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Cathedral Park Jazz Festival under new leadership
The new group, InterArts, will still present what North Portland has loved: An Intimate and Free Jazz Showcase in a Natural Setting Under the Historic St. Johns Bridge
By Gayla Patton
St Johns Review
The 32nd
annual Cathedral Park Jazz
Festival will still
be under the St.
Johns Bridge
and still present
fabulous music,
but it will have
new organizers
and some new
sponsors.
T
The Review-PO Box 83068-Portland Or 9728 June 8, 2012
his year will mark the 32nd
annual Cathedral Park Jazz
Festival.
The Festival will still be held under the majestic St. Johns Bridge,
it will still be in July, and there will
still be three days of fabulous music, but what is different this year
from the past 18 years will be its
leadership.
This year the Festival is being run
by InterArts, under the leadership
of President Sean Ongley. Also on
board is, Paul Evans, Program Director (Jazz Musician), Mary-Sue
Tobin, VP of InterArts and Rock
Star (Jazz Musician), John Mazzocco, Finance Coordinator, Matt Kalinowski, Press Writer, and Jeannine
Walker, Finance Assistant.
Last year, as Festival enthusiasts
will recall, was a rained-out event.
It proved to be the last straw for
former leaders Joe Beeler and Gary
Boehm who were both struggling
with health issues. For their beloved
Festival to be taken over by Ongley and InterArts was a welcome
relief. Neither wanted the Festival
to come to an end, but the challenges of producing such a large Festival in a changing economy with
failing health was proving difficult.
This year’s popular and still
FREE event will take place (Friday,
Saturday and Sunday) July 20, 21
and 22.
“Saving CPJF has not been an
easy thing to do,” said Ongley. “But
the benefits are so far reaching that
we’re willing to organize as volunteers until financial equilibrium has
been met.”
In years past, contributions to the
Festival waned but Ongley said as
the new Festival grows they intend
to roll out some new programs to
The popular and
still FREE event
is planned for
July 20, 21 and
22nd
(Pic from 2004)
expand and enrich the dynamics
and mission of the Festival.
This year’s Festival will stay pretty much the same as years past, but
as it begins to gather new support
Ongley wants to include educational and interactive components and
span a full week of events featuring smaller shows in theaters, St.
Johns cafes, bars, and studios which
he hopes will boost the local economy on the Peninsula. In additional to the radio simulcast, they want
to incorporate a video feed, so people that cannot attend will have an
opportunity to enjoy the beauty of
the park and the quality of jazz they
intend to present. Ongley said, “I
want to improve community spirit
by working with the neighbor-
Who was James John
hood.” There has been some apprehension in former years by downtown businesses to support the Festival because owners feel the Festival takes away business during the
three-day event, which is why Ongley wants to work with them more
so both entities can benefit.
Ongley also said he’d like to
make the Festival even greater by
Part VI - Final
Continued from St Johns Review #9- April 27, 2012 issue
In the previous articles I’ve written, we traced the beginnings of
James Johns’ trek across North
America with the Bidwell covered
wagon group to California, and
eventually ending up in what’s now
St. Johns.
From there, I followed the scant
records of his actions up until his
death, and then profiled the activities that surrounded Johns’ will and
subsequent legal contests regarding the intent and purpose of the
James John will and estate.
After that, we looked at the sometimes funny, yet revealing debate
over the actual name of St. Johns,
whether it should be St. John, or St.
Johns. The critical coverage of the
naming controversy was something
that occupied significant newspaper treatment for several years. After that period of time, the influence
and scrutiny of James John himself
begins to fade. After all, there’s only
so much coverage of a man who
died in 1886 that remains relevant.
So, at the risk of being redundant,
I’m going to take another peek at
some of the early pioneers, the
times, and the concerns that were
a part of our community when
James John and associates were developing the area.
I
t was the decision of Thomas Jefferson to explore and develop
much of North America. He had a
keen interest in the west, and after
the Louisiana Purchase was made
from Napoleon, Jefferson commissioned Merriweather Lewis and
William Clark (the brother of the
celebrated Revolutionary War hero)
to explore and open the lands of the
West. Part of this effort was motivated out of desperation from the
continued rivalry with Great Britain, and other European powers.
Although the Revolutionary War
had succeeded in granting American independence, the contentious
“Picture of the Week” is back
Send in a picture of the
St. Johns Bridge and it may be
selected to be a Masthead for at
least one issue of the paper
Send to: [email protected]
relationship between the United
States and our former colonial masters was far from over. The War of
1812 was to make that abundantly
clear. It was the Lewis and Clark
journey that set the stage for westward movement, the California
gold rush, the annihilation of the
Native American Indians, and the
eventual Oregon Trail. It was also
the precursor to James John coming to the Oregon Territory.
A number of very contentious historical conditions surround the
opening of the west, and it must be
our understanding that the Review
is not the place to examine any of
these in depth. However, the question of slavery and the formative
years of Oregon and vicariously St.
Johns, have some relevance.
After the war with Mexico and the
annexation of what’s now Texas,
the difficulty of defining the issue
of ownership of human chattel became a topic that could not be ignored. Obviously, it took the Civil
War to resolve the problem.
The question of slavery and how
it played out in Oregon is for another format, and the Review cannot properly look at all the issues
surrounding slavery and how it effected politics and policy in Oregon, as a territory and subsequent
state. However, there are interest-
presenting a more eclectic program
incorporating sounds never heard
before. “We want to stretch the
imagination” he said. But for this
year, as the new group just formed
May 11, 2012, the program will remain pretty much the same and jazz
enthusiasts will need to wait until
next year to hear what Ongley has
in mind.
“A Jazz Festival should really
bring national and even international talent, but for now, we’re enjoying the locality. And yes, it’s a big
part of the new mission for the CPJF
to enrich the community of St.
Johns, starting with more availability for local vendors at the park and
night time jazz programming in the
local bars. You’ll have to wait and
see what else we roll out for the
neighborhood in coming years,” he
added.
This year’s lineup will include:
Trio Subtonic, George Colligan
Quartet, Damian Erskine Group
with Ben Darvish, Go By Train with
Dan Balmer, Midnight Honey,
Bridgetown Sextet, Chuck Israels
Jazz Orchestra, Louis Pain’s B-3
Quartet, Krebsic Orchestra, Pete
Peterson Seven, AnnaPaul and the
Bearded Lady, and the Quadraphonnes.
By Jim Speirs
Historical
Editor
St Johns
Review
ing connections between some Oregon pioneers and the John Brown
raid at Harper’s Ferry but that too
is for another time when it can be
examined by someone who has the
time and interest.
Before the Donation Act of 1850,
the pioneers who headed west could
only attain squatter’s rights for the
land they occupied. There was no
legitimate way of determining ownership, nor was there any medium
available to settle disputes. Most
disagreements were solved by whoever had the largest collection of
firearms.
