Commissioner Jeff Cogen

Save 55 percent on used material at The Title Wave Used Bookstore

From the Library:
Find incredible discounts on used bestsellers, children’s books, videos, music scores and more at The Title Wave Used Bookstore’s annual Ginormous Sale, Saturday, July 26 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. All used material will be 55 percent off!
The Title Wave is Multnomah County Library’s volunteer-operated used bookstore, offering shoppers a selection of more than 20,000 used library materials, including books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, videos, records, cassettes and magazines at bargain prices.
The Title Wave is located at 216 N.E. Knott St., Portland. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.multcolib.org/titlewave or call 503.988.5021.

Menu labeling changing behavior?

Listen to this NPR story from the show Day to Day on New York's new menu labeling policy. What do you think?

Do you really know what you are eating?

According to Multnomah County's health officer, Gary Oxman, people routinely underestimate what calories are in our foods. So, my co-workers and I decided to figure out what calories were in our favorite foods. With all the chatter around Jeff's proposed menu labeling policy, we thought we'd put our money where our mouths were...so to speak. I'll give you the scandalous details after the jump. Do you know what you are really eating? Take the fast food quiz.

]]> Marissa's fave: Starbucks Iced mocha
She thought it might have 200 calories but it was 330.

Karol's fave: Burgerville halibut sandwich
I thought it was 300 calories but it was 410.

Warren's fave: Burgerville Tillamook cheese burger
He didn't think anything about it, to tell the truth. Well, that burger is 630 calories.

I have to say, I got an Americano this morning - no latte - because it's a very light 15 calories.

Take the poll on menu labeling

News Radio 1190 KEX has posted a poll about Commissioner Cogen's proposed menu labeling policy. What do you think? You can take the KEX poll here. Please come back and let us know how you voted!

Menu labeling could become a "Food Fight"

Jeff is making news today with his proposed menu labeling policy. This, from the Willamette Week:

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners is set to vote July 31 on a proposal by Commissioner Jeff Cogen and the county health department requiring chain restaurants to put calorie counts on menus.

The premise: Reading that your grande peppermint white-chocolate mocha packs 530 calories, or that your ultimate bacon cheeseburger has 1,060, will scare diners into eating and drinking healthier.

The proposed policy goes before the Board on July 31st.

Read the rest here and come back and let us know what you think.

SE Jenne Road to close during sewer project

A section of SE Jenne Road between SE Foster Road and SE 174th Ave. in east Multnomah County will be closed from Monday, July 14 until November 14, 2008 during construction of a sewer project. The City of Gresham’s Pleasant Valley sewer interceptor will provide urban services for a recently annexed area. The sewer line will be installed along SE Jenne Road, which is too narrow to remain open to through traffic during construction.

]]> The posted detour route for through traffic between SE Powell Blvd. and SE Foster Road is SE Powell Blvd. to SE 182nd Ave./SW Highland Drive to SW Pleasant View Drive/SE 190th Ave. to SE Richey Road to SE Foster Road.

Access will be maintained for emergency vehicles, school buses and local traffic. Flaggers will direct local traffic in the construction zone.

Multnomah County maintains this section of SE Jenne Road and 300 miles of roads and bridges.

New website promotes clean rivers and streams

From the Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams:

Do you clean up after your dog? Watch the chemicals in your garden? Take your car to an automated car wash that recycles wash water? All of these ideas and more will help keep rivers healthy. The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams will launch a new website the week of July 7, 2008 that presents lots of information in a fun, interactive way about how we all can keep rivers healthy. CleanRiversandStreams.org provides detailed information about how to keep our daily activities from polluting local rivers and streams.

]]> The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams website is categorized into four groups: lawn, auto, garden and home. Each section includes helpful hints on how to prevent waste and harsh chemicals from entering storm drains or sewers. Some of the useful suggestions include using biodegradable soap to wash a car, planting trees to help reduce watering needs and leaving grass clippings on the lawn to allow the nutrients to act as a fertilizer. The website offers easy navigation to nearly 100 outside sources, which further explain a variety of environmental hints:
• Stop or contain oil leaks from your car. Stormwater runoff containing just a pint of oil can create a slick larger than a football field.
• Cut use of fertilizers. Fertilizers with high levels of quick-release phosphorus and nitrogen pollute streams, rivers and other waterways, impacting the health and habitat of water-dwelling creatures like fish and amphibians.
• Clean up after your dog and cat. Fecal bacteria pollutes our waterways and puts people (especially children) at risk.
• Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides are toxic and can pose a threat to people and pets if overused or carelessly applied. They can also kill beneficial insects, earthworms, birds and other organisms, disrupting the ecological balance of your lawn and garden.

“Clean water and healthy rivers and streams are important to the quality of life,” said Megan Callahan, public information manager for the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. “We created the site so that it would be fun and appeal to all ages and all walks of life. It is easy to navigate and has lots of good information for all users.”

