PDXme

PDXppl is the first in a series of Portlanders and what they do. Be sure to keep it here for your urban gens!

PDXppl: Nancy Stovall, Vice Chair of the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association

June 26, 2009

Over the past couple of weeks I have been a harsh critic of the University of Oregon's (UO) plans to alter the design of the "Made in Oregon" sign and the Water Tower, two Portland icons in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. Realizing the compromise for the "Made in Oregon" sign to read "Oregon," was reasonable given the circumstances, I took to the University's proposal to place its "O" logo on the adjacent water tower that currently reads "Old Town."

In my quest to learn more about the key players in this debate, among them UO, Portland City Council, the Historic Landmarks Commission, I found that one key entity was missing. Although this may have seemed obvious in our process-loving town, it seems the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association has yet been given its own soapbox to stand on. I left a message for the Neighborhood Association, and Nancy Stovall was kind enough to give me a call back. Below is her and her neighborhood association's take on the debate that has pervaded Portland's publications for four months as well as more information about Old Town Chinatown, one of Portland's many prized neighborhoods.

PDXme: Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Nancy Stovall; I'm the Vice Chair of the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association.

PDXme: What do Portland and the Old Town Chinatown (OTCT) area mean to you?

I live in Old Town, it's my neighborhood. I love living in an urban environment; I moved here from suburban Atlanta almost 3 years ago. Within the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood boundaries there are two National Historic Districts: Skidmore-Old Town and Japantown-New Chinatown. Most Portlanders don't realize that this is where Portland began. Captain Couch's land claim encompassed what is now Old Town, Chinatown, the Pearl, Nob Hill and some of NW Portland, but there's very few historic buildings anywhere except Old Town Chinatown. Those of us who live here understand that we're only caretakers for the next generation--but there needs to be a balance. Portland needs to take action to preserve what's remaining and revitalize this historic neighborhood.

PDXme: Can you give us an idea as to what the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association has done in the past?

The neighborhood association has partnered with the city of Portland, Portland Development Commission (PDC), the OTCT Business Association, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and other public and private organizations to preserve and document the neighborhood's history, and champion new development. The Visions Committee grew out of the NA to plan and document a neighborhood charter for preservation and development. The OTCT Visions Plan was adopted by the City, and has been revisited and updated over the past 10 years as work has developed.

PDXme: Regarding the much-publicized debate around the “Made in Oregon” sign and “Old Town” water tower, can you give us the neighborhood association’s perspective of the proposed design changes?

UO has spent a great deal of time, money and energy in faithfully restoring the White Stag Block. The "Made in Oregon" sign has a wonderful past--I wish more people knew about it and could see some of the old pictures. It has always represented the building's tenant--first White Satin Sugar, the White Stag, then Made in Oregon and now U of O. The University understands what historic preservation means to Portland, Oregon and to the neighborhood, and have engaged the NA throughout their process. The water tower has been restored to a working condition thanks to U of O. The NA is completely in support of the historic restoration that U of O has brought to Old Town.

PDXme: What is your personal view towards the proposed changes?

If you take the larger view, the perspective changes. I applaud the University's agreement to lease the Oregon sign and restore the water tower. Portland is famous for its recycle, re-use ethic--this is a great example of the University's commitment to sustainable use. The White Stag Block--the entire Old Town neighborhood, actually--was originally a center for commerce. From the first time that Captain Couch sailed into the port, he knew that he'd make his fortune--and his home--in Old Town. I wonder what he would think of this debate.

PDXme: What has the University of Oregon done to include the neighborhood association in its decision-making?

The U of O has regularly attended our meetings, presented their plans and asked for input and support from the NA. Their work has always been carefully researched and is appropriate from the NA perspective.

PDXme: What would you suggest to Portlanders that just can’t let go of these two Portland landmarks?

There's no need to let go of them--thanks to the U of O they'll still be landmarks. The sign is owned by Ramsay Signs, and leased to the tenant of the building. The lease to Made in Oregon was up, and U of O stepped up to take over the lease. The history of the sign continues. The sign will not change dramatically; the major component of the sign have been constrained to prevent that. The shape, the stag, the colors and pattern of the lights, and even the font are all required to remain the same. The water tower has been saved and restored for Portland. There needs to be more of this type of work in Old Town--without restoration, many buildings will crumble and we'll lose these historic landmarks.

PDXme: Anything else you’d like to tell us?

