Hey, let’s get our bikes, we can go over to the Sandy River. There is a lifeguard there today and it's supposed to be a hot one. We can even take the MAX back with our bikes!” 

REGISTRATION BEGINS IN MARCH

CAMP BIKE FUN at North Portland Bike Works  is running a bicycle/ adventure/ community building summer program summer of 2010 for 10-15 year olds.

Students will learn individual and group bicycle riding skills, and take fun and adventurous field trips every day to different places. Some trips may include biking, hiking, walking, swimming, going to museums, playgrounds, festivals, gardening, gleening fruit, visiting other organizations, making zines, art projects, and lots more.

Cost is $190 per week, and includes bikes and helmets.  Scholarships are available.

Registration starts in March. Contact the North Portland Bike Works for more information:

503-287-1098. www.northportlandbikeworks.org.

We will offer programs in 4 sessions:

Session 1: June 21^st- July 2^nd (2 weeks)

Session 2: July 5^th to July 16^th (2 weeks)

Session 3: July 19^th to August 6^th (3 weeks)

Session 4: August 9^th to August 27^th (3 weeks)

Testimony Before Portland City Council 1/13/10

My name is Richard Ellmyer. I am a candidate for the North Portland House seat in the Democratic primary next May. On December 19 I asked each of you to answer the following questions so that I may discuss this issue with voters in North Portland over the coming months:

1. Why wasn't the Washington Monroe High School property offered to the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation?

2. Why weren't advisory committees, similar to those involved in the Buckman neighborhood, created in the Portsmouth neighborhood to discuss and recommend potential future uses for the John Ball School site despite requests from the Portsmouth Neighborhood Association and the ad hoc 195 member Portsmouth Residents Action Committee and the North Portland Business Association to establish such advisory committees?

3. Why were the citizen requests of the Buckman neighborhood acceded to by the Portland city council and those citizen requests of the Portsmouth/North Portland neighborhood summarily dismissed when the issue of the use of surplus PPS property was exactly the same?

What do you think of when you think of ports and riverfront industry?  Maybe ships and smokestacks? Cranes and trains? Grease and grime? What about turtle and bird habitat? Wetlands and water conservation? Hybrids and solar panels?  You might be surprised to hear how Portland’s waterfront businesses are environmental leaders in their industries, shrinking their environmental footprint while connecting Portland people and products with the rest of the world.

“Wow!” “Holy cow!” “That is amazing!”  These are some of the descriptions typically said about the unique vessels seen coming and going at Vigor Industrial's Portland Shipyard.  Vigor Industrial owns several subcompanies, including Vigor Marine, Cascade General and US Barge, that specialize in maritime constructio

They’re big; they’re busy; and they’re mysterious — that’s the extent of what most people know about marine terminals such as the Port’s Terminal 6. The mystery is ironic because there are several public and private terminals within mere minutes of downtown Portland. In an area typically closed to the public due to federal security regulations, you’ll tour among the shadows of towering 16-story cranes and giant multicolored containers stacked up like Legos.

When most people think of recycling, they’re thinking cereal boxes, milk jugs and newspapers. On this behind-the-scenes tour of Schnitzer Steel, however, you’ll see metal recycling on a massive scale (literally!). But don’t worry, we’ll keep a safe distance from the “Texas Shredder.” Like a wood chipper on steroids, this massive piece of machinery has an insatiable appetite for old school buses, refrigerators, tractor trailers, and just about anything else made out of metal.

Join us for a new series of tours and lectures highlighting different aspects of the working waterfront of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. The series will span several months and will include partners from a variety of waterfront businesses. Please watch for additional sessions in the weeks ahead.

Description:Civilization has historically flourished around rivers, and Portland is no exception, with the Willamette and Columbia rivers flowing through our front yard. Both are significant environmental and economic forces,  benefiting citizens throughout our region and beyond. In this first installment of the Working Waterfront Series, you will learn how rivers continue to be an integral part of this region’s evolution, and how they are intertwined with transportation, trade, jobs, irrigation, power, drinking water, food and more.

Location: St. John’s Theater and Pub, 8203 N. Ivanhoe St., Portland

Date: November 18, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

RSVP: None required

Contact: Brooke Berglund, 503.944.7532

Bus service changes effective November 29
To close budget gap, 18 lines have minor adjustments to service frequency

To help offset a budget shortfall, service on 18 bus lines will have two-to-four-minute reductions in frequency during off-peak hours. These changes take effect Sunday, November 29. The service cuts close a $3.5 million gap of $31 million in cuts in the current FY10 budget caused by the ongoing recession. The agency already has implemented hiring and salary freezes and executive furloughs, cut 9 percent across the board and implemented service cuts to offset the gap.