The area waterways are important for recreation, scenery and drinking water for people and wildlife. The new Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams website is one component of the group’s efforts to inform the community of the harmful waste and chemicals that pollute local waterways.

The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams is a partnership of eight public agencies in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area: City of Portland, City of Gresham, City of Vancouver, Water Environment Services of Clackamas County, Clark County, Clean Water Services, Metro, Multnomah County. The group’s goal is to educate the public about stormwater runoff pollution and its impact on the health of our rivers and streams.

Sustainability film series: Kilowatt Ours on July 27th

Multnomah County presents:

“Kilowatt Ours”
A PLAN TO RE-ENERGIZE AMERICA
Sunday, July 27th @ 5:00 pm
McMenamins Bagdad Theater
SE Hawthorne & 37th Ave in Portland
Followed by a SMARTER ENERGY panel discussion
Questions? Click here.

Top 15 green politicians

Around here we like to think Jeff is the number one green politician so when I found this list, I was hoping he was on it. Alas, he wasn't. But Grist online magazine put this list together of leaders worldwide that are making strides in improving the environment. Check it out!

I-5 Bridge: How do you feel?

The Columbia River Crossing - otherwise known as the I-5 bridge - is causing quite the uproar around Portland. Residents and groups focused on the environment are not in favor of the proposed models; they do not feel it meets all levels of sustainability, among other things. Others are worried about health impacts and some just worried that it's going to be ugly.

Why are we talking about it? Well, the southern end of any bridge would land in District two. That impacts constituents in various ways from health impacts (such as air quality and noise) to displacement. So what do you think - bridge or no bridge?

Reminder: urban/rural reserves open house in Gresham tonight

From The Gresham Outlook:
Residents are invited to join in a conversation about how the Metro region should take shape over the next several years.

The public meeting will be held 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 7, at the Multnomah County East Building, 600 N.E. Eighth St.

]]> Metro and Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties are leading a regional effort to designate urban and rural reserves to accommodate future growth and to protect valuable farmland, mostly covering five miles outside the urban growth boundary.

At the meeting, residents can learn more about the proposals and share ideas and values on the development of resources.

Future meetings will be held throughout July in the Metro area. For more information, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/reserves or www2.co.multnomah.or.us/reserves.

New library for Troutdale, too

From the Gresham Outlook:

Multnomah County Commissioner Lonnie Roberts is officially recommending the downtown Troutdale Discovery Block for the long-proposed branch library facility.

Roberts called the property at Second Avenue and Historic Columbia River Highway a “keystone development in the center of historic downtown Troutdale” in a news release issued Thursday afternoon, July 3. He and fellow commissioners will discuss and likely vote to recommend the site at the Thursday, July 17, Commission board meeting, said Roberts’ assistant Tom Mack.

“As a result of extensive negotiations, District 4, the Library, and Facilities and Property Management agree that the Discovery Block is ideal as the site for the new branch,” Roberts said in the release. “An accessible downtown location, a solid civic presence, adaptive logistics and design, and a competitive financial structure all contribute to this recommendation.”

]]> Discovery Block developer Mike Greenslade of Bremik Construction Company recently submitted a letter of intent to county officials to solidify costs and lease terms.

“If it’s acceptable to county commissioners, I think we’ve got a deal,” Greenslade said.

The siting process is a couple months off schedule because of a longer-than-expected negotiating process, Multnomah library officials said. They’d planned to announce a recommendation in May for either the Discovery Block or the Gateway Corner at 257th Street, but decided on additional interviews with Greenslade and Dean Hurford, owner of the Gateway property, to discuss financial and other proposal specifics.

Hurford withdrew his proposal in May, citing other development projects competing for his time and a belief the Discovery Block would work better for the county’s plans and financial resources.

“We left on good terms,” said Hurford, owner of Bumper’s Bar & Grill and Scrubby’s Car Wash in Fairview. “When it got down to final negotiations, I thought the (Discovery) site might be a better fit for the county’s needs.”

Hurford briefly re-entered negotiations, Mack and library officials said, after citizens expressed concerns about Hurford’s proposal getting full consideration. The Discovery Block proposal still came out as the more favorable of the two.

“The numbers just weren’t competitive in terms of trying to get the best possible situation we can get for the library,” said Vailey Oehlke, deputy director of Multnomah County Libraries. “We’re at a point where we’re pretty comfortable making a recommendation to the board of county commissioners for their consideration.”

The site calls for a mixed-use development with the approximately 6,000-square-foot library situated on the ground floor. The Discovery Block meets the county’s criteria for on- and off-street parking and otherwise fulfills structural needs of a Multnomah County library branch, said Mike Sublett of the county’s Facilities asset management section.