I'd like to invite all of Portland to come down to the neighborhood--visit the history of the city, and feel the vibe of the area. Old Town is a friendly area--we know our neighbors. I like to say that we're "living history". There's retail, restaurants, arts, culture, commerce and education in Old Town--all in historic buildings and surroundings. Portland is great because of it's small block sizes and diverse neighborhoods. That all started here. Check out our website--oldtownchinatown.org--to see where to shop and eat and what to see and do. All ages and all walks of life will find something fun to do in Old Town Chinatown.

* * *

So there you have it. It looks like the University of Oregon has made the effort to work with its new community in Portland, unlike the way I had characterized the University in previous posts. Although I am not for the proposed changes to the "Made in Oregon" sign, and much less those to the "Old Town" water tower, I respect the fact that communication has been taking place between the University and the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association. Now it's up to the Historic Landmarks Commission to decide on the validity of the proposed redesigns. If you'd like to attend the Commission's meeting to speak for or against the proposed changes, please see the information below.

Landmarks Commission Hearing
Monday, July 27, 2009 at 1:30PM
1900 SW 4th Ave, Room 2500A

View the hearing agenda.

If you would like to testify in front of the commission, it would be best to arrive before 1:30pm to see the clerk in order to put your name on the list. Public comment is limited to three minutes per person.

For related "Made in Oregon" sign and "Old Town" water tower information, visit the general information page updated by the Bureau of Development Services.

PDXppl: Diana Banning, Portland's Archivist

June 17, 2009

This spring term in my Honors College history class, I was assigned to write a ten to fifteen page research paper on a topic of my choice. Being the Portlandphile (or PDXphile, if you please) that I am, I took to researching Forest Park, a large, forested park no less, not ten minutes from the city center. Over Memorial Day weekend I took a trip up north to jump start my research. The process to secure the park's current size of over 5,000 acres, which began in 1947, was a treat to investigate. Much like the growth of a now cherished and developed Forest Park, the place of my research, Portland's City Archives, its records dating back to the beginnings of Portland, is a wonder in itself to behold.

The archives are located in Chimney Park in North Portland, in a building once designated as the center for waste collection of a former city dump. During my two visits to the archives, Diana Banning, the City Archivist, helped me work through numerous boxes and files for the primary sources I sought. To my surprise, Diana, a humble public servant, expressed her amazement, "normally, people your age don't know about the archives." "Really?" I enquired. The wealth of information pared with the diligence of Diana and her colleagues as the keepers of the City's history, impelled me to give them their due recognition. I got into contact with Diana again in an attempt to let people know more about one of Portland's lesser-known treasures.

PDXme: What is the Portland City Archives?

The Portland City Charter assigns the City Auditor responsibility over City records and so the Archives and Records Management division resides in the office of the City Auditor. The City of Portland Archives and Records Center is managed by Archives and Records Management and is the official repository for the City’s historical records.In addition to housing and managing the archives, we also provide off-site records storage for City bureaus.

While we provide many services to City bureaus and their employees, those that are available to the public are probably of most interest here! As a public archives, our collections are available for use by the public for free. I feel that this is one of the most important services we can offer citizens: free and open access to the documentation of the City at work.

Our collections are focused on records created by or for City agencies; our earliest official records begin in 1851, with the first City Council meeting. We have records detailing the activities of all bureaus, including those that are no longer active like the Motion Picture Censor Board and the Milk Inspector. Essentially, if you wonder what the archives contains, think about what services the City provides and you’ll have a sense of our subject matter: transportation, water, sewer, solid waste, recycling, police and fire protection, parks, planning, development, and neighborhood collaboration are only a few out a much longer list.

While most of our collections consist of correspondence, reports, studies, and project files, we also have photographs, maps, and plans. We don’t have an exact count, but I estimate that we have nearly 750,000 photographs in our collections and they document City officials, activities, and projects. Even though a large portion of our images were taken to provide evidence of public works projects, they also document the neighborhoods where the projects took place and capture how life in Portland has changed throughout the decades.

Although our collections are primarily bureaucratic by their very nature, they also document social history. Local governments are involved in so many aspects of our everyday lives that the official records can’t help but document society.

PDXme: What is your job? Can you describe an average day?

As the City Archivist, I’m convinced I have the best job in the City! Really, how cool is it to work with old records, photos, maps and plans? Add to that, I also get to help people find information they need. I’m the first to say that I’m not the City’s historian – there are other more qualified people out there doing excellent work interpreting the city’s history; rather, my job is to collect, protect and provide access to the documentation of the City of Portland.

