SERVING Burlingame • Capitol Hill • Garden Home • Glen Cullen • Hillsdale • South Portland • Multnomah Village • Raleigh Hills • Vermont Hills • West Portland Volume No. 16, Issue No. 7 INSIDE: Southwest Portland’s Independent Neighborhood Newspaper www.multnomahpost.com Portland, Oregon Future of Sears Armory to be decided May 8 at open house --Page 6 Complimentary May 2008 New farmers’ market scheduled for June opening in Multnomah Village By Mark Ellis The Southwest Portland Post With the apparent blessing of all concerned--including the Multnomah Village Business Association--the plan to create a farmers’ market in Multnomah Village has come to frui- tion. “I’ve heard nothing but good things,” said Multnomah Arts Center Executive Director Michael Walsh, who also sits on the Multnomah Vil- lage Farmer’s Market board. Another pivotal player is Eamon Molloy, current market manager for the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market. His du- ties with regard to the Village market will be the same as at Hillsdale, rang- ing from layout analyst in the plan- ning stages to roving onsite facilitator and manager once things kick off. “I admire the strength of the MVBA here,” said Molloy. “They set this goal a while ago and have been patient enough to see it through.” The original concept for a Village farmer’s market included insuring that the new market would not com- pete directly with any concurrent Southwest market. Thursdays were chosen, as Walsh explained, “Because no other market occurs that day on the southwest side of the Willamette.” Thursday is also fortuitous from the standpoint of the providers, farmers who are reaching the end of the harvest week and want to get into weekday markets with the freshest possible product. “The Hillsdale and Village markets will complement each other,” explained Walsh, who was integral in the planning phase and now is helping to coordinate the market’s June 5 th debut. Portland’s urban open-air markets attract farmers from up and down the Willamette Valley, and east-west from the Gorge to the coast. One wrinkle has to do with this year’s unpredictable spring weather. At press time strawberry growers were worried about possible freezes. Similarly, while a lot of fruit trees have experienced a nice flowering, the jury is still out on quality and output. “It hasn’t really been warm enough,” said Molloy. Regarding the seafood typically offered at the markets, there are understand- able questions about the availability of salmon. Other considerations which fall un- der Molloy’s purview include artful alignments with regard to the market’s visual and overall aesthetic sense, and thoughtful assignments with regard to booth placement. “You get to where you have a sense of which booths work well together and which configuration may be less effective,” says Molloy. Another fluid factor is freight charges; farmers anxious to supply fresh product to a market- place full of afternoon and evening impulse buyers will have to fac- tor their costs in light of changing economic realities. Notwithstanding these concerns, the commitment to bring the freshest of berries, Neighbors starving for fresh Oregon strawberrries made up apples, pears, peach- the longest line at the Hillsdale Farmers Market, April 27. es, and locally grown, (Post photo by Don Snedecor) healthful vegetables to an already diverse and thriving busi- the sensitive composite surface of the ness hub is proceeding apace. courts. The Village market will be held Payment for produce and other Thursdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. merchandise will be by cash or check, under the basketball awning at the with no plans yet for credit/debit card Multnomah Center [Southwest 34 th and options. “Hillsdale waited four years Capitol Highway] from June through before going to a card option,” said Mol- September, and is estimated to be about loy. WIC (Women, Infant, & Children) one-half to two-thirds the size of the Coupons & Senior Coupons will be ac- Hillsdale market with approximately cepted, with Food Stamps/Oregon Trail thirty booths. Card to be considered in the future. The logistics are configured in such a “We’ve got a ribbon-cutting com- way as to create a safe haven for kids in mitment from City Commissioner Dan the middle of the courts, with display Saltzman on the market’s opening day,” (Continued on Page 3) tables set around the perimeter and off Children benefit from reading aloud to dogs at the Hillsdale Library By Polina Olsen The Southwest Portland Post Angie, a large German Shepard stretched in a sunny corner of the Hillsdale Library children’s section. Sam Way, 11, reached out to scratch her ears. “It’s about a cross between Godzilla and a dragon,” he said as he opened the book Jellaby and started to read. Meanwhile, Way’s seven-month-old sister, Louisa, patted Angie’s nose with a hand holding the muffin she’d been eating. “Let’s get that out of the way,” her mother Janet Way said nervously. The dog didn’t move or even blink. Angie and owner Kathy Fogerty are used to dog-lovers of all ages. They’ve visited children and listened to them read at the Hillsdale Library for about five years. Working through the DoveLewis Animal Assisted Therapy and Education Program (DLAATE), they coordinate with other volunteers to make Read to the Dogs available every Saturday morn- ing. “I got Angie from the Portland Humane Society,” Fogerty said about the eight- year–old dog. “She was a stray, -- very gentle, but very skinny.” DoveLewis certification took four to five months, she explains. Humans learn how to deal with situations like people with disabilities or illnesses. They learn to read their dog’s body language and know when they’re asking too much. “The dogs have a rigorous obedience program, and you have to take a final assessment.” Angie snoozed quietly as Sam Way continued reading. His mom and sis- ter sat on the floor and played with bright toys Janet Way brought from their John’s Landing home. Browsers walking by stopped to pet the dog and chat. Sometimes, if the schedule changes, Fogerty and Angie walk around the library and explain the program. Today a man asked if his four-year-old could read, and the 11 a.m. cancellation pro- vided a spot. Amalia can’t read yet, but he can, -- and, the little girl likes dogs. Erica Moore, a youth librarian, enjoys the Read to the Dogs program. A resident of Garden Home, she’s worked at the Hillsdale Library for about three years. Most of the children are in grade school but Moore also sees preschoolers. “It provides kids a safe, nonjudgmen- tal place to practice their reading skills, and it’s nice to interact with an animal,” Moore said. The program runs through- out the year, and Moore said she found particular benefit in keeping up reading skills during summer vacation. Fogerty agreed. “I would say the aim of the program is to reach kids who want to practice their reading skills are a little shy about reading in class. Dogs will never correct you.” Hillsdale Library’s Read to the Dogs program also outreaches to schools, (Continued on Page 3) Don’t forget to renew your subscription. Form on Page 2. The Southwest Portland Post 7825 SW 36th Ave Suite #203 Portland, OR 97219 Sam Way reads to Angie the German Shepard while Janet Way, baby sister Louisa, and dog owner Kathy Fogerty look on. (Post photo by Polina Olsen)