2010 Hillsdale News FLAG
Issue #99
Posted December 14, 2011
Also in This Issue
* Chase still considering options
* Hillsdale's new librarian
* Food carts in our future?
* Heritage Circle launched
* Ex-SWNI employee pleas guilty

Join Our Mailing List Write e-mail address HERE!

Write your e-mail address or that of a Hillsdale neighbor in above box 

Hillsdale News Sponsors 

Varmits Ad
Click on ad or HERE to buy

Gifford sponsorship ad

To visit web site click here 

 

Jeff Devine sponsorship ad

To visit Devine web site click here


Karla Green sponsorship

Green/Milligen Design site here 

   

 

 
Salon Dirk 2-11 ad

 

30 percent off on Dec. 31.   

 

 Spa Haircolor Salon Dirk site


 
Alissa at Korkage

Visit Dianne Rodway's site 

 

Korkage NEW logo

Visit Korkage web site 

 

Celeste's new log 

Visit Celeste Lewis Architecture, LLC 

 

Forum persentation

 

Visit Wyse Kadish LLP

 

Westside Kung Fu

Visit WestsideAcademy of Kung Fu site


Forum persentation 

Visit Sunstone site

Air Hillsdale Logo

10% off everything for everyone on Dec. 18.

 Visit Food Front site

Forum persentation  
Visit Hillsdale Veterinary Group

 

Alissa at Korkage

We support Third Thursdays!

Visit Paloma Clothing site


Emerick sponsorship ad jpg 

 

Emerick Architects site here 

 

Hypnotherapist ad 

 Debbie Taylor-Lilly's site here

 

UPS sponsorship

  

Hillsdale UPS store site here 


Hillsdale Wellness Clinic

Portland Wellness Clinic site here

Elaine Gillaspie ad

Dr. Gillaspie's site here

 

 Tutor Doctor ad  

Learn more here

 
  

Commentary

Responsibility
and
Communication 

 

Olympia TypewriterThis community is only as good as its ability to communicate in a civil way...and that includes our willingness to receive and consider communication.

The meltdown over where sidewalks should be built on Sunset Boulevard is a case in point. Folks living on the north side of Sunset told the Dec. 7 neighborhood association meeting that they were never informed of plans to build a sidewalk on the public property in front of their homes.

Whose fault is that?

Everyone's.

The city should have informed them and invited them to comment far sooner. The neighborhood association needed to do a better job of spreading the word. The local media needed to get the story on its pages.

And the very people complaining needed to read widely and stay informed.

 

In this case, the Sunset neighbors needed to read this little publication which has followed the story in detail for the past year and a half.

But I'm hardly free of blame. I should do more to expand awareness of The News, instead of relying on worth of mouth.

 

So we all have work to do to make our community better - through communication.

 

A final note: there's been talk on one side of retribution by boycotting certain businesses. And we've seen some graffiti that seems related to this controversy. Such protesting only makes matters worse, undermining our community.  

 

   

Time for Hillsdale and Chase to call it quits 


In the second story of this issue, there's reference to a petition that was circulated at the December Hillsdale Neighborhood Association. It opposes Chase bank's plans to build a branch here. You should know that I initiated the petition. My goal is to obtain 1000 signatures. Those who sign will become "1000 Friends of Hillsdale."

My decision to proceed with a petition stems from Chase's ignoring the Neighborhood Association's call for a meeting with Chase decision makers to hammer out a deal that is consistent with the Hillsdale Town Center Plan.

After four months, it's time for both sides to part ways. As noted in the accompanying story, a credit union has expressed interest, in writing, in becoming part of a development on the site.

Here is what the petition says (it is slightly altered from the one circulated at the neighborhood association.)

To JPMorgan/Chase:

We, the undersigned, are members of Hillsdale and adjacent communities in the southwest quadrant of Portland, Oregon. We are aware of your corporation's desires to build a branch in the Hillsdale Town Center.


    We have no need nor desire for another national/international bank in Hillsdale.


Moreover, Chase's plans for a Hillsdale branch demonstrate corporate policies and objectives that are incompatible with the local focus of Hillsdale commerce, with the Hillsdale Town Center Plan, and with customers' desire for more commercial choice and diversity.

THEREFORE we OPPOSE JPMorgan/Chase's plans to build a branch in our community.

