Wednesday, November 25, 2009

SCAM Warning re Civil War Tickets

From the Attorney General

BE ALERT FOR FAKE CIVIL WAR TICKETS

With the enthusiasm for the upcoming Civil War football game between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University comes an increased risk of fake ticket sales. Con artists and scammers routinely try to capitalize off of highly anticipated events to pad their own wallets. Selling counterfeit tickets is illegal. Below are some tips offered by the Oregon Department of Justice and Attorney General John Kroger to help consumers avoid purchasing fake tickets.

  1. It’s best to purchase tickets from a reputable ticket distributor. These companies will guarantee the validity of the ticket and on-time delivery.
  2. When possible, use a credit card for any online purchase. If the tickets you purchased are never delivered, not in the advertised section, or counterfeit, consumers can dispute the charge.
  3. If using Craigslist or Ebay, meet the seller face-to-face at a public place. Ask questions about the seats and seller. Get reliable contact information from the sellers in case the tickets are counterfeit.
  4. Never wire money to individuals you do not know.
  5. Confirm that the location of your seat corresponds with a section, row and seat in the stadium.
  6. Get a good sense of what the general ticket prices are, and be highly suspicious of any offers out of that general range. Scammers often use the lure of cheaper tickets to take consumer’s money. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  7. Unless you are using a reputable ticket distributor, be highly skeptical of purchasing tickets sight unseen.
  8. Purchase tickets before going to the game. Scammers use color printers to create very real looking tickets. Often, these scammers try to sell their fake tickets at the game for quick cash, to fans desperate to get into the game.

Attorney General John Kroger and the Oregon Department of Justice are committed to protecting Oregon ’s marketplace and keeping scammers on the sidelines. If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a fake ticket scam, please call the Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

BNA: Minutes from November 9

9 Nov 2009

BNA general meeting with 22 attendees

Leslie opened the meeting at 7:00 PM at the school. She introduced North precinct officer Jack Gillentine, phone 503-823-0743, email: wgillentine@portlandpolice.org. Officer Jack reported that Bridgeton is a really safe neighborhood that does not require much attention. In order to decrease the likeliness of car prowls, he recommended that nothing be left visible in our cars and that we install a club on the steering wheel. Please inform officer Jack of abandoned autos and be sure to report all car prowls.

Next speaker was PDC Senior Project Manager, Kevin Cronin, phone 503-823-3305, email cronin@pdc.us

. Kevin, with some details provided by Walter Valenta, explained that the Bridgeton Trail was still in concept planning. Next steps are developing funding strategies to pay for the $7.2M project. Potential funding partners include grants from PDC, use of SDC charges from Bureau of Parks, federal earmarks, and Drainage District #2. Narrowing the scope to lower costs, acquiring easements, and determining CRC involvement were discussed. The design refinement phase is due to begin during Spring of 2010. If the hurdles are cleared, construction could begin in 2012. Before monies are approved for the next streetcar project, funding for Bridgeton trail and streetscape plan are expected to be approved.

Third on the agenda was a report on CRC from Carley Francis and Lead Roadway Engineer Casey Liles. They provided handouts that explained access improvements. Much of the discussion involved Marine Drive, MLK, and Vancouver Way inter-ties. Look for recommendations after the Dec 4th meeting of CRC advisory panel. BNA attendees voted to support concept “A”.

Next up was Dan Riedl of Dan’s Moorage, phone 503-341-8371. When the giant cottonwood tree was removed from the corner of Gantenbein and Bridgeton, parking for Dan’s moorage was drastically affected. Dan presented an architect’s design of the parking area. The re-designed “entrance to Bridgeton” would include removal of the guard-rail, relocation of mail boxes, carving out 8 parking spaces, construction of a gazebo, cover for the garbage cans, and a South Channel overlook. BNA attendees were supportive of the design.

