LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Coyotes among us remain a risk to cats

Editor,

I live down on S.E. 9th Avenue, and have noticed a lot of new posters from owners looking for their missing cats. Given the proliferation of composting and urban chicken farmers in the areas, I wonder if maybe the area has a problem with coyotes. We also ran down a young coyote on 99 near Tacoma in broad daylight. We have also seen them sitting at the Eastmoreland Golf course gazing lovingly at the geese. One of our neighbors claims to hear them when he walks his dog at dusk near Garthwick.

B. Stevens & R. Barcikowski

via e-mail

Editor,

I took this picture [above] through my window — a half block from Woodstock Park. It’s the second time I’ve seen this guy in two weeks….

Mickey Oakley

Via e-mail

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the photo was low-resolution, you can still clearly see ribs showing down the side of this hungry coyote. It is a useful reminder — once again — to keep cats and small animals INDOORS at night everywhere in Inner Southeast Portland.]

Planned apartment house causes alarm

Editor,

As a resident in my Westmoreland home for the past 27 years, I am shocked to learn that my neighborhood’s intrinsic values are under attack by a mega apartment development, which includes up to a hundred individual units on four floors in a half block footprint. This developments will not be obligated to provide any off-street parking to their renters.

My residence is just across the street from this [planned] development on S.E. 16th [between Glenwood] and Claybourne. A Re/Max real estate broker has suggested that my residence would immediately lose upwards of 35% of its current value if this development is constructed. This, in addition to the spill-over of parking, noise and crime, has our immediate neighborhood in alarm. Neighbors received a six page PDF from Portland’s Bureau of Planning which details the above mentioned development. We found in the FAQ section regarding neighborhood response that these developments are generally allowed by right and do not require a land use review. Neighbors can only share concerns with the developers through our neighborhood associations and district coalition offices.

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has recently been hit with two successive 50% cuts to personnel and budget, leaving only a few specialized individuals in critical support roles. So, the overriding question becomes how is it possible that there are, all at once, close to twenty of these developments now in process [across the city] without adequate provisions for challenge?

This has left Portland’s historic homeowners realizing, one after the other, that this city has abandoned its livability standards and protections for neighborhoods by creating erosion prone zoning that goes far in excess of reasonable infill. This city now stands in defiance of the character that currently-invested neighbors have sought to build and maintain. It was that character which drew us here, as sure as it has been, to this point, the attraction for others with similarly legitimate interests to buy in as homeowners. In spite of us, Goliath developments are being granted incontestable dominion.

Gary and Jean Wilson

S.E. 16th Avenue

via e-mail

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The plan by a developer to build a two-story condominium complex on the space currently occupied by four houses apparently has fallen through, and reportedly that developer plans to sell the space to another one, to build the four-story complex of mostly-studio-apartments described above. The property is zoned “commercial”, which evidently removes the requirement to provide parking for buildings built there. At last report, the sale had not yet been completed, and SMILE and its land-use committee were looking into any available options for the neighbors to have standing with the city for consideration of such objections.]

More about church “homeless” plan

Editor,

Ken Miller [July “Letters”, BEE] spoke to the wrong person when he did his research on the St. Vincent de Paul Overnight Parking Program in Eugene. Misinformation that he reported about the program in his July letter needs to be corrected.

The successful service in Eugene is being held up by Commissioner Nick Fish and Moreland Presbyterian Church as a good model for the pilot project approved by city commissioners. The local church’s proposal is to invite one homeless woman, with her children, to sleep in her car in the relative safety of the church parking lot until she can move to permanent housing. The church’s guests will be screened by JOIN, the agency which is working with them to arrange a traditional home.

The program in Eugene is administered by St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, through its First Place Family Center. Anyone curious about the project in Eugene should check online: HYPERLINK “http://www.svdp.us/what-we-do/homeless-services/overnight-parking-program” www.svdp.us/what-we-do/homeless-services/overnight-parking-program — better yet, call director Diane Wise at the Center at 541/342-7728. She is baffled by the misinformation circulating in Portland concerning their program, and she has not been contacted by any opponents of the Moreland plan.

St. Vincent de Paul does receive 600-700 calls a year to report problems with homeless people in Eugene. These calls are followed up by another office at St. V, which sends a worker to see if St. V can be of service to the homeless folks in question. These calls cover the entire large homeless population in Eugene — not the small group of families participating in the sleeper program.

