Imagine being robbed while looking down the barrel of a gun – and then, imagine that the crook starts shooting and doesn’t stop. See why this bartender, to which it all happened, says he’s lucky to be alive …

Officials say that Soobie’s Bar & Grill at 333 SE 122nd Avenue is usually pretty quiet – but not on this night.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
April 12 was just another night at Soobie’s Bar & Grill for bartender James Bennett. Some customers were watching the topless dancers; others were playing the video lottery games.

One customer sat quietly at one of the video lottery machines for about 90 minutes. Then, a little after 10 p.m., he whipped out a pistol, marched up to the bar, and demanded all the money from the cash register.

“At the beginning of the robbery the suspect fired a single round,” reported Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz. “The suspect acted extremely aggressive, and continued to threaten the victim as he was attempting to give the suspect money from the cash register.”

At one point, Bennett attempted to grab the suspect’s gun from his hand but was not successful.

“How he acted was absolutely insane,” Bennett said while he recovered from surgery at OHSU Hospital. “I just couldn’t believe what he was doing. He was pointing the gun in my face, and I could see him pulling on the trigger, over and over.”

Bennett was shot by the gun-waving thug five times before he fled the scene.

“Using surveillance video from the business, Robbery Detectives created still photos of the suspect and shared the photos within the law enforcement community,” said Schmautz. An officer recognized him.

Authorities say they suspect this man, Daniel Paul Nesta, as the person who shot – and kept shooting – the bartender at Soobie’s on Saturday night.

Three days later, Portland Police Bureau Robbery Detectives picked up 21-year-old Daniel Paul Nesta and charged him with one count each of Robbery in the First Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Attempted Aggravated Murder.

It was later reported that a woman, who claimed to be the Nesta’s girlfriend, said this behavior was out of character for him.  She said he was a family man, and a cook who worked at the Rose Garden.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

A Pine Box Derby racer may look like a block of wood with wheels, but see why these youngsters take pride in crafting the fastest – and most unusual- looking – gravity-powered race cars …

There’s no spinning tires – but still plenty of excitement – as this Pine Box Derby’s gatemaster, Bryan Bolster, releases the racers to run another heat.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As the 2008 Pine Box Derby gets underway on a couple of weeks ago, there’s no smell of burning rubber or racing fuel in the Holy Family Catholic Church’s social hall.

But there is excitement in the air, as Cub Scout Pack 64’s members “race for the gold” not long ago.

At the top of a long, steeply inclined track, racemaster Bryan Bolster carefully centers each of four hand-made racers – each a carved, painted block of wood with wheels – on the track. “This track was made by Rob Freund,” says Bolster, “he owns Father & Sons Hardwood Floors on SE 13th Avenue in Sellwood. I store it where I work.”

Cub Scout Matthew Young carefully places his hand-made racer on the Pine Box Derby track before the final, deciding race. He went on to win this year’s derby.

Anticipation increases each time Bolster reaches for the large lever that releases the cars and triggers a precise, electronic timing system.

Everyone claps and cheers as cars zip down the track, picking up incredible speed before they pass under the timing gate near the bottom, and crash into a huge, soft pillow at the end of the run.

Carefully adjusting the wheels on his car in the “pits” is Mitch Bolster.

Hand-made speedsters
“This event goes way back,” says Tom Armstrong, Scoutmaster of Pack 64.  “It is one of the traditional, annual events done by Cub Scouts.”

The kids don’t just go to a store and buy a race car, we learn. “They’re all made it home,” Armstrong explains. “The kids all start with the same kit: Basically, a block of wood, and the wheels. They craft their own shapes, and come up with their own designs.”

The only restriction, he adds, is the racecar must meet certain weight requirements.

“The best thing about the event,” adds Armstrong, “is that the boys get to work with their hands. They learn basic shop skills – how to work with tools. Then, they get to see how well their car does, when they run the race.”

This year’s Cub Scout Pack 64 winners are: (back row, left to right) 1st place, Matthew Young; 2nd place, Zack Durst; 3rd place, Ben Rutter; 4th place, Peter Kurtz; (front) Grant Parsons, Best of Show; Kieran Armstrong, Most Original Car; and Ugliest Driver: Willis Schubert.

The winner is …
Heat after heat, cars with the fastest runs are pitted against one another, until there is a winner. This year, Matthew Young takes the first place trophy.

Even after the derby is over, kids continue to run their cars down the track – simply for the love of the race, not for any further hope of winning the race.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

‘House Recycling’ Progress Report: It’s true! See how Shannon Quimby’s new home is being built out of lumber out of the boards that were reclaimed, not discarded …

Shannon Quimby vows to reuse everything from the house that once stood on the lot – even the lumber – in her new home in Westmoreland.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On the site of Shannon Quimby’s new Westmoreland on SE Rex Street, there’s lumber, nails, and the sound of workmen hammering, as they frame this new two-story home.

But in the place of massive construction dumpsters, there are just two huge, steel storage containers. “This is the first house in the nation to be built without a dumpster on-site,” says Quimby, the nation’s leading renewal expert and star of HG TV “Q-Renew” shows.

As we walk through the now-mostly-framed house, Quimby reminds us, “We deconstructed the dilapidated old house that stood here. We saved every board, every nail – even the toilet and the kitchen sink – everything. We’re determined to reuse everything from the old house in our new home. That’s why we call it our REX project – Reuse Everything eXperiment!”

Daniel Barone and Daniel Sanchez from Green Building Construction take a brief break from framing, to point out the old and new lumber being used in Shannon Quimby’s REX Project house.

Old lumber mixed with new
On the second floor, Quimby points out some of the older 2 x 4’s used in the construction. She explains that the crew carefully selects old, seasoned wood that best fits the wall they’re framing, to minimize waste.

“The great thing about my framing crew,” notes Quimby, “is that they took the time to plane down the old boards to match the dimensions of the new ones. The new lumber for sale now is actually 2″ x 3.75”.

On the tour
The house, at the corner of S.E. 21st Avenue and S.E. Rex Street, will be featured as part of the Portland Home Builder’s Association’s “Ultimate Open House Tour” this month, Quimby reveals. “Although the house won’t be finished, we’re an ‘educational stop’ on the tour. We want to encourage builders and remodelers to reuse and recycle building materials, instead of sending them to our overflowing landfills.”

