By Luke Susswood Last month, Portland Public Schools (PPS) revealed “Equitable Grading Practices,” a proposal aiming to limit racial disparities in grading. If approved, new guidelines would ban grades for …
PPS Proposal to Remove Racial Bias in Grading Read More
By Nancy Tannler On one of the last hot Fridays of summer, the Hawthorne Pop Up Plaza and World PARK(ing) Day were celebrated at SE 37th Ave. and Hawthorne Blvd. …
Hawthorne Embraces the Kiosk Culture Read More
By Parachute Strategies Commitment to reducing waste through recycling, reuse and repair remains a widely held value in greater Portland. For decades, Metro and local governments have invested heavily in …
Metro Study on Reused and Repaired Home Goods Read More
By Representative Rob Nosse Given that Ballot Measure 110 (BM 110) has received national news coverage every week this summer, I think it’s imperative that I make my thoughts on …
Representatively Speaking – October 2023 Read More
By Kris McDowell For the 2023-24 fiscal year, Prosper Portland has awarded $865,000 in Community Livability Grants to 15 projects from community-based organizations in four Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts …
Prosper Portland Awards Community Livability Grants Read More
By David Mayne Starting this fall, Portland Public Schools (PPS) will begin design and planning work to transform Cleveland into a next generation high school. The two-year process will include …
Planning Begins on New Cleveland High School Read More
By Rob Nosse Last month in this column I talked about important bills we passed during the legislative session. This month I’m going to talk about a bill that didn’t …
Representatively Speaking – September 2023 Read More
By Marshall Hammond On Thursday, July 6, Governor Tina Kotek signed a bill capping rent increases on Oregon residences at 10 percent or seven percent plus inflation, whichever is lower.SB …
Rent Stabilization Bill Becomes Law Read More
By Kris McDowell The Clinton Triangle Taskforce, comprised of a diverse mix of representatives from the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC), Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Association (HAND), Brooklyn Action Corps (BAC) and …
Clinton Triangle Good Neighbor Agreement Read More
By Representative Rob Nosse I am glad I waited until August to write about the conclusion of the 2023 Legislative Session. Back in May I was pretty much of the …
Representatively Speaking – August 2023 Read More
By Nancy Tannler The seventh annual AARP Community Challenge Grant worth $3.6 million is being distributed to 310 quick-action projects across the country. Three of these grants were awarded to …
AARP Challenge Grants Awarded to Local Non-Profits Read More
By Nancy Tannler Portland is set to receive $500,000 in federal grant money that will be used to solve some of the railroad crossing issues in inner SE Portland. This …
Railroad Holdups Frustrate Drivers, Pedestrians and Cyclists Read More
By Kris McDowell Portland’s Independent District Commission (IDC) is in the process of establishing four geographic districts for City Council elections. Defining the boundaries of those geographic districts is one …
Draft Maps for Redistricting Released Read More
By Representative Rob Nosse I had hoped to write a legislative update about how session was going (or how it ended as we are “officially” done on June 25) and …
Representatively Speaking July 2023 Read More
By Marshall Hammond Concerns over homelessness, crime and behavioral health are at the forefront of Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s proposed annual budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The …
Multnomah County’s Proposed Budget Read More
Gideon Street site as of the end of May. Left photo as seen looking south; right photo as seen looking west. By Nancy Tannler On July 1, the Gideon Street …
Outdoor Shelter Experiment to Open in Hosford/Abernethy Read More
By Sophie McEwen, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post Of all the Portland Public Schools’ (PPS) health curriculum, the nutrition portion has received the most criticism from students and parents …
PPS Nutrition Curriculum Changes Read More
By Hannah Erickson The most recent land acquisition made with funding from Metro’s 2019 parks and nature bond measure and capital funds from the City of Portland are an important …
Metro Partners with City to Protect Urban Salmon Corridor Read More
By Marshall Hammond It was a day Medford resident Andreas Met had been awaiting for years. On March 22, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a license to grow psilocybin …
Psilocybin Growing Licenses Issued Read More
By Kris McDowell This year’s National Cohousing Open House Weekend is Saturday, May 6-Sunday, May 7 and a number of cohousing communities across the country will be hosting open houses, …