One thing that people don’t realize is that archival records are being created as we speak – just because a record is new doesn’t mean it lacks historical significance! As such, I work closely with my colleagues, Tim Hunt and Brian Brown, on contemporary records issues. Now that more than 90% of our records are created in the electronic realm, archivists and records managers are presented with great challenges when it comes to preserving the public record.

As for an average day, I’m not sure there is one. I spend approximately 20-30% of my time working with researchers and answering reference questions. I also have the administrative duties that come with managing a facility and staff. I also work with bureaus on records management and archives issues, spend time on outreach activities and other professional duties.

PDXme: How did you become interested in archiving? What do you enjoy about your profession?

While I’d like to say that I wanted to be an archivist when I grew up, I can’t. In fact, I didn’t even really know what an archives was prior to my first job in one. When I was accepted into library school, I wanted to find a job working in a library. Listed on the job board was a post for a student processor at the King County Archives in Seattle. I never looked back. I’ve spent my career working for local government archives and records management programs and continue to love it.

I think what invigorates me and makes me very proud to be an archivist is that I feel like I’m helping connect people to their past. Connection to the past is much more than researching your family tree (although I believe genealogy is the nation’s second-most popular hobby); rather, it’s linking who we are to who we were as individuals, neighbors, communities, regions, and nations. There is a statue at the National Archivesthat contains a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest: “What is past is prologue” and it well-defines the role of archives in society. Add to that, as a public archivist I absolutely believe in the role that archives play in government’s responsibility to citizens for an open and democratic process. After all, without the evidence of the government’s actions or documentation of a society, there is no accountability. It’s no coincidence that archives are often an early victim of a regime change.

PDXme: What kinds of people do you provide services to?

We provide services to everybody; archives are not just for scholars! Our researchers come from as close as down the street and as far away as Japan. We work with attorneys, students, neighborhood activists, businesses, government employees, and genealogists – to name a few. It’s difficult to fully classify all of the people who use our records. Serious scholars working on dissertations and publications can be researching next to a person doesn’t really see themselves as doing research. Rather, they have a need to find out something that pertains to them on a personal level. My favorite example of this is an elderly man who came to the archives many years ago looking for a list of approved street trees. It turns out that his sidewalk was damaged by tree roots and he was trying to prove that the tree he’d planted many years ago was recommended by the City as a tree that wouldn’t disrupt the sidewalk. We found a pamphlet for him and he happily took a copy away with him to help him prove his case. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out if he was successful, but I think he personifies my assertion that archives are important to everyone.

PDXme: The City of Portland has been working with Portland State University to move the Portland Archives into its new Student Recreation Center. Why is this happening, and what are some changes we can expect with this move?

The Archives and Records Center has been experiencing space shortages for years and we’d done as much as we could do to stay in the building as long as we could. The timing for the new PSU building was perfect and the City purchased space from PSU in a condo agreement so we could move the City’s Archives and Records Center. The new building will provide us room to grow (local, state and federal laws dictate how long we need to maintain records), and more importantly, we’ll be much more accessible. Our current location is 11 miles from City Hall and access via public transportation is spotty. The new location sites us between the streetcar, the MAX and buses.

We anticipate that we’ll begin moving the collections sometime in January 2010 and that we’ll be closed to researchers for 6-8 weeks once the move commences. Moving nearly 30,000 boxes, thousands of maps and plans, hundreds of ledgers and a variety of other materials – all needing to be precisely tracked and relocated – means that we’re planning for a complicated and finely orchestrated move.

However, once we are moved into the new facility, our researchers are going to love it! The reading room will have a lovely view, lockers to place their belongings, and nice tables and chairs from which to do their research. We’re also planning for a wireless connection so people can search our online catalog,Efiles and other resources they might need. While the hours are not yet set in stone, we plan to offer some extended and drop-in hours to compliment our current by-appointment research times.

This is an exciting move that will bring City information resources closer to the community; after all, a core tenet of archives is access and soon we’ll be so much more accessible.

PDXme: If one wanted to visit the archives, what would you suggest that he or she do?

At this time, making a research appointment is all that is needed to begin the process of accessing the City’s archives. Currently, we are open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, by appointment only. One may make an appointment by calling 503-823-4631 or emailing. After our move, please check our website for updated hours and contact information.

PDXme: Anything else you'd like to tell us about the Archives?

