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Q&A: Peter Andrews on Portland’s bike-powered office boom

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“If you’re serious” in Portland commercial real estate,
Melvin Mark broker Peter Andrews says, good
indoor bike parking is no longer optional.
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Portland’s central-city office market is soaring out of the recession, and bike, foot and transit access are driving its desirability.

“It’s the busiest I’ve ever seen our marketplace in 10 years,” says Peter Andrews, a broker for the major Portland-based real estate firm Melvin Mark.

An enthusiastic rider himself, Andrews has been finding bikes and low-car transportation spread through his professional life, too.

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‘Bullshit 100’ and the allure of off-pavement road riding – UPDATED

Bullshit 100 ride-2

The beautiful roads near North Plains
were a cakewalk compared to what was to come.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Riding “road” bikes on gravel and dirt roads is experiencing a major boom in popularity here in Oregon. On Sunday, I joined a dozen other intrepid riders for the “Women’s Bullshit 100” ride to found out why.

The BS 100 is one of a growing number of events on the annual calendar that lives in a hybrid space between official event and just a bunch of friends getting together for a ride. Thanks to a region full of bike adventure lovers, these type of rides are growing like weeds. A pioneer in this style is the Ronde PDX, an unsanctioned ride through Portland’s West Hills that attracts thousands of eager participants each year. Another prime example is VeloDirt, whose founder Donnie Kolb has become something of a legend for his epic annual events such as The Dalles Mountain 60 and the Oregon Stampede.

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‘Friends of Barbur’ plans ride, launches beer donation drive for hit-and-run victim

Friends of Barbur, a grassroots group working to make SW Barbur Blvd a safer place to drive, bike, and live, is doing what it can to support Henry Schmidt, the 20-year-old Lewis and Clark College student was hit and left for dead while walking his bike on Barbur early Friday morning.

Friends of Barbur is asking people to “Donate a beer for Henry for his 21st Birthday” via their website. Here’s more from an email they just sent out:

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Job: Membership Growth and Rides Coordinator – Cascade Bicycle Club

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Job Title
Membership Growth and Rides Coordinator

Company/Organization
Cascade Bicycle Club

Job Description
The Membership Program

Cascade Bicycle Club has been creating a better community through bicycling since 1970. With a membership of 15,000 people, Cascade is the largest bicycling organization of its kind in North America. Cascade envisions a community that bicycles – an inclusive, diverse and accepting community where people of all ages and backgrounds bicycle to work, to get around and for fun and health.

The Rides Program

Cascade’s Rides Program provides a variety of rides for the Club’s members and the cycling community in the Puget Sound area. Approximately 250 certified Ride Leaders lead nearly 2,000 free rides annually, all conducted under a set of common procedures. The Program also includes the Cascade Training Series (CTS). CTS consists of 16 weekend rides attracting approximately 500 riders each weekend and is designed to prepare riders for participation in the Club’s major events like the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP). The Rides Program is overseen by a volunteer Rides Committee whose Chair works with the Rides Director and Coordinator to plan and manage the Program. Together, the Coordinator and Director provide the interface between other Club staff and programs to ensure that the needs of the Rides Program are addressed and that the Rides Program in return is supporting the Club’s overall goals, mission, other staff activities and Club management processes.

Position Purpose

The Membership Growth and Rides Coordinator provides a resource to expand Cascade’s Rides Program to reach a greater geographical area and a larger and more varied riding community. He/she will work with the Rides Director to ensure the Rides Program’s alignment with the Club’s strategic plan. The Coordinator provides staff support and coordination for all activities and processes of the Rides Program as developed with the Rides Director and Rides Committee and approved by the Executive Director and Board of Directors as necessary. As a participant in the Rides Committee, its sub-committees and its activities, the Coordinator provides staff perspective and processes to the work of the committee to ensure that the Rides Program is fully supportive of the Club’s plans, goals and other Club activities. This is a working position designed to assist in accomplishing tasks that are beyond the capacity of the volunteer Rides Committee. As a staff member, the Coordinator reports to the Rides Director and represents the Rides Committee and its programs in normal staff processes to ensure that the Rides Program is well supported and represented. A major purpose of this position is to support the Rides Committee in planning and executing the Cascade Training Series.
Additionally, the Membership Growth and Rides Coordinator provides a resource to grow our membership significantly in the next two years through enrolling new members and improving member retention. The coordinator will engage with our members to determine how Cascade can best meet their needs as well as be a powerful advocate for our members. The selected individual will work with the Rides Directors to develop and implement a strategy to rapidly increase membership and improve membership retention.