Cohousing Open Houses Read More
By Nancy Tannler In the April Brain Awareness lecture series, Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) presented an online talk titled, “Is prevention of Alzheimer’s disease possible?” Dr. Aimee Pierce, associate …
Possible Prevention of Alzheimer’s Read More
By State Representative Rob Nosse We are around what I would consider the midpoint of the 2023 legislative session. Admittedly, a lot of the heavy lifting is done toward the end …
Representatively Speaking Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Over 100 representatives from 60 neighborhood associations across Portland squeezed into the Laurelhurst Club March 9 for the 2023 Neighborhood Summit. As stated in its press release, …
Neighborhood Summit Brings City and Residents Together Read More
By Nancy Tannler A big change is underway in the Richmond neighborhood as residents grapple with the redevelopment of Peaceful Villa–situated between SE 46th and 47th Ave., between Clinton and …
Peaceful Villa Makeover Read More
By Francesca Silverstein, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post The Housing Authority of Portland, also known as Home Forward, has been awarded nearly $1 million to invest in a community …
Nearly $1 Million Awarded to Aid Older Children in Foster Care Read More
By David Mayne The Portland Public Schools (PPS) School Improvement Bond Program began construction work in 2013 and has compiled an impressive track record of upgrading and rebuilding schools across …
PPS School Improvement Program Celebrates 10 Years of Revitalizing Schools Read More
By Nancy Tannler There are an estimated 8,200 homeless youth in our state–many of them in need of immediate assistance. The recently completed $9 million interagency funds transfer from the …
Building a Future for Homeless Youth Read More
By Hazel Karon Snow, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post The Portland Public School district (PPS) is redrawing boundary lines and changing the way immersion programs are laid out all …
PPS is ‘Strengthening the Southeast Schools’ Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse City Council recently made progress amending the Shelter to Housing Continuum package (S2HC) that addresses issues prohibiting shelters from being built. Commissioner Carmen Rubio said the need …
City Council Amends Zoning Laws to Support Building Shelters Read More
By State Representative Rob Nosse The pandemic was not kind to many parts of our state’s economy and culture. We all know that our healthcare systems and our education systems …
Representatively Speaking March 2023 Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse With funding from Verizon, and the support of other community organizations, Hacienda CDC has opened three free learning and tech centers to offer digital access and workforce …
Hacienda CDC and Verizon Open Learning Centers Read More
By Jack Rubinger After 25 years of calling the Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst home, the Portland Tillamook Cooperative Preschool must relocate. In October, the Tillamook Board of Directors received notice …
Preschool Seeks New Location Read More
By State Representative Rob Nosse I hope you all enjoyed the holidays with your friends and loved ones. Happy New Year! I am excited for what this year will bring and …
Representatively Speaking January 2023 Read More
By Nancy Tannler Even though 44 percent of Americans own some kind of gun, violent crime rates have been on a steady decline since they peaked in 1991. It was …
Angels Watching the City Read More
By Jack Rubinger Several neighbors have noticed the n-word being written in pen on many street signs in inner SE along SE 30th Ave. between Division and Salmon, and on …
Racial Slurs Cropping Up on Traffic Signs Read More
By Lula Hugo, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is attempting to expand its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program to encompass Portland high schools, …
Safe Routes to School Expanding to Include High Schools Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Anyone who’s driven by or walked around Laurelhurst Park during the last couple of years has probably noticed the off-and-on encampments lining it nearby, especially on SE …
Sports Additions Coming to Laurelhurst Park Read More
By Annalise Shorb, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post On Tuesday October 4, Sarah Pliner was hit and killed on the intersection of SE Powell Blvd. and 26th Ave., right …
Portland Sees Spike in Collision Fatalities Read More
By David Krogh The Healthy Homes Grant Program was created by the 2021 Oregon State Legislature, separate from but in support of, the Federal HUD Agency’s Healthy Homes program. It …
Healthy Homes Grant Program Coming Read More