“The property is poised for development right now, and the transaction is financially well structured,” he said. “It provides a very solid, visible civic presence, and it’s very adaptive to the library’s logistics.”

The site selection process reached one milestone late last year when the Multnomah Board of Commissioners eliminated the former Lamb’s Thriftway supermarket site – at 282nd Avenue and Stark Street – from active consideration.

Troutdale Mayor Paul Thalhofer was among city officials who supported either of the downtown sites ahead of the more suburban Stark Street setting. He recently reiterated enthusiasm for the project after months of slow negotiations.

“When it does happen, it’ll be exciting,” Thalhofer said. “It will be very beneficial to downtown.”

Emphasizing that the final decision rests with the commissioners, Sublett believes the Discovery Block has a lot to offer.

“If approved, it will be a fantastic location for a library,” he said.

Libraries closed for July 4th holiday

All Multnomah County libraries, Library Administration and The Title Wave Used Bookstore will be closed on Friday, July 4, for Independence Day. The Title Wave Used Bookstore will also be closed on Saturday, July 5. Library locations and normal operating hours are available at www.multcolib.org/hours.

Important: Bridge closures for July 4th holiday

Several Multnomah County roads and one bridge will be closed for firework displays and community events on the Fourth of July.

The Hawthorne Bridge will be closed to road and sidewalk traffic from approximately 9:30 pm until after a fireworks display is completed to ensure the public’s safety. Fireworks will be launched from two barges near the bridge.

]]> NE Marine Drive will be closed from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm between NE 185th Ave. in the City of Portland to NE 223rd Ave. in the City of Fairview for a fireworks display at Blue Lake Park. Travelers should use alternate routes such as Sandy Blvd. or Interstate 84. Access will be maintained at all times for local residents and emergency vehicles. (NE Marine Drive is maintained by the City of Portland west of NE Interlachen Lane and by Multnomah County to the east of Interlachen.)

In Corbett several roads will be closed from approximately 6:00 am until noon for the Fourth of July Fun Festival Parade. The closure will take place on the Historic Columbia River Highway between SE Woodard Road and 366th, on SE Neilson Road and SE Woodard Road between NE Mershon Road and the Historic Columbia River Highway. Mershon will be the detour route.

On Sauvie Island, several roads will be impacted by the Foot Traffic Marathon Run and Half Marathon Run & Walk from 6:45 am until noon. Event participants will follow a loop course in one direction and motor vehicles will travel the loop in the opposite direction. The course includes NW Gillihan Road, NW Sauvie Island Road, NW Reeder Road and NW Oak Island Road. It begins and ends at the Pumpkin Patch on NW Gillihan Road.

Multnomah County maintains more than 300 miles of roads and bridges.

Urban/Rural reserves public meetings

Public meetings seek community input on long-range land use planning
Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties join Metro and residents to help select Urban, Rural Reserves

Residents of Multnomah County and the entire Portland metropolitan area are invited to join a conversation about how our region will take shape at open houses scheduled in July.

Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County and Metro are leading a regional effort to designate urban and rural reserves to accommodate future growth and protect valuable farmland, forest land and natural areas that define the character of this region.

Urban and rural reserves will provide greater predictability for landowners, farmers and communities about where the urban growth boundary may expand over the next 40 to 50 years, while protecting important farmland and natural areas from urbanization for that same period of time.

A Regional Reserves Steering Committee has been established, made up of city officials, representatives from agricultural, business, environmental and conservation communities, and social and economic equity organizations, and a commissioner from each county and a Metro councilor. On June 9 the committee approved an initial broad study area—approximately five miles outside the Metro urban growth boundary—as a starting place for considering areas to be designated as reserves.

]]> At the open houses, residents can learn more about the project and the reserves designation process, weigh in on whether the study areas are appropriate, and share their values and ideas on the development of reserves. Open houses will be held at the following times and locations:

· Monday, July 7, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Multnomah County East Building, 600 NE 8th St., Gresham

· Thursday, July 10, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Tualatin High School Commons, 22300 SW Boones Ferry Rd., Tualatin

· Saturday, July 12, 9:00 a.m. to noon - Metro Regional Center Lobby, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland

· Wednesday, July 16, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Clackamas County Public Services Building, Rooms 369 A & B, 2051 Kaen Rd., Oregon City

More information about the open houses and the reserves planning process is available at:

· Metro - www.oregonmetro.gov/reserves

· Clackamas County - www.clackamas.us/transportation/planning/reserves.htm

· Multnomah County – www2.co.multnomah.or.us/reserves

· Washington County - www.co.washington.or.us/reserves/

For more information:

Clackamas County: Ellen Rogalin, 503-353-4274,

Multnomah County: Shawn Cunningham, 503-988-4369

Washington County: Mike Dahlstrom, 503-846-8101

Metro: Karen Kane, 503-797-1942