Citizens from all parts of Portland were afforded the opportunity to learn about, and weigh in on, the 2010-2011 budget process during three separate community budget forums held throughout the first week of March. The events were held at Montgomery Park in Northwest, Mt. Scott Community Center in Southeast and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization’s community space in Northeast.

 The City’s Office of more...

The City of Portland’s SmartTrips program is revving up for another successful year as the SmartTrips Green Line program gets underway at the end of March. SmartTrips is an individualized marketing program sponsored by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The program, which was implemented by the city in 2004, is designed to reduce drive-alone trips by increasing biking, walking, carpooling and public transportation more...

Plans call for doubling recycling, robust sustainability efforts, new jobs and benefits at Metro Central transfer station For the first time since it opened in 1990, operations at the Metro Central solid waste transfer station are changing hands. Metro and Recology Oregon Recovery Inc. have signed an estimated $38 million, seven-year contract that will signal considerable changes for the northwest Portland facility that takes in more...

First the of possession of marijuana was decriminalized, then growing and using marijuana for medical purposes was legalized (with a permit), and then the nation’s first Cannabis Café, where card holders can go to socialize and smoke pot, opened in the Woodlawn neighborhood. So many groundbreaking changes to Oregon law in a relatively short time, I couldn’t help but wonder how things were going for law enforcement more...

From City Repair: This year’s Village Building Convergence (VBC) theme is INTERSECTION: Reclaiming the Crossroads. We want to help you reclaim your own crossroads, to transform the spaces you live, work and play into beautiful meaningful places that will bring people closer and enrich our lives. We call this process “placemaking” and we’ve been helping people do it for 10 years and have built projects in more...

Jogging down NE Wygant between 19th and 20th one fine, crispy morning brought me to a screeching halt as a Grape Nehi inspired aroma wafted in the air around me. I ran back later that afternoon to see if it was my imagination; the sweetish purple-ish smell was there, but I was, alas, unable find its source. Portland’s neighborhoods not only have distinctive identities—business districts, architecture, more...

Margaret and Oliver's on SE Hawthorne is a fab vintage venue that opened for biz this fall—a volatile time for retail, especially when many have had to close their doors all over the city. But, Margaret and Oliver's has done steady business and, with the holiday shopping season officially here, they, like other retailers, certainly hope to do well. A few weeks before Black Friday (the official shopping season more...

A little friendly advice from Portland Parks and Recreation: The freezing temperatures Portlanders have been battling may finally be moving on, but now local weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of freezing rain or snow tonight and Saturday morning. Ice storms can turn the world into a winter wonderland, but there are real dangers that can occur from them. Freezing rain covers everything with a heavy coat more...

Recently, an Arlington Heights neighbor reported that his car was prowled, and that his garage door opener was used to access his home's attached garage—which provided access into the home. Fortunately, that did not happen. Northwest Portland Crime Prevention Coordinator Frank Silva counsels neighbors: "Please remember, some simple steps can greatly reduce your chances of being a victim of a car prowl. Car prowlers more...

Prostitution Advisory Council [Created December 2008 under advisement of City of Portland Commissioner Dan Saltzman] to present December 9th, 2009 9:30 AM, City Hall Chambers: In September 2007, the City of Portland, citing legal challenges, allowed it Prostitution Free Zone (PFZ) ordinance to sunset. The PFZ gave Portland Police Bureau officers authority to restrict prostituted individuals from being on or near 82nd Avenue. more...