For more information about Quimby’s REX Project, CLICK HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Come out and see what they’ve done – even better, decorate a rock to make your mark on this unique Parkrose attraction, located at the high school …

Sharon DeWitt, groundskeeper at Parkrose High School, watches as students help prepare the path and lay pavers.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
To some, a labyrinth is a large-scale puzzle game. But to Sharon DeWitt, Parkrose High School’s groundskeeper, the “Parkrose Community Peace Labyrinth” which she inspired is much more.

“In our busy world,” explains DeWitt, “everyone is on-the-run, especially students and staff members here at the high school. In the 15 minutes it takes to slowly walk the labyrinth, people can slow down and take some time for themselves.”

This specific design used is a replica of the World Peace Labyrinth, DeWitt tells us. “That labyrinth was painted on canvas, and unveiled at the Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City, in 2002. All of the athletes, coaches, and fans had the opportunity to walk the labyrinth. Now that labyrinth is traveling the world to all the countries that part in the Olympics.”

A few weeks ago, students helped out placing the pavers along the labyrinth’s path.

Celebrating one year on April 19
They started building this labyrinth on Earth Day, in April, 2007 says DeWitt. “We’re taking an unused portion of the high school property and making something that will invite neighbors onto our grounds. We’re giving the community something simple to enjoy.”

Since then, through the work of about 200 of volunteers, plus thousands of hours of labor, the serpentine path is clearly taking shape.

“We’ll be celebrating the labyrinth’s first year starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 19,” DeWitt informs us. “It’s not a work party; it is a rock painting party. We’re asking everyone to come by and decorate at least one of the hundreds of rocks we pick-axed out of the ground, using paint Metro has donated. These rocks will decorate the path.”

DeWitt adds, “I hope that, by decorating a rock, neighbors, friends, and students will gain a sense of ownership and connectedness with the project, with the school, and with the labyrinth.”

About 200 volunteers have worked on the project during the last year. Come see what they’re up to!

New gate marks the spot
When you visit – it’s located at the southwest corner of the lot on NE Shaver Street, a long block west of NE 122nd Avenue, you’ll be welcomed by a new gate marking the entrance to the labyrinth.

DeWitt thanks East Portland Neighbors, Inc. for the grant that provided the seed money to start the project. “This grant legitimized and validated project and got it going. It helped us secure a grant from Lowe’s Toolbox for Education.”

To volunteer, or for more information, e-mail sharondewitt@parkrose.k12.or.us.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Why did hundreds of people navigate their way to a hidden industrial complex in Lents in April? Learn about this outer East Portland event here …

Major, Marlene Azar’s Moluccan Cockatoo, shows off for guests at the spring Bird Festival.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Twice each year, on a Saturday, a long line of vehicles can be seen turning north on SE 111th Avenue, off SE Foster Road, in Lents – and driving into an industrial park.

Although the long blue steel building says Quality Cage Company on it, on these weekends folks are coming to see birds, not the small animal and avian cages this local manufacturer makes and ships all over the world.

The company’s manager, Guy Cone, makes a new feathered friend during the event.

“It’s become more difficult for bird breeders to find places to gather for a bird event,” said the company’s manager, Guy Cone. “In 2005, these local breeders asked if we could hold a one-day event at our plant. We did, and that was the start of the Bird Festivals.”

Labor of love
To create space for the Bird Festivals, Cone’s crew clears out the warehouse portion of their building, using fork lifts to stuff all of their raw products and inventory into the rafters and move it over to the manufacturing floor. This creates a clean well-lit space large enough to allow 25 breeders to showcase their finest birds.

“We have to shut down manufacturing for a couple of days to accommodate the Bird Festival,” Cone noted. “But, to see the smiles on the faces of our guests and breeders makes it all worthwhile.”

With the cloth drape sidewalls in place, the warehouse is transformed into an avian wonderland.

Best birds in the Pacific Northwest
Visitors – nearly 700 of them – came to the April 5 Bird Festival. Some of those who come bring along their families, just to look at the wide variety of birds on display at this fun, free event.

When visitors enter, they’re greeted by sound of chirps, squeaks, and squawks made by hundreds of birds on display. Most visitors don’t know they’re in a space that’s usually a warehouse; colorful cloth trade show curtains around the room’s perimeter transform the space an avian wonderland.

While some folks come to gawk, most of the guests come because they’re interested in buying a bird – or two. They’ve learned this is a good place to go bird shopping; feathered friends from small tweetie-birds – to the largest varieties – are on display. The “serious shoppers” arrive before the doors open at 10 a.m., to be assured of having the best selection.

“There isn’t any other bird event this spring between Seattle and San Francisco,” remarked Jack Sutton. “I’m looking for a particular breed of finches; there’s a great selection here. It’s well worth the drive up from Albany to this show.”

An event guest “test-handles” a bird that may become part of the family.

Matching birds with owners
Marko Juarez from Gresham brought his family to the event; they looked at colorful smaller birds, he told us. “All of the breeders are so friendly and happy to tell us about their birds. You learn all kinds of things here you’d never learn by going to a big pet store.”

It’s true; we learned that some of the larger, more intelligent bird breeds can outlive their owners – and require a great deal of care and attention. Many smaller birds are colorful, provide good company, and require only a minimum of care.

Event supports youth sports
Providing hot lunches for the bird breeders and guests were volunteers from TNT Softball, a David Douglas baseball league. Located just across way in a building west of the festival, these dedicated workers cooked up sizzling chili cheeseburgers and hot dogs all day. The funds they raised help support youth sports in outer East Portland.

And, “The Bird Nerd”, Deborah Velardi, was also on hand, dispensing advice on birds – and providing grooming services onsite.

Birds, birds and more birds! The Bird Festival is the only regularly-scheduled bird event of its kind in the region.

Festival returns in October
By the time we visited Quality Cage Company a couple of days later to talk with the staff about this unique event, the Bird Festival space was once again a very industrial-looking warehouse, filled with cages, sheet metal and supplies.

From what we learned, the Bird Festival will return to outer East Portland the first Saturday in October. For more information – or to see photos of the event, CLICK HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Discover why you should pull up a chair for this fun, free event that celebrates one of Portland’s most well-known highways …

Again this year, Dragon and Lion Dancers will entertain and enchant people along the parade route.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The first annual 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade was a success, by every measure. Since then, the volunteers who put on this event have been working diligently to prepare for this year’s street pageant – next week, on April 19.

Seeing a parade marching along this storied highway took many by surprise last year. With more publicity, and greater participation from neighborhood and business groups, this parade this year should be a fun event for everyone.

