Sept 3 2010 - St. Johns Review

Metro/City purchase section of Baltimore Woods: Pages 3
Crossword Puzzle: Page 6
Letters to the Editor: Page 2
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ST. JOHNS REVIEW:
North Portland’s Community Newspaper Since 1904
Kenton’s Swifts have returned
By Gayla Patton
St. Johns Review
J
8
e
g
Pa
e
e
S
AHOY!
Pirates to conquer Cathedral Park
It’s that special time again when
pirates invade St. Johns for two
days of entertainment, music, puppet shows, a sea battle, and more.
This will be the Pirate Festival’s
fifth anniversary celebration.
This spring, GUINNESS
WORLD RECORDS™ officially
recognized the Portland Pirate Festival as the new world record holder for the largest gathering of pi-
rates.
The new record of 1,670 individuals was set at last year’s festival on Sunday, September 20th,
2009. A British festival in Brixham, England attempted to reclaim
the title on May 2 and now the
Guinness organization is in the
process of certifying their numbers.
Continued on Page 8
“Pirate Festival”
The St. Johns “Cut”
ust as the Swallows return to San Juan
Capistrano each year, so do the Swifts return
to the comfort of a chimney in the Kenton
neighborhood.
About a week ago Garland Horner, owner of
Insulated Window at 8124 N. Denver was sitting
on her deck above the business with her husband Jim, when they noticed the birds’ arrival.
Soon after, they invited 15 family and friends
to help them get an estimate of how many birds were
nesting in the chimney at the building next door,
which is owned by Mackin Auto body. They counted
over 460.
Garland said, “We eat our dinner on the deck each
night to watch them return to the chimney. That
happens around 7:00 p.m.” They leave the nest very
early in the morning, she added.
Each fall Swifts congregate in large groups as they
prepare for their migration southward to Central
America and Venezuela from Canada. In September
they pass through the Portland area and it’s not
uncommon for them to use chimneys to roost in
during the night. Once a population of Swifts locates
Garland Horner, owner of Insulated Window,
an appropriate chimney they are likely to return year
snapped this photo while she sat on her deck in
after year. Groups of roosting Swifts can range in
size from just a few individuals to as many as 35,000 Kenton. Each year the Swifts return to this chimney
in some larger smokestacks. Chapman School in in the building where the old theater once was. It is
now owned by Mackin’s Auto Body.
Northwest Portland houses the largest known roost
of migrating Swifts in the world! Typically they will
only stay a couple of weeks before continuing their Story and more pictures continued on Page 5
By Jim Speirs
war was over, and construction
could begin. All that was needed
Creation of a railroad “Cut” also created a division in the community
was the okay from the City of Portland.
Where Part I in the August 20, 2010
Harriman’s SP&S/Union Pacific
By
Issue left off:
and laid about 200 feet of rail and
railroads
needed a franchise from
Jim Speirs
A flurry of activity began between ties on the bare ground the same day.
the City of Portland to proceed with
Representatives of St. Johns and the The fighting became the talk of the
their plans to dig a railroad cut. The
Historical
city of Portland. This posturing was town, and the sheriff dispatched his
Mayor of St. Johns, Charles Cook
Editor
complicated by the constant inter- men to the area while the courts orstrenuously objected to the idea,
St Johns
ference from the two railroad gi- dered both sides to cease any work
stating the irreparable harm that
Review
ants, who continued to fight over until the matter was legally straightwould be visited on a divided City
the property involved. Fighting ened out.
of St. Johns. At first, it appeared
along the area of the proposed Cut
In January 1906 a condemnation known as the Maegly Jct. battle Portland Mayor Harry Lane might
included sabotage of building ma- court awarded temporary custody of moved to the courtroom. In July have agreed with his St. Johns counterials, the torching of trestles that the property to a third party, who 1906 a judge upheld Union Pacif- terpart, but in September 1906 the
Hill had hastily (and illegally) would be an objective arbitrator to ic’s claim of prior right on the Portland City Council passed ordistockpiled near the Cut, and occa- the two fighting railroads. This was grounds stating the Union Pacific’s nance 15718 which allowed Harrisional gunfire.
the Oregon Railroad & Navigation survey had been made before Hill’s. man to proceed with the dig. One
Company. (Per: Union Pacific
There is a great deal of legal doc- of the caveats was that he had to alNorthwest, A History by Jeff Asay.) umentation that could be part of this low unfettered access and use of the
Part II: The Cut, tunHill filed his own lawsuit against
however, it’s enough to rail line to Hill and his railroads.
nel and construction of Union Pacific and what became discussion,
know that the matter was settled, the Mayor Lane vetoed the measure in
the RR bridge
October 1906. With
Part II: St. Johns, Oregon - Approxhuge involvement
imately 1907 – 1915
from both railroad
The College Endowment Associgiants, the veto was
ation, under A. H. Maegly’s manoverturned by the
agement company, owned the propCity Council by a
erty involved at the center of the
vote of 11 to one.
controversy. Union Pacific (E. H.
Harriman could go
Harriman) had surveyed the parcel
ahead with the digin October 1905 but neglected to
ging of the cut acclose the deal with Maegly. James
cording to the terms
J. Hill’s agents made a quick surof the franchise.
vey in December, while Harriman
The railroad was
was napping, and purchased the cruto build four steel
cial parcel from Maegly on Dec. 21,
The old swing-span on the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge on the Willamette bridges over the cut.
