By the way, East Portland News Service was the ONLY
medium to put out the correct information on this story!

When you see the photos of the wreckage,
you’ll wonder how no one was killed.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The woman finishes scribbling a note, and stands, looking anxious, by the yellow police-line tape which cordons off the accident scene at SE 12th Ave. and Division St. on Friday, December 22.

“They say the driver of the blue car ran a yellow light. They’re wrong. I just want to get the injured driver my name and phone number. I’m a witness,” Judy O’Neill tells us, as we prowl the scene to report on the accident. We call over a Portland Police Officer; he takes the note to the victim, as she’s being loaded into the ambulance.

This victim was heading north on SE 12th Ave. when a TriMet bus blew through a red light heading north on Divison St., an eyewitness says.

We see a line of crumpled vehicles which, moments before, were headed west on SE Division St. TriMet officials, Portland Police Bureau Accident Investigators, and medical personnel swarm the scene.

Eyewitness to bizarre smash-up
Asked if she saw it happen, O’Neill tells us she had a front-row seat to the terrifying collision.

“I was going west on SE Division St., the first in line when the light turned yellow, so I stopped, letting people turn left [from eastbound Division to northbound 12th Ave.]. I was waiting to turn right [north] on SE 12th Avenue. The light had just turned red.”

Just before O’Neill made her turn, she says she hesitated when she saw a blue car come north on SE 12th Ave., crossing Division St. on a green light.

“The bus just started going east on Division,” O’Neill states. “He’d been stopped picking people up. He went into the intersection, even though he had the red light. When the blue car entered the intersection and the bus hit the car.”

When the bus then lurched toward her car, O’Neill says she turned north on 12th Ave. to get out of the way.”

“I looked and saw the bus continue hitting car after car after car — not slowing down. Then it headed across the street, and took out the power pole, and came to a stop in the yard.”

The hot dog vendor at SE 12th Ave. and Division St. said he was surprised the bus didn’t slow down while smashing into vehicles ‚Äì until it was stopped by the utility pole. Look at the tire marks on the pavement!

Witness calls it a “surreal situation”
Matthew Breault owns and operates a vending cart, “Hot Dog Ernie’s”, at the intersection. Breault says he witnessed the smash-up looking eastward along SE Division St. from the NW corner of 12th Ave.

“The first thing I heard was a crash,” Breault tells us. “I looked up and saw the bike rack had fallen down on the front of the bus and was bouncing. In the intersection, the bus started drifting left [north] and hit a lot of [westbound] cars stopped, waiting at the red light.”

The TriMet bus hit the vehicles with such force, Breault added, it pushed and turned each of them several feet.

“What was odd was that the bus didn’t slow down,” continues Breault. You could hear the roar of the engine. It wasn’t speeding up. It sounded like something was wrong, like the bus driver’s foot was stuck, or had some kind of problem. The way it just kept going ‚Äì it was surreal, very surreal.”

Although at least drivers are left with heaps of twisted metal which moments before had been vehicles, only one person was sent to the hospital by ambulance.

Police and TriMet officials say “Under Investigation”
On scene, TriMet’s Peggy Hanson confirms a Route #4 TriMet bus was eastbound on Division St. and the twenty to thirty passengers on that bus weren’t seriously inured.

“Our [bus] driver is fine, and waiting to be interviewed,” Hanson says.

Some media outlets quoted TriMet’s spokesperson, Bruce Solberg, as saying the light was green for the bus, and that the blue car ran the red light and hit the bus.

We called Solberg to verify the reported statement, and he told us, “There are conflicting reports regarding who had the green light. We do have video on the bus, and a satellite system that will give us a lot of data. What would be most accurate to say now is that this incident is still under investigation.”

Police officials say it take some time to collect all the facts and that this accident is under investigation.

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

This outer East Portland company is known, world wide, for innovating the “multi-tool”. Look at this, and see the soft side of these hardware folks ‚Ķ

Leatherman Tool Group volunteer employees Sunnie Espinoza, Dorothy Brady, LaVerta Eblen, Ina Ward, Richard Ward (in back) Beth Sullivan and Mike Jones gather just before they distribute gifts to needy families.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
It seems that people who invented and make the world’s best “tool chest in your pocket” multi-tool, aren’t just about hardware.

We learned the employees of Leatherman Tool Group, located east of the airport, have a soft spot for people in need.

Helping for a dozen years
“For 12 years, we’ve helped families in need,” explained sales specialist LaVerta Eblen. “This year, we ‘adopted’ three families.”

Eblen said they work with the Salvation Army. “They gave us information about three families in need. Through them, we learn their needs and wishes.”

With this “shopping list” in hand, company volunteers break down the list into a series of tags. Then, many of the 380 Leatherman employees anonymously participate by taking a tag or two, buying gifts, wrapping them, and putting them under the company’s Christmas tree.

“We give each family two to three weeks of food. Each person in the household gets several gifts. And, we fill huge stockings with gifts and goodies for each child,” Eblen told us, as volunteers prepared to deliver the packages on December 16.

In addition, Eblen said Leatherman that shops for, and provides, a complete holiday dinner, with all the trimmings, for each of the families.

Why do they do it?