When James John first arrived at
the confluence of the Columbia and
Willamette Rivers, it’s unknown if
he intended to stay in the area, or if
he had any visions of building a
town. John himself may have chosen to move on, for the land was
inhospitable, and there was little
protection for the local Indians.
Also, the appeal to California and
the gold that was making men rich
had an obvious attraction. Regardless, the Congressional Donation
Act probably was the defining inspiration for James John to stay
Continued on Pages 4
“Who Was James John”
Page 2 - St Johns Review - #12 June 8, 2012 - PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086
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AN EXCITING TALE OF SURVIVAL IN
VANPORT FLOOD
THE MIDST OF THE
A book for ages 8 to 108
Letters to the Editor
From Grand Marshal of
this year’s Parade and one
of the original organizers
Dear Editor,
Gayla, congratulations to you and
your St. Johns Review in the marvelous success of the re-awakening
of St. Johns’ public spirit. The magnitude and composition of our St.
Johns-North Portland citizens,
along with the enthusiasm and good
manners, was inspiring to say the
least.
As one of the thousands of inhabitants of our great community, it
was a most pleasant surprise to see
the vast number of our American
flags being manned by our youngest (3-6 years of age, if you will).
The thoughts in my mind were:
They not only rolled our “community spirit” back to 1962, but also,
our Nation’s spirit of 1945 when
Oregon’s Own, The Fighting 41st
Infantry Division, invaded the good
old USA from the blood soaked
jungles of the South Pacific and
landed at Fort Lewis, Washington
from whence they came in 1940.
Today, the 12th day of May 2012,
is a very good day.
As we rolled down the streets of
the parade route, I watched the faces of our infants, the young adults,
the middle aged, and our seniors.
In my mind’s eye, I saw an impatient restlessness that was simmering but, none the less, growing with
intensity, serving notice that greed,
lying, and the betrayal of public
trust will no longer be tolerated by
those we have empowered to lead
in all phases of our great society.
Gayla, thank you for the privilege
of working in cooperation with the
St. Johns Review under your steady
hand for the good of our beloved
community which would wither
and die without its life blood ...THE
ST JOHNS REVIEW.
Best wishes for your continued
success and, HEY, have a great life.
Respectfully,
Jake Benshoof
Outstanding Parade
Dear Editor,
This year’s Parade was absolutely outstanding. We all loved it.
There were so many exciting entries. I really give the Parade committee a huge “thanks.” Also, the
Roosevelt Band has grown. I am
very proud, but where are their uniforms?
My other thought is the adorable
dogs walking on “hot” pavement.
Why not some type of protection,
like instead of walking, riding, especially when it is so hot.
Also, people bringing their dogs
to the parade. Why? They all looked
miserable and confused. Can you
tell I am an animal lover with a huge
compassion for humane treatment?
St Johns is where my heart is. I
love it here.
Bev. Raya
Outsting the Coach
Now Available at: Kenton Station,
Copy Pilot & St Johns Grocery & Deli
Gayla Patton
Editor
Dear Editor,
I have a comment on outsting
Coach Key.
What’s the problem? Is he guilty
of something unseen?
My feeling is someone in charge
(school board, or higher ups) wants
to eliminate any good that goes on
at Roosevelt. Coach Key led the
basketball team to the 4A quarter
finals. I am proud of the way he
conducts himself and works to
teach the boys real sportsmanship
and to be proud of their accomplishments.
Are they trying to keep these
young people from pride in their
achievements?
I pray whoever is at the head of
ousting Coach Key will realize they
are hurting the students, the school
and Coach Key.
Nettie Ubrick
RHS Class of 1949
Traffic concerns on
Fessenden need addressing
Reporter
Pat Jewett
Distribution Mgr.
Ginger Harris
Jim Speirs, Historical Editor; Patricia Jewett, Reporter;
Ginger Harris, Distribution Manger
Gayla Patton, Editor, Advertising. [email protected]
Dear Editor,
For several months I have been
one among six community members on a Portland Bureau of Transportation Stakeholder Advisory
Committee working to create a plan
for changes to N St Louis / N Fessenden which will re-route freight
trucks onto the official truck route
(N Columbia Blvd) and improve
pedestrian crossing safety - especially for our children, seniors and
disabled residents, who are about
50% of St John’s. Unfortunately, we
have not been able to reach agreement. Soon, we will be entering
mediation with Resolutions NW to
try to work out an agreement.
PBOT has acknowledged that just
slowing freight trucks will not deter them from taking this route.
PBOT’s recommendations for
crossing improvements rest primarily on the use of median islands,
so that a pedestrian only has to
worry about getting across ½ the
street at a time. During rush hours
there are 1,000 vehicles an hour
(and growing) on the corridor,
many of which are freight trucks including trucks like double semis
and double tanker trucks - traveling at approximately 35 mph. I do
not believe our residents will be
safe if they have to find gaps in traffic to cross halfway and then stand
on a median island waiting for another gap to finish crossing.
We must have pedestrian signal
beacons at several locations along
the corridor. These beacons are activated when a pedestrian presses a
button which then causes – depending on the beacon – either a flashing yellow then red light, or a bright
flashing yellow light, similar to the
one at University of Portland, but
brighter. Only these street treatments – not medians, signs, or even
crosswalk markings –will cause
freight traffic to stop for pedestrians. Once freight traffic has to stop,
not just slow down on N St Louis /
N Fessenden, drivers will be more
likely to avoid the route.
Please contact the Mayor’s Office
to let them know you support more
signal beacons on this street. Community pressure is a very important
tool for influencing government.
And, be on the lookout for more
information about this project in the
next few weeks. You can also leave
a question about this project in the
petition box at Peninsula Station
and someone will get back to you.
Let us know if you’d like to help
out, too!
Thanks.
Donna L. Cohen
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcomed and encouraged. They must
be legibly written and contain a
name/address or phone number for
verification purposes. (Phone number and addresses will not be included when published.)
Letters published are not necessarily the views of the publisher and
cannot be held accountable.
Send letters via email to:
[email protected] or
via the mail to: PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283.
PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086 - #12 June 8, 2012 - St. Johns Review - Page 3
De La Salle teacher wins Excellence in Education award
By Patricia Jewett
Review Reporter
De La Salle North High School
teacher Scott Reis is one of those
outstanding math teachers who inspire students to want to work hard,
and even stay after school if necessary, until they learn math concepts.
Because of his dedication and
teaching style, he was selected as
the 2012 Community Choice winner for Onpoint Credit Union’s
Prize for Excellence in Education
Award.
