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Sentinel News Service

Final N/NE Urban Renewal Area Town Hall draws crowd, raises questions

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

Will the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area (ICURA) be expanded to
include the Rose Quarter? City Council won't decide until next year,
but organizations in Portland like the Northeast Coalition of
Neighborhoods (NECN) are trying to figure out what residents of North
and Northeast Portland want.

NECN held its last community forum on the future of ICURA last night
at the Billy Webb Elks Lodge. Although most residents at the meeting were more concerned about process, politics and racism than about the specific boundaries of ICURA, some did have
strong opinions about expansion.

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This Weekend: Disjecta presents Portland Bienneial 2010; Roosevelt HS presents "The Wizard of Oz"

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

It's an unbelievably exciting weekend for arts in N/NE, headlined by the kickoff tomorrow of the PORTLAND2010 Biennial at Disjecta (with which we happily share a building). As described by Disjecta Founder/Director Bryan Sureth, PORTLAND2010 "is a biennial exhibition of contemporary artwork significant to Portland's art landscape" featuring 18 competitively selected Portland contemporary artists, whose work will be displayed at Disjecta and other venues citywide through May. Be sure to check out the opening reception tomorrow evening from 6-10 p.m. at 8371 N. Interstate Ave.

Also! Roosevelt High School presents "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend! RHS Theatre Arts Director Jo S. Lane has received significant local praise for her productions, and this one is not to be missed. The curtains go up tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. See our other post for more details, and see you there!

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Kenton Street Fair planning underway

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

Plans are underway for the Kenton Street Fair, gracing North Denver Avenue in May. Jessie Burke, the owner of Posies Cafe, is helping to spearhead the fair's organization, and is giving Kenton businesses first dibs on booths. We've got the info below, and Kenton business owners can download the vendor form as an attachment at the bottom of this post.

We've completed our vendor forms and they are being prepared for distribution and to be posted on our KBA website.  I wanted to send them around to the Kenton area businesses first, however, because we wanted to give Kenton businesses first priority for booth space, and also a discounted rate for all KBA members.  At next week's KBA meeting we will be discussing KBA membership, dues, etc if you want more information on how to qualify for the discounted rate.

The rate for Kenton businesses is $25 per booth (10x10).  You must provide your own tent, table and chairs.  The remainder of details are listed on the application.

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The InBox: PDC meeting tonight, local money to pay for Rose Quarter?

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE
When: 
03/11/2010 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

It will be a subject of conversation as well as today's city council meeting. Email from Gary Marschke

Help Strategize Urban Renewal Recommendations to the People in Power

  • Voice your concerns
  • Hear draft community recommendations
  • Strategize action steps
  • Speak directly to Mayor Adams

    Thursday, March 11th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
    Billy Webb Elks Lodge
    6 North Tillamook St.
    Snacks and Drinks will be provided
    20 Community Savings Cards as door prizes!

    For more information, please see attached flyer, visit www.necoalition.org or contact Shoshana Cohen at 503-823-4575 ext. 5 orforums@necoalition.org


 

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Steve Duin's column: counterpoint: Vo-Tech model better suited for Jefferson, all PPS

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

In today's Oregonian, columnist Steve Duin offered a thoughtful view on Portland Public Schools imminent high school redesign.  I recommend reading it.  Most of his comments align with our recent editorial. But we do differ in one area. The Sentinel recommends that Jefferson become a vocational special focus school.

Duin seems to believe that the redesign is on the right track, but doesn't go far enough. He makes the case that PPS is not looking into the future with it's vision. His case, perhaps, being that the redesign is, at it's least, triage rather than transformation.  Duin does not argue against PPS logic that a reapportionment of students to fewer and larger high schools would level some of the playing field. But he does say that's not good enough for a forward looking school system.