1905. Hill’s crews then rushed in
They were to be at
River which was completed about 1910.
(E. H. Harriman: 20 February 1848
– 9 September 1909) Harriman was
an American railroad executive. He
quit school at age 14 to take a job as
an errand boy on Wall Street in New
York City. By age 22, he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange
and by age 33, he focused his energies on acquiring rail lines. If his
name sounds familiar it was mentioned several times by the dedicated
train guard in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Willamette Blvd., Dawson Street,
and the other two at convenient locations to be approved by the city
engineer. In addition, the railroad
was to build a street along the east
side of the cut between Willamette
Blvd. and Columbia Blvd. The
street was named Carey Boulevard,
Continued on Page 4
“The Cut” Part II
Page 2 - St Johns Review - September 3, 2010
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Editor
Gayla Patton
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LETTERS to the EDITOR
Dear Editor,
After reading the reprint of Mr.
Speirs article on the “Cut” I started wondering if it would be feasible to fill in the Cut. Looking at
a map of the north Portland Peninsula, train tracks already ring
the northern perimeter of the Peninsula and also follow the east side
of the Willamette at the base of
the bluff, connect to Swan Island
and go on to the Albina yards.
There appears to be plenty of
room for right or left hand train
turns at the east end of the railroad bridge across the Willamette
to either send a train around the
edge of the Peninsula and then
north across Hayden Island or to
Swan island, the Albina yards and
southward along the west side of
the Willamette.
That sure would be a lot of dirt
though. I’m not sure if I would
vote to fill in the Cut however. I
grew up with the rumble of freight
cars and train whistles and would
probably miss them.
The Cut is a pretty spectacular,
if not goofball, achievement. I
look at it and wonder what kind
of an ego would need to dig that
hole....like Cheops or something?
It’s definitely a curiosity.
Filling in the Cut would bring
back that missing mile long, two
block-wide space we all grew up
without but just maybe that weird
giant trench is much more preferable to what would eventually be
placed on top of it.
Steve Bradley
____________________________
Dear Editor,
A big thanks to all the neighbors, Friends of Baltimore Woods
volunteers and donators who
helped make Saturday’s open
house/benefit at the Water Lab a
success!
It was a beautiful day for a fun,
casual gathering of neighbors
with pretty much all ages represented. We threw open the garagestyle door and people circulated
indoors and out. Roger gave a
colorful talk on the Lewis & Clark
expedition near St. Johns, which
attracted the largest number of
people and the best news came
from Metro Councilor Rex
Burkholder, and City Commissioner Amanda Frit who jointly
announced the acquisition of a
6.34-acre property from N. Catlin to N. Weyerhaueser by Metro,
BES and Portland Parks. This is
1/3 of the Baltimore Woods corridor!! It will fill a connectivity
gap in both the corridor and pro-
posed Willamette Greenway Trail.
It just closed the night before the
open house!
After wishing and hoping for it the
last 10+ years this is a great
moment...and it was a great day.
Thanks everyone.
Barbara Quinn
_____________________________
Dear Editor,
As a St. Johns resident for four
years, I am very concerned to see
that a hookah lounge has moved into
our neighborhood. There is a misperception that smoking hookah is
more mild and safer than smoking
cigarettes, and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. A typical hourlong hookah session is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes, and
contains more carbon monoxide and
similar amounts of nicotine, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, hookah tobacco
comes in candy flavors that mask
(but do not reduce) its harsh effect
on users’ lungs. Coincidentally, just
last month, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration banned flavored
cigarettes because they target children and youth.
St. Johns residents should be concerned about the proximity of the
hookah lounge to James John Elementary School. Hookah is most
popular among teens and young
adults, which is when most people
become addicted to tobacco. Most
smokers start before age 18 and every day 20 Oregon youth start smoking. Parents need to have this on
their radar and talk to their children
about why hookah use is harmful
to their health.
In order for a smoke shop like this
to exist, they need to be in compliance with Oregon’s Smokefree
Workplace Law. If you are concerned about hookah lounges or other businesses that might not be in
compliance with the law, you can
submit a complaint online:
www.healthoregon.org/smokefree.
St. Johns has seen much growth
and change in the last several years.
As residents, let’s do our part to support businesses that will promote the
health of our local economy and its
residents.
Sincerely,
Colleen Hermann-Franzen
_______________________________
I have a bag and I pick up and dispose of all the litter I see.
On Saturday, July 24, 2010 I was
walking down Lombard minding
my own business and picking up
litter when I heard a voice say,
“What are you doing?” It was a cop
car with two cops. I had to bite my
tongue to keep from replying, isn’t
it obvious, but I said instead, “I’m
picking up litter.” “Why? Is it your
job?” he said. “No, I don’t like litter and I hope at least one person
will think, hey, good idea and pick
up litter themselves.” They kept
questioning me about why and for
whom I was doing the litter pick
up.
Can’t a person do a personal volunteer service without being harassed?
Colleen Reynolds
Letter To The Editor
Letters to the Editor are welcome
and encouraged. They must be
legible and contain a name.