I’d like to make a plug for our Annual Open House, which is scheduled this year for October 2^nd, 1-4 p.m. This is the public’s chance to get a “behind the scenes” tour and enjoy a root beer float as our thank you for stopping by. This year marks our 10^th open house and our 30^th anniversary at the Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center (SPARC). The celebration will take a fond look back on our time at SPARC, as well as forward to our exciting new location.

PDXppl: David Keller, one less car

July 10, 2009

When I was growing up in Southwest Portland, I never rode my bike. The hilly terrain and long distances, in addition to roads lacking adequate shoulders, made biking a difficult and dangerous activity. Nonetheless, there are some people who make biking in Southwest feasible. David Keller, a fellow alum from Wilson High School now attends Portland State University (PSU). He commutes daily from his humble Multnomah Village condo, deep in Southwest. I caught up with him on Facebook to get a sense of his love for biking, Portland's urban pastime.

PDXme: Describe yourself. Who are you and what do you do?

I'm David Keller. I'm a full time student majoring in international business / marketing at PSU. I like helping the environment and enjoying it as much as possible. I love being outside in general.

PDXme: What kinds of bikes do you own?

I own a road bike with gears, a fixed gear bike, and a mini bike that I use when I zoobomb. My fixed gear was the first bike I bought last summer that got me into serious riding. I've been riding that since, and I just recently became interested gears. Just in April I found the bike that an old neighbor had passed on to me in 1997. I decided to make it my new commuter down to PSU. Riding that, I ended up fixing it up and modifying it, so there are almost no original parts left.

PDXme: What got you into biking? How about commuting?

David: I got into biking a few different ways. When I bought the fixed gear bike last summer, I got into fun riding and taking it out for a day ride almost to just call it a hobby. Recently with the road bike (gears), I've found myself making biking a serious part of my life. Riding to school 5 days a week has only made me more into it. Having no other option, I commute in the sun, rain, cold, sleet, you name it. I can beat the bus, so there is no reason to take it. Riding to school also got me into farther rides and pushing myself. I did a few rides along the Spring Water Corridor, which is a bike path that starts near OMSI in SE, and is a 40 mile loop out towards Gresham and then back to town. Similar to this, is the ride out to Sauvie's Island. It is a satisfying ride where you get to relax on the beach when you're halfway done. I also did the Reach the Beach this year, which is a 103 mile bike ride from Portland to Pacific City in support of the America Lung Association of Oregon. It was an unbelievable ride and it makes me want to participate in serious rides more often.

PDXme: Describe your average commute. What do you like the best about it? What could you do without?

David: My normal commute is 5 miles downtown and 5 miles back. Nothing major, but I get to rage downtown because it's downhill and then I get a workout on the way back. I really like riding in the rain, even though my shoes get soaked. I could do without crazy drivers on Barbur Blvd. though. It's the quickest way to get downtown and there are some crazy people who drive it. I've almost been slammed into on multiple occasions. But I can't let that stop me. Just another thing to think about every time I jump on my bike.

PDXme: You mentioned that you like to fix up other people's bikes. To what extent have you worked on a bike?

David: I do like to fix bikes. I like to build up bikes. I can take a bike apart and put it back together no problem. I'm actually looking into starting a new project soon. So I'm constantly looking around for something to do.

PDXme: How about Southwest? What do you think could be done to improve biking in the area?

David: In SW specifically, it would be nice to have bike lanes everywhere (or at least on major roads). On parts of Barbur,Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, and tons of other major streets, no specific bike lane exists. Mostly I have to ride on the shoulder, which is normally rocky, bumpy, and has glass everywhere. Especially on Barbur, there's parts where the bike lane goes away, and bikers are forced to ride in the road. People drive really fast there, and it makes for a bit of a rush.

PDXme: What do you hope Portland will do to help make biking in Portland more feasible/easier?

David: To make biking in Portland easier, I think the green box idea should be incorporated in other places outside of the downtown area. just being able to cut to the front of traffic, and having an area where you know cars can't hit you takes a bit of tension off. A lot of drivers don't like cyclists, so it helps to have a safety zone at every light. Besides that, Portland is pretty bike friendly already. Luckily I'm fortunate enough to live here.

PDXme: To what end do you think you'll be cycling? Do you want to continue riding your bike to get around when you are older?

David: I'll continue riding until I lose my legs. I really like cycling, and it's such a great way to stay in shape, I can see myself biking until I'm an old man. It's too great to ever give up.