City wants to clean up the Clown House
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on October 18th, 2005 at 1:36 pm
According to the blog of our dearest bike-loving clown, Dingo Dizmal, the City of Portland wants the Clown House to clean up its act. The city thinks a yard strewn with wonderfully mutated tall bikes and other crazy props that have brought smiles to thousands of passersby is an eyesore. I beg to differ!
Among the increasingly sterile, yuppified development happening along Alberta Street, the Clown House is a welcome sight. Sure, it’s not the most well-kept place on the street, but it has a soul and just looking at the yard makes me smile whenever I go by. Too bad the City of Portland doesn’t see it the same way…or was it local business owners forcing their hand? Either way, I hope this isn’t the start of a general Clown House crackdown.
Dingo is hoping local bike lovers can stop by and save all the frames and parts from the City scrap heap. Here’s how Dingo puts it:
“…instead of using the bikes to provide cheap or free bikes to working people who need them, we gotta let them all go. I would sooner stick a wad of my own hair in a pipe and smoke it before letting the scrap guys melt the collection down and turn it into car parts so I need all of you back yard bike wrenchers and seat post pullers to come and get stuff.”
So all you tinkerers out there, make your way to 2425 NE Alberta (and bring a few dollars for the Clown House fund) if you’d like to pick up some parts.
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October 18th, 2005 14:05
"F" the clown house, they never sent me money to fix my car and now I'm stranded at Graceland.
They can all go to hell.
October 18th, 2005 14:45
This sucks! Keep the clown house a mess! Thats how we like it!
October 18th, 2005 14:55
You said it esq.
"F" em!
October 18th, 2005 15:39
City of Portland vs. Clown House.
Clown House
October 18th, 2005 15:55
absolutely outrageous. the clown house should be left as it is -- or crazier. the sterile, new construction around portland is the eyesore to me. sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, etc. works both ways.
i for one do not want all identical, straight-lined, square, polished environments in our city. i want a little life, a little spirit, a little creativity, a little spark. heck, i want a LOT of those things.
October 18th, 2005 23:17
More Clowns, less Bishops!!
October 19th, 2005 00:10
We need to take action against this tyranny. With the blessing of the clown house, we need to organize a protest before this "inspection" your property rights are being trampled on. this is a complete outrage! With the clown house and zoobombers i'm sure we can get 20+ people easy to show up. What do you say?
--
Frank
October 19th, 2005 10:46
I like both the new and the old buildings on Alberta. However, the clown house is definately one of sites of greatest interest and one of the few truly dynamic locales, and I would hate to see it change. I don't really see how it can be considered an eyesore when compared to the abondoned scrap-filled trucks on nearly every street.
October 19th, 2005 11:47
Certainly there must be a way to make noise in the other direction? The clown house is one of the reasons why I like being on Alberta St. so much.
October 19th, 2005 14:30
I guess I'll be checking the Dizmal blog, but what exactly are the ordanances in effect here. Generally speaking, if something is behind a fence the authorities have considerably less leverage to tell property owners what to do.
October 20th, 2005 11:55
Hey friends (and Pepto) Thanks so much for your well wishes and concern (not Pepto). We just want to give Portland the present of a good time with a heavy dose of "Bike Powered Fun".
The truth is, we live on prime real estate and the greedy contractors dont care that we teach welding for free or champion a life style thats car free. They seem to hate us for not enjoying the rat race with them. Maybe they get a kick out of us but not so much that they wouldn't hassle the city into hasslin the landlord into booting us out. I bet they want to tear our place down and erect a parking lot for all the high end shopping and food.
We have always been a target, this happens when you are high profile. The thing I'm most afraid of losing is the elementry school we have in the basement. When the contractors file complaints with the city, they inspect and find money bags of violations, they make money, the developers strong arm property and the Alberta kids end up schooling elsewhere. That sucks because the class room is really cool.
I'm a fighter (and a lover rrrrraw!) and I'm going to use all the help thats offered from you nice people to battle the foes of the C.H.
Our participation in Last Thursday has been cancled. They want to "inspect" us on the day after the biggest street party of the month, so they win that battle. I smell a conspiracy.
Thanks again friends
Dingo
October 27th, 2005 11:49
[...] [see this post for background on this issue] [...]
April 28th, 2006 09:10
[...] Despite some scary and somber times last October, I’m happy to report that bikey shenanigans and mayhem are alive and well at the Alberta Clown House. Last night was the first warm and dry Last Thursday celebration of the year and the Clowns and all their friends took full advantage. [...]