Now that school’s out for the summer, it’s time to jump into one of the four open PP&R outdoor pools, as these bathers were doing. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Among the early arrivals cooling off in the Sellwood Pool on opening day were Lexie Stone and daughter Julia. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Historic Sellwood Pool opens for solstice heat wave
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
The day after the last school day for Portland Public Schools students – June 20th, and also the Summer Solstice – happily, was also the opening day for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) outdoor pools.
The storied Sellwood Pool, first opened in 1910, was the preferred destination for many families, as temperatures surpassed the 90° mark that afternoon.
The line for the pool’s 1 p.m. “Open Swim” session extended out of the building, and snaked quite a ways into Sellwood Park.
“We’re ready for our first day – and, with the staffing we have here, we’ll be running at a capacity of 300 people this afternoon,” said Sellwood Pool Aquatic Leader Jack Grigsby, now a four-year veteran at the facility. “All of our lifeguards go through three days of training, getting about 20 hours of education and orientation, in order to be able to work here. We’re fully-equipped to respond to any emergency that we might have here.
“And, we continue weekly trainings all season, including a lot of different drills, for both life-saving in the water and the pool area, and for first aid as well.”
Out poolside, Sellwood Pool Aquatics Coordinator and Manager Teresa O’Loughlin was checking the swimming ability of those wanting to paddle into the deep end.
“During play swims, all swimmers who want to swim in the deep end are required to pass a ‘swim test’ and wear a wristband, indicating they are approved to be there,” O’Loughlin explained. “Non-swimmers, and those without a wristband, are asked to move to the shallow areas.”
Also this season, O’Loughlin pointed out, life jackets are not permitted down the big slides, or in the deep end of the pool.
By the way, when the Sellwood Pool fills to capacity and no more are admitted, keep in mind the Creston Outdoor Pool on S.E. Powell Boulevard at 44th Avenue! It’s now open too.
To learn about other activities at PP&R pools, to see all of the rules and regulations, and to check their days and hours of operation, go online – http://www.portland.gov/parks/recreation/pools
Now, take a look – and a swim – on the opening day for Portland Parks & Recreation's outdoor public pools on June 20th – here at the Sellwood Pool. This exclusive, brief BEE VIDEO takes you there…
David F. Ashton While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire inside the second story of this Eastmoreland home, ventilation crews on the roof found fire smoldering in cedar shake shingles that had been covered over by composite roofing material. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Morning fire guts second story of Eastmoreland home
By DAVIDF.ASHTON For THE BEE
A fire in an Eastmoreland residence on Saturday morning, June 15, caused several neighbors to contact the 9-1-1 Center to report seeing flames rising from the second story windows of a house at 3224 S.E. Woodstock Boulevard, facing the Reed College Campus.
Several Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) stations were alerted and dispatched firefighters at 9:53 a.m. – with Woodstock Fire Station 25’s Engine Company arriving first; Westmoreland Fire Station 20’s Engine Company arrived one minute later, and hooked their pumps up to a fire hydrant and began to pull hose lines into the structure, while Engine 25’s crew searched the home for any victims.
As other arriving firefighters joined the search for victims, a PGE employee arrived and safely de-energized the power line on the ground in the driveway.
With smoke and fire arising from the shingles, the Ladder Truck crew Fire Station #4, from across the river near Portland State University, laddered up and began cutting holes for ventilating and exposing the fire, and pulled off roofing.
Complicating their efforts, crews found that fire was smoldering in cedar shake shingles that had been covered over with newer composite roofing,
Working from the inside and outside, fire personnel had largely extinguished the blaze in about ten minutes. PF&R fire investigators arrived to look into the incident and determined that the fire started in the closet of an upstairs bedroom, from which it extended to the outside of the structure and burned through the electric power line, dropping the live wire to the ground.
But as of the time this issue of THE BEE went to press, the actual cause of the fire in the closet has not yet been publicly announced.
