June 2009 - NW Examiner
Transcription
June 2009 - NW Examiner
JUNE 09 VOLUME 23, ISSUE 10 Serving Por tland’s Nor thwest Neighborhoods since 1986 FREE A different kind of trendy JULIE KEEFE the new Thurman Public life thrives around Food Front. Northwest Thurman Street is a mixed-use area that works—for businesses and residents—by focusing on services neighbors need I By Allan Classen n the worst of economic times, Northwest Thurman Street is blooming. While closed storefronts on Northwest 23rd Avenue make the headlines, Thurman Street has quietly evolved into a vital hub of local commercial and social activity. Almost everything needed for daily life is available on the 2300 block of Thurman, and not a single retail space is empty. The “T” intersection of 23rd Place and Thurman is ground zero. From this vantage point, Dan Bair stands behind his barbecue grill every weekday, occasionally glancing up from his work to watch people come and go, sign petitions at Food Front, snack and chat at the sidewalk tables surrounding St. Honore bakery and drop off laundry at T.S. Cleaners or videos at Trilogy. Mothers push high-end strollers past his stand on their way to the branch library at the eastern end of the block. To his left, Bair can see Dragonfly Coffee House, a comforting slice of hominess where locals munch and read. Dragonfly owner Erin Timmins feels the same pressures that are dragging down so many small businesses in the district, but she hasn’t lost sight of the bigger picture. Last month she welcomed the district’s first Democracy in a ‘company town’ Forest Heights residents seek way to say no Continued on page 24 inside allan classen By Allan Classen F Margaret Rogers is fighting a proposed community center and pool that would partially surround Forest Heights’ Mill Pond. orest Heights, the 1,800home subdivision in the West Hills, is the largest planned unit development in state history. While not a private community in every sense, it is in ways a public/private hybrid operated by a homeowners association that has the power to assess fees to maintain streets, landscaping, hiking trails and other common areas. The homeowners association is governed by an elected board of directors that handles not only property-management matters but organization of an annual community garage sale day, July 4 fireworks and other events. The Forest Continued on page 5 Pearl grocers The Little Green Grocer that could page 8 QUeeN aNNe viCtoriaN–heart of old Nob hill historiC aNNa balCh hamiltoN italiaNate (Now dUplex) (Now foUrplex) 2247–2249 NW Irving Street 2729–2733 NW Savier Street Early homesteader Danford Balch had a daugher, Anna. Anna’s first lover was shot and killed by Balch after eloping with the 15 year old. Father Balch went on to be the first person legally hung in Portland. Anna and her second husband lived in this house and raised 10 children here. *per City of Portland Historic Inventory The old homestead has been converted to 4 units and still has high ceilings, bay windows, and old world patina. Own a slice of our city’s early history. Grow a victory garden on this extra large property. Raise your family and rent out rooms to pay for the kids’ college. 1891 elegantly crafted lady on one of the Historic Alphabet District’s undisturbed residential blocks. Quiet leafy garden, yet steps to all you’ll ever need for quality living. This century-old dame is hoping for an owner/ occupier to make her gorgeous. Presently 2 units, make a little extra income with the second unit but live as if a single-family residence—the big old porch and white picket fence give it a welcoming presence . 60 x 100 Ft. lot, One 2 bedroom/den/1 bath unit and one 2 bedroom / 1 bath unit. 2,659 Sq. Ft. per county. $795,000. / 74 x 100 Ft. lot. One 2 bedroom/1 bath unit and three 1 bedroom 1 bath units. MLS #9042174. $725,000. ZINC Uber-ChiC New CoNdomiNiUms at 722 Nw 24th aveNUe No reasoN to wait…affordable, eCo-CoNsCioUs aNd loCatioN, loCatioN, loCatioN Priced Under $200,000 NW Portland’s newest condominium conversion, located on the corner of NW 24th & Johnson, in the heart of the NW Alphabet District, is straightforward 1961 construction updated with new period-appropriate & eco-chic finishes. Brand new kitchens and baths with bamboo floors shine in these comfortably sized 1 bedroom/1 bath units. F 19 – 1 bedroom/1 bath units F Stainless appliances F Units range from 497-520 Sq. Ft. F Italian Mirage Granito countertops F 18 storage units F New electric zonal heat F In-unit washer and dryer F New electric hot water heater F 6 parking spaces on-site available for purchase F New electrical panels F On-site bike storage F New zinc & mahogany exterior finishes F Parking courtyard – water-permeable pavers F New windows F HOA’s $150/mo (est.) F New PVC roof F Zip Car location directly in front of complex F Bamboo floors F New plumbing The Dan Volkmer Team Dan Volkmer PrinciPal broker burDean barTlem, kishra oTT & anne Yoo, brokers WalTer anD TeD, Too. For your real estate needs in the Northwest neighborhood. Call us to find out your property’s top market value. 503-497-5158 www.danvolkmer.com 2 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 er & Ted Dan, Walt , ra h is K , n ea rd u Anne, B reader reply Letters can be sent to allan@nwexaminer.com or 2825 NW Upshur St., Ste. C, Portland, OR 97210. Letters should be 300 words or fewer; include a name and a street of residence. Deadline third Saturday of the month. Editor’s Turn By Allan Classen Editor & Publisher Air pollution astounding Thank you for the excellent article about air quality in Northwest Portland [May 2009 Northwest Examiner]. I have been a Childpeace [Montessori School] parent for three years, but even before that I was aware and concerned about ESCO emissions. You can smell those foundries all over Northwest Portland and even on the east side of the river if the wind is blowing that direction. It’s astounding that ESCO has been allowed to pollute a residential neighborhood for so long. Couple this with their toxic dump on Sauvie Island, and it adds up to a company that doesn’t care about its community, no matter how much money they donate to local schools and community centers. Sattie Clark N. Ainsworth St. Who said ‘not trendy’? Did I imagine it, or was there an element of gloating threaded between the lines of your front-page story, “Businesses close one after another” [May 2009 Northwest Examiner]? You paraphrased The Oregonian story as reporting that the “no-longer-trendy 23rd Avenue is ‘fraying under the weight of the recession,’” but it wasn’t clear whether that “no-longer-trendy” remark was yours or theirs. It wasn’t included in quotes, so I must assume it was an editorial jab thrown in to provide a little extra gravitas. Given your personal history of antipathy for business owners and developers (who were, after all, responsible for turning 23rd Avenue “trendy” in the first place), the tone of the article sounds a lot like Rush Limbaugh, sharpening his ax, hoping against hope that President Obama will fail, just so he can say “I told you so.” Perhaps a more productive use of The Examiner would be to do a story on what developers and building owners are doing to help 23rd Avenue businesses survive the downturn (in anticipation of becoming trendy again). There’s a pretty good story there if you’re interested in doing some investigation. It might actually give you an opportunity to print something positive on the subject. Ted Thomas NW 23rd Ave. Lynch remembered As a 50-year friend of Douglas Lynch, I appreciated your recent story at his passing. But seeing his name listed again in the obits, I am moved to mention an aspect of his work that may not be widely known. In 1955, my second year as conductor of the Portland Junior Symphony, I invited Doug to have the students in his Museum Commercial Arts class design programs for the orchestra’s concerts. He and his students took up this idea with fervor and continued for 21 years, until 1976. They produced a wonderful range of designs which I deposited at the Library of Congress, the New York Lincoln Center, the British Arts Council and the major libraries of this country, where they were welcomed and much admired. Continued on page 22 index VOL. 23, NO.10 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Pearl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Going Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Community Events. . . . . . . . . . 21 Business & Real Estate. . . . . . . 24 In the ‘Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Too good to believe The city finally has a preliminary traffic study of the Northwest 23rd and Vaughn area, five years after the state required Portland to produce it. The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals ruled that the city hadn’t provided evidence that its plan to upzone industrial property along the north side of Vaughn Street would not overwhelm the intersection where the I-405 freeway dumps onto Vaughn Street. The city claimed it could cram 30 percent more traffic through the same streets and intersections without anyone noticing, but LUBA didn’t buy it. Satisfying LUBA was difficult because the intersection at the time of the 2003 decision had already sunk to a “D” level of congestion, one notch above a failing “F” grade. Loosening restrictions on office buildings on Vaughn, as was proposed, combined with other growth in the area could easily push the intersection into unacceptable gridlock. And when you think of current complications, such as converting 10 acres of Con-way parking lots into medium-to-high-density housing and commercial structures, the possible congestion is mind-boggling. Given this daunting homework assignment, the city bureaus of planning and transportation did what any D student does—they put things off. After finally resolving to begin working on the study, traffic planners got just far enough to hit an insurmountable hurdle: They were using a Metro regional traffic model based only on major intersections, and it did not break down projected traffic volumes at the neighborhood level, as was necessary here. For two years planners explained to neighbors that the study was almost done except for this one thorny problem. It was as if they were trying to plug a threeprong electrical fixture into a two-prong outlet. If they ever developed a strategy for surmounting the dilemma, they never shared it. But suddenly this spring, the planners and engineers had the answer they wanted. The intersection would hold up under the increased traffic load if a couple of cheap, easy fixes were applied; some lane markings could be changed and the traffic signal for vehicles exiting the freeway could be adjusted. Both modifications go in the direction of letting traffic flow off the freeway and into the neighborhood more freely. In this way, freeway congestion can be relieved or at least managed at something near current levels. Of course, the extra traffic wouldn’t disappear. The congestion would be pushed onto neighborhood streets. More cars would pour onto Northwest 23rd, Vaughn and the U-turn that leads to Thurman. And drivers heading to the freeway via 23rd or Vaughn streets would also run into greater congestion than they do today because the signal would give them short shrift so it could favor traffic leaving the freeway. The plan gives the city everything it wants. The cost of $200,000 is miniscule. When the rezoning was debated in 2003 as part of the Northwest District Plan, it was contemplated that the cost of mitigating the traffic burden could run into millions, a cost that would be offset by surcharges on property owners proceeding with development. I’m not qualified to evaluate the traffic data and analysis contained in the report, but I believe traffic engineers are quite capable of starting with a desired conclusion and filling in the numbers and assumptions to back it up. I am very suspicious about the way this study was handled from the beginning. There was no dialogue with the community on the multiple layers and complexities involved in reaching a result; just endless delays using one tired excuse and then, voila, an answer out of the blue that seems a bit too perfect. It’s as if the kid with the tough homework assignment had a bolt of insight— the whole thing was just a trick question. He didn’t have to work through the difficult problem after all but simply mark his paper “finished.” JUNE 2009 EDITOR/PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALLAN CLASSEN ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIKE RYERSON GRAPHIC DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stephanie akers cohen PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIE KEEFE CONTRIBUTORS: Kenneth Aaron, MICHAELA BANCUD, Jennifer Conway, JEFF COOK, Stacy Larson, Kerry Newberry, Zach Rosenberg, Mark Stock , Carol WELLS buy Award-winning publication NW! Published on the first Saturday of each month. CLR Publishing, Inc., 2825 NW Upshur St., Ste. C, Portland, OR 97210, 503-241-2353. CLR Publishing, Inc. Copyright 2009. allan@nwexaminer.com • mikeryerson@comcast.net • www.nwexaminer.com Caption Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 3 news @ Northwest June Events Library 2300 NW Thurman | 503-988-5560 FOR FAMILIES: Story Times Thursday – Saturday. Toddlers: Fridays 11:15-11:45 Tiny Tots: Thursdays & Fridays 10:1510:45. Book Babies: Thursdays 11:15-11:45. Preschool: Thursdays 4 - 4:30 pm. Family (with music): Saturdays 11-11:30. Balloon Fairy Workshop – Tuesday, June 16, 2-3 p.m. Choose from ballons of various shapes, colors and sizes to create your own balloon hat creation. Doctor Partz’s Puppet Laboratory – Wednesday, June 24, 3-4:30 pm The Mudeye Puppet Company presents a new summer fun combination: puppet show and workshop! Food Art! – Tuesday, June 30, 2-4 pm Create characters and whole worlds out of food with author and artist Addie Boswell. FOR KIDS AND TEENS: Teen Book Group – Wednesday, June 17, 5-6 p.m. For 6th-12th graders. Snacks provided. Call for title. 503-988-5560. Middle School Book Group – Tuesday, June 16, 4:30-5:30 pm For 6th-7th-8th graders. Snacks provided. Call for title. 