A year in the making
Plans are underway for an even more colorful and exciting event for 2008, according to its organizer, and long-time East Portland booster, Ken Turner.

“We’re looking forward to a great event,” Turner predicted when we caught up with him at a meeting of the organizing volunteers. “It looks like we’ll have 40 entries, including floats, and walking entries from neighborhood and business associations, service organizations, car clubs, and farmers markets.”

Unlike a neighborhood parade, Turner said this event required a great deal of advance planning. “One reason is that we’re shutting down a State Highway for two hours. But, Oregon Department of Transportation, the Portland Office of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, and other agencies have helped and supported our efforts.”

The Madison South, Brentwood Darlington, and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood Associations, along with the 82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association, are providing the volunteers to produce this neighborhood spectacle.

Members of the Madison High School Drum Corps will keep the parade stepping along at a lively pace.

More music, more fun
This year, the parade will feature the antics of the “Get-a-Life Marching Band”. This group of marching musicians is an offshoot of the “One More Time Around Again Marching Band”, famous for their annual Portland Rose Festival appearances. After the parade, about 11 a.m., the band will proceed to Eastport Plaza for a free concert.

You’ll see the USS Enterprise cruise down 82nd Avenue of Roses, courtesy of the US Navy . . . Be delighted by the color and pageantry of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dancers . . . Tap your toes to the syncopated rhythms of Madison High School Drum Corps . . . Be greeted by the Royal Rosarians . . . And, see honor paid to our flag and servicemen and women by the color guard from Veterans of Foreign Wars #1.

“And there’s a good chance you’ll see some of Portland’s and Multnomah County’s leading politicians and candidates in the parade,” Turner hinted.

Starts at 9 am
The April 19 parade steps out onto SE 82nd Avenue of Roses from Eastport Plaza at 9:00 a.m. sharp. The parade will proceed north to SE Yamhill Street, and into the Montavilla Neighborhood.

Volunteers are needed
Many volunteers are needed on the day of the parade. “There isn’t heavy lifting involved,” said volunteer coordinator, Johnni Beth Jones. “And, the time commitment is small. We need adults willing to be ‘street closure guards’ on the morning of the parade.”

Contact Jones at johnni.jones@gmail.com; she asks that you list “Parade Volunteer” in the subject line of your e-mail, so she’ll spot it right away.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Learn more about the all-new festival slated for August – and, why a faith group turned a drug-infested, crime-ridden flophouse into luxury accommodations – in this article …

Gail Bash holds the prototype of a new “street banner” that will adorn utility poles along NE Sandy Blvd. proclaiming the expanded Parkrose Festival & Cruise-in scheduled for August 2.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Taking a “field trip” away from their usual meeting place, Steamers Restaurant, members of the Parkrose Business Association (PBA) held their March meeting a few blocks east, at the Quality Inn & Suites. Here are some of the highlights:

Estelle Fuller of Bob Brown Tires, and Denise Smoke of Bank of America, sample the delicious food provided by Quality Inn & Suites.

Old Cruise-in cancelled; new event announced
After dealing with a recent string of soggy June Saturdays the Portland Rose Festival Parkrose Cruise-in, the steering committee for the event has announced its demise.

But, in its place, they’re producing an entirely new event – in a new location – and, in a much more weather-friendly month: August.

“It is like we’re staring over,” said Michael Taylor, educational director of the newly-formed ACE Academy, and President of the PBA. “This change brings new challenges and opportunities. We’ll be bringing in new businesses to participate this summertime event.”

Taylor said the new event, called the Parkrose Festival & Cruise-in, is scheduled for Saturday, August 2. Instead of being on the Parkrose High School grounds, it will take place in “downtown” Parkrose on NE Sandy Boulevard – a state highway.

Festival on the boulevard
“Working in cooperation with Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Portland Police Bureau,” explained Taylor, “we’ll be shutting down half of NE Sandy Boulevard between NE 105th Avenue and NE 112th Avenue for the day, and into the evening.”

The event will start with the traditional pancake breakfast; vendors will be on hand to provide food at lunchtime, and “perhaps a beer garden and music festival in the evening, all in cooperation with local restaurants. All day long, there will be family events, in addition to a great cruise-in.”

The idea, Taylor said, is to pull traffic into the downtown Parkrose area without shutting down the street. “This is a great opportunity to showcase our business center here in Parkrose, and enrich an event that has been very successful.”

Pastor, and manager of Quality Inn Suites and Rodeway Inn, David Walmer, tells why they transformed the rundown hotel they now own.

From flophouse to first class hotel
Hosting the meeting was Quality Inn Suites and Rodeway Inn on NE Sandy Boulevard, located almost directly over the I-205 freeway.

This lodging is unusual, members learned from its manager, David Walmer –  because it is now owned by a church.

“When the Eastside Foursquare Church took over the property,” Walmer began, “the police called the hotels (they’re co-located on the same piece of land) the biggest crack house in Portland. The cops joked that they’d let us know which rooms they were busting so we could rent them out again that evening.”

During the two-year, $7.7 Million renovation, starting in June 2004, their business dropped by half, revealed Walmer. “We turned away the hotel’s former ‘cash-paying, no-ID, no-tell’ customers. But, we kept working at it, and transformed one of the community’s largest ‘problem properties’ into a first-class lodging. Our business is growing by at least 30% per year.”

Church means business
“Many faith groups and churches want to help their community,” Walmer went on, “but because they’re small, they lack the resources to do so.

Walmer says that, instead of “begging for money”, faith groups should find practical ways to fund their missions through running legitimate businesses.

“Most churches complain they need more money. But, most churches are notoriously bad at business. They want to challenge societal problems like prostitution and homelessness, but don’t have the money. Businesses know how to make money. They can teach the churches how to make money – instead of begging for it. The self-funding model allows a church to make a substantial difference in their community.”

Walmer summarized, “We’ve looked to government to solve problems. But government can’t drive the agenda. Churches can’t do it alone, they don’t have the resources. But a partnership of government, business, and faith community can transform an area.”

In closing, Walmer expressed his concern about the still-vacant former Parkrose Glass building – almost directly across the street from their facility. “The owner has been actively marketing it to the ‘adult’ [sex] industry. While perfectly legal, we’d prefer to have a business or community project in the building across the street. We don’t need another strip club here.”

Denise Smoke tells why she loves working for Bank of America, during her PBA Member Moment.

Member Moment features Smoke
The featured PBA member this month was the Parkrose branch of Bank of America – represented cheerfully by Denise Smoke.

