Why I love Portland’s new Public Art iPhone App

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In his ongoing commitment to technology and the arts, Portland Mayor Sam Adams announced a new iPhone app today. The app, Public Art PDX, was developed in a collaboration between Adams’ office, the City of Portland, the Regional Arts and Culture Council and local app developer Matt Blair.

Why do I love this app and why am I mentioning it on BikePortland?

Simple. This app makes it easy to explore our city’s many interesting and fun works of public art, and what better way to do that than on a bicycle or on foot?! I can already imagine people leading group rides and walks using this app as their guide.

Oh, and after you download the app, be sure to check the listing for my favorite piece of public art in the city — The People’s Bike Library of Portland (a.k.a. the Zoobomb Pyle sculpture) on the corner of W. Burnside and 13th.

You can download the app in the iTunes store. Have fun!

Event: Vancouver Bike Club gear swap (3/9/11)

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Event Name: Vancouver Bike Club – bike gear & apparel swap
Event Start Date: 9 March 2011
Start Time: 7:00:00 PM
Web Site: http://vbc-usa.com/site/cal-rides.php?id=804
Event Description: Bring stuff to trade or sell! Or just bring your checkbook or cash to buy stuff. STUFF! Bike anything, including apparel.

In Vancouver at Bortolami’s Aero Room – building behind Pizzeria,

9901 NE 7th Ave, 2nd floor, Vancouver, WA.

Free snacks.

Contact Email: bicyclekitty(at)gmail(dot)com

Active landslide closes Springwater Trail connector near Sellwood

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View of the landslide.
(Photos: Dan Kaufman)

A mutli-use path that connects SE Milwaukie Avenue to the Springwater Trail north of Sellwood is closed indefinitely due a massive landslide.

Early this morning, we received an email from a reader saying that the landslide is completely blocking the trail. “Downed trees, much debris and heavy flooding (more than usual for this section). Most of the hillside came down and there is still a danger from rolling rocks and a precarious tree… this is going to be a big cleanup job.”

We notified Portland Parks and Recreation about the issue and spokesperson Beth Sorensen says they have determined that the slide it still active and they have closed the trail completely for the public’s safety until further notice.

Read more

Neighborhood speed limit bill passes House committee 5-3

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Rep. Lindsay (R-Hillsboro) voted no
on a bill that would reduce speed
limits on residential streets.

HB 3150 passed out of committee yesterday, but not without some drama. The bill, which would give cities the authority to reduce speed limits on certain “neighborhood greenway” streets to 20 mph, survived the House Transportation and Economic Development Committee by a vote of 5 to 3 yesterday.

The eight member committee is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats and the three representatives that voted against the bill were Republicans (committee co-chair, Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario) voted yes). According to freshman Rep. Shawn Lindsay (R-Hillsboro), the reason for their no votes had to do with a procedural issue centered around the terminology used in the bill.

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Job: Customer Service Representative, Returns Processing (Team Estrogen)

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Job Title: Customer Service Representative, Returns Processing

Company/Organization: Team Estrogen

Job Description:
Team Estrogen is an online retailer of women’s cycling, triathlon and fitness apparel. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of every woman who wants to ride her bike in comfort and style. We are a small, but growing company seeking employees that share our passion for fitness, and our enthusiasm for providing excellent customer service and an unmatched selection of technical apparel for women.

Primary Duties include:
1) Processing customer returns, to include:
a. Opening and checking in all inbound packages
b. Cleaning and refolding apparel as necessary, and returning items to warehouse stock
c. Interfacing with the accounting system (ACCPAC) to record transactions
d. Communicating with customers over the phone and in writing via our customer contact manager to resolve questions or concerns
e. Accurately processing credit card refunds or store credits

2) Answering inbound telephone calls, to include:
a. Assisting customers who have questions or need advice on selecting apparel
b. Placing phone orders for customers who prefer not to order online
c. Answering questions regarding warranty issues and providing return authorizations as necessary
d. Assisting with lost packages or errors in shipment

3) Other Duties as assigned, which may include:
a. Assisting the order processing dept with outbound orders on high volume days
b. Checking in inventory received from vendors, as needed in the receiving dept
c. Lending a hand where needed, when needed, for special projects or to balance general work flow

The ideal candidate:
* Is enthusiastic about athletics and has some familiarity with, or is interested in learning about, technical, sports-specific apparel. Cyclists, runners, swimmers and triathletes are especially encouraged to apply.