“It unites us as a company,” Eblen replied.

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

The good news: Neither deaths nor serious injuries were reported. But how wild was it out there? Take a look at these stories, for photos you won’t see anywhere else ‚Ķ

Our “storm tour” starts with the report of a live, power line down over a car in inner SE Portland at SE 32nd Ave. at Johnson Creek Boulevard

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While normal people stay in their homes, flashlights and canned food at the ready – the prediction of a major magnitude storm is an invitation to a reporter to gas up his car, charge up camera batteries, put on rain gear, and head into the night.

We start out in the peak of the storm on November 14, during the early evening hours. The journal of our tour of East Portland begins in inner Southeast Portland.

The occupant safely got out of this car, with the help of Portland Fire & Rescue, after live power lines fell on the car in inner SE Portland.

SE 32nd Ave. at Johnson Creek Boulevard
As a vehicle comes east, over the gully bridge on SE 32nd Ave., a power line falls on a car. We learn from rescue crews the motorist was safely removed from the vehicle.

However, the avenue remains closed for hours while PGE crews repair the downed lines and restored power.

11000 block of East Burnside

No, it’s not a giant Slinky toy ‚Äì that’s a high-voltage feeder cable that closed East Burnside St. between SE 102nd and 122nd Avenue for hours.

A 7.3 Kilovolt feeder line breaks free and shorts out on the pavement amid a shower of sparks. No one is reported injured in incident.

We’re told that the line broke free a couple of hours before we arrived, in the height of the afternoon peak traffic hour; quite a traffic jam occurred, as motorists were blocked from going eastbound on Burnside as they returned home from work.

After taking photos of the downed line, we meet Al Davis, a pizza delivery driver who made the mistake of trying to bring his stack of three pies east on Burnside from SE 108th Ave. “I knew I should have walked in from SE 113th Ave.,” he said. Asked why he was out delivering pizza on a stormy night, Davis shrugged, “Their power is out and they want a hot meal. The pizza will get through!”

SE 157th Ave and Halsey St.
We drive east on Halsey slowly to avoid branches, some of them hood-high, in the roadway. The night is suddenly split with blue-white light. Streetlights blink out and homes go dark. Electric power is arcing atop a utility pole as a tree sways into the lines.

The brilliant light doesn’t last long enough for us to get a photograph ‚Äì but ends with a spectacular shower of sparks that rain down over the EXN News Cruiser as we drive by.

As our eyes adjust to the deep darkness of a rainy night, we see the stormy sky illuminated with brilliant blue all around us, as power lines come loose and trees tumble.

15800 block of Glisan

Although the blinding arc from the energized power line taken down by the tree lights the area, it’s over before our camera cycles up for a photo‚Ķthe line, now lying sizzling on the ground.

We’re on our way to the 15800 block of NE Glisan St., on a call of a splintered tree and power line down. We arrive on scene and prepare to photograph this storm-caused problem. “Stay back,” an officer warns, “it’s still live I think.” As he speaks those words, the thick power lines come to life, sizzling with electricity, arcing and sparking both in the trees and on the ground. Within an instant, darkness again envelops us as we look at one another. The officer shakes his head and says, “Be safe, David.”

Driving during a storm that has knocked out so much power, one gets used to the acrid smell of burning fuse flares. Their brilliant glow illuminate otherwise darkened intersections with an eerie red-orange light, warning motorists that the traffic control signals are out.

SE 162 Ave. and Mill St.

“Thank God it was a south wind,” said the residents, looking at the uprooted tree that blocked most of SE 162nd Ave. at Mill St.

A tree, tall enough to block both southbound lanes and the center turn lane on SE 162nd Ave. at Mill St. lies in the roadway. “We’re sure glad it fell toward the street,” say the occupants of the small house where the tree once stood. “I’m kind of concerned about the others.”

This tree fall takes out power to three homes, but the remainder of this neighborhood still has power.

SE 32 and Lambert St.

A mighty Elm in Eastmoreland lost its grip and toppled over during the windstorm. Fortunately, it wasn’t tall enough to damage the home across the street.

Although there are occasional strong gusts, the wind starts to die down. The temperature drops by nearly 10 degrees within a half hour, signaling the front is moving through.

We take a swing back through inner Southeast Portland to see how the stately American Elms have weathered the storm in Eastmoreland.

It didn’t take long for us to find the call we’d heard earlier on the emergency radio ‚Äì a giant Elm has fallen across SE Lambert St. at 32nd Ave. It’s uprooted, lifting the concrete sidewalk and the neatly-trimmed turf like a carpet.

The branches of the tree are entangled with power, telephone, and cable lines. The wires are holding it like a marionette on strings. Surprisingly, even to the PGE crew evaluating the situation, the power remains on to homes in the neighborhood.

The crews arrive and carefully start to untangle the tree from the lines as they work into the night.

The next day … again at SE 32nd and Johnson Creek

The storm strikes again: Traffic is again snarled in inner SE Portland as a truck snags a drooping bundle of telephone lines and rips it from the utility pole.

On Friday, December 15, traffic is, once again, snarled at this intersection. A large bundle of telephone and cable-TV lines is drooping across SE 32nd Avenue – a situation caused when power lines went down the night before.