Reis teaches advanced placement
calculus, pre-calculus, Trigonometry and algebra classes. Students
respond to the camaraderie his
smaller classrooms offer as well as
his willingness to spend time with
them until they learn what they need
to learn to succeed. Even after graduation, he often keeps in touch.
Reis’s enthusiasm and energy is refreshing and when he’s not teaching he is tutoring.
Asked what he does for fun when
not working and he said, “I used to
play the guitar. Now I run.” Sometimes he can be seen at Roosevelt’s
track.
Reis also enjoys traveling and
playing tennis at the St Johns Racquet Club. In fact he plays for a
mixed doubles team in the United
States Tennis Association. His team
won in the January playoffs in Portland and he will
soon be playing in another
tournament in Sun River.
Reis said he was very
humbled and surprised at
the support he received
from the community his
students, family, and the
University of Portland. His
students asked him daily if
he had heard anything
about the online voting results or from the awards
committee.
Once Reis accepted the
nomination he had to submit a portfolio of letters of
recommendation from students, their parents, his De La Salle North High School teacher
peers, answer three essay
Scott Reis, winner of an Excellence in
questions and submit samEducation award.”
ples of his work projects
and accomplishments.
gree from the University of PortBy April 30 Reis was a finalist in land then received his teaching dethe top ten Circle of Excellence gree from Notre Dame. While in
winners and voters had until May College he went to Austria and af22 to vote online for their favorite ter graduation taught in Charlotte,
finalist. He was presented the com- North Carolina before returning to
munity Choice Award on May 22, teach in North Portland. He has
winning the $1500 cash prize.
been teaching at De La Salle North
Reis graduated from Central Catholic High School for fourteen
Catholic High School and later years. The school is located at 7528
earned an undergraduate math de- North Fenwick.
Fundraiser to be
held for injured
hockey player
On June 24 from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. a non-profit fundraiser will be held for 16-year old Jack
Jablonski who was seriously injured playing hockey last December 30. Jack was paralyzed in the
accident.
The event is named: Hot Rods,
Bikes and BBQ Dogs.
Location for the non-profit event
will be at Local 8, Longshoreman
Hall at 2435 NW Front Ave.
There will be a raffle drawing,
“Believe” bracelets for sale for $5,
and other entertainment. The winning raffle ticket receives half the
money with the other half going
to Jack’s fund.
Organizers invite the community to stop by, show off their hot
rods, and eat a hot dog to help support Jack’s Fund, and his family’s
medical costs.
Military accomplishment
Air Force Airman Jason A.
Panian graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air
Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that
included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core
values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic
training earn four credits toward
an associate in applied science
degree through the Community
College of the Air Force.
Panian is the son of Diane Panian of North Fenwick Avenue,
Portland. He is a 2003 graduate
of Benson High School and
earned a bachelor’s degree in
2009 from ITT Technical Institute.
Neighbors gather to create street art
By Patricia Jewett
Review Reporter
It all began when neighbors on
Syracuse Street living between St
Johns and Reno Avenues wanted to
become more of a community.
Neighbors began to gather, and then
started sharing their tools and resources. They held a block parties
and shared meals, and eventually
decided to name themselves the
Syracuse Street Rockstars. They
even formed a neighborhood watch
and created a yahoo group for online communication. But, the Rockstars wanted to do more. Talk then
turned to transforming the intersection of Syracuse and St. Johns Avenue into a place that represented
the joy they found in gathering together.
Brent Haeseker decided to step
forward and their idea of a public
gathering place evolved into an intersection street painting. The design was created by Danyal and was
approved by neighbors who were
affected by the intersection.
Haeseker said, “The inspiration represents how through the changing
of the seasons our relationships
with each other transforms and
deepen with the St Johns Bridge
intersecting the four seasons.”
The Rockstars gathered on Saturday May 26 as part of the Village
Builder Convergence, taking place
May 25 through June 3, to paint the
intersection. A canopy was set up
and neighbors and sponsors
brought food and drinks for the
painting party.
Their project was made possible
by many sponsors including City
Repair, 7-Eleven, Anna Bannana’s,
Trader Joes, Miller Paint and Fred
Meyer’s. The paint was provided by
Miller Paint and it is a street grid
paint and is supposed to last for two
years. The Syracuse Street Rockstars plan to touch it up at their annual block parties.
The group’s idea spanned two
years from conception to the actual
intersection painting. It involved
talking to the neighbors, creating
the design, getting permits and insurance, and taking classes through
City Repair.
The Village Builder Convergence
is when neighbors from many different city neighborhoods get together and work on creating
projects like benches, community
kiosks, gardens, street paintings,
tile mosaics and more.
Some of the other placemaking
projects taking place in North Port-
land include the Attunement Center which is an urban permaculture
farm located at 1722 N. Blandena
St; an intersection painting of a rose
with leaves by the Loveleigh neighborhood at the intersection of NE
Williams and Russett; Street painting called Overlook Feng Shui at
the convergence of N. Melrose
Drive and Failing Street; and a tree
of Life street painting at the intersection of N. Sedro and Gilbert a
few blocks from Roosevelt High
School.
Altogether there are 40 projects
in the Portland area in which volunteers are coming together to work
between May 25 and June 3, 2012.
City Repair is a nonprofit organization that is driven by volunteers
and relies on the support of the
community to make these projects
possible. They want to educate and
inspire people to create artistic and
ecology –oriented placemaking
projects. The projects are designed
to connect communities and the
natural world.
If interested in starting a placemaking project for your neighborhood or community call 503-2358946 or go to their website:
cityrepair.org.
Portland Parks & Rec announces 2012 Summer schedule
PP&R has released their 2012
Summer Free for All schedule
which includes Movies in the Park,
Concerts in the Park, the Washington Park Summer Festival, and
Summer Lunches and Playground
programs.
On June 27 from 11:15a.m. -1:00
p.m., there will be a free Summer
Tip-Off celebration at McCoy Park,
N. Trenton and Newman Ave.
There will be free healthy lunches, a magic show, Blaze the Trail
Cat (the Blazers mascot), live music, games, arts and crafts, a Portland fire truck, and much more.
Movies in the Park begins Friday,
June 29 and runs through Saturday,
September 8 at various parks
throughout Portland. Pre-movie
entertainment will begin at 6:30
p.m. and generally includes performances by local bands with movies starting at dusk.
Concerts in the Park begins July
6 at Fernhill Park and continue
throughout the summer until August 30 at various city parks. Performances begin at 6pm or 6:30pm,
as noted.
Summer Playgrounds and Free
Lunch Programs are presented by
NIKE. It includes organized sports,
games, crafts and includes a free,
healthy lunch for kids up to age 18
at designated locations.
PP&Rs Summer Playgrounds,
Playgrounds on Wheels, and Summer Lunch programs begin Monday, June 18 at selected parks
throughout the City and continue as
late as August 24.