Mr. Miller also reported that there are no parking locations in the Eugene program that abut residential areas. While many sites in Eugene are commercial lots — businesses appreciate the deterrence to vandals of having a car in their lots — Diane Wise confirms that a significant number of their locations are at churches in residential neighborhoods.

Eugene’s neighbor, Springfield, has seen close-up how the Eugene program works, and has started its own overnight program.

Mr. Miller concluded his letter with the comment that, “…the above facts make me fearful.” The picture of “domestic abuse, violence, assault, substance abuse” drawn in his letter may have made a lot of people unnecessarily fearful. I hope correct information will reassure some folks.

There is plenty to worry about these days, but a homeless woman sleeping in a church parking lot is way down the list.

Rebecca Mowe

Westmoreland neighbor and MPC member

via e-mail

Bikes Rolling at Llewellyn

Editor,

Things are rolling at Llewellyn Elementary School, literally. This spring Llewellyn was the source and beneficiary of lots of bike riding, planning, supporting and donating. This spring marked the third Safe Routes to School initiative, which is a partnership of the City of Portland, schools, neighborhoods, community organizations and agencies that advocate for and implement programs that make walking and biking around our neighborhoods and schools fun, easy, safe, and healthy for all students and families, while reducing our reliance on cars.

In its third year, we tallied a number of firsts for the school, as well as one for the city! The point of the initiative is to encourage, support and track student walking and biking participation over the month of May. The participation numbers we tallied firmly puts Llewellyn in the top tier of school participation rates throughout the city. Next year we are hoping to increase ridership throughout the year and during the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s annual challenge opportunities, with ongoing events and more support for our students.

In addition to participating in the challenge, our goal was to organize a Llewellyn Bike Train, which is akin to creating a bus route, without the bus! Our first Bike Train was to celebrate Earth Day. It was so much fun, we decided it should take place every Friday. Thanks to parent Dean Hanel, we created a Llewellyn Bike Train specific map that is being expanded into a Community Transportation and Asset Map for this coming school year. Our goal was to coordinate what we believe the city’s first Kidical Mass Bike Train, which took place on the last late Wednesday of the year. Using newly designated pickup points and times, our Kidical Mass Bike Train grew to well over one hundred participants!

To cap off the events of the spring, the Masonic Lodge facilitated a very generous donation to Llewellyn Elementary of twelve bikes and helmets. Those donations created excitement (and some tears) for our students to participate in a new Read to Ride initiative facilitated by Llewellyn Elementary’s teachers. Our thanks appreciation go out to our friends at the local Masonic Lodge, Sellwood Cycle Repair, The Bike Commuter, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the City of Portland, and the many individuals young and old for their generous time, energy and resources.

Philip Krain

Llewellyn Safe Routes to School Coordinator

via e-mail

Comment about Harold Street light rail station

Editor,

I for one thoroughly agree with your assessment of the Harold Street MAX station in your editorial in the June issue of THE BEE. However, I did not know of the Reedway Street right-of-way potential [a foot/bike bridge over the Union Pacific tracks could connect Reedway on both sides of the railroad, giving access to such a station to and from Reed College and the Reed neighborhood], and that is exciting to me.

As a cyclist, I would love to be able to utilize the culture and excellent campus grounds of Reed College via a McLoughlin overpass, without endangering life and limb biking the narrow bike lane on very busy Bybee Boulevard.

Therefore, is it possible you could publish for your concerned readers a light rail person’s name, address, phone number and/or e-mail address that we could contact to express our desire for such an overpass and station. Grassroot groups have power to change situations when enough people take the time and effort to get involved. May this be such a situation.

June Oakley

Westmoreland

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We have asked for advice on this question from various community figures, but have mainly gotten suggestions to contact TriMet or neighborhood association persons who already are well aware of the SMILE and Reed neighborhoods’ interest in seeing the “possible” Harold Street Station actually be built as the MAX line is constructed — but who are not themselves in a position to do anything about it other than continuing to advocate or to explain the TriMet position. Our own instinct is to take such individual suggestions “to the top” in an organization. There are a number of e-mail addresses shown under the “contact us” link at: HYPERLINK “http://www.trimet.gov” www.trimet.gov — under “offices and departments”. TriMet headquarters, themselves, are located on S.E. 17th just north of Holgate, in the Brooklyn neighborhood.]

