Broken beehive in Sellwood Park
On the wet Saturday of June 4, a limb broke off a tree at the tennis court adjacent to the pool in Sellwood Park. It had a beehive in it; part of the hive was showing on the limb on the ground, while part of it appeared to still be in the tree, 30 feet up. Taking a cue from Rita Leonard's timely article in the June BEE, I called Urban Beekeepers about it. Here's a photo showing the portion of the hive, with bees, on the ground.
Success at the US Rowing Youth National Championships
June 9-12, Oregon was represented by Oregon Rowing Unlimited (ORU) at the 2022 US Rowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, Sending 20 athletes to race in 7 separate 2000 Meter events. ORU is coached by Plamen Petrov and Nadia Petrova.
In the Women's U17 1x - 2k Finals – Kalista Whildin (age 16) took the bronze with a time of 8:06.737. This incredible athlete not only medaled in one of the hardest races in rowing, she then had to sprint back to the starting dock to board her quad and immediately start rowing again for the Women's U17 4x final without any break.
And, in the Women's U17 4x - 2k Finals – Kalista Whildin (age 16), Claire Sopko (age 15), Lia Himel (age 15) , Zola Young (age 16) took the gold with a time of 7:05.629, a full seven seconds in front of the silver medalists. They crushed it!
In the Men's Youth 2 - 2k Finals – Will Hathaway (age 18) and Max Zimmerman (age 18) took 8th with a time of 7:06.149.
Cleveland High triumphs in Girls Lacrosse
The Cleveland High School girls Lacrosse Team recently beat St. Mary's in an area-wide championship at Oregon City's Pioneer Stadium. [The Oregon Girls Lacrosse Association "2022 OGLA Silver Cup Final" on June 1st.] The Cleveland Warriors team is a group of girls that went from only two wins a couple of years ago to some fourteen wins this year. The Cleveland coach, Sarah Tomlinson, has done some great work molding these girls into a cohesive team with lots of skills. I have watched every game since my granddaughter is a starter. These kids have managed to overcome two years of COVID, and most of the seniors are off to college now! A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
Doug Menely S.E. 36th Avenue
"BEE is fearmongering"
The June edition of THE BEE included a long editorial about crime. Yes, there has been a horrifying surge in gun crimes and a very annoying surge in car thefts. That should not be an excuse for more cops or tougher sentencing, neither which reduce crime.
The editorial didn't mention 1) the causes of crime (poverty, hopelessness, homelessness, drug addiction, mental health crises, racism...); 2) the need to bolster underfunded government programs that address those many issues; 3) the racism inherent in how we define "crime," how we "prevent" crime and how we prosecute so-called crimes.
The editorial didn't mention the many crimes cops don't report. Some of those overlooked crimes are more dangerous and pervasive and cost us millions and billions of dollars: wage theft by corporations, deadly environmental pollution by corporations, tax fraud by corporations.
Nor did the editorial mention that police are lousy crime preventers (cops show up after the fact.) And that harsher sentences (even death sentences) do not deter crime. Or that, according to research, more police do NOT equal safer streets. And this doozy was ignored: crime rates aren't as bad as they are made out to be by police and media.
Journalists should look critically at "facts" presented by police while questioning their ulterior motives (police are protecting their jobs, not protecting us.)
Stop fearmongering and work to create a world where police are unnecessary. A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
EDITOR'S NOTE: Recent events in Portland show clearly that crime proliferates when criminals realize they face no adverse consequences for their actions. We advocate for sufficient consequences to provide some actual deterrence for our citizens against being victimized by crime, which most longtime Portlanders would agree has become a real problem here, especially in the last couple of years. But a study of human nature and history provides no assurance that we will ever have a world where police are unnecessary, unfortunately, which is why police are an integral part of every society on earth. It is surprising, though, that someone as idealistic as this reader seems to be would be guilty of profiling! Maybe if the writer were to get to know a few of Portland's police officers, as we have, she might be surprised at how motivated by idealism many of them actually are.
