Drowning in leaves?

Leaf disposal is on in Gabriel Park - since all MY leaves have certainly come down (and I'm glad I cut my grass yesterday, too) - I am certainly overflowing in lawn debris. This is a problem since I can never remember when lawn debris day IS anymore, now that it no longer coincides with my payday schedule. However - the leaf disposal takes over the parking lot off of Vermont, just below the kids play area in the park. Here's the schedule. I know this doesn't include times - it's like 8AM to 4PM, but Portland Transportation's website is down right now and I don't remember the schedule from when I drove by yesterday. I'll update this tonight.

Sunday, October 30
Sunday, November 6
Saturday, November 12
Saturday, November 19

The cost will be: $1 per car load, $4 per truck, SUV or trailer load, $5 per truck and trailer, $30 per commercial load (5 yd. maximum – larger loads will be referred to commercial recycle centers). There will be a $1 discount for senior citizens. Leaves collected become part of the city’s recycling eff ort and are turned into compost. For more information, call the leafline at 503-823-1784 or Portland Transportation dot org

From my experience last year. They will take all your leaves, but they will not take your lawn debris bags - so if you have leaves and stuff in bags - you'll have to empty out the bags when you get to the leaf drop, and then schlep your empty bags home with you.

Just in time for the Holidays

Jr. V made some money yesterday, and we let him take $20 up to Thinker Toys (here's a link to their woefully out of date website) and buy whatever he wanted. As we walked in the door he made a beeline for the Playmobil section, and found that it had been moved!

I thought I had posted about this earlier, but when we had visited the store on First Friday this month, I noticed some remodeling being done at the back of the store. Much to the delight of Jr. V they have turned the entire back section of the store into a HUGE Playmobil display. This is the area that used to house all the puppets and costumes, but apparently the Playmobil stock has grown too big for the center of the store. Jr. V picked out something he could afford and we left happy.

It's nice having such a quality toy store so close to home.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

There are a few new things going up and going in, in the Village these days. Have you noticed? There's a coin shop that will be opening soon on the corner of 36th and whatever that road that runs behind the Village is called, and there's a vegetarian restaurant opening at some point in the old Pizza Schmizza location next to Jeff Parker Realty.

So I did actually stop into Fusion Cut and Color today, As I mentioned yesterday, and Adrienne and I talked a bit about the new building going up across the street from the salon. According to Adrienne, it's not going to be residential (which makes sense although it would have been kinda cool) but will consist of ground-floor retail and the upper floor will be artists work spaces (or studios of some sort). She then mentioned that she had just found out that there aren't really three floors, as it looks like there will be, but that the second level windows are really a clerestory [definition] and the ceiling of the first story will be double-height. Well, OK "clerestory" is my word - if only to prove to Professor Andrus that I was actually paying attention, even though I wasn't taking notes, back in 1989. Either way - perhaps there will be some sort of loft? We didn't know. Adrienne wondered if there'd be an elevator?

We'll keep our eyes on this. And oh yes, my hair does look nice, thanks!

Some layout updates

In general administration notes - I've added a little banner with the time of the next upcoming neighborhood association meeting. All meetings are in Room 14 in the Multnomah Center.

Also, on the sidebar you will see this link:

If you click on it, this leads to the category tags for this site on del.icio.us and should help occasional and new readers find things by subject. Yes, I know that if I was using Movable Type that I would have category tagging "built in", but right now I don't have the energy to migrate and learn a new system. Perhaps in the future.

Fusion Cut and Color's New Website

So I discovered Fusion Cut and Color's new website this morning. It's very nice, and well designed by an outfit called Digit13.

I've had both Tamara and Adrienne cut my hair in the past and although the Villager is pretty low maintenance when it comes to hair cutting (for instance, I get "cut" instead of "styled") I should visit Fusion again soon, like today if possible.

Stop by the website, but stop by the shop and get a cut or something - Fusion is a great, friendly asset to the Village!

Village Beads - and Five Questions

On First Friday this month, Jr V and I stopped into Village Beads. I love their sign, it's just well-done lettering. Also, I've always had a weakness for bead stores (and fish markets, but that's another post). I've always been a little nervous about approaching businesses that are in converted houses - it seems like walking up the steps, across the walk and up onto the porch is such a commitment - I lamost feel guity if I don't buy something..."Why'd you walk all the way up here then!"

Depiste that - and despite the fact that I had an almost-five-year-old in tow, we popped up the steps and went in. The house that Village Beads is in is very well-kept, paired with Jacquiline's next door, thsi is a nice little row of properties. The feeling inside Vilalge Beads is not really retail at all, (and I mean that in a good way) no overwhelming displays, no thrown together "crafting space" that you might find in some other stores like this. Now this was a suprise, since the store is literally PACKED wih merchandise.

