Air Fair!

Portland International Airport (PDX) will be hosting its first-ever street fair, now known as the "AirFair," on Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 10 am to 3 pm. The fair will be held under the canopy outside the PDX terminal building - an area normally used by commercial traffic - transforming the closed road into a festive celebration of the airport.

This fun family event will include a live marimba band, food, children's activities, information tables, "theatre" presentations for Airport Futures and other projects, airfield tours, and commercial equipment on display. People must register for the airfield tours. They can register online www.pdx.com. Free parking will be offered in the garage and MAX travel encouraged through Tri-Met's "Free Ride Home" program.

The entire Portland-Vancouver community is invited to come and learn more about how the airport operates, current projects, and the vital role it plays in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area's livability. It will showcase airport interests, our partners and stakeholders, and other projects occurring in the vicinity.
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FYI - Airport Futures is a collaborative project between the City and Port to create an integrated long-range land use plan for PDX and the area surrounding it, will be at the AirFair and encourages the community to come and check out whats happening at their airport. Maryhelen Kincaid (East Columbia) is the representative from NPNS on the Airport Futures Public Advisory Group. If you want to know about Airport Futures and/or the AirFair - please don't hesitate to contact me. We want to do as much as we can to ensure people are aware of the project, its goals and its scope now, before the detailed land use planning begins this fall.

If you have any questions, contact Bronwyn Buckle at the City of Portland Planning Bureau (503-823-6947) - or you can check out the website at www.pdxairportfutures.com

Bryant Street Bridge Design Feedback Needed

Hello all! The Bryant Street Bridge (BSB) committee wants your feedback on the designs submitted. The BSB's design page is HERE. Or you can jump right to the designs HERE.

If you are a GMail/Picasa user, you can leave comments right below the pictures. Otherwise, comment below please. If you have questions, ask away!!

Piedmont Commons Ice Cream Social

In just under 3 weeks, Peninsula Park Commons will host its biggest ice cream social ever!

Come join the fun as they celebrate their 9th Annual Community Ice Cream Social and Garden Party.

Date - Sunday, July 13th
Time - 4pm until late, with a ~6pm pot luck dinner
Place - Peninsula Park Commons, 6325 N. Albina Ave. (look for the new 3-story buildings across from Peninsula Park)

They'll provide the kiddie pool, barbecue, beautiful weather, ice cream cones and toppings, and of course... ~50 gallons of home made ice cream and sorbet!! As always, it's totally free to eat all the ice cream you can handle at the social. If you'd like to take some home with you, there will be extra pints and quarts available for sale. If you have musical instruments (especially of the old-time variety) bring them along for some plucking, strumming and singing.

Ladybug Nature Walks

This Saturday, from 10:00am to 11:00am a Portland Parks' Ladybug Nature Walk will be held at Peninsula Park.

Touch slimy slugs, smell tree bark, look under rocks, feel crinkly and soft leaves, hear musical bird songs, creep up on furry bunnies or even climb a tree. Youngsters and their parents are exposed a variety of environmental activities and curiosities in parks around town. We practice techniques that are necessary for developing good observation skills for young naturalists – looking closely at insects, dissecting plant parts, using magnifying glasses, and listening quietly are some of the skills. All walks take place at 10:00am, regardless of weather conditions, and last 1 to 1½ hours. No registration is necessary – just meet in the park. Routes that are accessible to strollers are marked with an * in the brochure. We recommend you bring a snack and water. Cost is $2/child; no fee for parent.

Read more in the 2008 Ladybug Nature Walk Brochure.

NoPo Noise

OregonLive just popped up a post highlighting the report that will be release tomorrow on North Portland's noise issues. The post is HERE, but even it states that the committee that commissioned the report isn't expected to discuss the report in a City Council meeting until August or September.

Rose City vs. Portland Police

The Rose City Softball All-Stars take on the Portland Police in the Annual Pride Charity Game this Saturday (June 14th) at Farragut Park! The shin dig kicks off at 11:30am.

The Police Academy Cadets will also have a food and beverage booth to raise money for the Police Cadets.

More details HERE.

Concert in Peninsula Park

On Wednesday, July 30th the Portland Festival Symphony will perform a free concert starting at 6pm in Peninsula Park!

This is one of many concerts Portland Parks holds in neighborhood parks throughout the city. During the months of July and August, the public can enjoy music in parks from Rose City in Northeast Portland to Willamette Park in the southwest.

Picnics are welcome and many parks have food vendors on site. Alcoholic beverages for personal consumption are permitted in parks only during the concerts. Concertgoers are asked to help keep our neighborhoods and parks clean by picking up litter. If you pack it in, please pack it out.