By Jonathan Cruz Brendon Haggerty crouched beside a Solo Stove fire pit in his Portland backyard and stacked a few pieces of well-cured wood. This is a common scene for …
How Harmful is a Fire? Read More
By Kris McDowell Cybercrime is a broad term that encompasses any type of criminal activity that involves computers or the internet. Often committed by cybercriminals or hackers who are seeking …
Guarding Against Cybercrime Read More
By Better Business Bureau Great West & Pacific With the fall college semester in full swing, many students are now looking for multiple sources of income as they balance their …
Employment Scams Target College Students Read More
By State Representative Rob Nosse By the time you are reading this, you should have received your ballot in the mail. Election season is almost over, and it is a …
Representatively Speaking November 2022 Read More
By Francesca Silverstein, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post Three suspected arsonists have been arrested after allegedly setting a string of fires within Mt. Tabor Park. According to the Multnomah …
Suspects Detained in Mt. Tabor Arson Case Read More
By Nancy Tannler The proposed Reedway Safe Rest Village is an unpopular plan for a group of Lents residents. The Safe Rest Village approach (bit.ly/SafeRestVillages) is a city-led, federally-funded, alternative …
Safe Rest Village Worries Neighbors Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri In late August, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $100,000 Environmental Education Grant to Growing Gardens, a nonprofit organization set up to provide gardening education to …
Growing Gardens Receives EPA Grant to Support Programs Read More
By Don MacGillivray There are many causes of homelessness, but the lack of affordable housing is fundamental. It took years to create Portland’s housing crisis and now much of the …
Addressing Homelessness with Built for Zero Read More
By Lauren Everett Amanda starts her workday by checking her phone to see if there have been any crises overnight. She sometimes ends the day with a late-night phone call …
Do Good Multnomah’s Mobile Support Services Read More
By Jack Rubinger Foxtail is a grass-like weed that’s popping up everywhere in parking strips and yards. The weed is out there in abundance in all our parks and trail …
Dogs and Foxtails: A Dangerous Duo Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portlanders are having difficulty just finding housing and they often must take what is available instead of what they need or want. As Portland works to create …
Think Out Loud’s Future of Cities Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse City Council has unanimously approved the second round of the Portland Clean Energy Benefits Fund (PCEF) recommendations on grantees, totaling around $120 million. As a reminder, the …
Council Approves Millions of Clean Energy Grant Funds Read More
By David Krogh On June 14 the 20-member Portland City Charter Commission voted to send Phase 1 of its review with proposed changes to the city’s charter to voters. This …
Charter Commission Action and Next Steps Read More
By Don MacGillivray Finding daycare and preschool for young children in Portland has always been difficult. This is especially true for families where affordability is an issue. And over the …
Increasing Access to Preschool Read More
By Nancy Tannler City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Residential Infill Project – Part 2 (RIP2) zoning code amendments, going into effect on June 30, 2022. RIP2 addresses several …
RIP2: A Commitment to Middle Housing Read More
By Jack Rubinger On June 2, REACH sponsored their first bike fair for residents living in REACH’s SE Portland affordable apartment communities, hosted at 72Foster (5005 SE 72nd Ave). 40 …
REACH Hosts Bike Fair Read More
By Nancy Tannler Residents of Portland have the good fortune to live in a city where the founders set aside a substantial amount of land for public use. They took …
Preserving the Reservoirs’ Integrity Read More
By Don MacGillivray It is well known that Portland has a housing problem, which is the primary cause of increased homelessness. The only satisfactory answer to the problem is to …
Building Villages to Address Homelessness Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The month of May saw much activity over the proposed Portland Public Schools (PPS) 2022-2023 budget of $1.87 billion, involving its introduction, work sessions and input from …
PPS Budget Edging Closer to Approval Read More
By Amy Bader, PCC Oregon healthcare providers and partners successfully vaccinated more than 80 percent of the state’s total population in less than a year, a milestone that has proven …
PCC and Partners Battle COVID-19, Bridge Equity Gaps Read More
By David Krogh Portland’s trend for large numbers of candidates on a ballot for a single City Council position is continuing with the Thursday, May 17 primary, even after the …
