Archives for September 2010

Portland Timbers Roundup (09/24/2010)

September 24, 2010 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Timbers Next up

Game 29: Crystal Palace Baltimore v. Portland Timbers by mao at the Portland Timbers USL Blog at The Offside

An eight-game unbeaten streak goes on the line on Saturday when Portland Timbers travel across the country to face Crystal Palace Baltimore. The two clubs have met three times earlier this season with Palace claiming the first two and the Timbers winning 3-0 in the most recent edition. Those two victories for Palace are fully one-third of their season total, leaving them tied for the least number of wins in the league. Baltimore have lost six straight, including being outscored 0-16 in the first five of that run. [more]

Looking ahead to the playoffs

Timbers playoff tickets on sale Friday by Geoffrey C. Arnold at The Oregonian

The Timbers announced that playoff tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. The tickets will be sold through the club’s ticket office.

The first-round playoff series will be a two-game, aggregate-goal series, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. The Timbers’ playoff game will be played at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field. First-round games will be played the week of Oct. 4 and the date for the Timbers’ first-round playoff game at Merlo Field will be announced at a later time. [more]

The Rose City Project by Timber Jim at SoccerCityUSA.com

Soon our beloved Portland Timbers will be finishing their U.S.L.
regular season play on the road.

Upon their return I respectfully request that The Timbers Army welcome The Portland Timbers Football Club home with “A day in the Sun for the Rose”

Please bring a Rose of your choice for ALL remaining Portland Timbers matches for our run for the USL League Championship. more]

Looking ahead to 2011

Fifteen season ticket sections sold out for 2011 at Portland MLS 2011

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers today announced that season tickets in 15 different sections are sold out for the team’s inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) season in 2011. Additionally, all but one suite for the team’s first MLS campaign have been sold on a multi-year basis. [more]

Stadium renovation ground breaking, and Don Garber, news

MLS commish optimistic for Timbers success by Paul Danzer at The Columbian

PORTLAND — Dignitaries shoveled some symbolic dirt on Tuesday at PGE Park.

Addressing gathered media and invited supporters, Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson talked a little about the “long, strange trip” it took to get the deal that will transform PGE Park from a multi-use facility to a soccer-specific venue. [more]

A Conversation with MLS Commissioner Don Garber by Brian Costello at Portland MLS 2011

Amidst all the hubbub and activity yesterday around the Timbers stadium renovation groundbreaking ceremony, Timbers Digital Media Director Brian Costello managed to sit down with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber to chat a bit about his thoughts on Portland’s debut in MLS, regional rivalries, and season schedule challenges. While the 2010 season is still in full swing, Garber has very strong ideas about what 2011 and beyond shall bring for the Timbers and for the league. [more]

Portland Timbers stage ceremonial groundbreaking at PGE Park by Kip Kesgard at OregonLive.com

The transformation of Portland’s PGE Park from a multipurpose facility into a premier soccer and football venue has already begun in earnest, but the Portland Timbers took time on September 21 to celebrate the beginning of this new era. In front of over 300 people, Timbers owner Merritt Paulson, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, and Portland City Commissioners Nick Fish and Randy Leonard participated in the ceremony and ushered in the launch of the new stadium. [more]

Visit Dropping Timber and The Nerd is the Word for PGE Park renovation photos and updates.

Team news

Timbers Lend Support To Grant High Fundraiser at KPTV.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — Grant High School officials and student athletes said the northeast Portland high school’s athletic fields are in desperate need of renovating. Now, a group named Friends of Grant Athletics is trying to raise money to fix them. [more]

Player news

Go A-to-Z with Bright Dike at PortlandTimbers.com

In his first professional season, forward Bright Dike has steadily become one of the Timbers’ highest scoring rookies in modern franchise history. Get to know more about the Fighting Irish alum off the field in a special edition of the feature A-to-Z. [more]

September 24-26: Oktoberfest, Juggling Fest, Polish Fest, and last Sunday Parkways of 2010

September 23, 2010 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

So here’s what I would do: Head to Oaks Park Friday night for a lead in to your weekend; enjoy a bratwurst, a beer, and the oompah. Turn in relatively early. Saturday take in some of the workshops at the Juggling festival, and then around sunset make your way to North Portland for the Polish Festival (here are some tips). Fill up on pierogies and beer and dance the night away to Chervona. Whew. Sunday, dust off your bike and head up to NW Portland for a leisurely ride around the Sunday Parkways route. If you’re feeling ambitious spend sunset Sunday evening at Chapman school watching the Vaux Swifts!