A delivery truck snags the bundle and ‚Äì “Can you hear me now?” ‚Äì snaps the line, causing it to whiplash into the parking lot of the Mini-Mart, and drape itself over a pickup truck.

The fire crew from Portland Fire & Rescue Station 20 is on hand to keep people away from the downed line. By the look at the cable ends, it’s going to be a long night for repair crews as they, wire-by-wire, reconnect the area’s telephone service.

Power restoration efforts
More than 200 Portland General Electric crews are on the job, according to PGE spokesperson, Ariana White.

“At the peak of the storm, about 250,000 customers were without service,” White told us. “As of 2 p.m. today (Dec. 15), nearly 144,000 are still out of service across our Portland.”

The areas of greatest damage were in Gresham and Southwest Portland, White says.

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

It wasn’t Sturgis, but inner Southeast Portland, where more than 3,000 leather-clad bikers gathered. They weren’t there to rumble. Read this article and you’ll find that even the toughest-looking biker-brothers have a soft spot for sick kids ‚Ķ

Even organizers say they were surprised, and pleased, by the turnout for the 2006 Toy Run for Shriner’s Hospital.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The sun glints off acres of chrome as motorcyclists ‚Äì yes, leather-clad bikers ‚Äì gather by the thousands in a parking lot at SE 17th Avenue and Holgate Boulevard. A band, “Much More Country”, belts out a patriotic-themed tune a city block away from we stand, at the far end of the TriMet bus facility in S.E. Portland.

“Is a riot or rumble about to break out?” we wonder. We ask who is in charge. “Santa Claus, of course!” is the reply. A feeling of relief floods over us.

Through a sea of over 3,000 parked Harleys and other bikes, we’re led to a jolly, white-whiskered St. Nick. Santa is sitting on his ride, a purple Harley-Davidson Road King he calls “Barney”. He’s attended by three stylish lady elves.

Santa and his elves are the official ambassadors for the ABATE Toy Run for the Shriner’s Hospital.

“Ho, ho ho! Welcome to the annual Toy Run for the Shriners’ Hospital, my boy,” greets Santa. “This event has gone on for years, on the first Saturday in December. We love going to the hospital and giving the kids gifts. I love everybody that participates in this.”

Shriners’ Hospital spokesman Fred P. Swansoan stands among the bikers gathered to help kids at their facility.

Event aids Shriners’ mission
Fred P. Swansoan, a volunteer van driver for Shriners’ Hospital, is wearing his organization’s trademark red fez. “This event is truly the big deal of the year for us. Both the toys and cash generated by this event plays a significant role in our mission to help children with severe medical needs. Underneath those leather jackets and chaps, you’ll find folks with big hearts; people who care about kids.”

The chaplain intones the event’s blessing, saying, “We wish everyone who came here has safe rides, health, good spirits, and a long life.”

Participant John Kachur says this is a way bikers give back to their community.

A tall, burly biker, John Kachur, is getting ready for the ride that will take them up “Pill Hill” to the hospital. “This is a lot of fun,” he tells us. “What a great day to get out! Look at the bikes and the people.”

We ask why so many motorcyclists, like him, are participating. “The connection is, we care. Pretty much everybody has had a kid, or has known a sick kid at one time or another. This is a fun way to give back to the community,” Kachur says as he roars his Harley thunderously to life.

Because only a few of the thousands of bikes will actually fit in the parking area in front of the hospital, Girl Scout Troop 1561 in Gateway helps stuff toys the bikers brought to the rally point in a TriMet bus for delivery to the kids.

As the bikes rev up by the thousands, the percussive energy they radiate can be felt through one’s body as much as it can be heard.

The gate opens, and the bikers form a rolling parade out of the lot, heading north on S.E. 17th Avenue to Powell Boulevard, across the Ross Island Bridge, and up the hill to the Shriners’ hospital.

Four abreast, the thousands of bikers start their journey toward Dornbecher Hospital from their rallying point in inner Southeast Portland.

Changing the image of bikers
This event, we learn, is sanctioned by A.B.A.T.E. of Oregon, Inc. (“A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments”). Mike Friend, this year’s event coordinator suggested we talk with 16 year veteran of the event, Ed Dahl.

“26 years ago, ABATE was started by motorcycle clubs to lobby for cyclist rights,” Dahl explains. And, 26 years ago, twelve people decided to do something charitable. It has grown into this.”

More than just bringing toys, the Toy Run also raises funds that help the Portland Shriners’ Hospital buy specialized equipment, such as communication computers and power wheel chairs, and to provide van conversions. “We’re trying to give these kids things to help them become more self-sufficient.”

Part of the event is an annual raffle. This year’s grand prize was a new Harley. “In addition to the toys, we gave $45,000 worth of equipment to eight patients. And, we collected another $6,000, on the day of the run.”

What most people don’t see, Dahl tells us, is that the patents give them a gift list. “We do our best to fill the orders. The night before the Run, we go up to the hospital, wrap gifts, and have them ready for Santa.”

Just a cool photo of the bikers ready to make their ride up Pill Hill.