For a complete list of the concerts, click HERE.

Peninsula Park Water Feature

Several PNA boards ago, board members worked with the Parks Department to get some ICURA (Insterstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area) money slated for parks into Peninsula Park. Money was set aside to replace the wading pool and sandbox at Peninsula Park with a spray water feature for young children (Parks is moving to replace all standing water features with spray water features). Additional benches and a grassy knoll were also discussed.

Last summer George Lozovoy of the Parks Department held a community meeting, open to the public, at the Peninsula Park Community Center. Though sparsely attended, the neighborhood residents who did show up were able to vote on the style and color of water feature. The general consensus was that it should be colorful and geared toward smaller children, since it will be sited next to the smaller playground structures and since the Peninsula Park Pool is already geared toward older children.

Groundbreaking was scheduled for last fall, but according to Seve Ghose of Portland Parks, it was postponed until this June. PDC (Portland Development Commission), which manages ICURA monies, reshuffled priorities to other North Portland parks and put this project on the back burner. However, because construction during the summer would seriously interfere with Peninsula Park's great summer program, groundbreaking for the water feature is now slated for August 17, 2008.

Crosswalks to Peninsula Park in the works

The latest word from Winston Sandino at PDOT is that the two planned crosswalks to Peninsula Park are a go!

1. Albina/Holman Crosswalk (crosses Albina at Holman St.)A couple of years ago PNA wrote and was awarded an ODOT grant to pay for this crosswalk. This summer, it's finally happening. And in addition to the crosswalk stripes, we get two islands! The Bureau of Maintenance will complete the work this summer--possibly beginning as early as mid-June. See the sketch of the islands below (striping is not shown on drawing, but crossing marks will be included).

2. Rosa Parks Way/Kerby Crosswalk (crosses Rosa Parks Way at Kerby)A couple of years a go Commissioner Saltzman was guest speaker at a PNA general meeting, during which neighbors expressed concern over children dashing across an increasingly busy Portland Blvd. (now Rosa Parks Way) to get the park. Commissioner Saltzman promised to get us an additional crosswalk at the Kerby Ave. side of Peninsula Park. He secured the support of Commissioner Sam Adams and ... we've been waiting ever since.

Last year PDOT's Winston Sandino presented a terrific plan for the crosswalk at a PNA General Meeting. It involved an island, a crosswalk, and a crossing light. It also involved reconfiguring Rosa Parks Way by reducing traffic lanes and adding bike lanes--Rosa Parks Way between Vancouver and I-5 is essentially a missing link in a continuous bike lane that exists on the rest of the street.

He has since updated us on what's taking so long:

"The problem is at the I-5 intersection. There are two traffic signals very close to each other and making the bicycle lane transition has brought up some design and policy issues. We either have to: (a) Reduce the speed from 35mph to 30mph. To reduce the speed, ODOT has to review and approve it. We are working on it. (b) Reduce the lanes at the bridge. There are two lanes coming in from the off ramp freeway to the bridge so the bridge needs to maintain two lanes. We need to convince ODOT that two lanes are not necessary and that we can drop those lanes to one lane in each direction and a center turn lane. We are working on it too."

Breakfast On The Bridges

We sold our 2nd car back in October and I've been commuting to downtown via bike since then. I just crested 1100 miles on my bike since October. I've lost weight, my blood pressure is way down and overall I am in much better physical shape.

One of the things that I look forward to on the last Friday of the month is Shift's (http://www.shift2bike.org/) Breakfast on the Bridges (BonB). Just before I ride over the Steel Bridge, I am greeted by friendly folks with hot coffee and some random breakfast food item (mostly pastry).

Well suprise suprise suprise this morning when I was greeted BonB folks! In addition to the normal cup of coffee I enjoy with the BonB volunteers they were had pancakes, cupcakes AND BACON!! mmmmmm....bacon on bridges. They were there as part of Shift's Pedalpalooza event that goes from June 12th to the 28th (more info HERE).

Anyhow, here is a quick pic from this morning...

Interstate Ave Graffiti Cleanup

The City of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI), Overlook NA, Arbor Lodge NA and the Kenton NA are looking for volunteers to help with their Interstate Ave Graffiti Cleanup event on Saturday, June 14th.

In addition to cleaning up graffiti, the event's goal is to enable neighbors to meet and to connect with ONI folks.

Immediatly after the cleanup event, there will be a rededication party for Patton Park (N. Interstate and N. Emerson) featuring music and entertainment.

