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About St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2015)
Photo: Paulette Porter North Portland’s Community Newspaper - Bi-Weekly - PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 503-283-5086 Ivy Island: Keep it or dump it? By Gayla Patton Review Editor St Johns Review PO Box 83068 Port. OR 97238 #22 Oct. 30, 2015 It’s been the topic of conversation for years, but more so lately as it appears Ivy Island, which current- ly belongs to the City of Portland, is on the drawing board for re- moval. For those unfamiliar with Ivy Island, it is the raised berm with trees and Ivy and (sometimes fl owers,) on Lombard at the east entrance of the St. Johns Business District. Over the years some have loved it and tried to enhance it with plant- ings and invasive plant removal; others have tried to get it removed saying it’s a nuisance and cre- ates traffi c hazards. But one local business owner and resident has been as vocal as he can be about the benefi ts of keeping it in place and making it a destination point that visitors and potential shoppers would travel to see. John Teply is not attached to an organization or group, and his solo efforts and forward-thinking ideas would be to keep Ivy Island in place and enhance it with art making it a lovely and original en- trance into the St. Johns Business District. Ivy Island’s possible removal is attached to the new four-story de- velopment proposed on Lombard between Charleston and Rich- mond by Farid Bolouri. Teply has been attending as many meetings as possible and submitting Letters to the Editor to the Review for months. He is also circling a petition. His main focus is not to stop the development, which he understands will most likely happen, just to keep Ivy Island. Teply also believes by re- 515-840 reviewnewspaper@gmail.com WEB: www.stjohnsreview.com Truck spills containers of Ammonium Hydroxide on Baltimore Hill By Barbara Quinn The Review O FAMILIAR LOCATION: Resident and business owner John Teply wants to keep Ivy Island and enhance it, even make it a destination point. But, it may be removed for a coming development. moving the treed berm, it will cre- ate a safety hazard for pedestrians as well as, backup traffi c. Others believe the berm itself is a traffi c hazard. “I know the development is coming,” said Teply. “But, I would like to see Farid Bolouri build only on the land he currently owns, and not take away Ivy Island. In order for the development to proceed as currently planned, Ivy Island, the Lombard slip and a parcel just east of the Bolouri property will be vacated by the City and given to Bolouri. For this vacation, he agreed to do road improvements, including a new traffi c signal for the right turn entry and build a Pla- za in the NE vacated section.” The removal of Ivy Island has been in the St. Johns/Lombard Plan since its inception in 2004 and is the reasoning for its prob- able demise. Alan Jones of Jones Architec- ture offi cially announced the new development’s plans, in July 2015 at the St. Johns Neighborhood As- sociation where approximately 80 people were in attendance. In an article appearing in the #15 July 24, 2015 issue of the St. Johns Re- view, writer Barbara Quinn said: “The St. Johns (Lombard) Plan calls for the creation of a plaza encompassing the traffi c island known as Ivy Island. The plaza would allow sight lines into the town center while the lane replac- ing the curve would slow traffi c with a right hand turn lane. Pedes- trian crossings would be added to Charleston and Richmond Streets at Lombard. In exchange for the expense of the street improve- ment, the City has offered the de- veloper ownership of two plazas created by the curve’s removal.” (Complete article at: www.stjohn- sreview.com. Click on Archive, then 2015.) Teply said Ivy Island’s removal will not help the fl ow and traffi c on Lombard, but will create traffi c problems instead. “We will lose the easy access into our downtown area by the Lombard slip lane, and in its stead we will have to wait at a traffi c light. As motorists avoid this light and take alternate routes, especial- ly during times of high traffi c, traf- fi c patterns on Charleston, Smith, and Mohawk will be impacted. There are other problems: prob- lems of parking and the develop- ment’s impact on James John Ele- mentary School,” he said. The St. Johns Main Street orga- “Ivy Island” Continued on Page 4 n October 16, two large bar- rels containing ammonium hydroxide fell out of the back door of a semi truck as it climbed the steepest grade of Baltimore Hill between N. Decatur and N. Edison. The steep grade is also known as deadman’s hill, a popu- lar place for sledders during win- ter snows. The two barrels skid- ded down the hill and knocked a review mirror off of a parked car. St. Johns Fire Station 22, and HAZMAT were called and worked for several hours to set the barrels upright and reload them back into the truck. Fortu- nately the barrels did not leak. Ammonium Hydroxide is a hazardous substance consisting of ammonia mixed with a per- centage of water. It is a corrosive chemical that presents a serious health risk to humans through in- halation or contact, which can se- verely irritate and burn the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It also pres- ents a hazard to the environment. Ammonium hydroxide is used as a cleaning agent and sanitizer in many household and industri- al cleaners. It is also used in the manufacture of as well as in the manufacture of plastic, fertilizers and rubber. Firemen size up spilled barrels of ammonia on Baltimore Hill. Photo by Betsy Valle Contest ends and voting for your favorite photo starts in the next issue!! This issue’s Masthead and Photo of the Week (Page 5) are the last ones eligible for the contest. In the next two issues (November 13 & 27) all of this year’s winning photographs (sent in to the Review by our talented community members,) will be displayed so YOU can vote on which one you think should win the $100 prize. One half of them will be in the Nov. 13 issue and the other half will be in the Nov. 27th issue - so be sure and keep both issues handy. There will be two ways to vote for your favorite and all votes must be received by December 15, 2015. The winning photo will be announced in the Dec. 25th issue. One vote per person, please! Vote by either email or by phone. BUT, you need to vote and here is how. VOTE: 503-283-5086 or reviewnewspaper@gmail.com