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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2015)
New Sellwood Bridge scheduled to open in March – Page 7 Still under construction, Tastebud and Interstate Pizza race to open this fall – Page 8 There are lots of outdoor events in August including Johnny Limbo & the Lugnuts at Washington Park – Page 4 The Southwest Portland Post Volume No. 23 Issue No. 10 www.swportlandpost.com Portland, Oregon Complimentary August 2015 Multnomah Days festival includes parade, vendors, old-fashioned fun By KC Cowan The Southwest Portland Post The Multnomah Days street festival, the yearly celebration of “All Things Multnomah Village” takes place Saturday, Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and dozens of volunteers are gearing up to make it a family-friendly event for all. The highlight of the day is the annual community parade, which begins at 10 a.m. Tye and Joan Steinbach of Thinker Toys have coordinated the event for the past decade and pretty much have it down to a science. “We used to organize each entry and give them a number and ask them to get in line according to those numbers and it was a nightmare of organizational work,” Tye Steinbach said. It’s less work than it used to be, because they got rid of the specific line up. Now, they just ask everyone to show up, line up, and bring two copies of the description of their entry’s “commercial” to be read over the public address system. “We do try to space the ones with a little more bling or pizzazz so they’re not all together,” Steinbach added. “The parade is short, but spirited.” The parade is 10 blocks long and lasts about an hour. Spectators will see local pets, businesses, churches, and community groups and floats follow the route east along Southwest Capitol Highway from Handy Andy’s service station (Garden Home Road) to the Lucky Labrador Public House (31st Avenue). “It’s definitely homespun,” said Steinbach. “It’s kind of an old-school, down-home, community feel in an otherwise very slick world.” After the parade, there’s plenty to see and do all through the village at the many vendor booths. Mike Radakovich has the task of choosing which vendors get a coveted space along Capitol Highway. “We have to turn down some people,” Radakovich explained. “You can only have so many nonprofits. “It’s a street fair, not a political fest, so we try to get [all] political parties represented, but we want to have a good mix. You don’t want to go to a street fair and see all the same thing. We can’t have 20 booths all selling jewelry.” Radakovich says people want to see handcrafted items, perhaps learn about a local agency, and have a bite to eat. He said he makes sure that the local shops and restaurants all have a booth right out front of their businesses. Some 120 spaces have been sold, with the money going to help pay for Multnomah Days expenses, such as permits, porta-potties, barriers and so on. R a d a k o v i c h i s The Beat Goes On Marching Band performs during the 2014 particularly excited about Multnomah Days parade. (Post file photo by Don Snedecor) a new vendor this year group critical to the success of – Nordic Foods. “Their food looks Multnomah Days takes charge – the phenomenal,” he says. (Continued on Page 6) And once the fun is over? Another Legal defense fund discussed to oppose four-story development By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post Carol McCarthy, chair of the Multnomah Neighborhood Association, got right down to business at the July 14 meeting. Approximately 55 participants were in attendance with mostly one thing on their minds: the four-story apartment building proposed for Multnomah Village. “Development is on the rampage,” began McCarthy, “and Multnomah Village is a target. This planning process is turning political in nature.” Carol McCarthy leads a large group of concerned citizens at the July 14 meeting of the Multnomah Neighborhood Association. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand) Don’t forget to renew your subscription. Form on Page 2. The Southwest Portland Post 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509 Portland, OR 97206 McCarthy said that communication to city commissioners is crucial on this matter. She mentioned that commissioners Steve Novick and Amanda Fritz, both Southwest Portland residents, are up for re-election next year. McCarthy urged neighbors to get their voices heard, not so much about stopping development, but limiting its nature, particularly height and parking issues. Other issues include seven recent notices of residential demolitions throughout Multnomah alone. McCarthy acknowledged there had been sentiment that the motions were rushed at the end of June’s meeting. Stewart Rounds, a neighbor who lives near the planned four-story project, immediately revisited one of the motions. He proposed that the neighborhood association create a legal account for materials or services to help with broad land use issues that have been proposed in Multnomah. It was quickly seconded and a lively discussion followed. Rounds relayed that he had already gathered 1600 signatures to limit the project’s height to three-stories and increase parking with over 500 comments but that legal help could help mitigate community concerns. “It’s basically a legal land use defense fund,” Rounds explained, “which to raise tax-deductible donations.” A similar tactic was used in 2013 to raise funds for a lawyer to oppose the Freeman Water Tank property and to stand up to the developer’s influence at city hall. Tw o f o r m e r M u l t n o m a h neighborhood chairs, Martie Sucec and Moses Ross, were on hand to outline how these legal funds should be collected and used within the Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. umbrella organization. “You have to be very clear about donations and where they go,” Ross said. “SWNI has a mechanism with a tax-exempt status for tax-deductible donations.” P a r k i n g re m a i n e d a t o p i c o f conversation for the next part of the meeting. Some thought one car per unit is inadequate. “Usually there are a few spaces for guests,” said one property owner. “If there is no parking for renters, they may not rent.” Ross spoke up for zero parking spaces and encouraged new renters to bus and bike. “It’s an imaginary fallacy to believe that Metro and the city think that we all ride bikes or take the bus,” Sucec interjected. “Many of us don’t ride bikes, and for buses, we only have two lines here in the village. The reality is that we need our cars.” One of the only young people in the audience said it was the first time attending the neighborhood association. “Who is the community?” she asked. “Who’s coming in? Are they single, like me, who doesn’t have a car, or is it families? What are the statistics?” Chris Lyons, a resident who has been heading up a committee which is addressing improvements on Southwest Capitol Highway between Barbur Boulevard and Garden Home Road, responded. Lyons said that infill development is happening all over city, but in (Continued on Page 6)