“No injuries were reported,” PF&R Prevention Division Training Coordinator and Public Information Officer Jon Harrell told THE BEE later that day. “But, unfortunately, two of the family’s three cats were found deceased – and the third one is unaccounted for.”
Cars are shown navigating a construction zone in Brentwood-Darlington, where sidewalk construction was underway with the help of federal funding, as reported in the April issue of THE BEE. (Photo by Jonathan House)
Brentwood-Darlington, Woodstock, and Inner Southeast ‘to benefit by improvements’
By ANNA DEL SAVIO Carpenter Media Group
The future of transportation and zoning improvements in Brentwood-Darlington, Woodstock, and surrounding neighborhoods was spelled out in a new plan approved by Portland City Council in early May.
The “Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan” lays out an agenda for rezoning properties along main corridors, to allow for denser residential, commercial, and mixed-use development.
“When I was growing up, Brentwood-Darlington was known as ‘Felony Flats’. Even today, Brentwood-Darlington is still relatively disadvantaged,” said Pam Hodge, a member of the neighborhood association board and the plan’s advisory committee, speaking in front of the Portland City Council at an April 25 meeting. “Brentwood-Darlington has lower household income, higher social vulnerability, less tree canopy, and more industrial pollution.”
Brentwood-Darlington was annexed into the city in 1986. “Like many residents, I believe that until very recently, annexation gave us sewers but little else,” Hodge added.
Adopting the Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan is a crucial step in city leadership “continuing its momentum to address decades of neglect”, and “will, almost 40 years after annexation, finally establish the framework for becoming a complete neighborhood with amenities common to most city neighborhoods,” Hodge said.
The plan also includes changes in the Woodstock, Mt. Scott-Arleta, the City of Portland’s portion of the Ardenwald-Johnson Creek, and Lents neighborhoods. After more than two years of work, the plan was approved by Portland’s Planning Commission in November of 2023, and was sent to the City Council for final approval.
“The plan does an excellent job of expanding access to opportunity in an area of town where this has been lacking, while taking a nuanced approach to changes to support community stability,” commented Valeria McWilliams, a Lents resident and a member of the Plan Advisory Committee. “The plan’s expansion of multi-dwelling zoning will allow for a greater diversity of housing types, including apartments that a broader range of households can afford.”
While most of the public testimony was in support of the plan, some residents have raised concerns about the potential of the plan resulting in the displacement of long-time residents. Some lots that are currently zoned to allow townhouses would be rezoned to allow small multi-family buildings, if the properties are redeveloped.
Critics also worry that the rezoning would encourage large developers to buy up aging owner-occupied homes and replace them with dense rental units, as has happened in other areas of the city already. The Inner Southeast currently has a higher proportion of owner-occupied housing than does the rest of the city. Only 34% of households in the plan area are renters, compared to 47% city-wide.
But rezoning to allow small multi-family development “is not going to spur a land rush for the properties, because the townhouses already allowed in that current zone are already attractive to builders,” Bureau of Planning and Sustainability project manager Bill Cunningham assured the City Council.
The plan also lays out plans for future transportation improvements and expanding the available bus service
“Because complete neighborhoods require both local services and the ability to safely travel to destinations, this plan was – from its inception – both about land uses and transportation, and was therefore a joint effort of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and the Bureau of Transportation,” Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio said, adding that The Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan “is intended to help realize a community’s vision of becoming a complete neighborhood where people can meet more of their daily needs locally and can afford to live in their communities.”
Marching down S.E. 13th Avenue in Sellwood, preceded by a police cruiser, participants in the new parade charmed spectators along the way. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
‘Everything Under the Sun Parade’ starts new Sellwood tradition
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Parades of all sorts are a Portland tradition, and a new one made its debut on Saturday afternoon, June 15, in Sellwood.
With dark, rain-bearing clouds drifting in across Portland’s West Hills, the weather didn’t look good for those who’d spent considerable time planning and getting a permit for the first-ever “Everything Under the Sun Parade” that was staging in Sellwood Park.
