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Hi there Fo-Po-istas. I am sporadic in my stories, but when I do have one, they are GOOD. This is one of the good ones, at least if your thumb is as green as mine. It's a plant sale, but not just any plant sale. This one is special because it benefits Portland Public School's Community Transition Center. The CTC helps PPS young adults transition into independence. I went to this sale in the fall last year, and was absolutely delighted with the attentive help from the students and the INSANE low prices. (I'm serious, my tomatoes were, like $3 each. And they were big.) So, if you're looking to get some good spring veggies in the ground, here's your chance! Here's the 411, via CNRG: 
This year, love each other and the Earth by giving Friends of Trees Gift Trees for Valentine’s Day. For a donation of just $35, Friends of Trees will plant a young native tree in honor of a loved one and send a gift acknowledgement card in their name. It’s a great cause and a fun, green alternative to the standard Valentine’s Day fare. One single tree costs $35, and a grove of six young native trees costs $100. Gift Trees are planted in the Collins Sanctuary in Forest Park during one of two annual Gift Trees plantings. All who give or receive Gift Trees for Valentine’s Day this year will be invited to plant their trees at the planting on March 28. Because nothing says I love you quite like getting your hands dirty with your sweetheart! Read more at Friends of Trees' blog. 
The Portland Water Bureau and Portland Parks & Recreation will hold a public open house on Monday, January 25, 2010, at Parklane Christian Reformed Church, 16001 SE Main Street in Southeast Portland, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The public will have an opportunity to view and comment on a proposed new trail plan for Powell Butte Nature Park and several trail options that serve hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. The trail changes are based on suggestions from the community and a citizens' Project Advisory Committee (PAC). The public will also have another chance to review designs for a new interpretive center and public restroom, a caretaker's house, and new maintenance building. The PAC is comprised of representatives from the Audubon Society, Northwest Trails Alliance, Friends of Powell Butte Nature Park, Columbia River Orienteering Club, nearby homeowners, and the Powellhurst-Gilbert, Centennial and Pleasant Valley neighborhood associations. For more information, contact Tim Hall, Portland Water Bureau Public Outreach;... If you're straining against the drizzly weather, it's time to get out and enjoy Portland's amazing nightlife. Tonight, you can get buzzed on some blissful bluegrass, all for a good cause. The Sugarcane String Band is playing tonight from 6-10pm at the St. Francis Cafe at 1182 SE Pine St. The proceeds will benefit St. Francis outreach programs. Here's the details, via CNRG.
Date: January 26, 2010
This Sunday! NW Visitors Productions, KBOO, and Mt. Tabor Theater present... "Helping Haiti: A Community Concert for a Critical Cause," on Sunday, January 24 from 5:00-10:00pm at Mt. Tabor Theater and Lounge, 4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd. This is a 21+event. Sliding scale donations will be accepted, with a requested donation of at least $5. 100% of concert and vending proceeds donated to aid earthquake-affected Haiti. Attendees choose one of five prescreened organizations to donate their entrance fee: -Mercy Corps -Mangrove Fund -CARE -Doctors Without Borders -American Refugee Committee Learn more at www.taborpdx.com Auction items, local bands, live painting, Haitian food, decorations by local high school students…! This event is a grassroots effort put together by a network of friends, family, employers, employees, vendors, idols, strangers, and everything in-between. This is Portland's heart shining at its brightest. This is our extended family spreading hope and care through the world with music, art,...
So, my plan is to attend the city council candidates forum at Coffee Lovers on SE 60th from 5-7, and then head on over to Pizzicato. Maybe I'll see you at one of those locales. :) 
Join Northwest VEG for our monthly potluck event. The potluck will be at the Friends Meeting Hall, 4312 SE Stark St., Portland. Please bring a plant-based (no animal products, including honey) main dish, salad, or dessert; a card listing its ingredients; and plates and utensils for your use. Need plant-based ideas? Click here. If you come alone, figure the amount to serve 4–6 generously; increase the amount 4 servings for each additional person in your party/family. Northwest VEG potlucks are alcohol-free events, and we start eating at about 5:15. For more information, call 503-224-7380 or email info@nwveg.org. If you can volunteer to help at the potluck, please contact volunteer@nwveg.org or (503) 224-7380. A donation of $2–5 per person is suggested to help cover the cost of the room rental. Immediately following the potluck, around 6:30, Master Vegetarian Lisa Morgan (pictured on left) will give a demonstration, with food samples, of her experience teaching "Food is Elementary," a curriculum for young students... Two City Council positions are up for election this May, and Foster-Powell has invited all the candidates to come to our neighborhood to meet and talk to voters.
Although May seems like a long way off many of the candidates are currently trying to solicit support now in order to qualify for the City's "Voter-Owned Elections" program of public funding. (See http://www.lwvpdx.org/issues-and-advocacy/campaign-finance-reform.) Candidates are currently scrambling to qualify, which requires 1000 $5 contributions from voters by January 29th. As a result, folks here on Foster Road have an opportunity to meet the candidates early and get our concerns onto their radar before the campaign really heats up. Candidates have the chance to perhaps get our and our neighbors support in their effort to qualify for VOE... a "win-win" for us and them. So if you'd like a chance to hear from City Council candidates in an informal setting, grab a beer or a coffee at one of Foster'... What excites you about living in Foster-Powell? That was the question we all had to ask each other at this week's FOPONA meeting on Monday, along with another important question: what do you hope to get out of the neigborhood meetings? Far from the typical, "state your name and whether you're a resident or business owner" introductions, this was a little more thought provoking, and resulted in a variety of responses. Most people expressed excitement over a growing sense of community, while some talked about the potential of the neighborhood (businesses opening along Foster, community gardens, etc). Diversity was also discussed, especially as a point of pride, as well as a source of identity which helps us stand out from many other Portland neighborhoods. This point was driven home when the director of Holgate library spoke about the increased circulation of Vietnamese, Russian, and Chinese books and media, while the Spanish circulation remained high, as well. In fact,... 
I'm blogging live from the neighborhood association meeting, learning about how we can get funding for the Foster Streetscape: from the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee. This is a critical time for funding; projects are being evaluated and budgets are being debated. What a perfect time to learn more about the proposed Foster Streetscape! The Foster Streetscape is a plan to beautify Foster, and make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists. You can learn more by attending an open house. Here's the 411: Date: January 26, 2010 Time: 6-9pm; open house from 6-7, Lents info from 7-8, open house from 8-9 Location: 8835 SE Woodstock (Seventh Day Adventist Church) To add a bit more back story, about a year and a half ago, Foster was added to the Lents Urban Renewal Area. This is a big deal because the City provides special funding through the URAs. Many favorite places in Portland--the eastbank esplanade, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the South Waterfront district--were revitalized with URA funding. URAs are funded... Agenda for Foster Powell Neighborhood Association Meeting Monday, January 11, 2009 6:30-8:00pm, Sweetness Bakery 6:35-6:45 Welcome and introductions 6:45-6:45 Minutes approval 6:45-7:00 Representative Reports: --Land Use --Transportation --SEUL update --Library update --Lents Urban Renewal Area / Foster Streetscape update 6:45-7:00 A further discussion of member recruitment 7:00-7:20 What would you like to see happen at this year's meetings? Have any suggestions for presenters? 7:20-8:00 General questions/discussion time 
City Repair is organizing its annual Village Building Convergence, an event which brings together a community in an attempt to better a neighborhood, both visually, functionally, and communally. Past projects have included community gardens, sidewalk art installations, intersection murals, and sidewalk seating. Happy Xmas eve, Fo-Po!! As I get back to making this site rock, I am gathering stories that are of interest to Fo-Po residents, even if those stories are already in media res. Today's issue: Franklin High School. According to The Southeast Examiner, PPS will close either Franklin High School or Marshall High School by Sept. 2011. The bigger picture is that Portland Public Schools is consolidating resources; according to the Willie Week, two of the ten high schools in Portland will be shut down, and the schools that remain will become "smaller 'focus schools.'" PPS recently held a meeting at Franklin on this issue. As the wonderful pictures at WW's News and Culture blog shows, the school has plenty of community support-- nearly 2,000 people packed into the meeting to tell PPS to save Franklin. As for the next step in the consolidation process, here's what PPS says:
In case you're wondering just who writes most of these stories and manages this site, it's me, Colleen. I am a yoga teacher and writer who has lived in Fo-Po for about 2 years now. Anyway, I just wanted to put up a post to let y'all know that I'm back. You'll see more stories, more interaction, and generally more updates here at FosterPowellPDX.com. (Perhaps you've noticed the new header?) The last few months were some of the busiest in my life, so I hope you'll forgive the gap. Anyhoo, to wrap up this year, I thought I'd feature some user-submitted photos from one of the biggest Foster-Powell news stories from 2009: the Marysville elementary fire. Daniel J. emailed a batch of photos from this event. You can see all of his pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/9ine6ix/sets/72157622654152237/. By the way, you can upload your own stories, photos, and videos to this site. If you'd like your story to show on the front page, let me know by sending me an...