Washington Park Summer Festival, presented by Daimler, run from
August 2 to Sunday August 12 and
begin at 6:00 p.m. They are in the
Washington Park’s Rose Garden
Amphitheater.
For more information on events,
call 503-823-5300 or visit website:
www.PortlandParks.org.
Neighbors at Syracuse and St. Johns creating street art
Page 4 - St Johns Review - #12 June 8, 2012 - PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086
Who was James John - Part VI - Final
R
COLO
Continued from Page 1
Business &
Service Directory
Color Ad Costs:
$32 each for 1 year (26 times)
$35 for 7-25 Xs
$38 for 2 - 6Xs
$45 for 1 X
Design is FREE.
Email: [email protected] or 503-283-5086
where he was, but whether that was his original intent will always remain a mystery.
It’s always been assumed that James John
was the first and earliest permanent settler in
our area. However, that assumption now seems
incorrect. Fred Ramsey had a houseboat and
farmed the area we now know as the Columbia Slough. The monument in the Ramsey cemetery reads “Pioneer of 1844” making him a
precursor to James John. It’s also known that
Ramsey and John were passing associates later in life. Clearly, Ramsey was in the area before James John.
Ramsey exercised his land grant claim at Fort
Vancouver in 1852, which made him one of
the first to use the Congressional Act. He had
his claim on the point of the peninsula at the
mouth of the Willamette. We know that Ramsey had two dogs, wore moccasins, carried a
hunting knife at all times, and was often seen
in the company of Indian squaws. As mentioned, it was always rumored he sired children with at least one of the Native American
women, but there is no record of births assigned to Fred’s concubine.
The area of St. Johns had long been used as
an Indian camp. The Multnomah tribe migrated from place to place
along the Columbia and
Willamette Rivers. The
first settlers described
them as “friendly” and
“curious”, and once they
became accustomed to the
new pioneers, they often
came around for “handouts.”
Although the Indians
were not considered vicious, the white settlers
always kept a watchful
eye on them. When Ulysses Grant was stationed at Fort Vancouver, part of his job was
to insure that no disputes arose between pioneers and natives. If disagreements happened,
the outcome was always ruled in favor of the
white man. Still, the relationship between settlers and natives seems mostly amicable, (at
least here locally) and there is no record of any
significant altercations between the two dramatically different cultures and people.
(Grant’s military record as it relates to Indians
is far different than his battlefield aggression
and bravery shown during the Civil War. While
Grant developed into a lionized figure due to
his successes in the war, his behavior toward
the Indians is in sharp contrast to his performance surrounding his wartime exploits. Part
of this is due to the fact that neighboring tribes
were peaceful and benign; the other reason is
that Grant seems to have had no stomach for a
fight. Old timers recalled Grant would take his
company forward until Indians were sighted.
Once spotted, Grant would call a halt to the
march, and bivouac for the night. This happened more that once, so it appears that Grant
had no quarrel with any of the native people.
That apparent timid behavior toward Indians
was not something Grant exhibited toward
Confederates in the Civil War. Part of the speculation regarding Grant’s behavior has always
been assigned to money and corruption. Grant
was not a good garrison soldier, and he was
terminated from the Army under less than stellar conditions. He was only recalled to active
duty when the Civil War broke out. During his
years at Fort Vancouver, Grant was actively
involved with Fred Ramsey in the bootleg busi-
ness. Fred produced booze, and
Grant had a hand in its distribution
at Fort Vancouver and elsewhere.
Grant himself, made numerous trips
to St. Johns, and the purpose of his
visits were to consummate financial
liaisons with Ramsey. The speculation has always been that Grant
was more interested in lining his
pockets than chasing Indians, so he
never aggressively pursued the
Natives, but mostly wanted to return to Fort Vancouver and embellish his monetary relationship with
Fred Ramsey.)
There is scant information about
many of the early settlers to the St.
Johns area. Although some names
and families continue to pop up, the
ability to cover all those folks is
beyond the scope of the Review, and
is better suited for historical book
publications than short articles.
When we look back on the times
and consider the conditions, it’s
easy to see why so much history is
forever left to conjecture and speculation. Nearly
all of the pioneers who bade
farewell to
Ulysses
their family
Grant
and parents
was a
friend of had no expecSt Johns tations of ever
pioneer
seeing any of
Fred
them again.
Ramsey
The trek across
America to the
west was arduous and fraught
with peril. Death from disease, hunger, Indians, and accidents was
common, so the early settlers recognized that once they headed west,
chances of seeing any family again
was near zero. They traveled light,
leaving most of their treasured belongings behind, thus cutting any
connection to their ancestral beginnings. Months of hardships plagued
the travelers, and when they finally arrived to our area, they were
greeted by vast forests that were
both a blessing and a curse. They
built log cabins with no floors and
fireplaces afforded the solitary heat
and a place to cook. Candles provided the only light in the long, wet,
and dark winter months.
The entire area was a large forest, and it wasn’t until the late
1860’s that any semblance of organization began to take place. Several dozen log cabins were probably visible from the Willamette waterfront, and the roads to reach them
were nearly impassible for months
at a time. The accepted mode of
travel was by boat. The James John
store and the schoolhouse were the
only public meeting places, but
there were few meetings. People
worked from dawn until dusk to
scrape out a very meager living.
Life was hard, and deaths were
common.
They were tough. They had no
choice. People like James John and
Fred Ramsey provided the guidance and inspiration for others.
There were more failures than successes. However, the march of civilization was
to continue,
and so the
story
of
James John
and his followers lives
on.
Fred Ramsey was one of the first settlers in St. Johns
and his family cemetery is still located at Columbia
Blvd. & Lombard. (Right) Ramsey headstone.
The End
U of P to host
Gilbert and
Sullivan operetta
Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta, The Gondoliers, is this summer’s presentation by Mock’s Crest
Productions, a summer professional
theater company supported by the
University of Portland.
The operetta is the 12th comedic
opera between Gilbert and Sullivan.
It first premiered at the Savoy Theatre where it ran for 554 performances.
The Gondoliers will be presented
June 1-24 in Mago Hunt Center Theater on campus, 5000 North Willamette Blvd, with Thursday and
Friday performances at 7:30 p.m.,
Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m.,
and Sunday performances at 2 p.m.
On Saturday, June 9, there will be
an additional performance at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25
for seniors, students, or groups of 10
or more. All seats are reserved and
must be ordered through the Mago
Hunt Box Office by calling 503-9437287.
Pre-theater dinner or brunch is
available for $14.50 and $13.50 per
person. Local beer and wines can be
purchased, as well. Meal service begins 60 minutes before the show.
