Archives for March 2011

March 19, 2011: Portland Timbers Play Inaugural MLS Match

March 19, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The name Timbers was chosen for Portland’s nascent North American Soccer League (NASL) club via a contest in 1975. The Timbers, and the league, enjoyed hugely successful runs in the mid-70s before both petered out in the early 80s. The Timbers name resurfaced briefly in the Western Soccer Alliance from 1989 and 1990, but then for a decade Portland soccer fans twiddled their thumbs, waiting patiently for a team and league to see the obvious potential in Portland.

In 2001 a new Portland Timbers team joined the A-League (becoming the USL First Division in 2005, and USSF Division 2 in 2010). The team was moderately successful on the field, and the fan base grew quickly. By the end of the decade Portland consistently ranked near the top of the league in attendance.

And then, on March 20, 2009, Portland’s team owner Merritt Paulson was awarded an expansion Major League Soccer (MLS) team to begin playing in the 2011 season.

That team’s first MLS regular season match kicked off on March 19, 2011, when the Portland Timbers faced the defending MLS champion Colorado Rapids on the road.

March 18, 1836: The Steamship Beaver Arrives Off The Oregon Coast

March 18, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The Beaver was an England built 100 foot paddlewheel steamer; the first steamship to operate in the Pacific Northwest.

She left England on August 29, 1835, sailed (her engine and paddles hadn’t yet been installed) around Cape Horn, made calls at Juan Ferndandez and Honolulu, and arrived off the Columbia River on March 18, 1836. Finally, on April 10 she made it to Fort Vancouver, where her paddles and engine were hooked up.

The Beaver began her career as a Hudson’s Bay Company floating trading post. She was replaced by the more powerful Otter steamship after 17 years. The Royal Navy later chartered her to map the British Columbia coast, and then she spent her twilight years as a tow boat. That is, until her final trip on July 25, 1888 when she ran aground at Prospect Point in Vancouver B.C.’s Stanley Park.

Farmers Market, Corndogs, Ecoroofs, Beers, Timbers & More! (March 18-20, 2011)

March 17, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Friday

Ecoroof Portland

Ecoroofs aren’t just for hippies, dainty environmentalists, and real estate developers. If you want to learn more about how they work, and maybe even put on your own structure (high rise, house, food cart or chicken coop!) go check out Ecoroof Portland 2011 on March 18 (10am to 6pm) at the Oregon Convention Center (777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd). [more]

Offbeat Belly Dance

Every third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

And this third Friday, March 18, 2011 is no exception – the Offbeat Belly Dance collectives invites you to Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Fun! Fabulous! Free! [more]

Saturday

National Corndog Day

Invented by two dudes from Corvallis 19 years ago when a 24 pack of corn dogs was discovered in their freezer while they were watching the first day of the NCAA basketball tournament (four basketball games in a row on the same channel!), National Corndog Day 2011 takes place Saturday, March 19.

Corndog Day is now a national secular holiday, with a website, a wikipedia page, and even corporate sponsors. And this year it’s official (in Oregon at least)! [more]

Portland Farmers Market Opening Day

The winter hiatus is over! The Portland Farmers Market returns to the Park Blocks at Portland State University (SW Park & SW Montgomery) on March 19, 2011.

“Celebrating its 20th season, Portland Farmers Market operates vibrant farmers markets that contribute to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthen the food economy and serve as community gathering places.” [more]

Division Street Brewpublicrawl 2011

The second annual SE Division Street Meet the Brewers BrewPubliCrawl takes place Saturday, March 19, 2011.

At each stop different regional brewers will be serving and discussing their Cascadian-brewed beers. Twenty five Oregon breweries are taking part in this year’s event. [more]

Portland Timbers Season Opener

The Portland Timbers start the 2011 season on the road this Saturday, March 19th, when they face the defending Major League Soccer champion, Colorado Rapids.

You could watch the match on ROOT, Fox Soccer Channel, or listen to the play by play on KXL 750. But what you should do is join the Timbers Army [more]

Sunday

Upright Brewing’s 2nd Anniversary

Upright Brewing (240 N Broadway Suite 2) celebrates two years as Portland’s only farmhouse inspired craft brewery this Sunday, March 20, 2011 with a party and the bottle release of Four Play.

Four Play is the star of the show; it’s a Belgian-y beer based on Upright’s wheat beer (Four) that is pinot noir barrel-aged for a year with cherries, souring yeasts, and bacteria. [more]

And for even more weekend events and activities, visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, and PDX Pipeline!

Happy Saint Unicorn’s Day! (2011)

March 17, 2011 by Dave Knows 2 Comments

In his research on the topic of this esteemed holiday, filmmaker and scholar Mike Vogel has confirmed there are archeological bones and horns in dirt type of evidence. In addition contemporary observations corroborate that it is not merely legend that the great city of Portland, Oregon was built upon an ancient unicorn burial ground.

The Saint Unicorn’s Day holiday is celebrated in Portland, of course, with copious libations. Mike Vogel reminds us:

On St. Unicorn’s Day, we drink to remember, instead of our usual reason, drinking to forget.

It is also traditional to feast on [uni]corned beef and boiled cabbage and root vegetables on this day (if some of this sounds familiar, it is because, like so many religious holidays, St. Patrick’s Day is actually based on an old pagan celebration: St. Unicorn’s Day).

To all Portlanders everywhere, I wish you a fantastic St. Unicorns Day!

On our wedding day last summer, Heather and I paid homage to our unicorn [Ed: and dork] heritage.

March 17, 1948: Mill Ends Park Dedicated

March 17, 2011 by Dave Knows 1 Comment

Mill Ends Park was dedicated on March 17, 1948, and officially became a city park on the same day in 1976.

What’s most remarkable about this park is the story of its origin, oh, and its diminutive size. Mill Ends covers an area of 452 square inches, about 2 feet square. Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world.

Oregon Journal columnist Dick Fagan wrote a popular column called Mill Ends, covering whatever whimsy he could conjure up. In 1946, from his office window overlooking Front Avenue (now Naito Parkway), he spotted a 2 square foot hole in a raised bit of concrete in the median. A light pole was, presumably, intended for the spot, but was never installed. Fagan invented stories of leprechaun exploits in the tiny “park.”

One story, described in the Oregon Encyclopedia entry for Mill Ends, addresses the park’s origin:

One day, as Fagan told the story, he looked out his window and saw a leprechaun digging in the hole. Fagan ran downstairs, dashed across the street, and caught the leprechaun. According to Irish lore, if you catch a leprechaun, he has to grant you a wish. Fagan wished for his own park, but he never specified where or how big the park should be. The leprechaun granted his wish and gave Fagan the hole in the traffic median as his own personal park. Fagan named the spot after his column.

Photo credit: park photo by brx0. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Read more about Mill Ends at brx0’s excellent blog, cyclotram: Semi-obligatory Mill Ends post.

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