Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Holiday Bazaar for Heart Research

The annual OHSU Heart Research Holiday Bazaar is taking place today and tomorrow.

Time:  10:00-5:30
Place: OHSU CHH Atrium
What: Beautiful handmade gifts made by artisans from Handmade NW, raising funds and awareness for the OHSU Heart Research Center.

You can check out the list of vendors on the Handmade NW website.

www.burdyflyaway.etsy.com



Monday, November 28, 2011

Leftovers

Hope y'all had a Happy Thanksgiving! 

I am back from the frozen tundra. Took a little break from the blog this week. What did I miss in the neighborhood?

Got trapped out here by a malfunctioning BLM gate @ -2 degrees
Hardiest Occupiers in the nation

Monday, November 21, 2011

Caution: Slippery Walkways

Beautiful but hazardous?
This is just a pedestrian safety alert about the slippery wooden pathways in Elizabeth Caruthers Park this time of year. A friend of mine slipped and fell last week, and I heard reports from several others. When I scoped it out this weekend, it was not raining, but the frost was still on the shaded paths at noon, and they were indeed very slippery.


12pm on Saturday

Friday, November 18, 2011

Grimm filming locations - Episode 4

NBC is really packing in the scenic Oregon shots!

Grimm Episode 4, "Lonelyhearts", opens on the Sandy River Bridge (which leads to the historic Columbia River Highway), and closes dramatically at Multnomah Falls
Photo courtesy of Sally Filler
In the middle of this scenic Oregon sandwich, we saw the following locations:

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Portland-spotting the Grimm previews Nov. 18

Grimm Episode #4 airs tonight on NBC. Have you started Portland-spotting the previews?

Preview: The Magic Touch - The historic Columbia River Highway bridge
Preview: A Warm Welcome - A house...
Preview: Quite the Charmer - Which Portland bar is in this scene? Is it Lincoln Restaurant on Williams?

Also expect to see:

Marquam Hill Lecture tonight @ 7:30

The November Marquam Hill lecture at OHSU takes place tonight at 7:30pm.

New Windows to Your Heart: Breakthroughs in Cardiovascular Imaging

Presented by: Jonathan Lindner, MD

Date: November 17, 2011
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: OHSU Auditorium, Marquam Hill Campus, Old Library Building

Dr Lindner will be explaining and showing new imaging breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease research.

And if you missed last month's lecture "The Hunt for Biological Mechanisms in Asthma", you can view the video online here.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Obstructing the Streetcar

This happens more often than you would think. Unwitting person parks a too-large vehicle, or sloppily-parked regular vehicle, blocking the path of the Streetcar.









Streetcar is literally stopped in its tracks. Trimet driver gets out, circles vehicle, calls in reinforcements.
Parking patrol arrives, circles vehicle.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Holiday Food Drive(s)

Bring your canned food donations down to Umpqua Bank this week, Nov 14-19.

The goods will help out local nonprofit "Potluck in the Park" which serves a "free hot meal to anyone in need". They feed people every Sunday in O'Bryant Square.

Specific supplies needed are below. Looks like they're serving chili!


ALSO:

A food donation bin for the Oregon Food Bank is set up at March Wellness. Bring your non-perishable donations for the Oregon Food Bank, Nov. 3 - Dec. 15.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Mystery photo contest #2

Well, this is a different kind of mystery photo contest. The mystery is: What is This Guy Doing To the Granite Slab in E.C. Park?
The wood carpet was rolled in this morning, and a guy in a white van started doing some kind of work with an electric power tool. (I thought maybe he was etching his initials in but checked later and no sign of that.)
Here's a picture of the stone after he finished. I'm sure there must be a second part of this production coming soon.
Does anyone know what he is doing? 

New photos added on Friday:

It looks like he just removed and replaced the center slab. Now working on re-cementing it.

Today: Free health screenings at OHSU-CHH

OHSU is hosting a health fair today in the CHH to promote World Diabetes Day. Free health screenings are taking place until 4:30pm.

"OHSU cardiovascular medicine experts will measure:
  • Blood glucose
  • BMI (body mass index)
  • Cholesterol
  • Blood pressure
* Nurses and physicians will be on hand for consults on test results.
-- Kendall Simmons, a Superbowl XL champion and former Pittsburgh Steeler, will explain how he tackled Type 1 diabetes.
-- Certified diabetes educators from NovoNordisk will discuss carbohydrate counting and food exchanges.  
-- March wellness representatives will demonstrate their Medical Exercise Program."
KGW video was on hand interviewing several OHSU employees. 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Grimm filming locations - Episode 3

Grimm Episode #3 aired tonight at 9pm PST:
"The station is abuzz as Nick and Hank are called to a case where an innocent flash mob results in a gruesome homicide..."

The South Waterfront and Portland Streetcar played starring roles in this episode!  The opening scenes take place in the South Waterfront with condo buildings and OHSU-CHH prominently displayed.

My earlier post (August) with more photos of the filming: a homicide takes place during a Streetcar flash mob.

(Did anyone notice David Giuntoli called it a "tram" later in the show?)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Mystery Photo Contest: Where am I?

The first ever South Waterfront Blog contest begins!  Do you know where this photo was taken?
Send me your answers here:  sowablog @gmail.com
Or feel free to submit your guesses via comments below.

While you are doing that, I will go figure out a prize.

Also, I am taking submissions for the next Mystery Photo Contest.

Criteria:
- Photo was taken in the general South Waterfront (or walk-able surrounding area).
- You took this photo. You have the rights to share it.
- I'll accept camera, iPad, smartphone photos, whatever you've got!



Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Gibbs St Bridge Span - Part 2

The next section of the Gibbs St bridge will be placed on Wednesday night, Nov. 9.