503-988-5560. O B I T UA RI ES Zechariah ‘Zech’ Pinder She is survived by her daughter, Chris Cooper; son, Mark Zechariah “Zech” Alexander Pinder, an artist and decorator Robinson; and two grandchildren. who worked at Fox and Hounds Pub, died April 20 at age 50. Mr. Pinder was born Nov. 14, 1958, in Niceville, Fla., Billie ‘Maxine’ Tamiyasu and attended schools in several states and Panama before Billie “Maxine” Tamiyasu, a retired waitress for Hung Far graduating from high school in Springfield, Mo. He later Low restaurant, died May 3 at age 82. Mrs. Tamiyasu was studied at the Denver Institute of Art. In the mid-1990s, born Aug. 30, 1926, in Portland. She is survived by her he moved to Portland, where he organized and hosted son, Tommy; and daughters, Jan Leeding, Judy Latourettecharitable events for gay-rights causes and the Oregon Myers and JoAnne Tamiyasu. Humane Society. He was an oil painter and decorated C.C. Slaughters nightclub. Survivors include his partner, Russell Howell; mother, Norma Coleman; stepmother, Peter Cornacchia Hazel Fisher; four sisters, Cheryl Salomon, Kristian Peter Cornacchia, a longtime Evans, Elyse Gotham and Barbara Fisher; and brother, Northwest Portland resident, died Ryan Coleman. May 1 at age 93. Mr. Cornacchia was Robert W. Maull Robert William Maull, who owned and operated Twentythird Avenue Books 1987-2006, died April 24 in Cape Cod, Mass., at age 65. Mr. Maull was born Oct. 14, 1943, in Lockport, N.Y., and graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, Wash., and The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. He worked as a drug and alcohol counselor for St. Joseph Hospital in Vancouver before buying the bookstore. He married Elaine Herosy in 1968. Survivors include his wife; and son, Matthew. Recycled Wool Sweater Jewelry – Monday, June 22, 3-5 pm For teens in grades 6-12. Registration required, register online, in the library or by calling 503-988-5234. FOR ADULTS: Verse in Person, Poetry Readings – Wednesday, June 24, 7-8 p.m. Listen to Oregon poets read from their works. Organized by local poets Barbara LaMorticella, Robert Davies, and Mike Ferrell, who draw on their extensive contacts in the Oregon Poetry community to highlight 2 to 3 poets each reading. Americana Music – Tuesday, June 16, 6-7:30 pm Enjoy multiple genres of Americana music, from Appalachian to bluegrass, from cowboy to the Kingston Trio, with local artists, the Stumptown Stars. COMPUTER CLASSES Cyber Seniors – Sundays, June 7, 14, and 21, 10 a.m. – noon. A series of three classes for seniors. Learn how to use a computer, search the Internet, and send and receive e-mail. You must register and attend all three sessions; register online, in the library or by calling 503-988-5234. View more information and registrations online at: www.multcolib.org/events/ Or call Northwest Library at 503-988-5560 Coady D. Reynolds Sr. Elizabeth B. Robinson Elizabeth Bewley Robinson, who worked for Ackroyd Photography for nearly 45 years, died May 3 at age 88. Elizabeth Smith was born May 11, 1920, in Portland and graduated from Commerce (Cleveland) High School. She was a secretary for the photography firm, retiring in 2008. PortlAnd, orEgon Traditional worship in an intimate setting. Saturdays at 5:30pm Vigil Mass Sundays at 8am low Mass Sundays at 10am Sung Mass Sunday School and childcare at 10am Sundays 1823 SW Spring St., near Vista | 503.227.7806 w w w. as c e n s i o n e p i s c o pa l pa r i s h . o rg Celebrate with Us! Visit ERA’s Activities & Resource Tent Portland Pride Festival – June 13 & 14 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 Elizabeth J. Mitchell Elizabeth J. Mitchell, who worked for Vinton Co. in Northwest Portland for 27 years, died May 19 at age 90. Ms. Mitchell was born July 21, 1918, in Royal Oak, Mich., where she graduated from high school in 1937. She graduated from Detroit Commercial College before moving to Portland in 1943. She joined Vinton Co., a wholesaler of housewares, rising to the position of corporate secretary-treasurer before retiring in 1982. After retirement, she volunteered at the Southwest Loaves & Fishes center and chaired its steering committee. She is survived by nieces and nephews. Coady Dixon Reynolds Sr., a Northwest Portland resident, died April 25 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. Born in Glendale, Calif., Feb. 27, 1947, his family moved in 1948 to Houston, where he graduated from Sam Houston High School. He worked for the Xerox Corporation for 35 years, becoming regional supervisor for the Pacific Northwest in 1998. Survivors include his son, Coady Jr.; brother, Phillip Reynolds; sisters, Caren Cates, Sue Smith and Pam Turner; and one The Northwest Examiner publishes obituaries of people grandchild. Ascension Episcopal Parish 4 born Aug. 13, 1915, and grew up in Linnton and worked in the Linnton lumber mill as a young man. He lived for many years at Lucretia Court apartments and later at Northwest Tower. He worked as a dishwasher for 20 years at the Multnomah Athletic Club. He is survived by his niece, Anna Lou Belanger; and caregiver, Myra Nichols. who lived, worked or had other substantial connections to our readership area, which includes Northwest Portland, Goose Hollow, Sauvie Island and areas north of Highway 26. If you have information about a death in our area, please contact us at allan@nwexaminer.com. Photographs are also welcomed. There is no charge for obituaries in the Examiner. news Forest Heights focus groups of selected residents who will study options and make recommencontinued from page 1 dations. Presumably, the process would Heights Homeowners Association and produce such a clear consensus that homits nine subcommittees touch so many eowners would vote in accord with its areas of community life that the officially conclusions. chartered neighborhood association for Rogers considers this approach folly. the area has existed mainly on paper in She can’t imagine three-quarters of the recent years. residents approving such an expensive and While the homeowners association ill-conceived project, and she’s offended provides many of the functions of a that the board is throwing so much time neighborhood association, it may act and resources at a doomed effort. more like a local government body in at “Why are we spending money on this least one area: public dissent. Tim Tees, president of the Forest when the odds of getting the 75-percent The FHHOA board is testing the Heights Homeowners Association, threshold are next to impossible?” asked limits of its credibility and democratic would not talk to the Examiner Rogers. processes with a proposal to build a about the $6 million community Seven years ago, a different improvecommunity center and pool, a project center and swimming pool project ment package that included a community that could cost over $6 million, or about he’s pushing. center was presented to the membership, $3,500 per home. Major capital improveand it fell about 10 percentage points short of passage. ments require approval by 75 percent of the members. That proposal was to be largely underwritten by the An opposition force has surfaced, led by Margaret Rog- developer, making the homeowners’ share only about ers, a Forest Heights resident since 2001, who accuses the $250,000—roughly the amount Rogers has heard the board of wasting money on a proposal that will surely be board is spending to prepare drawings, conduct the focus voted down by homeowners. Rogers is distributing “Save groups and take the current proposal to a vote. Mill Pond” flyers that challenge members to “take back The burden on each homeowner was not a big factor in your Forest Heights HOA.” She also called for the resig2002, but this time the cost per household would be about nation of board President Tim Tees for conflict of interest, 25 times greater, and the economic climate, which is causabuse of funds and misconduct in his election campaign ing hardship and foreclosures in Forest Heights just as in (for placing campaign flyers in mailboxes). the rest of the country, has to be considered. Tees, who is pushing the proposal, has not responded If that isn’t enough to make members leery, questionable publicly nor has the board launched an educational camdealings by the homeowners association board of directors paign to persuade residents that the new facilities are may seal the deal. Beside the big-ticket items, FHHOA worth the investment. In fact, Tees failed to even return leaders want to contribute $15,000 to improve drainage at messages from the Examiner for this story. The FHHOA the Forest Park Elementary School soccer field. general manager insisted that his remarks on the topic be Tees is married to the vice president of the Forest Park off the record. Elementary School PTA, and a sore point with Rogers So how does the association hope to sell the idea and and other residents is spending FHHOA funds on school gain the overwhelming backing it needs? property. Focus groups. “The board often evokes Policy Resolution No. 8 The board intends to hire a consulting firm to organize [regarding fiduciary responsibility to members] when BES AD save-help 6/5/09 2:26 PM Page 1 ■ get help Cut Stormwater Charges Manage stormwater on your property and earn a stormwater charge discount. www.CleanRiverRewards.com Reclaim Brownfields Money and technical support are available to help owners and buyers return unused brownfields to productive use. 503-823-1371 www.brownfield.org cleanrivers@bes.ci.portland.or.us 503-823-5863 clarkh@bes.ci.portland.or.us www.portlandonline.com/water/help_pay Ecoroof Grants City grants are available to help pay for new ecoroofs that reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and save energy. 503-823-7770 www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroof PWBCustomerService@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-7914 Better Together Portland is Better Together is your source to get help, give help and choose local. Contracting Opportunities City programs help minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small businesses (M/W/ESBs) compete for construction contracts and get information on city contracting opportunities. www.PortlandIsBetterTogether.com 503-823-7740 Dan Saltzman, Commissioner Dean Marriott, Director An Examiner survey of six homeowners during the annual Forest Heights garage sale suggests winning support for major expenditures would be an uphill battle. Only two of the six were familiar with the proposal; one favored it, one opposed. Of the other four, one was opposed due to inability to pay any type of extra assessment. Two liked the idea of a community center/pool until the matter of extra cost to homeowners was mentioned. Then they gave immediate and certain “no’s.” The other respondent, who supported the 2002 proContinued on page 6 ✔ Learn how to reduce sewer bills. ✔ Find out if you’re eligible for utility bill assistance. ✔ Learn about other programs that help ratepayers. Get Help Paying Utility Bills Check your eligibility for water/sewer bill discounts, financial crisis vouchers or the Utility Safety Net Program. 1120 SW Fifth Portland Oregon Costs considered 503-823-4000 Conserve and Save Conserving water saves you money on both your water and sewer bill. www.portlandonline.com/bes/opportunities 503-823-9764 susanw@bes.ci.portland.or.us www.portlandonline.com/water/conservation 503-823-4527 Call 503-823-7740 with disability accommodation requests. Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 OD 0915 save money donating money to the Forest Park Elementary School under the argument, ‘We need to support the school because it improves property values,’” said Rogers. Rogers sees a conflict of interest in the cozy relationship between the school and homeowners association board. (Six of the nine board members have children in the school.) “Does fixing the drainage system on the soccer field improve property values, or does it fund a spouse’s pet project?” she asked. She isn’t alone in her skepticism about underwriting school improvements. “That just doesn’t smell too good to me,” said Larry Slobin, who lives in the Creekside section of Forest Heights and serves on its homeowners association. Creekside is one of 13 Forest Heights subareas with their own homeowners associations. Julie Peterson, a board member of the Brownstone Homes HOA, said she was “really appalled” at the idea of using homeowner funds on the soccer field. After studying Forest Heights HOA documents and discovering “unethical governance practices,” Rogers went to the Forest Heights HOA board in March and asked for Tees’ resignation. She also ran for the board this spring but dropped out. “I felt my values were in conflict with this board,” she said, “and I would be more effective working with my neighbors to stop this abuse.” 5 news Feeders & seed Nature books Hiking guides Binoculars Toys & gifts Visit the Audubon Society of Portland NATURE STORE 5151 NW Cornell Road, Portland, OR 97210 (503) 292-9453 www.audubonportland.org Minutes from downtown in Forest Park Forest Heights continued from page 5 posal, said Forest Heights needs a community gathering place, but she leaned against the current plan due primarily to the loss of open space. After Rogers talked to the Brownstone Homes Condominiums HOA last month, Peterson called the community center/pool proposal “way too expensive” and said she was frustrated by the lack of information from the Forest Heights HOA board. “The only information we get is by reading the minutes,” she said, adding that the board minutes do not contain sufficient detail, any record of discussion or a breakdown of directors’ votes. Another Brownstone HOA board member is Stewart Roberts, who also sits on the Forest Heights HOA. He thinks “a very small percentage” of the 140 Brownstone members would support the community center and pool. In fact, he said he hasn’t heard from anyone who does. In 2004, a survey conducted by the FHHOA showed that 73 percent of respondents wanted a swimming pool and about half favored a community center building. But not everyone favoring certain amenities was willing to pay for them. When asked if they would support funding for their preferred projects, 83 percent marked “yes.” By multiplying the percent of supporters for each project by the overall percent also supporting funding, Rogers concluded that only 60 percent would vote for a pool and around 40 percent would get behind a community center—well short of the supermajority needed for approval. The FHHOA report acknowledged that “since no cost estimates were included in the survey, it should be expected to see a decrease in this level of support as figures become available.” “Support for this expenditure appears to be strong,” the report advised, “but it will be important to strengthen it further before a vote occurs.” Five years later, when approximate costs of the improvements are known, support appears to have plummeted. Nine of the 10 sources contacted for this story are now in the “no” column. ing, the Forest Heights HOA board apparently intends to build consensus by conducting focus groups with preselected individuals. Tees was ready to hire a private consultant to organize focus groups in May, but the board held up the decision because its bylaws require two or more bids for expenditures over $5,000. In June, a decision could be made to move forward with a particular consultant. There is no indication that the board is considering another public participation process other than focus groups. HOA General Manager Herr said surveys of homeowners may not be representative and can be slanted toward a particular result. Focus groups, however, can select participants randomly to “get a true read.” The focus groups would be conducted “by a neutral third party that has no stake whatever in the results,” he said. Convincing Forest Heights residents that a focus group process would be fair and neutral is another matter. Critics don’t trust a board that has been secretive and careless with appearances of conflict of interest with running the focus groups fairly. “I have absolute concern that they will not pick a truly random sample of the community,” said Roberts. “That can definitely skew the results.” Luxury house, bargain community center? Scottie Pippen’s former home in Forest Heights is on the market for $2.7 million. It’s 18,700 square feet on 2.3 acres, with a pool, sports courts and two libraries. Would