Anonymous letters are immediately
placed in the round file under the
editor’s desk. Letters may be edited
for clarity, space, or grammar
SEPTEMBER EVENTS:
September 2 at 7pm at the Old
North Portland Police Precinct,
7214 N Philadelphia Avenue is the
St. Johns Farmers Market monthly meeting. The group always welcomes fresh faces and ideas! If you
have an agenda item you would
like to add, please contact us prior
to the meeting.
info@sjfarmersmarket.com
On the 7th of September at noon
Golden State Foods and United
Stationers will be handing out
backpacks filled with school supplies to the 1st graders at James
John Elementary School. Golden
State Foods Foundation has been
active in the Shoes That Fit program for several years and just recently started partnering with United Stationers on the Backpacks for
1st Graders.
September 9 to October 16th is
St. Johns + Art, fall 2010 exhibit.
Over 50 artists will be showing
their art work in open and closed
storefronts in downtown St. Johns.
Dear Editor,
I’m known around St. Johns as the
“litter lady.” Whenever I leave home
Day and night, night and day.
September 13 7-8:30 pm at the St.
Johns Community Center, 8427 N.
KEEP TTHRE ACK
OF
S
2010 REVIEW
# Issues:
1) Jan 8
2) Jan 22
3) Feb 5
4) Feb 19
5) Mar 5
6) Mar 19
7) Apr 2
8) Apr 16
9) Apr 30
10) May 14
11) May 28
12) June 11
13) June 25
14) July 9
15) July 23
16) Aug 6
17) Aug 20
18) Sept 3
2010 St. Johns Reviews
What was Inside each issue
Front Page Article
Speirs Historical articles
Person of Year/Gary Boehm
PPS: Chicken or Egg
UP student dies/Biker rider
SJ Parade: 1964
Police presence: Perception vs Reality
Meat Eaters: RHS hot dog sellers
Cathedral Park Jazz Fest. Introduction
Take No Prisoners (Wapato Jail)
Kenton Library to Open
Who “Did” Willy Part I
RHS Princess/SJ Market opening threatened Who “Did “ Willy Part II
Main St Prog/Farmers Mkt/Ronald McDonald Willy Update/Cattle Rusters
Urban Renewal/Tree down
Fighter Bob Foster
Parade Issue/Duin Citz of Yr
History of SJ Parade
RHS stays - Parade followup
Flying Dreams Part I
SJ Farmers Mkt/Kenton Fair
Flying Creams Part II
Sunday Parkways event
The 8212 Club
Fourth of July/Fireworks Ft Vanc
Roosevelt/Galati
(Cath Pak Jazz Festival) Entertainment Info Roosevelt/Galati Part II
New RHS leadership: Charlene Williams Galati/RHS Afterthoughts
City Council Port& Hayden Is Develop.
Tanks for the memories: N Portland Water Tanks
Port disposal of contam on HI/Fires
Repeat: The Cut Part I
Swifts return to Kenton/Pirate Festival
The Cut Part II
Upcoming Issues &
Deadlines
Issue:
Deadline:
September 17
September 9
October 1
September 23
October 15
October 7
November 12 (Thanksgiving) November 4
November 26
November 18
December 10 (Christmas) December 2
December 26 (New Years) December 16
2011
January 7, 2011
January 21
February 4
February 18
March 4
March 18
April 1
December 30, 2010
January 13
January 27
February 10
February 24
March 10
March 24
Central will be the St. Johns Neighborhood Assn. General Meeting.
Agenda includes a presentation on
the development slated for the
Brownfield site on Lombard between Jowers and Maries.
September 17 from 6:30-8pm at
the St Johns Community Center,
8427 N. Central will be Family
Night at the Movies. “The Tooth
Fairy” will be showing which is
about a hockey star who is temporarily transformed into the tooth
fairy as penalty for discouraging a
young fan. It is rated PG for or mild
language, some rude humor and
sports action. $3/family
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net * www.stjohnsreview.com * 503-283-5086
September 3, 2010 - St. Johns Review - Page 3
Metro, City of Portland purchase section of Baltimore Woods
A 6-acre addition will help fill the gap between Cathedral and Pier parks
The walking, jogging and cycling
path that links communities along
the Willamette River will expand in
North Portland, onto property that
Metro and City of Portland Parks
& Recreation and the Bureau of
Environmental Services collaborated to purchase. A 6-acre addition to
the Willamette River Greenway will
allow the city to build more than
one-third mile of trail north of the
St. John’s Bridge, at North Catlin
Avenue and North Decatur Street.
Metro and the City purchased the
land for $1.19 million, split equally
among three sources: regional funds
from Metro’s voter-approved 2006
natural areas bond measure, the
City’s local allocation from the
Metro bond measure and the City’s
Grey to Green initiative.
Metro and the City have made significant progress this summer in the
Baltimore Woods Connectivity Corridor, the name community advocates gave a missing piece of the
greenway between Cathedral and
Pier parks. Less than half a mile
from the new acquisition, the city
recently purchased a cluster of three
properties totaling one acre – supported by a combination of funding,
including a grant from Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods program, the
City’s share of natural area bond
funds and the City’s Grey to Green
program.
“By combining our energy and
resources, the Metro Council, the
City and community supporters are
making a real difference for North
Portland. Today’s investments lay
the groundwork for many wonderful walks and bike rides,” said
Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder,
who represents District 5. He celebrated progress in the area on Saturday, August 21, at a community
event hosted by Friends of Baltimore Woods.
