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There's more than one way to get to OHSU from an improved transit corridor. These engineering renderings show escalators, elevators and pedestrian tunnels from Barbur Boulevard or Naito Parkway that might do the job...instead of an expensive, deep-bore Light Rail tunnel from Hillsdale.
Hillsdale tunnel options seem doomed
as local criticism mounts
A likely Barbur surface route for enhanced mass transit would bypass Hillsdale's Town Center
The chance of any kind of rapid transit tunnel under HIllsdale is fading because of high cost, construction imponderables, growing concern from businesses about construction disruption and outright opposition from residents living near, or over, the routes. The tunnel concerns were evident at a May 12 public forum at Wilson High School. Part of the gathering included presentations laying out the effects of three routes involving tunnels under Hillsdale. The event was a small part of a vast planning effort to upgrade mass transit in a 16-mile transit corridor between downtown Portland and Tigard and Tualatin. Serving Marquam Hill, the home of the Veterans Hospital and much of OHSU, as well as Portland Community College's large, flagship Sylvania Campus also plays into plans. The effort requires numerous route-alignment decisions along the route. On July 13, public officials sitting on a steering committee are scheduled to decide on whether any, or all, of three tunnel options calling for Hillsdale stops are worthy of further study. Tunnel visions for Hillsdale
Two of three tunnel options are shallow, "cut-and-cover" "loop" routes that would be beneath the Town Center. One would approach from Barbur Boulevard on the surface of Bertha Boulevard. Then it would go beneath Capitol Highway before surfacing on the downhill slope to Barbur. A variation would tunnel from Bertha under the Rieke Elementary School soccer field to the Sunset/Capitol intersection before surfacing on the slope and returning to Barbur. The most expensive route, costing an estimated $1.34 billion in 2014 dollars, would be a 2.4 mile-long deep tunnel extending from Barbur near the Fred Meyer Burlingame Store to Hillsdale, and the Marquam Hill OHSU campus. It would emerge at Duniway Park. Hillsdale's station would be approximately 100 feet deep somewhere near Sunset Boulevard and Capitol Highway. Construction could take three to five years. A final non-tunnel alternative for this area seems increasingly likely to be chosen. It would bypass the Hillsdale Town Center completely. The surface route rely heavily on dedicated lanes to take big articulated buses or Light Rail trains directly down Barbur Boulevard. Planners say that OHSU's Marquam Hill campus could be served from Barbur or Naito by elevators, escalators, pedestrian tunnels or some combination of these modes. (see renderings above.) Commissioner Novick sees little support
A key player on the powerful Steering Committee is elected Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick, who sat through the Wilson workshop and listened intently to comments from participants. After the meeting, Novick, who is Portland's Commissioner for Transportation, said that for any of the tunnel options to stay in play, the Hillsdale community would have to demonstrate strong support for it. At this juncture, he said, he's not seeing it. Moreover, he said, OHSU, Portland's largest employer, hasn't called the tunnel a "make or break" decision. Finding funds for the expensive project, to say nothing of the tunnels, is another challenge and potential obstacle, he said. A tallied survey of 29 respondents at the forum re-enforced Novick's perception. Only two attendees "strongly" supported the loop tunnel concepts, but 12 "strongly" opposed them. Others said they were "somewhat" supportive or "somewhat" opposed. One respondent needed more information and three were "neutral." Troubling tunnel questions
Written comments in opposition to the deep tunnel cited high costs, construction blasting and disruption, vibration, geologic fault lines in the Southwest Hills, groundwater issues, and land needed for construction staging areas. (The staging area needed for a deep Light Rail station in Hillsdale would require two to three acres. Three acres, the equivalent of 2 1/2 high school football fields.) Some questioned whether Hillsdale needs this "level" of transit support. Would a stop in the Town Center really be a destination for transit users or would it simply attract park-and-riders? Those favoring the tunnel urged planners to think long-term. Long-time Hillsdale resident Wes Risher noted that the New York Subway system, which opened in 1904, is still vital to the metropolitan area's transportation needs. Others noted that the deep tunnel alignment is estimated to attract approximately 10,000 more passengers each day. It would also cross far fewer intersections and, over the entire length of the corridor, it would trim one to two minutes off times for surface routes. The level of detail in exploring options is laid out on the Southwest Corridor Plan web site. It has comparative figures for cost, ridership, travel time, intersections crossed, engineering complexity and community and environmental impacts. To see those figures and their relative impacts, go HERE. Scroll down to pages 8-10 for charts that summarize the analysis.
