Clearly, I haven't been buying enough Star Wars stuff....

I just drove past Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow and noticed a "going out of business sale" sign. That's too bad - that quirky store was right up my alley. Although it's certainly off the beaten path, which must have been a factor in it's apparent upcoming demise. If you haven't stopped in lately, and apparently, we all haven't - you should stop in soon, and buy something. He gave it a good shot.

Back in the land of the short-haired

Yes, well the hair is short again now, thanks to Tamara at Fusion Cut and Color. Despite my ongoing infatuation with Barb at Vis a Vis, over at Bertha Station, I pretty much had to stop into to Fusion this time, since we've been exchanging some emails lately, and also, they could get me in. Great haircut as always, and a good conversation after I "outted" myself as the Villager to Tamara.

Hopefully she wasn't expecting me to be dashing and mysterious.

One tidbit from our conversation is that the new shoestore that has been getting local newspaper press lately is going into the new building across from Fusion, which I have been referring to as the Multnomah Village Post World Headquarters (TM), since they will be there also. This subject led us to wonder what ever happened to that four-story building that was going to occupy the empty space along the Village main drag? Anyone?

Ok well, thanks Tamara! your cut was well-reviewed by Mrs. V. See you again sometime...

The neighborhood school

So, was I pointed out in my previous post, Jr. V will be starting kindergarten next fall. He'll be going to Maplewood Elementary School after all. I say this since there had been much discussion in our house recently regarding which school option we should choose. It's no so simple as just sending the kid to the local school anymore... But wait.. it is!

It's a good thing he's going at all, since I randomly went to Maplewood's site just after the new year to get some general information about the school and found out that sign up began Friday the 13th! Who knew?! And it's a good thing we called friday too, since we needed a full-day slot and they're probably all full by now.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Mrs. V, Jr. V and I went on down to the Convention Center last week for the Schools Celebration, which is pretty much a trade show for all the local schools to display their info. Maplewood was the first thing we saw when we walked in the door, and as luck would have it, the booth was being manned (what's the opposite? Personned? Womanned? I'm using manned - sue me.) by the full-day kindergarten teacher! We had such a nice conversation with her that we made our decision immediately. So that's where Jr. V will be in the fall.

The principal of Maplewood keeps a 'blog too, well anyway the Principal's Notes are posted online at http://maplewoodprincipal.blogspot.com

Now I just need to find out where this school is... I hear they have one of those Lego robotics teams, and they're good.

I promise this isn't some local government 'blog....

The neighborhood association meeting was still kind of angsty the other night. It must be the rain. Commissioner Dan Saltzman was the special guest. He was OK, although not as confidence-inspiring as Sam Adams. Dan seems very much like a politician. I saw him the next night at the Portland Schools Celebration at the Convention Center also, which I note since he's the ONLY local politician we saw there (that's a good thing. That he was there, that is.... Oh nevermind).

He led with the police/fire retirement fund issue, which was not a big surprise. The rest of the talk was not really doing anything for me - so I'm not going to recount it here. I'm sure Dan's a fine guy - it wasn't just him, perhaps it was the meeting as a whole. Last month was sort of the same.

The one interesting, and cool thing is that all the officers of the neighborhood association seem to be around my age or younger(!), which is a refreshing surprise.

Depsite this recent ennui, I've managed to volunteer to be the neighborhood association's representative on the newly formed SWNI schools committee. I have NO IDEA what our neighborhood association's priorities will be surrounding school issues, but I think it's time I found out, since Jr. V is already signed up for kindergarten at Maplewood in the fall.

We did meet his future kindergarten teacher at the Schools Celebration who was delightful. So convenient being right in fron of the door. And us with our future kindergartner in tow!

First school's committee meeting is this Thursday. Film at 11.

Commissioner Sam Walks the Beat

Brief article on Commissioner Sam Adams walkabout in the Village is online here, although it's not much reading. The important thing is the followup. This walkabout took place after he visited with the Neighborhood Association at the December meeting.

Neighborhood Association Meeting Tonight

Yep, I've been pretty inactive for the last couple of weeks. At first I thought it was the holidays, but now I realize that it's the weather. The rain has been so relentless that I haven't really gotten out of the house. We spent most of the week between Christmas and New Year's at home, in the house, dreaming of going to the park....

Doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.

Anyway, the MNA meeting is tonight at 7PM. Commissioner Dan Saltzman is going to be there, which should be interesting, since he's been much in the news lately. Jack Bog speculates about his political future in this post.

Last month's meeting was rather contentious. Several cranky interchanges and a few almost confrontational moments as the discussion ranged around various topics. In fact, last month's meeting pretty much embodied the reasons I have not been involved in the nieghborhood assocation prior to starting this 'blog. There's only so much property zoning variance applications and discussions of sidewalks ten years down the road that one guy can take.

Despite this - I'll be representing tonight. I was thinking of "outting" myself, but since I haven't been updating lately, perhaps that's not such a great idea.

Got some new things in the Village: the vegetarian restaurant is open, swingset has been replaced at Custer Park but not operational yet, coin store (which is also one of those eBay drop places) is open, we're getting a shoe store, the Village Post is soon going to move into their new "World Headquarters" in that new large building across from Fusion Cut & Color, etc.

See ya tonight maybe. I'll be there - come up and kick me in the behind so I start updating this thing....