The final presenter was Barry Manning from City of Portland Planning and Sustainability. He spoke about the Portland Plan, now under development, and implementation late in 2010. The first of six workshops begin Nov 17th at Beaumont Middle School. If you want your voice heard on the future of Portland, then please attend a workshop.

Leslie closed the meeting after asking all Bridgton property owners to complete Pen 2 proxy forms and get them to Leslie, Walter, or Kim at Channel’s Edge. BNA still has trees to be planted, sidewalks to be built, garbage cans to be covered, paths to be created, and all of this needs our participation.

Monday, November 16, 2009

From Mayor Sam Adams

Who gives a rip what you think?


We do!

ImagePortland area civic leaders and I gathered this morning at the East Portland Community Center to kick off the first round of community workshops for the Portland Plan. The first workshop will be held tomorrow evening at Beaumont Middle School at 6:30 p.m.

The Portland Plan will be a strategic roadmap to ensure the city is thriving, prosperous and sustainable for all residents. Through the development of the plan, Portlanders will help to define priorities, guide investment of public dollars and set the course for Portland for the next 25 years. The Portland Plan is part of a state-mandated comprehensive plan update and will touch every neighborhood, district and resident as the city grows.

Portland is a great city, but it’s not great for everyone. We have some real challenges ahead of us. Through the Portland Plan, we have an opportunity to make more informed decisions and improve collaboration among regional partners to achieve common goals.

The last time the City developed a comprehensive plan was 1980; about 50 percent of Portlanders today were not here at that time. Because of the impact the plan will ultimately have on each resident of Portland, we are asking for maximum community input over the next 15 months. You can weigh in at community workshops, complete a survey (online atwww.pdxplan.com or included in December’s Curbsider publication), and participate in the conversation through social media.

The goals of the first round of workshops are to get grounded in the facts facing Portland now, create a healthy dialogue around how to solve some of our major challenges, and set a course with short and long term goals and actions to shape the next quarter century of change.

Focus areas for public engagement

Public involvement in the Portland Plan is essential. Many of the issues the city is facing may be surprising to Portlanders. Some of these challenges are:

-63% of Portland’s students don’t graduate on time.

-Portland’s unemployment rate tops 11%.

-70% of the city’s electricity use comes from fossil fuels.

-It will take $136 million more per year just to maintain the city’s aging infrastructure of bridges, signals, reservoirs, natural areas and civic buildings and maintain regulatory standards.

The 1980 comprehensive plan addressed many of the physical elements of Portland such as transportation infrastructure and creating a vibrant central city. The Portland Plan will build off that work while focusing heavily on the human elements in order to benefit the people living here over the next 25 years.

In 2007, the City of Portland conducted visionPDX, which gathered information from more than 17,000 Portlanders about their vision for the city. Out of this process came a set of values that helped establish goals for the community. Now the Portland Plan is picking up the dialogue about how those goals can be realized.

Workshops for public engagement
The first round of community workshops start tomorrow, November 17, and run through December 15, in locations throughout Portland. The City and its partners are asking all Portlanders to weigh in on issues ranging from education, community health, arts and transportation to healthy food, job growth and protecting the environment. The workshop dates, times and locations are as follows:

Tuesday, November 17 Saturday, December 5
6:30-9 p.m. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Beaumont Middle School Mt. Scott Community Center
4043 NE Fremont Street 5530 SE 72nd Avenue

Thursday, November 19 Monday, December 7
6:30-9 p.m. 6:30-9 p.m.
David Douglas High School Wilson High School
1001 SE 135th Avenue 1151 SW Vermont Street

Tuesday, December 1 Tuesday, December 15
6:30-9 p.m. 6:30-9 p.m.
St. Johns Community Center University of Oregon, Old Town
8427 N Central Street 70 NW Couch Street

Thursday, December 3
8-9:30 a.m.
World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon Street

Public partners of the Portland Plan

Because the City cannot address these issues alone, public partners working with the City of Portland on the Portland Plan include Metro, Multnomah County, Portland State University, Portland Public Schools, Parkrose School District, Centennial School District, David Douglas School District, Reynolds School District, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland Community College, TriMet, Portland Development Commission, Housing Authority of Portland, East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, Multnomah County Drainage District and Worksystems Inc.