Friday-Sunday

Oktoberfest at Oaks Park

The 2010 Zenner’s Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Saturday, September 24-26.

The authentic German beers and food options (e.g. bratwurst, chicken schnitzel, braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, and Tater Tots!) are reasonably priced, and there are enough places to put in your order that the lines don’t often get too long. [more]

Friday-Saturday

Portland Juggling Festival and Vaudeville Extravaganza

The 18th Annual Portland Juggling Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, September 24 through 26. Prop manipulation, juggling, and unicycling workshops are just a part of this event held at the Reed College Sports Center (3203 SE Woodstock).

A highlight of the festival is The Portland Juggling & Vaudeville Extravaganza, held on Saturday, September 25th at the Benson High School Auditorium (546 Northeast 12th). [more]

Portland Polish Festival 2010

The Polish Festival is one of this Portland’s best annual cultural events, and my personal favorite. It takes place this year on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26.

Take in non-stop music (much of it featuring accordions!), dance performances, a street dance, and polka contests while enjoying Polish food like pierogies, kielbasa, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes), and other delectable options – and of course delicious Polish beer! In the vendor village, check out the jewelry, clothing, Polish pottery, and sundries for sale. [more]

Sunday

Northwest Portland Sunday Parkways

The final Sunday Parkways of 2010 takes place Sunday, September 26th in Northwest Portland.

Take the opportunity to spend a pleasant (hopefully) summery Sunday morning and afternoon (10am to 3pm) winding your way on bike or foot through the mostly car free streets of Northwest, and a sliver of Southwest, Portland. [more]

Portland Transit Blogging 2010

September 23, 2010 by Dave Knows 5 Comments

In 2008 I posted a fairly comprehensive, at the time, roundup of Portland transit blogs.

Times have changed, and some of those blogs have vaporized, others have transformed, and several new transit blogs have appeared.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is that Portlanders still have some of the country’s best transit (despite budget and route-cutting woes of late) and a very active blogging community. I blog about transit sometimes, but the blogs and sites below take transit and transport blogging to the next level:

MAX FAQs Light rail in Portland

MAX FAQs has only been around since March of this year, but already it has taught me more about pantograph arcing than I ever thought I’d want to know. MAX FAQs covers not just the geeky aspects of rail transit in Portland, but also provides commentary and the occasional rant. This is my favorite newish Portland transit blog. Read about what the blog is and isn’t: Welcome Aboard.

Ravings of a Trimet Ally

A new entry in the Portland transit blogging category, Ravings of Trimet Ally is authored by teenager Cameron Johnson. As the blog title suggests, his posts focus on the good things about TriMet. So far the blog also features Pictures of the Day, comments on transit related news stories, and a bit of optimism. Keeping an eye on this blog!

Buses, Light Rail, Life and I

By the same author as the now defunct blog Light rail and I: a love story 28 years in the making . . . , which I linked to in the 2008 roundup, this blog covers much of the same material. Since then EMS has switched from piloting trains to driving buses, however. She still shares her stories, expresses her opinions, and gives a TriMet driver’s point of view to her readers.

Transit Sleuth

The URL has changed since 2008, but Adron Hall continues apace at Transit Sleuth observing, commenting about, and sleuthing transit. Alas, he’s based in Seattle now.

punkrawker blogs on

Another Portland-focused transit blog that has since moved to Seattle, it covers much of the same material as MAX FAQs, but with a little more opinion generally, and with lots and lots of videos and photos. Chad, aka punkrawker4783, drives for Seattle’s King County Metro, but of course expresses only his own views and opinions at punkrawker blogs on!

Portland Transport

Portland Transport has continued to be a conversation about access and mobility in the Portland/Vancouver region. It’s a good starting point for those interested in transit issues in the region. There are many contributors, but the founder of the site, Chris Smith, is the heart and soul and most voluminous poster. The discussions in post comments are more intelligent than your average fare.

Rantings of a Trimetbus driver

Al M is still at it, but where he used to be [in]famous for his video rants, the blog now serves more as a general purpose transit in the news resource. There is still, of course, plenty of Al M’s rantings at Rantings of a Trimbetbus driver.