There are, of course, beads EVERYWHERE, and several of those old cabinets of flat files that used to be used to store hot-metal-type among other things. They are organized by type and filled to the rbim with beads of all descriptions. We looked through several sections of natural stone beads, in various polishes and shapes. All price ranges from less than a dollar to "sky's the lmit". The display cases hold more elaborate items that can be used as the centerpieces for necklaces, or whatever.

Jr. V was fascinated - and to allieviate the whole "touching" thing, Michele ponted him at a large barrel-like container at the front of the store filled with small beads of all descriptions. It's like a giant treasure chest. In fact the whole store is like finding a chest filled to the rbim with jewels and interesting things.


Many of my female friends are into making necklaces, glass beads and jewelry - it seems to be one of those crafts, like knitting, that is enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days. Village Beads would be a great place to get all you need to start making your own stuff, or for finding that unique piece that helps you standa apart from the rest. We enjoyed our visit, and I'm likely to do some holiday shopping there.

Five Questions: Michele Cassinelli, owner, Village Beads

1. How long has your business been in Multnomah Village?
   We are coming up on our 1st anniversary in business Nov 9th.


2. Why did you decide to locate your business to the Village?
   Buying the property prompted the business. My husband always wanted to own property in Multnomah Village and when the building came up for sale he jumped on it. The next question was what would I like to do with such fantastic retail space.


3. What would you like to see in the Village that we DON'T have?
   We could certainly use more parking, however that may be asking for the impossible.


4. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our neighborhood?
   The biggest challenge facing our neighborhood is establishing ourselves as a destination in the greater Portland area.


5. What is your favorite thing, or favorite place in Multomah?
   My favorite place is of course my own store where you can dig through a bucket of beautiful beads, take a load off and make a one of a kind creation your friends will certainly envy.

Village Beads is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-6
(and open late on First Friday)!

Multnomah Historical Association Website

Wow! Also, in the "who knew" department - the Multnomah Historical Association has a very nice-looking website at http://www.multnomahhistorical.com/. I've been meaning to do some explorations of Village history - do I have it in me to stop by a meeting?

Check out the site.

We had our chance to take over

So I stopped by the Multnomah Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday night. Small turnout - in fact I suppose I was the only "member of the public" there. We had two members of the press, and the other three folks were the officers. I've "outed" myself to Zach, the outgoing chairman (term limits, who knew?), but to everyone else I was just some guy who needed to get out of the house.

Topics covered included a tree-preservation plan draft that we're not allowed to Cite or Distribute, the usual land use issues, including discussion of a new stoplight at 30th and Barbur which might not make much sense now, but will be useful when the large housing project at Headwaters is complete. However - a stoplight at that location is going to make getting into and out of that Chevron station a major pain in the backside. A crosswalk will be very helpful for people trying to get to the burned out "lingerie modeling" place on the south side of Barbur. Maybe with a traffic signal we can attract a real business onto that corner.

The remainder of the meeting was devoted to discussing the last agenda item, which was to be nomination and election of officers. After some bemused objections by Don (editor of the Post), we put up a motion to delay the nominations and elections until there were more people at the meeting than would be filling the actual offices. And that's only 'cause I didn't bite on the open Secretary position. As I said in the subject line - we missed our chance to take over.

However - there was a fortunate bit of synchronicity by way of one of the papers - I can't remember if it was the SWNI paper or The Connection - turns out a member of another nieghborhood association had battled low turnout by sending postcards with info about the next meeting - had a 10% response rate! We discussed doing the same, since SWNI pays for the printing. We then put forth a motion (well, I did actually - my fist motion!) to spend a few bucks to insert 1000 of these into next month's issue of the Post.

The plan is that we then will have enough people to have a nomination and election that will not invite scrutiny by the UN monitors, etc. Plus we'll have Sam Adams. No, unfortunately not the Boston Lager, but instead the high-profile City Commissioner.

All-in-all it's good be be getting involved in the neighborhood. I must admit I'm tempted to "run" for office, but I think I'm not ready for that kind of committment. See you next month! Second tuesday at 7PM.

Thanks Oregonlive

I'm getting alot of hits from Oregon Live's weblog page, which has listed the Multnomah Villager in their "Other Weblogs" section, kinda stuck down the middle of the page between a boatload of ads and Oregonlive's own weblogs.

Despite the challenging visual design, people are finding the link and clicking over. Thanks for the link, and readers - thanks for visiting.

Uh oh, they're onto us....

Found this interesting quote in a San Francisco Bay Area real estate forum on Craigslist.