It was a concern for the organizer, Kate Duffly. She’d watched the weather forecasts all week, and remarked to THE BEE. “I’d hoped for maybe just a passing shower; but then, shortly before the parade is supposed to start, it’s pouring down rain.
“But still, I thought, ‘This rain is falling so hard, it’s going to pass soon, I just know it.’ – and it has!” Duffly exclaimed. “The sun came back out – a truly magical moment!” And it stayed that way for the entire parade.
Indeed, with Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division vehicles and motorcycle officers leading the way – and followed by Westmoreland Fire Station 20’s Engine Company, bringing up the rear – the cheerful procession promenaded to S.E. 13th Avenue, then south through the Sellwood business district, and back to the park – all of it under brilliant sunshine.
Connecting a parade and puppets After the parade, Duffly told us that the idea for it came to her after she joined SMURK (the Sellwood Moreland Ukulele Revival Klub).
“Also, as a Reed College Theatre Department professor, I’ve always had a fondness for ‘street theatre’ and puppetry; and I’ve been inspired by similar public processions in Vermont and Minneapolis. I love my neighborhood, and I wanted to spread that feeling of ‘community connectedness’ in a way that I know is powerful and joyful.”
Help from many quarters With this in mind, Duffly set out to organize the new parade. “This was my first time getting a ‘small parade permit’, so I had a lot of questions, and Allison Madsen in PBOT was so helpful.
“Elizabeth Milner of the Sellwood Community House (and also SMILE Vice President) was an early advocate for this project – endlessly encouraging me, and giving great suggestions and advice.”
Molly Anderson and Cindy Von Ofenheim were major collaborators – part of Duffly’s volunteer “Parade Brigade” who helped spread the word, and led puppet-building workshops. “And Aaron Rosenblum, a theatrical producer, was another major collaborator and consultant – who, on the day of the parade – with megaphone in hand – wrangled our entries into a parade!”
As the merry band marched around Sellwood, Duffly said that she felt happy and really proud. “I was excited about people getting see this parade that we’d been planning for so long. It was really gratifying to see the surprise and delight on people’s faces as we passed.
“So look for a second annual “Everything Under the Sun Parade’ next year,” Kate Duffly promised.
But, since parades are best experienced in motion, here’s a brief and exclusive BEE VIDEO of this year’s first parade! –
Here’s a surveillance camera photo of 42-year-old Cory James Jackson, as he reportedly was in the midst of the armed robbery of a cannabis store in the Reed neighborhood, in June of last year. (Surveillance photo)
Serial Southeast Portland ‘pot shop’ armed robber arrested
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
In a story last year, THE BEE told how Portland Police Bureau Robbery Unit detectives were looking for a serial armed robber who was targeting Southeast marijuana shops.
Of the five such shops robbed at gunpoint by a suspect, believed to be 42-year-old Cory James Jackson, two of the holdups were in the Reed neighborhood, and one was in the Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighborhood.
In addition to these crimes, Jackson was also a suspect in numerous felony crimes in Washington, Arizona, and Nevada.
During a Portland Police Stolen Vehicle Operation on May 21, 2024, Vancouver Police Department officers notified the Portland that Jackson was driving into Oregon. The PPB officers, who happened to be in the Jantzen Beach area at the time, located Jackson in the Tomahawk Island Best Buy store – evacuated the business – and took him into custody, “without incident”.
Jackson was booked into the MultnomahCountyDetentionCenter on May 22 at 3:01 a.m. on “multiple warrants” – 46 in total – in connection with the Southeast “pot shop” holdups, as well as numerous armed robberies and other crimes – including Felony charges such as Kidnapping in the First Degree.
Currently Jackson is lodged in Inverness Jail in lieu of $240,000 combined bail.