What the partners are saying about the Portland Plan

“Portland and all cities in the region will see significant population growth in the next 25 years,” said Metro Council President David Bragdon. “It’s important that residents become involved in the City’s planning process to help us reach goals shared by the families and businesses that make up our communities.”
- David Bragdon, President, Metro

“Our planning needs to embrace big ideas, like how equity concerns should shape land-use choices, as well as concrete dilemmas, like how our central city accommodates and pays for adequate courtrooms to keep our public safety system running.”
- Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair

“Thoughtful, long-range planning is the only way to prepare the region for the quickly changing economy. And it will take every sector of the region working and planning together. That’s why Portland Community College is excited to be part of the Portland Plan.”
- Dr. Preston Pulliams, president, Portland Community College

"I am very glad to be a part of the development of the new Portland Plan. As a Multnomah County, City of Portland school district Superintendent, I will be very intentional about reminding everyone how important the health of our local schools is for the eventual economic development and livability of successful families in our city. This is a great opportunity for collaboration and partnership. Let’s make the most of this opportunity by working together to build a solid and viable Plan to make Portland the greatest city in America".
- Karen Gray, Superintendent, Parkrose School District

“Portland is uniquely qualified to drive the global green economy in the years to come. At PDC we are focusing our efforts on targeted industries and working to grow and sustain the businesses, both large and small, that have helped shape the diverse, vibrant city we have today.”
- Bruce Warner, Executive Director, Portland Development Commission

“Vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods with safe routes to transit are fundamental to the success of healthy and economically strong communities. The Plan’s 20-minute neighborhood concept sets us up for expanded success with our transit investments and for building sustainable communities. TriMet is a committed partner of the renewed Portland Plan.”
- Fred Hansen, TriMet General Manager

"The Housing Authority of Portland is pleased to be a sponsor of the Portland Plan. It's important for all Portlanders, no matter what their income, or whether they're homeowners or renters, to be heard and share their hopes and vision for the community's future."
- Steve Rudman, Housing Authority of Portland

“The long-term strategic planning process at the heart of the Portland Plan has the potential to improve our community across the board. I am particularly interested in the collaborative effort that will take place to improve education which will, in turn, improve the economic viability of Portland and the quality of life of our citizens.”
- Robert McKean, Centennial School District

"I appreciate the inclusive approach of the Mayor and the City leadership on the Portland Plan. Portland Public Schools will be an active partner. We see this as a great opportunity to ensure students and schools are a vital part of the future of Portland we build together."
- Carole Smith, Superintendent, Portland Public Schools

“None of us works in a vacuum; we work in partnership. Why? Because we are simply more effective that way. It makes sense to plan in partnership as well. If we do this right we can significantly improve our collective impact on the issues we all work to address. The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District has always valued our partnership with the City of Portland and we look forward to strengthening the relationship through this collaborative planning effort.”
-Jean Fike, Executive Director, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District

A video of this morning's event will be posted later this afternoon. To watch the video and find more information about the Portland Plan, visit www.pdxplan.com, follow us on Twitter, @PDXPlan & #pdxplan or become a fan on Facebook,www.facebook.com/pdxplan.

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http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Community Safety Open House and Town Hall

Please join Sen. Chip Shields, City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, County Commissioner Jeff Cogen and Rep. Lew Frederick
For a Community Safety Open House and Town Hall
Learn where to turn for help. Learn how to help others.
Thursday, November 19, 6-8 pm

Jefferson High School Cafeteria
5210 N. Kerby
Oregon's property crime rate is the lowest it's been since 1966. The violent crime rate is plummeting too. Portland was just rated the third safest city in America. But all this good news doesn't matter if crime is happening on your block or in your neighborhood.

