Dave Knows Portland

August 14: Central Library Block Party 2010

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2010 Central Library Block PartyThe 2010 Central Library Block Party takes place Saturday, August 14 from noon until 3pm on SW Taylor between 10th and 11th Avenues.

This event is primarily for the kids. The Lions of Batucada will be on hand to provide some samba-style percussion, and activities include henna craft with Silk and Stone, bug petting with the Oregon Zoo, circus skills with W.E. C.A.R.E., and Seussical bouquets with artist Kathy Karbo.

Art Media will be on hand orchestrating a communal art project, and kids can play with LEGOs, alter their t-shirts, and have their faces painted. There’s even going to be AM Pro 300 bowling (though I don’t know exactly how they’re doing this one).

Visit the event page for more info, or download the PDF flyer.

August 7: Ginormous Sale at Title Wave Used Bookstore

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Title Wave Used BookstoreFrom 9am until 4pm Saturday, August 7 2010 all used merchandise at The Title Wave Used Bookstore (216 NE Knott) is 55% off. It’s a Ginormous Sale.

Sale items include over 20,000 kids books, recent bestsellers, musical scores, audiobooks, DVDs, and more. Hardback novels start at $2, and a lot of items start at a measly two bits!

Over 50 Volunteers keep the Title Wave Bookstore operating. The books are discards from the Multnomah County Library‘s collections.

A Tour of the Central Library Eco-Roof

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During the summer of 2008, with grant money from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Portland, an eco-roof was installed atop the Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave).

Eco-Roof

Constructed with living plants and simulating the processes that occur in nature, eco-roofs absorb rain water like a meadow in a natural setting.

Last January, the library began offering scheduled public tours. I wanted to check the roof out for myself, but every tour I attempted to sign up for was booked solid for weeks into the future, and eventually I just forgot about it.

I stumbled upon the library’s Eco-Roof tour page again recently, however, and as luck would have it there were a couple spots available (there are only 12 spaces available for each tour) for last Saturday’s morning tour.

The tour begins at the Welcome Desk in the foyer. We were late by a couple minutes so the security guard graciously took us up to the fifth floor in a service elevator where the rest of the tour group was already assembled. As the guide answered questions and expounded on the benefits of the eco-roof (much of the spiel is on this webpage), we snapped a few photos and enjoyed the views (Saturday was a beautiful day!)

Eco-Roof

Eco-roof

November 14: Keep Portland Weird Festival

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kpwfest09This whole Keep Portland Weird thing is trite and unoriginal. Never the less, the Keep Portland Weird Festival 2009 this upcoming Saturday, November 14 looks like it will be a fine time:

Portland is a place of passionate people pursuing interesting, and sometimes strange, pastimes. Join us for a day of discovery as a wide variety of organizations share what they do and why they do it.

The festival takes place at the Central library (801 S.W. 10th) from noon until 4pm.

From 12:30 until 1pm, Cascade Zydeco will be offering beginning zydeco dance lessons, so that from 1:15 to 2pm you’ll be able to enjoy the zydeco music performed by Bon Ton Roulet. A lineup from the Paul Green School of Rock Music School plays from 3 to 4pm. (Admission to these performances is free, but space is limited. Pick up free tickets for seating at the Keep Portland Weird Information Table near the Welcome Desk 30 minutes before to each program.)

Meanwhile in the Children’s Library PDXSwap will be hosting kids’ clothing and toy swaps (see the webpage for a detailed schedule).

On the second floor of the library America’s Smartest Girl, Nicole J. Georges will be holding court at an advice booth.

On the third floor, from noon–12:30pm the Renegade Rose Morris troupe will be morris dancing to music on accordion, concertina, mandolins, and whistle. PDXYar takes over from 1 to 2pm for epic scale pirate games (!?), and Flash Choir perform from 2 to 3pm.

In addition various organizations will be presenting demonstrations, lessons, and information through out the library on sundry topics, including tracking, knitting, stereoscopic 3D, and more.

Visit the Keep Portland Weird! A Community Festival web page for more information.