Yes, there is a Santa
Dhal recalls a boy at the hospital who said he didn’t believe in Santa. “When he opened his gifts, and found his wishes fulfilled, he looked up with big eyes and told us, ‘I’ve changed my mind. I do believe in Santa.’ Times like this will put a tear in your eye.”

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

See why neighbors were giddy watching a home on their street being decorated with a flashing disco dance floor, acrobatic elves, sultry dancers, and enough lights to overheat a commercial generator …

Neighbors said the film crew worked for two days to turn this typical Reed home into an outlandishly decorated abode.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
In the typically-quiet Reed neighborhood, most neighbors would frown on a home being decked out with over-the-top ornamentation, 40 robotic spot lights, and an amped-up sound system blaring hip-hop music to celebrate the holidays.

But, for two days several weeks ago, what might be considered to be the world’s most overly-decorated home amused neighbors to no end.

“You’ve got to see this,” Charlotte Kotchik, a neighbor across the street from the location, tells us on the phone. “Their house is, well, ‘gorgeous’, in a special sort of way,” she says.

We follow her directions, and find the residential street, a few blocks east of Reed College, crowded with motion picture production gear, including giant lights, huge sound system, and “snow” cloth being rolled out. On the front lawn we see two stages, a DJ booth, disco lighting, and a low-rider sleigh being set up.

It appears as if the shoot is hours away; Mrs. Kotchik agrees to alert us when they’re ready to roll film.

Lights, Camera, Oops
Night has fallen. We get the call signaling us that the production is about to start. We head back to the film set. Four Portland Trailblazers dancers are outfitted with sultry Santa suits, four acrobatic break dancers are attired as elves, and the production crew scurries around making final electrical connections.

Suddenly, the bright-as-day set goes dark. The production pulled so much electrical current that the giant, industrial-size generator overheats and shuts down.

Reed neighborhood homeowners Ric and Carol Zittenfield agreed to allow their house to be used as a set for an Oregon Lottery commercial.

Meet ‘the’ neighbors
While technicians work feverously to restore the power, we meet the owners of the wildly-decorated home, Ric and Carol Zittenfield.

“Welcome to our humble tar paper shack,” Ric says with a twinkle in his eye. “A location scout drove by and asked if they could use our house to make a commercial. It’s for the Oregon Lottery,” he explains.

He tells us the crew arrived the day before the shoot to install the lights on the roof. “They’ve been hard at it since 9:00 a.m. today.”

Carol tells us they might appear in the commercial as actors. “It’s real interesting. I liked the acting. We did lots of takes inside the house earlier today.”

According to Ric, here’s the commercial’s story line: “We’re new to the neighborhood, and people on our street come over to plan how our homes will be decorated for the holidays. Each neighbor describes what decorations they propose for their home. When they ask us how we’ll deck out our home, we shrug, look at each other ‚Äì and it cuts to this,” he says, pointing to their now-other-worldly-looking abode.

The director and cinematographer get ready to “roll film” to capture what was said to be the final four seconds of their commercial.

Ready to roll
As the Hollywood-like lighting again illuminates the set, we meet Charlotte Kotchik, the neighbor who tipped us off about the shoot.

From their front porch across the street, she and her family have an ideal vantage point to see the production unfold. “This is wonderful. It has been fun to watch. The most fun is watching all the crew work.”

Lights! Roll camera! Action! With break-dancing elves, Blazer Dancers, a DJ and Santa’s helper in a low-rider sleigh, neighbors are treated to a brief ‚Äì yet intense ‚Äì holiday show.

The director calls for a rehearsal. The lighting flashes, the music blasts, and the dancers gyrate – perfect! Then, the camera rolls, capturing what should be a great ending to a very humorous TV commercial.

Now, when you see this Oregon Lottery commercial on TV, you’ll know it was shot right here in Southeast Portland, and laugh along with the good natured neighbors who helped to make it.

Hey, Ho, everybody!

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

Take a look at his unusual art, and you’ll agree this gentleman has an affinity for turning wood into treasures ‚Ķ

Ralph Smith shows us some of his unusual works – and tells us why he loves creating them.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
Fancy automated equipment isn’t part of Ralph Smith’s shop. Instead, he uses mostly hand tools to turn hunks of wood into impressionistic art.

We caught up with Smith at CherryWood Village’s “Show and Sell” day, on November 9.

In his words

“I started when I retired,” Smith told us. “I gave up golf and took up woodcarving. Carving traditional objects developed into creating abstracts. I love to do abstracts.

“I take unusual pieces of wood and make unusual designs out of them. As I start working with a piece, I get a feeling for the shape it’s meant to be. It takes imagination and work.”

Smith said he creates his works with all kinds of tools. “I start out using a mechanical saw. Then, I use wedges to chip out the rough shape. Next, I’ll use a rasp to finish the form. Then, I’ll shave the wood with metal scrapers. You can make it smooth, almost like glass.”

The very last step, Smith explained, is finishing it with some fine sandpaper.

“The biggest problem is finding the right kind of wood ‚Äì wood with character, which lends itself to my work.”