The Gondoliers revolves around
two recently married gondoliers in
Venice – one of whom, it has just
been discovered, is actually the King
of Bartaria. And the only person who
can identify which one is King is the
foster mother, who is temporarily
missing. In the midst of this turmoil,
it also appears that the King is an unintentional bigamist, having been
wed in infancy to the daughter of a
Spanish Duke. This hilarious operetta, with audience favorite music
and dancing, leaves you with a happy ending.
This year’s show is being dedicated to the late Roger O. Doyle, who
died on April 30 of complications
from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
– ALS, “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” A beloved legend at the University of
Portland, Doyle devoted 40 years to
the University’s performing and fine
arts faculty, and for more than 20
years brought comic opera to the
campus and local community.
The show features both outstanding newcomers and audience favorites, including Alexis Hamilton, John
Vergin, Sammuel Hawkins, and Debbie Hunter. Tom Graff returns to
Mock’s Crest Productions as guest
director after directing the 2007 production of HMS Pinafore. And for
the second year, Larry Larsen, chair
of the Performing and Fine Arts Department, is producer, set designer
and technical director.
The theater company was created
in 1990 to produce high quality comic opera, employing some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest actors, singers, directors, and designers. It was
founded to enhance the cultural fabric of the North Portland community and to perpetuate the University’s
long tradition of support for the arts.
About the Author:
Jim Speirs is a lifelong resident of
North Portland, 4th generation. He
is a published author and enjoys
writing about North Portland’s history. He was a teacher of Political
Science at Portland Community College and Chemeketa Community
College and taught the politics of
World War II, Viet Nam, and Korea
at both colleges. He still lives and
works in North Portland. Jim has
four published books: “Death In
Spades” and “Tales of North Portland I, II and now III ” (from his
St. Johns Review articles) which are
available for purchase at Copy Pilot, St. Johns Deli & Grocery, Orleans Candle and Kenton Station.
More novels and Tales of North
Portland books are currently in the
works.
His articles may not be republished without the permission of the
author. Send info/comments to: PO
Box 83068, Portland, Or 97283
PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086 - #12 June 8, 2012 - St. Johns Review - Page 5
POLICE & FIRE CALLS
POLICE REPORTS:
Men arrested for Armed
Robbery on the St. John’s
Bridge
On Thursday May 17, 2012, at
8:41 p.m., a Portland Police officer
assigned to North Precinct was
flagged down by the victim of an
armed robbery that occurred on the
East end of the St. John’s Bridge.
The victim told police that the
suspects were riding bicycles and
approached him on the street just
North of the East end of the St Johns
Bridge. One suspect pointed a silver handgun at him and a second
suspect pointed a knife while they
demanded he “empty his pockets.”
The victim tried to run away but
was shoved to the ground by one
of the suspects, who then fled westbound across the St. John’s Bridge.
Additional officers arrived in the
area and located the two suspects
on the bridge. Officers ordered the
men to the ground at gunpoint,
where they were taken into custody. Officers later learned that the
two suspects are brothers.
Officers recovered a loaded handgun and a knife from the suspects
as well as a small amount of methamphetamine.
25-year-old Immanuel James
Hazlewood was charged with Robbery in the First Degree, Robbery
in the Second Degree and Possession of Methamphetamine.
20-year-old Jesse Sanden Hazlewood was charged with Robbery in
the First Degree and Robbery in the
Second Degree.
Both were booked into the Multnomah County Jail.
-----------------------------------------
Softball Team Van Prowled
in Delta Park
On Saturday May 19, 2012, between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., the
Grays Harbor College softball team
van was broken into at Delta Park
in North Portland. An unknown
suspect or suspects broke into the
van and stole an estimated $6,500
worth of property. Items taken include a C-PAP breathing machine
(for sleep apnea), several laptops
and various other items of personal
property. A similar theft occurred
at Delta Park in late-April to vans
belonging to the Oregon Institute
of Technology Softball Team. It is
not known if these two thefts are
related.
Anyone with information about this
theft is urged to contact Portland
Police and submit information to
[email protected]
and reference Portland Police Case
Number 12-42818.
----------------------------------------Armed Robbery in North Portland
On Tuesday May 22, 2012, at
1:08 a.m., Portland Police officers
responded a residence in the 10200
block of North Central Street on the
report of a residential armed robbery.
The homeowner and her three
teenage sons were contacted at the
St. John’s Safeway, where they fled
after the suspects left the house.
The victims reported that 2-3 unknown males entered the house and
held the family at gunpoint while
they stole a TV and a large gun safe.
Initial information about 4-7 suspects turned out to be false.
After several minutes of remaining in a bedroom alone, the family
emerged and left to call 9-1-1. The
suspects are described as three
males wearing masks. No vehicles
were seen or heard leaving the area.
Criminalists from the Forensic
Evidence Division responded to
process the crime scene and Robbery detectives will continue the
investigation.
Anyone with information about
this robbery is asked to contact
Robbery Detectives at (503) 8230400, reference Portland Police
Bureau Case #12-43532.
-----------------------------------------
Gang Enforcement Detectives arrest two men in connection with North Portland
shooting
On Tuesday May 22, 2012, members of the Portland Police Bureau
Gang Enforcement Team arrested
two men in connection with a
shooting that occurred in North
Portland on May 9, 2012.
22-year-old Elijah Emil Passon and
19-year-old Ranell Vincent Buen
were arrested in the 5800 block of
North Fessenden Street late Tuesday afternoon after a short traffic
pursuit and neighborhood perimeter.
Detectives served two search warrants also and recovered two firearms. The locations of the search
warrants were residences in the
9200 block of North Lombard
Street and the 2800 block of North
Kilpatrick Street.
The investigation began on May
9, 2012, at 1:18 p.m., when police
officers responded to the report of
shots fired at North Ivanhoe Street
and North St. Louis Avenue. Witnesses reported seeing the passenger in one car shoot at another car
as the drove in the neighborhood.
Passon was charged with Attempted Murder, Attempted Assault in the
First Degree, Attempted Assault in
the Second Degree, and Hindering
Prosecution.
Buen was charged with Attempted
Murder, Attempted Assault in the
First Degree, Attempted Assault in
the Second Degree, and Unlawful
Use of a Weapon.
Both were booked into the Multnomah County Jail.
-----------------------------------------
Police ask help with Lombard Shooting
The Portland Police Bureau, in
cooperation with Crime Stoppers,
is asking for your help in solving a
shooting in Northeast Portland.
On Friday February 3, 2012, at
approximately 11:32 p.m., 27-yearold Dominique Massey and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Natalie Espinoza, were driving westbound on
Northeast Lombard Street near 27th
Avenue. A car pulled up alongside
the victims and someone in the car
fired multiple shots into Massey’s
car and hit him numerous times in
the leg. Massey suffered serious but
not-life-threatening injuries as a result of the shooting.
The suspects were described as
two African American males in a
4-door sedan.