During the “History Happy Hour” fundraiser at Oaks Park, teen volunteers Ramona Freeman, Sylvie Shilyons, Frances Penn, Naomi Eshel, Lela Whitehead, and Cory Tonkin were selling raffle tickets. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Sellwood Community House’s successful ‘History’ fundraiser
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
For the first time ever, the Sellwood Community House (SCH) held a large-scale fundraiser, called the “History Happy Hour”, Friday night, May 17, in the Dance Pavilion at nonprofit – and itself historic – Oaks Amusement Park.
The need for funds was obvious – the hundreds of thousands of dollars of water damage done to the entire historic building by the large burst water pipe in its attic during January’s major week-long ice and wind storm.
Folks attending the party at The Oaks were greeted with live music from the “Ne Plus Ultra Jass Band” playing, as well as by plentiful hors d'oeuvres and treats, local beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages.
Master of Ceremonies Simon Fulford – recently, President of the SMILE neighborhood association – adroitly kept the evening moving. During the formal program, guests raptly absorbed three, graphically-illustrated historical presentations.
Emily MacKay of Oaks Amusement Park, presented “Where the fun never ends: 120 years of fun at Oaks Park”
Eileen Fitzsimons, SMILE History Committee Chair and an historical writer for THE BEE, spoke on was “Reflections on Water” – the importance of our waterways
Mike Houck of the Urban Greenspaces Institute gave a talk, presented with humor, entitled, “Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge: A Brief History”
When the presentations concluded, organizers held a “paddle raise” – an opportunity for those who attended to support the future of Sellwood Community House.
“Overall, the sold-out event was a huge success,” SCH Director of Development and Community Engagement Elizabeth Milner told THE BEE afterwards. “It was a really heartwarming confirmation of how much people in Sellwood-Westmoreland value the importance of community in general – and, the Sellwood Community House in particular.
“The sense of community in the room was palpable, as people celebrated the history of the Sellwood-Westmoreland neighborhood, reconnected with friends and neighbors, and rediscovered all of the things that the Community House has to offer for people of all ages,” rhapsodized Milner. “It was lovely to hear people's memories of Sellwood Community House, going back decades.
“The generosity of the 300 people in attendance was incredible; the event raised nearly $40,000 during the ‘paddle raise’ alone – a total of about $60,000 for the evening – which will make a huge impact in our ability to rebuild and reopen, for which the staff is incredibly grateful,” Milner said.
The Sellwood Community House, now a nonprofit organization run by the community itself, is leased from PP&R which previously operated it as the Sellwood Community Center. It was originally constructed over a century ago as a YMCA. It’s located at S.E. 15th and Spokane in Sellwood.
Donors Honor Roll: Michael Perkins - Move Real Estate; For Bitter for Worse; The Beer Mongers; Nancy and Tom Brown; Stephen Goff, McMenamins Pubs and Breweries; Melitis Beverage
SMILE History Committee Members, and Treasure Hunt and Historical Walking Tour creators, Kelly Luzania and Drew Beard
Filmmaker Randy Schulman
The Southeast Portland Rotary Club
If you missed this event...and now sort of wish you had gone...here's an opportunity to spend a few minutes with an exclusive BEE VIDEO to see what it was like, that night, at Oaks Park...!
Here’s the car found smashed into a tree along S.E. Oaks Park Way – after the nearby amusement park had closed for the night. (Courtesy KOIN-TV-6 News)
Car slams into tree on Oaks Park Way; five hospitalized
By DAVIDF.ASHTON For THE BEE
A speeding driver was cited for a single-car smash-up on S.E. Oaks Park Way late on Saturday, May 25th, on Memorial Day Weekend.
After the Oaks Amusement Park Roller Skating Rink had closed for the evening, reportedly a car was careening southbound along the narrow street, left the pavement, hopped the curb, and smashed into a tree several yards north of The Oaks’ southern gate.
Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Central Precinct officers and several ambulances were dispatched to the crash at 10:37 p.m.
According to some reports, five people in the car were injured.
“In this crash, speed was likely a factor,” Portland Police spokesperson Mike Benner later confirmed to THE BEE. “In this incident, the driver was cited; the passengers in the car were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” The car itself was clearly a total loss. The tree survived.