TriMetiquette

TriMetiquette‘s posting frequency has slowed down a bit since it blazed out of the gates in 2008 with stories on riding etiquette, service alerts, and coverage of regional transit news, but still has lots of good stuff in the archives, and hopefully Christian will kick it into gear again. Also it still has the best name.

Honorable Mentions

Portland Afoot

Not a blog nor exclusively about transit, Portland Afoot is, however, PDX’s online guide to buses, bikes, and low-car life.

Hard Drive

Oregonian writer Joseph Rose blogs about commuting on this blog at OregonLive.com. Commuting, of course, involves transit.

World Carfree Day 2010 in Portland

September 22, 2010 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

September 22 is World Carfree Day, a day to recognize that we don’t have to give in to a car-dominated way of life.

The World Carfree Network provides a clearinghouse of information from around the world on how to revitalize our towns and cities and create a sustainable future. On World Carfree Day the group encourages citizens of countries throughout the world to reconsider their transportation and planning options.

Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighborhood blocks to remind the world that we don’t have to accept our car-dominated society.

But we do not want just one day of celebration and then a return to “normal” life. When people get out of their cars, they should stay out of their cars. It is up to us, it is up to our cities, and our governments to help create permanent change to benefit pedestrians, cyclists, and other people who do not drive cars.

While there are no World Carfree Day events listed for Portland on the official wiki, Portlanders are fortunate to live in a physical environment where carfree living is easier to enjoy than in many North American Cities.

We also have community events such as Sunday Parkways – and the last one of 2010 takes place this weekend:

September 26: Northwest Portland Sunday Parkways

The final Sunday Parkways of 2010 takes place Sunday, September 26th in Northwest Portland.

Take the opportunity to spend a pleasant (hopefully) summery Sunday morning and afternoon (10am to 3pm) winding your way on bike or foot through the mostly car free streets of Northwest, and a sliver of Southwest, Portland. [more]

Coincidental to World Carfree Day, many Portlanders – including yours truly – are currently about half way through the Zipcar 30 day Low-Car Diet:

Dave Goes on a Low-Car Diet

You may be wondering at this point what the Low-Car Diet entails? Annually Zipcar issues a challenge: for 30 days, put down your keys, dust off your bike, trike or roller skates and find out what the Zipcar way of life is all about. In each Zipcar city a group of volunteers is selected to participate. [more]

And from the archives, I’ve collected below a few more posts to help carfree Portlanders on World Carfree Day 2010!

Tips on Car Free Living in Portland

I’ve lived entirely or mostly car free since 2003. Over the years I’ve learned a few things, including that living in Portland car free is not actually very difficult, and you don’t have to sacrifice much. You’ll also save thousands of dollars a year. You can then spend those dollars on something more entertaining, useful, or inspiring than oil changes, gasoline, parking, and care repairs. And believe it or not, a bike is not necessary! [more]

Portland Transit Tips

Yesterday Portland Transport linked to a re:place Magazine article on becoming an expert transit rider. This got me thinking about some of the things I’ve learned as a TriMet trouper through the years

Don’t take the MAX to and from events at the Rose Garden or PGE Park if there is a bus option. The trains are ridiculously packed just before and just after games. The Rose Garden is surrounded by transit. Take a bus back downtown. They’re often faster, and almost always less crowded. [more]

The car free jaunt from Portland

Recently I’ve been investigating other ways to get-out-of-town car free, and have been pleasantly surprised with the number of transit options. (Most of these services don’t provide luggage service, and the schedules are not too flexible, but that doesn’t faze the car free!) [more]

September 23: 7th Planet Picture Show presents Aguirre: The Wrath of God

September 21, 2010 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Portland’s weekly answer to MST3K, the 7th Planet Picture Show, takes place at 7pm this Thursday, September 26 2010 at Mount Tabor Theater (4811 SE Hawthorne).

Host Will Radik and guests Twazu and Jarvitron present Aguirre: The Wrath of God!

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca empire, a Spanish expedition leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon river in search of gold and wealth. Soon, they come across great difficulties and Don Aguirres, a ruthless man who cares only about riches, becomes their leader. But will his quest lead them to “the golden city”, or to certain destruction?

The show is free, but there’s an entirely optional suggested donation of $5. There’s a bar too, so you must be 21 and over to attend!

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