Detectives would like to hear
from anyone with information
about this shooting.
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash
reward of up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers,
that leads to an arrest in this case,
or any unsolved felony, and you can
remain anonymous.
Leave a Crime Stoppers tip on-
line at
www.crimestoppersoforegon.com,
text CRIMES (274637) and in the
subject line put 823HELP, followed
by your tip, or call 503-823-HELP
(4357) and leave your tip information.
------------------------------------------
Man shot, suspect flees on foot
On Saturday, May 26, 2012 at
2:25 p.m. Portland Police officers
assigned to North Precinct responded to a call of a man shot at North
Beech and Vancouver.
Arriving officers located a man
shot and immediately called for
Portland Fire and AMR ambulance.
The man has been transported to an
area hospital.
Officers have established a perimeter and called for a police canine.
Officers are in the process of conducting their investigation at this
time.
Officers have learned that the suspect is a male, African American in
his twenties who fled the area on
foot.
No additional details are available
at this time.
====================================
==================================
FIRE REPORTS:
Overnight fire in home displaces one causes extensive
damage to the structure and
vehicle
Evacuating prior to the arrival of
fire crews, the sole resident was
evaluated on scene by fire paramedics and refused transport.
Neighbors telephoned fire dispatch early this morning to report
the fire. Engine 24 (Overlook/Swan
Island) arrived first on-scene and
initiated fire attack; advancing hose
lines while searching for additional residents. A primary and secondary search confirmed the absence
of additional residents. Rescue of
potential victims is the first priority at any incident; fires occurring
in residential structures at night are
cause for extra concern as evenings
are a time during which most people are at home and often sleeping.
Members of Engine 8 (Kenton),
assigned to RIT, evaluated the
structure for hazards; the team identified a compromised overhead
power line and the presence of a
difficult to access basement. RIT is
an acronym for Rapid Intervention
Team; the primary function of a RIT
is the provision of firefighter safety and immediate response to a firefighter in need. A RIT is established
on every working fire.
Because flames can extend anywhere within a structure, crews
checked the entire building for fire.
On the top floor of the home crews
discovered fire behind the walls.
Equipped with tools to “open up”
the walls, firefighters gained access
to the hidden spaces and extinguished the balance of the fire.
Though dispatchers report a
charcoal barbecue on the front
porch of the home suspected, fire
investigators are on scene working
to determine and/or confirm the true
cause of the fire.
The brother of the resident was
en route to the scene to assist the
man with making arrangements for
the evening.
No damage estimates are available
at this time.
===========================================
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Page 6 - St Johns Review - #12 June 8, 2012 - PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086
PERSONALS
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
OBITUARIES
Lori Mae Moore (Metzker)
Charlotte Rose Warren
March 19, 1963 - May 15, 2012
February 5, 1965 to May 16, 2012
Lori Mae was born to Charles
Ross Metzker Sr. and Ella Jean
Metzker.
Lori Mae grew up in St. Johns and
attended Sitton Elementary School
and Roosevelt High School. She
follows both parents and her oldest
brother Duane Chandler Sr. in passing
Lori Mae has four adult children;
Jerry Stites, Jeana Mae Stites,
Joshua Stites and John John Moore.
These great kids gave Lori a current total of seven grandchildren.
She was absolutely crazy about
each of them.
Lori was the baby sister to Chuck
Metzker, Melanie Sanders, Carol
Graven and Dona Metzker.
She was diagnosed 14 months ago
with breast cancer. She fought a
great and valiant fight, but succumbed to the disease in the early
morning of May 15 at the home of
her oldest sister. She was 49 years
old.
Her family invites her friends and
other family members to join us at
Blue Lake Park on June 16 at 1:00
for a celebration of her life. Any
donations please send to the American Cancer Society.
Charlotte loved life. She forged
her own path AND her strong easy
going spirit kept her afloat. Just like
her favorite song by Heart, “Dog
& Butterfly,” she tried to stay aloft,
keeping above and away from regular affairs of each day.
Charlotte had a strong passion for
dogs, rarely being seen without a
canine companion. She would rather walk barefoot in the grass with
her dogs than walk in a crowd. She
was a loner, but never alone. Her
deep easy laugh and “no problem”
approach to things was a strong feature of her personality. When she
found out she was sick, she chose
the place of her departure, preferring the home of a Native American counterpart, rather than a sterile cold hospital. When Charlotte
closed her eyes, she had her longtime companion, Tony, at her side.
Charlotte loved her family and
friends, going down memory lane
as though yesterday had not passed
at all. Now, yesterday has come and
gone, but the memory of our Charlotte Rose will not pass into yesterday. We, who remain, will take her
along with us, as long as we are.
Roosevelt High School in 1973 and
then from the University of Oregon
in 1977.
Cheryl worked as an Assets Accountant for Pacific Corp. She was
a fan of the New York Yankees and
the Oregon Ducks. She was also an
avid cat lover.
She is survived by her mother,
Margaret Linhart; sisters, Anita
Tallman and Janet Linhart.
She was preceded in death by her
father, Walt Linhart.
In lieu of flowers, donations may
be made to the Cat Adoption Team
in Sherwood: catadoptionteam.org.
Online memorial is available at
Hustadfuneralcome.com.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------Personal notices: obituaries, birthdays, anniversaries, births, engagement or marriage announcements,
etc., can be placed by emailing the
information to:
[email protected] or
mailing to: PO Box 83068, Portland, 97283.
They are $30 each and prepayment can be made via credit card
or by sending a check before the
deadline date of requested issue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheryl M. Linhart
June 1, 1955 - May 21, 2012
A memorial gathering for Cheryl
Linhart who passed away on May
21, 2012 at age 56, was held at
Hustad Funeral Home.
Cheryl was born June 1, 1955 in
Spokane, Washington and was
raised and educated in the St. Johns
neighborhood. She graduated from
Sending Information
to the REVIEW
The Review encourages information to be
sent to the newspaper
for publishing but it
must be received by
the deadline, and
because of space,
must be timely and
may be edited. See
address at the top of
this page.
CLASSIFIEDS:
CLASSES/LESSONS
YOGA CLASS - 55 & OVER
Revitalize mind & body. Improve focus, release stress while increasing
strength & flexibility. Class is ongoing - join anytime. Thursday 9:1510:15am at the University Park Community Center. 9009 N Foss Ave. Call
503-823-3631 for more information.
=========================================================
VOICE & PIANO LESSONS
Jensen’s Voice & Piano Studio offers
lessons with college credits available.
For an appointment or more information call Pauline at 503-286-1168.