“This acquisition is a win-win for
the community,” said City Parks
Commissioner Nick Fish. “Through
our partnership with Metro and
BES, we’ve been able to preserve
an important natural area and add a
vital piece of the Willamette River
Greenway trail. The timing is perfect, as Parks will be working with
the community in the near future on
a Master Plan for the entire trail.”
Metro allotted about $445,000 in
regional transportation funds for the
City to plan a section of the greenway, from the Steel Bridge to the
Columbia River Slough. There is
not an exact timeline for construction, but the City anticipates moving forward in the Baltimore Woods
area in the next few years.
City plans call for “re-greening”
the new acquisition in conjunction
with trail development – potentially restoring rare and valuable white
oak habitat similar to that found
elsewhere in the Baltimore Woods
corridor. This habitat could support
diverse wildlife such as the slender-
billed nuthatch, Western woodpewee and Western gray squirrel.
“I’m particularly pleased that this
acquisition protects a stand of white
oak trees and rare species of wildlife associated with oak woodland
habitat,” said Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who is in
charge of the Bureau of Environmental Services. “This is a tremendous opportunity to preserve a portion of the oak woodland that was
once so prevalent in the Willamette
Valley,”
As the greenway expands through
North Portland, it will serve residents and workers in the St. Johns
town center, connecting them with
central Portland and beyond.
“Metro touches on many parts of
people’s everyday lives, from how
they get to work to where they play
and how they connect with nature,”
said Metro Council President David Bragdon. “It’s nice to pull those
pieces together with projects like
the Willamette River Greenway.”
The Willamette River Greenway
is one of 27 areas protected by
Metro’s natural areas bond measure, which was approved by voters in 2006. The program funds
land acquisition and capital improvements that protect water quality and fish and wildlife habitat,
enhance trails and wildlife corridors
and provide greater connections to
nature in urban areas throughout the
Portland metropolitan area. For
more
information,
visit
www.oregonmetro.gov/naturalareas.
Suspicious device
closes St Johns
Post Office
At approximately 8:00 a.m. on
Thursday, August 19, 2010, Portland Police were called to the St.
Johns Post Office on N. Ivanhoe
regarding a suspicious looking device found by a passerby in the
flower bed. The Explosive Disposal Unit, EDU was called to investigate. The St. John’s Post office was
the only building evacuated and
nearby by streets were closed while
EDU examined the device. EDU
concluded that what looked like an
explosive device were actually two
liter sized pieces of aluminum filled
with cement.
RHS class of 1961 looking for students
In order to properly celebrate
their 50th class reunion in 2011, the
class of 1961 would like to get in
contact with the following missing
students. If you recognize a name
and know where that former student
now is, please contact Rosemerie
(Rosie) Williams at 503-286-4282
or pasqualina72@yahoo.com.
Lynn Alexander, Mary Phipps Anderson, Karen Schaper, Bodinger, Linda
Bogard, Sharon Jones Bradley, Imogene Bunch, Pam Butler, Patricia
Cheek, Richard Cox, Jody Crowe,
Karen Daniels, Alice Faye Davis, Carolyn Williamson DeLaughter, Willie
Bee Elliott, Sharon Ellis, David Fenimore, Brenda Reilly Fisher, Lucinda
Freedland, Nancy Gentry, Paulette
Goodridge, Sharon Searle Hanson,
Kenneth Hodgson, Peter Hunt, Kathy
Huntly, Penny DeWolfe Jones, Jacque-
line Roerig Krohn, Lois Lane, Gordon
Larsen, Paul Mannhalter, Kay Rolfe
Monks, Judy Murdock, Anna Nohr,
Gail Kearns, David Olden, Richard Oster, Rose Paice, Ray Parker, Michel
Pearson, Penny Baumchen Penman,
Janet Pepworth, Mary Kramer Percell,
Harry Peterson, Judy Roberts Phelps,
Vicki Renoud, Rebecca Reynolds, Don
Rogers, John Rosenquist, Gary Schell,
Darlene Tennant, Karen Hastay Timm,
Jo Ann Hinson Waddington, Sharon
Lahy Zirkle.
fix
clean
restore
connect
apply now
Have an idea to make your neighborhood
greener, cleaner, safer or healthier? Need
money to make it happen? Apply for a Metro
Central community enhancement grant.
Application deadline:
5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, 2010
Attend a free grant writing workshop
Need help writing your application?
7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, 2010
Call 503-797-1834 to register.
For more information, contact
Karen Blauer, community grants
coordinator, at 503-797-1506 or
karen.blauer@oregonmetro.gov
Page 4 - St Johns Review - September 3, 2010
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net * www.stjohnsreview.com * 503-283-5086
The Cut Part II
Continued from Page 1
after Charles Carey, counsel for the
SP&S line, and a man who reportedly bribed the Portland City Council in order to overturn Mayor
Lane’s veto. The street, however,
was never completed, and only goes
a few blocks. (Peninsula Crossing
Trail location.)
Digging a Cut through the peninsula would stretch a little over a
mile. It was to be 91 feet deep under the Willamette Blvd. viaduct,
82.5 feet under the Lombard Street
viaduct, 36 feet under Fessenden
The Burlington Northern RR
Bridge undergoing a transformation in 1987.
