Saturday. For more call 503.231.7264.

 

Important phone numbers

9-1-1   Emergency or criminal activity occurring right now

503.823.3333  Non-emergency where the suspects have left or there is no suspect information

503.823.0097  Central Precinct front desk 24/7

503.823.4800  East Precinct front desk M–F 8 am – 6 pm

Community Policing Team

503. 823.9704  Neighborhood Response Team Officer Chris Gjovik Buckman, Hosford-Abernathy, Kerns, West of Cesar Chavez (SE 39th Ave.): Laurelhurst, Richmond, Sunnyside

Officer Mike Chapman, East Precinct west of I-205 to I-84 to Cesar Chavez to Clackamas County

503.823.0540 Crime Prevention Coordinator Jacob Brostoff – Ardenwald-Johnson Creek, Brooklyn, Buckman, Eastmoreland, Hosford-Abernathy, Kerns, Reed, Sellwood-Moreland: West of SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. Creston-Kenilworth, Laurelhurst, Richmond and Sunnyside

503.823.3432 Katherine Anderson – Brentwood-Darlington, Mount Tabor, North Tabor, Woodstock; East of SE Cesar Chavez Blvd: Creston-Kenilworth, Laurelhurst, Richmond & Sunnyside

503.823.2781 Brad Taylor – Foster-Powell, Madison South, Montavilla, Mt. Scott-Arleta and South Tabor

Miscellaneous

503.823.4000               City/County Information and Referral

503.823.DRUG  Drugs & Vice: 24-hour hotline

503.731.3100  Child Abuse Hotline

503.823.4824               Call to report graffiti

503.823.1637               Park Rangers

503.823.0284               Portland Police Locks Program: free locks 503.823.2633       Report ongoing noise problems,business and

zoning violations, residential building, yard or

trash violations or vehicles parked on grass.

503.988.3464  Multnomah County Vector Control: to report rodent infestations.

503.988.3066  Multnomah County Animal Services

503.988.3646  Senior Helpline and Elder Abuse Reporting

503.234.3000  Metro RID Patrol to report illegal dumping.

503.823.5195  Parking Enforcement for blocked driveways,

vehicles parked illegally on the street.

503.823.7309 Abandoned Vehicle Hotline:

 

Vintage Rock for Vintage Rockers

You can help Villages NW rock the future of aging across Portland by attending one of the 2014 “Vintage Rock for Vintage Rockers” concerts benefitting the local Village Network.

The six-concert series is held at six different venues across the metro-area. Venues donate the space and musicians donate their talent to help the development of Villages across the area.

The series kicks off Weds, July 16, at O’Connors, 7850 SW Capitol Hwy, from 5:30-8 pm.

Opening night performers are the WF Drill-Bits with Jon Koonce and Lex Browning. A set from The Alternators with Denny Bixby will follow.

Admission is a donation of $20 per person/$35 per couple at the door. Cash only. No checks or credit cards. No reservations or advanced sales.

Eastside Village has a way to stay in your home as you age and they’ve started a community to do that. They host a potluck at 3300 SE Woodstock the 3rd Monday of every month at 6:30 pm and a meeting at 7 pm at.

The Eastside Village will have a booth at the upcoming Division/Clinton St Fair July 26 from 10 am to 6 pm.

Look for the Eastside Village banner!

 

Ziploc bags, when clean and dry, are recyclable at participating retail stores across the U.S., typically in the same bins into which consumers return their plastic shopping bags. To find apaticipating retailer visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org and enter your zip code. Recycled plastic bags are most often converted into composite lumber, which is used to build goods like fences, benches, window frames and even playground equipment.

 

 

Fighting Goliath,  is a new radio documentary by veteran producer Barbara Bernstein. She will discuss the Canadian Tar Sands, deposits of a sand-embedded solid form of low-grade oil that covers an area the size of Florida. The documentary focuses on two unfolding stories: an industrial megaload truck route through wild and scenic river corridors in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies, for transporting massive mining equipment from Korea to the tar sands pits in Alberta, and two pipeline proposals to transport diluted bitumen over the Canadian Rockies from Northern Alberta to the British Columbia coast, crossing First Nations lands and traversing a thousand pristine salmon streams. Fighting Goliath premieres on KBOO-FM, Monday, July 7 at 10 am. 90.7 Portland, www.kboo.fm/locusfocus

 

FMTP Annual Picnic–Put Tuesday, August 5 on your calendar and join friends and neighbors for the annual Friends of Mt. Tabor Park picnic from 5:30 to 8 pm., rain or shine at picnic shelter A across from the main parking lot in Mt. Tabor Park. Everyone is invited. Bring a dish to share. Drinks, plates, cup and eating utensils will be provided. There will be raffles and ice cream.