Owls imperiled by rat traps
I've recently learned that there is a thriving owl population in Eastmoreland where I live. It's been fun catching a glimpse of them, and seeing a few photos friends and neighbors have taken. I took two of my grandchildren to the zoo yesterday [June 14] and we attended a wildlife show on the outdoor stage. One of the animals we saw was an owl. The presenter told the audience that the best thing we can do to promote the owl population and keep them safe is to stop using rat bait and bait traps. I'm a frequent walker, and see those black box bait traps everywhere. I don't think people understand how harmful they can be to the wildlife. Sally Gardner via email
Editor, I want to extend a special thanks to our neighbors, local businesses, organizations, and churches for supporting The Voices Project's Juneteenth celebration in our neighborhood through the Black Business Fest on June 18.We appreciate everyone who participated, helped get the word out, volunteered – and to our sponsors: the Woodstock Neighborhood Association, the Woodstock Community Business Association, OnPoint Credit Union, Royal Neighbors of America Chapter 08753, Toast, and Super Genius. And a huge thank you to The Voices Project (voices-project.org) for organizing these citywide celebrations!
The. Rev Andria Skornik All Saints Episcopal Church A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
In a June letter to the editor in THE BEE concerning the Eastmoreland Historic District, the writer made several statements that just aren't true. While acknowledging that becoming an HD will only impact demolitions, he then drew the false conclusion that "if you want to remodel your home someday" you should oppose the historic district. This gets to the heart of the Historic District debate, and the misinformation that we've been working for so long to dispel.
If remodeling your home means you want to demolish half of your house (defined as removal of 50% of the exterior walls AND 50% of the roof), or demolish (not remodel) 50% of the front of your house, then that would indeed be subject to review.
But for virtually all actual remodeling projects, the Historic District simply does not apply. Even extensive remodels, including second story projects, are unlikely to meet the definition of demolition, even in extreme cases. It was also stated that home values will be negatively affected by the Historic District designation: Just the opposite is true. National surveys consistently show that homes in Historic Districts around the country tend to increase in value, because they preserve beautiful neighborhoods that people want to live in.
That's why I support the Historic District: to preserve our neighborhood and its green spaces. If you'd like to verify the facts, please check out Title 33.445.220 in the Portland zoning code. It couldn't be clearer: You can still remodel your home when Eastmoreland becomes a Historic District.
Cleveland High alums step up for the school
Editor, A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
Not enough good news is shared these days and I'd like to change that right here. At Cleveland High School the Band Director, Gary Riler, needed money to purchase five baritone saxophones with cases, for the school marching band. He needed the money immediately, now, as there were only six available in the current supply chain. Enter the Cleveland Alumni Association. Through an introduction by longtime Cleveland "fixture in residence", Jan Watt, to Mr. Riler. Riler's own fundraising had raised $4,000.00 of the needed funds requiring $6,800 more. The CHS Alumni Association stepped up with an online vote request to Board Members and the money was granted! Excerpts from the subsequent thank-you letter from Mr. Riley to the Alumni association: "On behalf of the Friends of Cleveland Band and the 130 plus students of the Band program, I would like to humbly thank you for your unwavering support of our program. This grant is a testament to why I have been so blessed to work at CHS. Every time I have been frustrated by the inner working of our District, I have found answers to the problem in the community of Cleveland High School. I believe I have delivered on my promise to make this program relevant not only in Portland, but in the State of Oregon. With a 5th place finish at the OSAA band championships, CHS was the first Portland public school to ever finish in the top 5 since the contest stared in 1987. Thank you, Jan, for introducing me to this group of absolutely AMAZING alums who care so deeply about their alma mater. And thank you, CHS Alumni Association, for believing in my vision, and these amazing CHS band students." -- Musically yours, Gary Riler This type of giving by the alumni association is only possible with the support of the community. To this end, please consider supporting the "Warrior 5K Walk" held in the spring, and the annual Cleveland Alumni Association Golf Tournament to be held this year at Eastmoreland Golf Course, on August 6th. Send any questions to –This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or register at – http://2022chsalumni.golfgenius.com Ed Nunez
Another one bites the dust
The mailbox at S.E. 10th and Bush was stolen last night (again) [Sunday night, June 12]. I know THE BEE has carried stories before about stolen mailboxes, so here you go…
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