Key Responsibilities

Membership Program:

-Keep membership database current – adding and tracking new memberships, renewal, changes of address and print lost cards.
-Prepare member mailing list for monthly newsletter.
-Maintain membership discount program: receive program updates from marketing and development, report program changes to newsletter editor/publications specialist and maintain list for members.
-Act as liaison with Volunteer Coordinator for volunteer activities, balancing volunteer’s interests with office needs.
-Track retention rates for members who are engaged through various marketing and pilot programs.
-Increase outreach to lapsed members.
Be the contact person on all membership publications.
-Implement trial membership programs in conjunction with local retail businesses.
-Work with businesses and Daily Rides Program to create membership benefits/discounts.
-Track results of specific mailings and campaigns over multiple years.
-Implement membership surveys to new, renewing and lapsed members.
-Recommend volunteers and members to the Major Gifts/Planned Giving Team as appropriate.
-Assess member satisfaction and develop a continuous process to increase member satisfaction.
-Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Rides Program:

-Participate in Rides Committee and sub-committee meetings and activities as needed to provide timely perspective on other club plans, goals and activities. -Participate in normal staff meetings, activities and processes to represent the needs and perspective of the Rides Program.
-Plan and manage the Cascade Training Series. All major duties involve planning and coordinating work by the Rides Director and Rides Program volunteers including the Rides Committee, Ride Leaders and others.
-Provide data collection, analysis and reports in support of the Rides Program.
-Become a certified Ride Leader and participate in selected free daily rides to provide feedback to the Rides Committee.
-Provide support for and participate in the Quarterly Ride Leader meetings.
-Review and approve ride submissions for the web and the Courier for accuracy and consistency with -policy.
-Work with the designated volunteer to manage the Ride Leader Incentive Awards program including the supporting statistics and awards inventory.
-Participate in regular staff meetings to represent the perspective and needs of the Rides Program.
-Participate in the Cascade Training Series (CTS) to acquire first hand experience necessary to sustain the program.
-Develop enhancements to the Series such as nutrition seminars, personalized training programs, and bike fit classes. Coordinate the execution of all enhancements.
-Develop and manage the CTS budget.
-Assess lessons learned after the CTS season to support the planning process and improvement for the subsequent season.

Employment Specifics

-Reports to and is supervised by the Rides Director.
-Full time salary position with majority of time spent on membership growth activities but may vary based on seasonal needs.
-Six month probationary performance review with annual review thereafter.
-Some evening and significant weekend work required, mostly on a seasonal basis.
-Monetary compensation commensurate with qualifications and experience.
-Benefits package.

Desired Qualifications and Skills

-Education: BA or equivalent. At least two years of relevant work experience with emphasis on team building and leading in complex organizations.
-Demonstrated ability to market and grow an operation.
-A mindset to improve systems and procedures to optimize workflow.
-Cascade certified ride leader or willingness to become certified.
-Strong recreational road bicycle experience is required.
-Excellent interpersonal skills.
-Excellent organizational skills including ability to manage multiple projects and work accurately under deadline.
-Flexible and creative.
-Microsoft Office and database management experience.
-Comfortable with a fast-paced environment and deadlines.
-Team player with a “go-getter” attitude and the ability to work independently.
-Familiarity with volunteer organizations and procedures desirable.

How to Apply
Email cover letter, resume and writing sample to membershipandrides@cascadebicycleclub.org with “Membership Growth and Rides Coordinator” in the subject field by August 30 or until filled.

Job: Sales/Mechanic – Seven Corners Cycles!

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Job Title
Sales/Mechanic

Company/Organization
Seven Corners Cycles!