it represent a better investment for the HOA than building less gracious facilities for $6.2 million? An email circulating among Forest Heights homeowners raises that question. Focusing on success The 2004 survey was used by a Portland State University class to create a Forest Heights Recreation Plan later that year. It advised the association to use the FHHOA newsletter and website, door hangers, mailings, public meetings and other means to build support for recreational projects. It concluded that “the key to successful openspace improvement is citizen involvement.” Instead of a thorough and open campaign to persuade homeowners to approve more than $6 million in spend- MLS #9027904. This information is available at www.rmls.com. Climate Action Plan Town Hall The question is not DO we take action but HOW we will take action Monday, June 15 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. SOUK | 322 NW Sixth Ave., Suite 200 www.portlandonline.com/BPS/CLIMATE 6 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 * northrup lovejoy 12th 11th 10th Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 7 the pearl News & Views Pearl neighbors find new Safeway hard to love Kenneth Aaron Safeway is the Pearl’s long-awaited mainstream supermarket. Now that it’s here, the store is finding it hard to be all things to all people. By Allan Classen P earl District residents waited a long time for a mainstream supermarket. A Safeway store was seen as completing the neighborhood, providing a full range of everyday grocery products in the heart of the district, within walking distance for many. But six months after Safeway opened at Northwest 13th and Lovejoy, many local residents have nothing good to say about it. They don’t care for the national chain’s products or approach. The store aisles are often disturbingly empty, and the company admits it is not off to a great start. Despite the criticisms, 11 of 29 respondents to a Northwest Examiner email questionnaire named Safeway as their primary grocery store, two more than picked second-place Whole Foods. But when asked whether the new store has succeeded in becoming the main supermarket for the area, 16 gave negative responses and only eight said it has. The negatives were often heart-felt and far-reaching. “Nobody loves a Safeway,” said Rick Barrett, a marketing professional who lives and works in the Pearl. “It’s just a big monster chain. … You can love a New Seasons, a Little Green Grocer or even Whole Foods. But a Safeway? That’s just a chore.” “If you are into packaged foods with high sugar and salt content, then you will like Safeway,” said John Hickox. Bruce Kaplan likes Safeway’s house “I’ve tried Safeway a couple times and it brand “commodities,” but said the store just doesn’t work for us,” said a Pearl par“falls far short in meat, poultry, seafood ent who requested anonymity. “There aren’t and produce.” enough organic and local items. And the prices are O.K. but not great.” Too expensive Julie Young found Safeway didn’t work “Many things at Safeway are more for their household because “we’re spoiled expensive than Freddies and Whole by the fresh seafood and range of organic Foods,” said Elliott Trommald. “That veggies at Whole Foods.” sends me around the bend.” “They seem to have no security,” said “Portland is a city that prides itself on Examiner columnist and Pearl resident supporting small business,” said Lance Michaela Bancud, “or care about what hapPoehler, “yet Safeway seems to have missed pens on their doorstep, so they don’t feel this entirely. Where’s the bulk? I have especially neighborly.” never been to a grocery store with as little “I can get ice cream bars or tin foil or a in bulk as this Safeway. Almost all of their box of Cheerios there,” Bancud continued, organic is actually more expensive than “but I am not going to feel inspired to cook Whole Foods. And lastly, the self-checkor eat well, which is supposedly the Ameriout. Ugh.” can goal these days.” A Family Healing Center 2250 NW Flanders St., #112, Portland, OR 97210 503.241.5007 www.afamilyhealingcenter.com Also in McMinnville: 2270 NE McDaniel Lane• 503.883.0333 Many insurances accepted Free 15 minute consultation Dr. Jason Black Dr. Jessica Black Naturopathic Physicians 8 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 Health Care for a Changing World NEW AD TO COME • Menopause and natural • Chronic pain management hormone replacement • Natural pedatric care • Asthma • Cancer care • Non-surgical fat reduction • Motor vehicle accidents — 100% coverage Pre-K through Grade 8! p. 8-11 Tamara Paulat said the new store doesn’t work for her. “They do not have a good organic or local selection,” she said. “They have packaged prepared stuff—just like any other big grocery store. Not really going in a green direction or sustainable. Prices are not that great either.” Taylor Nussbaum called Safeway prices “outrageously high even compared to Fred Meyer” and said this Safeway location doesn’t carry all the products found in its other stores. Finally, Nussbaum was offended by Safeway’s laxity in letting loosely defined “service” dogs into the store. Ruth Ostrom, who lives across the street from the new store, called Safeway a disappointment. “I prefer to walk to at least five other food stores. … It’s half underground; it feels like a burial place.” She said the store layout is “crammed and confused.” Some like it prices.” She also cited “a good stock of miscellaneous household maintenance items and a one-stop pharmacy.” On balance, though, Safeway seems out of sync with the values and lifestyles of the Pearl. Some of the perceived faults are correctable, while others may be woven into its corporate-suburban formula. “The Pearl Safeway is never busy, nor have I had to wait in line for checkout,” said Taylor Nussbaum. “This is compared to Whole Foods and Fred Meyer, which are always much busier throughout the day.” Ron Jennings, a regular Safeway shopper, said, “they usually only have one or sometimes two [non-self-service] checkstands open. I have never had to wait behind more than two customers.” The company concedes it hasn’t been an immediate success. “It’s been especially challenging because of the economy, obviously, but we expected that,” a Safeway spokesman told The Oregonian in April. “We’re really waiting for more development around the Pearl.” Implying that the company’s own research put the Pearl Safeway behind Whole Foods in market share, the spokesman suggested cost-conscious shoppers might make the new store their backup. “That might not necessarily mean they’re picking Safeway over Whole Foods,” he said, “but that they’ll make an extra trip here to stretch that dollar.” Others found Safeway a pure asset. “It has very friendly people working there,” said Joan Pendergast. “I do not go to any other stores. I am not a fancy cook, so that may be the main reason. It has fulfilled all my expectations.” “The store seems to be quite attractive, clean, well-stocked and professionally managed by a very capable team of caring employees who are also very pleasant and courteous for my day-to-day dealings,” said Bruce Levy. “We are pleased with it and delighted that it is so close and that it maintains good hours,” said Charles Ryberg, also citing Wrong for Pearl? convenience and friendly staff. Several respondents thought a New “Safeway carries full lines of product,” Seasons or more specialized type of grocery said Jan Valentine. “It has quality pro- store would have been a better fit in this duce (organic and otherwise), an excellent location. deli and cafe-prepared meals at reasonable “If only New Seasons had opened in the Pearl,” said Rick Barrett. “New Seasons is by far the best big-format local chain.” “My ideal mix would be a New Seasons and Little Green Grocer in the neighborhood,” said Ruth Feldman. Where do you buy most of your groceries? Safeway 11 Whole Foods 9 Fred Meyer 5 Little Green Grocer 5 Trader Joe’s 4 Art Daily with Art Specialist • Spanish as Second Language Nestled in Northwest Portland, right across from Montgomery Park, CLASS Academy is a unique and extraordinary private school. The brainchild of long-time administrator, educator and author, Teresa Cantlon, CLASS Academy achieves excellence in education through small student to teacher ratios, multi-sensory and hands-on curriculum, and assessing students at the National standard of education for all grade levels. The CLASS Academy education can begin for Pre-Kindergarten students as young as 2 and ½ and continues all the way through 8th grade. In the younger grades, CLASS Academy curriculum strongly emphasizes phonemic understanding, which benefits struggling and skilled readers/pre-readers alike. Students experience activities through oral, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic exploration. Fine-motor skills and gross-motor skills are definitive pieces of this learning environment; brain research shows that integrating fine and gross motor skills into education at a young age is crucial to brain development and benefits higher level learning as the child advances. Spanish and music are also included in daily activities. Field Trips include ice skating and swimming lessons, the Children’s Museum, and attending plays and musicals at the Northwest Children’s Theater. Starting in 3rd grade, CLASS Academy’s program expands even further to include I.T. and multi-media classes. Students learn the basics of Microsoft Office, Photoshop, iMovie, and Garage Band. Curriculum for the older grades also includes conversational Spanish, an interactive History program, and a public speaking class. A strong emphasis on writing improves students’ metacognition. As well as the field trips listed above, CLASS Academy 3rd – 8th grade students take field trips to the State Capitol, Portland City Hall, the Central Library, and the End of the Oregon Trail Museum near Salem. CLASS Academy advocates good citizenship, respect and safety for all students. Children participate in a Green program which promotes recycling and composting for all classrooms. We also use Tri-Met, the MAX and the Streetcar for the majority of our field trips. Positive reinforcement allows for students to excel in a warm and caring environment. For more information about CLASS Academy, please visit their website – www. classacademy.com. View the calendar, teacher bios and weekly blogs, and class descriptions/curriculum. CLASS Academy 2730 NW Vaughn St. • Portland, OR 97210 • Across from Montgomery Park www.classacademy.com Love little grocer Pearl residents have a special fondness for the Little Green Grocer, located almost in the shadow of Safeway at Northwest 11th and Northrup. Five even called it their main source of groceries, a remarkable finding for a small, family-owned store eschewing most standard products in favor of organic and locally grown foods. “They have most of what I need on a Continued on page 10 Free Business Checking and full Business Banking Services . . . To help you weather the storm. With a Free* Business Checking Account, you can rest assured that your deposits are safe and secure - and hard at work in local Portland neighborhoods. What could be better? Other business banking services available: • Business VISATM Credit Cards • Business Online Bill Payment • Merchant Services and Payroll Services • Quick Click Remote Deposit Capture • Workplace Banking package of services for all employees Home grown plants Organic supplies Planet friendly advice You may even have an opportunity to advertise your business at our in-branch “Community Corners” * No monthly service fee for first 150 transactions, and no fee for standard online banking accesss. Social Impact Banking Office In The Pearl, 430 NW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97209 Member FDIC Equal Opportunity Lender www.albinabank.com Equal Housing Lender your neighborhood nursery www.CornellFarms.com 503-292-9895 8212 SW Barnes Rd Portland OR, 97225 Open Daily 9am - 6pm Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 9 the pearl Safeway continued from page 9 daily basis for the same or lower prices than Whole Foods and Safeway,” said Tamara Paulat, who lives in the Sitka building, where the Little Green Grocer operates. “I don’t stock up there, but I’m really impressed at their variety. Plus they are a small family-owned business, local, sustainable, etc. They really listen to suggestions and are just friendly and intimate.” “They do quite well with a lot of seniors that live in the area,” said Ron Jennings. “They are totally organic and their veggies are fresh, so they are expensive. If I run out of milk or eggs I get them there. Their milk is Sunshine and the expiration date is longer than Safeway.” “I like the people at Little Green Grocer and I like having a corner market,” said a Pearl mother. “I try to shop there whenever I can. It’s a local family-owned business, they do bike delivery and they have great products.” ron Pearl resident Jan Valentine uses Kenneth Aa While many Pearl neighbors like Whole Foods, high prices are a common complaint. Kenneth Aa ron Little Green Grocer (left) represents the local, organic values neighbors say they want, but owner Scott Lekovish doubts he has the market share reflected in the Examiner survey. Little Green Grocer for things she doesn’t buy at Safeway. “I like their healthy take-away food and great service too. I can walk there (always a plus), and LGG is also community-minded.” “If you want quality, great wine buys, convenience, personal service and very reasonable prices, you want Little Green Grocer,” said John Hickox. “As you might guess, it is my favorite store.” Little Green Grocer co-owner Scott Lekovish wishes he had half the market share of Safeway—as suggested by the Examiner survey—but said it was “nowhere near that number.” Lekovish said his sales dropped in half when Safeway opened and are only gradually recovering. Still, he found it gratifying that so many residents like what the store is about. He attributed that loyalty to people who are “passionate about where their food comes from” and who “have a relationship with us.” Whole Foods represents a compromise for those concerned about the source of their food but still seeking the benefits of a major supermarket. Most respondents add that Whole Foods’ prices are high. “Whole Foods [has] a good philosophy about organic and sustainable, so I know all the items there are philosophically good,” said the anonymous resident. “And, it’s the main place that we buy meat and seafood.” “When you want really good meat,” said Kenneth Aaron, “they have it.” “Whole Foods has a much better selection of fish and meat [than Safeway],” said Ron Jennings. “It seems to be a bigger store. Their prices can be higher, but if you really take the time to shop, you can find prices on some items cheaper than Safeway.” Helen Jones described Whole Foods as a place costconscious shoppers consider “only when they have something special going on and want a particular item.” Whole Foods trailed Safeway as the main store of respondents to the questionnaire even though Whole Foods apparently has far more customers. That suggests many of the people seen at Whole Foods come from outside the Pearl. That makes sense given that Whole Foods has only three stores in the city while Safeway has 20 in