Street, and 26.5 feet under the Columbia Blvd. viaduct. Completion
The Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge on the Willamette River.
A familiar site in St. Johns. This is the newer lift span which was
completed in 1989.
of The Cut would allow a straight
path from the Vancouver railroad
bridge to the Portland yards on the
south side of the Willamette River
and it was estimated that it would
take 14 months to complete. Naturally, a bridge to the opposite side
of the Willamette River would have
to be built. Additionally, the connection that The Cut would facilitate did
not address the logistics problem
that continued to exist between rail
traffic coming out of Vancouver and
ending up at the Union Pacific terminal near Russell and Interstate.
For that problem, a tunnel was proposed; for there was no political will
to engage in another round of fighting to dig a second cut.
The tunnel, which goes for nearly a mile under Columbia Park, was
something that was easily added to
the proposed construction of the cut,
Railroad Bridge, and viaducts over
the Cut. For one, it would be underground; therefore, it didn’t cause the
eyesore of the cut. Secondarily,
powerful influences in the area (led
by the Mock family) had the ear of
many at Portland City Council, and
would hear nothing of a cut dig in
their neighborhood. So, a tunnel was
a perfect alternative, and was met
with little or no resistance from any
sector. As the railroads were paying for most of the construction (the
U.S. War Department also contributed some money) the City of Portland could only benefit from the
commerce that the tunnel would
generate.
Once the dust settled on what the
final configurations would be for
The Cut, the Willamette River
Bridge, and the tunnel, orders were
given for construction began. It was
determined that the railroad bridge
should be started first, as it would
require the most detailed and involved engineering. E.H. Harriman,
owner of the SP&S Railroad was to
build the bridge and he awarded the
contract to construct it to Ralph
Modjeski, a well-known builder of
bridges during that era.
The bridge was to be 1,767 feet in
length, with one 521-foot drawspan
that swung around a central pier,
leaving an opening of half the length
of the center span in which river
traffic could pass.
Negotiations with the Port of Portland as to the character and size of
the drawspan delayed the start of
construction. When the War Department approved the bridge’s plans on
June 21, 1906, it was the longest
drawspan in the world and it had
two clear openings of 230 feet each.
On August 11, 1906, framing the
caissons was started allowing for
construction of the bridge’s foundations, which was done by railroad
employees.
The bridge was named the St. Johns
Bridge, which was dropped when
the suspension bridge we now know
as the St. Johns Bridge was completed in 1931. The railroad bridge
was then named the Willamette River Bridge, and finally the Burlington Northern Bridge, for its present
owner. Like The Cut and the tunnel, the Willamette River Bridge
was pretty much completed by
1910.
(For many years the size of the span
was adequate for all ships entering
the Portland harbor. But as
ships became larger,
this
swivel
span limited the size
of ships
that could
travel up
the Willamette
River. After several
ships ran
into the
bridge and
a huge dry
James J. Hill competed with E.
H. Harriman for placement of
railroad tracks through St.
Johns.
dock became entangled with the
bridge opening, the U.S. Congress
and the Corps of Engineers authorized replacing the old swing-span
with a lift bridge. Under President
Ronald Reagan, a two-year project
costing $38 million began in 1987
and was completed in 1989. A 516foot lift span, with a lift load capacity of nearly 8 million pounds replaced the aging and obsolete swivel span. The present lift span is the
fourth highest in the world, with a
total clearance of 200 feet at low
water, which is higher than the clearance to the bottom deck of the Fremont Bridge.)
Work on the Cut began the following year and surveyors were busy
for months before the dig commenced. St. Johns benignly accepted the inevitable Cut as proponents
of the dig continued to expound on
the commercial benefits to the community. Others in the City of St.
Johns referred to the Cut as an example of the “banality of evil.” The
beginning of the dig was noted in
the St. Johns Review, February 22,
1907. It begins with “WILL
START”...the subtitle was: “The Big
Steam Shovel on the Railroad Cut
Soon.” It continued: “In a few days
the big steam shovel and large force
of men will be working day and
night at the east end of the cut to be
made across the peninsula. This
steam shovel is one of the largest
made and its dipper carries five
yards of dirt. Everything is in readi-
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net * www.stjohnsreview.com * 503-283-5086
ness to begin and they are awaiting
the arrival of dump cars. A long trestle has been laid across the lowlands
toward the Columbia where the dirt
is to be dumped. A large water tank
for supplying the engines has been
built and immense stocks of coal are
on hand.
The contractors are to complete
the work within fourteen months,
and estimate it will take that length
of time to complete the job.
A force of men are working the
hydraulic rams at the eastern end
of the cut day and night.”
Rumor has it the huge steam
shovel used to dig the cut was used
a few years earlier ... one of the
many that dug the Panama Canal.
Continued in the September 17,
2010 issue.
About the Author:
Jim Speirs is a lifelong resident
of North Portland, 4th generation.
He is a published author and enjoys writing about North Portland’s
history. He was a teacher of Political Science at Portland Community College and Chemeketa Community College and taught the politics of World War II, Viet Nam, and
Korea at both colleges.