FULL-TIME OFFICE
ADMINISTRATOR
Financial services firm seeks responsible
individual
with excellent communication skills
for two-person office
Must enjoy working with clients and be serviceoriented, well-organized, and accurate
Post resume on-line at
http://www.careers.edwardjones.com/
Navigate to : us\branch support\search branch
support jobs. reference number 330058
Portsmouth Trinity
Lutheran Church
“Where All Are Welcome”
Worship & Sunday School:
10:00am each Sunday
HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC
CHURCH
=========================================================
“In the Spirit of Unity, Welcome!”
REAL ESTATE
KILLINGSWORTH STATION
Commercial Condominiums For
Sale/For Lease. Prime corner location at N Interstate & N Killingsworth. Class A retail space at competitive prices. Urban Works Real
Estate. 503-228-3165.
CLASSIFIED INSTRUCTIONS:
Classifieds are on a prepaid basis
only. 30 words for $15, 15 cents for
each word over 30. Send payment with
ad to: The Review, PO Box 83068,
Portland, Or., 97283. CC payments
accepted over phone.
WORSHIP
DIRECTORY
7119 N. Portsmouth (503) 289-6878
Interstate Bible
Chapel
Non-Denominational
8036 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland Or.
Sunday: 11:00am
1st Friday of Each Month,
fellowship meal & video @6:30
2 Timothy 2:15
BRING YOUR BIBLE
5227 N
Bowdoin
(503)
289-2834
Sun: 8:00am & 10am
Sat Mass: 5:00pm
Spanish Mass: Sunday Noon
Daily Mass: Mon-Fri, 8:30am
Worship Directory ads are:
$240 for 13 ads
$315 for 18 ads
$390 for 26
Ad information can be changed
throughout the ad’s run
Across
1 Attendance preventers
6 "Rhapsody in __"
10 Folk singer Phil
14 Window type
15 Landlord's income
16 Fluffy mass
17 From that time
18 Short story writer?
19 Renown
20 Undying
22 Regatta crew
24 Command at sea
26 Polish-German border river
27 Fish hawk
30 Upright
32 Had on
33 What Mother Hubbard's dog had
35 Make a god
39 Golf ball position
40 Actor Fairbanks
42 Sticky stuff
43 Fashion
45 Select
46 Ridicule
47 Man __ moon
49 Gay
51 One Musketeer
54 Suitor
56 Treatment plan
58 Came in
62 Working
63 Melody
65 Line of work
66 Liver secretion
67 Lose it
68 Jessica or Hope
69 Kind of pearl
70 Catch sight of
71 Church officer
Answers on Page 6
Down
1 __ Nostra
2 First: Abbr.
3 Come-on
4 State formally
5 Record cover
6 Alloy of copper and zinc
7 Romanian monetary unit
8 Biblical preposition
9 Fuel hydrocarbon
10 Ref's call
11 Shellfish
12 Great Lakes mnemonic
13 Part of an act
21 Refuse
23 Tears
25 Languages
27 Birds of Minerva
28 Honi __ qui mal y pense
29 Victim
31 "The Old Curiosity Shop" girl
34 "That hurts!"
36 "__ You, Babe"
37 French C-in-C of World War I
38 Join together
40 Jeans fabric
41 Austrian composer Berg
44 Restricted
46 20 Questions category
48 African fly
50 Small
51 Syrians, e.g.
52 Knot again
53 Nimble
55 Tearful
57 Convent residents
59 "The Fountainhead" author
60 Competitive advantage
61 Does and bucks
64 Snooze
PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086 - #12 June 8, 2012 - St. Johns Review - Page 7
BITS & PIECES
Historic Columbian Cemetery Board
elects new officers
The Historic Columbia Cemetery Board would like to inform the community about changes occurring in cemetery
business and administration.
The new cemetery officers are: Elizabeth Phillips, Jane
Gille, and Michelle Charbonneau. Former Columbia Secretary Marlene Roth has volunteered to serve as board member and consultant on cemetery history.
A grounds committee has also been established, including
Beth Adams, Alan Patterson, and Mike Imlah.
For more info go to: www.savecolumbiancemetery.org.
Address is: PMB 246, 6663 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.,
Portland, OR, 97221.
Portland’s Culinary Workshop teams up
with St Johns Farmer’s Market
Portland’s Culinary Workshop has teamed up with the St.
Johns Farmer’s Market to host a fundraiser class for the
market.
The class will feature culinary lessons using only produce
from vendors at the market. 100% of the proceeds will go
back into the market.
The class will be June 29 and is open for everybody. Go
to: www.portlandsculinaryworkshop.com to sign up.
Portland’s Culinary Kitchen is a unique new(ish) community testing kitchen in NE Portland that offers dozens of classes from Thai street food to stocks and broths,
all of which are open to children over five
years old.
Art object to honor Rosa Parks project
The Rosa Parks Project Committee invites the community
to come together and talk about what kind of an
art piece to honor the civil rights leader, Rosa
Parks. The Open House is a call for Community
Input in the formation of the art piece to keep
the history of the Civil rights Movement alive
through the life and actions of Rosa Parks.
There will be an Open House on June 10
from 2 to 4 p.m. at the June Key Delta House,
5940 N. Albina.
The community’s input is important on many levels. It will
bring awareness to the project to get a sense of what others
envision for this important project to honor Rosa Parks, as
well as help celebrate the start of this project.
The project location has been designated for the northeast
corner of Peninsula Park on N. Rosa Parks Way.
========================================================
Send information to the Review via email to:
[email protected] or via mail at:
The Review
PO Box 83068
Portland, Oregon 97283
Business & Service Directory
Jensen’s
VOICE & PIANO
STUDIO
CALL
5032835086
High School and College
Credits Available
TO PLACE
YOUR
AD
Call for an
Appointment
(503)286-1168
Serving N & NE Portland for 29 Years
IN THIS
SECTION
Nicholas R. Mellum D.M.D.
Red
Carpet
Service
Family and Cosmetic
Dentistry
Serving St. Johns since 1974
8910 N. Kellogg St. 503-286-4492
St. Johns Newest Sr. Adult Care Home
Two Locations!
Garden Place
For Your Loved Ones
Bonnie Gill
Owner/Operator
5903 N. Houghton St.
Cost: 1X ad: $35
2 Xs to 6Xs: $28 each
7Xs to 25Xs: $25 each
503-247-7103
1 Year (26 Xs) $22 each
Page 8 - St Johns Review - #12 June 8, 2012
PO Box 83068, Portland, Or. 97283 - email: [email protected] - website: www.stjohnsreview.com - 503-283-5086
News from the FCPNA newsletter
Courtesy Barbara Quinn, the Friends of Cathedral Park Neighborhood
Association and contributing writers
FCPNA hold Summer
Social
The community is invited to the
Friends of Cathedral Park Summer
Social and BBQ to be held at the
BES Water Lab adjacent to Cathedral Park, 6543 N. Burlington, on
Tuesday, June 12, at 6pm.