 

If you are interested in helping on the petition drive, call me at (503) 245-7821 or e-mail me at [email protected].

   

    Rick Seifert, Editor/Publisher

 

Letters to the editor are always welcome. Write [email protected]
s
Letters

Credit Union wanted

for Hillsdale  

Editor:

 

I really hope we can clear the way for a  credit union in Hillsdale. I have been a credit union and co-op supporter for many years, and presently belong to a credit union across the river. I'd gladly move to one right here in our neighborhood. Credit unions not only keep money circulating in the local community, they are well known for their support of community activities.

Laura Dawson Bodner

 

Advice about Sunset Sidewalk

Editor:

While we are fully in support of providing safe pedestrian routes in Southwest Portland, there are far more cost-effective ways to provide safe walking conditions than blindly following "city standards."
 
...(an example is) the pedestrian path along Terwilliger Boulevard is asphalt - with a surface that sometimes is at the top of the curb elevation, and sometimes is at the same elevation as the adjoining vehicle pavement.  The curb effectively separates vehicles and pedestrians - and has been successfully fulfilling this function for more than 30 years.

Pedestrians have been using the asphalt shoulder on the westerly side of Sunset for many years.  Why not continue this long established walking route - and simply make it safer?  Why spend $800,000 on two blocks to develop a sidewalk that "meets city standards"?  Why not develop a safer route for pedestrians - at a much lower cost per block - and then extend the improvement from the end of the existing Hillsdale commercial core sidewalk to (or beyond) Martha Street?
Carolyn and Wayne Stewart

Sunset improvements should be a pilot project
Editor:

Frustration over the Sunset sidewalk is understandable at this point, but I still see it as an opportunity for community building.

Personally, I have never been a big fan of conventionally engineered sidewalks - too expensive, too slippery in winter, too unforgiving underfoot, and not versatile enough.

The one thing I admire is coming to grips with drainage issues, which is one reason for the high initial cost.

Perhaps Hillsdale could be a pilot project for some innovative shoulder treatment on both sides of the street which would narrow the traffic lanes and allow shared space for pedestrians, bicycles, and parked cars.

Barbara Hansen

Use $800,000 to extend improvements to Dosch

Editor:

The sidewalk proposal from SW DeWitt to 18th drive is ridiculous. It is in a straight section of the road .15 of a mile long and on the west side has a marked path for walking that is between 4 to 6 feet wide. Pedestrians and cyclist have great visibility. Widen it out to 6', add a white lane marker and then signal reflectors and bumps to alert drivers.
 
The price to do the proposed work is set at $800,000. That is $1,000 per running foot.
 
What is really needed is to have all the encroachments from property owners on to Sunset Blvd. cut back from 18th Dr. to Dosch.
 
 Remember, all fire hydrants, street signs and utility poles are on City right of way. Look at this and you will see that the real need is from 18th Dr. to Dosch. where there are blind parts that are only 2' wide.
 
When this is cut/moved back, it leaves enough room for dedicated walking/cycling paths on the side of the road all the way to Dosch and for the same amount of money.
 
William L. Sloan

 

Letters to the editor are always welcome. Write [email protected]

Homeowners: Not in our front yards...

Officials set venue for more Sunset sidewalk discussions

City officials are planning open discussions with Hillsdale neighbors in January and February about which side of Sunset Boulevard should get a new sidewalk. 

Kelly Brignell, Sunset property owner
                 Photo by Peter DeCrescenzo http://www.peterdv.com
At the neighborhood association meeting, Kelly Brignell read a statement from neighbors on Sunset Boulevard.

 

The discussions will be at the Hillsdale Branch Library. One meeting will take place Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

 

Another meeting has yet to be scheduled for late February, said Chris Armes, who is the project manager for the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

 

She added that neighbors directly affected and those who have asked to be notified will be contacted about all public meetings regarding the sidewalk. Several neighbors have complained that they weren't informed of the sidewalk plans in the past. 

 

April Bertelsen, pedestrian coordinator for the bureau of transportation, told a well-attended Dec. 7 meeting of the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association that by May the City, not the neighbors, would make the final decision about where, and how, to build. 

 

Construction would occur next winter, she said.

 

Bertelsen also said plans originally presented at an October open house were a "concept" only. Those plans showed only the sidewalk on the northeast side of the Sunset stretch between SW Dewitt and 18th Drive.