the Portland area. Hormone Balance for Women Bio-identical Hormones and more Call the clinic for information 2 2 2 - 2 3 2 2 Women’s Health Bio identical Hormones • acupuncture intergrated Herbal & nutritional therapies Breast cancer care • massage menopause • annual exams counseling-individual & couples BeerTOWN, USA. That's Portland, alright. But along with great beer, Portlanders also enjoy great food and hospitality. With this in mind, we at BridgePort BrewPub, invite you for a meal. 10 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 + bakery © 2009 Bridgeport Brewing co, portland, ore brewpub BridgePort BrewPuB | 503.241.3612 1313 NW Marshall St | Portland, Oregon tori Hudson, n.d. Barbara macdonald, n.d., l.ac. stephanie Kaplan, n.d. leigh lewis, n.d., l.ac. Wendy Vannoy, n.d. carrie skinner, n.d. Kellie raydon-Feeney, n.d., l.ac. Karen Hudson, m.P., H.c. theresa Baisley, l.m.t. 503-222-2322 2067 nW lovejoy • Portland www.awomanstime.com Pearl Diver the pearl Michaela Bancud By Michaela Bancud Fame often just around corner Box office dispatch from the gumshoe nephews: A buddy and student at Metropolitan Learning Center in Northwest Portland plays Stephen, a young confidence man in “The Brothers Bloom,” a film now showing in theaters. The same friend plays the role of Max in the cinematic adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wilds Are,” directed and co-written by Spike Jonze. See the trailer on YouTube. It looks pretty incredible. It opens in the fall. A fountain cascades water between the towers of Waterfront Pearl, creating the sense of two ships at sea. The “Grey Gardens” opening night at Portland Center Stage left many people gushing that it was betMichaela Bancud ter than productions they’d seen in kid. The odor persisted from Burnside painting studio on Northwest 10th Avenue last August. New York. Janine DaVita, an equity to Overton streets. It was muggy and It recently announced plans to move to a new space in actress, plays Little Edie before the there was no breeze to move it around. developer Ed McNamara’s planned family building in crackup that leaves her morbidly Who can say what’s behind such pol- the North Pearl, where Portland Public Schools will lease entangled with her bedridden mothlution any given night, but it was bad classroom space for early grades. Isobel’s may expand its er and many, many cats. The musical enough to make my eyes sting. I’m no programs and become a full-service community center, is based on the well-known docuErin Brockovich, but I seem to notice depending on how things evolve. mentary about the Bouvier-Beales, it more often in the early evening. A Bumped into a neighbor on the way to the Starlight a mother and daughter, who share recent town hall meeting with a panel Parade who told me that actor Jason Lee is now staying a squalorous 28-room mansion in of five DEQ staffers at Chapman at the Wyatt, along with the cast and crew of “Leverage.” the Hamptons. Nice touch in the Elementary was cold comfort for those Lee starred in the TV show “My Name is Earl,” which was Armory lobby: cans of Friskies cat concerned about children’s exposure to recently cancelled by NBC. food used for votive candles. toxic airborne emissions, which means Bargain bin: Craft Nights on the second Wednesday of Waterfront Pearl has had its share pretty much everyone. Janine Divita, who plays Little Edie the month at Santa Fe Taqueria, hosted by Child’s Play toy of trouble since the housing market Environmental anxiety aside, five in Portland Center Stage’s production fell off the deep end. Now there’s healthy-looking ducks arrived in Tan- store. Kids eat free every Wednesday at Santa Fe, located rd of “Grey Gardens,” attends the opening some good news for the building. ner Springs Park. So far, L.A. Fitness at Northwest 23 and Kearney. night party in the Armory lobby after Unfussy French: Fenouil restaurant has a summer onConstruction crews finished a cashasn’t claimed this park’s corners for the play. the-go and picnic lunch menu Monday-Saturday, 11:30 cading water feature that laps around gym membership sales as they have a.m.-2 p.m. Déjuener delivered right to Jamison Square. the two white buildings, which are meant to resemble at nearby Jamison Square, where blue tents are staked on Menu includes Sandwich au Jambon ($7) and Croissant ships. And I guess they do, especially if one imagines them warm days. There’s little I enjoy more than being marketed au Crabe. at flood stage. I know what you’re thinking; and no, the to when I’m at the park, especially by a business with Totally free on Wednesday nights on KMHD radio water feature isn’t intended as a kiddy splashing pool. Not L.A. in its name. In fact, I’m thinking of setting up a tent that this ever stopped us before. How better to lend the myself and selling memberships to the Grande Ronde/ is “Divaville,” hosted by the infectious Krista, who spins place some life than to get a lifeguard and announce open Spirit Mountain Casino Gambling Club I’m starting. My vocalists and jazz standards from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. swim hours? For now, the cyclone fencing is down and tents will be tasteful but eye-catching. My dad’s been look- Think “Buttermilk Sky” and “What a Night for Love.” pedestrians can get quite close to the river and the horses ing for a place to launch his freelance life-coach business. Singers like Eydie Gormé, Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald on the south end of the stables. You probably have a business you’d like to advertise, too. like you may not have heard them before. On a recent warm night, the air had a creepy electrical Permit inquiries should be made to Portland Parks and smell, like an overworked transformer. Some describe it as Recreation. the smell an electrical train set makes, if you had one as a Isobel’s Clubhouse opened in Tom Denhart’s old Michaela Bancud can be reached at pearl.diver70@gmail.com Grace Ma Trunk Show June 19 – 21 Beads • Supplies • Classes • Repair Handcrafted Jewelry • Custom Work • Huichol Art 1426 NW 23rd Ave., between Pettygrove & Quimby (503) 228-1882 ~ letitbeadportland.com Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 11 history Mike Ryerson GladYou Asked Answering your questions about Northwest Portland history By Mike Ryerson Question: “For the past few years, we’ve been driving by a house at Northwest 22nd and Glisan with a small building on the corner that looks like it was once a business. We never see any activity there. Was it ever a store or another type of business?” —Marilyn Stone The small building at Northwest 22nd and Glisan has been the home of several businesses over the years. This 1950s insurance map shows the two houses that were once the Rosegate Inn. The attached restaurant was added in the 1920s. The house on the right was torn down to make room for a parking lot. Answer: Yes, it has housed several businesses over the years, but you won’t have seen much activity unless you go back 40 years or more. We were unable to find the exact year the small addition was erected, but city directories first list the address in 1926 as part of the Rosegate Inn, a residential hotel. The inn was built in 1903 and is referred to as the Joshua Roberts House. Because there is no evidence of any driveway curb cuts in the original sidewalk, it’s highly unlikely that the addition was ever a garage, as often rumored and indicated in some city records. It’s hard to explain why a horse ring would still exist in the curb where a driveway would have been. 12 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 The Rosegate Inn was first listed in the 1926 Portland City Directory. Most likely, the structure at the corner was built as a restaurant for the residential hotel that occupied the attached house and another house that once stood on the lot to the south. The two houses, which were mirror images, shared 28 boarders at the time of the 1930 U.S. Census. The Rosegate Inn was only in business for five or six years until both houses became apartment buildings. In 1933, the small corner building was listed as a delicatessen owned by Ray P. Stenning, who also lived in the residential hotel. Stenning is also listed in 1936 as the owner of a beer parlor at this location. At sometime during WWII, the addition became the Jolly Inn Beer Parlor. The Jolly Inn was in business until shortly after 1960. Owner Arne Johnson died in September of 1958, and his wife, Ethel, supposedly only ran it for a short time before she closed it and it became the M&R Doughnut Shop. The doughnut shop was in business until about 1966, and the building became vacant until 1969, when it is listed as the home of a shortlived Fergy’s Barber Shop. Briefly in the early 1970s, I remember, the spot was a café run by the Jesuit Volunteer Corp, although there are no records to that effect. The house on the southern side of the parcel was torn down in the 1950s, when the space became a parking lot for the remaining apartment building. Jim Kennett, who now owns the entire parcel, said two restrooms and a sink still remain in the basement, indicating the tavern once occupied more than just the small addition. Also, there’s still a window on the inside of the Glisan-facing wall that’s been cemented over. Current city zoning does not allow for the building to be used for retail purposes. It’s currently used for storage. Have a question about Northwest Portland history? Email it to Mike Ryerson at mikeryerson@comcast.net or write: Northwest Examiner, 2825 NW Upshur, Ste. C, Portland, OR 97210. Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 13 14 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 going out Restaurants & Theater p. 15-20 NW Examiner 2009 Outdoor Food & Beverage Guide Decks, Patios, Gardens & Sidewalk Seating Warm weather is here and the flocking of Northwest Portlanders to outdoor cafes is so predictable that migratory birds set their clocks by it. (O.K., if they wore little-bitty wrist watches, they might doublecheck them.) Our annual guide includes the finest places in the neighborhood to experience this phenomenon (provided they paid a small fee and provided vital information). Bay 13 Restaurant 701 NW 13th Ave. – 503-227-1133 www.bay13restaurant.com Modern seafood with a sushi and raw/ oyster bar. Sliding glass doors open to a covered, heated, raised patio with sweeping views of the Pearl District. Outdoor tables and couches. Happy hour daily. Laurelwood Public House Mike Ryerson Besaw’s 2301 NW Savier St. – 503-228-2619 www.besaws.com Covered patio and sidewalk seating. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Full bar. Now open on Mondays. Beau Thai 730 NW 21st Ave. – 503-223-2182 www.beauthai.com Sidewalk seating along NW 21st Avenue. Offering Northwest Portland’s finest Thai food. Vegetarian dishes. Fenouil Mike Ryerson Located on the north side of Jamison Square, Fenouil’s chic patio is reminiscent of a Parisian sidewalk café filled with leisurely business folk and ladies who lunch. This French brasserie offers a broad selection of fresh lunch options, including the house favorite Croissant au Crabe. For heartier appetites, choose the Seafood-filled Paella Camarguaise au Chorizo. The service staff is attentive and knowledgeable, which comes in handy when you need help choosing from over 200 wine options. A bottle here can add from $32 to over $2,000 to your tab. Patio dinner service is elegant, with traditional offerings of roasted rabbit, filet mignon and grilled salmon. Reservations recommended for these see-and-beseen outdoor tables. As front porches go, Laurelwood Public House’s takes the cake. Like a friendly neighbor, it welcomes you with a drink, a smile and plenty of conversation. When you’ve grown tired of weaving through a sea of shoppers on Northwest 23rd Avenue, stop in and try one of Laurelwood’s award-winning craft beers on tap and a delectable handmade veggie burger. The food exceeds standard pub fare, and their fresh-cut fries are arguably the best in Northwest Portland. The small bar boasts original organic beer, including World Beer Cup gold medal-winner Free Range Red. Space is at a premium on hot summer evenings, so make reservations if you plan to congregate with a large group of friends. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt 39 NW 23rd Place – 503-295-3033 www.benjerry.com/uptowncenter. Outdoor patio and deck seating in an open setting. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt 301 NW 10th Ave. – 503-796-3033 www.benjerry.com/pearldistrict. Open stroefront with sidewalk seating under an awning on the corner of NW 10th and Everett. Biscuits Café 103 NW 21st Ave. – 503-295-3729 www.biscuitscafe.com Biscuits Café is a locally-owned breakfast and lunch café that offers its customers “fresh food” and large portions along with a unique atmosphere. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. Blue Moon Tavern & Grill 432 NW 21st Ave. – 503-223-3184 www.mcmenamins.com This popular NW 21st Avenue hangout offers sidewalk tables from which to watch the goings-on and the passers-by, pairing perfectly with McMenamins handcrafted ales, wines, spirits and pub fare. Bridgeport Brewpub + Bakery 1313 NW Marshall St. – 503-241-3612 www.bridgeportbrew.com Outdoor deck with tables and rail seating overlooking the Pearl District. Serving dinners nightly and lunch on the weekends. Full bar with beer, wine and cocktail service available. Continued next page Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 15 going out Outdoor Dining Guide Continued from page 15 Café Nell 1987 NW Kearney St. – 503-294-6487 www.cafenell.com Lively neighborhood café, brasserie style, serving American classics. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour and weekend brunch. Sidewalk seating for 40. NW 20th and Kearney. Cha! Cha! Cha! Mexican Taqueria 1208 NW Glisan St. – 503-221-2111 www.chaportland.com Sustainable Mexican taqueria and cocktails. Serving tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas, salads and more. Sidewalk seating along busy Glisan Street in the Pearl. Cha Taqueria & Bar 305 NW 21st Ave – 503-295-4077 www.chaportland.com Seating for up to 60 in a covered courtyard and second level deck. Authentic Mexican Cuisine. Full bar, beer and wine. Margaritas and 38 tequilas. The new place at NW 21st and Everett. Mangia Pizza allan classen Chow 505 NW 14th Ave. – 503-274-2469 www.cafechow.com Breakfast burritos, housemade granola and egg sandwiches served all day. Fabulous salads and stacked sandwiches and fresh baked bread and natural meats/cheese for lunch. $5 breakfast meal. Off street parking. Crackerjacks 2788 NW Thurman St. – 503-222-9069 Beautiful garden patio with seating for 30 plus sidewalk tables. Classic American cuisine: meatloaf, salmon, fish and chip, homemade pizza and “pub food.” Fresh and reasonably priced. Kid and dog friendly. Full bar, Oregon Lottery and free pool. Goose Hollow Inn The prime location across from a MAX stop makes this a perfect place for a bite before a zoo concert or after a game at PGE Park. (The kitchen’s open until 11:30 p.m.) The covered patio offers both sun protection and fresh air. Try the “Best Reuben on the Planet,” a hot turkey sandwich or add a side of Bud Clark’s famous Reuben sauce to any of a dozen other sandwiches. There’s not a bad one in the bunch. Chase it with a true Imperial Pint (20 ounces), still a steal at $4.50. Soup and several salads round out the lighter side, but this unpretentious place is really about big sandwiches, cold beer and good company. allan classen Sit under the stars while biting into a savory pizza pie at the corner of 23rd Place and Northwest Vaughn. Eight months ago, Mary Starr and Russ Hubbard of the nearby Industrial Café and Saloon turned the quaint house that was Filbert’s into a charming gourmet pizzeria. Evergreens greet you on the front porch, trellised pink rose bushes bloom wildly out back. The hand-tossed pies come in two sizes (12- and 16-inch) or by the slice until 5 p.m. Simple but divine, the classic Margherita topped with tomato sauce, wholemilk mozzarella and fresh basil will disappear in minutes. For a heartier pie, try the beef pizza made with grass-fed ground beef, caramelized onions and gorgonzola. Crackerjack’s allan classen This casual, dog-friendly pub is a favorite of mountain-biking groups after long rides in Forest Park. It has a homey feel, decorated with old advertising and Portland memorabilia. Play a game of free pool and have an afternoon beer on the patio. The food is mostly typical bar fare and the usual fried appetizers, but Crackerjacks also offers nine varieties of tasty pizza and—perfect for summer—nine salads, including Cobb, Cajun and Greek. Be prepared to adjust your expectations of a bar salad—these are nothing but good. “Northwest Portland’s Favorite Thai Restaurant” Vegetarian Dishes Our Specialty Try Our Fast Take Out Service Open Monday-Friday for Lunch & Dinner Weekends All Day 730 NW 21st Ave • 503-223-2182 WWW.BEAUTHAI.COM 16 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 going out The Dragonfly Coffee House 2387 NW Thurman St. – 503-224-7888 A breezy little coffee house on the corner of 24th and Thurman where skilled and friendly baristas serve exquisite Caffe D’arte Espresso and homemade pastries form their own ovens. New summertime smoothies! Eat Pizza 2037 SW Morrision St. – 503-243-3663 www.eatpizzaportland.com Home of Portland’s Best New York Pizza and Pizza Alla Casalinga. Enjoy the phenomenal pizza, salads and sandwiches on the outdoor patio along with a frosty beer this summer. One block from PGE Park. Elephants Delicatessen 115 NW 22nd Ave. – 503-299-6304 www.elephantsdeli.com Portland’s premier specialy foods and catering company serving local foods from scratch since 1979. Patio and full bar. Private Garden Room for meetings and events. Take out and delivery. On Deck Sports Bar & Grill Mike Ryerson Fehrenbacher Hof/The Hof 1225 SW 19th Ave. – 503-223-4493 Next door to the Goose Hollow Inn, find the Clark Family “Hof.” Featuring: handcrafted espresso and coffees from Ristretto and Longbottom Roasters. Homemade pastries/soups, toothsome breakfast sandwiches. Cobblestone pation. Open everyday. Fenouil in the Pearl 911 NW 11th Ave. – 503-525-2225 www.fenouilinthepearl.com Located in the Pearl District, Fenouil com bines classic French cuisine with flavors and ingredients from nearby countries. The dining room, patio and bar mix a highenergy vibe with European romance. Continued next page New Old Lompoc Mike Ryerson Unwind at the pumpkin-hued brewery near the corner of Northwest 23rd and Savier. Silver kegs bloom with flowers at the door, and grape vines tangle across a shed in the back. Al fresco tables set to the side offer the perfect spot to sit when the sun shines with a chilled Lompoc-crafted ale or lager. For food, try the crab and roasted garlic dip or spicy buffalo wings for a starter. Follow with a plate of pure comfort food: a burger, fish and chips, mac and cheese, or chicken potpie. Watch the sunset dance across Pearl lofts and rooftops from the rooftop bar at On Deck. At dusk, white lights twinkle in 30-year-old apples trees that surround the sprawling patio, complemented by stretches of lavender and pine. Sports fans can track the score of their favorite team inside on multiple plasma and flat-screen TVs. Starters to share: cornmeal-crusted calamari with chipotlecitrus aioli or king-sized beer-battered onion rings. Try the Gretzky Gobbler for a side of greens or dive right into a sporty sandwich or burger. Clever concoctions include Fenway’s Clubhouse Sandwich (house-roasted turkey breast, black forest ham, bacon, Swiss and cheddar). Order The Italian Stallion and make your fellow diners smile. Besaw’s allan classen What began in 1903 as a beer parlor is now one of Portland’s model eateries. And while times are tough now, this Depression offers two new blessings: No Prohibition and Besaw’s Recession Specials. Fivedollar breakfast steals range from the Dollar Stack of pancakes to the Scram 23, two eggs scrambled with asparagus, prosciutto and chevre with roasted potatoes. The thick and feathery French toast is a must. Sit at tables along 23rd or in the covered patio, which has overhead heaters and side enclosures in case a cold or wet day invades the summer. Our backyard patio and deck are open! Stop in and try one of our new menu items. 721 NW 21st Ave. 503-222-4121 Open 3pm weekdays 11am weekends Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 17 going out Outdoor Dining Guide Continued from page 17 Cha Taqueria Mike Ryerson Industrial Café 2572 NW Vaughn St. – 503-227-7002 Outside seating for 40. Full bar with 7 beers on tap. Enjoy their own grass-fed beef. A great spot after hiking in Forest Park. Dogs welcome. Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat-Sun breakfast and lunch 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The auto-body shop turned cantina offers a tantalizing happy-hour menu perfect for its sprawling courtyard. Greet the sun with a margarita made from cucumber or a jalapeno-infused tequila. Lively homemade mole makes its way into many dishes, especially the hearty Carnitas Enchiladas. The Carnavalito is an ideal sampler, with surprisingly dense chicken and cheese flautas and potato-stuffed tequitos that are as homey as twice-baked spuds. Choose from more than a dozen tequilas of varying ages while people-watching at Northwest 21st and Everett. Kettleman Bagel Company 2314 NW Lovejoy St. – 503-295-2314 www.kettlemanbagels.com Outside patio seating along Lovejoy St. near busy 23rd Ave. Kettle boiled bagels proudly using Shepard’s Grain Sustainable Wheat. Stumptown Coffee. Kingston Sports Bar & Grill 2015 SW Morrison St. – 503-224-2115 www.kingstonsportsbar.com Sidewalk seating for up to 24 on the sunny side of the building. All-American breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Homemade soups and salads. Burgers and sandwiches. Portland’s Best Sports Bar. Twenty-first Avenue Bar & Grill Food Front Cooperative Grocery 2375 NW Thurman St. – 503-222-5658 www.foodfront.coop Meet your neighbors; watch the world of Thurman St. go by from the patio. Have a delicious, healthy lunch from the deli or a refreshing drink. Monthly events, second Saturdays, April-October. Goose Hollow Inn 1927 SW Jefferson St. – 503-228-7010 www.goosehollowinn.com Former Mayor Bud Clark’s classic pub featuring a huge relaxing deck with heat, awnings and vine maple ambience. “Best Reuben on the Planet.” 13 taps, nice wine selection. Kids allowed. Take MAX. Parking available. Mike Ryerson This place is, as the name suggests, a bar first and a grill second. There’s been a bar here since the 1920s, and pictures of some of the regulars tacked on the wall suggest it’s still frequented by some of the same people. What sets it apart from other proletarian neighborhood bars is the recently refinished patio out back. Protected from street noise, it is expansive, tree-filled and even has a small koi pond. The beer is cold, the staff is nice enough and the deck alone is worth a visit. mmm ... Beer We’re just steps away from the Beavers and Timbers The Recession Buster Breakfast Served Monday - Friday, 7am ‘til 11am 2 Hotcakes, 2 Eggs, 2 Bacon or 2 Sausage $395 games at PGE Park! - Happy Hour 3:30-6 pm & 10pm-12:30am Artichoke Dip w/ Tri Colored Chips . . . . $1 .95 Ceasar Salad . . . . . . . . . . $1 .95 Potato Skins . . . . . . . . . . $2 .95 Pulled Pork Slider . . . . . $2 .95 Hot Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2 .95 Fish & Chips . . . . . . . . . . . $3 .25 Kingston Sliders . . . . . . . $2 .95 2021 SW Morrison St . | 503-224-2115 | Next to PGE Park kingstonsportsbar .com Serving Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner | Open 7am - 2:30am 18 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 going out Kornblatt’s Delicatessen 628 NW 23rd Ave. – 503-242-0055 Picnic tables along NW 23rd Avenue with seating for 16. Outdoor service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. NY Style Delicatessen serving fresh bagels. Laurelwood NW Public House 2327 NW Kearney St. – 503-228-5553 www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com Kid friendly (play area), 2 patios and garden area. Lunch and dinner served daily, bunch on Sat and Sun. Full bar, 8 taps of award winning brews. All day Monday “wings at the wood.” The Leaky Roof 1538 SW Jefferson St. – 503-222-3745 www.theleakyroof.com High-end casual meets neighborhood comfortable. All new brunch Sat, 11-2 and Sunday, 10-2. Great happy hour weekdays, 3:30-6. Outdoor seating and a full service bar. Lucky Labrador Beer Hall 1945 NW Quimby St. – 503-517-4352 www.luckylab.com Bring your dog to the cozy outdoor patio! Serving pizza, sandwiches, soups, salads and appetizers. Relaxed atmosphere, steel-tipped darts, and handcrafted ales brewed on site. Event space available. Mangia Pizza 1937 NW 23rd Place – 503-222-2667 Traditional style hand-tossed thin crust pies. Calzones, housemade soup, salad dressings and desserts. Enjoy beer and wine there or take out. Relax on the 2 great patios. McMenamins Tavern & Pool 1716 NW 23rd Ave. – 503-227-0929 www.mcmenamins.com This neighborhood pub at the north end of NW 23rd is an ideal spot to sit outside on cool summer evenings with a couple of pitchers, a couple of friends and all the time in the world. Meriwether’s Restaurant 2601 NW Vaughn St. – 503-228-1250 www.meriwethersnw.com The covered and heated patio, year-round gardens and gazebo with firepit are a memorable place to enjoy the outdoors. The produce is grown on their very own Meriwether’s Skyline Farm. Mio Sushi 2271 NW Johnson St. – 503-221-1469 1317 NW Hoyt St. – 503-224-7905 www.miosushi.com Reasonable prices in a casual friendly dining atmosphere. Sidewalk seating at both NW Portland locations. New Old Lompoc Brewery 1616 NW 23rd Ave. – 503-225-1855 www.newoldlompoc.com Backyard patio and deck with seating for 100. Northwest comfort food featuring great burgers and daily specials. Lunch and dinner. Handcrafted ales brewed on premises. going out RINGSIDE Best Steaks in Town Since 1944! 225 Happy Hours Menu $$225 $ $ PER ITEM 9:45 pm - Close / Sunday: 4 pm - 5:30 pm PER ITEM Steakhouse Supper Special Three Course Menus 35 $ 00 SERVED ALL EVENING --- SUNDAY thru THURSDAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY before 5:45 pm or after 9:00 pm Not valid with other promotions. DOWNTOWN N.W. 22nd & W. Burnside ringsidesteakhouse.com 503-223-1513 Nob Hill Bar & Grill 937 NW 23rd Ave. – 503-274-9616 Four sidewalk tables along NW 23rd Avenue. National Award Winning Hamburgers. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 day a week. Monday night 50-cent tacos. Full service bar and 12 beers on tap. On Deck Sports Bar & Grill 910 NW 14th Ave. – 503-227-7020 www.ondecksportsbar.com Portland’s Premier Sports Bar has it all! Gourmet menu, beer, wine and premium liquors. A huge outdoor deck is open for dining, sipping and relaxing. All major sports packages on TV. Continued next page Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 19 going out Outdoor Dining Guide Continued from page 19 Park Kitchen 422 NW 8th Ave – 503-7275 www.parkkitchen.com Seasonally driven menu. Internationally acclaimed chef. Private dining available. Outside seating overlooking the North Park Blocks in the Pearl. The Rams Head 2282 NW Hoyt St. – 503-221-0098 www.mcmenamins.com Settle in at a sidewalk table following an afternoon of shopping on busy NW 23rd. Relax with handcrafted McMenamins ales, wines and spirits paired with fresh salad, burgers, sandwiches and more. Serratto 2112 NW Kearney St. – 503-221-1195 www.serratto.com Serving innovated dishes from Italy, France and the greater Mediterranean region. Outstanding wine list and full bar. Sidewalk tables for outdoor dining on NW 21st and Kearney. Parking available in the lot at NW 21st and Johnson. Taco Del Mar 911 NW Hoyt St. – 503-274-4836 www.tacodelmar.com Enjoy lunch or dinner on new patio furniture! Quality, fresh fast food without lard or transfats. TDM has gone green with bio-degradable utensils, plates and bags. Beer coming soon! Free WiFi. Tea Chai Te 734 NW 23rd Ave. – 503-228-0900 www.teachaite.com Check out the amazing view of the West Hills from a 2nd story outdoor balcony! Offering a cozy vibe featuring over 100 teas including Portland’s Best Bubble Tea. Free wi-fi. REUBENS TO GO! Go with a TRADITIONAL REUBEN PASTRAMI REUBEN COMBINATION REUBEN TeaZone & Camellia Lounge 510 NW 11th Ave. – 503-221-2130 www.teazone.com Sidewalk seating along the Portland Streetcar line. Best selection of organic loose leaf teas. Hot and iced teas, freshbrewed chai and smoothies. Lounge open offering a full bar featuring marTEAnis. Typhoon! on Everett 2310 NW Everett St. – 503-243-7557 www.typhoonrestaurants.com Outdoor patio seating on Northwest 23rd, perfect for a day of shopping. Enjoy Award Winning Thai cuisine at modest prices. Serving lunch and dinner. Signature cocktails and a full bar. 21st Avenue Bar & Grill 721 NW 21st Ave. – 503-222-4121 Deck, patio, garden and sidewalk seating for 80. Casual atmosphere in one of the neighborhood’s best gardens. Open 11a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sat and Sun. 3 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Mon thru Fri. Virgo & Pisces 500 NW 21st Ave. – 503-517-8855 www.virgoandpisces.com Serving daily lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. A variety of tasty appetizers, sweet or savory crepes and gluten and soyfree pastas and pizzas. Plenty of sidewalk seating. Full bar and local live music. Wildwood Restaurant & Bar 1221 NW 21st Ave. – 503-248-9663 www.wildwoodrestaurant.com Patio seating for up to 20 along 21st Avenue. Serving lunch, dinner and coctails. World Cup Coffee & Tea Co. 1740 NW Glisan St. – 503-228-4152 www.worldcupcoffee.com A locally-based coffee shop providing fresh-roasted coffee, pastries, sandwiches and desserts. Free wi-fi and a meeting room too. Free Public Coffee Tastings • Meet The Roasters Every Thursday 2-4 • 1740 NW Glisan TURKEY PASTRAMI REUBEN TURKEY REUBEN SMOKED TURKEY REUBEN VEGETARIAN REUBEN Served with grilled rye, melted swiss, Russian dressing and kraut. Choice of potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad or chips. OPEN 7 DAYS FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER 628 NW 23rd Avenue 503-242-0055 Deli Fax: 503-242-1027 Pearl District: 301 NW 10th Ave., 503-796-3033 Uptown Shopping Center: 39 NW 23rd Place, 503-295-3033 We cater parties: www.benjerry.com/uptowncenter 20 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 Powell's City of Books 1740 NW Glisan St. 503-228-4151 Powell’s Cedar Hills Crossing going out Community Events Teen Idol history professor, Portland State University. June 9: “Teddy vs. the Telegraph: How a President and a Technology Competed to Change the English Language,” Paul Collins, assistant professor of English, Portland State University. June 16: Metro Update, David Bragdon, president, Metro Council June 23: Rotary Business Roundtables, Cancer Survivors Day Matt Mahaffy, coordinator. National Cancer Survivors Day celebraJune 30: Club Transition Meeting. Speaktion will be Sunday, June 7, 2-4 p.m., at ers Don Barney and Don Smith. Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital. Cancer survivor Devon Webster, M.D., from Bike classes Northwest Cancer Specialists, will share REI offers free classes on bicycling this lessons she learned on surviving cancer. month at its Pearl store, Northwest 14th Activities will include wellness walks, talks and Johnson streets. by experts on nutrition and exercise, wellJune 10, 7 p.m.: Bike Maintenance 101 ness information, survivorship resources, will cover the basics, such as changing a wellness information, keepsake photos, art tire, lubing the chain and simple adjustand garden activities, and refreshments. The ments. Each participant will receive a free event is free, but registration is required. set of Novara tire levers for changing flats. Visit www.legacyhealth.org/calendar. June 17, 6:30 p.m.: Buying a New or Used Bike will provide tips on identifying Pearl Rotary meetings Pearl Rotary hosts speakers every Tues- what type of bike you need. The program day morning at 7:30 in the Ecotrust Build- is presented by REI, the city of Portland’s ing, 721 NW Ninth Ave. A $10 charge Bureau of Transportation and the Comincludes a continental breakfast. For more munity Cycling Center’s Bike Shop direcinformation, contact George Wright at tor, Mychal Tetteh. All participants will receive a Novara bike water bottle. georgec3pub@comcast.net. The finals of Portland Teen Idol, a singing competition for students age 13-19 hosted by Portland Parks & Recreation, will be held Saturday, June 13, 7 p.m., at the Northwest Children’s Theater, 1819 NW Everett St. Two of the finalists, Ashley Fields and Ella Carver, live in Northwest Portland. 20th anniversary with a 20-mile run in Forest Park Saturday, June 20. Participants must raise $500, which will go toward maintaining trails in the park. To register, visit www.forestparkconservancy.org or email andrea@forestparkconservancy. Tuesday concerts Northwest Portland International Hostel & Guesthouse presents performers and a barbecue every Tuesday evening in June, 6-10 p.m., in its Secret Garden at 415 NW 18th Ave. June 9: Dan Weber, Portland, www.myspace.com/highway142 June 16: Brad Creel, Portland, www.bradcreel.com June 22: Russell Thomas, Portland www.myspace.com/ therussellthomasagenda June 30: To be announced Visit www.nwportlandhostel.com or call 503-827-0405 for more information. al programs for Portland-area youth. To reserve tickets ($20), visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/67318, call 503-8270405, or email anniversary@nwportlandhostel.com. Visioning for patio Food Front will hold two design charettes on its patio as part of City Repair’s Village Building Convergence Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and Tuesday, June 9, 1-3 p.m. The goal is to envision how to make the Food Front patio a more dynamic community space and a launch pad for future VBC projects in the Northwest neighborhood. For more information, call Valerie or Tom at 503-222-5658, x133. Photo exhibit An opening reception for participants in a photography class sponsored by Portland Parks & Recreation and Friendly House this spring will be held Wednesday, June 24, 5-7 p.m., at 1737 NW 26th Ave. Maggie Trimbach taught the class, which was Hostel celebration for 12- to 14-year-olds. The photos are of The 100th anniversary of international scenes in the neighborhood and surroundhostelling will be celebrated Saturday, June ing parks and industrial areas. 13, at Northwest Portland International Hostel & Guesthouse, 415 NW 18th Ave., Summer camp with a day of family-oriented events. From Summer Chaps, Friendly House’s sum1-5 p.m. there will be free activities, includ- mer day camp for school-age children, ing games for children and live music. In presents free weekly performances demthe evening, 6:30-10 p.m., there will be a onstrating skills learned in the camp. The benefit featuring music by Stephanie Sch- first two events are a battle of the bands, neiderman, a silent auction, a traditional Friday, June 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m., and a pupGerman barbecue and an international pet show Friday, June 26, 4:45-5:30 p.m. photo exhibit. Speakers include Portland Summer Chaps runs June 16-Aug. 21, and City Council member Amanda Fritz and enrollment is $225 per week (scholarships Altaira Hatton, who has traveled 29 coun- are available). For more information, call June 2: “The Challenges: Israel/Palestine, Run 20! For 20! tries in her wheelchair. 503-228-4391. Iraq and Afghanistan,” Jon E. Mandaville, All proceeds will benefit interculturForest Park Conservancy celebrates its Join Us @Our Open Houses 2nd Thurs, 5-7pm, June 11 & July 9 Meet us (we’re nice) • See the studio (it’s beautiful) Drink and nibble • Climb on the equipment, Ask us all your questions • Mini-consultations Can’t Make Our Open House? Call to schedule a free 30-minute consultation corepilatespdx.com Authentic Pilates • GYROTONIC • Since 2001 ™ authentic pilates ® TM Check our website for more information Feel Better. Look Better. Live Better. 12O9 SW Alder St., Suite B n Open: M – Sat n 5O3.222 .7O11 Northwest Examiner for publication in june 2009 issue Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 21 Uptown EyeCare & Optical news Zuzana B. Friberg, OD, FAAO Letters continued from page 3 Eye Health Tip For June: Protect Your Eyes from Harmful UV light with High Quality Prescription SunGlasses! Information about the project can be found online at www.portlandonline.com/ No other orchestra has had such a treasure, transportation; search for “NW 23rd.” For and I want to express our gratitude for his additional information or to contact the lasting contribution. project team, I can be reached at 503-8237211. Jacob Avshalomov SW Fairview Blvd. Jean Senechal Biggs Paving involves noise Let Us Enhance Your Life With Our Personalized Eye Care! Vision & Eye Health Evaluation & Treatment, Contact Lenses, Glasses, Corneal Refractive Therapy, LASIK & Cataract Evaluation, Emergency Care & the Latest in Eyewear Fashion! 2370 W Burnside St UptownEyeCareAndOptical.com 503.228.3838 Chapman ElEmEntary SChool 1445 NW 26th ~ 503-916-6295 June’s Upcoming Events Monday-Friday, june 1-5 Book Fair THURSDAY, JUNE 4 Field Day, 12:30 PM - All Grades WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 Grading Period Ends 5th Grade Promotion, 10:00 AM END OF SCHOOL YEAR 22 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 Thanks for your coverage of the Northwest 23rd project in this month’s [May 2009] Examiner and keeping your readers informed. I’m writing to offer some additional information for clarification regarding the noise variance we will be requesting and the proposed workdays. The project’s expedited schedule, which allows the project to be completed in the slower retail months of winter and spring, will require that the contractor work six days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Business owners have requested that construction work take place Sunday through Friday in order to avoid construction noise on and around Northwest 23rd on Saturdays, the busiest day on the street. The project’s ability to work on Sundays—instead of Saturdays—will depend on the outcome of our noise variance application. If the variance is not approved, work would instead occur Monday through Saturday in order to keep the expedited schedule. We will also be requesting a noise variance to allow work after 6 p.m. on any workday. This will allow the contractor to take advantage of the longer daylight hours in the spring should they choose to in order to complete the work. If the variance is not approved, work would not be allowed after 6 p.m. Project Manager Portland Bureau of Transportation Don’t forget north end I have written before that I really enjoy your monthly paper. I live near Cedar Mill and when I go to Good Sam or to one of my doctors, I often use 23rd Avenue to go from Lovejoy to Thurman to the library or Savier to go to the post office. I heard they plan to redo 23rd from Burnside Street to Lovejoy Street. However, I noticed that from Lovejoy to Thurman is in bad shape as well. When I was a teen, I lived with a family at 24th and Thurman and used the streetcar to go downtown. It is so sad that they buried all those tracks, got rid of all the streetcars and electric trolleys we had and changed to the gas buses. Thanks for the hard work. Wanita Phillips Washington County news Environmental agency gets an earful from intense crowd allan classen By Allan Classen About 100 neighbors attended a meeting last month to see what could be done about air pollution in Northwest Portland. The turnout amazed Department of Environmental Quality officials, who were invited to hear and respond to rising local dissent. Concerns have escalated in 2009 due to publication of a USA Today report identifying all seven schools in the Northwest and Pearl districts as having worse industrial air pollution than 98 percent of the schools in the nation. “I’m really happy to see all you folks here,” said DEQ’s Gregg Lande, one of five employees of the agency sitting at the head table. “This group is bigger than all of the people I’ve seen in 20 years.” Before the meeting was over, Lande, a longtime Northwest Portland resident, may not have been so happy with the crowd or their sometimes harsh and skeptical judgments. “Don’t ask DEQ for any help because you won’t get it,” warned one man. “Their job is to collect money so they can let companies continue polluting.” His reference was to fees for pollution discharge permits, which provide 70 percent of the agency’s funding. It was a point repeated by several speakers before the two-hour meeting ended. “They study, they study, they study, but they don’t do anything to stop pollution,” charged Bob Davies. Davies has worked for years on a neigh- Members of the audience line up to ask questions of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality officials. borhood committee dedicated to reducing emissions from ESCO, whose two steel foundries were named by USA Today as the primary source of industrial pollution affecting neighborhood schools. “I feel like we’ve done quite a bit of monitoring,” said Lande, noting that DEQ had a monitoring station at the Forest Park Post Office for years. “We’ve never found concentrations that are immediately harmful to human health.” Lande said his wife taught at Chapman and their two children went there. “I was never worried specifically about ESCO,” he said. “I know there are real pollutants causing real harm. ESCO probably contributes some, but it’s not to a level that would make me worry.” His advice to the audience: “We want you to be concerned, not alarmed.” One audience member not ready to accept that advice was Joan Rothlein, a neurotoxicologist at Oregon Health & Science University who is also a neighbor and acquaintance of Lande. “We didn’t need USA Today to know there were air issues,” said Rothlein. “It stinks outside ESCO. I’m a scientist, and we’re supposed to be objective, but when you drive by ESCO on certain days it stinks. “It’s not rocket science,” she said. “When you smell a pollutant, the pollutant is there.” Another audience member was Krag Petterson, director of technology with Cooper Environmental Services, whose company was hired by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to monitor air outside ESCO’s main plant. “We found definitely that ESCO is responsible for the manganese in the air,” he said. Mary Peveto, the founder of Neighbors for Clean Air, used Petterson’s findings to file a complaint with DEQ against Lande. Peveto said Lande was given a copy of that report in February, yet he told the audience that it wasn’t possible to link particular pollutants with their sources. After Petterson spoke, Lande acknowledged that such a connection can be made and that he had said so all along. His defense drew guffaws from the audience, which was not in a tolerant mood. State Rep. Mitch Greenlick, who attended the meeting, was asked for his overall reaction. “We need to figure out what the barrier is to cleaning up the emissions in the area,” he said. “I assume the technology is available to clean up the emissions, and then it becomes a matter of economics. “For the first time last night, I understood the possible value of cap-and-trade proposals. I suppose it would be easier to convince ESCO to spend money to get well below standards if they could sell some of that ‘excess reduction,’” he said. comfier than your couch funkier than yourfuton... reclaim your space! have your out-of-town guests... Come sleep with us! FACT Realtor Dan Volkmer has advertised in the NW Examiner every month for over 20 years. He has sold more than 1,000 properties in the neighborhood. surrounded by fant astic boutiques & w orld class restauran ts boutique hotel 800.224 .1180 503.224.0543 2025 nw northrup portland, oregon northrupstation.com contact the hotel directly for best rates! Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 23 business Finance & Real Estate Thurman continued from page 1 JULIE KEEFE had the perfect new location for the bento business. Bair wasn’t so sure at first, but his predicament justified gambling on Thurman Street. He is not sorry. “As soon as we opened the doors, we were busy,” said Bair. Many of his regular customers worked at Montgomery Park and Con-way, he discovered, and they could now walk to his location rather than drive. He also drew on a healthy number of Food Front shoppers and patrons of other local businesses. After a little more than a year on Thurman, he sells more bento boxes now than he ever did on Westover. JULIE KEEFE Dan Bair tends his grill while keeping an eye on Thurman Street. Bair had been unfamiliar with the street before he was forced to move his bento stand from its home of 20 years on Northwest Westover, but one year later he said sales have already surpassed past levels. bike corral in front of her shop, sacrificing a vehicle parking space so the city could install racks for 12 bikes. Bair’s West Coast Bento is both a beneficiary and contributor to the festive atmosphere. As one of his patrons recently remarked, “A neighborhood is always more of a neighborhood when you can smell something cooking.” Two years ago, Bair’s busy bento stand was on Northwest Westover across from the Uptown Shopping Center, and he had never even been to Thurman Street. In October 2007, he suddenly lost his lease. Loyal customer Brent Douglas was disturbed to go for lunch one day and find only a “closed” sign and immediately called Bair. Douglas, who owns a row of commercial buildings at 24th and Thurman, insisted he Foot traffic is high on Thurman Street, especially around Northwest 23rd Place, where St. Honore Boulangerie (background) and Food Front are main attractions. We Believe In Things No One Else Does Qualifying for a bank loan today, for most applicants, is only a fairy tale . . . even with a good credit score! At Forest Park, we think our members deserve something to believe in that’s more than a fairy tale. 