Month: February 2013

Man shot at with paintball gun and assaulted by man driving a car while riding in North Portland

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Here’s some crazy news… The Portland Police Bureau is looking for suspects tonight wanted in a hit-and-run and paintball shooting assault on N. Vancouver Avenue near Skidmore.

According to a police statement, the suspects fired several shots at 36-year-old Ricardo Medina of Vancouver, Washington while he was riding his bike. Luckily, none of the shots hit him. The statement says suspects were driving a light-colored, 4-door newer Honda Civic. They pulled up next to Medina before shooting at him. After the initial incident, the suspects in the car returned for a second time and the driver used the car as a weapon against Mr. Medina. Here’s how the police describe what happened:

“The victim told police that the suspect vehicle came back around the block so he got off his bicycle and confronted them about the shooting. The victim told police that he was off his bike standing in front of the car, when the driver began to drive forward slowly pushing the victim backwards.

The driver then put the car in reverse, backed up to Skidmore Street, then sped away westbound on Skidmore.”

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Willamette Week vs. The Oregonian on the CRC

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Watch the clip below from Friday’s excellent OPB show, Think Out Loud. It features Willamette Week editor Mark Zusman and Oregonian editorial and commentary editor Erik Lukens discussing the Columbia River Crossing.

For context, the Willamette Week has been dogging this project for a log time and has done more than any other media outlet to raise questions about it. Meanwhile, The Oregonian Editorial Board has written 38 glowingly positive articles about the CRC, many of them simply parroting talking points put out by ODOT and CRC staff.

Watch The O’s Lukens respond to a question about the shaky tolling projections (which he admits are problematic) and then listen how he goes right into the CRC talking points. It sure is an amazing willingness to endorse a project with extremely shaky financial from a paper with a very conservative editorial board:

After this clip, Zusman went on to share that his paper is working on a story about how Governor Kitzhaber — one of the project’s biggest cheerleaders — privately despises the project. I’m really looking forward to reading more about that.

Black Schwinn Cruiser 80’s

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Year: 80’s
Brand: Schwinn
Model: Cruiser
Color:Black
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-02-25
Stolen From: 70th + Powell Blvd
Neighborhood: mid-county east side
Owner: Tonya Barker
OwnerEmail: star23sirius(at sign)yahoo.com
Description: 80’s Black Schwinn Cruiser with white wall tires, front basket and bike + hike sticker.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Hunch leads to purchase of stolen bike and a happy ending

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Jennifer got her bike back.
(Photo: Jennifer Plaza)

Add this to the many ways stolen bikes get recovered…

On Sunday night, Timo Forsberg and his friend Vivian Yuan were chatting on NE 28th Street when a “shady dude” approached and offered to sell them a nice road bike. It was a Trek 2200, which retails for about $1,000. “He asked for $250,” recalled Timo’s fiance Esther Harlow in an email to us about the incident. “And it seemed way too nice for some guy trying to sell it on the street late at night.”

With a strong hunch that the bike might be stolen, Timo tracked down the seller a few minutes later, expressed interest in the bike, and eventually talked him down to $55. With the bike in hand, Timo and Esther left the bike at a friend’s house nearby and then posted a “Found bike” notice on Craigslist at 11:40 pm Sunday night:

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Grey/Black with red Novara eXpress 2008

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Year: 2008
Brand: Novara
Model: eXpress
Color:Grey/Black with red
Size:51 cm
Serial:F812F0635
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74743787@N03/8552767514/in/photostream
Stolen in Portland, OR 97204
Stolen:2013-02-25
Stolen From: SW Oak and 6th parking garage
Neighborhood: Downtown
Owner: Kelly Schneider
OwnerEmail: kelly.schneider13@gmail.com
Reward: yes
Description: It is mostly grey and black with some red markings – carbon fiber fork, and clipless/flat Shimano pedals. It had wheel lights (one small green Nite Ize No See’Em and one Red Nite Ize Spokelit spoke light on front and back wheels. I also had a seat bag (Novara) with tools in it, fenders and a rack. I had replaced the rear derailleur and tires so they are slightly different than stock.

Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: 13-151399
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

ODOT, TriMet team up for new fence on I-205 path at Gateway

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The new fence will help separate the path on the
left from the transit center on the right.

ODOT, TriMet and the Portland Police Bureau Transit Police Division have teamed up on a project that will install a new fence along the I-205 multi-use path at the Gateway Transit Center.

According to ODOT, the six-foot high, 600 feet long fence will be installed within the existing planter strip up against the backside of the curb just west of the TriMet bus stop and adjacent to the I-205 path. The primary reason for the project is to improve safety and to prevent conflicts between I-205 path users and transit users who often use the path while waiting for buses and MAX rides.

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Job: Bike Tour Guide Worldwide – Trek Travel

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Job Title
Bike Tour Guide Worldwide

Company/Organization
Trek Travel

Job Description
TREK TRAVEL, the world’s leading cycling tour company is currently looking for individuals who are passionate about people, cycling and travel to lead unforgettable bicycle vacations for us this season in North America and Europe! Our current season runs from mid-April through mid-November.

Application DEADLINE: March 1, 2013.

How to Apply
If you are interested in finding out what it takes, please read the full Job Description and “Apply Online” here:
http://www.trektravel.com/employment-guides.php

Good luck!

Oregon House passes CRC bill 45-11

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“We can see a return on our investment tomorrow that far exceeds our investment today… This can be our ‘great bridge’.”
— Rep. Tobias Read

By a vote of 45-11, the Oregon House of Representatives voted this morning in support of HB 2800. There was not much debate about the bill, and except for an extremely critical take-down of the project by northeast Portland Democrat Lew Frederick, it sailed through with glowing praise.

Only two Democrats in the entire Oregon House — Reps Lew Frederick (NE Portland) and and Carolyn Tomei (Milwaukie) — voted against the project.

The presentation of the bill in the House chamber began with co-chairs of the Joint Committee on I-5 Bridge Replacement Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario) and Tobias Read (D-Beaverton).

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Kitzhaber’s pro-CRC stance belies previous position on highway expansions

John Kitzhaber acceptance speech-5

In 1997, Governor Kitzhaber said, “It’s time
we challenged the idea that says we
can build our way out of congestion by adding
more freeway lanes.”
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The strong support being given to the $3.4 billion Columbia River Crossing highway expansion project by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber represents a u-turn from his previous positions. The two-time governor was once considered a progressive thinker when it came to transportation. Comments made during his first term as Governor now seem at odds with his strong support for HB 2800, the “CRC bill” that passed a vote in the Oregon House this morning.

On February 13th, during the first of two hearings on HB 2800, Kitzhaber sounded like a staffer for the CRC project. He rattled off all the talking points one by one and painted a picture for lawmakers of dire urgency if the project fails to move forward immediately.

“We must seize this opportunity to get a huge return on investment in Oregon’s future,” he said, “It’s time to build a bridge.” Kitzhaber said the project is “construction ready” (even though CRC staff themselves say it’s only at a 30% design) and that it will, “Increase mobility” and “Fix one of the worst bottlenecks of any highway system in the U.S.”

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