EDITORIAL
2 • The Southwest Portland Post
Trail Liability
(Continued from Page 1)
letter to this effect to the City Council.
At press time in mid-July Bertelsen
said she had just received the letter
and could not specifically comment on
it at this time; in any event, an official
response would have to come from
Mayor Sam Adams, who oversees the
Portland Bureau of Transportation,
she said.
However, the City has resisted tak-
ing on this responsibility in the past.
Bertelsen noted that budget cuts have
forced her bureau to reduce its rou-
tine maintenance of improved local
streets.
“There was discussion during this
year’s budget process of whether we
can even maintain what we already
have responsibility for,” Bertelsen said.
She added, “I am sympathetic to the
Southwest volunteers; I understand
what an investment they’ve made in
the trail network and what a freeze this
can put on things.”
The City’s response so far has been
to make trails exempt from liability.
In the last legislative session, HB2003
made cities exempt for civil claims for
injuries suffered by people tending
community gardens. Portland lobbyists
tried to amend the bill the make it ap-
ply to trails. The bill’s sponsors, fearing
this could endanger their chances of
passage, refused to accept the amend-
ment.
Bertelsen said that City officials feel
a second try during a special session
next year would be “the most elegant,
robust solution.” If successful, would it
make trail neighbors happy? For some
it would solve the problem; others
simply don’t want trails going by their
property.
Sloan is somewhere in the middle. He
noted that neighboring children regu-
larly use the trail to catch the school bus,
and that it is far more direct and safe
than negotiating the street system.
“This is a lot different from having
people handing out trail maps,” said
Sloan, and the “circus” he feared that
would bring. Trail advocates say that
since the trail system is a public re-
source, it makes sense to let the public
know about it. However, his main con-
cern is liability. “I’m not a bad guy,” he
said. “I just don’t want process servers
coming to my house.”
Southwest Volunteers
(Continued from Page 3)
Council understand that in these hard
times citizen involvement support is
not something you cut,” she said.
Regarding her own election as a
Voter-Owned Candidate, by which
Fritz’s campaign received $150,000 in
City funds after collecting a thousand
$5 contributions, she said, “All I had
to do was know a lot of hard-working
people who could help me knock on
doors. I didn’t have to know people
who could write me big checks.”
Regarding her time on the Portland
City Council she said, “Being on the
other side of the door, I learned things
I never imagined, some of them great.”
She praised her fellow city commission-
ers including Dan Saltzman for being
“very upfront about how he makes
decisions,” and Nick Fish as being “re-
ally good-hearted.”
August 2009
The Southwest Portland Post
7825 SW 36th Ave Suite #203
Portland, OR 97219
Fax: (866) 727-5336
email: news@multnomahpost.com
Multnomah Village Farmers’
Market canceled for season
With great regret, the last market ses-
sion for Multnomah Village Farmers
Market was held on July 9, 2009. Simply
put, sales were not high enough for the
farmers and food vendors to cover their
expenses. We were also unable to attract
vegetable farmers, limiting the variety
of produce available for customers.
well
be
…
and well informed
Below is a list of the vendors who at-
tended. You can find them at other Port-
land-area farmers markets including
Hillsdale and OHSU here in Southwest.
Draper Girls Farm, Graceful Blades,
Greenville Farms, Herr Family Farm,
Unger Farm, Missionary Chocolates,
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, Savory
et Sweet, Nature’s Choice, The Honey
Pot, and Red Dragon Nursery.
Once the summer market season
is over, we will talk to farmers and
determine whether or not a market in
Multnomah Village might work for
them. We will be asking if different days
or different times or both will be more
beneficial. Thank you to all the custom-
ers who did come to the market.
Eamon Molloy
Manager, Hillsdale and
Multnomah Village farmers markets
Residential & Intermediate
Alzheimer’s Care
Its about what we can do,
not what we can’t.
Bowman’s Hillsdale
Pharmacy
6256 SW Capitol Hwy.
503-244-7582 • email: hdrx@pcez.com
•Walk-In Adult Immunizations
•Experienced Compounding
Pharmacists
7825 SW 36th Ave Suite #203
Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 244-6933; Fax: (866) 727-5336
general email: news@multnomahpost.com
web address: www.multnomahpost.com
Editor & Publisher: Don Snedecor
Reporters/Writers: Kate Bennett, Polina Olsen,
Lee Perlman, Allison Voigts
Retail Advertising Manager: Harry Blythe
Graphic Design: Leslie Baird Design
Printing: Oregon Lithoprint
© 2009 by The Southwest Portland Post. All rights reserved. The opinions of the artists
and authors contained herein are not necessarily shared by the publisher.
Deadline for news and advertising is generally the 15th of the month prior to
publication. Please call for current deadline information. Advertising rates are available
upon request.
The Post has a circulation of 10,000 in Multnomah Village and the surrounding
neighborhood business districts including Burlingame, Capitol Hill, Garden Home,
Glen Cullen, Hillsdale, South Portland, Raleigh Hills, West Portland and Vermont Hills.
The Post is published on or about the 1st of every month. Subscriptions are $14 per
year. Back issues are $2.50 each when available. All major credit cards accepted.
The Post is printed on recycled
newsprint using soy-based inks.
www.mygnp.com
(503) 292-7874
6630 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.
Portland, Oregon 97225
www.marquiscompanies.com