The SK Northwest case is getting messier by the week. There has just been a second appeal (links to PDF) filed against the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) decision to not allow their permit. SK Northwest is seeking to build their business on a key section of the Springwater Corridor Trail and not grant the city any trail access across the property.
Portland to get major TV coverage on The 700 Club
This Wednesday The 700 Club – a 40 year-old news program produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) – will feature a segment on bike commuting that was filmed entirely in Portland.
*Given the CBN’s extremely conservative (and sometimes controversial) stance on many social and political issues, the fact that they’re devoting time on The 700 Club to focus on bike commuting in one of the country’s bluest states is yet another sign that bike commuting is reaching a Tipping Point of acceptance into many new segments of the U.S. population.
Bike jousting videos from MCBF
[Expert jouster at ’05
Organ Donor Invite.]
Organ Donor Invite.]
The highlight of the recent Multnomah County Bike Fair (MCBF) were the jousting competitions. This year they even had a few unicycle jousters.
In case you missed it (or if you didn’t get enough of it) I present a few video clips from the day’s action…
Instead of the same old baseball and football coverage, our local FOX-TV station decided to “go inside the strange and unusual world of bike jousting,” for their Oregon Sports Spotlight segment.
Night Riders enjoy fire, donuts, and disco
Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to The Night Ride last night. Luckily, BikePortland.org reader John Boyd did.
Here’s his report and photos:
A full moon followed us on a blast of a Night Ride which wound 15 miles through North Portland. Everything about the ride was incredibly well organized, pocket maps, free tuneups, snacks and water, many crossing guard volunteers and signage, but the best part was the route of course itself. It covered new territory for me and included miles of off-road paved trails.
Work starts on Share the Road mural
[After first day of painting.]
Photo by Sara Stout
Photo by Sara Stout
After months of gathering community feedback (which included a mural tour by bike), and jumping through a few hoops for the permit, paint is finally flowing on the new Share the Road mural. This new mural is being painted on the side of the Hawthorne Auto Clinic (4307 SE Hawthorne).
Recycling by bicycle
Meet 38 year-old Mike Colhour. He runs a successful scrap metal recycling business by bike. He rides around the neighborhood, collecting scrap metal and plastics from dumpsters and from the side of the road.
He’s been doing this for 10-15 years all over Vancouver and Portland. He recycles all kinds of stuff including glass, wire, stereos, toasters, and so on.
Once he fills his custom-made dual trailer system he cashes in his load at Metro Metals Northwest.
City begins Hawthorne Boulevard Project
[Hawthorne Boulevard]
Photo by VirtualTourist.com
Photo by VirtualTourist.com
Next Monday (7/17), the City of Portland Office of Transportation will begin a major construction project on SE Hawthorne Blvd. The 35-block Hawthorne Boulevard Project will add safety improvements from 20th to 55th Streets.
Stolen: Child’s Haro MTB
Black (color) Haro (brand) V24 (model) stolen from Pioneer Plaza during the World Cup finals 7/09. This is my daugther’s bike. Her bike was locked to a fence with mine using a cable lock but the thief(ves) took only her bike after snipping the cable. She saved/earned money to buy this bike – she really wants it back. The frame is tiny – 12 to 14 inches, the smallest frame for this model. Has a Planet Bike brand water bottle cage and a noticeable scratch on the top side of the top tube. Please send info to black_haro_bike@yahoo.com.
Stolen: Black Jamis Coda
[Submitted by courtain]
Jamis Coda Sport Stolen 7/7/06 from NE Schuyler between 16th & 17th avenue, around 9:15am. It was stolen from the gate of my daughters preschool. Unfortunately, it was unsecured (my bad), as we got to school, only to discover lock had been forgotten. I left it behind bushes for a short while as I lugged two children, two backpacks, two lunchboxes and a bike trailer into the courtyard of the school (yes, I’m trying to justify leaving it unsecured)…
It’s a black 17.5 inch frame, with silver/gray logo designs on it. It has a bottle cage and a clip/bracket for connecting a bike trailer, but little else on it. It was purchased in 2003, but is in great condition, as it is primarily used for street travel around our neighborhood. The serial number is IG2B02105. It has a ‘Comfort’ frame and 700c wheel size.
Our family bikes a lot, and can’t affort to buy a new bike right now, so any info is helpful. Thanks. keri@courtain.com
UPDATE: Yellow Car Program spotted downtown
[Photo by Ed Manning.]
*[Turns out this was just an art project. Read the comments to find out more.]
Just got a tip from a reader that someone is doing a Yellow Car Program in downtown Portland.
According the flyer in the window, it’s modeled on Portland’s Yellow Bike Program that was launched by the CCC back in the mid-1990s.
Our program was one of the first in the country but ultimately failed due to theft and vandalism.
My tipster said it’s no joke:
“I saw this car downtown and it had parking tickets all over. I watched someone get in and it started right up.”
The flyer is pretty funny. Here’s an excerpt:
City Hall surrenders to cycling scene
Hundreds of cyclists packed City Hall last night to bask in Portland’s rich artisan bicycle culture at the first-ever Made in Portland Bicycle Show and Art Exhibition. The crowds were thick and the energy and good times flowed like the free Widmer beer.
The bike show was the epicenter of the event. The marble floors, columns and high ceilings of the atrium were the perfect setting for the builders to share their craft. There was a wide variety of locally made bikes on display, from the utilitarian three-wheeled vehicles of Bill Stites to the woman-centric Sweetpea cross bike and Sacha White’s show-stopping Vanilla Tricycle.
Preview and update on tonight’s big show!
[Drawing by Shaun Deller.]
Yesterday I stopped by City Hall to check in on preparations for tonight’s Made in Portland Bike Show and Art Exhibition.
I hope you can join us (it’s from 5-8PM) because we’ve put together an unprecedented gathering of bicycle-inspired art. Here are a few teasers.
- David “chops” Darby has three gorgeous new pieces (see below) hanging in Commissioner Adams’ lobby.
- Renaissance man Shaun Deller, who you probably know for his popular cycling caps and Edible Plants Tour, unveiled two amazing continuous line drawings.
- Late addition Lyla Emery Reno will show her engaging black and white images of our creative bike culture.