Bikes for Humanity PDX helps low-income students at Barnes Elementary

25 November 2013 — It seems as if Fionn Anderson's karma caught up with him recently. Anderson is a 14-year-old bike fanatic. The love affair started early. "I would go for two miles on a tricycle down a gravel road," he explains. "I love working with bikes." Which is what brought him to Barnes Elementary School in Beaverton this weekend. He was volunteering as a mechanic with Bikes for Humanity PDX, a program of the non-profit agency Impact NW. Bikes for Humanity PDX accepts donated bicycles and refurbishes them with volunteer mechanics trained through the program's own free, eight-week curriculum. The bikes are then adopted out, with proceeds going back into the program, or given to those who qualify for financial aid or are willing to do a work trade. Anderson went through the eight-week bike mechanic training, taking the bus from where he lives in Gladstone to Southeast Portland where Bikes for Humanity PDX is located. He does as much volunteering as he can with the group, which attracts volunteers from his age on up to retirement.  Read more...

Oregon woman helps organize 'Pants to Church' event

25 November 2013 — For the second year in a row, a Mormon group is asking women to wear pants to church on an upcoming Sunday in mid-December — this time as a show of support for inclusiveness for all. The first “Wear Pants to Church Day” was held in December 2012 to show solidarity for women’s equality. Organizer Nancy Ross said the goal of this year’s event is broader: to encourage The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to continue to grow more progressive and inclusive. They are also inviting men and women to wear purple. The event, set for Dec. 15, is not meant as a protest of church policy, Ross said. Women commonly wear dresses or skirts to worship services, but the LDS church does not prohibit women from wearing pants to church. Church members are only encouraged to wear their best clothing as a “sign of respect for the savior.”  Read more...

Steam locomotive offers Holiday Express rides

25 November 2013 — The historic city-owned SP&S 700 steam locomotive returns to service this coming Friday for the 9th annual Holiday Express train rides. The SP&S 700 — officially known as the Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 — is the third largest operating steam locomotive in the country. The annual rides leave from Oaks Park on a regular basis over the next three Friday to Sunday weekends. Nearly 50,000 people have taken Holiday Express rides since 2005. The SP&S 700 is one of three steam locomotives owned by the city. It was built in 1938. The other two are the Oregon Railroad & Navigation 197 and the Southern Pacific 4449. The OR&N 197 was built in 1905 and the SP 4449 was built in 1941. All three locomotives were donated to the city in 1958.  Read more...

Tigard man is king of the collectibles

25 November 2013 — Gerald Barron’s home doesn’t look much like the houses on either side of his quiet Tigard neighborhood. With its brick façade, quaint cottage feel and authentic red British phone booth out front, it would be more at home in the English countryside than his street near Metzger. For years, Barron’s house was known for the large double-decker bus parked outside. “It was a landmark,” says Barron, 79. “Now the neighbor’s say, ‘We’re by the phone booth.’” Inside Barron’s house is his true pride and joy. He calls it his collection. Barron is a collector of, well, just about everything. “I collect phone booths, double-decker buses, M&M’s, toys, pedal cars, you name it,” he says. His living room, kitchen, dining area and stairwell are covered in M&M’s memorabilia. “They’ve taken over my drain board, and I can’t put plants on the windowsill anymore,” Barron says, taking a tour of his living room and kitchen, which is crowded with giant plastic M&M’s candy characters. “They’re on the fridge; they’ve taken over the walls and the floors.”  Read more...

Saved by music

25 November 2013 — Growing up in a poor Portland neighborhood with drug-addicted parents, unstable living conditions and little motivation in school, Rachelle Burgess clung to an unlikely life raft — her violin. Now she runs a thriving orchestra program in Gaston, hoping to pass on what music gave her growing up. While the arts are often considered less essential subjects than reading, math and science — and are the first classes to get cut during a budget crunch — Burgess, 25, maintains that music education is as important as anything else. “Music can teach kids all the things 21st century educators want: critical thinking, teamwork, synergy. It not only builds both sides of the brain, but teaches social skills and gives them a sense of community,” Burgess said.  Read more...

Monumental Attire wraps downtown Portland in whimsy (photos/video)

24 November 2013 — No silver-haired grandmothers here. These young yarn enthusiasts have their sights set beyond knitting Christmas socks for friends and family.  This holiday season they are putting their needles to work in the service of public enjoyment. Jessica, DeVries, Claudia Martinez, Amanda Miller and Jenny Mosher have been clothing a number of beloved downtown statues in handmade sweaters.  It's part of a project called Monumental Attire, and you may have seen a few of their pieces already. They sewed Pioneer Courthouse Square's umbrella guy, official known as J. Seward Johnson's "Allow Me," into his first and very own cardigan.  It took 43 hours to knit it and roughly the same amount of time to lose it. No one knows exactly when his threads were cut off. This week they turned their attention to Norman Taylor's "Kvinneakt."  The naked lady statue along the MAX Light Rail tracks received a peekaboo snowflake cape with matching leg warmers.  Read more...

Local choirs head to Singing Christmas Tree

24 November 2013 — For the first time, Singing Christmas Tree organizers are bringing in local high school choirs for special performances at the Keller Auditorium. Of the seven Portland-area choirs asked to perform, three are from Clackamas County. Oregon City High School’s choir will kick off the series Saturday, Nov. 30, by joining the Tree singers at 2:30 p.m. At 2 p.m. the next afternoon, Sunday, Dec. 1, the Rex Putnam High School choir will try to outdo the OCHS performance; Clackamas High School’s A-Choir will sing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. “The Singing Christmas Tree is a well-established tradition in the Portland area for more than 50 years, and it’s a great honor to be asked to be part of such a grand production,” said OCHS Choir Director Amy Aamodt. “For students to be at such a grand venue as the Keller Auditorium is an exeptional experience for them just to be backstage and to be able to sing in such a large space.” Putnam Choir Director Erika Lockwood also expects students will get “a very educational experience” from performing their routine in the Keller Auditorium, in addition to singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” with a full orchestra and 350 singers.  Read more...