Dr. Kirsten Carr
is interviewed by
Erik Vidstrand in
a followup story
about west side
school boundaries.
– Page 7
Who was this
famous woman
driving a horse-
drawn carriage at
the Hunt Club in
Garden Home? Find
out in “Community
Life.” – Page 8
Wilson alum
strives to revive
dance teams at
Jackson and Gray
middle schools.
– Page 5
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 24 Issue No. 5
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
March 2016
New bridge over Fanno Creek key segment for Red Electric Trail
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
The city of Portland Bureau of
Transportation held an open house
on Feb. 1 in Hillsdale to unveil several
draft concepts of a key segment of the
Red Electric Trail.
City and federal transportation
monies are committed for a new bridge
which will cross the Fanno Creek
headwaters from Southwest Capitol
Highway (near Bertha Station) west to
Bertha Boulevard.
“The area is owned by Portland
Parks & Recreation,” explained
Portland Bureau of Transportation
project manager, Elizabeth Mahon,
“and is designed to be multi-use and
will comply with Americans with
Disabilities Act statutes.”
The planned Red Electric Trail
would start at Parkhill Drive (east of
Terwilliger Boulevard) then travel
west under Interstate 5. The trail climbs
up to Wilson High School, past Rieke
Elementary, and along Florida Street to
THE COUNTRY STORE
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
Multnomah Village
restaurant Acapulco’s
Southwest Gold closes
After 31 years in business,
Acapulco’s Southwest Gold Mexican
restaurant has closed. Located in
the iconic building on the corner of
Southwest 35th Avenue and Capitol
Highway in Multnomah Village,
owners, Mick and Jolene, are calling
it quits. They took over the business
Bertha Station.
After crossing Fanno Creek, the trail
continues west along Bertha Boulevard.
SW Trails PDX founder Don Baack
said the planned trail will follow much
of its original rail alignment.
“Our goal is to connect this new
segment with a future trail which
parallels Beaverton-Hillsdale
Highway,” Baack said. “It intends to
pass behind Hayhurst elementary
school and connect with the eastern
Fanno Creek Trail at Alpenrose Dairy.”
According to Baack, much of the trail
still needs funding while some funding
is already in place.
Artist renderings were prepared
by KPFF, the engineering firm who
designed the Portland Esplanade
among other infrastructure projects.
The construction will include a bike and
pedestrian bridge plus improvements
to Southwest Nebraska Street.
GreenWorks, a landscape architectural
firm, has been hired for the additional
features.
Residents and community leaders
met with planning team members
from family members back in 1991.
“I don’t have anything to say
except, ‘I’m retiring’,” Mick said
uncomfortably when asked to make a
comment for The Post. “We’ve put in
25 years and time to move on.”
He pointed to the announcement on
the window which thanked his loyal
customers remembering the many
conversations and experiences. Then
he continued serving his customers.
Long-time customer Stuart Ellis has
been going there since 1989. He’s eaten
there at least once a month for the last
15 years.
“I’ve always enjoyed the food and
drinks,” Ellis reminisced, “and the
staff have always been great. They will
be missed.”
Another Mexican restaurant
from Southeast Portland is
scheduled to open later this
year in the same location.
Sacred Money Studios
and Prosperity Pie
Shoppe almost ready
to open
A new business is close
to opening in the former Le
Meitour Gallery space in
Multnomah Village.
Luna Jaffe, who owns Lunaria
Financial, has founded the
community-based business,
Sacred Money Studios and
Prosperity Pie Shoppe. She
envisions it as a place to gather
community, eat pie, and if
people want to, be exposed to
Mexican restaurant Acapulco’s Southwest Gold financial literacy.
“It’s a whole separate
closed Feb. 25 after 31 years in business.
(Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
business,” Jaffe replied from
a n d p ro v i d e d
feedback on the
three proposed
designs.
From 1914
to 1929, the
S o u t h e r n
Pacific Railroad
operated an
interurban
passenger train
(the Red Electrics)
in the Willamette
Va l l e y w h i c h
included stops
at Union Station,
Bertha Station,
and travelled
as far south as Multnomah neighbor Kim Isaacson (left) discusses plans for a new
Red Electric Trail bridge with Shawn Kummer of GreenWorks, the
Corvallis.
landscape architect for the project. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
The trail has
been a long time
transportation bureau will present the
project of SW Trails PDX, a local
selected design and explain next steps
community group which promotes
for construction.
walking and biking in southwest
For more information, contact Elizabeth.
Portland.
Mahon@portlandoregon.gov or http://
A second open house is yet to be
swtrails.org.
scheduled sometime in April. The
Luna Jaffe paints an inspirational message on the wall during construction of Sacred
Money Studios. (Photo courtesy of Sacred Money Studios)
her office above the Umpqua Bank.
When asked if she would be
moonlighting after her day job
focusing on her client’s financial
matters, Jaffe said that she plans to
be an occasional instructor and help
with some of the events in the making.
“I have two partners: Amy Dier and
Jennifer Paauwe-Riffe. They will be
the chief operators.”
Modeled after Next Door, a Chicago
community-based financial institute
sponsored by State Farm Insurance
Company, the pie shop will be first,
and foremost, a community gathering
spot that will stay open until the late
evening.
“I imagine different speakers, both
local and national on a variety of
financial matters like how to get
your relationship [with money] in
alignment and navigating financial
literacy.”
“Many people who need financial
guidance cannot afford my services,”
Jaffe confessed. “That’s what this
concept will be for.”
There will be a membership, some
classes will be free or low-cost, and
teens and young adults will be targeted
for basic skills.
“There will be art supplies,
storytelling, journaling opportunities,
and books available,” Jaffe said. “It
will be approachable and affordable
with a creative flair. And there will
be pie!”
Jaffe is a past-president of
the Multnomah Village Business
Association and founded Lunaria
Financial in 2010 after a distinguished
career at Edward Jones. A soft
opening for Sacred Money Studios,
if construction goes as planned, will
be at the end of March with a grand
opening soon after. Visit https://www.
facebook.com/sacredmoneystudios/
for more information.