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

Through a combined effort of involved citizens, Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard and the Water Bureau, a 50-foot high plume of water can again be seen rising above Reservoir #6. See all this, and a sample of Leonard’s poetry here ‚Ķ

Looking east at Portland Water Bureau’s Mt. Tabor Reservoir #6, we see the fountain spouting 50 feet into the air ‚Äì for the first time in a decade.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The event on November 18 was a reinstatement of an East Portland landmark‚Ķa statement about a city bureau’s new attitude‚Ķa poetry reading‚Ķ and a knighting ceremony, all rolled into one!

Portland Water Bureau’s Mt. Tabor Reservoir #6 ‚Äì just north of SE 60th Avenue ‚Äì is actually a giant reservoir split into two pools. The pools are divided by a concrete wall; each stores up to 37 million gallons of water. The pools were constructed with a fountain on each side.

We’re told freezing weather damaged some of the fountain installations that were originally built in 1911 as part of the reservoir system. Water Bureau Operating Engineers will manually turn off the fountain whenever severe winds or winter cold threaten.

Pageantry before (water) pressure
As the fountain was being readied for reactivation, Jay Fyre, Portland Water Bureau’s Southeast Operator, opened the gates, allowing an unobstructed view of the pool.

The Portland City Commissioner in charge of the water bureau, Randy Leonard, stepped forward to address the gathering crowd of about 200 neighbors.

Leonard told us, “What is important about this event is it shows the Portland Water Bureau is in the process of reclaiming its history, and finding itself and its roots.”

Portland Water Bureau Administrator David G. Shaff joined Leonard as the event began. Leonard said Shaff should be up front, because it was his birthday.

“It’s been a decade since this fountain ran,” Leonard began. “It is wonderful to reintroduce it to community. The Water Bureau has worked hard to restore trust and confidence in the bureau. Our historic traditions had been lost. Some have said this is ‘the new Water Bureau’ ‚Äì I’d argue with that. I’d say this is the ‘old’ Water Bureau that people respected for so long.”

The Commissioner thanked Friends of the Reservoir for their help. The group is said to be making monuments that reflect the city’s connections to the reservoirs.

Commissioner Leonard puts his feelings into words by sharing an original poem at the fountain’s re-commissioning.

Commissioner’s poetry
“I have a predilection for history ‚Äì especially history that helps explain who we are,” Leonard continued. “I looked for a poem about why people are connected to their water supply. I couldn’t find anything. So, I wrote a poem:

Mt. Tabor’s Fountain
The water falls to the lake so lone,
It gathers from the peaks about our home.

It begins its journey through majestic pipes,
With simplicity, captures nature’s immutable might.

We gather at its feet to watch its rebirth,
A glorious spouting from the magic earth.

It gathers again, to begin one last journey,
To the home if its people, the fortunate many.

Jay Fyre, Portland Water Bureau Southeast Operator, and Floy Jones, founding member of Friends of the Reservoir, open the valve that turns on a 50-foot high geyser in Reservoir 6 at Mt. Tabor. No pumps are required; the water pressure is supplied from Reservoir #5 located further up Mt. Tabor.

Reservoir friends pleased
“We’ve worked for years to save these Portland landmarks and wonderful engineering structures,” is how Floy Jones, founding member of Friends of the Reservoirs, put it to us, after she helped open the fountain’s valve.

Floy Jones, founding member of Friends of the Reservoirs.

“This is an important day, the culmination of requests we’ve made. It’s been a long journey to bring back the beauty and glory that has been part of these reservoirs for years.”

To her, personally, Jones continued, turning on the fountain signals that the Portland Water Bureau has taken a positive turn. “We went through an era in which there was a lot of mistrust of the bureau. I spent years of my life researching contracts and documents. It means we’ve turned the corner. In Randy Leonard, we have a leader who cares our water and history.”

Randy Leonard is “knighted” by Cascade Anderson Geller

The knighting of Sir Randy Leonard
As the water shot into the air in the background, Cascade Anderson Geller approached Leonard, ready to “knight” him.

She told the group, “This fountain is gravity fed; it takes no resources. It was designed and made during the movement, so many years ago, to combine utility and beauty. Restoring this fountain honors our ancestors who gave us these wonderful public works.

“I knight Commissioner Randy Leonard with stalks of yarrow ‚Äì it symbolizes courage and leadership throughout the centuries. I’m knighting him as ‘Champion of Portland’s Water System’.”

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

On our tour during the storm, we expected to see massive damage from the 60 mph winds. See what we found, instead ‚Ķ

The high winds pushed over many trees rooted in rain-soaked soil. This tree, on NE 111th Avenue, pulled over a utility pole.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Major storms blowing through our area in early November, days apart, blew tree limbs into yards and roads, flooded low spots in streets, and alarmed a lot of East Portland residents and business people.

While an outer East Portland man was trapped in his truck after a tree in his yard pulled down power lines, and other incidents darkened as many as 2,000 homes for several hours, surprisingly little damage was done by the howling storms.

This MAX stop at 148th Ave. and E. Burnside St. was dark, and traffic was warned to be careful by burning flares.

On Sunday evening, we snaked throughout blacked out intersections on SE Powell, from SE 162nd Ave. westward past SE 136th Ave.

Making our way through Eastmoreland, we expected to see some of the mighty American Elms toppling. All we found was a large branch that fell off a conifer on SE Woodstock, just east of SE 28th Avenue.

