Kenneth Tester
(Photo: Mult. Co. Sheriff)

Members of a local cycling team were pepper sprayed by a man in the parking lot of a store on Sauvie Island this afternoon. The incident was reported on the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association email list by David Root, road team director for the Therapeutic Associates Cycling team.

Root says that he and other members of the team had just finished a motor-pacing session when they pulled into the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel Grocery Store near the Sauvie Island Bridge when a man driving a Ford F150 pick-up attempted to back out of the store. “When we pulled past him he rolled down his window and asked why we were staring at him and we told him that we’re just trying get past him and that we weren’t staring,” wrote Root. “He then continued to back out and clipped our moto driver Jon [Pearson] and then proceeded to try and start a altercation with Jon.”

Then, according to Root, the man in the pickup threatened Pearson and, “Then quickly as if he had it cocked and ready to go, pulled out the most powerful Police grade Pepper Spray and shot him at close range “full discharge” in the eyes and face and some of the rest of us got a little too.”

[Read more…]

Part of the farm-bike-boat delivery team at
last year’s Village Building Convergence on
the dock at OMSI.
(Photos courtesy of CultureChange.org)

Jan Lundberg moved to Portland a year ago because it seemed like the best place to pursue his intersecting passions for food security, peak oil, bicycles, and sailing.

These passions will be coming to fruition later this month when the oil analyst’s brainchild, the Sail Transport Network, will launch into its first major, ongoing local venture. Lundberg is finalizing plans to deliver malted grain from Vancouver, Washington to a brewery further down the Columbia River by a combination of cargo bike and sailboat. [Read more…]

Don Kruger, owner of Kruger’s Farm
Stand on Sauvie Island.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Farmer Don Kruger, owner of Kruger’s Farm Market on Sauvie Island, says he’s “hanging tough” after the recent Multnomah County decision on his farm stand permit.

During a standard permit update process that was triggered by a complaint from one of Kruger’s neighbors, the County ruled that Kruger is no longer allowed to host several of the activities that have made his farm a popular destination for many in the Portland region.

In their decision, the County ruled that the only fee-based activities that can happen at the farm are weekly “harvest festivals” and the corn maze. As for bike races, the County wrote that, “The bike races are inconsistent with the code criteria and are not an activity that promotes the sale of farm crops.”[Read more…]

Multnomah County’s land use planning department has reached a decision in the permit application for Kruger’s Farm. As we reported back in June, the farm stand has hosted numerous popular bike races in the past but those events were in jeopardy after the County received a complaint that triggered an update to Kruger’s land use permit.

A decision made public today by Multnomah County Planning Director Karen Schilling, states that, “Weddings, bike races, birthday parties, corporate picnics, and group gatherings are not allowed as part of this decision.”

Kruger’s Farm Market sits on an Exclusive Farm Use zone and farm owner Don Kruger has added many activities to the land that are not agricultural in nature. One of those uses that came under scrutiny by the county were bike races.[Read more…]

Kruger’s Farm Market faces
a permit upgrade that could
mean no more bike races.
(Photos © J. Maus)

In recent years, Kruger’s Farm on Sauvie Island has hosted many popular cyclocross and mountain bike events. The events have drawn thousands of Portlanders and their families who take part in the fun and soak up the welcoming farm atmosphere just a few miles outside the city.

But now those events are in jeopardy as Kruger’s Farm faces a permitting hurdle with Multnomah County’s land use planning department. The County is making Kruger apply for a new permit (that would allow the events) after a complaint was filed by one of Kruger’s neighbors. The County confirms this complaint, saying that it alleges Kruger is guilty of “non-permitted commercial uses and non-permitted construction of structures.”
[Read more…]

Bikes won’t have to share
the lane with cars on
new Sauvie Island bridge.
(File photo ©)

With all the recent talk about the Sellwood and Columbia River bridge projects, I haven’t heard a peep about the Sauvie Island bridge.

Last time I looked (this weekend), construction on the new bridge is moving right along. According to a press release from Multnomah County, the new arch span will be installed on Friday, December 7th.

Sauvie Island is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Portland cyclists. At just about 10 flat miles north of downtown, the scenic roads are a magnet for all types of cyclists; from triathletes in training, to biking berry pickers and cyclocross racers.[Read more…]

[Updated 10/10, 3:47pm]

Check out the design of this year’s corn “maize” at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island…[Read more…]

Good, dirty fun.
(Photo courtesy
Portland Racing)

All signs point to a huge cyclocross season this year.

Cross bikes are flying off the shelves of local shops, the first Alpenrose Cyclocross Clinic had a record 149 participants, and Saturday’s inaugural Kruger’s Kermesse race — the first chance to race cyclocross bikes this season — had over 400 participants (even 30 kiddie racers showed up).

Race organizer Kris Schamp reported that the day was full of great racing, especially the Men’s Category A race which he said “was a treat to watch.”
[Read more…]

Portland Racing — the folks behind the MTB Short Track series — have teamed up with Team Veloshop and Kruger’s Farm on Sauvie Island (just 10 miles north of Portland) to bring us Kruger’s Crossing on Sunday, December 3rd.
[Read more…]

[This report was written by BikePortland.org correspondent and “Transportation Diplomat,” Aaron Tarfman.]

[St. Johns Bridge
Photo: Aaron Tarfman]

Today we headed out for a berry picking ride to Sauvie Island. While some folks would take heed of the 80% chance of rain and decline a trip on Hwy 30, we didn’t let a few dark clouds spoil our mission for fruit. We headed out of North Portland and made our way to the bridge with nary a drop in sight. As we massed across the St John’s bridge (sorry, we weren’t naked this time) we got a slight sprinkle, but not enough to deter serious berryers.

Hwy 30 was the usual mass of cars and trucks and the mild sprinkle continued during a short stop on the way. With our mission bidding us on, we persisted in our quest for berries.
[Read more…]