Residents along the stretch, who over the years have extended landscaping improvements to their property into the public right of way, immediately objected and met with officials in November to complain.

 

(Letters to the editor on this subject are found in the left-hand column of this newsletter.) 

 

In a sometimes heated discussion at the Dec. 7 neighborhood association meeting in the Watershed building, Bertelsen said the bureau would be surveying options on the southwest side too, but cautioned that construction there might be cost-prohibitive. 

 

She noted that the city has budgeted $800,000 for the project. 

 

Meanwhile, upset Sunset boulevard neighbors from both sides of Sunset met prior to the Dec. 7 HNA meeting and found several points of agreement which they presented to the HNA. 

 

Kelly Brignell, one of the neighbors presented the list which included: 

 

* maintaining the "neighborhood" identity and livability of the street. 

* maintaining and/or enhancing the "rustic" character of the neighborhood.
* no expansion or "encroachment" of any paved surface should occur.

* current vehicular lanes shall be unchanged and not moved closer to either side of the street. 

 

Project manager Armes said that the Jan. 31 meeting will clarify what the points on the list mean as the project "moves forward."

 

Don Baack, a past president of the neighborhood association and a well-known pedestrian advocate, said the improvements should be designed to serve the entire community, not just a few property owners along Sunset. 

 

Barbara Higgins, one of the Sunset neighbors, complained that a new sidewalk on the north side would be just outside her bedroom window. But Arnie Panitch, who lives on Capitol Highway said a sidewalk is just three feet from his bedroom, "and I'm glad to have the sidewalk there."

 

RS 

Credit union puts interest in writing

Chase still pondering 'options' for Hillsdale branch 
 
Chase Bank is "still reviewing its options" in Hillsdale more than a month after the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association asked to meet with Chase officials who have the authorityChase in window to approve a new branch that would be part of a multi-story and multi-tenant building.

Chase spokesperson Darcy Donahoe-Wilmot didn't elaborate on what the options might be in an e-mail received Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Records show that Chase has not filed a building permit with the City.

Meanwhile, a credit union has submitted a "letter of interest" to Wardin Investments, owners of the property that Chase wants to lease for its branch. Credit union officials asked that the credit union's name not be made public.

Under Chase's agreement with the owners, it has until the end of February to obtain needed permits to begin construction on the site at 6361 SW Capitol Highway.

At its Nov. 3 meeting the neighborhood association had unanimously agreed to write a letter asking for a meeting "to agree upon a branch with the design as well as functional features which will make it mutually acceptable" to the bank, the neighborhood, the City code and the property owners who are leasing the land to Chase.

At HNA's Dec. 7 meeting, acting chair Robert Hamilton announced that In the month since the resolution passed and Chase was notified, the bank has arranged for no such discussion with "senior management who have the authority" to negotiate an agreement as proposed by HNA.

Meanwhile, a petition independent of the association and opposing Chase plans, is beginning to circulate. It states "we have no need or desire for another national/international bank in Hillsdale." Those interested in signing the petition may contact the editor of this newspaper at [email protected]. who initiated the effort. (see commentary in this issue.)

At the City's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, West Portland planner Joan Frederiksen said that when and if Chase files for a building permit, it could take from six to eight weeks to process it.

One sticking point between the neighborhood association and the bank is Chase's using a canopy over parking and sidewalks to meet a code provision that requires the building to cover 50 percent of the lot. HNA asks that the building fulfill the 50 percent requirement "without benefit of canopy."

Chase had originally proposed a building that covered only 21 percent of the lot, leaving much of the rest of the land for parking. After reviewing the code language, City planners have told Chase that the wording allows for the canopy to be counted as part of the building.

The City's determination means that Chase officials needn't seek a variance for a smaller building nor do they need put the plans before the neighborhood for comment.

RS 

Serving the public in a time of change

 Hillsdale Branch welcomes
its new head librarian


By Mitchell Perdue  

Peg Solonika is becoming head librarian at the Hillsdale Branch Library in a time of  blazingly rapid technological change in the world of books and communication.

Solonika, whose first day on the job was Nov. 1, greets the change in her easy-going style. She has no plans for major transformation even as she sees the need to adapt.

Libraries, she says,
Peg Solonika
Peg Solonika's badge invites questions.
will remain a public forum dedicated to service, but how libraries deliver those services will continue to change.