Predictions for a wild winter
The weather service predicts more storms in the Pacific that will find their way inland to Portland over the coming months.

Make sure you have plenty of blankets, flashlights – and an auxiliary power source for your computer so you can keep reading East PDX News – when the power goes out!

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

The Oregon Clinic’s Gateway facility officially opens its doors. See why its physicians are proud to welcome patients to their new offices ‚Ķ

At the official opening of the Oregon Clinic in Gateway, Dr. Lou Libby, MD, Co-president, Chris Roemer, nuclear medicine technologist, and cardiologist Brad Evans, MD, show us their cardiac nuclear medicine camera.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A year ago, the ground on which The Oregon Clinic’s Gateway facility now sits was a parking lot for MAX and TriMet.

November 3, staff members, managers, financiers and medical providers at the new facility celebrated its opening for patient care.

Shortly after we arrived, we became reacquainted with Dr. Lou Libby, MD, co-president, chief medical officer of The Oregon Clinic. “We are celebrating this new facility that will benefit the citizens of East Portland.”

Sixty physicians will have moved their practices into the modern brick-faced building. “Until now,” Libby said, “they’ve been crowded, elbow-to-elbow, in cramped offices in different buildings.”

Libby described The Oregon Clinic as a “one-stop clinic” for patients with complex diseases. He said they’re proud that the building is patient-friendly and environmentally sound. And, it’s right on the MAX and TriMet bus lines.

As we toured the building, we stopped in the cardiac nuclear medicine area, and met nuclear medicine technologist Chris Roemer and cardiologist Brad Evans, MD.

“This ‘camera’ is used to evaluate blood flow to the heart,” Dr. Evans told us. “With this non-invasive device, we can see if they’ve had a heart attack, if they are experiencing low blood flow, and see the pumping motion of their heart. It quickly tells us a lot.”

One-stop clinic
The new Gateway facility brings together specialty practices, including pulmonary health, critical care, sleep medicine, cardiology, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, gastroenterology, and herpetology.

“We have rehabilitation services, such as physical therapy, on-site,” Libby informed us. “The facility also has durable medical equipment suppliers on hand who provide items such as wheelchairs and oxygen systems, in conjunction with Providence Medical Center.”

Completing the clinic are a Providence laboratory, radiology and CAT scan, and MRI and X-Ray services.

Enjoying some of the hospitality at the opening ceremony of The Oregon Clinic’s Gateway facility are Steve Maxwell and Steve Gray of Key Bank, and Dr. Kayleen Shiiba, MD.

Crossroads location important to patients
“This location is ideal for us,” Libby continued, “because Gateway is the crossroads of East Portland. When we looked at relocating many of our practices, we found this location is central to where many of our patients live‚Ķand, it is right where two major freeways intersect, right on the MAX line, and at a TriMet bus hub ‚Äì this makes it easy for patients to get here.”

A commitment to community care
Libby said the founders and managers of the clinic are committed to helping people from all walks of life.

“We’ve always been committed to caring for the Medicaid and Medicare patients. We’ve helped patients without insurance since we began operations twelve years ago. We maintain the philosophy to never exclude patients based on their ability to pay.”

Physicians, service providers, financiers, and dignitaries gather at the official opening of the new Gateway facilities of The Oregon Clinic.

As Libby prepared to welcome those who had gathered at the reception, he told us, “We want to continue to provide excellent service to the people of East Portland. We have some of the best doctors in Portland ‚Äì and now, we have one of the very best facilities in Portland. If you need good medical care, consider the physicians at The Oregon Clinic.”

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

Amid the blowing rain and water-filled roads, see the story of a driver who felt compelled to help a helpless motorist …

With water up to his floorboards, the unlucky driver in the blue car discovered the penalty of driving through water too deep: a dead car.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Most residents of East Portland just stayed inside when while the wind blew the rain sideways, earlier this week.

Fortunately, there were only minor reports of homes damaged by falling trees or flooding during what some called the heaviest rain in a 24-hour period in over a decade.

Low car + high water = dead vehicle
While we were out surveying East County, looking for weather-caused problems, we encountered flooded traffic lanes on Powell Boulevard. Near SE 72nd Avenue, a large SUV hit the water, hydroplaned, and ended up climbing the curb. The only real damage appeared to be the driver’s pride.

When we checked SE 92nd Avenue, about a block north of Powell Boulevard, we discovered that this particular low spot was severely flooded.

We noticed a white Toyota, sitting motionless in the southbound lane of SE 92nd Avenue. Thoughtless drivers of high-riding vehicles plowed past the disabled car, sometimes drenching it with a rooster-tail of rainwater runoff.

“I was at the top of the hill,” its driver, a damp Evan Clothier, later explained; “and I saw a Geo Metro go through the deep water just fine. But my car just ‘died’, and there I was.”

We watched a Jeep drive past the dead-in-the-water compact car slowly. It backed up, and the driver got out. A young man got out, his pants rolled up. He had a long tow strap in hand. He conferred with the driver of the waterlogged car. Within minutes, the Jeep had pulled to Toyota to safety, leaving it in a nearby parking lot.

“Good Samaritan” Larry Cusick told us he didn’t mind getting soaked when he helped pull the waterlogged car to safety.