For over 14 years, Sen. Chip Shields has been working to make our community safer. He founded Better People, a N/NE Portland nonprofit employment and counseling program for former offenders that reduces recidivism -- the rate at which offenders return to crime. He and his spouse Shelda Holmes were foster parents. He has co-chaired the Public Safety Subcommittee of Way & Means in the Oregon legislature since 2007 where he successfully defended Multnomah County gang enforcement and services funding and expanded help to domestic violence survivors. He has served on the Mayor's Gang Taskforce.

At any given moment, dozens of community organizations and government agencies are working to address and prevent crime in our neighborhoods. From organizations working to make foster homes true homes of healing, to after school programs keeping kids out of trouble to gang outreach workers making a difference on the street - it's important to know what resources are available to help you and to help prevent crime on your block.

For one evening, you're invited to learn how to prevent crime in your neighborhood:

The Community Safety Open House

We are bringing community safety partners together in one room to share what they are contributing to community safety and to answer your questions on where to turn for help. Light refreshments will be provided.

When: November 19th, 2009 from 6 to 8

Where: Jefferson High School Cafeteria, 5210 N Kerby Avenue

Hosted by: State Sen. Chip Shields
City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Commissioner of the Portland Police Bureau
County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, District 2 - N/NE Portland
and State Representative Lew Frederick - N/NE Portland


Participating organizations:
Emmanuel Community Services (ECS)
Brothers and Sisters Keepers Inc. (BSK)
Center for Family and Adolescent Research
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
LifeWorks NW
Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA)
Northwest Family Services
Oregon Youth Authority
Portland Police Activities League (PAL)
Portland Police Bureau - GREAT Program
Portland Police Bureau - North Precinct Neighborhood Response Team
Portland Police Bureau School Resource Office Program
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice -- Adult and Juvenile Divisions
Resolutions Northwest
FYI Chip shields is our new state Senator and Lew Frederick is the new state Rep for HD43

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

From our Rep Tina Kotek

Dear Friends,


As the proud daughter of a Korean War veteran, I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to veterans and their families for their service to our country. My colleagues and I in the Oregon Legislature worked very hard in the 2009 legislative session to prioritize the needs of Oregon’s veterans. Click here (PDF) to learn more about the bills we passed earlier this year to help veterans.


Grab a Cup of Coffee and Chat

Now that the cold, rainy weather is upon us, this is a perfect time to grab something warm to drink and talk politics with your local representatives. Our new state senator, Senator Chip Shields, and I will be holding three "constituent coffees" this month. We will be in St. Johns, Kenton, and Overlook. We hope you can join us for informal conversations about issues that matter to you.


When: Saturday, November 21, 2009

Where:

· 9:00 -10:30 AM @ Pattie’s Home Plate in St. Johns, 8501 N. Lombard

· 10:45 AM - Noon @ Po’ Shines in Kenton, 8139 N. Denver

· 12:15 -1:00 PM @ Krakow Coffeehouse in Overlook, 3990 N. Interstate

Learning about Working Forests


The "interim" is the phrase legislators use to describe that time between official sessions when we are back in district, working our other day jobs, and taking time to learn more about issues that affect our district and the entire state. Last month, I had the opportunity, along with several other legislators, to spend a day learning about the state’s private working forests. The tour was organized by Senator Chris Edwards from Eugene and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI). OFRI was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1991 and is dedicated to public understanding of forest stewardship to meet the social, environmental and economic needs of both present and future generations. In addition to visiting a working forest in Polk County, we toured a state-of-the-art sawmill in Willamina.

It was an educational day and very helpful for me to learn about an iconic Oregon industry that is a critical part of our state’s economy. In 2007, Oregon’s forest sector produced about 11 percent of the total goods and services produced in Oregon. While private forestland is about 35% of all forestland in Oregon, these lands produce 83% of the current timber harvest.