"I5 closed, detours planned, nighttime noise expected" - You were warned!

Here is the message from the Gibbs project team:

"The first bridge span has been set and crews will place the next span on Wednesday, November 9th, starting at 8:00 pm and completing by 5:30 am on Thursday. Since the bridge crosses I-5, the bridge span placement needs to take place at night to avoid traffic congestion and to keep workers and motorists safe. 

South Waterfront Craft Bazaar wants you!

Are you a crafty South Waterfront resident? Do you knit, sew, paint, sculpt, quilt, carve or have some other artsy talent? Our 1st Holiday Craft Bazaar is coming right up, and here is your opportunity to participate!

See this notice from the South Waterfront Community Relations:

"South Waterfront Craft Bazaar:  Call for Vendors 
Are you a South Waterfront knitter, jewelry maker, woodworker, painter, sculptor, or other artisan?  If you're a South Waterfront resident and interested in selling your wares this holiday season, please contact Heather Bayles at heather@southwaterfront.com or 503-972-3289.  Include your name, phone number, email address, and type of craft.  

The Holiday Bazaar is tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 9, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Umpqua Bank.  Tables will be provided, vendors will be responsible for any tablecloth or other decor, and it is up to each vendor to decide how they will accept payment.  Participation in on a first come, first served basis and space is limited.       

Friday, December 9, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Umpqua Bank 
3606 SW Bond Avenue, Portland, OR 
Map It

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Gibbs St Pedestrian Bridge

Have you seen the bright lights across the freeway the past few nights on the Gibbs St Pedestrian Bridge project?  I was up with the baby around 3:00am, and observed the work, noise and lights, as promised on the project website:

"Lair Hill and South Waterfront residents can expect night time noise including noise from trucks and cranes, lights powered by generators, and high powered drills. The most noise is expected between 11:00 pm and 3:00 am when crews will bolt the bridge spans together."

Actually, this is exciting - the bridge span placement has begun. The first segment was installed on Friday night (Nov. 4).

Here are some shots taken this morning from the west side of I-5:

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Grimm filming locations - Episode 2


Back by popular demand, here is a rundown on the Portland scenes from last night's episode of Grimm. Episode 2 "Bears will be Bears" followed a Goldilocks and the 3 Bears story line, with a bit of Native American mythology blended in.

Episode 2:


Bonus: Product placement for Voodoo doughnuts & The Lotus, Rebel Jeweler

Episode 1: My post from last week containing Episode 1 locations is here.

Stay tuned next week:
The film crew told me the SoWa filming would be in Episode 4, but the Grimm website is saying it is Episode 3... Episode 3 filmed on the Streetcar in the South Waterfront (at OHSU-CHH) and at the Portland Art Museum:
Friday, November 11th 9/8c
"The station is abuzz as Nick and Hank are called to a case where an innocent flash mob results in a gruesome homicide."














Thursday, November 3, 2011

New Moody Ave is open!

It is a beautiful sight...the new Moody Ave bikeway, walkway, runway, Streetcar, roadway.
Who knew we could get so excited about a road? After months of construction and all kinds of detours around, it is more than a welcome sight. It was a joy to run down the wide open sidewalk, elevated, and feeling slightly more European, in a bike and pedestrian-friendly city kind of way.

I overheard a cyclist yell at another cyclist as they sped down the new bike expressway: "God, this is nice!" I saw another cyclist repeatedly raise both arms up to the sky.
BikePortland provides a first-ride analysis & more great photos: "My overall impression after riding it in both directions yesterdays is that it's pretty exciting — this is the closest thing Portland has to a European-style bikeway."

However, cyclists still need to be very alert; the construction is not completely done. There are some patches of dirt along the roadside awaiting finishing touches, and some friends of mine witnessed a bike crash last night due to this unfinished dirt-sidewalk interface.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Save the Osprey Nest

Neighbors, did you know we are in danger of losing our osprey nest?

This is due to the expiration of the temporary permit for the nest platform pole. There is a small article on the Zidell website telling the story of the current platform.

Please see the note below from Carol Otis outlining the situation. If you want to help, you can send a message to Commissioner Nick Fish asking for an appeal.

"Dear Friends of SWF Osprey, 

Attached is one of the last videos I took of the osprey adults and the chick in September 1, 2011 before they left for migration. 

PDC Grocery Market Analysis

On the SoWa grocery store topic, the results are back from a recent market study conducted for the Portland Development Commission to identify new grocery sites and potential grocer candidates for 4 areas: RiverPlace, OHSU/ZRZ, PSU, and 10th & Belmont.

The study gives the following Recommendations / Key Findings:
"1. Prioritize locating a full service grocer in the PSU District, specifically near the 4th & Harrison intersection, with a minimum 20,000 SF footprint and full amenities. The strongest candidates are Market of Choice and New Seasons. They have the capacity, experience and product offerings with the greatest appeal to the university demographic.
2.  With a creative, flexible operator, a smaller store can potentially succeed in the South Waterfront. New Seasons and Barbur World Foods have both expressed interest.
3.  A full service store could be accommodated in South Waterfront with the addition of 10,000 new residents to the existing 3,000 South Waterfront residents (assuming 100 percent occupancy)."

"Based on market data and grocer responses, a site located in PSU, such as the 4th & Harrison site, is the most attractive site for a store location in the immediate future. Grocers anticipate being able to readily pull from the immediate PSU consumer base as well as from residents of the West Hills neighborhood and South Waterfront area, to some extent. A South Waterfront location also holds some promise for a full service store over the longer term and a smaller specialty convenience grocer in the near term. The RiverPlace site was of limited interest, and grocers had no interest in the 10th & Belmont site."

Looks like we'll stick with Burlingame Freddy's , Zupan's on Macadam, and our little Urbana Market for awhile.