Follow-up: Digging a bit deeper into Portland sidewalk history

Sidewalk stamp of the Montague-O’Reilly company which was active in the early 20th-century.
(Photo: Lisa Caballero/BikePortland)

NOTE: This is a follow-up to our story from last week titled, Sidewalks and Portland: It’s not so simple

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Exactly who pays for building Portland’s sidewalks has been inconsistent throughout the city’s history. The inconsistency “is illuminating to the degree that it falsifies a long-standing myth among citizens and government officials alike—that all of Portland’s local streets were paid for by the abutting property owners.”

That quote is from a 2000 draft report titled Recommendations for the Local Improvement District Process (PDF). BikePortland reader and frequent contributor of comments, David Hampsten, forwarded the PDF to BikePortland this weekend, and we’ve uploaded it because it’s not available anywhere else online.

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Former PBOT director Tom Miller back in City Hall as mayor’s livability director

Tom Miller at a PBOT event in August 2012.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The latest shakeup to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s staff includes another name that will be familiar to many of you: Tom Miller. After adding former mayor Sam Adams to his team back in January, Wheeler has now brought on Adams’ former chief of staff. Miller was Adams’ most trusted advisor during his ascent in local politics until Miller was named Bureau of Transportation director in 2011.

Now Miller, the former skateboarding activist and major fan of bicycling, is back to work at City Hall as director of sustainability and livability. He takes over a role left vacant when Amanda Watson departed from Wheeler’s office back in July.

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Dogs on bikes! Reader stories, photos, and my journey with my dalmatian Amélie

Amélie’s first ride.
(Photo: Maritza Arango/BikePortland)

TREATS! That word summarizes peoples’ stories, tips and experiences around training their dogs to join them on the bike. Mine too. Treats have been my #1 ally through a journey of getting my dog Amélie to ride with me.

The journey I took before writing this story took me more than three weeks of observing my dog, training her with consistency, feeding her, giving her courage, trust and love and, finally, riding my bike with her. In the past few weeks I asked BikePortland social media followers about their experiences and attended the Pupperpalooza ride.

In this post I’ll share some of what I learned as well as a few reader stories.

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Job: Customer Experience Specialist – Velotech, Inc.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Customer Experience Specialist

Company / Organization

Velotech, Inc.

Job Description

Velotech, Inc. is a locally owned business that has operated in Portland since 2002. Velotech is the parent company of BikeTiresDirect, Western Bikeworks, and Trisports. 

This position is responsible for responding to customer phone calls, emails, and for working directly with customers in our store. Customer Experience Specialists provide product information, advice and order assistance. Qualified Customer Experience Specialists also review orders and price match requests and assist with site content, including product reviews, photos and descriptions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Answer product questions & assist with the order process
Analyze customer questions, troubleshoot, and provide clear answers in an efficient and professional manner
Develop trust and loyalty with consumers and build value in our brands
Navigate a sophisticated order processing system
Generate performance reports and recommend improvements
Coordinate with Returns to assist customers with returns and exchanges
Assist walk-in customers with product questions and purchases
Retrieve products from the warehouse to assist walk-in customers

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:
Navigate a sophisticated order processing system
Work with Marketing to assist with customer-facing content, including site maintenance, product images and descriptions
Increase sales by genuinely helping customers learn about additional/alternative product options

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Basic computer skills
Strong knowledge of cycling
Previous customer service experience is a plus, as is sales, service and mechanical experience in the cycling industry

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Solid knowledge of cycling products
Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment
Ability to work independently or with others to manage multiple task with minimal supervision.

BENEFITS:
Generous Employee Discounts
Flexible Schedules
Health Insurance
Paid Time Off
Floating Holidays
$500 bonus upon completion of 90 days of employment

How to Apply

If interested, please click on the link to apply:
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=53336&clientkey=F102FCECFB43ED66CAD0C8276CB962A9

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike