Page 2 * St. Johns Review * #13 - JUNE 26, 2015
Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086
Publishers Page
From the Editor
Good News. Bad News
Hello Readers,
The Bad News is I still haven’t
been given back the hard-bound is-
sues of the St. Johns Review by the
St. Johns Heritage Society, but I
have much more good news.
Jake Benshoof, longtime resident
and community activist, called me
and offered me copies he had saved
from the 1960s and 70s. Jake is one
of the men responsible for starting
the fi rst St. Johns Parade so many
years ago and then spearheading the
closure of the St. Johns Dump and
cleaning up the community. He still
lives in St. Johns and is a wealth
of information. It was a pleasure to
chat with him and I thank him pro-
fusely for handing over these won-
derful issues.
When I got home, I poured my-
self a large cold beverage and sat
down to start reading each newspa-
per contained inside the large box.
I wasn’t looking for anything in
particular – just catching up on the
era where I came into adulthood and
remembered very well with fond
memories.
The newspapers in those days
were published by Robert and El-
len Irish, and quite large in size
measuring 23” long X 17.5” wide.
(Today’s issue is about 16” tall and
10” wide.)
Inside the yellowed pages I
found an article about a business
Gayla
Patton
Gayla Patton Editor
called Zimmer’s Dog
Grooming that had
just opened up (still
around today); Dad’s
Restaurant
getting
some new equip-
ment; the early planning stages for
a Parade; Bowling news (anybody
remember the bowling alley?);
Roosevelt High School’s princess
Kristi Lee who later became Queen
of Rosaria and a few years later her
wedding picture and announcement
appeared in the paper. There was
also news about various businesses
coming to the community – many of
which are still around and many that
are gone.
The 50+-year-old papers also had
a section called, “Hi Neighbor” by
Jewel Sundquist. – a name many
people will recognize as an active
and important person for St. Johns,
and then of course there were many
issues with Mr. Jake Benshoof in
them which updated readers about
the progress of the dump closure,
and who at the time was also run-
ning for State Representative.
Since it was the Viet Nam era
there was a section called “North
Portland Servicemen.” I scanned
this section because I knew several
people who were in the war, but in
particular looked for the name Jim
Speirs, Marine. Speirs once wrote
historical articles for the St. Johns
Review but he also served in the
war and fi nding his name in the pa-
per, and passing it on to him would
be fun. Unfortunately I didn’t fi nd
his name but I found someone elses
and gasped when I read in the1968
issue: Sonarman Technician First
Class Brent A. Whitman, USN,
22, son of Mr. and Mrs. George A
Whitman. This was my brother. He
served 10 years in the Navy and
three stints in Viet Nam. I lost my
brother seven years ago to lung can-
cer and I miss him everyday. But,
fi nding this special announcement
in this old issue of MY newspaper,
meant so very much to me and I was
quick to share it on Facebook so my
nieces and other family members
could see it as well. It was gratify-
ing.
So, Jake Benshoof, if nothing ever
comes from my plea to retain pos-
session of my other old newspapers,
the gratifi cation I got from fi nding
this one article, was enough and I
thank you for your generosity and
taking the time to call me. You’re a
gentleman.
I’ve had several other people offer
me issues of the paper that they’ve
stored away, so thank you to them,
and I found out that the Oregon
Historical Society was given some
of the old hardbound copies. I am
comfortable that they are safe there.
Also, a caller gave me a website:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
lccn/sn00063676/1905-04-07/ed-1/
seq-1/ where most all of the old is-
sues can be found on the web.
I thank everyone for responding
North Portland Meetings
The following free listings are meetings for North Portland organizations.
Updated information is the responsibility of each organizations.
======================================================================
A RBOR L ODGE N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN :
Meet on the 3rd Thursday each month, 6:30-8pm, Kenton Firehouse, 2209 N. Schofi eld
A MERICAN L EGION , S T . J OHNS POST #98 Meets 4th Tuesday, 11:00 AM, St Johns Community Ctr. 8427 N. Central.
Contact Gerald 503-289-0855
B OY S COUT T ROOP 52:
Meets Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Johns Christian Church, 8044 N. Richmond. We welcome boys ages 11-17.
For membership info, contact Anthony at 503-913-7085.
B RIDGETON N EIGHBORHOOD A SSOCIATION :
General Meeting: 3rd Mondays at 8pm, Port Yacht Club, 1241 NE Marine Dr.
C UB S COUT P ACK 52: Meets Mondays at St. Johns Christian Church, 8044 N. Richmond.
E AST C OLUMBIA N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN :
Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 7-8:30pm at the Columbia Rvr RV Park Comm. Rm, 10649 NE 13th.
F RIENDS OF C ATHEDRAL P ARK N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN :
General Meeting: odd months at BES Water Lab; 7pm. Board Meetings on even months at St Johns McMenamins,
7:30. All meetings on 2nd Tuesdays of the month.
F RIENDS OF B ALTIMORE W OODS : General meeting: 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30pm at the BES Water Lab, 6543 N. Burlington.
F RIENDS OF P IER P ARK : M EETING : Third Monday, 6:30pm at St. Johns Community Ctr., 8427 N Central
H AYDEN I SLAND N EIGHBORHOOD N ETWORK :
Meetings: 2nd Thursday, 7pm, at the Oxford Suites, 1226 N. Jantzen Beach Dr., Hayden Island.
K ENTON B USINESS A SSN : 1st Thursday of the month, 9am at Kenton Firehouse 2nd fl . 2209 N. Schofi eld
K ENTON N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN :
Board Meetings: 2nd Wed., 7pm, Kenton Firehouse, 8105 N. Brandon
L INNTON N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN : Meetings: 1st Wed. of odd mos; 7-9 at Linnton Comm. Ctr., 10614 NW St. Helens Rd.
N ORTH P ORTLAND L AND U SE G ROUP :
Meets 4th Thursday of the month at Kenton Firehouse, 8105 N Brandon. 7pm
N ORTH P ORTLAND S OROPTIMIST C LUB meets the 2nd Wed at 6PM at the Lung Fung Restaurant, 2025 N Lombard
Street. Public welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the club.
O CCUPY S T J OHNS : Meets Weds. 7:00pm at Anna Bannanas, 8716 N Lombard
O VERLOOK N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN .:
General Meetings: 3rd Tues of each month except Aug & Dec at Kaiser Town Hall, 7-9pm. Board Meetings: 1st Tues.
each month at Overlook Hse, 3839 N. Melrose Dr.
P ENINSULA O PTIMIST C LUB :
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays (except holidays) at noon at Christie’s Restaurant, 5507 N. Lombard. General public is
welcome to attend meetings to learn about the club. There will be a guest speaker at most meetings. Questions—con-
tact Sharon at 503-490-2889.
P ORTLAND H ARBOR C OMMUNITY A DVISORY G ROUP
Offers a gathering of thoughts on the Superfund. Concerns about the contamination in the Portland Harbor Superfund?
Join the community to meet with the agencies in charge. Meetings include Informational presentations; Opportunity to
render your opinion. Meet agency leaders in charge of clean up. 2nd Wednesday-Monthly at BES: 6543 N Burlington,
beneath the St Johns Bridge 6:00 PM. www.portlandharborcag.info
P ORTSMOUTH N EIGHBORHOOD A SSN :
Board Meeting: 3rd Tues of ea mo, 6pm, Bridge Meadows, Bridge Community Room, 8502 N. Wayland
P UBLIC S AFETY A CTION C OMMITTEE : Meets 4th Wed. ea. mo., 7-9pm, Kenton Firehouse, 2209 N. Schofi eld.
S AFETY AND L IVABILITY T EAM (SALT) M EETINGS are the 1st Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Johns Main Street Offi ce,
8250 N. Lombard.
S T . J OHNS B OOSTERS : Gen Meetings 3rd Tues at Central Hotel, 7:30-8:30. Meal provided. Board meetings:1st Tues at
7pm at Central Hotel.
S T . J OHNS L IONS C LUB : Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays each month at Patti’s Deli, downtown St. Johns
S T . J OHNS M AIN S TREET : Meets at 8250 N. Lombard. Fore more info go to: stjohnsmainstreet.org
S T . J OHNS N EIGHBORHOOD A SSOCIATION :
General Meeting is 2nd Mon. at the St. Johns Community Ctr, 8427 N. Central.