‘Karma bank’ deposit
We asked the Jeep driver, Larry Cusick, what he was doing out on such a stormy night as was November 5th.

“The bad weather kept us in all day,” he explained, “and we were getting ‘cabin fever’. My girlfriend and I decided to go for a soft drink at the 7-11 Store.”

Why did he stop and get out of his dry Jeep to help?

“Because I figure it is good karma. Someone might stop and help me out someday, eh? They were stuck. I don’t mind. It’s just water.”

Clothier, the rescued driver, said, “What a great guy! I really appreciate this guy’s help. I don’t know him, or anything.”

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

You may be surprised to learn that Mayor Tom Potter has called for bringing all Portland schools into one district; that he’d like the city’s surplus funds set aside in savings; and, read his promise that he’ll look into ways to limit the growth of porn in Parkrose ‚Ķ

Portland Mayor Tom Potter, a member of the Lions Club, listens to concerns of a Roseway Lion at this October meeting.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It isn’t often that the mayor of a major city, like Portland, schedules an address to a civic club.

But, members of the Roseway Lions Club were pleased to hear the mayor deliver a “state of the city” address. And several members looked surprised by his proposal to combine all Portland-area school districts at the October 24 meeting at Steamers Restaurant and Lounge in Parkrose.

Club president, Lion Melinda Palmer got their meeting underway, and Lion Ron Huddleston introduced the mayor.

Lion Ron Huddleston introduces Mayor Tom Potter to club members meeting at Steamers Restaurant in Parkrose.

“Overall,” began Mayor Tom Potter, the city has been doing well.”

Parading Portland’s awards
“We’ve been awarded as the ‘Most Dog Friendly’ city in the US. The ‘O’ celebrated this by creating a graphic, putting my head on the body of a dog.”

Portland was also cited as being the “Cleanest City in America”, Potter added. “We take pride and effort to make sure it is clean, and the most environmental city in the U.S. We have decreased the hydrocarbons by 13 percent since 1990. We encourage people to use public transportation. 24 percent of the city’s power is wind power. In five years it will be 100%. And, we endorse sustainable building practices, like disposing off storm water on-site instead of letting it flow into the rivers.”

Calls for Portland “Rainy Day” fund
Turning to finances, the mayor reported, “We’re in good financial situation. The city has an $18 Million surplus,” he said. “We’re having a discussion on how to spend the money. My hope is that we’ll save some if it for a rainy day. Every government entity needs a rainy-day fund.”

The city’s population is growing, Potter informed the group. Unlike Los Angeles, Portland has grown by five percent while LA has lost by the same percentage. The city has been most successful in attracting those age 18-35, Potter added. “Creative types, like industrial designers and people involved in the arts.”

Wants to help 1,000 homeless
During the past 18 months, the mayor reported getting 900 homeless people off the streets and into permanent housing. But, he added, there are still 1,000 who need permanent homes.

“Most people are not homeless because of what they’ve done. 60% of our homeless have some kind of mental disorder or problem. Some self medicate with street drugs. We’ll be a better city if we can get them off the street rather than letting them wander around.”

Mayor Potter delivering a “state of the city” address to the Roseway Lions club.

Housing prices shift city’s population
Turning to affordable housing, the mayor decried that, for many working people, housing is unaffordable. “What we’ve seen in the past ten years is a migration from inner- to outer-Portland. Many people, including minorities, are moving out to the suburbs looking for housing they can afford.”

Potter pointed out that Portland has six school districts. Only one of these, Portland Public Schools, is seeing a drop in students. He noted David Douglas, Parkrose, Reynolds and Continental are all growing, due to the population shift eastward.

“In these districts, we’re asking for school-building funds on the November ballot. You may not have children in schools, but you did once. Your district needs your support.”

Kids “Bill of Rights”
“My top priority is children. If we don’t take care of our children, they won’t be able to take care of the city in the future.”

The city’s top executive outlined four pillars of his Children’s Bill of Rights:

• Roof over their head ‚Äì “One major reason children don’t succeed in school is because their families don’t have stable housing. They fall behind when they change schools.”
• Full stomach ‚Äì “We need to make sure they have enough good, wholesome food to eat. As we’re here [at this Lions Club meeting], we’re eating our lunches. But one in five children will go to bed hungry in Oregon.”
• Quality Education ‚Äì “Our children need the best education possible to prepare them for life. By helping them succeed at the start of their life, it increases the chance they’ll succeed later in life. From my experience as the Police Chief, I know that when kids graduate from high school, they’re less likely to get into crime or go on welfare.”
• Caring Adults ‚Äì “During my first year after retiring, I ran a homeless youth shelter. I met the kids who live on the streets. I realized they committed criminal acts to survive. 80% came from abusive families with parents who were addicted to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. They, and their children, had a lot of medical problems. Caring adults give our community good, caring children.”

A city, or a society, the mayor concluded, should be measured by how well they take care of their very young, their very old, and people who can not care for themselves.

Suggests combining Portland school systems
When Mayor Potter asked for questions, a member said he was confused by the “school situation”, asking, “Why are some of our schools closing; yet we’re being asked to pay for a bond to build new schools?”

