Recent events in Portland’s water world have been exciting, controversial and downright confusing. November’s E. coli scare and Boil Water Notice caused neighbors to question the safety of Portland's drinking water—questions that made Portland’s ongoing reservoir and treatment debates relevant to a wider audience. But, what are these debates all about? Should our water storage system be covered? Should more...

CALENDAR ADVISORY Save the Date! Portland Plan Phase II Workshops The Portland Plan will be the City's road map for the next 25 years, guiding our direction as the city grows and changes. We face some real challenges, and our response to those challenges will create the Portland of 2035—the city of our children and grandchildren. We understand that jobs, education, public health, equity and sustainability are more...

Today, Commissioners Saltzman, Leonard and Fish joined with Mayor Sam Adams in expressing their support for a proposal to kick-start funding for the city's new bicycle transportation plan. The final vote on the funding proposal will take place at the second reading of the ordinance next week. Today's proposal follows Mayor Adams' commitment to bring a funding proposal back to City Council within thirty days of last more...

The City of Portland, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, today released two locally produced Public Service Announcements to encourage Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) households to fill out their 2010 Census forms. Portland is the only city in the nation to produce a public service announcement in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct outreach to the LGBT community about the Census and changes to more...

I have a dear friend (who shall remain unnamed) who credits kombucha with curing her lifelong bout with flatulence. Knowing nearly nothing about the fermented elixir, but thankful for its effect on my friendship, I was intrigued when offered a sample at Whole Foods recently. Now, this wasn’t just any sample. It was a sample of what appears to be a new tea trend brewing in town: kombucha on tap. A BRIEF more...

Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition recently received a grant from the East Multnomah County Soil and Water Conservation District to install raingardens and a vegetated parking lot swale to treat stormwater runoff. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the impact our building and grounds have on the environment, and to create an attractive pocket park for our neighbors. Volunteer work parties will be organized starting more...

In June 2009, Portland Stock made an unforgetable splash into the blogosphere and Portland art scene with this intriguing post: “Stock: Clear soup broth, investment, estimation, faith, gathering, accumulation, appraisal, cash, assets, a stem, tree, or plant that furnishes slips or cuttings. Ancestry, lineage. Merchandise.” This creative, vibrant grassroots public dinner event boldly aspires to be and embrace each of more...

Like two rivers merging together, Portland’s breakfast scene and food cart movement are starting to create a flood of fabulous, outdoor options for your morning meal. While it’s hard to keep up with the flow, here’s an attempt to show you around the burgeoning world of breakfast food carts. It all started with the waffle, really. Way back in 2006, food carts were already happening when FlavourSpot appeared on more...

Guest post by Irvington neighbor Sharon Eldridge. If you have been to downtown’s Central Library recently, you may have noticed something: fewer library staff and no DVDs on hold in the lobby checkout area. And what was the checkout isn’t even the checkout anymore. Now, we're supposed to use self-checkout stations in the center of the lobby to check out our materials. All hold materials are now kept in the 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...