City Council Position 3 Candidate Round Up Read More
By Kris McDowell City Council Position 2, a role currently held by Dan Ryan, is one of the races on the May 17 ballot. Ryan faces eight other individuals looking …
Nine Candidates Seek City Council Position 2 Read More
By Nancy Tannler The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) held their annual public hearing in April focusing on the impact of high and rising health care costs to Oregonians. The meeting …
Reigning in Health Care Costs Read More
By Don MacGillivray Lone Fir Cemetery is the oldest and most diverse cemetery in Portland. It began with the burial of Emmor Stephens in 1846, only two years after the …
Cultural Heritage Garden Plans Progress at Lone Fir Cemetery Read More
By Don MacGillivray In recent years, Portland has undergone significant challenges including COVID-19 health issues, racial concerns, forest fires and climate change. While everyone has been stressed by these conditions, …
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The final stages of the Residential Infill Project Part 2 (RIP2) approached as the Planning and Sustainability Commission moved to adopt amendments at its February 8 meeting. …
RIP2 Moves Forward After Amendment Discussions Read More
By Nancy Tannler As you are reading this article, somewhere in the Cascadia Subduction Zone a small tremor will take place. In the past month, there have been 67 quakes …
How to Prepare for a Disaster Read More
By Isabella Smejtek, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post During the 2018-2019 school year, there were numerous incidents within the Franklin High School community concerning shooting threats and physical violence on or …
Safety Within Portland Public Schools Read More
By Maya Bryant, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post For the first time in its history, Franklin High School ran its Franklin Talks program; an hour-long discussion surrounding racial equity …
Franklin Talks: Normalizing Talking About Race Read More
By Jack Rubinger It’s midday on a weekday on Hawthorne Blvd. and Uri Kushner, owner of Dairy Hill Ice Cream, is mad as hell. There’s a guy passed out, sprawled …
HBBA Starts Weekly and Monthly Clean Ups Read More
By Don MacGillivray In many of Portland’s neighborhoods the homeless crisis is increasingly observable. The lack of progress in addressing this crisis is due, in part, to the pandemic, but …
Update: Homelessness 2022 Read More
By Gabe Frayne Angela Dorsey-Kockler is giving me the quick tour of her short-term rental (STR) in the Richmond neighborhood. Her husband Nick and two young sons follow her up …
Short-Term Rentals Find Their Place Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The infamous train blockages in SE near Division St. are the bane of anyone caught on 8th, 12th and especially 11th Aves. There was even a website …
Train Blockages Frustrate SE Read More
By Jack Rubinger The Portland Street Response (PSR) team operates within the 911 system for non-emergencies and consists of a multi-disciplinary, culturally diverse team. It includes peer support, and will …
Portland Street Response: Expansion and Effectiveness Read More
By Nancy Tannler Over a year ago, leaders of Portland Public Schools (PPS) decided to change the system’s education inequities with The Enrollment and Program Balancing proposal. The Southeast Guiding …
Parents Push Back on PPS Proposals Read More
By Miranda Phinney, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post During a year in which the Portland Association of Teachers reported half of all surveyed educators are considering early retirement, a …
Substitute Teacher Shortage Contributes to High Stress Levels for Educators Read More
By Don MacGillivray Lloyd Center has been one of the largest urban shopping centers in the Pacific Northwest for many years. It is built on a 50-acre site located one …
Lloyd Center’s Evolution Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portland’s transportation system today is inequitable, contributes to climate change and presents safety risks due to the traffic on our crowded streets. There is a significant need …
Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility Read More
By Nancy Tannler On November 3, City Council listened to six hours of public testimony regarding code amendments purposed by the Historic Resource Code Project (HRCP). The intent of the …
Historic Resource Code Revision Read More
By Gabe Frayne The winding down of testimony and negotiations in connection with Portland’s Historical Resource Code Project (HRCP) has brought the contentious issue of historical preservation back to center …
Does Architecture Matter? Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The much-lamented problems plaguing Portland in recent years were heavily discussed over the course of two City Council sessions involving the “unprecedented” budget surplus of $62 million …
