Leah Barbaree's blog

Staff Associate, Leah BarbareeWhen I applied for an internship with Sam Adams, I honestly didn't know who he was. (Yup, I was one of the ones who said, "I'm applying to work at a brewery?") Now that my internship is over, I know how lucky I am to have worked with Commissioner Adams and his staff. I leave with new friends, invaluable experience, and more confidence in my ability to a positive influence on the community.

Sam Adams joins Francie Royce, Debbie Caselton, Lenny Anderson and Gregg Everhart (left to right) for the ribbon cuttingA new extension of the Greenway Trail opened in 2006 on Swan Island. The new 3/8-mile section, known as the "Going to the River Trail" is located between the Willamette River and North Going Street. The trail is accessed near the big pipe pump station Swan Island's industrial area. Trail goers can enjoy a scenic view of the Fremont Bridge and appreciate the beauty of the spot that was formerly a superfund site.

The local cycling community is working with Sam and his team to organize a cohesive strategy for growing the local cycling industry at even greater rates in 2007.

The strategy is part of the effort to make Portland the first city to receive Platinum Status as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists. The Portland Platinum Steering Committee and PDOT, chaired by Sam, organized the first Portland Bike Summit, held last June, and called for the Bicycle Industry Growth Report that was released at the Summit.

A bike light parade on Alberta St. kicked off the campaignOur office began working with staff from PDOT's Transportation Options since October on the "See and Be Seen" bike light safety campaign. The project sprung from a similar campaign the Commissioner and his Chief of Staff Tom Miller saw in Amsterdam called "Licht Aan!" (Lights On!). Upon seeing these advertisements, the cycling and traffic safety advocate in Sam popped up and said, "Hey, Portland could use something like that!"

Sam filming the introduction for the Clean River Rewards videoThe Bureau of Environmental Services is launching a Clean Water River Rewards Program that will offer new incentives for homes and businesses to make their property more eco-friendly. Eligible accounts will be able to receive up to 35% percent off their monthly stormwater management fee. As part of the program, BES is putting together two informational videos for the website. One will lead you through how to fill out the registration form and the other describes ways to make your property more stormwater safe. There are separate versions of each video for residential and business property owners. All versions begin with a clip of Sam introducing the program and talking about the importance of stormwater management.

275 ft pedestrian bridge takes you safely over McLaughlin BlvdStreet girder bridge provides quick passage over Johnson CreekPre-fab bowed truss bridge over Union Pacific RailroadYesterday morning was the dedication of the Springwater Corridor Trail's three new bridges. I gathered with a congregation of local Parks supporters that included bikers, walkers, toddlers, seniors, and pets who turned out for the event. It was the culmination of over a year of hard work and planning that went into the challenging task of constructing the pedestrian bridges. Each bridge has a unique design and traverses a different type of terrain.