“14 years ago, I joined the bank, worked hard and eventually became assistant manager,” Smoke stated. “This bank has given me what I need for my family and my career. And we have great services for our customers, including a mortgage product.”

She applauded the bank’s willingness to let her volunteer at her daughter’s school and help out with community projects. “Check out our banking products. I’m so proud to be part of the bank, and part of the PBA.”

PBA’s “new” president, Michael Taylor (standing), gives outgoing exec, Jon Turino, (seated, right side of photo next to past PBA president Mark Eves) some good-nature ribbing about his two-month stint.

President’s farewell
PBA’s “new” president, Michael Taylor, thanked Jon Turino – he was president for two months before being drafted to be the Executive Director of the Alliance of Portland Area Business Associations (APNBA) – and thanked Turino for his support of the organization.

Meet the PBA members
You’ll always find smiling faces greeting you at the Parkrose Business Association. While they take their commitment to their community – they sponsor thousands of dollars in scholarships each year – they love having fun.

Come on by on Thursday, April 17 and meet this group of fun, energized business people. You’ll get the best business lunch at town at Steamers Restaurant & Lounge, 8303 NE Sandy Blvd. (east of NE 82nd Ave.); reservations are NOT required. For more information, see their newly-updated web site by CLICKING HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Visual stimuli abounded at this year’s SE Area ARTwalk! Come along; we’ll introduce you to some of the colorful artists we met …

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
There’s been a virtual explosion of talented artists – working in widely divergent media – in inner SE Portland within the last decade.

In 2002, artist Rin Carroll Jackson created the Southeast Area ARTWalk – now an annual event – to help artists connect with one another. The idea caught on, and now this first-of-March exhibition showcases the work of many area artists for patrons and regular folks who enjoy the creative stimuli of meeting the creative artisans.

This year’s Southeast Area ARTwalk included exhibits and demonstrations of 80 artists. The public participated by obtaining a free map, and embarking on a self-guided tour of the artists’ creative spaces, or their homes and businesses in the area.

If you didn’t take the tour this year, we’ll introduce you to some of the artwork we viewed on our tour and share notes from journal about the artists:

Amid the hustle and bustle of this popular coffee shop, stained glass artist Donald Leedy exhibits his colorful, reflective works.

Artist: Donald Leedy
Location: K&F Coffee, SE 26th Ave
Medium: Stained Glass
Contact: www.brokenglass12.com

“I love working with stained glass,” said Richard Leedy, “because I enjoy working in three dimensions. I recover both art and industrial glass to use in my projects.”

“I’ve always had affection for stained glass windows of all kinds,” explained Leedy. “There’s always been stained glass in my house. One day I picked up the tools and started creating it; and it’s worked out pretty well. Portland is a great place to be doing this work; people here are very receptive.”

After 12 years of experience, Leedy said he gets commissions for both fine art and for industrial stained glass works.

The multitalented Bonita Davis shows her oil on canvas paintings, hand-woven goods, and unique cards.

Artist: Bonita Davis
Location: K&F Coffee, SE 26th Ave.
Media: Oil on canvas; knitted handbags
Contact: www.bonitadavis.com

At the same bustling coffee shop, we also met Bonita Davis, an artist who creates stunning paintings that catch the eye.

“I’ve been involved with painting the longest,” relates Davis. “Oil painting on canvas is my passion; I’ve been pursuing it continuously for the past 15 years.”

Although Davis works full time providing rehabilitation services, she’s also learning how to create in a new medium – knit art. “Knitting is a relatively new skill for me. I really enjoy it, and it’s portable,” she said as she continued knitting a new purse. “The main attraction for me is the wide variety of beautiful yarns that are available.”

Richard Fung makes gallery-quality images using cameras that cost him from only $1.50 to thousands of dollars.

Artist: Richard Fung
Location: Bara Sushi House, SE 21st Ave.
Medium: Photography
Contact: www.richardfung.com

Moving westward, we were met by photographer Richard Fung in this home-turned-Sushi-bar.

“My medium is all types of photography,” said Richard Fung as he exposed his passion for taking pictures. “I work with all photographic media – including color, black and white, digital, and film. I’m photographically eclectic.”

For fine art photography, Fung said he likes to use a plastic camera from the ’50s trademarked the “Diana”. “These originally sold for $1.50, but the cameras now sell on E-Bay for $150. I like it because it produces kind of an ethereal effect; ‘Diana’ photos almost look like paintings.”

From portraits to urban settings and landscapes, Fung said photography has been a passion for him since he was five years old. “While I do commissioned photography, and sell my work at galleries, photography is an avocation. I’m also a recruiter for the City of Gresham Police Bureau.”

Painting as she talks, Penelope Culbertson says she loves expressing herself through art.

Artist: Penelope Culbertson
Location: Clinton Corner Café, SE 21st Ave.
Media: Watercolors and collage
Contact: culbertfam@aol.com

In addition to viewing her displayed artwork, we enjoyed watching Penelope Culbertson as she painted.

“I’ve been working with watercolors for about 25 years,” explained Culbertson. “I learned to paint in the tropics, in Hawaii – an area very well suited for the bright, fluid nature of watercolors.”

In addition to producing artwork and calligraphy, she’s also a teacher, offering both private classes and at a studio on SE 42nd Avenue.

“The best thing about painting is that I get to express myself,” Culbertson said colorfully. “My art allows me to exploit what I see, so I can share it with others.”

There wasn’t a good way photographically to capture Joel Barber’s perspective mural of the Roseland Theater; but all of his paintings – like this jolly bear – are colorful and imaginative as this one.

Artist: Joel Barber
Location: Cadenza Academy, SE 21st Ave.
Media: Painting and collage
Contact: www.joelbarber.com

A man known for his abstract figurative and surreal pop paintings, Joel Barber had stepped out for a moment when we visited. We admired his works on display.

The realistic perspective of a full-wall mural in one room almost caused us to lose our balance. The forced perspective of Barber’s painting made it appear as if we’d stepped on stage at the Roseland Theater – magically turning a short, wide room into a captious music hall.

Barber soon arrived. He said he’d been painting – and selling his work – since childhood; but professionally, for 25 years.

“My mom just sent me a series of pastels I painted as a child,” Barber related. “I was trying to sell plain rocks to our neighbors, without success. She suggested I do paintings and sell them. She and my grandmother purchased them all.”

Although Barber said he didn’t remember much about those paintings, he was surprised to see the “canvas” was painted edge-to-edge, and each painting bore a price tag, as in a gallery.