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Food Front union petition leads to vote by staff on June 2
Board adds another member from Hillsdale
Frustrated workers at the two-store Food Front grocery cooperative have gathered enough signatures to hold an election that would determine whether Food Front is to be unionized. For six years, the Hillsdale Food Front store has served as the "anchor" store of the Hillsdale Shopping Center. The vote on whether to unionize with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Local 555, will be held Tuesday, June 2. Since last fall, Food Front, which has 11,000 community member/owners, has been roiled by publicly-aired criticism from several employees who have complained of high turnover, poor communication and an atmosphere of distrust and intimidation. The allegations were first aired in the Northwest Examiner newspaper. Management questioned how many employees were dissatisfied with working conditions at Food Front although benchmark surveys last year confirmed a persistent problem. In order to have a union certification vote, at least 30 percent of qualified workers must sign a petition saying they would like to join a union. Food Front has 122 employees, but Jessica Miller, Food Front's director of outreach and marketing, didn't know how many of them were eligible to sign the petition for the vote. Getting out the vote
Food Front's Interim General Manager Peg Nolan wrote in an "Owners' Business Update," circulated May 27: "We support the right of employees two choose a third party to present them. We hope that all eligible staff will vote." This winter, Nolan was brought in from the National Cooperative Grocers, headquartered in Iowa, to address an array of problems at Food Front's two stores. She became interim general manager after long-time general manager Holly Jarvis, who held the position for 21 years at Food Front, retired in April. At Food Front's NW Thurman flagship store, Adam Bristow, who has been a produce clerk there for four years, has been active in the union organizing effort. Speaking at the May 28 Food Front board meeting, he called for staff representation on the Board, which presently disallows staff to have board membership. After the meeting, Bristol said fair pay, pay equity, disciplinary fairness and much improved communication are among the issues that concern the staff. The unionizing effort has given the staff a growing sense of empowerment, he said. In other matters, Nolan reported at the board meeting that a search for a new general manager had resulted in more than 40 applications. Outreach and marketing director Miller said the goal is to have a new general manager hired by July. Nolan will remain in her position as long as it takes to train and prepare her replacement, Miller said. Hillsdale's Maertz gains seat on board
Meanwhile, the Food Front Board, which has experienced high turn over in the past nine, turbulent months, has added a fifth member. The appointment of Jett Maertz, a Hillsdale resident, brings the board's numbers to five. Last month the board added business consultant Dave Hawkins, also of Hillsdale. Maertz is a home-ownership support coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro/East. She has volunteer and staff management experience and has also worked in community outreach and event planning. In her application, she wrote that the most important issues facing Food Front are competition, financial difficulties and staff morale, satisfaction and retention. If Hawkins and Maertz choose to remain on the board, they must be elected this fall in board elections. The "Owners' Business Update" reminded owners that next month's June 25th Board meeting is the deadline for candidate interviews. No firm deadline was set for applications, but board vice president Joy Orevik said it would likely be mid-June. According to Food Front's by-laws, the board determines its number of members, which can be no more than nine and no less than three. The board also selects a slate of candidates from applicants. The "owner update" neglected to say that under the by-laws candidates may also get on the ballot by a petition signed by at least ten percent of owners eligible to vote. At present that would entail gathering approximately 1,100 signatures. The winners are announced at the annual owners meeting in September.
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Solar Coalition draws interest,
but only one taker, so far...
Installation costs in the higher part of "acceptable" range
The effort to attract Hillsdale-area residents to a program that would bring
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Andrew Koyaanisqatsi, president of Solar Energy Solutions, explains options to a small audience interested in installing solar panels.
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more solar panels to local roofs and help the neighborhood's public schools initially attracted the expressed, and written, interest from 70 people at a Hillsdale Solar Coalition "Expo" event on May 2. Three hundred visited the coalition's tent next to the Farmers Market, said Andrew Ragland, who organized the Expo.
Of the 70 expressing interest, 21 followed through by attending two meetings at the Hillsdale Branch Library.
But of that group only one has signed on for an installation. Another 12 were ineligible because their roofs were too shaded, said Andrew Koyaanisqatsi, president of Solar Energy Solutions (SES), the firm chosen for the Coalition program.