* Has a clear speaking voice and is comfortable speaking on the phone.

* Is comfortable in a fast-paced, busy environment and can handle multiple tasks efficiently & effectively.

* Has some flexibility during peak seasons (late-spring/mid-summer, Christmas shopping season). Neither evenings nor weekends are required, but occasional overtime may be necessary to complete tasks in a timely manner. One Saturday per year, typically in October, is required for warehouse inventory count.

* Has proficiency in Word/Excel/Outlook and is comfortable learning new/unfamiliar computer tasks

* Thrives in a small company environment, where we each wear many hats, often at the same time

Benefits for Full-time Hourly Employees:
* 2 weeks vacation annually. Vacation begins accruing at 6 months of employment.

* 5-6 (depends on calendar) paid holidays per year.

* 5 paid sick days per year. Eligible after 3 months. Does not accrue.

* Health Insurance (Kaiser)100% paid by employer for the employee. Family coverage is also available at employee’s sole expense. Eligible after 3 full calendar months.

* SIMPLE IRA retirement plan. (Like a small-company 401k). Employee may contribute up to $10,000 per year as a payroll deduction. Team Estrogen matches employee’s contribution up to 3% of employee’s payroll. Employee is fully vested immediately.

* Team Estrogen encourages bike commuting. We have secure indoor bike parking and two showers. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 – 5

How to apply:
All inquires must be directed to Appleone Employment Services
Primary contact is Cindy Mocabee (503) 279 – 8893

white Felt Sector Junior 08

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Year: 08
Brand: Felt
Model: Sector Junior
Color:white
Size:kids junior
Photo: http://my.imageshack.us/v_images.php
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2011-02-25
Stolen From: Creative Science School
1243 SE 92nd Ave. near Stark St.
Neighborhood: Lents
Owner: brian gillard
OwnerEmail: briangillard503@gmail.com
Reward: $200
Description: Felt Sector junior, white, low profile slick tires on black rims, Redline rear wheel mounting hardware, black front forks w/Veloce Cyclery stickers, reflective stickers on back of seat and wheel mounts, fist design on seatpad, red pedals, freewheel w/handbrake.
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 11151064
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

PBOT Director testifies in support of 20 mph speed limit bill

“There is something magic about 20 mph… We can substantially reduce the likelihood of fatalities in our streets by having this important piece of legislation in place.”
— Tom Miller, PBOT Director

House Bill 3150 (PDF), which would give municipalities across Oregon the authority to reduce speeds on some residential streets to 20 mph, was the subject of a public hearing last Friday. The bill is a companion* to Senate Bill 344 and the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation has made it one of their top legislative priorities for the 2011 session.

[*HB 3150 differs slightly from SB 344 in that it not only addresses the speed limit issue, but it also seeks to official define the term “neighborhood greenways” in Oregon law.]

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Job: Graphic Designer (Velotech, Inc) – FILLED

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Job Title: Graphic Designer
Company/Organization: Velotech, Inc.
This position has been filled. Thanks for your interest.

Job Description: Combine your passion for cycling with your passion for graphic design.

Velotech, Inc. is looking for an eager, talented graphic designer to join our growing team.

The basic requirements are:
Graphic design using tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

Basic web page creation (HTML/CSS).

Experience with cycling, sports marketing, and/or other sporting activities, either professionally or personally.

This job will begin as a free-lance position but is expected to turn into a full-time position in the coming weeks for the right person.

How to Apply:
Send resume, examples of your work and salary requirements to philb(at)velotech(dot)com

Event: Binary Burn Out (3/10/11)

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Event Name: Binary Burn Out – 4up computrainer races
Event Date: Thursday March 10th, 7-10pm
Event location: Upper Echelon Fitness, 1420 NW 17th
Event Description: Presented by Backyard Blam. Ten dollar race entry in a winner take all competition. Bring your own bike. Prizes for fastest team.