Barber calls art his “full-time job”, but admits, “I punch a clock three days a week. It helps the bills get paid on time. Working at Columbia Art Supply is great; instead of just ringing up sales, I get to share my knowledge, and teach.”

According to the artists with whom we spoke, this year’s ARTwalk was the best ever, in terms of the number of visitors and their level of interest. Look for this event again on the first weekend in March, 2009.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See how their late-winter planting will provide
shade for summers to come …

Kathi Glover and Jillian Perkins, both of Parkrose Heights, are helping a neighbor plant a magnolia tree, as part of the outer northeast Portland Friends of Trees “action day”.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Early on a blustery Saturday morning a few weeks ago, a large group of folks, dressed for digging in the dirt, showed up at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on NE Halsey Street for a “winter planting action day”.

The minions of tree lovers – mostly local neighbors – fanned out over an area that extended from PDX Airport, east to Gresham, and south to Burnside – to plant trees.

In Parkrose Heights, we caught up with Kathi Glover, as she helped plant trees in front of someone else’s house. She told us that this was her first activity with Friends of Trees.

Planting trees for one another
“We just finished planting trees in my yard,” Glover told us, as she took a brief breather. “We’re all volunteering in our own neighborhoods. I think we have yet one more yard after this.”

Working with Glover was another Parkrose Heights neighbor, Jillian Perkins. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors plant trees,” she added.

Helping to plant the new magnolia trees is Walt Quade, crew leader for Friends of Trees.

From planter to crew leader
“I like to see trees being planted in our neighborhood,” is how Walt Quade, a crew leader for Friends of Trees, explained his efforts. “This is one of the best ways of doing it.”

Quade said he’s been volunteering with Friends of Trees for a dozen years. “I started as a homeowner. I wanted to have trees put in our yard.”

Because he appreciated the organization’s mission, and enjoyed the volunteers with whom he worked, he kept on planting trees.

“I thought this would be kind of neat to do, on a regular basis,” commented Quade. “I’ve got lots of trees in my yard now. After I volunteered for a while as a tree planter, I became a crew leader.”

Learn how you can get trees planted in your yard, or how you can volunteer, by CLICKING HERE.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service

Business and unions weren’t satisfied with the office; see who’s donated what to make this “cop shop” an attractive addition to the neighborhood …

Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs tells Sergeant John Anderson, “This is looking really good.”

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
The first step to getting a Portland Police Bureau East Precinct substation in the Parkrose district was finding the location. The Rossi family helped out by giving the cops a favorable lease ($1 per year) on an office on NE Sandy Blvd.

While the interior of the office was adequate, area companies and volunteers wanted this substation to be a showplace.

Business and unions pitch in
Sergeant John Anderson has been guiding the project. He said that Parkrose Hardware has helped out a great deal in refinishing the police substation.  “They’ve donated the paint, lighting fixtures, locks, and exterior lighting, and the store manager has helped us take out the old fixtures and install the new lights.”

Western Pacific Lumber donated the wood trim and wainscoting borders for the office walls. Volunteers from the Painters Union, Local No. 10 – their union hall is just across the street – gave the office a professional paint job. “And, and inmate work crews from Multnomah County Jail will come out and help us by pressure-washing the outside of the building,” Anderson said.

Police presence in Parkrose
“The citizens want to have a police bureau close by,” said Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs, as he checked the progress of the substation. “People will be able to get crime prevention information, crime statistics, and ask a question or put in a request for an officer here.”

The office will open in a few weeks, we’re told. This summer, officers plan on holding an open house to officially inaugurate the new facility.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why this group, which usually performs at their studio in the Gateway area, is now heading to the Newmark Theater on April 5 …

The White Rabbit (Riley Willis); two Tweedles (Annie Willis and Sophie Gunz); and the Cheshire Cat (Emily Sevy) suspect they might be late to a very important date!

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Metro Dancers, part of Portland Metro Performing Arts Center (PMPA), have been rehearsing and polishing their parts as they get ready for their production of “Alice in Wonderland” this weekend.

All of Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters from his two marvelous books,  “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”, will be on stage in this unique music and ballet production.

The White Queen (Meng Paulson) dances her part with grace and ease.

“Remember the busy White Rabbit, the mysterious Cheshire Cat, and the domineering Queen of Hearts?” asks PMPA’s executive director, Nancy Yeamans, as we watch some of the production numbers being rehearsed.

“They’re all here! It’s an absolutely wonderful, fun visual feast for kids and adults. It’s got spectacular music, and it has outrageously wonderful costumes done by fabric artists.”

Red Queen is played by grade school teacher Karin Schulz; her class will be coming to see her. Her dancing partner is the Red King (Dave Larison).

Audience members will go on a visit to the Tea Party, the Chess Game, the Nursery Book, and the Garden of Live Flowers. Watch as Alice tries to play her way through a game of croquet with flamingoes for mallets, and some uncooperative playing cards as wickets. Winning is losing, in the illogical logic of Wonderland.

There are still seats available, but this show isn’t at the PMPA hall in Gateway.

This production will be presented onstage April 5 at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway St. at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Tickets are $20 for high school age kids and adults; $14 for children

For more information, see www.pdxmetroarts.org or call (503) 408-0604.

Who is winning this dizzy chess game? In Wonderland, it makes no difference – it’s all for fun!

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Read exclusive full text of Sam Adams’ and Sho Dozono’s first eastside face-off here. Missed it? Find where you can meet the candidates on April 10, in Gateway …

Mayoral candidates Sho Dozono and Sam Adams are about to make their first outer East Portland appearance here, before the East Portland Chamber of Commerce as Dan LaGrande introduces the program.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While it may have annoyed the other dozen (yes, there are 14 in total) mayoral candidates that they weren’t all invited to talk before the East Portland Chamber of Commerce (EPCC), the two leading candidates – Sam Adams and Sho Dozono – squared off at their first joint outer East Portland meeting.

The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Chair, Ken Turner, urges chamber members to take an active role in this election.

Standing before about 60 members, guests, and press representatives, EPCC’s Governmental Affairs Chair, Ken Turner, set the stage: “With this election, the profile of the entire Portland City Council will change. Be a part of it!”

Instead of complaining about city government, Turner extolled taking an active part: “I challenge you to make sure that you vote. Insist that your family do the same; go to your friends and businesses associates and convince them that this is a very important election. It’s going to be up to every one of you to make sure the change is something that you want.”

