Michael Oakes's blog

Put your non-perishables in the mail this Saturday

Michael Oakes — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:35:03 -0700

Send your food Saturday!This Saturday presents one of the easiest and most effective ways to help combat hunger: Simply put your non-perishable food items in a bag out with the mail and let your letter carrier take care of the rest.

Participate in the 15th annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive, the largest one-day food donation in the country. Carriers and volunteers will collect food in more than 10,000 communities in all 50 states and deliver to food banks, pantries and shelters in the communities where the donations are collected. All food donated in Oregon benefits the Oregon Food Bank Network.

Last year carriers netted 70.5 million pounds of food, the third consecutive year they've collected more than 70 million pounds. Since 1993, the drive has collected more than 765.5 million pounds of food to help hungry families.

Non-perishable foods might include canned meat, fish and soup, and boxed cereal, pasta and rice, among other items.

Roger Geller's Takeaway from the National Bike Summit in D.C.

Michael Oakes — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:08:01 -0700

Here's what Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator for the Portland Department of Transportation, took away from the 2007 National Bike Summit over the Ides of March in Washington D.C. Highlights include creative funding strategies for bicycle initiatives and information on bike programs from a legislative POV.

VIDEO: Pedestrian Wayfinding System Up and Running

Michael Oakes — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:48:12 -0700

Until recently if you were a visitor to Portland looking for Powell's Books you may have had a tough go at it. That is, until Portland's new Pedestrian Wayfinding system popped up to help keep visitors and non-visitors alike on the right path.

The 102-sign sytem, projected to go city-wide eventually, aims to enhance and make simpler Portland's already walkable style, as well as to highlight some potentially unkown destinations for visitors. The system spans five districts: Downtown, Portland State University, The Pearl, Old Town/ China Town and the Rose Quarter. The two-sided signs stand almost seven feet and are color-coated by district. An enlarged, easy-to-read map will point you to between 70 and 80 destinations, all of which are public except three: Pioneer Place Mall, Lloyd Center and Powell's. The signs also give directions to transit.

While the Wayfinding system -- a joint City/ Portland Development Commission project -- is ostensibly in place, 15 signs slated to fit on the bus mall will go up after construction there is completed in 2009. Also, local businesses still have a chance to attach their names to the system: for $200/ year, your business name can go on one side of the sign -- $400 for both sides. The sponsorship goes toward maintenance and expansion of the system while giving businesses a chance to advertise. Click here for more details on how to involve your business.

Join the Transportation Conversation

Michael Oakes — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:24:51 -0800

Join Sam and staff from the Portland Department of Transportation to talk about transportation funding priorities -- specifically through the Transportation System Development Charge (TSDC) program.

The event is from 4:00 to 7:30. At 5:15, Sam will give an overview of the TSDC program. PDOT staff will be on hand to talk about how TSDC works and what projects qualify for TSDC funds, as well as to hear what projects you think should be City priorities.

Join the conversation today, February 21, at St. Philip Neri Parish, Carvlin Hall, 2408 SE 16th (near SE 18th and Division), Portland.

Portland, Meet Walt and Jean

Michael Oakes — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:29:07 -0800

Jean Richardson was the first woman in Oregon to earn a Civil Engineering degreeIt was a ceremonious scene on the second floor of City Hall: Two pioneers of their respective fields stood proud and smiled as Sam announced the new tram cars would be named in their honor.

So, Portland, we give you Jean and Walt.

Jean Richardson, the first woman to graduate with a Civil Engineering degree in Oregon, and whose tram car will be named "Jean," said she hoped that her name on the tram would remind women how far they've come in the last half-century and encourage them to continue to infiltrate the engineering world.

Walt Reynolds was first African American to earn a medical degree from OHSUThe car dubbed "Walt" was named for Walter Reynolds, the first African American to graduate from the University of Oregon Medical School, now called Oregon Health and Science University. Walt said he wasn't so excited about being recognized for his individual acheivement. Rather, he hoped the tram car would represent progress in minority hiring practices and remind people it wasn't so long ago there were little-to-no medical professionals of color.

The press conference also highlighted the names given to the two tram stations. Chameffu (pronounced: tcham-EH-foo), meaning "on the mountain," is derived from the Tualatin/Yamhill/Kalapuya native language and will represent the upper station. The same language was used to name the lower station, dubbed Chamanchal (tcha-mAHn-tchal), which means "on the river." Nichole Maher, Executive Director of the Native American Youth and Family Center, said it has been decades since the city named anything using a local Native American language, and that the names represent a great honor.

Stephen Leflar, spokesperson for the Tram Naming Committee, spoke about the significance of using real pioneers who have bridged racial and gender-related divides, much like the tram serves as a bridge between South Waterfront and OHSU. He added: "To see a path where others don't, is visionary. To make that path into a bridge for others, is revolutionary, for it crosses the unseen chasm. The committe agreed these names would inspire all of us -- that we can improve our world."

Fourth-grader Jules Renaud, the youngest member of the naming Fourth-grader and tram naming committee member Jules Renaudcommittee, and who suggested we name the stations using words meaning mountain and river, also spoke. He thanked Sam for inviting him onto the committe, and encouraged more committees to bring in kids because "kids have good ideas." He said he knew plenty of kids, if we need them.

Sam, Walt and Jean will officially christen the tram cars Thursday, January 25 at 9:00 a.m. at the South Waterfront, or Chamanchal station.

This is the Oregonian article Tram twins: Meet two who soar
This is the Portland Tribune article Say hi to Jean and Walt
This is the KGW TV article City chooses names for new aerial tramcars

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