Eastmoreland Garden Club had good year

Editor,

The Eastmoreland II Garden Club ended a successful year with a luncheon at the home of Nancy Carr. The officers for 2012-2013 were installed: President Kellie Jenkins, Vice President Amy Lusson, Secretary Annie Lind, Treasurer Janine Settelmeyer. Community activities included the weekly placement of fresh flowers in Woodstock Library, and giving financial support to the local Food Bank. Our only fund raiser is in conjunction with Lewis Elementary School Spring Plant Sale. Regular monthly meetings are held on the third Wednesdays of each month, September through May at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Hall, on C. Chavez Blvd [39th] at 10:30 am. Since the public is always welcome, I would like to ask those interested to e-mail to: HYPERLINK “mailto:eastmoreland2gc@gmail.com” eastmoreland2gc@gmail.com, if you would like to join us for lunch.

Genie Willis

via e-mail

…And, about Genie Willis herself…

Editor,

Metropolitan Garden Club member, and new Southeast Portland Rotarian, Dr. B.E. “Genie” Willis was a welcome guest at Columbia River Correctional Institute in Portland In May. On her second visit to the prison with me, Genie gave a well-prepared class on beekeeping. Anyone who has seen Genie’s huge food garden next to her home in Woodstock knows that she has kept bees for many years, and was instrumental in getting the city regulations in place that allow this in residential yards. A retired family physician, Genie focuses her energy on her garden and other good work — and bee keeping and honey making are part of her daily life.

“I became interested in your program as it was along the line of one I knew of that was teaching in the trades area, i.e. welding, carpentry and field farming,” Genie said of her class at the prison. “Producing food for the group was an excellent way to provide a positive rather than a negative lifestyle change.

“People make mistakes, and they take the consequences, but they are still human beings with a measure of dignity. They are capable of learning, if opportunities are presented to them. Charity begins at home — not overseas. We need more positive programs with volunteers.”

There were about 15 inmates in the class, and there was a lot of anticipation leading up to it. Genie’s quiet authority was a lovely role model for them, and on her last visit they all responded really well to her. Genie seemed to bring up a lot of nice memories about grandmothers, they were telling stories for days about gardening they had done as kids with grandparents.

There were a lot of very intelligent questions, a good discussion, and she brought a color booklet about bee keeping that was originally prepared for elementary school students. She will be back to teach a berry class, and other volunteers from the community are also welcome to come and talk about the topic of their choice.

The nonprofit “Lettuce Grow”, which I represent, uses volunteers to bring horticulture classes into nine Oregon prisons, and graduated 50 inmates this year from the OSU master Gardener class. Learn more online at HYPERLINK “http://www.lettucegrow.org”www.lettucegrow.org

Sarah Patterson, Director

Lettuce Grow Garden Foundation

Kudos on wedding anniversary

Editor,

[Re: July “Letter to the Editor” on the 60th wedding anniversary of Fred and Margaret Floyd of Southeast Portland]: Fred and Margaret!! On seeing their picture in THE BEE we of course had to read the letter. Their sons’ announcement of their parents’ 60th wedding anniversary closes with a mention of “the couple’s faith in the Lord, their commitment to each other, and their love of family.” Well, that love extends well beyond their immediate family. You will likely never meet a gentler, kinder more loving couple than the Floyds — we certainly haven’t. Congratulations and our very best wishes to this wonderful couple.

Tom and Sue Roth

via e-mail

Off to medical school

Editor,

They used to run notices of neighborhood kids going off to graduate school — not sure if they still do, but here it is just in case… Phillip Norton, a lifelong resident of Eastmoreland, was recently accepted into the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s M.D. program. Phillip had attended Holy Family, La Salle Catholic Preparatory, and graduated maxima cum laude from the University of Portland. He would like send a special thank you to all the wonderful teachers he has had over the years.

The Norton Family

via e-mail

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Alas, no, we don’t do that anymore. But congratulations anyway!]

All letters to the editor are subject to editing for clarity and available space, and all letters become property of THE BEE.