Former television newsman, and EPCC Publicity and Marketing Chair, Dan LaGrande of LaGrande Public Relations guides the morning’s program on April 2, held at CherryWood Village.

“There are winners and there are whiners,” LaGrande said. “The winners are here in this room because you care enough about city politics to be here, and be involved in the process.”

Note: We’ve shortened the candidate’s introductions. At the end of this article are links to each candidate’s web site; we urge you to read about the candidates for yourself. Also, rather than characterize comments and responses made by Adams and Dozono, we’re presenting a lightly edited transcript of their remarks.

Mayoral candidate Sam Adams speaks.

Introducing Sam Adams
With the order of speaking selected by a coin toss, LaGrande said, “Leaders of 34 of Portland’s neighborhood business districts have personally endorsed Sam Adams for mayor. One of these leaders said, ‘This kind of unprecedented citywide grassroots support happens only when a candidate has earned it with follow-through and results.'”

Sam Adams’ opening statement
“Good morning. It’s good to be back. I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak with you once again about the future of this city. It is very important.

“As you’ve heard, I’ve worked in city government as the Chief of Staff to the former Mayor [Vera Katz], and now I’m a [Portland] City Commissioner. From those experiences, I know there are certain tasks that only the mayor of the City of Portland can provide. And that is leadership – on the direction of the city, and setting the pace for change.

“I think that leadership from our mayor’s office for the last three years has been kind of like treading water. I’m running to bring new energy and vitality and innovation to the mayor’s office, and get Portland movie again.

“This is my fifth or sixth time meeting with you at the East Portland Chamber of Commerce. One of the slogans of my campaign is ‘Because Portland belongs to all of us’.

“I’ve worked as hard as a City Commissioner, as I did as when I was chief of staff for the Mayor, to understand and work with and champion all parts of Portland.

“You seen me in your business districts, in your neighborhoods, and I’m very grateful to have those personal endorsements from the leaders of business districts.  This is a hard group to get support from. Together we made some important changes over the last three years. We just inaugurated the new office of the APNBA (Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations) in the Olympic Mills building. Working together, we were able to get the Portland City Council fund this organization. We went from a $25,000 grant to a $125,000 program.

“We reduced business license fees for 9,000 businesses – mostly small owner controlled businesses – for the first time in the city’s history.  For the first time we actually lowered taxes on smaller businesses.

“I’ve worked hard to keep and bring new businesses to the city. On 82nd Avenue, I helped bring the Banfield Pet Hospital headquarters here. They were having trouble acquiring an old school building. I help them acquire it. Their new world headquarters is there. They donated [on their property] to the city an off-leash dog park.

Sam Adams

“For the first time in recent history, in the Lents Town Center, we recruited a company that located there, Northwest Assurity. We recruited them from Gresham. It brought in 45 jobs, and created a new cornerstone development, one that was proposed for eight years.”

Adams named several other businesses that said that he helped recruit into the city.

“Why do I do this? I did this because 84% of Portland’s businesses employ 10 or less employees. All businesses are important. Big businesses are important.  But it’s the small businesses that can get crushed and snuffed out more easily.  That’s why I asked the Mayor to create a liaison for small neighborhood businesses, the APNBA. I’ve been working hard to see that key changes are put in place.

“I’m proud to have the support of businesses that used to be very ‘anti-Portland’, including Columbia Sportswear. But this is just the beginning. I look forward to being a Mayor of small businesses as well.

“For the first time we will have a Mayor, if I am elected, that knows the entire city; someone who is working across the entire city. Someone who knows what all the issues are on 82nd Avenue. This is why we work so hard to get to get $11 million for transportation safety and business districts – and why half of that [funding] went to East Portland. It’s because you deserved it.

“You’ll continue to get that kind of attention if I’m elected. Thank you.”

Mayoral candidate Sho Dozono speaks.

Introducing Sho Dozono
“He’s a strong advocate of diversity and equal opportunity.  He is a respected civic and business leader who has devoted his time and energy to being of service to his community,” LaGrande said.

Sho Dozono’s opening statement
“I’ve been part of the ‘whining group’ in the Portland Chamber of Commerce for 20 years. If I wasn’t concerned why people whine, I wouldn’t step up, and I wouldn’t be here this morning.

“I decided, at age 64, I have a lot to give back to the community. That’s why I’m standing here as a candidate for Mayor of the City of Portland. I think leadership is important. I’ve been where you are. You’ve heard about my background; how I grew my business from four to 250 employees. I know a lot about small businesses challenges.

“So why am I so passionate about this city?  I grew up in Portland, on the Eastside. I went to Buckman, Hosford, and graduated from Cleveland High School, class of 1963. I went to Portland State University to get my Masters degree in teaching. I taught at Grant High School from 1971 to 1976, and taught social studies and Japanese language.

“I went into business some 30 years ago. I’ve been there, supporting businesses. A lot of people claim what they’ve done for business. But for years, I was advising the Portland City Council and Mayors, saying what is important. I’ve told them Portland needs to be more business-friendly.

“As new Mayor, I will guarantee you that we will be ‘open for business’, not only nationally but internationally. I’ve been there, multiple times, with every Governor since Governor [Victor] Atiyeh. I’ve traveled abroad looking for businesses not only for Portland but for the entire state of Oregon. I just helped launch new service from Portland to Amsterdam on Saturday. Governor Ted Kulongoski and 65 business and community leaders look for new opportunities for creating more green-collar businesses.

“I’ve been there; I know what can be done and what should be done. We need to change the whole attitude about this. Not just about small business, but also about midsize and large businesses. We need to retain what we have.

“We think about large businesses like Columbia Sportswear, and Nike; we forget that back in 1976, Phil Knight only had five employees. He did a lot better than I did, because I only went from 4 to 250 employees.

“Gert Boyle and Tim Boyle [from Columbia Sportswear] were almost run out of business 20 years ago. They’re another great business story. Small businesses aspire to become big businesses. Large businesses are not our enemy. Small businesses are the backbone of our community; at the same time, we need to be supporting midsize businesses, and recruiting new businesses.

Sho Dozono

“Just this morning, out in Gresham, a new company is coming that makes solar panels. I was involved 20 years ago with Governor Atiyeh and Governor Goldschmidt, recruiting businesses from Japan, because we were dependent on natural resources as the backbone of our state’s economy. It wasn’t going anywhere. [We had a] singular focus on high-tech companies. In 1980 we had 17 Japanese companies here in Oregon; a decade and a half later we have 180 companies here.

