September 17, 2 0 0 8
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Portland GL s e r v e r
]fV C V 1 C "W
News Lltl(^ reviews (m ,lew motor vehicles
2009 Subaru Forester
K athleen C arr
In its first full redesign since
the 2003 model year, the
Subaru Forester has moved
closer to the mainstream than
some fans might have hoped it
would. The old model's boxy
charm has been toned down,
and what's left is a compact
SUV whose driving dynamics
are on same level with some
of the nimbler players in this
segment. A few Forester die-
hards may cry foul, but I sus­
pect the changes will widen
the car's appeal to the market
in general. The SUV remains
as practical as ever, but now
boasts enough refinement to
merit serious consideration
from anyone shopping the lat­
est Honda CR-V or Toyota
RAV4.
Although it's still based on
the same platform as the
com pact Impreza, this new
Forester can look the com ­
petition square in the eye.
The 2009 Forester rides on a
103.0-inch wheelbase, some
3.6 inches greater than be­
fore. It's also 3 inches longer
overall, about an inch taller
and has more ground clear­
ance. Com bined with a more
traditional SUV styling treat­
ment, these changes give the
Forester an unprecedented
rugged persona, even if few
owners are likely to put its
by
Specifications: 2.5L Horizontally-Opposed SOHC Engine; five speed manual transmission; 20 city mpg, 26 highway mpg;
MSRP $21,764.
middling off-road chops to
the test.
T he o u tg o in g m o d e l's
carlike handling has gener­
ally been retained, thanks to
im proved chassis rigidity,
wider front and rear tracks
and a new double-wishbone
rear suspension in place of
the old c a r's stru t-b a se d
setup. However, don't ex­
pect the new Forester to
corner like a sport wagon —
ex tra height and ground
clearan ce along w ith in ­
creased suspension travel
add up to lots of bounce and
roll in corners. Happily, the
trade-off is a com pliant ride,
and the compactness of the
new suspension frees up ex­
tra space inside -- especially
in the cargo hold. Rear leg-
room and overall comfort
have also been dram atically
expanded, and the new For­
e s te r sp o rts a w e ll-c o n ­
structed and attractive con­
trol layout. Towing capacity
is 2,400 pounds with either
engine. That beats most four-
cylinder SU Vs, though some
of the Forester's V-6 com ­
p e tito rs can tow 3 ,0 0 0
pounds or more.
Overall, the Forester is a
com fortable and practical
people mover that looks like
an SUV, drives like a car and
offers the security of standard
AWD. And although there are
no major engine upgrades for
2009, the Forester's perfor­
mance remains satisfactory.
On the whole, though, the 2009
Subaru Forester has outgrown
its quirky phase and looks like
a legitimate contender for the
com pact cro sso v er SUV
crown.
M M M M N H S K fl
Meals Delivered on Bicycle Wheels
continued
from Front
port his own groceries, but hit on
the idea after he retired and read
that Meals-on-Wheels was hav­
ing a hard time keeping volun­
teers due to rising fuel costs.
He has discovered many ben­
efits to his service, aside from
avoiding using fuel.
“It’s great exercise for a man
my age,” he said. “My blood pres­
sure has gone down 15 points
from the combination of biking
and helping people.”
Lyles says riding his bike is
very nearly as quick as driving
through traffic, and adds, “It’s
much more personable— people
like to see me ride up on my bike,
and want to talk about it.”
He says when he bicycles, he
gets to know people in the com­
munity and has often ridden past
some of his recipients on his way
to others’ homes.
When asked, Lyles says he
does not consider weather an
impediment to his deliveries.
“When it's hot, I stay hydrated
and deliver the meals half an hour
earlier,” he said.
Lyles also has clothing appro­
priate for riding year-round, and
enjoys delivering meals in the
rain, saying it cools him down as
he rides. Surprisingly, the big­
gest difficulty he has encoun­
tered was theft.
His coolers are bags designed
to hold Macintoshes, and a thief
took one from the trailer, appar­
ently thinking he was getting a
new desktop computer. However,
a beneficent local Mac user gave
Lyles a newer, nicer bag.