That left eight people or households still considering signing on. The program is open until June 14. For more information go HERE.
As it turns out - and it should come as no surprise - there are price variations among installers.
Exploring prices
Some potential Hillsdale Solar Coalition customers may have discovered that SES prices are higher than those of several other installers who also qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon price incentives. Those incentives can trim approximately $3,000 off the initial cost. Federal and State tax credits result in more savings.
One potential customer saw significant price differences in the highly competitive solar installation trade. For example: SES quoted an initial price (before the Energy Trust incentive and state and federal tax incentives) of $21,324 for a dozen SunPower 345 panels, but Sunlight Solar came in at $19,606 for the same system - a difference of $1,718.
At the current response level, The Hillsdale Solar Coalition drive calls for a 2 percent discount on the final cost to the SES customer (after the incentive and the tax rebates). In exchange, the customer would agree to write a check to the schools for the amount of the discount.
But with SES, the final cost after the incentives and the tax credits on the SunPower 345 system would be $6,608.40. That would net just over $112 for the schools.
In contrast, the final cost for a Sunlight Solar-installed SunPower345 system comes in at $5,406, a savings of $1,202.40.
Customers signing on at the lower bid, if they chose to, could use a fraction of the savings and match the school contribution of the Coalition package with SES...and pocket the rest, roughly $1090.
Cost and Quality
SES president Andrew Koyaanisqatsi said he is aware that SES prices aren't the lowest, but added that the 28-year-old company makes up for it in quality and customer service. "Our prices are where they have to be," he said. "Our goal is perfection.... We have never had a complaint." He said SES is a small company that installs between 30 and 50 systems a year."
In weighing price and quality of service, he said, "there are positive and negative ways of looking at things."
Solar Energy Solutions prices also fall within the acceptable range provided by Portland General Electric and Solar Oregon, a well-established advocacy group, albeit SES prices are in the higher part of the range.
Hillsdale Solar Coalition organizer Ragland referred to the "acceptable range" in reviewing the above numbers. He also said SES was a convenient choice for the all-volunteer Coalition because SES was promoting its services in the Hillsdale area at the time the Coalition was looking for a partner.
He added that SES may well be able to justify being in the higher part of the "acceptable" range because of the quality of its services.
But he added, "In the end, every potential solar customer has to make a value judgment based on particular needs and wants. SES cannot be everything to everyone."
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KudosThe Heron has landed!|
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As they move on to middle school, Rieke fifth graders, shown here, are leaving behind a 12-foot high, 200-pound, $6,000 heron at the corner of Vermont and Bertha. The project was organized by Tiffany Schuster, who captures the scene with her camera. The big bird was made by sculptor Ben Dye. The banner thanks sponsors.
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Paloma gets public praise on 40th anniversary
Paloma Clothing and husband-and-wife co-owners Mike Roach and Kim Osgood got a widely seen birthday present as the store turned 40 years old. The May 21st on-line issue of The Oregonian published a story that celebrated not just the store, which has a large and wide following, but Roach and Osgood's support for their employees.
In the story, Roach says employee support is a key part of their business success. "I think a lot of business owners fail to understand that investing in their employees is an investment in their company...Especially in retail, there's this feeling that, 'My employees aren't going to stay with me long,' without realizing that if the business offers a better benefits package, (the employees) will stick around longer and become a real asset."
Trojans drawn to Hillsdale Food Park fare
At April's meeting of the Hillsdale Business and Professional Association, Wilson High School Principal Brian Chatard praised the Hillsdale Food Park at the Capitol Highway entrance to the school. The Park's carts are popular with students because they offer a diversity of healthful food at prices students can afford, Chartered said in an interview.
He added that the Park's proximity to the school discourages students from driving to the fast food outlets. Having students congregate in one place makes them easier to supervise, he added. Chatard said he and many staff members are also Food Park regulars. The principal goes for burritos, Thai food and cheese sandwiches. "There's a new place that offers rabbit," he said, "but I can't bring myself eat rabbits. They seem too much like pets, I guess."
This fall will be the third anniversary of the Food Park, which is owned and managed by Richard Stein of Hillsdale. Stein praised the Wilson students and their behavior at the Park...and their parents for doing such a good job raising them.