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G N I D N PE The Addison 1604 sf 2 Bed/2Bath $649,000 Judie Dunken, GRI Principal Broker Direct: 503-849-1593 www.judiedunken.com 24 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 p. 24-30 “I knew it would work,” said Douglas, a neighborhood resident for most of the last 30 years. “I really like the vibe on Thurman,” Douglas said. “The vibe on Thurman is different from the rest of Northwest because the businesses here cater to the people who live in the neighborhood, and that’s a big difference.” Part of what makes Thurman a special experience for him is recognizing many of the faces he sees on the street every day, even if he doesn’t know their names. “That’s what makes Thurman so nice,” he said. He’s not the only one to feel that way. “I love the whole café-society feel of the street,” said Jim Lomasson, who shares a photography studio at Northwest 24th and Thurman with Stewart Harvey in a former theater building they co-own. “On a nice day, everybody’s out.” Building blocks There’s a general consensus about the businesses that formed the building blocks of Thurman’s renaissance. Bill Welch, who came to the neighborhood in the 1970s, said the move of Food Front from a small store at 27th and Thurman to its current corner at 2375 NW Thurman in 1987 was pivotal. “I’m dumbfounded by how many businesses came to nestle around Food Front,” said Welch. “Food Front had a lot to do with making it easy to live in Willamette Heights and the flats.” Continued on page 27 No hustle-bustle kind of place By Carol Wells Thurman Street is about people. On weekday mornings, it’s about the regular gang that assembles at the Dragonfly Coffee House to solve the world’s problems before getting down to some paying work. Today, over cups of dark roast coffee, the conversation turns to our shared love affair with the tree-lined street that’s visible through the café’s large windows. Gunnar Forland, a manufacturers’ agent who lives nearby, begins by talking about the personal relationship between neighbors and the small-business owners on the street. “Homer down here”—his thumb indicates Twenty-third Avenue Market, owned by Homer Medica—“if one of his customers wants something, he’ll bring it in. He stocks chili paste for me.” A customer comes in and owner Erin Timmins starts a cappuccino for him without asking. She’s behind the counter every morning, chit-chatting with regulars about their families and jobs, and greeting newcomers. Photographer Sergio Ortiz says that for him it’s about the feel of the street. “It’s not a hustle-bustle kind of place. There’s nothing pretentious about it,” he says. Contributing to the warmth of the street is that many of the homes and businesses are in older buildings, giving them and the street a sense of place and history, and a human scale that modern glass-and-steel structures just don’t have. For a couple of years, I ran a nonprofit organization out of the Thurman Street Building, a 19th-century former grocery store whose inside is so pristinely preserved that a claw-foot tub still graces one of its bathrooms. The Northwest branch of the Multnomah County Library is housed in a storybook brick building from 1928. St. Honoré Boulangerie’s building is also of ’20s vintage and, reports owner Dominique Geulin, it has been home to a Mustang repair shop and a gas station. The street boasts other gathering places, each with a character reflecting that of the people behind the counter. Toward the hills, the Clearing Café hosts neighbors who enjoy its low-key pulse and people on their way to a run in Forest Park. Although it is owned by Briana and Peter Borten from The Dragontree day spa next door, co-managers Alex McGregor and Dallas Summers treat customers with a proprietary cordiality. St. Honoré’s Geulin comes in every morning to supervise his team of bakers. He explains his decision to open his European-style cafe at this location: “I was looking for a neighborhood environment with people living on the street, walking on the street, and being part of that community. This is what I grew up with in France, with my parents’ bakery being part of the life of a neighborhood.” Thurman Street is also about businesses that provide services people can use. “I get my hair cut here, my library is here, my co-op [Food Front, a member-owned grocery store] is here,” says Paul Bingman, owner of Edgewood. net, a website development company, who comes into the neighborhood from Linnton. When I ran my nonprofit on the street, I could patronize a copy and print shop, a dry cleaner and several restaurants, all with faces behind the counter that stayed the same day after day. Chain coffee shops, restaurants and stores are not always bad. Anonymous, quick service has its place in our rushed and overworked lives. What a street like Thurman, with its relatively stable population of neighbors and on-site business owners, gives us is a web of relationships which, taken in totality, form a community. That equals a richness of life for everyone, residents and visitors alike. Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 25 business Bike parking has special place on Thurman Allan Classen by Allan Classen You know you’re not on 23rd Avenue when the city removes a parking space and no one complains. Of course, the elimination of auto parking along Northwest Thurman at 24th Avenue can be seen as a net increase of 11 parking spaces. That’s because the new bike corral accommodates 12 bicycles instead of one motor vehicle. City workers installed the corral May 8 as the first trial of this concept in the Northwest District. Two corrals were installed last fall in the Pearl, and there are 11 others across the city, according to Sarah Figliozzi, coordinator of the program for the Portland Bureau of Transportation. “Terrific,” was the reaction of longtime Northwest resident Bill Welch when he learned of the bike parking facility. “That sounds great,” said Jim Lomasson, a photographer who owns a studio on the other side of the intersection. The fact that he hadn’t heard about the corral a few days before its installation didn’t bother him. “I’m totally pro-bike.” “That’s going to be cool,” said Ed Carpenter, who as owner of the property adjacent to the corral had to give his blessing. Kim Carlson, who lives a half-block away and chairs the Northwest District Association Transportation Committee, could not be more supportive. “Bike corrals are an excellent addition to our main streets,” Carlson said. “They put bike parking in the street and not on the pedestrian right-of-way. This removes obstacles and improves pedestrian mobility, leaves room for cafe seating and provides better access to shops. “A bike corral can accommodate eight bikes where a single car can park,” she said. “A car will typically bring one, maybe two, shoppers. A well-placed bike corral will be a huge benefit for the surrounding businesses. Siting a bike corral in front of a restaurant with cafe seating is particularly good, as it provides a level of security for the parked bikes.” In interviews with about 20 neighbors, property owners and business operators in the vicinity, not one person spoke against it. The only discouraging word was from Dan Bair, who has Big Dan’s West Coast Bento on the other side of Thurman. Bair doesn’t like the removal of one auto parking spot directly east of the corral. The site was chosen by city and neighborhood representatives largely due to the enthusiastic support of Erin Timmins, who operates Dragonfly Coffee House next to the corral. “Is there anyone who thinks this is not a good idea?” asked Timmins. “It’s kind of a no-brainer. “There are so many bikes here; to eliminate one parking space for this is just so smart for everyone.” Timmins doesn’t see the facility as hers alone but as an asset for the entire community. 346-2506 ExploreKearney5x8.qxd:Layout 1 2/22/08 11:31 AM Page 1 Looking to be part of the Pearl, but not ] Want to Live In the Pearl? Lease Now. Own Later. Studios, 1 & 2 bedrooms ready to buy? Kearney Plaza luxury apartments are the ideal gateway. 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Call for details today. and rooftop terrace Get a new lease on urban life. 503.227.5624 | 931 NW 11th Avenue 26 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 Open Daily | kearneyplaza.com Sarah Figliozzi (center), coordinator of the city’s bicycle parking program, chats with Northwest District Association Transportation Chair Kim Carlson (right) and a bicyclist at the new bike corral in front of Dragonfly Coffee House at Northwest 24th and Thurman. “This is for everybody,” she said. “Anything that’s good for the community is good for us.” Roger Gellar, manager of the city’s bicycle program, said Portland has undergone a “sea change” in regard to bike parking. He said there is a backlog of businesses around the city wanting corrals in front of their shops, while a possible pushback against removing vehicle parking has never surfaced. Gellar said a bike corral “advertises a business as a bike-friendly place,” improves the pedestrian environment and leads to cleaner sidewalks. Bike corrals also function as “curb extensions” that make the vehicle path narrower at intersections, thereby enhancing safety, he said. Figliozzi is looking at other potential sites along Northwest 21st and 23rd avenues, including one by Laughing Planet/21st Avenue Bicycles and one on 23rd near Johnson. Thurman continued from page 25 Photographer Roger Dorband, who collaborated with local author Ursula LeGuin on Blue Moon Over Thurman Street, a 1993 book on an earlier transition period, described Food Front as a “great, lasting institution, a community base … that creates a wonderful sense of community.” Phil Sellinger lives in an 1892 house he rejuvenated at 2466 NW Irving St. Two years ago, with the help of Food Front, he organized a monthly litter pickup day in the neighborhood. He saw it as a way to get neighbors together and build neighborhood pride. While most of the volunteers live within a few blocks, the event also brings a handful of people from outside the area. Sellinger said the same pattern applies to Food Front itself, which is so valuable to the area because it serves neighbors while drawing from the broader region. “Food Front is doing something right,” added Ed Carpenter, who since 1984 has owned the mixed-use building that includes the Dragonfly at 24th and Thurman. “It’s obviously one of the anchors, along with the library,” he said. “It both increases the diversity of this neighborhood, and increases the number of reasons people have to come to this neighborhood.” Another key element, in his estimation, is the Dragonfly and its owner. “A lot of credit goes to Erin Timmins and the vivacious nature of her business,” said Carpenter. “She has made a business that is very popular, and the good vibes radiate outward from that place.” “She did a good job of transforming it,” said Stewart Harvey. “It is now a business true coffeehouse where people feel comfortable just hanging out.” Credit for Thurman’s success is also due to Richard Singer, who converted the former Harris Wine Cellar building at 23rd and Thurman into a Multnomah County branch library in 2002. “The library has been a great asset,” said Douglas. “It serves local people and families.” “Do thank Singer for the library,” Welch advised. The irony—lost on few Thurman Street habitués—is that the library has done so much to enhance this area while the developer’s retail properties that form the heart of the southern half of 23rd Avenue could have used the boost. “ It’s been an interesting and organic process. It seems real healthy; it doesn’t seem like gentrified or artificial development. No grand plan While Singer carefully chose commercial tenants for his boutiques south of Lovejoy, there has been no central guiding force on Thurman Street. Carpenter said Thurman’s diversity of business types and sizes is largely due to the range of building types existing on the street. The two-story wooden Thurman Street Building, built in 1904 and owned by Douglas, has funky, low-rent upstairs offices. One is rented by flute-maker Romy Benton, who carves exquisite instruments from bamboo. St. Honore takes advantage of a former ” —Jim Lomasson auto repair shop built it 1923 with massive beams that are now exposed to create an impressive café space. The same building houses Trilogy Video and Square Deal Wines in modern storefronts. West Coast Bento operates from the basement of a modest 1901 house previously used as an industrial shop and offices for nonprofits. A tattoo shop occupies the main floor. Carpenter’s two-story building dates to 1910, but it looks more new than old since its 1980s remodeling. Blue Moon Over Thurman Street presented Thurman as an ever-changing street reflecting the great themes of American life. From the time the book was conceived until its completion five years later, Thurman was transformed by several rowhouse projects by developer Phil Morford. Although villainized for his demolition of historic houses in the process, his and later row houses replaced ugly industrial buildings and a few dilapidated houses, creating homes for more families and giving the area a lift. “When we first came there were abandoned houses where skinheads hung out, the Beaver tavern and a factory next door,” said Lomasson, who has been on the street 23 years. “It’s been an interesting and organic process,” he said. “It seems real healthy; it doesn’t seem like gentrified or artificial development.” His partner, Stewart Harvey, called Thurman’s rise “a succession of things, all of which kept going in the right direction.” Ultimately, Thurman became “the lowcost alternative to 23rd.” Carpenter, who has patiently watched for 25 years as the area gradually found its way, shares the optimism. “And nobody has orchestrated it,” he said. “It just happened.” And it keeps happening day after day, especially when the sun is out and the deep barbecue aroma fills the air. It may have taken the slow route to get there, but Thurman is now “where it’s at.” Parish & Company In v es tment Management The Markets are in Turmoil. Ask Why My Clients are Satisified. See YouTube Summary by searching: Bill Parish Welcome Bill Parish SEC Registered Investment Advisor 503-643-6999 | bill@billparish.com 10260 SW Greenburg Rd., Suite 400, Portland, OR 97223 How does it feel to be the most important person in someone’s life? Give Joan Amico and her son, Darrin, a call and find out. TAKE A GOOD LOOK. IT’S THE ONLY TIME YOU’LL SEE THEM RESTING. Together, they’re an unstoppable team of Realtors who won’t rest until you’ve sold your home or are happily in your new one. That means they make it a point to cater to your wishes, address your concerns, and put the full extent of their knowledge and expertise to work for you. You might even say, they pull out all the stops. JOAN AM ICO AND DARRIN AMICO A C i t y o f H o m e s . Yo u r B r