Job Description
Now is your chance to work at Seven Corners Cycles! The job is only confirmed through the end of the summer, but might expand into full time, permanent if we can find the right fit. Here is what the job entails:

1. SALESFLOOR. The most important part. You will be one of the primary sales floor people, so be ready to talk to all kinds of people, all day. Understand that politeness is of the utmost…

2. Merchandising. You will be helping with store cleaning, stocking and not-so-exciting but still super important salesfloor upkeep.

3. Bike assembly. New in boxes. Please have some form of mechanical aptitude, as well as an interest in learning.

In return for your fine work, you will not only receive financial compensation, but will also enjoy wholesale pricing on bike parts, sweet resume fodder, dogs, and a fair bit of free libations (21 and over, please…).

Please resist the urge to call the shop, and instead email your resume to ctcartwright@yahoo.com.

Have a great day! Thanks for reading.

How to Apply
Email resume to ctcartwright@yahoo.com

After carfree success, Crater Lake National Park officials make it an annual event

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Reader Sally Hunt and a friend took
full advantage of a carfree Rim Drive
back in June.

After the resounding success of its first-ever carfree weekend this past June, Crater Lake officials now plan to make it an annual event. And, as a bonus, they’ll host another carfree weekend next month.

Travel Oregon is set to announce tomorrow morning that Crater Lake National Park will hold another carfree weekend on September 21st and 22nd this year and that, “Going forward, the third weekend in September will be preserved for non-motorized enjoyment of the park.”

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North Portland Bikeworks co-director asks for help to fund cancer treatment

Kim Fey
(Photo: Facebook/Kim Fey)

Kim Fey, the co-director of North Portland Bikeworks, has a serious form of cancer and she’s making a direct appeal to the community to help her fight it. Kim, 40, is part of the heart and soul of Bikeworks, a shop that has become a neighborhood institution since opening on Mississippi Street over a decade ago (they recently moved to a larger location on the corner of Mississippi and Shaver).

Kim has taken a leave of absence from the shop to fight a recent diagnosis of Stage IV Melanoma skin cancer. While the survival rate of her condition is less than 10 percent, Kim is counting on a new type of medicine that has shown great promise for people with her specific condition. The new drugs are “a considerable amount of money,” she says, and they are not covered by her insurance so Kim has turned to the community for support.

Here’s more from Kim via her page on GoFundMe.com:

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Bikes help power non-profit’s fruit tree harvest

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Bike-powered urban fruit tree harvesters.
(Photos by Betsy Reese)

Back in May, we shared how the connection between bikes and urban trees here in Portland is so strong it’s garnered national recognition. Now there’s another tree-related non-profit that has tapped into the power of bicycles to help further their mission.

The Portland Fruit Tree Project had a “Bike-Powered Harvesting Party” on Saturday in southeast Portland. The non-profit organizes volunteers to harvest and take care of fruit trees that would otherwise be neglected. Half of the fruit goes to a local food bank (via their distribution partner Urban Gleaners) and the rest is taken home by everyone who participates in the harvest.

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Man suffers serious injuries after hit-and-run on notorious stretch of Barbur Blvd

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Henry Schmidt was recovering at OHSU Saturday.
(Image: KATU.com)

A Lewis & Clark student is recovering from traumatic injuries after being hit by a vehicle that left the scene of a collision on Southwest Barbur Boulevard early Friday morning.

Henry Schmidt, 20, had been biking home after working a late shift at Pok Pok restaurant, and either walking or riding his bike south. The driver, who remains unidentified, lacerated Schimidt’s spleen and broke his clavicle, cheekbone, three vertebrae, and his left leg in three places, according to The Oregonian. Doctors dug glass out of Schmidt’s face and mouth; his backpack and clothes were shredded from the impact, according to KATU.

Around 1 a.m., a TriMet bus driver saw Schmidt’s body and stopped to help. One passenger found Schmidt’s cell phone and notified his parents by calling the number labeled “Dad.”

This collision is awful news and we can only hope that people with knowledge of the incident have the decency to contact the police. But a driver’s choice to illegally leave the wounded man to his fate late at night is not the only factor in this crash. It happened on a stretch of road that the Oregon Department of Transportation has been refusing to consider promptly changing, despite numerous warnings that it is needlessly dangerous.

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