September 2011
Blumenauer Talks with
Businesses
(Continued from Page 1)
is “a key connector. There are places
where there’s really no place for people
to stand safely.” Since the original plan
the cost of the project has increased
considerably, “and half the cost is storm
water absorption,” Bonella said.
Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. presi-
dent Marianne Fitzgerald said, “This
has become as much an infrastructure
project as a sidewalk one. In 1996 storm
water wasn’t such a big deal. Now it’s
important.”
Fitzgerald added, “We need to en-
able people to get around without cars.
We’ve watched TriMet defund local
transit service, and we can’t get money
for sidewalks.” There is in fact some
stimulus money to install new side-
walks on arterials but, Fitzgerald said,
“When you have 47 arterials that don’t
have sidewalks, how do you decide
which is your priority?” SWNI picked
Southwest Barbur Boulevard.
Fitzgerald noted that sidewalks are
being added or upgraded on parts of
Multnomah as part of the work there.
Multnomah Neighborhood Association
chair Moses Ross complained, “Taking
the low-hanging fruit is attractive, but
essential needs don’t get addressed.”
Bonella agreed, “It’s a matter of spend-
ing $10 million on a half mile of road
versus five miles where it’s flatter and
easier.”
Blumenauer’s specialty has been
transportation projects, and he has
secured millions of dollars in federal
funding for light rail and streetcar ex-
tensions. Prior to this he served on the
Portland City Council, and he said
some of the issues his new constituents
discussed were familiar enough to be
“personal.”
According to Blumenauer, “We need
to bring Barbur to urban main street
standards. The City alone can’t and
won’t.” However, Blumenauer cau-
NEWS
tioned, “The challenge is that people
in Washington are a little crabby about
money right now.”
Those who gathered discussed other
topics, notably medical care. Samira
Godel is Director of the Southwest
Community Health Center, which
provides health care through the good
works of 3.3 full time equivalent paid
staff and 19 volunteers. “The biggest
challenge we have is convincing people
that there is a need for our services in
Southwest Portland,” she told Blume-
nauer.
Rick Nitti, Director of Neighborhood
House and a Community Health Cen-
ter board member, agreed. “While we
have beautiful houses here, there is also
significant poverty here,” he said. How-
ever, Nitti said, for the area as a whole,
the level of poverty is “not high enough
to access federal funding. FEMA says
we’re not eligible for emergency food
and shelter assistance. That will hit the
food bank really hard.”
Dental practice co-owner Judy Shaw
had issues with health care reform.
“I’m absolutely livid that we locked
insurance companies into health care
reform,” she said.
“I’m so in favor of reform, so heart-
broken with the way it was done,”
said Shaw. “Dental health wasn’t even
included; is the mouth not part of the
body? I don’t want the government
involved in health care, but it’s better
than having the insurance companies
involved in it.”
Both Cassinelli and Annie Bloom
Books owner Bobbi Tichener said
that local commercial districts such
as Multnomah Village are critical to
the city’s health, and both have gone
through “ebb and flow.” In 23 years,
Tichener said, “I’ve seen empty build-
ings. Now it’s so vibrant. I like it when
people are in the store eavesdropping
on each other.”
Cassinelli said, “It’s important for
Oregonians to be able to shop in their
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
own neighborhoods where they know
who owns the store and see them once
in a while, not some anonymous cor-
poration.”
Blumenauer said he has seen the
COMMUNITY LIFE
By Don Snedecor
The Southwest Portland Post
Home Community Li-
13 Garden
brary’s Book Group is discuss-
ing “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett on
Tuesday, September 13, at 7:00 p.m. at
the Library, 7475 SW Oleson Rd (inside
the Garden Home Recreation Center).
Books are available on a first come,
first served basis. “The Help” is now
a major motion picture. New members
always welcome. Call 503-245-9932 or
visit their website at www.wccls.org
for more information.
Meet Oregon Poet Laureate Pau-
20 lann
Petersen on Tuesday, Sep-
tember 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the Garden
Home Community Library. A poetry
reading and book signing are sched-
uled. Contact details are listed above.
community of Garden
24 The
Home celebrates 100 years on
Saturday, September 24, 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the Garden Home Recreation
Center, located at Southwest Oleson
Road and Garden Home Road.
In 1911,
the chil-
dren of
Garden
H o m e
gathered
upstairs
over Chris Jager’s store (current Dairy
Queeen location) to begin their first
year in Garden Home School. Former
classmates, school staff, family, friends
same kind of vibrancy on the east side
in places where, in recent memory, “we
would not have driven visitors through.
It’s a blessing representing the best
congressional district in the country.”
and neighbors are invited to attend this
celebration.
A brief program of introductions will
be held at 12 noon. Box lunches will be
available for $5 each. Vintage Garden
Home calendars filled with old photos
and memoirs will be available for $12.
Please call 503-246-5879 to reserve
lunch or for more information.
The centennial celebration is being
presented by the Garden Home His-
tory Project. Visit www.gardenhome-
history.com for more information
about this organization.
American Cultural Center
25 Arab
of Oregon will host the second
annual Arab festival, “Mahrajan,” on
Sunday, September 25, 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. at Fulton Community Center, 68
SW Miles Street (near Barbur Boule-
vard and Third Avenue).
Enjoy delicious Arab cuisine, Arab
souq (bazaar), arts and crafts, henna
painting, cooking demonstrations, mu-
sic, dance, poetry, children’s activities,
a raffle for prizes… the list goes on!
This daylong, alcohol-free event
showcases the arts, entertainment,
food, traditions and the spirit of Or-
egon’s Arab-Americans, reflecting
their diversity and contributions to
Oregon’s cultural landscape. Donation
of $5 includes three raffle tickets. For
more information visit www.arabore-
gon.com.
Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the Barbur
Concept Plan Neighborhood Walks on Sep-
tember 22 and 24 (http://www.portlandon-
line.com/bps/barbur). Additionally there is
a SW Corridor kickoff event on September
28 (http://calendar.oregonmetro.gov//
events/index.php?com=detail&eID=5097).
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