FROM THE OREGONIAN: BELOW THE CUT

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St. Paddy's Day fundraiser for Linnton Community Center

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When: 
03/14/2010 - 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Wanna eat corned beef 'n cabbage while jigging to Great Highland pipe music in Linnton?(?!?!?) Of course you do...especially b/c this St. Paddy's Day celebration is also a fundraiser for the Linnton Community Center, which hosts everything from children's enrichment programs to quinceaneras and is where the lively locals of Linnton come together. Here's all the info, courtesy of Linnton mover-and-shaker Pat Wagner:

St. Paddy's Day Celebration and Dinner! $15 gets you corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and dessert. No-host beer and wine, silent auction, "Luck of the Irish" 50/50 drawing (winner keeps half, LCC keeps half), plus music and dancing with Irish quartet!

Sunday, March 14; doors open at 6 p.m.

Linnton Community Center, 10614 NW St. Helens Rd.

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Innovative Housing complex concerns neighbors in Cathedral Park

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

Sarah Stevenson, Executive Director of Innovative Housing addressed the Friends of Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association Tuesday night. She was responding to neighborhood complaints about Innovative Housing's 14-unit facility, with part-time service and care providers by Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.  The building, located near North Trumbull and Edison streets, was purchased by Innovative in 2005 and renovated and rented the following year.

Tenants are formerly homeless residents who must be single when they apply and go through a screening process.

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Emerson Street Garden Workgroup meeting March 16

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE
When: 
03/16/2010 - 4:00pm - 6:00pm

We love it when we can present positive updates to past coverage. Case in point: the Emerson Street Garden proposal, which we reported on last April and which is coming ever closer to fruition. The site at Northeast 8th and Emerson streets has been sitting vacant for decades, its soil contaminated by lead and other toxins. But as Sentinel reporter Cassandra Koslen discovered nearly a year ago, Groundwork Portland and the Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT) are working with the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on a unique experiment to determine if the lead can be removed or more thinly distributed with plants. The desired result is soil safe enough to support a community garden.

We just saw an announcement today (via King Neighborhood Association) from Groundwork Portland inviting citizens to a meeting next week to "help come up with a community outreach and engagement strategy for Emerson Street Garden." Looks like the soil-saving idea is alive and well. We'll check back in with Groundwork Portland and bring you updates as they arise. Date and time: March 16 from 4-6 p.m. at the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, 4815 NE 7th Ave.

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Piedmont neighborhood gathering and "show and tell" event March 11

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Exciting event tomorrow in Piedmont! From the Piedmont Neighborhood Association website:

Piedmont Neighborhood Association invites you to come meet your neighbors on March 11th at 7 P.M. at Rosemont Court, 597 N Dekum St. This is a new meeting place for Piedmont Neighbors. Come see this beautifully restored building. The front doors are located at the corner of Dekum and Kerby.

Piedmont Neighborhood will be having a “SHOW AND TELL” Event at this gathering. You will have a chance to talk to your neighbors and see all the good work Piedmont Neighborhood does for our community.

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Multnomah County Board Musical Chairs: Cogen, Collymore and Currie

SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE

This is the first piece in an ongoing collaboration between The Sentinel and Oregon News IncubatorMore information about this journalism experiment is forthcoming.

With Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler being named the new State Treasurer following the tragic death of Ben Westlund, Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who represents North/Northeast Portland is leaving that seat to seek the now-open County Chair position. 

Cogen may not succeed. However, several speculative candidates have emerged who wish to replace Cogen as North/Northeast reps on the County board, if Cogen should move to the Chairman position.

The Sentinel will do its best to keep you informed as this shakes out; we begin with interviews with the first two people to file for the North/Northeast County seat as of Tuesday morning.  They are likely to be considered the front-runners in this incredibly full race.

Karol Collymore
Karol Collymore has served as Cogen’s aide since he took office three years ago.  Her political career began in New Mexico where she worked on Al Gore’s 2000 campaign, following that with further work in New Mexico and Oregon, where she moved in 2004.  A resident of the Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood, Collymore also sought, and nearly won, appointment to open House legislative seat 43 in 2009 [See Senate Shuffle].

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