U NIVERSITY P ARK B USINESS A SSOCIATION :
Meets in 2014: 2/25; 4/22; 6/24; 9/23; 11/18 at 7pm at Darcy’s at the corner of Fiske/Lombard from 6-7:30pm.
U NIVERSITY P ARK N EIGHBORHOOD A SSOCIATION :
Meets: Jan., Apr., July & Oct on 4th Monday 7pm at the Chiles Center at the UP, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd..
to my plea.
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
It’s hard to believe that we are half
way through the year already and that
the next issue of the Review will be
the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival PRO-
GRAM issue. This will be the Re-
view’s 21st year being the program for
this special event – having just missed
one issue a few years ago when the
Festival changed hands to a group
who didn’t want (or appreciate) the
Review’s (free) contribution by using
it as the program for the event. It’s
now being run by the Jazz Society of
Oregon and they seem grateful to have
the Review as the offi cial program for
the (still FREE) Festival.
The Review publishes more copies
of this issue, which are made available
for the three-day event, and more are
distributed. It will have special arti-
cles, and information, pictures, and
other relevant information about the
Festival, but will also still have reg-
ular community news and entertain-
ment items.
To cover the cost of this expanded
issue, more advertising is a must. So,
if you’d like to advertise your busi-
ness in this issue, please call ASAP.
Drop-dead deadline is June 30 for co-
py-ready ads and June 29 if you wish
the Review to design something for
you.
So until next issue, take care…and
I’ll see you at the Festival... Gayla
Above: Jake Benshoof (Circa 1972)
has donated his copies of the Review
from the 1960s & 1970s. He was
very infl uential in the St. Johns
community having spearheaded
closure of the dump, starting the St
Johns Parade and cleaning up the
community.
NEXT ISSUE:
# 14 - JULY 10 2015
is the
CATHEDRAL PARK JAZZ
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
ISSUE. DEADLINE FOR
ADS AND ARTICLES IS
JUNE 30 at 1:00pm.
St. Johns Bridge Contest Rules:
For each issue the editor will choose two pictures to be used as either a Mast-
h ead or as a Photo of the Week. A third pictures may also be used as space allows.
At the end of 2015 (most likely in November,) the pictures will be voted upon by read-
ers for which photo reader’s liked the best. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize
from the Review.
Pictures must be:
*Sent in high resolution (200+) and sent to reviewnewspaper@comcast.net or review-
newspaper@gmail.com in JPEG format.
* Pictures may be cropped (by the Review) to fi t the paper’s perimeters. For photos ap-
pearing in the Masthead they need to be vertical more than horizontal. Masthead pictures
are 10.25” across, and 3” to 5” tall. Pictures of the Week can be vertical or horizontal
and any size.
* Pictures appearing in the paper must belong to taker of the picture, but the Review has
the right to use them in current and future issues.
* Color pictures are preferred, but outstanding black & whites might be used.
* Photos used in 2013 and/or 2014 may be sent and used again.
* If multiple photos are sent at one time by a photographer, the Review will use judgment
for the picture (or pics) we think will print best in the paper.
* Since this is a fi rst, these rules may change during the year, or more suggestions and
rules added. (We’ll learn as we go.)
* One vote per person. Voting begins in November where all the year’s pictures will be
re-shown.
(Disclaimer: Pictures appearing in the paper are reformatted to tiff’s at 600 resolution
for printing presses. After placement in the paper and being printed on newsprint, the
photos may lose a certain amount of clarity. The Review cannot be responsible for lack
of clarity or any other changes in the pictures. The Review is not responsible or liable
for pictures sent in saying their author has taken them when in fact they may not have.)
$13/per year
Circulation
Mgr:
Ginger Harris
Circulation Manager: Ginger Harris; Assist Circulation Mgr: Roger Meyers.
Lead writers: Gayla Patton and Barbara Quinn
Contributing Writers: Jackie Larson, Jim Moulton, Michael Verbout
Photos: Jim Moulton, Marshall Snyder, Jackie Larson