“That’s what it takes to rebuild our economy. A green industry, and green-collar jobs is where we need to be focused.

“We have an advantage because we are a community that has sustainable practices. We’re leading in the nation in wind power. We need to support this new industry that is sustainable. That is our future; no longer natural resources.  It is the green-collar businesses.

“As the new Mayor of the City, I would say it is the second-most important political position behind the Governor. Before I even take office, I’ll be calling a business summit to bring together the brightest and best minds forward in civic, political, and business to make sure that we’re ready to be open for business, and knock off the nonsense that Portland is not friendly to business.

“Thank you very much.”

Questions and Answers

Q The real estate market does affect our economy. What do you say to the average person coming to Portland, or who lives in Portland, who wants to own a home today? What would you say about affordability?

Answers

Dozono:
“If I would’ve had more time I would’ve touched on three things: Economy, education, and housing.

“I think what we’ve done in the city of Portland is driven the working class and middle class out of the suburbs and beyond. This is unacceptable.

“We focus too much on homelessness and the lowest of the low income. We have not built enough income for the working-class family throughout the city of Portland.

“I’ve been working with the Portland Development Commission and other resources, to make sure that we build for the future, for the working-class families, affordable housing. This has to be one of the key elements of our future growth. We have to be taking care of our own citizens here.

“The working-class and middle-class families are the backbone of our community. I know what it’s like to grow up on the southeast side. My mother still lives on the southeast side, and she’s 93 years old. At age 64, I tell people, that I have another 20 good years left in me to be part of the solution.  I’ll be part of the solution to building affordable homes for the working-class family.”

Adams:
“So, the question is, ‘How do we do that?’ How do we make houses affordable?’

“The first thing we need to do is to keep the folks who are currently buying their homes, in their homes. The latest statistics show that there are a thousand Portlanders that are close to foreclosure.

“We’re working to put together a plan where those families will have access to the kind of counseling that will have them restructure their debt, and keeping people in the homes they’re already buying is the first thing.

“There are credit counseling folks that are good and certified by the federal government; and there are credit counselors that are not so good, and that prey on people’s vulnerability right now. What we’re doing [in the City Council] in the next couple of weeks is getting the word out on what certified credit counseling services are available in the City of Portland.

“I’ve been one of the leaders on the City Council in terms of seeking to provide more resources for folks to purchase their homes. We have ramped up and increased funding for home ownership programs and home ownership assistance programs. We have a land trust programs where low-income people can buy a house with very little down, and in the future they can sell it at a 10% to 15% profit.  This home is resold to somebody else who also is low income, while allowing more people to get on the equity income ladder.

“Currently we have an $11 million live-and-work project in the Montavilla neighborhood called Milepost Five. It is the largest new investment in Portland. It is focused on the creative class. The building used to be the old Baptist Manor. It has zero City money in it. The units are going from $99, 000 to $275000. By leveraging private sector dollars, they’ve come up with condos that people can work and live in, and sell out of their front door.

“Those kind of innovative approaches are really important to moving forward everybody likes affordable housing everybody wants to have families with kids here.  It’s a question of how you do it.”

Q It seems that the City has money for pet projects, and spends money on things we don’t understand, when our roads and bridges are falling down.  What can you do to change that?

Answers

Dozono:
“I want to talk about priorities. That is one of the themes in my campaign; fiscal responsibility and fiscal accountability.

“I’ve done a lot of coffees [meetings], and heard people say ‘When you have money in the bank account, you call that savings’. City Council, for too long, sees additional income, because the economy is doing well and businesses are paying taxes, and they call it a surplus fund or one-time funding. There was $32 million in the last cycle and $35 million in the cycle before; that’s about $65 million, and they spend every dime of it.

“They don’t think about putting money away for a ‘Rainy Day Fund’. As businesspeople or in a household, you don’t spend all of the money you take in. You put some money aside for the future. We know we’re in a recession today, whether the President [Bush] says the ‘R word’ or not, our economy’s in a downturn. If we’d put something aside, we would be weathering the storm much better.

“What are the priorities of City Council? There are individual priorities or projects. Is there a discussion within the city – within the community and in the area – asking the question, ‘How would you like to spend the money?’

“Or do they simply say, ‘Let’s divide [the excess funds] by five, and if you vote for my project I will vote for yours, and we move forward’. I read this morning about the Sauvie Island Bridge; $5.5 million.

“It’s a great idea – if you have all the money in the world – to have a streetcar on every corner, and build bridges for pedestrians, and build parks. But we don’t have the resources to fix roads. That’s why I think there are missed priorities and missed opportunities to provide core services – [instead of] pet projects.”

Sam Adams

Adams:
“I appreciate the question. The priorities I’ve worked on have included getting more general funding into transportation over the last three years.

“Thanks to a lot of folks in this room, who joined me lobbying City Council, we been able to double the general fund support for transportation. That comes out of that $67 million that the Council received because of the stronger economy.

“It might look like, by a cursory reading of the budget, that the city doesn’t have a Rainy Day Fund; actually it does. It has a $45 million Rainy Day Fund. These are our reserves. That’s why your city government has the highest credit rating that you can get as a municipal corporation; we have an AAA rating.

“In terms of priorities, I’ve tried to get more money to save lives. As Transportation Commissioner, I know there is a reason why some of our roads are so dangerous here in East Portland. There’s been a lack of investment – and a lack of advocacy – from previous Transportation Commissioners to have more general funding go into business districts to improve the safety of those business districts. I think that’s very important.

“I tried to change the mentality of City Council; [a mentality] that they don’t give property tax funding to transportation. They think it should survive, as it always has, on gas tax revenue, parking meter money, and a portion of moving-violation fees. As Transportation Commissioner, I’ve tried to change this mentality to the benefit of East Portland business districts and neighborhoods.

“Together, we reformed transportation SDCs. For too long, a big set SDC exemptions were downtown, and not available to people in East Portland. These are all hard-fought battles to rework the priorities of the city.

“We are all one city; we are all one Portland. And that’s why I’ve fought for new investments in areas that would benefit the entire city, and not just special projects.”

Q As mayor, would you sponsor or support a bond or lending measure to finance police, fire, and transportation departments?

Answers

Adams:
“For the last eight or nine years, I worked with Mayor Katz to get on top of the gang problem – to increase funding for the Portland Police Bureau.