Jim served as a Marine Corps
infantryman and spent 17 months
in Viet Nam. He still lives and
works in North Portland and recently published his first book
“Death In Spades” and is currently
working on his second and third
novels. This article may not be
republished without the permission of the author. Send info/comments to: PO Box 83068, Portland,
Oregon 97283
September 3, 2010 - St. Johns Review - Page 5
Swifts return to Kenton
Continued from Page 1
migratory journey.
Kelly Dutcher, Mackin’s Manager said he’s
known about the Swift’s inhabitance of their
chimney for about the last five years. He said,
“The first time I saw them I thought they were
bats.” As he got a closer look from the roof he
realized they were Swifts at which point he
4826 N. Lombard * 503-285-1119
invited someone from the City to come look.
He said the lady was excited to identify them
as Swifts. Dutcher said people were bringing
CONGRATULATIONS TO NICOLA’S
lawn chairs to watch them at night.
for 22 years in business!!
Swifts typically nest in old growth forests
in hollow tree snags but because of dwindling
old-growth forests stands, they have begun
substituting chimneys for hollow. Their nests
are made with twigs pasted together with saliva and it will inch its way
Not valid with any other coupons. No cash redemption. Dine in only.
on the side of the snag or chimney. Adults back up to the nests.
Second entre of equal or lesser value. Expires: Sept. 30, 2010
access the nest by flying in and out of the top Experts say to never try
of the chimney. Swift nest disintegrate soon and remove a nest because
nicolaspizza.homestead.com
Open: Tue-Thur: 11:30am - 9:00pm; Fri: 11:30-10:00pm;
after they are abandoned and do not pose a fire nestlings will not survive.
Sat: noon - 10:00pm. Closed Sun and Mon to be with family
hazard. The birds have often been said to appear
Each September when
like small, dark, fast flying cigars with wings. thousands of migrating
Their body is 4-5 inches in length and their Swifts use Chapman
wings are crescent shaped and beat with swift, Elementary School’s
7301 N. Alta - (503)380-5111
rapid, bat-like, movements.
chimney as their nightly
Swifts are truly amazing aerialist and spend roost for three weeks the
“FREE ESTIMATES”
much of their time in the air, and forage, drink, Audubon Society of
Residential * Commercial * Remodels * Restoration
court, collect nesting materials, and copulate Portland hosts Swift
Troubleshooting & Installation Specialists - Bonded & Insured to $2 Million
all in flight. They have a voracious appetite for Watch, which is an
flying insects and ballooning spiders. They amazing opportunity to
*Service Work & Service Calls $65/hr.
arrive in Oregon in late April, court their mates see them in their nightly
*Installation of residential electrical panels & meter bases
as low as $1800 complete
in May and June, and have their 4-6 eggs laid aerial performances.
CCB#184296
and hatched by July.
After hatching, the young are cared
Below: At Chapman School, the Swifts circling and
for in the nest for just over two
entering the chimney.
weeks. As they develop, the
nestlings become adventurous and
begin to cling to the wall near the
nest and take short flights. They’ve
been known to fall into fireplaces
and experts say if this happens to
gently reach up into your chimney
and attach the bird to the chimney
wall. Swifts have velcro-like feet
Thank you to all our customers &
Buy 1 entree
Get 2nd entree 1/2 off
Sunrise Electric
LIVE MUSIC
FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK!!
Just Say NO to Karaoke
Nestlings inside a chimney.
Adult Swifts clinging
to a wall.
View the Swifts
in Kenton and at
Mack
in Auto Body
(the old movie
theater) at 8116
N. Denver &
Schofield.
The chimney is at the back of the building on
Schofield. Chpaman School is located at, 1445
NW 26th.
SEPTEMBER
Friday 3rd: The Student Loan 9pm
Saturday 4th:
Donna and the Side Effects 9pm
Tuesday 7th:
Johnnie Ward & Eagle Ridin Papas 8pm
Thursday 9th:
Claes of Blueprints
Open Mic & Jammin 8:30pm
Friday 10th: Otis Heat 9pm
Saturday 11th: the Catillacs 9pm
Thursday 16th:
Randy Yearout Open Mic & Jammin 8:30pm
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&RVBM)PVTJOH-FOEFS
Page 6 - St Johns Review - September 3, 2010
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net * www.stjohnsreview.com * 503-283-5086
RHS annual golf
tournament
planned for
September
re g!!
’
e
Wovin
to St. Johns at
M 7437
N. Leavitt
Behind Patti’s Home Plate Deli
The event helps raise $$
for RHS kids
ZIMMER’S
Dog Grooming Salon
On September 25 the annual
Roosevelt Alumni Golf Tournament
is planned, and this year it will be
held at Heron Lakes Golf Course.
This is the 50th year for the event
which has helped raise over
$300,000 for Roosevelt students.
There will be awards, prizes, BBQ
chicken, a beef dinner and free beer
following the event which starts at
We hope to be up and
grooming just after
Labor Day!
Give us a call for an appointment
Thanks, Kelly & Staff
Same Phone:
503-285-4264
This space available for
your ADVERTISEMENT!!
Let the community know
about what your business
has to offer.
Call 503-283-5086
9:00 a.m. at the Green
Back Club, 3500 N.
Victory Blvd. It will be
an 18-hole, 4-person
scramble with a 9:00
a.m. shotgun start.
Participants are asked to
please be ready at 8:30
a.m.
There is also a putting
contest with prizes
awarded to winners.
