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Old 02-25-2012, 10:21 AM   #1
Lamplighter
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How a city works...

Back in the early 50's, like Chicago's river that caught fire,
the Willamette River was a cess pool running through Oregon.
But voters made some important decisions that established
the environmental character of Oregon and the City of Portland.

Here is a link to a well-written article in The Oregonian about sewage !

I recommend it... from beginning to end.

OregonLive.com
The Oregonian
David Stabler
February 25, 2012

River of sewage flows from Sellwood to North Portland treatment plant each day
Quote:
Portland's water rises in a land of mountains and mist,
a protected wilderness of beauty where clear, cold streams run as they did
when Native Americans drank from them 10,000 years ago.

But after the city's Bull Run water arrives in taps, toilets, showers and industrial pipes,
it heads to one place, a place most of us don't think much about.
A wastewater treatment plant is a relatively new system of treating urban sewage,
where everything must work all the time, day and night.
It's an intermediate step in a process of continuous recycling between sky and ocean.
If a pipe leaks or a pump quits, redundant machinery, including backup systems of backups systems, averts disaster.

Sewage waits for no one.
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Old 02-26-2012, 03:40 PM   #2
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Very interesting.

... But the reporter frequently abuses the concept of "exact."
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Old 02-29-2012, 08:37 PM   #3
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The Deschutes River in central Oregon is almost as famous as the Rogue in southern Oregon.
Damage was done in earlier years when an "Army Corps of Engineers" attitude towards flood control prevailed.

Now, a lot of $ is being spent on restoration projects, as part of efforts to save the endangered salmon runs.

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This is a link to a 10 min video about one such project near my daughter's home.
It's not the exciting sort of thing that you see in a dam-breech project,
but as Martha Stewart might say: "It's a good thing."
.
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Old 02-29-2012, 09:04 PM   #4
HungLikeJesus
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Your knowledge of Martha Stewart concerns me.
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Old 02-29-2012, 11:11 PM   #5
Lamplighter
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Next week, we have a video on up to properly fold bath towels.
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Old 03-12-2012, 02:43 PM   #6
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The cycling community in PDX is very energetic and politically powerful.
Streets in the downtown area are designated for bicycle traffic,
and specially markings at intersections control auto traffic turns
in order to avoid blind-spot accidents with cyclists.

Here is another development...

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BikePortland.org
Jonathan Maus
March 12th, 2012

PBOT unveils new bike share website with station locator tool
Quote:
PBOT is expected to release the official Request for Proposals
for a bike share system operator any day now.
Once the process of choosing a vendor is complete, then the real planning will begin.
The system is expected to be up and running by spring 2013.

Having a bike share system means giving Portlanders an efficient, sustainable choice.
Our region has a comprehensive and safe bikeway network that bike share
customers can use to cover short trips quickly. Bike share riders wil
move throughout the city without adding to road congestion and parking demand,
while improving air quality and personal health by forgoing a car trip.
Residents, business owners and travelers want bike share to come to Portland for all these reasons.
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Old 03-12-2012, 02:46 PM   #7
piercehawkeye45
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Minneapolis came out with that years ago...

Minneapolis > Portland

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Old 03-12-2012, 02:57 PM   #8
Lamplighter
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Yes, plagiarism and copyright infringement in PDX are no longer crimes.
The operational motto is "Keep Portland Wierd"
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Old 03-12-2012, 03:09 PM   #9
piercehawkeye45
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Happened in Minneapolis first.
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Old 03-12-2012, 04:12 PM   #10
Undertoad
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some of those bikes i ain't sharing
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Old 03-12-2012, 06:35 PM   #11
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UT makes a good point.
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Old 03-17-2012, 09:16 AM   #12
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Calling all cataholics

"Wheels", the 33 lb cat, is up for adoption at the Oregon Humane Society.
For $12 you get a 14 year old cat plus a medical consultation about a diet for him to loose weight.

Wheels is the one wearing white booties, and is the largest cat seen at the OHS.
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Old 03-17-2012, 05:58 PM   #13
ZenGum
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That cat is so fat he should be on Wall Street.
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Old 04-13-2012, 09:24 AM   #14
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I hope Dwellars know that I am quite proud of Portland and Oregon.

BUT... in the 35+ years we have lived here, the big black spot is the Portland Police Dept.
Other cities (Denver, LA, New Orleans) have had their problems.
But PDX has a Police Union that is powerful and political.

Over the years, various liberal, moderate, and conservative Mayors have attempted to gain control
of the situation by appointments of the Police Chief, but have ultimately failed.
We've had a black man, a woman, a gay, young and older men...
appointed from within the PPD ranks, and a few outsiders from other parts of Oregon, and from out-of-state.

Each time as the Police Chief gained a modicum of control over the PPD,
the politics kicked in, and ultimately each Chief resigned or was forced out, primarily by actions of the Police Union.

Here is the latest episode...
Statesman Journal.com
4/12/12

Portland mayor won't reinstate fired officer
Quote:
PORTLAND — Mayor Sam Adams said Thursday he won’t implement an arbitrator’s ruling
that a police officer fired after he shot an unarmed man in the back in 2010 should be reinstated
The city attorney thinks there are sufficient legal grounds to challenge
the reinstatement of Officer Ronald Frashour, Adams said in a statement.

Campbell was distraught over his brother’s death when he emerged
from a Portland apartment, with his back toward officers and his hands behind his head.
One officer fired six bean bag rounds at the man.
Campbell ran toward a parked car.
[Officer] Frashour fired a single rifle shot, killing Campbell.<snip>

Police training instructors testified at the arbitration hearings that
Frashour followed his training when he used deadly force against
25-year-old man Aaron Campbell on Jan. 29, 2010.

Police Chief Mike Reese has said it was unreasonable for Frashour to believe
that Campbell posed an “immediate threat” of death or serious injury.


The mayor said if the police union challenges his decision,
he’ll ask that the state Employment Relations Board expedite a decision.
The board is a state agency that resolves labor disputes
between union-represented workers and public and private employers.<snip>

The Portland Police Bureau is already under a Department of Justice
probe for its interactions with the mentally ill.
The Justice Department declined to investigate the bureau over Campbell’s shooting,
but the Campbell family agreed to settle a federal wrongful death suit
against the city for $1.2 million in February.
.
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Old 04-13-2012, 03:52 PM   #15
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Quote:
Each time as the politics kicked in, each Chief resigned or was forced out, primarily by actions of the Police Union.
There is one other constant there... jus sayin'
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