Multnomah Village is cool -- and cooler than a lot of the "cool" places you constantly hear about. The first one to tell me about it was a majorly cool gay realtor who lived up on Council Crest (also very cool area, but spendy!!). It'll stay cooler if you don't tell too many people. Just let the lemmings head east and north. :)

Watch out! They've discovered us down in California!

Oh, and apparently "they" still say "cool".

So I finally went to Renner's

So after all this time Mrs. V and I stopped into Renner's for a drink or two after dinner tonight. She had been there before - I hadn't. We headed straight back to "the Suburban Room", which is the cellar-like bar in the back. Unless my sense of space is deceiving me, it appears to be undercutting the street by a foot or two. It's low ceilinged and small, divey, smoky but not horrible - in other words the perfect place to knock back a few when you really don't feel like dealing with being "out" somehwere. The walls of the suburban room are lined - plastered really - with framed photos of patron over the years. More than a few featured Darcelle. We sat in the booth row against the back wall which looks up to a complete series of small watercolors by Kaye Synoground of all the village landmarks, including the now gone little red shack that housed Village Florist not too long ago.

The bar offerings tend towards the classics, PBR is in full effect and of course there are the infamous Jello Shots. Since I'm a scotch drinker with somewhat of a specific taste, I was left adrift in a land full of frigtheningly cloying blended scotches, or J&B. I grabbed a J&B and settled in for a catching up session with Mrs.V's friends.

I like these sorts of tight, underground spaces when it comes to bars. Oddly - in this divey cave-like "workingman's bar" (as my grandmother might have described it - had she ever been in a bar) the music selections were pure 80's. We went form Peter Gabriel to Paul Hardcastle to Depeche Mode. This was fine with us though, since we are all "of a certiain age" and I for one appreciated the non-standard picks.

The bar emnu was calling out to me though - it's old-school and tasty. If we had not just come from dinner. I tell you what - I may like a $10 a glass brand of scotch, but I can eat the heck out of some mozzarella cheese sticks!

We'll go back for breakfast one of these days.

PART TWO: Synchronicity via Google News
Every couple of weeks or so, one of the local newspapers "discovers" Renner's. This week it was the Portland Tribune. Here's their writer's take:

The next afternoon I set out for the elusive Renners Grill (7819 S.W. Capitol Highway). I can’t find it. I drive up and down Oregon Highway 10 for a while, then stop at a convenience store and ask the cashier if he knows where Renners is. He doesn’t. I ask him if he knows where Multnomah Village is. He doesn’t. I ask him where we are now. He doesn’t know that, either. “I’m new here,” he says. Finally I do what I should have done in the first place, and call for directions.
Renners is built into the side of a hill. It feels like the dining car on a Depression-era train, and it’s about that big. A lunch counter and a few raised booths fill the front.
The Suburban Room, as the bar in back is called, seats a few more. Art deco lamps hang from the uneven ceiling, and everything is old, from the rounded wooden beer cooler to the vintage ketchup bottles.
Even the graffiti stays in character — in the bathroom, someone has inked the ancient quatrain that begins “Here I sit.”
Bartender David Reeves tells me that some of the older regulars have been coming in since they were kids, when the place was a burger joint. The back wall is lined with photos, like the signed celebrity photos in many historic dining rooms. But here they are all pictures of loyal customers.

The full article is here on their site.

First Friday

This is the hippocampus hanging outside of Peggy Sunday's.

So tonight turned out to be the first "First Friday" that I was actually in town since I started this 'blog. Jr. V and I went up the hill to walk down the main drag, and stop into a few stores. For those of you who don't live here, First Friday is the night during which virtually all of the stores in the village stay open until at leat 8PM. It's quite a draw. We started off at Annie Bloom's to check out a few books and for me to sneak insome reconnaisance for Jr. V's upcoming birthday. We headed down the street a bit and dropped in at Thinker Toys (what are the odds) where Jr. V was thrilled to find a few "limited edition" Halloween Playmobil figures that were within his budget. He was even more thrilled when the friendly staff person let him trade in his just-bought Halloween Playmobil for the even cooler one in the window.

We headed across the street and dropped into Village Bead, which I've been meaning to visit for a while and will get it's own post shortly. Then back through the village on the other side of the street. There was a guy sauteeing a huge pan of mushrooms outside Sip D'Vine, and a nice glass of merlot was calling to me - unfortunately so was Jr. V, so we had to pass the inviting wine store by.

Every store, restaurant and bar looked pretty busy tonight. Especially Renner's which seemed to be hosting a congregation of tough-looking scooter riders (yes, there is such a thing).

Then it was the short walk home after another nice night in the village. You should definitely make plans to stop by First Friday next month, when the pre-holiday-season preparations will certainly be in full swing!