This is the second article in a series (read the first article) about how landlords and their present and potential commercial tenants can work together to create vibrant, livable neighborhoods. As a topic, the relationships between landlords and their tenants is a dicey one, because neither lessor nor lessee seem interested in speaking about it publicly. If there’s any grumbling, it's often whispered to friends, family or more...

This is the final installment in a series about the steps small business owners need to take before hiring their first employee. If you’ve already taken a hard look at your business and determined the right time to hire your first employee as well as figured thevalue your time, you’ve done the heavy lifting. "For a sole proprietor or someone who has a boutique, there's really not a lot invested in bringing in that more...

This is the second article in a series about neighborhood branding. In the first article we explored outsiders’ perceptions of your neighborhood and began to think about how we can change misperceptions. We will now continue to dig deeper into the process of changing the perception of your neighborhood. Potentially dubbed the "Independent Republic of St. Johns" or the "Best Little Town in Portland," the St. more...

Event date: May 1, 2012 → May 31, 2012

Event location: The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO) will host free spay/neuter clinics for feral and stray cats in the four-county area—Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark—throughout the entire month of May. Space is limited so call today! Why May? In the spring months, cats begin to breed and are more likely to produce kittens. Cats can reproduce as early as five months old, but can be safely spayed and neutered at two more...

Event date: May 27, 2012

Event location: Albina Early Head Start (Normandale), 909 NE 52nd Ave.

A rain garden is a sunken garden bed that captures stormwater and allows it to soak back into the ground naturally Learn how a rain garden can add beauty to your yard and help restore overloaded urban streams at the same time. Part of a larger effort to reduce stormwater runoff and pollution from entering local waterways, this workshop provides step-by-step details on how to plan, design and build your own rain garden. You’ll more...