Bridge book for kids and teachers
Hillsdale resident Sharon Wood Wortman is renowned for her passion for Portland's diverse and famed bridges. Many know her from her Portland bridge tours and for "The Portland Bridge Book," which she co-authored with her  husband, Ed Wortman. It is now in its third edition...We do keep building new bridges! Now Sharon and Ed and a team of dozens of artists, editors and teachers have published a colorful, fun, rugged, hard-bound bridge book for elementary school kids. "The Big & Awesome Bridges of Portland & Vancouver - a Book for Young Readers and their Teachers" is in every Portland and Vancouver elementary school, thanks to a fundraising effort that raised more than $100,000. Portland public schools have 4,400 copies.
Science teacher at Rieke honored
Jamie Repasky, Rieke Elementary School's PTA-supported Science enrichment coordinator, was named 2015 Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year in May by the local chapter of Sigma Xi, an organization of a technology/science researchers.
The Rieke PTA congratulated Repasky, who is also a Rieke parent, on the Columbia Willamette chapter's honor and thanked her for "her dedication to enriching our children with the wonders and the practical applications of Science."
Hunting named "Neighbor of the Year"
Veteran architect and long-time Wilson Park neighbor Duane Hunting will be honored as Hillsdale's "Neighbor of the Year" at this year's Southwest Portland Volunteer Recognition Party on Tuesday, June 30.
At its May meeting the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association chose Hunting for his more than 15 years of service to the association in the dual roles of vice president and land-use chair.
In dealing with land-use issues, Hunting has drawn on his knowledge of the City's land-use codes to provide expert comment and technical guidance. Special challenges have been issues related to the development of the "Hillsdale Triangle" area north of the commercial district. He has also worked to simplify several zoning codes applicable to commercial and multifamily areas.
A Southwest Neighborhood Inc. (SWNI) party honoring volunteers from all Southwest Portland neighborhoods will be at the Multnomah Arts Center Auditorium, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The June 30 event, which includes dinner, is free.
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Briefly
The Portland Ballet launches fund-raising drive
The Portland Ballet, prominently located in Hillsdale at the junction of Capitol Highway and Sunset Boulevard, has embarked on a fund-raising drive that it hopes will gain it recognition as "one of the nation's premier dance academy/performance companies," in the words of Founders and owners Jim Lane and Nancy Davis, and Anne Mueller, the ballet's new co-artistic director.
Campaign M, as it is called, hopes to raise $30,000 to pay for more classes and curricula, performances, educational programs and outreach to the community. Contributions can be made on-line HERE.
Local pastor publishes a memoir
Jennifer Brownell, senior pastor at the Hillsdale Community Church, UCC, at the
top of the hill on Capitol Highway on the way to Multnomah Village, has written a memoir titled "Swim, Ride, Run, Breathe" that comes with a subtitle "How I lost a Triathlon and Caught My Breath."
A book launch party at the church, 6948 SW Capitol Highway, will be held Monday, June 8, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Brownell has described herself this way: "Wife, mother, daughter, friend, pastor, dog-lover, one-time triathlete, seeker and writer. I have too many favorite things to list them all, but some current ones are: peanut butter and bananas, compassion, my husband's deep laugh, my son's earnest explanations, sci-fi reruns, sweat, swimming pools, intense memoirs, not camping, and Psalm 46.
Psalm 46 includes the lines: "Attention, all! See the marvels of God!/He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,/Bans war from pole to pole,/breaks all the weapons across his knee."
OnPoint opening date changed to July 8
The date for the "soft opening" of the OnPoint Credit Union branch in the new Wardin Building has been moved back to July 8 because of changes in the interior design. Hillsdale OnPoint's manager, Colette Young, said that the "grand opening" will be one of the last two Saturdays of July.
Speaking to the Food Front board at its monthly meeting, Young said that engaging with the community is important to the credit union. Employees worked at the annual pancake breakfast last year and plan to again this year.
While managers of Food Front and OnPoint have met, they have no cooperative, synergistic announcements to make yet, Young said. Food Front's interim general manager Peg Nolan told her board, "We are on the edge of figuring out what to do."
Last year, OnPoint and Food Front were co-sponsors of the Hillsdale Community Book Sale and will be again this year. The sale is the same date as the Pancake breakfast, Sunday, July 26.
Failure to return shopping carts is theft
Abandoning shopping carts is illegal, reminds neighbor Arnie Panitch, who regularly gathers dumped (legally, "stolen") Fred Meyer carts in and around the Turning Point transitional housing project at Bertha near Vermont.