Event: Tweed Ride – Vice (4/2/11)

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Event Name: Tweed Ride – Vice (A surely ignoble and iniquitous ride)
Event Date: Saturday April 2nd, 4:00pm (see also March 5th, 2011)
Event start location: The Wharf, NW Front Ave and 18th Street.
Event Description: from the excellent event promo poster:
“We shall fashionably spin at leisure through our Rose City, noting the several sides of culture. Therefore, bring out your coats and caps, your leather gloves and monacles, and bring your baskets full of food as we pedal together without labor, strain or hurry in what is sure to be one another’s beautiful company.”

Cyclocross star Tim Johnson will join ride to D.C. for Bike Summit

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Bikes Belong announced today that cyclocross pro Tim Johnson will take a week long bike tour with a small group of riders from Boston to Washington D.C. in order to raise awareness for bike funding. The destination is the National Bike Summit. It’s great to see someone from the racing world get behind advocacy like this. Check out the press release below…

Cyclocross superstar Tim Johnson rides to D.C. in support of Bikes Belong

On March 4, six-time national champion and cyclocross superstar Tim Johnson will throw his leg over his bike for a hard training week. But this time he’s not riding to improve his cycling; he’s riding to improve bicycling for everybody else.

Tim Johnson will ride to raise funds and awareness for the Bikes Belong Foundation as he pedals nearly 500 miles from Boston to Washington D.C., the site of the 2011 National Bike Summit. The Foundation is Bikes Belong’s 501c3 nonprofit arm, leading important projects like the Peopleforbikes.org campaign and the Bicycling Design Best Practices Project. The Foundation is also the host organization to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

While half-dozen riders will do the entire trek along with Johnson, bicyclists in every region will join in to escort this legendary rider in and out of the metropolitan areas. They will ride every day, hitting Providence, Hartford, New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore before they close out the event with a triumphant ride into Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 8. Each one of the “long haulers” has been challenged to raise $1,000 for Bikes Belong. But the other riders are already busy raising funds and awareness for this unique event. To date, more than $12,000 has been raised.

“We want to engage governors, mayors, bloggers, reporters, schools, and other cyclists along the way,” said Johnson, who is already building support from the bike industry for this mission. “Three of the biggest threats to our country are obesity, climate change, and our shrinking energy supplies. Bikes are part of the solution to all three of those problems.”

“Bike riders have raised millions, if not billions, to fight everything from cancer to diabetes to hunger,” said Richard Fries, a long time rider and advocate. “But cyclists need to realize that their own government funding for bike facilities is in REAL danger of being eliminated. We want to raise funds and awareness to continue the development of bicycling facilities in America.”

The Itinerary
Friday, March 4: Boston-Providence-Hartford, 130 miles
Saturday, March 5: Hartford-Bethel-New York, 90 miles
Sunday, March 6: New York-Trenton-Philadelphia, 100 miles
Monday, March 7: Philadelphia-Wilmington-Baltimore, 110 miles
Tuesday, March 8: Baltimore-Washington, 40 miles

For more information visit the event’s Facebook page or log on to http://www.bikereg.com.

About The National Bike Summit
The 11th Annual National Bike Summit will be held March 8-10, 2011 in Washington D.C. Organized by the League of American Bicyclists with the support of the Bikes Belong Coalition, the Summit draws together the leaders of the bike industry and the nation’s biggest bicycling advocates. After seminars and panel discussions on improving bicycling in America, attendees take to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers in all 50 states to support legislation written to improve bicycling facilities and practices. The first Summit drew just 100 advocates who pushed for the passage of transportation legislation that funded hundreds of bicycling projects nationwide. By 2010, that number had grown close to 1,000 attendees.

Sponsors
At present, this event is receiving support from the Bikes Belong Foundation, Pedro’s USA, Firefly Bicycles, Red Bull, BikeReg.com, Strava.com, Rapha, the Marriott Corporation, SRAM, Cannondale, Thule Light and Motion, Harpoon Brewery, and others.