Across town in northeast Port­
land, a New Seasons Market em ­
ployee JamieGabel independently
thought of a similar concept,
launching of a "meals on bike
wheels” delivery program at the
Concordia store.
“The idea first came to me on a
perfect fall day in Portland, when
I was delivering meals in my car,"
Gabel said. “It was one of those
days where you want to be out­
Catering
’T O
wsl ® wsst
Chicken
*
Sausages
*
Events
side so you can hear the leaves but adds. "It builds camaraderie
crush under your feet. Sol said to among the cyclists. A different
Meetings
my coworker, ‘What a gorgeous relationship is formed when you
day— I wish I was on my bike.’ bike together rather than riding in
Then it took me about two sec­ a car." Schmidt says, "It's cheer­
onds to realize that I COULD do ing to the recipients when they
this on my bike! All I needed was see w e're having fun."
a bike trailer and some willing
volunteers.”
Her store manager gave her the
go-ahead, and now store employ­
ees at three stores can sign up to
deliver meals while on the clock,
picking up lunches for seniors and
disabled in the community and
delivering it to the recipients.
Store Operations Specialist
Heather Schmidt says, “So many
staff want to do it, I hear there's
competition about who gets to.”
R eg ard in g G a b e l’s idea,
Them e: Effective fo r The Kingdom
Schmidt says, “This is very typi­
cal of New Seasons. Someone
has a spark, an idea, and there is
Come hear a Kingdom message from this
a very good cultural infrastruc­
anointed man o f Godl
ture to support them.”
Describing the benefits of the
When: September 17th-, 18th. a 19th 2008
program. Gabel cites the obvious
Time: 7.00pm
environmental and health reasons.
Location: Matt Dishman Community Center
Pork
*
Beef
503-290-4860
3 Day Revival!
Guest: Pastor Johnasen Pack
Bridge Builders International
Church
< tl
77 NE Knott St.
Portland, OR 97211
Volunteer Tutors Train at Mt. Hood
Did you know that one in
five Oregonians cannot read?
Many of these individuals are
high school dropouts lacking
the basic reading and writing
skills needed for today’s jobs.
Mt. Hood Community Col­
lege is committed to helping
reduce these statistics by train­
ing volunteers to become tu­
tors.
The college’s Adult Basic
Education's Volunteer Lit­
eracy Tutor program offers
free workshops that teach at­
tendees the techniques used in
tutoring an adult.
Volunteer literacy tutors
are in demand, because there
are more students request­
ing assistance than there are
tutors available. The require­
ments to become a volunteer
tutor are a high school di­
ploma or general educational
developm ent (GED) certifi­
cate, a willingness to help
others and a comm itm ent to
the program.
Once trained, tutors are
asked to donate two to four
hours per week for thre£ or
more months. Tutoring ses­
sions are held throughout the
area, including the College,
local libraries, businesses,
churches and community cen-
Office: (360)211-9892
Web: wwwrovalpmor e
Host: Pastor Kevin Jenkins
Royal Priesthood Ministries
ters.
For more information, call
theM HCC Adult Basic Skills
Department at 503-491-7406
or
em ail
Maria.Pelayo@mhcc.edu.
Conni; hand* in vour time o f need
Happy Birthday
Ronnie Washington
cade
yd in g
503-281-4891
WOX C ' (r o x
//'U NERAL (rHAPEL
Complete: Traditional Burial Package YV/Casket & Cemetery Graves pace
*( ’remutions Available
Cox & Cox Property Only!
Bicycle sale and repair shop with a full line of
accessories for all your cycling needs
503-281-0255
122 N. Killingsworth St
www.cascadecycling.com
Arthur A. Cox, Sr. had a
vision to help others.
That vision enables us to
carry out his Legacy, with
the utmost respect and
professionalism.
To Place Your Classified Advertisement
Contact: Kathy Linder
Phone: 503-288 0033
Fax: 503 288 0015
e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com
Schawna Tanner and Jerome Cox-Tanner
& A M 1 1 . Y OWNED & OPERATED 64 YEARS!
i
2736 NE Rodney.
Portland Oregon 97212
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