Panitch notes that a company is under contract to gather stolen carts. If you see any, he urges you to use the service by calling 888-55-CARTS.
Get those used books ready for the Hillsdale Book Sale
Donation times for contributing those read, unread, or never-to-be-read books to the Hillsdale Community Book Sale are being compressed into a two-week period this year. The sale will be Sunday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Watershed Building and along Capitol Highway. That's the same day as the Blueberry Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the Hillsdale Business and Professional Association.
You can drop off the books at the Hillsdale Farmers' Market on the Sundays of July 12, and July 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mid-week drop-offs are at the Watershed Building at the Bertha Court entrance on the Tuesdays of July 14 and July 21 and Thursdays of July 16 and 23 during the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Knock on the door to the Community Partners for Affordable Housing office for assistance if a book sale volunteer isn't in the pull-in parking place on Bertha court to help. You can also phone for CPAH's help by calling (503) 293-4038
All proceeds from the sale go to the Hillsdale Community Foundation. Donations are tax deductible.
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Date Book
Wednesday, June 3
Neighborhood Association
chooses new board members
7 p.m. St. Barnabas Church, 2201 SW Vermont. The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association will choose new board members and discuss the latest in the Southwest Corridor planning process and how it relates to Hillsdale.
Saturday, June 6
Litter-pickers needed for one hour
9 a.m., the Food Front Veranda. Join the Usual Suspects in a fun search and rescue of litter in the Town Center. Good, clean fun. Breakfast courtesy of Food Front after an hour's litter "harvest." Elementary-school aged and older - much older - welcomed.
Sunday, June 7
Principles of a Healthy Home
3-4 p.m. Hillsdale Branch Library. Multnomah County Health Department offers an introductory class on the fundamentals of a healthy home. Registration required; register online, in the library or by calling (503) 988-5234.
Tuesday, June 9
Robert Putnam talk sponsored by SAGE
7 p.m. First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park Ave. Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone" and "Better Together" (which refers to Hillsdale's leadership in Portland), will talk about his newest book "Our Kids." The book puts a spotlight on the growing barriers to upward mobility faced by children and families and discusses ways to remove those barriers. Sponsored by Senior Advocates for Generational Equity (SAGE), an organization started by Hillsdale's Ward Green. For tickets, go to www.wearesage.org.
Saturday, June 13
Build a split-rail Fence at Gabriel Park
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Gabriel Park. Free your inner Abraham Lincoln by helping Friends of Gabriel Park construct a new split-rail fence. Tools, snacks and gloves will be provided. All ages welcomed but children must be supervised by an adult. To register, contact coordinator Mary Verrilli at mary.verrilli@portlandoregon.gov or call (503) 823-9423.
Saturday, June 13
Tryon, Marshall Park, Cemetery walk
9 a.m. meet behind Wilson High School bleachers. After carpooling to Lewis & Clark Law School, walk 5.5 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain. Bring snack and water and dress for weather. Possible muddy sections. Co-sponsored by SWTrailsPDX and the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association. Led by Pet Schmierbach.
Sunday, June 14
JuggleMania
1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Hillsdale Branch Library. Rhys Thomas performs with improbable juggling, comedy and acrobatics. Thomas is an internationally touring juggler, magician and comedian who has mastered Chinese yo-yos, cowboy lassos, Indian clubs, Egyptian juggling balls and other toys. Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes before the program.
Tuesday, June 16,
How a Writer and Artist can work as a Team
6:30-7:30 p.m. Hillsdale Branch Library. Paul Tobin and Ben Dewey, the writer/artist team behind "I Was the Cat," discuss their road to publication, including how they work together as a team, what goes into making a successful graphic novel, and why cats are simultaneously the most loved and most hated creatures of all time. Registration required; register online, in the library or by calling (503) 988-5234.
Thursday, June 18
Words & Pictures: Comics 101
3-5 p.m., Hillsdale Branch Library. Whether you call them comics, manga or graphic novels - combining words and pictures to tell amazing stories is what it's all about. In this introductory workshop, learn the basics of character design and story development.
Click to go to top of Datebook
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Now that it is highly unlikely a tunnel will connect Hillsdale with OHSU and downtown to the north and PCC, Tigard and Tualatin to the southwest (see story in this issue) at least one huge question about Hillsdale's future seems answered.
