Dave Knows Portland

Archives for May 2009

Portland’s other pro basketball team: Oregon Waves

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oregonwavesEver wonder what happened to God Shammgod, one of the most intriguingly named college basketball stars ever?

Ever wish you could watch pro basketball after the Trailblazers’ season ends?

Well stop wondering and wishing, and let me introduce you to the Oregon Waves, of the International Basketball League.

The team’s home arena is The Hoop YMCA (9685 SW Harvest Court) in Beaverton. Tonight at 7:15pm the Waves tip off against the Snohomish County Explosion in the home, and season, opener. Tickets are only $8 for adults, $5 for kids.

God Shammgod, the Providence star who played briefly in the NBA for the Wizards (1997-8), returns to Portland for a second year. Last year he played for the defunct Portland Chinooks. Teammates include Tigard High and OSU product David Lucas, who has led the IBL in scoring the last two years with an average of 37 points per game, former U of O player David Jackson, Western Oregon’s Robert Day, three year OSU starter Lamar Hurd, and Portland State’s Hasan Arthuree.

Visit the team’s website for a complete schedule, information about season tickets, merchandise, and roster (which consists primarily of local products).

Update: The Oregonian’s Paul Buker gives us a glimpse into the world of IBL basketball: Former college players hope to use spring basketball league as a stepping stone to bigger things.

May 9-10: National Train Day, Laurelhurst Art Walk, Timbers, and your mom

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Update: 2010 National Train Day information here

sp4449-200The impressive Southern Pacific 4449, one of three vintage locomotives owned by the city of Portland, will be on display Saturday, May 9th from 10am to 3pm at Union Station in celebration of National Train Day.

The 4449 crew will be on hand to show how the locomotive works, as well as give tours on historic Great Northern sleeper/lounge “Mt Hood” car, and a GN caboose. Rose Festival Clown Corps will entertain. “Two Sisters & a Mr.” will perform. Free refreshments and giveaways.

Meanwhile across the river the Laurelhurst neighborhood is hosting an art walk from 10am-5pm. Jeremy Towsey-French at OurPDX.com explains what the Laurelhurst Art Walk is about:

The concept behind the Art Walk is simple: neighborhood residents who fancy themselves craftspeople and artists take one day out of the year to open up their front yards, garages and homes to display their wares, offering up the opportunity for you to take a little hand-made gem home.

Read the rest: Strollin’ for Art. The official website has a list of artists, locations, and offers a printable map for download.

TimbersAfter all the train observing and art strolling there’s no better way to cap off the afternoon than to hang out with the Timbers Army. The Timbers are on the road at Cleveland. At 4pm Saturday watch as they take the field against the expansion Cleveland City Stars. Two venues in town are showing the match:

Sunday is Mom’s Day of course, so do what you have to to do. I think flowers and brunch are in order . . .

Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race Returns in 2009

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UPDATE: Click here for 2010 Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race information

Child of the west side suburbs, I seldom visited the east side of town growing up. Once every couple years my mom would drag us all to an agonizing mass at her childhood church and school, Sacred Heart, in the Brooklyn neighborhood. I recall occasional trips to Milwaukie to visit the grandparents, and annually we’d head out to the Portland Archdiocese sponsored Oktoberfest at Holladay Park by the Lloyd Center. On the trips to Holladay Park along Martin Luther King Boulevard nee Union Avenue my mom would instruct us to lock the doors, as everyone knows the prostitutes that the street used to be known for (to suburbanites anyway) wanted nothing more than to climb into the back of a van stuffed with five kids at a stop light.

Naturally I’m now an atheist and have lived on Portland’s East Side (excepting a couple brief stints downtown and one year and eight months in Honolulu) since 1990, the year I turned 18.

milkcartonregatta09Which brings me to the Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Regatta, which would have been a highlight of my childhood if my parents had ever taken me. Every year I’d watch footage of the event on TV and every year I’d ask my parents to take me the next year, and let’s make our own milk carton raft! The casting pond was eventually drained for repairs, a water rights fight ensued and the pond sat empty for years. The Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race disappeared.

Well, now it’s back! The pond was refilled a few years ago and a sponsor has been found – the Dairy Farmers of Oregon. The Milk Carton Boat Race will be on Saturday, June 7th at the Westmoreland Park casting pond.

You better believe I’m going to be there!

Review: 3rd Annual Cheers to Belgian Beers

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pcbbWe made it to the NW Lucky Lab (1945 NW Quimby) Saturday afternoon to take in a bit of the Cheers to Belgian Beers. I say a bit because we were only there for about an hour (we had to get to the Timbers game!), long enough to try five beers and to witness the Great May 2nd Storm of 2009.

I didn’t take any tasting notes – I seldom do. But I think I can remember a bit about each of the beers I tried:

I enjoyed Amnesia’s Double Whammy enough to go to the brewpub Sunday hunting for a full pint (I succeeded).

Deschutes Portland Pub’s Streaking the Quad was the strongest beer I tried, at 9.4% alcohol, and also the best.

Though Lompoc’s barrel aged Le Chat Noir wasn’t bad.

In homage to my girlfriend, I always try the Heather beers, and Frauline Heather from Silver Moon Brewing was quite good (I’m quite fond of Fraoch Heather Ale).

Pyramid’s Smooth Operator was perfectly named.

This was the first time I’ve made it to Cheers to Belgian Beers. The festival had the same issues with crowds and badly laid out pouring stations that most indoor beer festivals have; but the lines weren’t too long if you could figure out where they started or if there was a line at all. I enjoyed all the beers I tried, and I don’t believe there were any IPAs present, though if there had been a Belgian style IPA I would have wanted to try it!

Some other folks have more to say about the festival than I do:

Eulogy for Oregon’s Taverns

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A little after midnight on New Year’s Eve, in a joint called Hoover’s in South Beach, my old Oregon writing mentor died. I stood by him at the end, but still, the loss feels inconsolable. He offered the best literary inspiration I’ve ever received and I feel bereft without him. Where will I get my writing ideas now?

An excerpt from Matt Love’s tribute to Oregon Taverns upon the commencement of the smoking ban: Oregon’s greatest writing mentor, bar none, is snuffed out

Matt Love is also the proprietor of the fantastic site Let It Pour: an unconventional drinking guide to the north and central oregon coast.