“Right now, we’re looking at using the extra resources that we have to go toward public safety. We need to improve equipment that is out of date so the City can be more responsive to all of you that call 911. Also we need to better equip police cars. And, we need for officers to be able to stop having to write the reports on paper. Most police agencies have moved way beyond that.

“The latest polling shows the Portlanders would not support a bond measure for a new tax for police and fire. They want us to pay for it out of the money that we already collect from you. That’s how I will prioritize is my investments in safety as Mayor. I will not go out for a bond measure for public safety.

“Having said that, [Multnomah] County is potentially looking for a bond measure to open the Wapato jail and to increase drug treatment. If they choose to do that, I will support it.”

Dozono:
“That’s a good question. I’ve had the good fortune of doing a ride-along with a police officer just two nights ago.

“Sam’s right, in terms of updating our computer system within the police force.

“But the sad truth is [the Portland Police Bureau has] 50 positions unfilled today. So it’s not about more money for law enforcement. We cannot recruit enough people to fill the positions we have. I also met with Chief Rosie Sizer last week and learned that, over the next five years, I think we’ll be up to full force.

“At that point, we’ll be putting more money into more law enforcement officers on the street. I support the idea of community policing, and more police on the street. The sad truth is that we have more than adequate funds, we don’t have people to fill positions. We have to work to fill the positions with people of diverse backgrounds who reflect the community that we serve.”

Q What immediate and long-lasting steps can we take to eradicate street crime like drug dealers, prostitution, and other crimes from the streets of East Portland?

Answers

Adams:
“Sho is absolutely right in terms of the struggle the police Bureau has to fill positions that have been authorized. Two weeks ago, in the budget committee that I’m part of, we authorized a sign-up bonus of $5,000; other cities are doing that in the region, and we need to do that.

“Regarding street-level crime: Gang violence is back. The current Mayor cut out uniformed [gang] outreach officers. I’ll bring them back. He removed the gang graffiti detail; I’ll bring them back if I am Mayor. It’s been requested by staff and supported by the Chief – these [special units] are ‘best practice’.

“I’m telling you how we do these things – not just what we need to do.

“There are six uniformed officers working behind a desk in the Portland Police Bureau doing criminal background checks for individuals who have applied to be police officers. We should civilianize these positions, and get those officers out on the street on Gang Detail.

“When I worked for Mayor Vera Katz; I saw what happened when she inherited a gang violence situation. I can tell you, we did not want to let this escalate any further.”

Sho Dozono

Dozono:
“I think the solution is to reflect back on the community where the youth coming from; they are not gainfully engaged in positive activity.

“We should support programs like SUN Schools. The money we invest in prevention is amazingly small. When we talk about pet projects that are useful, that dollar can be invested in prevention.

“[As Mayor, I’ll support] community-based organizations that are culturally competent and know their own community in terms of color and ethnic diversity. I’ll be doubling or tripling money at the front end, so we don’t spend the money on the back end.”

Q What will you do or what do you plan to do to reduce the size of Portland’s government?

Answers

Dozono:
“That’s a winning question! I have not been endorsed by Portland’s city employee union.

“I’m not an advocate for growth in government, as a private sector person for all of my life other than five years as a schoolteacher. I don’t advocate that government is the solution.

“I believe in a business and government partnership. That’s how I’ve spent my entire business career; working with the government – including six Mayors and five Governors. I have a background working with people of different backgrounds and different opinions. We work to solve common solutions. It is up to the citizens to make sure that we don’t depend on government for our solutions.”

Adams:
“Again, I’ll tell you how we can do this – not just that we need to do this.

“City government seems to be embroiled in an ongoing budgeting process. It’s never ending. I recommend we go to a two-year budget cycle. In one year we will do the budgeting. On the off year, we’ll dig in and look for efficiencies in government.

“Talking about public safety, I think efficiencies are out there for the taking. We do not have enough resources for public safety. I agree with the spirit behind the question of seeking a public safety bond measure.

“When you look in the city and the county budgets, and add up all the money for jails, law enforcement, and crime prevention, the City and the County spend about half a billion dollars. But we spend it in our own ‘little boxes’, never really talking to each other. And as result, there are gaps, overlaps, and missed opportunities to reduce the ministry to costs.

“You don’t want us to reduce services. You want us to become more efficient, administratively. I will sit down with [Multnomah County] Chair Ted Wheeler; we’ll put all of our money on the table, and build a system that makes sense for public safety. It makes no system for the city government to pay for new 50 police officers – if the people we catch are released five minutes after the police bring them in.

“If you take the time, and spend the [off-budgeting] year bringing in smart folks, who are experts in their area, you can dig in deep and get efficiencies in every area of government.

“The other thing is that I’ve worked hard on is coming up with performance measures in both the Transportation and Bureau of Environmental Services.

“As professionals and business owners, you know that your business plan should be more than, ‘Let’s make money today’. If that’s your business plan, you probably won’t be in business for long. You have the right to know what we’re going to do with your money, and on what timeline. That’s what you’ll get from me if I’m elected Mayor.”

Q To the question of whether or not more development emphasis should be focused on East Portland instead of downtown, both candidates agreed.

Answers

Dozono:
“The amount of money we put into economic development is paltry. That is the future of our economy. We need to be looking for opportunities in all parts of the City of Portland. We need to be inviting businesses from other parts of the country and other parts of the world. We’re in a competitive global marketplace.

“Having Gresham companies move to Portland doesn’t grow our economy. In our region and in our state, we need to be competitive in the global marketplace, that’s my background. I will help grow our economy.”

Adams:
“As a person who’s been working with many of you in East Portland to help keep the businesses we have here and attract more, I can tell you, City government has ignored East Portland for too long.

“You are used to seeing a parade of candidates that come around during every election cycle and tell you how they’re into being different. They tell you how they’ll make a difference dealing with your issues in your problems. They tell you they’ll actually fight for what other people call ‘pet projects’ for East Portland.

“But with my candidacy I humbly submit that not only did I say that I would be here working with you when I ran for city Council, I worked hard to deliver on it.”

Get involved
Take a few minutes and learn more about these mayoral candidates.

For more information about Sho Dozono, CLICK HERE.

For more information about Sam Adams, CLICK HERE.

Meet the candidates in Gateway on April 10
At 11:30 a.m., Gateway Area Business Association is hosting a Mayoral Candidate’s Forum. The meeting is free; you only pay for your lunch. It’s at JJ North’s Buffet, 10520 NE Halsey St. Reservations NOT needed. For more information, go to www.gabanet.com.

© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News