Golf Carts and free range
balls are included. Golf
and dinner is $90.00.
Golf only is $75.00 and
dinner only is $15.00.
Only 144 entries will
be accepted for the
tournament, so those
interested should get
their entries in early. For
more
information
contact Mike Hansen at
503-655-2365.
Peninsula
Fred Meyer
seeks
rezoning to
add gas
station
www.lungfungrestaurant.com
Support the REVIEW advertisers.
They help bring it to you!
You can place your ad to by calling 503-283-5086
The Peninsula Fred
Meyer store is requesting from the City of
Portland rezoning of
their property at the
south end of the parking
lot to allow construction
of a gas station. The St.
Johns Neighborhood
Association has concerns about this request
and has sent emails to
neighbors requesting
they write to the city to
oppose the rezoning request.
If interested in finding out more about this
issue, attend a special
meeting to be held September 20, from 7-8:30
p.m. at the St. Johns
Community Center,
8427 N. Central Street
Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS
1. October birthstone
5. Young eel
10. Annoyance
14. A Roman emperor
15. Military blockade
16. Countertenor
17. Sympathy
19. Not fat
20. N N N N
21. Hollow
22. Soothsayer
24. Solitary
25. A person who gives up too easily
26. Unready
29. The constellation Orion
30. Perch
31. Bridget Fonda, to Jane
32. Be in debt
35. A nanny or billy
36. Blackbird
37. A Freudian stage
38. Terminate
39. Bellybutton
40. Out of place
41. Protested violently
43. A trite remark
44. Pillage
46. Egg on
47. Cavalry member
48. Lady’s man
49. Rapid transit vehicle
52. Coastal raptor
53. Impertinent
56. Matures
57. Licoricelike flavor
58. Wings
59. Civil wrong
60. Rubber
61. Dour
DOWN 1. A single time
2. Unskilled laborer
3. Weapons
4. Chop off
5. Ancient ascetic
6. A strong tightly twisted cotton
thread
7. Obscure
8. Bigheadedness
9. Foreswear
10. Roof of the mouth
11. Powered by electricity
12. Not fresh
13. Laser printers need this 18. Take
as one’s own
23. Ritual
24. Enumerate
25. Suppress
26. Encourage
27. Midday
28. Speedy largely terrestrial bird
29. Employed
31. Not at any time
33. Cleanse
34. Consequence
36. Cloth
37. In the center of 39. Connecting
point
40. Winged
42. Sexual intercourse between
parents and children
43. Not concave
44. Skirt fold
45. Slow
46. Ganders and goslings
48. Fortitude and determination
49. It rings every hour
50. A Central American sloth
51. Flower stalk
54. Registered nursing assistant
55. Tattered cloth
C LASSIFIEDS
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net - www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086
September 3, 2010 - St. Johns Review - Page 7
Business card ads - call 503-283-5086 for information
We’re in the “Inspiration” business
This space
AVAILABLE
for your
AD
Call 503-283-5086 or
MAYTAG
Red
Carpet
Service
REVIEW
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSES
Yoga Classes for 55 and over.
Revitalize mind & body. Improve focus, release stress while increasing strength & flexibility. Class is ongoing - join anytime.
Thursday 9:15-10:15am at the University Park Community Center. 9009 N Foss Ave. Call 503-823-3631 for more information.
VOICE & PIANO LESSONS
Jensen’s Voice & Piano Studio offers lessons with college credits
available. For an appointment or more information call Pauline at
503-286-1168.
CAREGIVER
Michael D. Mellum,
D.M.D., P.C.
Nicholas R. Mellum
D.M.D.
Family and Cosmetic
Dentistry
Serving St. Johns since 1974
8910 N. Kellogg St. 503-286-4492
EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER/PROFESSIONAL HOME
HEALTHCARE WORKER offering care for your loved one in
their home. Medication management, cooking, cleaning,
medical appts., companionship, personal health care. Call
John H. at 503-285-2267.
Classifieds are $15 each.
Send ad with payment to:
The Review,
PO Box 83068,
Portland, Oregon 97283
Jensen’s
WORSHIP
DIRECTORY
VOICE & PIANO STUDIO
High School and College
Credits Available
HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH
“In the Spirit of Unity, Welcome!”
Sun: 8:00am & 10am
Sat Mass: 4:00pm
Spanish Mass: Sunday Noon
Daily Mass: Mon-Fri, 8:30am
Call for an appointment: (503) 286-1168
5227 N Bowdoin
(503) 289-2834
Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church
Move · Think · Sense · Feel
“Where All Are Welcome”
Worship & Sunday School:
10:00am each Sunday
Mondays, 11am-Noon ~ $25/month
Johanna 503-380-5437 ~ johannarayman.com
7119 N. Portsmouth
(503) 289-6878
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Living through the love
of Jesus with the land,
waters and peoples of
this community.
Worship Serv: Sun 8am & 10:30am
Bible Study 9:30am
Wednesday 12 noon
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
Johanna Rayman · Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Guild-Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
Linnton Community Center ~ 10614 NW St. Helens Rd.
St. Johns Newest Sr. Adult Care Home
7600 N. Hereford Ave
Pastor: Don Ebel
“Glorify God - Grow His Body Gather the Lost”
Sunday School: 9:45am
Sunday Worship: 11am & 6:00pm
Wednesday Prayer & Praise: 6pm
www.bethelnorthpdx.com
Do you suffer Aches & Pains?
this is the class for you.