Members of his audience raised eyebrows and shuffled in their seats when Potter floated the idea of combining all of Portland’s school systems into one. Club president, Lion Melinda Palmer, listens intently.

The mayor explained that Portland has six school districts. “We’re starting talks on consolidating our school districts. [Districts] gaining population need money to build schools. The districts losing students and closing schools need money to pay their teachers. Some facilities close because of age or asbestos; others close because of lack of students.

“We need to cut down on overhead of operations.

“This idea [of school district consolidation] will not go over well with the districts. They are independent political bodies, their boards are elected. We cannot tell them what to do. But we can bring it up before the citizens.”

Mayor vows to ‘look into’ proliferation of adult-oriented businesses
Lion Eileen Stocker asked the mayor why the city can’t limit the number of Sandy Blvd. corridor sex shops.

“The number of sex shops and strip clubs in our neighborhood keeps growing,” Stocker said. “We already have too many, and we’ve just added another one ‚Äì a block away from an elementary school. Can the City Council develop a program to help keep the number of sex businesses from growing? Our kids grow up thinking this it’s normal to have sex shops on every street.”

The mayor said he’d driven around Parkrose before the meeting and observed the proliferation of adult-oriented businesses.

“I agree with you on this. The city did pass an ordinance regulating these businesses, regarding location, signage, and so forth. But, the Oregon Supreme Court threw it out, citing the first amendment of the state’s constitution. They’ve given this wide latitude.”

A member piped up, “Another honor you could add to your list is, I believe, we’re the only city in the country to have live sex acts on stage.”

“You have a good point,” Potter responded. “I will go back and make sure the neighborhood associations are sent up-to-date information about the current law. I don’t know if they can do it or not, but I’ll recommend the License Bureau look into it.”

Meet the Roseway Lions
Interested in being of service to fellow Oregonians? If you live or work in the greater Parkrose area, Roseway Lions invite you to meet them at one of their noon meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

You’ll get a great lunch for a reasonable price. They meet at Steamers Restaurant, 8030 NE Sandy Blvd. (east of NE 82nd Ave.).

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News

Although their streets were crowded with motion picture production trucks, neighbors said they enjoyed watching “the stars come out” in Sellwood ‚Ķ

At the intersection of SE 11th Ave. and Marion St. in Sellwood, a crew sets up a motion picture camera next to an “Atlanta Business Chronicle” news box. Wait ‚Äì Atlanta? Yes; this is movie magic in action.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A few blocks of east Sellwood became “Hollywood on the Willamette” during the first week in October.

“Into the Wild”, a major studio motion picture, is being directed by Sean Penn, and it stars Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. The movie is being shot in several Oregon locations, including Astoria, the Cascade Mountains, and yes – even Sellwood.

Marcia Gay Harden stops outside her dressing trailer to give a fan her autograph.

Trucks, trailers, generators and transportation vans clogged SE 11th and 13th Avenues, along SE Marion and Linn Streets, when we visited the movie’s outdoor set.

Frank Hildebrand, a producer of the film, took a moment to speak with us about his project. “I thank the neighbors for cooperating with us; everyone has been extremely friendly. We’re thrilled to be able to make this motion picture here in Oregon.”

Packed with trucks carrying production equipment and supplies, SE Marion St. looked more like a Hollywood back lot than a residential street.

The principal actors were seen only for the brief moments when the cameras were rolling. However, the streets were filled with technical crew members and “atmosphere people”, the local “extras” one sees in the background of some shots.

Brush with stardom
Neighbor Bill Bahrenburg, tipped us off about the production’s location ‚Äì something which producer Hildebrand confided to us he’d wished had been kept secret.

Bahrenburg had a front-row seat; William Hurt’s “star coach” was parked in front his home on the 1100 block of SE Linn St.

“It is pretty exciting,” Bahrenburg told us, “to have a major Hollywood production filmed here in our sleepy little corner of Sellwood.  The fact that we can’t park by our house is an inconvenience, but it is outweighed by the opportunity to see the Hollywood machine in process.”

Neighbor Bill Bahrenburg snapped this photo of Sean Penn as the director scurried about his Sellwood set.

It’s not every day that one walks out his front door, he said, and sees William Hurt coming out of a trailer. “Or spots Sean Penn directing a scene just around the corner, or hears Marcia Gay Harden screaming that her wardrobe isn’t in her trailer. It seems surreal. It took them hours to set up a scene that will probably get 10 seconds on the screen.”

An unexpected pleasure, Bahrenburg said, was meeting and chatting with many of his neighbors where were watching the production. “I got to meet so many people I’ve seen when walking the dogs, but never spoken with. This production was good for community building.”

Waiting to be called into action, area resident and “background player extraordinaire” Jennifer Gill is in costume, ready for her next assignment.

Production moves to Reed
When shooting ended in Sellwood, a giant construction crane on the Reed College tipped observers to the next “location” filming. The crane held up part of a set used in the production. What looked like a massive structure from the camera’s point of view was, in reality, a flimsy two-dimensional set suspended from a rope.

Hundreds of students and faculty members from the college served as “extras” on the set of this particular shoot.

Within a day, the crew had moved on. But, the memories left by the production will linger for quite some time, we suspect.

¬© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News