Personally, I'm ready for spring. I miss feeling dirt between my fingers. If the wintry weather (and the end of this rather tumultuous year) has you in a slump, check out the City of Portland's Urban Growth Bounty classes. You'll be excited to get going in 2010, since there are over 70 classes this year, three times as many as last year. Now, in addition to organic gardening classes, you can sign up to learn about cheesemaking, cooking, keeping chickens, raising bees, and more. As the year winds on (can you believe The Oughts are already over?) I'll feature nearby Urban Growth Bounty classes. All of them are presented by the City's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. (Organic, sustainable, and punny? Gawd I <3 PDX.) The first class I'm showcasing is on turning your lawn into a mini farm with no till methods. This class will be held on Feb. 9th from 6:30-8:30 pm at Lane Middle School (7200 SE 60th). This is the first in a series of nine classes taught by Your Background Farmer-... If your Thanksgiving memories are like mine, they're warm, loving, and frosted with stress. The holidays are inevitably stressful, so I'm highlighting peaceful, destressing activities to follow your T-day. First up: a free concert from the new Portland Peace Choir... see the 411 below. And have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone! November 22 Sunday, 4pm Come to be inspired, soothed and renewed by the Portland Peace Choir - a new community choir open to all singers. This is their Autumn concert with a bake sale following. A debut performance at St David's Episcopal Church, 2800 SE Harrison* Portland. Visit the web www.portlandpeacechoir.org for more info or to join the Wednesday rehearsals. * As some of you have figured out, I don't only post events within Fo-Po... I generally try to stick to the east side, to areas that I find easily accessible. As for "accessible food," those are also my standards. And yes, Woodstock counts as part of that accessible area. :) 
Hey y'all, if you've ever walked around 72nd & Holgate, you've probably heard my band. We're MODA, and we're playing at the Twilight Lounge tonight. Come on out and hear some great hyperlocal rock! :) Where: The Twilight, 14th & SE Powell. (Same shopping center as the Scottish shop.) Cost: $3 for 3 bands, what a deal. When: The show starts @ 9:30, we're on @ 10:30. Why: Because you'll get to hear a song that was inspired by a Faulkner story. And because you need to rock out after your tough week! And because you lurve to support your neighborhood. Hope to see you there! Come chat with me if you come-- I wanna get to know my neighbors. (I'm Colleen, BTW, the lead singer in MODA.) A tragic fire Tuesday at the historic Marysville Elementary in Southeast Portland has left 435 students without a school. You can help these schoolchildren by volunteering Saturday to prepare Rose City Park School for them. Marysville students will be transferred to Rose City Park Monday. The work party takes place from 8 am to noon Saturday at Rose City Park. Volunteers will help district officials by cleaning, moving furniture and otherwise sprucing up Rose City Park School, which closed Rose City Park two years ago. Volunteers must sign up to take part in Saturday’s project. SIGN UP NOW! If you cannot attend Saturday’s project and would like to help Marysville students in another way, please contact Andre Jackson at 503-916-3078. Via email from Hands On Portland. Susan Marcus attended our neighborhood meeting a couple months ago, to tell us about her plans to open Foster Indy Mart - a place for local entrepreneurs to sell their goods and services, and a place for all of us to help support the local economy. The store is now open for business. See this article on the I Love Lents blog for all the details. Has anyone checked it out yet? I plan to do that soon! Hey, Fun on Foster is this weekend!! I've been as busy as ever this month (took a trip to TN!) but I wanted to pass on what little I know so far. Once again, Guapo brings the fun. They're having an art-in, if you will. Local comic artists will join neighborhood kids to create a new show. They're at 6350 SE Powell, and the comic & kid creation time is scheduled for 10-3. Learn more at Guapo's blog, which reports that the street fair will include vendors selling crafts and art. Portland on the Cheap reports that the Fun on the Foster streetfair will also offer entertainment and food. I'll keep posting what I find out.. and you do the same! I'm hoping the weather stays as clear, as the forecast predicts. We know that a family photograph means so much to a soldier, especially during the holiday season. That’s why the Portraits of Love Project was born. A network of photographers have agreed to donate their time during the month of September to take a free portrait of families whose loved ones will be serving overseas this holiday season. Photos will be uploaded to a website where you can have your photo sent directly to your soldier for free! It’s our way of saying thank you to the brave men and women who defend our country. Domestic Bliss Photography is Portland’s Photography Studio participating in this special program. Please contact us to set up your appointment or forward our information to a military family that you know. Thank you! -Laura & Hovering Hey, did you know FosterPowellPDX.com twitters? Yah, @FosterPowellPDX is the handle. Mosey on over tonight and you'll see an update on why this Fo-Po Girl is headed to No Po: To go to Underground Blues Exchange's Black Light Party, which is going until 6am. Two floors of lights of many colors will highlight the fancy moves of the blues dancers in attendance. I can't wait. What: Underground Blues Excange's blues dance, with cool lights. Why: 'Cause you like dancing. And lights. When: Now until 6am. Where: 6906 N. Portsmouth Ave. If you end up coming, find me.... I'm wearing a shell necklace and a lotus shirt... and my real handle is Colleen, BTW. It's not easy to scrounge together cultural funds in this economic climate. Fortunately, in Portland, the arts come to you. Earlier this summer, a friend and I enjoyed a free performance of King Lear in Cathedral Park. Tomorrow, I'm planning to enjoy a symphony concert at Laurelhurst Park--free of charge. We'll grab a picnic and settle into the grass right as the golden yellow light shines over the West Hills. What: A free performance of classical music, brought to you by some of Oregon's finest classical musicians. They'll be playing selections from by composers including Beethoven, Hayden, and Mendelssohn. Where: Laurelhurst Park, 39th & Stark When: 6 p.m I'm blogging directly from the Foster-Powell neighborhood association meeting, where we've just approved a budget for the Foster-Powell National Night Out Block Party, which will be on the evening of August 4th at Kern Park. All FoPo neighbors are invited to enjoy live music, accupuncture, and more. The party committee has a few requests for volunteers:
So, help if you can, and come on down to Kern park on August 4th!
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You can find more information about City Repair, and the Village Building Convergence here: 