City Council Approves Budget Read More
By Don MacGillivray The glowing tributes for Oregon are flawed by a few egregious realities. One is Oregon’s lack of care for the mentally ill. According to a recent study …
Oregon’s Struggle to Address Mental Illness Read More
By Jack Rubinger By Jack Rubinger Kids haven’t had it easy for the past two years with COVID-19 impacting fun, free time and school resources. Way too much time is …
Roller Derby Rolls Into Park Rose Middle School Read More
By David Krogh Not many people are aware that Portland belongs to the AARP’s Livable Community Network of Age-Friendly Communities and States or what that means. Currently 573 communities nationwide …
AARP Livable Communities Read More
By Nancy Tannler A permanent increase to the food stamp program was issued by the Biden administration to help low income households buy more groceries. The new plan will ensure …
SNAP Increases Begin in October Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Continuing discussion over the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) drafting of a Medicaid waiver application for 2022-2027, a forum hosted by the OHA focused on how issues of …
Medicare Waiver Update: Inequities and Behavioral Health Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portland’s housing crisis is now seven years old and the nation is waking up to the same reality. Even before the 2008 recession, the US saw a …
National Housing Crisis Read More
By Jack Rubinger For first-time home buyers, getting into the housing market has gotten tougher and tougher. Today’s economic crisis has only exacerbated this situation. Recovering from the pandemic requires …
Keys to Enter the Housing Market Read More
By Kris McDowell It won’t come as a surprise to many that most Oregon jobs don’t pay enough to support a family. The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) took …
OCPP Issues Job Market Report Read More
By Jack Rubinger From teens to toddlers, the transition to in-person back to school is happening all over town. It’s an anxious time for parents, administrators and teachers, but most …
Back to In-Person School Read More
By Don MacGillivray The modernization of the I-5 Columbia River freeway bridge between Portland and Vancouver is a critical objective for the next decade. The I-5 Bridge, previously known as …
CRC Bridge Replacement Project Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse “If you’re looking for something good to do, you will literally save someone’s life,” said VP for Blood Services at Bloodworks Northwest, Vicki Finson. She is referring …
Calls for Blood Donations Amidst Pacific Northwest Shortage Read More
By David Krogh Over the last year, Portland Charter Review Commission has been busy learning the charter process and taking initial testimony from both the public and city officials. The …
Charter Review Commission Update Read More
By Don MacGillivray It might be said that Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life (OCCL) is a Utopian experiment that potentially could save us from a Dystopian present. Portland …
OCCL Continues to Change to Address Problems Read More
By Jack Rubinger Lines for Life is casting a wide net to reach Oregonians in need of community resources and assistance. The program is driven by the devastating impact of …
By Nancy Tannler Dental 3 (D3) was formed in 2014 as a partnership with Medicaid Dental Plans, Coordinated Care Organizations and Community Partners in the Portland metropolitan community. They serve …
Free Dental Care for Portland Kids Read More
By David Mayne The new Kellogg Middle School at 3330 SE 69th Ave. is complete and awaiting its Grand Opening on Saturday, August 28, 10 am. The ribbon cutting ceremony …
New Kellogg Middle School Opens Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri The City Repair Project is a nonprofit with a mission to educate and inspire communities and individuals to creatively transform the places where they live and gather. …
City Repair Project Brings Art to the Streets Read More
By Don MacGillivray Policing in Portland is in torment over racism, human rights, mental health, violence and public safety issues. This is not new. Studies and reports have circulated nationwide …
LWV Police Study: Opportunities for Change Read More
By Gabe Frayne Among the inconveniences wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic, one that is ever more bothersome to residents of the North Tabor neighborhood is the increase in freeway noise …
North Tabor Freeway Noise Read More
By Nancy Tannler In the state of Oregon, there are approximately 440,000 adults over the age of 65. This number is expected to increase by 300,000 in the next 15 …
Liveability and Affordability: The Future of Senior Housing in Oregon Read More