The constant will be the dedication to serve everyone. And among library patrons she appreciates the affection that many have for the tactile pleasures of holding a book in one's hand. Still others enjoy the new convenience of having thousands of books at your disposal in a single tablet.

Solonika is accustomed to change. One of the biggest for her was a Peace Corps tour in Georgia four years ago. "The country, not the sate," she says with a laugh.  In the former Soviet state, Solonika learned Georgian and taught English to grades five through ten. "I wanted to further educate myself, have a bit of an adventure, and see a part of the world I didn't know anything about."

Solonika received her bachelors degree in English at the University of Oregon and then took jobs as a typesetter and a nursing assistant. Those jobs led her to librarianship, which combined the technical aspects of a typesetter with the public service of a nursing assistant. She earned her masters of library science at the University of Pittsburgh.
 
Solonika takes over from Virginia Tribe, who retired at the end of October. The new librarian knows that Hillsdale is a tight-knit community, and, she says, she looks forward to getting to know it. Standing under the towering ceiling of the modern Hillsdale branch, she shares her awe of its beauty.

Among the ways she'll learn more about Hillsdale patrons is by discovering what they like to read. Which raises the inevitable question, what is she reading?

 Solonika likes a mix of fiction and non-fiction.  Currently she is reading "Sybil Exposed" about a real-life multiple-personality fraud. She has just finished the novel, "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes.

For her, her most recent book read notwithstanding, Hillsdale and its library has the sense of a beginning, and a happy one at that.

At the entrance to Wilson High

Visionary sees food cart court
in Hillsdale's future

The Portland food cart craze may be coming to Hillsdale.

Perhaps as early as next spring or summer, four carts may line the north entrance to Wilson High School, directly across from the dance studio.

Richard Stein points to where the carts might go
Richard Stein shows where four
food carts might go.
The prime mover behind the effort to develop a patch of the land for the carts is Richard Stein, a 21-year resident of Hillsdale. It was Stein, who 20 years ago, started the Hillsdale Vision Group (HVG).

Though the vision group dissolved long ago, two decades ago it begot the Hillsdale Town Center Plan, which begot the Hillsdale Farmers Market and the Hillsdale Alliance, which begot the Hillsdale Foundation, which begot the Hillsdale Main Street Program.

Stein now serves as co-chair of the design committee of Hillsdale Main Street. He was also the designer of and a major force behind the new bike plaza between Baker & Spice and Food Front.

Stein, a designer, is keenly aware how the food court might affect Hillsdale. "I want to make sure that the project and the appearance of the project and the carts themselves are worthy of Hillsdale," he says.

Today, he adds cautiously, the Hillsdale food cart court is "an idea" although he has the backing of Wardin Investments, which owns the green space at the corner of the entry and Capitol Highway.  Wardin also owns the Hillsdale shopping center, and Ardys Wardin Braidwood, a Wardin Investments co-owner with her two brothers, worked closely with Stein on the bike plaza.

Now Stein is looking for interest from potential food vendors. They could be existing restaurants or groceries that simply want an open, out-doorsy presence, he says.

Stein is particularly interested in attracting a Mexican food cart, primarily because Wilson  High School students have expressed an interest in one. "They also want high quality and food that is interesting," he says. An "American bistro" cart is another possibility.

The "to do" list for launching the project is long. Stein has to plan for utilities, parking pads, sanitation and landscaping. And that's just the start before applying for city permits.

But if Stein's success with his past visions for Hillsdale is a measure, there's a good chance that you may be stepping up to a Hillsdale food cart in the new year and ordering a burrito.

Those interested in the Hillsdale Food Cart Court, should e-mail Stein at
[email protected]

RS


Education's role in our future

Ideas sought to improve our schools

Citing ever-deeper cuts in school funding, staffing and programs, community education leaders in Southwest Portland are calling on the community to help find solutions.

It all starts with ideas, says The Southwest Neighborhood Inc. (SWNI) Schools Committee.

They want yours.

In addition to ideas about fund-raising, volunteering and partnerships, the committee is encouraging ideas that are "outside the box of the traditional education model," says Michael Reunert of the committee.

To share ideas online, go to
and click on the "Ideas to Support Schools" link.

After ideas have been gathered, the committee plans to hold a public face-to-face forum to review the ideas and select those that the community and school administrators want to pursue.

