vernon news...
Nov 21,2008
Portland Water Bureau Turns Off Groundwater Supply
by jenniferd
The Portland Water Bureau turned off its groundwater supply system this morning. The system has supplied Water Bureau customers with drinking water since high levels of turbidity forced the bureau to turn off its primary Bull Run water supply last week. "This was an unusual run of groundwater." said Water Bureau Administrator David Shaff. "When intense rain in the Bull Run causes excessive turbidity, that rain is generally followed by more rain which flushes the turbidity out. In this case, there was no more rain, so the levels of turbidity in the watershed remained above acceptable serving levels. Flushing has taken a bit longer than normal." While both of the bureau's water sources, the Bull Run watershed and the Columbia South Shore Well Field (CSSWF) meet and exceed all federal drinking water standards, the bureau relies primarily on the Bull Run source to provider customers with drinking water. The CSSWF is maintained as an emergency back-up for event
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posted at 02:58 PM
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Nov 13,2008
Water Bureau Temporarily Turns Off Bull Run Water Supply
by jenniferd
The Water Bureau temporarily turned off the Bull Run water supply system this morning due to increased turbidity in the watershed. The bureau activated groundwater wells in the Columbia South Shore Well Field to temporarily serve water to Portland. Recent heavy rains and increased stream flows in the Bull Run watershed have contributed to this rapid increase in turbidity. Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of (drinking) water by suspended particles. Portland is one of six large drinking water systems in the country that does not filter its water supply. The city is able to comply with federal drinking water regulations by continuously meeting a set of filtration avoidance criteria. Portland has been able to consistently meet these criteria, but it occasionally has to shut down the Bull Run system and operate from its backup groundwater supply when storms and other natural disturbances in the Bull Run reservoirs increase the turbidity. The Surface Water Treatment Rule
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posted at 10:32 AM
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Nov 10,2008
Portland Parks & Rec Launches Blog!
by pearlgirl
Keeping up with Portland Parks and Recreation just got a little bit easier with the launch of their new blog, ParkTalk . PP&R has so many great events and programs, it's nearly impossible to keep up. We're looking forward to hearing more from them. Don't forget to take PP&R's survey about their services. It's a great opportunity to provide your feedback and share your priorities.
posted at 11:00 AM
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Nov 10,2008
New Website Connects Resources With Those Who Need Help
by pearlgirl
Mayor Tom Potter and PDC have launched a website of useful links for individuals and businesses. The site provides opportunities for businesses, homeowners and individuals to connect to the resources they need in these tough economic times. Check it out
posted at 10:45 AM
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Nov 7,2008
Portland Parks & Recreation Survey
by pearlgirl
Although not everyone was able to attend the ParkFest event , there is still an opportunity for you to share your attitudes about Portland Parks &Recreation and what is important to you. As we all know—the economic downturn is hitting us all. Portland Parks & Recreation is planning for
significant budget cuts in the next several years and needs your help. This link will take you to a brief survey that will give them important information about what you believe are the core services provided by Portland Parks & Recreation. Please take a moment to share your priorities. Your feedback will be used to plan the PP&R budgets accordingly. Please submit responses by Friday, November 14, 5:00 PM.
posted at 02:49 PM
1 comments
Nov 6,2008
City Won’t Consider Street Name Change Until Next Year
by shooter
According to the Portland Tribune , the Portland City Council won't consider a new proposal to change a street name in honor of Cesar Chavez until at least March 2009. Proponents of the name change submitted more than 2700 signatures to the city on Oct. 30. They are suggesting that one of three streets be selected, but say they do not have a preference. The recommended streets are 39th Avenue, Broadway, or Grand Avenue.
The process for presenting the proposal is still being finalized, but the public will have at least one opportunity to comment on the proposed name change.
This name change will compete with the proposal to rename 42nd Avenue in honor of the author Douglas Adams. City code says that only one street renaming is allowed per year. The competing proposals could complicate matters.
The Douglas Adams group submitted in their application on August 4, the Caser Chavez group submitt
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posted at 12:02 PM
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Nov 5,2008
Clearing the Air
by pearlgirl
Multnomah County residents can rediscover some of their favorite restaurants and bars as they go smoke-free January 1st. By New Year's Day, bars, restaurants, and most workplaces must be smoke-free, including at least 10 feet from windows, doorways, and vents, as a part of expanded smoke-free requirements of the Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act . Almost one in three people die from tobacco related causes, including secondhand smoke, in Multnomah County each year. Benefits of smoke-free laws include reduced healthcare costs and risks, helps former smokers stay quit, and protection for employees and the general public from secondhand smoke. Most workplaces in Multnomah County have been smoke-free since 2000. By action of the Oregon legislature, the Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act will cover more workplaces, including employers previously exempted by Multnomah County's smokefree ordinance. Workplaces that must be smoke-free include: • Any enclosed area open to the public• E
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posted at 03:43 PM
2 comments
Nov 3,2008
15 Mashup Tools for Your Local Neighborhood
by dariusmonsef
Want a donut? Want to know if you'll need an umbrella today? Trying to avoid traffic? Want to know if it's safe for your kids to play in the front yard? We'll look a dozen-ish mashups that provide useful, helpful, interesting and fun information about the local area that you you live in. For those asking what a mashup is? The web 2.0 world spawned thousands of social networks and user contributed content sites... The same world has connected even more sites and people with the ability for developers to take the APIs from a couple different sites and mash them together to create new and interesting ways to share information and data. WalkScore | Find What's In a Walkable Distance
"Walk Score shows you a map of what is nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment." Portland rates in their top 10 cities. You can even see their directory of Portl
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"Walk Score shows you a map of what is nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment." Portland rates in their top 10 cities. You can even see their directory of Portl
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posted at 08:15 AM
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Nov 3,2008
Official Ballot Drop Sites in Portland Neighborhoods
by pearlgirl
If you've waited to the last minute to fill out your ballot, it's totally okay. Don't worry about mailing it—in fact, DON'T—drop it off at the 24-Hour Ballot Drop Site or Library Ballot Drop Site in your area. Ballots must be received by 8:00 PM Election Day. During library hours voted ballots may be delivered to any Multnomah County library through 8:00 PM on Election Day. Ballots may be deposited in the drive-up book drop at Central Library. Southwest Portland 24-Hour Ballot Drop Sites
Downtown, Pioneer Courthouse Square, 700 block of SW Broadway (next to Starbucks and across from Nordstrom) Hillsdale, A-Boy Supply, 7365 SW Barbur Blvd
Library Ballot Drop Sites Downtown , 801 S.W. 10th Ave. Hillsdale, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd. West Portland Park, 10723 S.W. Capitol Highway North Portland
24-Hour Ballot Drop Site
Kenton, Goodwill Store, 3134 North Lombard
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posted at 07:11 AM
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Oct 31,2008
Think Safety » TriMet Night Stop
by pearlgirl
When daylight-saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 2, darkness will come earlier so it's a good time to remember TriMet's Night Stop program: Riders can get off at a safe area along a bus route between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., instead of only at designated stops.Night Stop Guidelines Tell the bus operator where you want to stop a block or two ahead of your destination and the operator will choose the safest spot near the requested location that is safe for both the rider and the bus. Available anywhere outside Fareless Square between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Covers drop offs only; riders still need to board at designated stops. Be Seen & Be Safe Riders may be hard to see after dark and can take steps to increase their visibility: Wear light-colored or reflective clothing and wave as the bus approaches. Wave a reflector, safety strobe or small flashlight to alert the driver when your bus approaches. Beginning Oct. 29, bus operators will have a limit
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posted at 07:28 AM
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