In the gathering on the playground after this year’s parade, The Lewis Elementary School Kids’ Pride Picnic and Parade on Saturday, June 1st, was filled with color and celebration by all ages. (Courtesy of Leif Sjoquist, PPS)
Lewis Elementary again celebrates diversity in annual parade
By ELIZABETH USSHER GROFF For THE BEE
When Lewis Elementary School in the Woodstock neighborhood held its fourth annual Kids’ Pride Picnic & Parade on June first, it was perfect weather. Students, parents, siblings, teachers, and community members filled the playground under a clear sky before setting out northbound on 43rd Avenue. The day also featured live music from Bloco Algeria – as well as food, freebies, and other musical performances.
To put this local neighborhood event into context, the first such celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights occurred in 1970, after a violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar. Since then it has grown to be a worldwide celebration, mostly taking place during the month of June.
One of the Lewis Elementary celebration coordinators, Dawn Haecker, remarked to THE BEE afterwards: “Special thanks to the residents of 43rd Avenue, who came out to cheer us on, decorated the street, and made massive bubbles happen. Much love to the businesses on Woodstock Boulevard, who put our posters up, showed their support during the parade, and shared about the day on social media.”
Organizers of this year’s Lewis Kids’ Pride Picnic and Parade were happy that it had been a safe and fun experience, as it wound down at 1 p.m., saying that keeping these celebratory events safe is top priority. They also expressed gratitude to the parade’s funding and in-kind sponsors: Lewis Elementary PTA, Woodstock New Seasons, Elk Rock Yoga, Notary Ceramics, Daphne Botanicals, SW PDX Martial Arts, PPS LGBTQ+ Program Manager Britt Bieberich, as well as to Clackamas Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Even before Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division Crash Team members arrived, S.E. 82nd Avenue of Roses was already completely shut down by the motorcycle-SUV smashup in the middle of the road. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Fatal motorcycle-auto crash closes 82nd Avenue in Foster-Powell
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
A motorcyclist astride a brand new Harley-Davidson FXLR motorcycle – also known as a “Fatbob” – was killed on Friday afternoon, June 14, when he collided with a Honda CRV in the center of S.E. 82nd Avenue of Roses at Mitchell Street, a block north of Foster Road.
East Precinct officers were dispatched at 12:42 p.m., and found the motorcyclist already dead in the street.
82nd Avenue of Roses remained closed between Raymond Street and Foster Road for over five hours – until 5:30 p.m. – as 12 officers and investigators worked together to reconstruct the deadly accident.
Although several people in the vicinity of the Harbor Freight store and Emmert Cali Saigon Mall (formerly the Southeast Portland Fred Meyer supercenter) said they’d heard the smashup, no one who spoke with THE BEE actually saw it take place.
The PPB’s Traffic Division Major Crash Team, their van filled with investigating equipment, pulled up and began setting up their gear at about 2:15 p.m.
In a parking lot nearby was parked a Honda CRV with the driver’s side door smashed in, apparently having been involved in a T-bone (side impact) collision. The involved driver remained at the scene, and cooperated with the investigation.
On June 29 the Portland Police Bureau reported that the motorcyclist who died in the crash was identified as Devin M. Ratliff, 40, of Portland.
The Traffic Investigations Unit determined that Ratliff, driving a 2023 Harley-Davidson Softail, was southbound on S.E. 82nd Avenue of Roses at a high rate of speed when the driver of a 2020 Honda CRV proceeded from a stop sign eastbound on S.E. Mitchell Street, intending to turn northbound onto 82nd Avenue. The motorcyclist struck the driver’s side of the Honda.
“The speed of the motorcyclist was determined to be a factor in the crash,” according to the final report. “No arrests have been made.”
