Volume 76: Number 7, July 2010

'Heart of Hollywood' needs you

An effort to develop an urban park in Hollywood is the focus of a study underway this summer. You’re invited to help determine its amenities, activities and location.
 
“Park, plaza, community living room — we haven’t settled on a name yet,” said Elisabeth Winnen. “But we know we want to have a space for the community to gather, one that adds some green space to the area.”
 
As Hollywood Neighborhood Association Sustainability Committee chair, she spearheads the effort to develop a space the Portland 2040 Growth Plan identified among the area’s needs.
 
“We’re expanding that 2005 vision and thinking a little more boldly,” Elisabeth said. “This could become an economic engine to bring people into the community, stay and spend their money. It can help the community become more sustainable.”
 
HNA is represented in the effort by Craig Stockbridge, president, and Elisabeth. Also involved are: John Perkins, Boosters board member; the city of Portland Parks & Recreation Department and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability; Central Northeast Neighbors; and George Crandall of Crandall Arambula, a firm that specializes in urban planning and revitalization projects.
 
Elisabeth moved to Portland from The Netherlands 16 years ago and is familiar with European town squares, including the synergies they build with surrounding businesses. Her volunteer role in helping develop what she hopes to be “the heart of Hollywood” taps her skills and passion as an urban and architectural designer.
 
You can join the effort:
• June 26, July 10 — walking tours of seven potential sites, Hollywood Farmers Market information booth, 11 a.m.
• July 22 — collaborative design session, 7 p.m., Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 N.E. 40th Ave.
• Aug. 26 — presentation of findings, 7 p.m., Hollywood Senior Center
 
Contact Elisabeth at ewinnen@mac.com for details about the study and visit www.hollywoodinportland.org for updates.

Parade blooms

The Fred Meyer Rose Festival Junior Parade wound through Hollywood June 9 and gave onlookers glimpses of the district’s 10 new hanging flower baskets on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. They were funded through a grant from the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations. Apologies from BoosterNews to APNBA for the misidentification in the June issue.

My turn

“Did you read my tweet?” “Can we be friends?” “How many followers do you have?”
 
The social media networking explosion that I once thought was just another way for 20-somethings to lose track of time is not that at all.
 
I joined Twitter last year and started tweeting:
• “Huckleberry créme brioche, gravenstein apple pie, at the Hollywood Farmers Market”
• “Guitar music at the bakery Saturday night”
 
My list of followers swelled to 14. My list of those I follow got out of hand. I saw no value in Twitter. I neglected those who followed me.
 
Then came the tragedy in Haiti. An earthquake of enormous magnitude buried survivors under the rubble. I was online reading the CNN accounts of the disaster and realized they were getting firsthand accounts from some of the survivors who were still buried under buildings in Port au Prince — on Twitter!
 
It became clear to me that Twitter had a much greater purpose than selling pastries made with Earl Grey-infused prunes. Twitter is an instant way to connect people regarding things that matter.
 
Picture this: The Hollywood Business District could have a Twitter account that allows all businesses to instantly be in touch with each other. It isn’t used to advertise a new hamburger or to announce your daughter’s graduation.
 
It is used to inform each other about community issues:
• “The bank just got robbed! The crooks are headed up Sandy.”
• “The power is still off south of Tillamook.”
• “Farmers market is packed today.”
 
Instantly we all communicate and create a business district that is micro-seconds apart. Our issues, our celebrations and our interests are quickly shared. Social networking becomes a permanent part of our lives.
 
I’m excited and hopeful that the Hollywood Boosters and the Hollywood Neighborhood Association can make this happen.
 
Next month: Facebook. 
— Greg Mistell, Hollywood Boosters president,
Fleur de Lis

August Harvest Festival debuts Aug. 7

It’s official. The district’s new summer event is the August Harvest Festival. Mark your calendar for every Saturday in August.
 
