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)
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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)