 

Bicycle Circuit Racing on Mt. Tabor  – July 2 and 9 both Wednesday evenings sponsored by River City Bicycles and under the governance of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. The six-lap course follows a 1.3 mile hilly loop around Reservoir No. 5. Visit mttaborseries.com/overview for details and to register.

 

Public Bingo Friday, July 11, at 1:45 pm – 3 pm. Come one come all to Public Bingo! Play bingo, visit with friends, and who knows…maybe WIN a prize!! All are welcome. Hawthorne Gardens Senior Living, 2828 SE Taylor St. 971.222.0396.

 

Lone Fir Cemetery Monthly Tour, July 12, 10 am – 12 pm. Cost: $10 per person Want to get to know the cemetery better? The tour highlights Portland founders, regionally-known pioneers, and interesting headstones and monuments. Headstone Cleaning Workshops, July 19  from 11 am – 1 pm. FLFC (Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery) volunteers demonstrate the latest techniques to safely care for stones. Try your hand at cleaning a marker yourself. This is wet, dirty work so dress accordingly. All cleaning supplies and materials provided, but you may wish to bring a stool. No registration required for this free event and children welcome. For question about any of our events, or to find out how to get involved, contact Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery at 503.224.9200 or info@friendsoflonefircemetery.org (mailto:info@friendsoflonefircemetery.org)

 

FREE Concerts in the Mt. Tabor Caldera – Tuesdays at 6:30 pm beginning July 8. Visit the “Mt. Tabor Park Summer Concerts” facebook page for the musical lineup. Pre-show kids activities, food vendors, information booths, and great music. Fun for all! Dogs allowed in the “canine balcony” area only.

 

2nd Annual Songbird CafĂ© Block Party – July 27 (Sunday), noon–7:00 p.m. –  Food, music & arts at SE 68th & Belmont to benefit the Friends of Mt. Tabor Park and celebrate Songbird Café’s 2nd year.

 

Protected Sick Time Best Practices Forum, Tuesday, July 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Portland Building, Conference Room C, 1120 SW 5th Ave. Join us for a public forum designed to support businesses in implementing Portland’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. This will be an opportunity for employers, human resource personnel, business service providers and consultants to share their challenges, solutions, and best practices as they make changes to their policies and procedures to address the new law. Discussion will allow time for participants challenged by similar issues to share solutions and best practices. RSVP to 503.823.3430 or sicktimeinfo@portlandoregon.gov. Interpretation available upon request.

 

Get the Scoop on Alzheimer – August 14 from 3:30-5:30 at Emerson House, 3577 SE Division St. This ice cream social and fundraiser for the Oregon Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will feature nationally-known expert Joyce Beedle speaking on how Alzheimer’s changes family relationships and how to work through those changes. Housecall Provider’s Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Amy Long speaks on how to advocate with your doctor on behalf of your loved one. Emerson House Life Enrichment Director Kenny Field speaks on how activities can enhance the quality of life and reduce behaviors. Kara Busick, Walk Coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association Oregon Chapter, will talk about resources offered by the Association and the newest research on the disease. Emerson House is memory care community serving people with Alzheimer’s and other medical dementias through its residential, adult day care and respite programs. The event and ice cream are free. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association are appreciated. To RSVP call Melissa Fisher, Community Relations Director at 503.234.8585.

 

Free seismic retrofitting workshop A free workshop on seismic retrofitting is Saturday July 12, 9 am – noon at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, 2800 SE Harrison St. SE Portland Tool Library and Michael Wieber of NW Seismic present the information-packed workshop; a must for current or future homeowners who want their home to survive the next (and inevitable) Cascadia earthquake.  Topics include: is this necessary, does it work, and features to avoid when purchasing a house; required permits and tools;   lateral movement uplift; earthquake-activated gas shut-off valves; foundation quality; hardware installation; prescriptive approach vs. load calculation; epoxy vs. mechanical anchors. Space is limited. Register in advance at:  www.bit.ly/1pOwppr. The event is free, but donations support the tool lending library.

 

Oregon BrewFest is July 23 – 27 at Waterfront Park. Pouring 88 different craft beers from around the country plus another 100 in the Specialty Tent. Oregon Brewers Festival is the quintessential celebration of craft beer. Whether you prefer Belgians or Blondes, Pales or Pilsners, Saisons or Wits – come to the Oregon Brewers Festival, and see why they are one of the world’s best loved craft beer festival.

Community News July 14

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