All six of this year’s free SMILE-produced “Summer Music Series” concerts will be held right here on the Windermere Building parking lot, a half block south of Bybee Boulevard along 16th Avenue, in Westmoreland. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
SMILE free ‘Summer Music Series’ concerts start July 13
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Live and free concerts in the summer, starting quite some time ago with the “Riverfront Park Classics”, continue this season in Sellwood and Westmoreland – thanks to the work of dedicated volunteers of the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League neighborhood association – better known by its acronym, SMILE.
While the Portland Parks & Recreation “Summer Free for All” program will present but a single concert in Sellwood – Kris Deelane and the Hurt in Sellwood Park on August 17th at 6:30 p.m. – the SMILE Summer Music Series will be putting on a half-dozen free shows this year.
“This summer, we'll have six Saturday evening concerts; three in July starting on July 13, and three in August,” organizer JimFriscia told THE BEE.
And, new this year, Friscia pointed out, all of these SMILE-produced concerts will be held on the Windermere Building parking lot in Westmoreland, along S.E. Rural Street at 16th Avenue, less than a block south of the Sellwood-Moreland Post Office.
“Another new wrinkle is that this summer we're planning to have snacks and beverages – including beer and wine – available for sale, and the proceeds will help fund future concerts,” Friscia said. “We must acknowledge that we could not do these shows without the financial support of the Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance (SMBA), and the many local businesses who sponsor our events.”
Asked how the performers are selected, Friscia responded, “There is no lack of incredibly talented musicians in Portland, and many have asked about being part of our series. Some of them are closely connected to this neighborhood – because they live here, or play in our local venues.
“Overall, we strive for balance among a variety of musical genres, and we want to program music that will be fun and will have broad appeal.”
SMILE Summer Music Series schedule Behind the Windermere Building (across from Fetch Coffee and the Sellwood-Moreland Post Office) along S.E. Rural Street at 16th Avenue, except as noted
July 13 at 7 p.m. – JT Wise Band ~ Guitar-driven “bluesy roots rock”
July 20 at 7 p.m. – Hank Sinatra ~ Performing some of the greatest songs ever written
July 27 at 7 p.m. – Mbrascatu ~ Bringing a rich fusion of Italian Folk, with the unique musical spirit of Portland
August 3 at 6:30 p.m. – Annette Lowman Quartet ~ Internationally-recognized jazz vocalist
August 10 at 6:30 p.m. – Picante ~ Traditional afro-Cuban music, and a fusion of Latin jazz
August 17 at 6:30 p.m. – in Sellwood Park:Kris Deelane and the Hurt ~ This powerhouse vocalist and her band were featured at the 2024 Waterfront Blues Fest.
August 24 at 6:30 p.m. – Lauren Sheehan & Terry Robb ~ Country blues traditions, from the deep south to the Pacific NW.
But wait! There’s more! On August 4, at “Sundae in the Park” in Sellwood Park, there will be two more live performances – by Padam Padam and by Swank Soul.
An ambulance transported the MSCO Deputy who made the arrest at the Tacoma Street MAX Station. He was wounded by a knife poking out of the suspect’s backpack. The arrested suspect turned out to have multiple warrants, but so far has not been identified to the press. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Man with knife arrested at Tacoma Street MAX station
By DAVIDF.ASHTON For THE BEE
When a man started threatening people at the MAX Light Rail Orange Line Bybee Station, under the Bybee Bridge – on Wednesday morning, May 29 – several of those fare-paid riders waiting at the platform called the 9-1-1 Center to report him.
Both Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and TriMet Transit Police were dispatched at 10:37 a.m. – however, before officers arrived, the man boarded a southbound train. But he only made it to the next station.
“The subject was met by PPB and Transit Police officers at the MAX Tacoma Street Station,” Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Communications Coordinator Christina Kempster later told THE BEE.
“The officers discovered that the subject’s backpack contained multiple knives,” Kempster continued. “The person was arrested on multiple warrants, as well as charges of providing false information, and resisting arrest.
“In the course of taking the subject into custody, a Transit Police Officer was injured in the leg by one of those knives. The injured officer is a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy – and that deputy went to a local hospital for treatment.”
But Kempster declined to identify the person who had been arrested.
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