o k e r s . The Hasson Company Joan 503.802.6443 Darrin 503.802.6446 w w w. j o a n a m i c o . c o m Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 27 business New Businesses allan classen ment with the proper fit. The spokesman called Portland “the largest and most dedicated cycling market in the U.S.” Red Onion Thai Cuisine 1123 NW 23rd Ave., 503-208-2634 The former Misohapi spot has a new Thai restaurant. Owner Dang Boonyakamol, who also has Dang’s Thai Kitchen in Lake Oswego, opened May 24 after Avada Hearing Center 2330 NW Flanders St., #203, 503-698-5221 substantial remodeling. He emphasizes authentic Thai food made with qualTiffany Parret recently opened an ity, local ingredients and said his most Avada Hearing Center in the Flanders popular item is Po Pia Sod, a fresh roll Medical Building. Parret has been in appetizer. Dinners are $10-$14. The Red the industry six years, with 200 patients Onion has a beer and wine license. The in the Clackamas/Milwaukie area. main dining area seats 56, and there is The center provides complementary a banquet room that seats another 25. hearing evaluations, free hearing-aid adjustment, cleaning and fitting. IDOM 827 NW 23rd Ave., 503-477-6818 Women’s clothing designer Modi Soondarotok has moved her store from Northeast Alberta to the former Seaplane location on Northwest 23rd Avenue. A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Soondarotok graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York and worked in London and Paris before coming to Portland in 2006 to launch her own line, IDOM, which is her first name spelled backwards. She uses hand-loomed silks in blouses, skirts, jackets and coats, but dresses are her signature garment. Dollar Tree 1938 W. Burnside St., 503- 227-1276 Dollar Tree opened its first store in Portland’s west side last month in the new Civic building. It carries housewares, hardware, personal-care items and school supplies, and this store will add dairy and frozen foods in a few weeks. All items in the store are $1 and it’s open seven days a week. The store manager is Jamie Schlosser. Dollar Tree opened in early May in the Civic building on West Burnside. It is the only Dollar Tree in Portland on the west side of the river. allan classen Stone Pie Joe’s 1015 NW 23rd Ave., 503-488-0399 Joe Highfill is opening a new eatery that he intends to be “all about fun.” He’ll sell pies suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner for $2.85 each, emphasizing “fast, fresh Performance Bicycle and friendly.” The business name and his 1736 SW Alder St., 503-224-0297 signature dish draw inspiration from the One of the nation’s largest retailers of quality bicycles recently opened a store in Grimm’s fairy tale, “Stone Soup,” in which a hungry village is well fed by pooling the former Mattress World space just off West Burnside at Southwest 18th Avenue, the limited resources of each one. It will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week its fourth in Oregon. The company is beginning July 1 in the northern half of broadening its lines to include all types what was Twenty-third Avenue Books. of riders in addition to its specialty as a supplier to triathletes and other competitive riders. “We want to serve hardcore riders and casual riders,” said a company spokesman. The stores are well staffed to help customers find the right equip- Modi Soondarotok recently moved her women’s clothing shop from Northeast Alberta to the former Seaplane location on Northwest 23rd Avenue. Her store and her own line of clothing are called IDOM (rhymes with “item”), which is her first name spelled backwards. Got Stuff ? Yeon MiniStorage can help! For Business or Home ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Seven NEW townhome style condos in the heart of Multnomah Village. Experience and Diversity! For all your Real Estate needs Contact: Sammye Sanborn Broker, Realtor RE/MAX equity group, inc. 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Visit www.multnomahcorner.com to view these fabulous condos. 7503-7517 SW Capitol Hwy $299,900 - $335,900 Open Sat-Sun 1:00-4:00 28 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Locally Owned and Operated Clean and Dry All one level – NO ELEVATORS Open 7 days a week Covered loading docks Plenty of off street parking Gated entrance and monitored security All unit sizes available Climate Controlled Free lock No move in fees Convenient Location - 5 minutes to downtown - 3 minutes to the Pearl Call today: 503-827-3900 3055 NW Yeon Ave www.yeonministorage.com Bring in this ad and receive 1 month free With a 6 month rental. business allan classen The NW Examiner Serving Portland’s Northwest Neighborhoods since 1986 web.directory is now online GET LINKED at www.nwexaminer.com Call 503-241-2353 or email allan@nwexaminer.com Owner Dang Boonyakamol recently opened Red Onion Thai Cuisine in the former Misohapi spot on Northwest 23rd Avenue. He also operates Dang’s Thai Kitchen in Lake Oswego. B usines S B R I E F S Portland native Steve Smith, founder of Tazo Tea Co., which he sold to Starbucks in 1999 for a reported $9 million, plans to open Smith Teamaker at 1626 NW Thurman St. in September. The company will make, market and distribute products from a 1914 brick building that was once a blacksmith shop. It will specialize in small-batch, loose and ready-todrink teas. ... After 10 years in Northwest Portland, The Realty Network GMAC Real Estate has moved from 1505 NW 23rd Ave. to John’s Landing. ... Seaplane women’s clothing design has moved from 827 NW 23rd Ave. to 2266 NW Lovejoy St. in the former Luv ’n’ Stuff Flowers location. ... Olea Restaurant in the Pearl closed last month. ... More liquor licenses are sure sprouting up in the neighborhood. Nob Hill Bar & Grill recently got one, as did Cha Cha Cha at Northwest 12th and Glisan. Kenny & Zuke’s Sandwich Works on Northwest Thurman recently added beer and wine. Chow, Taco Del Mar and World Cup are also applying for alcohol licenses. ... Urbane Zen closed its Pearl store but is keeping its Tigard and Lake Oswego locations. Fez Studio will move from 1125 NW Ninth Ave. into the old Urbane Zen space at 205 NW 10th Ave. ... ESCO has laid off 50 more employees and has cancelled its annual employee picnic, said company spokesman Robert Kenneth, who said ESCO “continues to feel the effects of the global recession.” ... KeyBank plans to open a new branch at 1001 NW 14th Ave. this fall. ... Northwest Housing Alternatives is receiving an $830,000 grant to rehabilitate the Roselyn Apartments, 424 NW 21st Ave., a 31-unit building for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. ... Signal Sports for Women, at 327 NW Kearney St. under On Deck Sports Bar, closed last month. Straight from your Dreams This genuine classic beach home will satisfy every desire for detail you’ve been wishing for in an ocean viewGearharthome. Hugely charming spaces are chalked full of original trimmings that have been well maintained. Beach trail is just outside your door. Close to downtown, 18 hole golf course & restaurants. 5BD, 3327 sq ft. Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 29 business In the ’Hood By Mike Ryerson as far as I can tell never even existed. “Many years ago, the Nob Hill Business Association provided this content,” said D.C. Rahe of MapClicks. “Before my time. I don’t know where they are located.” Still, he makes a good point: shop local. Buy from people who know their neighborhood. Please be quiet when you leave You can reach Mike Ryerson at 503-381-8050 or mikeryerson@comcast.net In many ways, the last day of May was pretty much like any other nice Sunday on Northwest 23rd Avenue. It was a sunny afternoon, the bikers were hanging out in front of the Santa Fe Taqueria, a street musician was playing his guitar outside of Kornblatt’s and the sidewalk tables at Papa Haydn and Jo Bar were full of chatting and laughing diners. Most people were unaware of a few not-so-normal events that were taking place. The owner of The Compleat Bed and Breakfast was wheeling an upright vacuum cleaner out of her store while a companion was loading a piece of furniture from the store into a pickup truck. She had just closed the doors to her shop for the last time. “Goodbye” read one of the small signs in the window. A few blocks away, Pierre Tronik was peddling the last shoes from his family’s Nob Hill Shoe shop off of a couple of folding tables in front of their former store. Several “for sale” signs were posted on the building. Across the street at Steel for Men clothing, a couple of hand-written flyers on the A-frame sign read “last day” and “everything must go.” Earlier in the month, a large “Liquidation” banner had hung on the front of the building. For some reason, it was removed and the owner suddenly refused to acknowledge her intention to close. For the rest of the month, a “for lease” sign was propped in the corner of the front display window. Signage announcing the store’s closing was pulled from sight. Dale Rhodes, M.S., M.A. 1020 SW Taylor, Suite #804 (503) 295-4481 DaleJRhodes@aol.com www.EnneagramPortland.com Mentoring on the Nine Points of View in Relationships, Work & Spiritual Development A similar pattern occurred up the avenue at Elizabeth Street women’s apparel. At first the window was painted with an announcement that it was closing, but it was soon changed to “consolidating.” Whatever it’s called, a 50-percent-off sale continues. “Actually, we are closing,” said owner Libby Hartung, “but we’ll be carrying some things we have here when we open up next door,” referring to her Zelda’s Shoes, which she plans to revive. Sounds like someone has gotten sensitive about too many “closed” signs getting on the local news. I can imagine a note to commercial tenants: “If you’re going to die, do it quietly, attracting as little attention as possible. The rest of us still have an image to uphold.” Oops! I usually don’t have a reason to pick up a Nob Hill-NW Portland Walking Map, but I recently scanned a copy. The circular is put out by a company called MapClicks.com, which also promotes a program for local merchants called Choose Local. The guide suggests a few nearby sites for visitors to enjoy while they’re in the neighborhood shopping and dining. It brags about two local historic houses you can see in the area. One is the Knapp House at Northwest 18th and Everett, which was torn down in the early 1950s to make way for a parking lot. The other is called the Mason House, which [here’s my card] Individual sessions downtown, Monthly classes meet at PSU OVERDO IT ON THE WEEKENDS? Nancy Hanks Campbell, EdD, PhD, LMFT Sore muscles? Join us Mondays at 11am for Awareness Through Movement classes. Give it a try for a drop-in fee of $12. Or sign up for a month for $25. Best bargain going! Is Sex Therapy Right for You? FREE 10-minute Phone Consultation 503.502.5399 Linnton Community Center 10614 NW St. Helens Rd. ~ 503-286-4990 Sex Therapy for Women & Their Intimate Partners 1020 SW Taylor, #675, Portland www.womensexualtherapy.com Tom Leach Roofing 503-238-0303 TomLeachRoofing@Comcast.net Kitchens • Bathrooms Tile • Plaster • Concrete Painting • Carpentry Conversions & Additions •One Year Warranty• 503.380.4927 Portlandtradesmen.com Lic#173966 30 Northwest Examiner JUNE 2009 CCB# 42219 45 years roofing your neighborhood. Remodel & Design Mike Ryerson When this storefront at 808 NW 23rd Ave. became vacant, a large banner advertised its availability. Today a small sign has taken its place. Has word gone out to tone down signs of business distress? Snapshots Four metal laser-cut panels representing scenes from the neighborhood were installed at Downtown Self Storage at Northwest 14th and Davis streets recently. The artist was Virginia Flynn, a longtime Northwest Portland resident, and the project was coordinated by Patricia Gardner of Cheshir Architecture. Huge crowds attended National Train Day last month at Union Station, lining up for blocks to tour the SP Daylight 4449 steam locomotive and vintage train cars. The event was sponsored by the Oregon Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and PSU Friends of History. allan classen Mike Ryerson A delivery truck double-parks by Papa Haydn Restaurant at Northwest 23rd and Irving, blocking visibility of the parking lot exit immediately in front of the truck. Developer Richard Singer, who overcame repeated neighborhood challenges to gain approval to build a parking structure on the site of the parking lot, convinced City Council that safety issues at this site were adequately addressed. Ron Jennings Volunteers paint over graffiti at a vacant garage in the Pearl as part of this spring’s Polish the Pearl. Mike Ryerson Mike Ryerson Shoppers took advantage of liquidation bargains at Urbane Zen, 205 NW 10th Ave., last month. The store had been in the Pearl for seven years after starting on Northwest 23rd Avenue 10 years ago. Urbane Zen stores in Tigard and Lake Oswego will remain open. A diseased linden tree at 2343 NW Irving St. was removed last month on orders of the Portland Urban Forester. The tree, believed to have been planted in 1892, was designated by the city as a Heritage Tree in 1996. Beth Sorensen of the forester’s office said it was “rotted at the base” and “almost completely dead.” Donald Town, who grew up on this block in the 1940s and ’50s, said it was known as the “hide-and-seek tree” where children would close their eyes and count before searching for their playmates. 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Hood Mt. St. Helens Mt. Adams Mt. Rainier The Columbia River The Willamette River Forest Park Portland City Lights... N Or By Appointment Call Bob Harrington PE N SA LE PE N DI N G Arbor Cascadian $509,950 Developed by Trammell crow residential Located at 2350 NW Savier. Open Saturday 12-5pm Pre-Owned CEDAR MILL • Owner Run HOA • No Assessments • One Year Warranty Items Complete • No Litigation DEVELOPER OFFERED TERMS 15% Down Owner Contract 3.99% No Monthly P&I 2 Year Term DI SW Boones Ferry Rd. & 18th Just North of Lake Oswego •3BR+Den+Bonus •2-StoryGreatRoom •FindleyElementary •NeighborhoodPark •ML9028469 •CallBrianLawson • • • • • • • • Enjoy the success, quality and financial security of ownership at The Vaux: • 100% Completed Development • 96% Sold • 74% Owner Occupied Buy Now, Build Later Where Else Can You Enjoy a View of all of this from One Lot? • 1 BR • 1BA • Ground Lvl #127 • 807 SF • ML 9012376 • $324,900 N $589,900 • 2 BR • 2 BA • Second Lvl #224 • 1385 SF • ML 9012056 • $479,000 PE SIERRA • 2 BR • 2 BA • Ground Lvl #100 • 1349 SF • ML 9012063 • $499,000 LE 3, 21 5 To learn more, contact: Brian Lawson or Donna Russell • 2 BR • 2 BA • Penthouse #403 • 1933 SF • ML 9012074 • $625,000 SA $609,900 SF ALEXANDER NW Home Rush Properties! Fixed Rates as low as 3.875% through Banner Bank, Community Financial and Arbor Homes. ONLY 5 REMAIN: • 2 BR • 2 BA • Penthouse #402 1934 SF • ML 9012069 • $625,000 HE 3, 32 8 Incentive Package includes • Stainless Refrigerator • Front Load Washer & Dryer • Window Covering Pkg. ForestHeights•BluePointe•CedarRidge SkylineHeights•Pinnacle•Lakota•MeridianRidge -IN SF Arbor Meadows Communities final close-out pricing! TC Newly Completed V HO IRT M UA E LT AT O LE UR ED S O AV N IES EA .C CH O M V The Forest Park SA ! a ur e To k Ta al tu ir E S TAT E