Two Locations!
Garden Place
For Your Loved Ones
Bonnie Gill
Owner/Operator
7807 N. Fessenden
503-286-4123
5903 N. Houghton St. 503-247-7103
Page 8 - St Johns Review - September 3, 2010
reviewnewspaper@comcast.net * www.stjohnsreview.com * 503-283-5086
Portland Pirate Festival Drawing
Yes, I would like to enter the drawing for 2 free adult tickets and 2 free children’s
tickets to the 2010 Portland Pirate’s Festival on Sunday, September 19. The drawing will be random on September 11, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Winner will be notified via
telephone. Please give your complete name, phone number and why you want to
attend the festival.
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Phone:___________________________________________________________
Why do you want to win the tickets? _______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Mail this form to: The Review, PO Box 83068, Portland, 97283 or, drop off at:
6635 N. Baltimore, Office 261, (Cathedral Park Place) DRAWING IS SEPT. 11.
Pirate Festival Sept 18 & 19 in Cathedral Park
Continued from Page 1
If they were successful, they only managed
it by 52 measly pirates! “This will mean
war!” said Pirate organizers.
The new Guinness World Record attempt
will be mightily defended on Sunday, September 19th (Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day) at the
Portland Pirate Festival. Cap’n Slappy, the
world famous co-creator of the pirate holiday, will be on stage to officiate the new
count. The good cap’n will autograph books
and debut a new pirate song for the wee buccaneers.
For the kids, this year’s lineup includes a
host of family friendly entertainment, including the giant strolling puppets of Seattle’s
Zambini Brothers, Let’s Pretend’s interactive
high energy theater, Dragon Theater Puppet
Shows, Adventure Gully’s Pirates of the
Cursed Sea gaming produced by PDXYar,
swordplay with Academia Duellatoria, scavenger hunts and interactive games with The
Pirates of Puget Sound, cannon battles on
the beach between Portland’s own B.O.O.M.
Pirates and the King’s Navy, an abundance
of colorful parrots, the giant inflatable play
area of Scupper Monkey Island, historical
displays including the Tortuga Market, and
much more! Every kid will be able to get a
free balloon and an airbrush tattoo!
Three stages will feature two full days of
entertainment at this year’s Portland Pirate
Festival.
Music Sailing in from Afar will be:
Eric Herman, the internationally acclaimed
kindie-rock star whose witty sea shanty style
song, “Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard
– A Pirate Story” has been made into an
animated video. Herman is also known for
his “Elephant Song,” which has had more
than 15 million views on Youtube. Herman
will perform on Saturday only.
The Dreadnoughts – Saturday at 9 pm. CBC
Radio describes them as “One part roaring
sea shanty, one part haunting Irish melody,
and a solid chaser of gut-crunching street
punk. The tunes are manic, and the live show
is not to be missed.” This ragtag group of
misfits stays true to the ancient ballads and
bawlers that once drove sailors around the
world, all the while smashing out modern
punk with a fury and intensity that is unmatched in their home city of Vancouver,
B.C.
Pirates Charles –Saturday and Sunday –
Pirate rock specialists hailing from Southern
California. The band combines old-world
instruments with modern sounds to create
music that is bold, adventurous and strong.
Bilgemunkey Radio describes their show as
“jovial and shameless… so wonderfully perfect that it’s hard to believe it isn’t secretly
(and masterfully) contrived...That such a
primitive facade can conceal music so entirely engrossing is a major feat.”
Tom Lewis, dubbed “The Springsteen of Sea
Chanteys”, will share his vitally authentic
stance, from traditional shanties to songs
fashioned out of his own seafaring background after 24 years in the British Royal
Navy. Tom accompanies himself on button
accordion and ukulele, but it’s his powerful
vocal style and infectious humor that keeps
audiences coming back again and again!
Lewis performs on Saturday and Sunday.
Boom Bilge Rats and the Pyrettes. These
local rogues perform an acoustic collection
of pirate-themed music featuring traditional
sea shanties, original compositions and fa-
Crowd from last year’s Pirate Festival - everyone is dressed in their pirate costumes.
miliar contemporary sounds, all woven together by dramatic interludes which tell the
tale of a renegade life on the sea. Their Pirate Vaudeville show delights audiences of
all ages and should not be missed on Saturday and Sunday.
Chervona - Mixing together taste and passion of the best Gypsy, Russian, Ukrainian,
Klezmer and Balkan musical traditions, Chervona brings the fire of Eastern European
carnivals to the land of America. With their
authenticity and genuine fire Chervona has
stolen many hearts. Shining with their brass
section and capturing soul with the traditional sounds of the old world and new interpre-
tations, Chervona transforms a celebration
into an ultimate party www.starbugs.com/
chervona .
Other local performers confirmed to perform at the festival include the Lost Highwaymen and belly dancers from Belissimonde,
Gypsy Caravan and Yodhini and the Sirens.
For more information, schedule updates,
and to purchase tickets online, go to:
www.portlandpiratefestival.com.
The St. Johns Review will be giving away
two adult tickets and two children’s tickets
for Sunday, September 19th. See form on Page
8.
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