8 • The Southwest Portland Post NEWS November 2012 Naturopathic college opens new downtown research facility, laboratory By Lee Perlman The Southwest Portland Post Fresh on the heels of completing their new master plan, the National College of Naturopathic Medicine opened their new Helfgott Research Institute in downtown Portland. It was a special day for college support- ers, Ashcreek neighborhood activist Dorothy Gage in particular. The 19,200 square foot building at 2220 SW First Ave was an NCNM com- munity clinic until 2009, when those services were moved to their Lair Hill main campus. Renovation of the building cost $1.5 million, paid for from a variety of sources including the Meyer Memorial Trust and Don Helfgott, for whom the facility is named. NCNM president David Schleich said that natural medicine as practiced in the United States, “after being a secret for 55 years is attracting atten- Design Commission approves new pump station for Willamette Park By Lee Perlman The Southwest Portland Post The Portland Design Commission last month approved the design of a pro- posed new Fulton Pump Station, due to be built in Willamette Park. The design had no opposition and several public endorsements, including some from people who said they would prefer the facility not be built in the park at all. Alan Armstrong of the Portland Wa- ter Bureau said the pump would serve 16,000 people. It will be located on the site of an existing restroom facility, and will include restrooms of its own. In response to community input the structure’s design was shortened by eight feet from the original, and it will be painted a dark green “in an attempt to make it disappear into the landscap- ing,” Armstrong said. “We had a lot of input, and based on that we incorporated a lot of changes while keeping true to our core objective of being an asset to the community,” he said. Mike Dowd, architect and Miles Place resident, said he could see the site clearly from his kitchen window. “We really didn’t want this in the park at all, we hate to lose park space, but there were compelling reasons for put- ting it there.” According to Dowd, “Every time we met with staff the building improved. The architects avoided the temptation to make this an attention-getting build- ing.” A proposed new multi-use trail, ex- pected to bring a substantial increase in bicycle and pedestrian traffic, will “change the character of the park,” Dowd said. Under the circumstances, the pump station design is “appropri- ate,” he said. South Portland neighborhood activ- ist Jeanne Galick said planning for the pump station had produced “a lively group discussion. This is a beloved park, and we were aghast that this facil- ity would be placed here. The impulse was to make this disappear – to make it smaller, with dark colors and reduced lighting.” The design also features “bird-friend- ly” windows, designed to make clear to birds that the windows are a bar- rier rather than an open space, and discouraging them from trying to fly through. Candace Lawson of the Port- land Audubon Society complemented the architects for these efforts. The Commission voted five to zero to approve the design. Commission member Ben Kaiser said, “I’m swayed by Mike Dowd. He’ll be living with this more than us. Since he’s in support of this, so am I.” tion as another w a y t o a s s u re good health long- term.” NCNM now works collabora- tively with the Or- egon Health and Sciences Univer- sity and Portland State University. It also offers a Master of Science in Integrative Medical Research, the only such de- gree in the United Dignitaries including Charleee and Bob Moore (center) and States. Dorothy Gage (right) use a giant scissors to cut a ribbon at D r. H e a t h e r the National College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Helfgott Swickey, NCNM Center in October. (Post photo by Lee Perlman) dean of research, said that when she first started, “Stu- the owners of Bob’s Red Mill Natural dents did research on their own. They Foods, who have contributed a total of did fabulous work and received no $1.35 million. credit for it.” Other major donors were sisters Among other things, the institute Dorothy and the late Marjorie Gage, looks at the positive and negative both of whom received treatment for effects of various foods and the way cancers at NCNM. The college is nam- it is prepared on individuals and the ing a laboratory at the new facility for population as a whole. Marjorie. Kim Thomas of Meyer Memorial Sometimes in tears, Dorothy Gage Trust said, “The case for interactive said of her sister, “Almost everyone medicine is so strong it can’t be de- who took care of her became part of nied,” and work on food diets and our family. Marge was totally dedi- preparation is especially important cated to naturopathic medicine. She “for people without a lot of resources.” was an interesting mix of things. 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