The Social will replace the regular general meeting.
Those attending will enjoy river
views, BBQ from Big Kahuna’s
and find out more about issues and
projects affecting neighborhood
livability. There will be information
about the proposed coal trains, traffic problems, siting of the Willamette Greenway Trail, Superfund
Clean-up, freight issues, the whistle-free zone, and more! Neighbors
with concerns can also share it with
FCPNA.
New 4-Way Traffic
Signal
It’s been a long wait, but the new
4-way traffic lights are finally installed and functioning at Richmond and Ivanhoe. FCPNA members initiated the quest for safety
improvements at N Richmond and
N Ivanhoe around 2000 noting the
lack of pedestrian safety and confusion of drivers.
Solutions for safety issues at the
intersection and along N Ivanhoe
were discussed during the St. Johns
Plan 2004 and a $2.1 million grant
was won through PBOT in 2005 to
address pedestrian safety.
Those improvements were the
construction along Ivanhoe this
spring. For those who worked to
make it happen, it is a welcome
sight at last!
Cathedral Park to
welcome the Portland
Bridge Swim
By Marisa Frieder
On Sunday, July 22, Cathedral
Park will be swarmed by soggy,
brightly-clad invaders from the river. No, it’s not pirates! The park is
the end point of the second annual
Portland Bridge Swim, and will
welcome dozens of competitors as
they clamber out of the river at the
finish line.
From the 7am start at Sellwood
Riverfront Park, swimmers will
pass through the heart of Portland
and under all 11 of Portland’s
bridges on the Willamette. When
they arrive on the beach at Cathedral Park, they will have swum
nearly 11 miles in 4 to 8 hours.
In recent years, marathon swimming have become another way for
adventure-seekers to test themselves. Events and participation are
increasing and the Portland Bridge
Swim is the longest open water
swimming event in Oregon.
The event began in 2010 with the
first-ever solo 11-bridge swim per-
formed by race organizer Marisa
Frieder, who thought it would be an
interesting way to see the city.
Frieder made the 2010 swim as a
personal challenge, but she says the
most gratifying part of the experience was “having the opportunity
to challenge Portlanders’ ideas
about water quality and the safety
of our river.” Word of her accomplishment spread and enough others became interested so that the
Tualatin Hills Barracudas, a masters swim team, hosted the first
competitive Portland Bridge Swim
last year. Promoted largely by word
of mouth, the inaugural event drew
16 swimmers to the river in 2011
for a race that was both challenging and achievable for most open
water distance swimmers.
The course brings joy and challenges. Every participant leaves the
water with a new respect for the
Willamette, a new view of Portland.
Following the success of the 2011
Portland Bridge Swim, organizers
capped entries at 80 for safety and
have opened competition to threeperson relays as well as solo swimmers. They expect a good and enthusiastic turnout this year, with
competitors coming from Oregon
and all over the Western US.
Proceeds of the swim will benefit Willamette Riverkeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoration of the Willamette River.
What does this mean for St.
Johns? It’s an opportunity for businesses! After 4-8 hours of swimming, participants and volunteers
are going to be looking for food and
a beer. It’s an opportunity for neighbors to enjoy the sunshine and
check out the event...and it seems
only right to head down to Cathedral Park to welcome them. There
will be photographers and press onhand to document the race, and it’s
hoped that
every competitor will take away a
positive impression of the park and
of the neighborhood. Organizers
are still looking for donors and
neighborhood businesses are invited to contribute coupons, sample
goods, etc. to be handed out to participants with their race materials.
Especially appreciated are boat
owners, who can participate by
spending a day on the river providing race support for safety and coordination.
For more information, visit
www.portlandbridgeswim.com and
head down to the river on July 22
RHS students creates Farmers Market T-Shirt design
By Gentiana Loeffler
Market Manager
Have you noticed those handsome folks in town sporting the new farmers market T-shirts? If you have, you’re
probably feeling a little envious and there really isn’t
any need, because you can get yourself a T-shirt by stopping by the Information Booth at the farmers market
any Saturday this season.
The T-shirts are reasonably priced and all proceeds
go directly toward the farmers market. And maybe best
of all, when you buy a farmers market T-shirt you are
buying a piece of art made by a Roosevelt High School
student.
Like the original farmers market shirts, the 2012 design was created by Roosevelt High School students in
Renee Straube’s Intermediate Art class using the woodblock printing process. Woodblock printing is a technique where a knife, chisel, or sandpaper is used to cut
a wood block to create the areas of a design to show
‘white’ leaving the characters or image to show in ‘black’
at the original surface level. Once the design is complete the block is inked and firmly pressed into paper or
cloth to create a print.
Renee’s students learned the woodblock printing process and spent three weeks finalizing their designs. They
discussed farmers markets, local food and St. Johns
icons in order to create a design that was evocative of
the St. Johns Farmers Market. The final design for the
shirts was created by Jovany Romero-Carrasco, a senior this year at RHS. Renee describes Jovany as “a
fastidious worker who often goes beyond the requirements of a given assignment and always strives to do
his best work”. Jovany was part of Food Works in 2011,
lives in North Portland and is proud to have his design
represented in his community.
RHS student Jovany Romero-Carrasco created the
final design for the Farmers Market T-Shirts which
are being sold at the Market every Saturday. Proceeds
go to the Market.
New maps show North Portland’s natural hazards
What’s the earthquake risk in
North Portland? Is your home or
business located on a flood plain?
To find out the answers to these
questions and more, check out the
new maps created by the Portland
Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM). The maps –made in
partnership with Portland’s neighborhood coalition offices – identify natural hazards in North Portland and throughout the city. They
offer a neighborhood coalition by
neighborhood coalition account of
to welcome our most determined
visitors
Mark Your Calendars!
Upcoming Events in Cathedral
Park:
July 8 – Portland Harbor Community Advisory Field Day
July 20 to 22 – Cathedral Park Jazz
Festival
July 22 – Portland Bridge Swim
July 28 – Portland Festival Symphony
July 28 – Parking Lot to Paradise
Event in Baltimore Woods
September 23 – Portland Triathlon
known earthquake faults, flood
plains and other dangers, including
hazardous material sites, steep
slopes and forested areas at risk of
fire. The maps also show community resources – such as evacuation
routes and key transportation corridors used during emergencies,
hospitals, county clinics, schools,
fire stations and police facilities –
within each neighborhood coalition
area.
Each map can be downloaded directly from PBEM’s website
www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem.
Larger versions of the North Portland maps can be viewed at North
Portland Neighborhood Services
(NPNS) at 2209 N Schofield.
The maps were created by compiling information from a variety
of existing sources, including data
from the U.S. Geological Survey,
Federal Emergency Management
Agency and Oregon Department
of Geology and Mineral Industries.