The committee lists several "root causes" of the school crisis. They include unstable state revenue, heightened competition for state funds, high labor costs, and ineffective allocation of funds.

The consequences of failing to solve the problems and find solutions are severe, writes Reunert:

 "We risk entering a "downward spiral" where our schools deliver graduates who are less competitive in the national and global marketplace."

As less competitive graduates earn less, the State's tax base will shrink, he adds.

Moreover, he says, more frustrated young people may turn to anti-social behavior. That, in turn adds to State costs resulting in even less funds for education.

The decline in education will also likely create an even greater gap between social classes, he writes.

Reunert notes that the SWNI initiative is independent of the PPS effort to craft a new school construction bond, although he expects the committee will support it when it is put forward, likely in 2013.

RS

Loss put at $130,000

Former SWNI employee pleads guilty

Virginia Stromer, the former operations manager for Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. (SWNI), has pled guilty to 11 counts of theft from the agency. Her sentencing will be Friday, Jan. 20.

Stromer had been with SWNI for 15 years before suddenly resigning in October 2010. The thefts totaled $130,000 and took place over several years, according to authorities.

A bounced check revealed discrepancies just prior to her resignation, said Sylvia Bogert, SWNI's executive director.

Bogert said that the amount of the loss covered by insurance was "confidential as a condition of the settlement."

RS

Main Street invites backers

Hillsdale Heritage Circle launched

Hillsdale Main Street wants you to join a special "Heritage Circle."

Being inside the Circle comes with a donation of at least $500 to the revitalization program.

As part of the Circle," contributors will meet at least once a year to become better acquainted and to hear about the Main Street Program's progress. Frequent updates and early notice of special events are other benefits, says Josh Kadish, the Main Street board member who is organizing the circle.

If benefactors desire, their contribution will be publicly acknowledged.

Hillsdale Main Street, which began in June 2010, has organized several events in Hillsdale including its Launch Party, SpringFest, Third Thursday, Movie in the Park, the "Roaming Hillsdale" walk guide, the September Paella Dinner and the new landscaping on Capitol Highway.

To join the Hillsdale Heritage Circle, contact Kadish at [email protected] or Hillsdale Main Street Executive Director Megan Braunsten at [email protected].

RS
Date Book

Through Friday, Dec. 16

Wilson tree sale; Food drive for the hungry

Wilson Boosters annual Christmas tree sale at A-Boy, Barbur and Terwilliger, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Bring non-perishables and/or canned food to the school office to help those in need.


Wednesday, Dec. 21

Chanukah celebration for all

5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane. "Driedels, Dine & Dance," on the second night of Chanukah is for the entire community. Singing, eating, lighting menorahs (bring your own), dancing (adults only while teens and younger are watching a movie). Free childcare with reservation. Costs: Adults: $20 per person; Children: $10 for children ages 4-12; no cost for children under 4. Special family prices. To reserve your space -- or for more information - call Karen at (503) 246-8831, x100. Or, register online at www.nevehshalom.org.  Please RSVP by Dec. 5.


Wednesday, Jan. 4

Neighborhood Association Meeting

7 p.m. St. Barnabas Church, 2201 SW Vermont. Updates on Sunset Sidewalk proposal and Chase Bank's intentions to build a branch in Hillsdale.


Saturday, Jan. 7


Usual Suspects litter patrol and 'trash talk'

Volunteers gather to clean up the Hillsdale Town Center for one hour starting at 9 a.m. Meet at the Food Front "veranda." Coffee and breakfast burritos afterwards, courtesy of Food Front.



Monday, Jan. 23

How parents can offer skills to teens

6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wilson Cafeteria. "New Skills for a New Time: Providing Your Teen with Self-Sufficiency and Confidence." A discussion with Dr. Jay Klusky, Ph.D, author, speaker, and academic adviser. Klusky's work focuses on teaching parents and students how to build teens' self-esteem, self-direction, and capacity for self-discipline. Light refreshments provided. For more about Dr. Klusky's workshops, go to www.jayklusky.com. For more information on this event, contact Valeurie Friedman at [email protected].


Tuesday, Jan. 31

Sunset Sidewalk meeting

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Hillsdale Branch Library. Discussion with City transportation officials about the alignment of a proposed sidewalk on Sunset Boulevard between Dewitt and SW 18th drive.  (See story in this issue)