FREE PIZZA FOR ALL CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS!!

I, for one, will be volunteering. mmmmm...solvents and pizza.

You can check out the flyer for the event (HERE) and to volunteer contact Havilah Ferschweiler at 503-823-4098 (hferschweiler@ci.portland.or.us) .

Finally, you can check out ONI's web page for more info on graffiti HERE.

Bike Stolen!

Neighbor Janice McDonald had her bike stolen from her backyard while it was unattended. If anyone sees this bike, please let Janice know. janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org

clickly the pics to see bigger versions...

She would also like to remind everyone to write down your bike's serial number as it will do you the good you can imagine it will.

Janice, as many of you know from her many presentations at PNA General Meetings, is one of the organizers of the upcoming (and much anticipated) Portland Sunday Parkways event on June 22nd.

A Taste of Holy Redeemer

Holy Redeemer is having their 1st multi-cultural event called "A Taste of Holy Redeemer" on September 20th and 21st.

With the immense diversity growth in the Portland area, the folks at Holy Redemeer feel that it is time that we celebrate the blessings of our diversity. The event will provide opportunities for people to taste ethnic foods, music and entertainment. The plan is to serve foods from all different cultures. There will also be a beer/wine garden available for adults 21 and over. There will be fun games for kids of all ages. Additionally, there will be entertainment such as dancers from different cultures and several live bands from local Portland artists. No admission charge! They are trying to promote and celebrate the diversity of our Portland communities. There will be tickets sold for food/drinks. All are welcome to this event!

More details to follow when I have them.

Stumptown Challenge - July 19th

Piedmont's very own Kat Halpenny (also PNA Land Use Co-Chair) is organizing a city-wide adventure race on July 19th. The Stumptown Challenge.

The race is intended as a medium to encourage Portlanders to engage with their city in a way that is healthy, promotes public transportation, and highlights local businesses on a neighborhood level. Participants will solve clues to find different checkpoints across the city and will reach them on foot or TriMet.

It will be a blast and will be a great way for neighbors to meet each other. Check out their website (HERE).

The race is primarily funded through local business sponsorships. If you know of a great LOCAL business that might be interested in sponsoring this event, please let Kat know. You can email her here... info@stumptownchallenge.com

100 Reasons I love NoPo

My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who brought this blog post to my attention. Really great info and links for all us North Portlanders.

100 Reasons I love NoPo

Movie In The Parks

For the second year, Marquis Stoudamire is working with a group that presents free movies in Portland's parks. On August 1st Abstract Visionz will present the movie Love Jones in Peninsula Park. The full schedule of movies is below.

Cirque du Cycling

Laughing Planet Cafe is presenting an event on June 14th that they're calling Cirque du Cycling.

Cirque du Cycling, presented by Laughing Planet Café, is part circus, part
bike street race and a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc.

The whole event kicks off at 4:00 with a free three mile family ride to
Peninsula Park. There is also a bike parade (advance registration required)
featuring all sorts of wild sculptural bikes: tall bikes, choppers, swing bikes
and more.

There's live music all afternoon, plenty of entertainment to watch and an
evening criterium street race with a two-way racing right down the middle of
Mississippi Avenue.

Come relax in the beer garden, bring your bike, settle into your lawn
chair, peruse the shops of Mississippi Avenue and numerous exhibitors and be
prepared to be awed by spectacular bicycle tricks and riding feats.

check out more details on their site...HERE.

New Bryant Bridge Design Proposals!

Piedmont's very own Compressed Pattern just submitted their design proposal for the Bryant Bridge Project! Check out their proposal (HERE) and pics of their design (1, 2, 3, 4). The pics have also been added to the design slideshow found on the bridge's page...
www.PiedmontNeighborhood.com/BryantBridgeProject

Bryant Street Bridge - Closed for Updates

View Larger Map

The Bryant Street Bridge will be closed Mon., June 9 – Wed., June 11

PDOT will be improving the sidewalk ramps that lead to the bridge so that the approach is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists!

The is repaving work is part of a comprehensive project to improve the accessibility, safety and cleanliness of the Bryant Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. Initiated by Piedmont Neighborhood Association, designed by Piedmont and Arbor Lodge neighbors, and implemented in partnership with ODOT, PDOT, BOM,and the Portland Water Bureau, the Bryant Bridge Project seeks to transform a neglected space into a valuable community asset.

For more information, images, or to get involved in the Bryant Bridge Project visit... www.PiedmontNeighborhood.com/BryantBridgeProject.

Call Lara Mendicino at 503-283-5422 if you have any questions or concerns about the bridge closure.