Tours like these help me broaden my knowledge of various policy issues and build relationships with rural legislators. If there are issues you are passionate about, I encourage you to use the interim to communicate your interests to me and my staff.


Preparing for the February Session


Legislators are planning to be back in the Capitol for a one-month special session in February 2010. In addition to budget balancing work, we will likely consider a variety of bills relevant to the economic recession. I am working with Senator Diane Rosenbaum from SE Portland to spearhead legislation to curb a practice that is becoming disturbingly common place: employers using consumer credit reports as a pre-employment screening tool. The (often faulty) information from credit reports can be used to deny employment to otherwise qualified applicants. This practice is especially frustrating in our current economy because it forces people into an unbelievable Catch-22: if you’re having financial problems because you’re not working, you can’t get a job because you’re having financial problems!


So, where do you come in? We know that this is happening here in Portland, but we need to identify people who have been negatively affected by potential employers checking their credit. Please contact my office with any personal experience you have. Thank you in advance for your help in supporting this legislation.


AFL-CIO Legislator of the Year


I was honored to be named Legislator of the Year by the Oregon AFL-CIO at their convention in Bend last month. I am proud of the work I did this past session to expand health care access, protect workers’ rights, create jobs, and preserve child care assistance for working families. This recognition means a lot to me, and I pledge to continue to be a champion for Oregon’s workers.


Best Wishes,

Monday, November 09, 2009

Upcoming Events

Monday November 9

Bridgeton Neighborhood Meeting
7 PM @ Columbia Pioneer School
716 N. Marine Dr., Portland, OR

AGENDA:
Officer Gillentine, our new NRT officer, will be present to answer questions.
He may have some recommendations for our recent car robberies.

There is good news about the Bridgeton Promenade.
PDC will be here to discuss what is happening.

What is the current plan for Marine Drive interchange and Hayden Island Access?
CRC will bring in information concerning some proposals for downsizing.

Dan Riedle will bring his proposed design changes for his parking area at the intersection of Bridgeton and Ganteinbein.

Issues:
What can we do to collect the proxies for the annual Pen 2 December Meeting?
Review the Fall Clean Up and make recommendations

Also November 9

Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Reception hosted by the German American Society.

6 to 8 p.m.
Reception at Portland City Hall 1221 SW 4th
FREE and Open to the Public

Honored guests include:

• German Consul General, Peter Rothen
• Honorary Consul, Günther Hoffmann
• Steven Fuller, Prof. of German & International Studies

Photo Exhibit: After the Wall – Changes in a German Landscape November
9-30 in Portland City Hall

December 2

I am teaching this adult learning class through MindGlo:

Maintaining a Good Self-Image through Life’s Changes

Many people have their core self-image tied to their job, career, or relationships - and when that goes away through job loss, retirement or breakup/divorce, it creates a potentially serious blow to self-image and self-esteem. Discuss this issue and learn insights into how to maintain a healthy image and esteem for yourself even while coping with loss. Discussion also includes: for parents how to raise a child that deals with this issue well; for spouses how to cope on the home front.


Wed, Dec 2, 6-9 pm
Fee: $49
Location: Whole Foods Market – Fremont

register here: http://mindglo.com/classes/details/169/11/personal-growth/coping-with-change

Sunday, November 01, 2009

1st anniversary of Obama's election

Come to the Krakow Cafe and Pub at 6/7 or whenever to eat and drink beer at pre-Bush prices. Celebrate with other Multnomah County Democrats.

Good food, beer and friends on tap with slides, videos and music.

Wear your best campaign gear and reminisce.

Krakow is at 3990 N. Interstate Avenue and Mark will help us celebrate with a champagne toast at 8 PM - the exact time we knew it was PRESIDENT OBAMA!!


President Obama
President Obama is elected!