The goal is the same: to draw people to the district to shop, dine and enjoy Hollywood. Instead of happening one evening each summer month, it’s every August Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., largely in conjunction with Hollywood Farmers Market.
 
“We’ll have daylong events at different participating stores. There will be food, maybe some live music and some of the stores will share their spaces with service oriented businesses that don’t have storefronts,” said Linda Seals, event committee chair, Posh Designs.
 
Plenty of planning went into revamping Third Thursdays into an event — on a day and a time — when most businesses are staffed up to participate. A scavenger hunt will be ongoing throughout August during any hours participating businesses are open.
 
Businesses that provide prizes or gifts for August Harvest Festival will be named in an ad. To donate a prize or gift — or for more information about the 2010 August Harvest Festival — contact Linda at 503-288-7674 or Linda@poshdesigns.biz.

Brew pub grows beyond Hollywood beginnings

Mike De Kalb hasn't celebrated Laurelwood's 10th anniversary yet, but he and wife Cathy Woo-De Kalb now have seven locations, three in Hollywood, and a collection of awards for their beers.
Mike De Kalb hasn't celebrated Laurelwood's 10th anniversary yet, but he and wife Cathy Woo-De Kalb now have seven locations, three in Hollywood, and a collection of awards for their beers.
When Mike De Kalb and Cathy Woo-De Kalb opened the original Laurelwood Public House & Brewery in January 2001, they didn’t know their business would grow to a seventh location in less than 10 years.
 
The Annex, the former Biscuits Cafe location at northeast 51st Avenue and Sandy Blvd., is their seventh. Currently it serves largely as a place to wash and store kegs. It has hosted movie nights and may soon offer brew master dinners.
 
When a former brew pub became available nearly 10 years ago on northeast 40th Avenue and Sandy, the De Kalbs signed the lease with a business plan that called for a family restaurant.
 
“We marketed to people like us who wanted a place to go with kids and feel comfortable, and have a good beer,” Mike said.
 
They liked the location for access, neighboring businesses and the six-block proximity to their home in Laurelhurst. They named it for LAURELhurst and HollyWOOD.
 
The fact the facility offered brewery equipment was a bonus. Even people who don’t live near
any of the Laurelwood restaurants know the business’ reputation from the beer on sale in their local grocery stores.
 
A collection of awards has added to that fame. Laurelwood holds the 2004 World Beer Cup World Champion Small Brewpub and World Champion Small Brewpub Brew master awards and last year came out on top of the National IPA Challenge for its Workhorse IPA.
 
Mike and Cathy expected their lengthy experience in managing restaurants and bars would contribute to Laurelwood’s initial success. As it turns out, the 9/11 terrorist attacks just eight months after they opened their first establishment kept people closer to home for quite some time.
 
“We also found that local, family-oriented establishments like ours were doing better than even the chains,” Mike said.
 
And good, local beer is a treat in any economy. So a brewery production facility is on the drawing board.
 
That will help expand Laurelwood’s retail beer market to the entire West Coast, and inland to Idaho and Montana.
 
 
The little brew pub that could
2001 — Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (now Laurelwood Pizza Co.), 1728 N.E. 40th Ave.
2004 — Laurelwood NW Public House, 2327 N.W. Kearney St.
2006 — Two Portland International Airport concourses
2007 — Laurelwood Public House & Brewery, 5115 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
2009 — Laurelwood Public House, 1401 S.E. Rasmussen Blvd., Battleground
2010 — The Annex (movie nights, brewmaster dinners, keg storage), 5137 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

Find Boosters on www.facebook.com

Want to get the word — and/or photos — out about a sale? A special new menu item? Post it on Facebook.
 
The Hollywood Boosters Facebook page was created by Kim Cottrell, speech pathologist, Feldenkrais practitioner and Boosters communications committee member.
 
“Social media is interactive and timely,” Kim said. “When your customers like something, their friends are also apt to like it and pretty soon the news about your product or service goes viral, in a good way.”
 
Log onto www.facebook.com, join and type “hollywood boosters” in the search field.