Volume 76: Number 5, May 2010
Volume 76: Number 5, May 2010

Hollywood Clean Up gets off to enthusiastic start

More than 20 people showed up — including Beverly Cleary School students — April 11 for the year’s first Hollywood Clean Up.
 
“We started out our third year of this project with our biggest turnout yet,” said Kim Cottrell, Clean Up chair and Feldenkrais practitioner/speech pathologist. “It was an enthusiastic blend of local residents and Boosters.”
 
They received treats from Fleur de Lis, Aliviar Coffee House and Baskin Robbins.
 
The next Clean Up is Sunday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at Fleur de Lis. For details prior to the event, contact Kim at 503-890-6865 or kim@kimcottrell.com — or visit www.hollywoodcleanup.wordpress.com. On May 2, the contact is John Perkins, 503-701-2652.
 
May 2 duties include adding flowers to the sidewalk planters in preparation for the Junior Rose Festival Parade. Contact Kim for smaller projects to tackle at your convenience.

Join May festivities to honor seniors

Older Americans Month begins in a few days. That’s when the nation pays tribute to people age 65 and older across the country.
 
Hollywood has one of Portland’s heaviest concentrations of seniors and two local organizations encourage you to sponsor events to honor those seniors. Hollywood Senior Center & Fook Lok-Hollywood Loaves & Fishes printed a calendar of May events sponsored especially for seniors by the two agencies, other local organizations and businesses.
 
It isn’t too late to plan an event for seniors sometime during May, to donate gift certificates and other prizes to existing events, or help pay the printing bill for the calendar. Your support is tax deductible.
 
“Seniors will take their copies of the calendar to the events,” explained Amber Kern-Johnson, senior center director. “They will receive stamps/initials noting they attended the events and prizes will be awarded to seniors who attended the most.”
 
If you can contribute or schedule an event, contact:
• Amber Kern-Johnson, Hollywood Senior Center, 503-288-8303, amber.kern-johnson@hollywoodseniorcenter.org
• Mary Langman, Fook Lok- Hollywood Loaves & Fishes, 503-281-8109,  mlangman@lfcpdx.org

My turn

Greg Mistell, president
Greg Mistell, president
Sandy Boulevard — “the scourge of Hollywood.”
 
It rips through our gut, separating north from south, east from west. Key blocks on Sandy Boulevard through “downtown” Hollywood are inhospitable at best, with little parking and empty storefronts staring vacantly back as you wait in traffic. Morning and afternoon traffic jams discourage pedestrians. Bicyclers avoid it. If you need to drive somewhere in Hollywood, you’d better plan your route and take into account illegal turns, one way streets and six street intersections.
 
The Hollywood district that car commuters see doesn’t inspire people to get out of their cars. For most it’s “Got to get through here — get on that freeway. Oh, and don’t run an amber light — photo tickets!”
 
If you do shop in Hollywood, and you need to cross our beloved Sandy, confusing intersections can make it dangerous for seniors or parents with children. For some, it’s “Why bother?” Just go to Fred Meyer or Lloyd Center. They’re close, safe and diverse. Besides, those bus stops on Sandy attract derelicts and outsiders. Just shop elsewhere.
 
How can our business district become whole?
 
When I moved to Portland in 1984, Hawthorne was a street with outdated shops and vacant buildings. Now it is a vibrant BUSINESS DISTRICT that starts at Northeast 20th and runs for 30 blocks. The Pearl District was old warehouses — most seemed abandoned. Now it’s famous. Northwest 23rd had a theater and a few bars. Mississippi was unknown. BUSINESS DISTRICTS all.
 
And here we are, divided by a concrete border that doesn’t allow a continuum to exist between Hollywood’s great businesses and their customers.
 
Maybe we could talk to the Portland Development Commission and they could bury Sandy Boulevard and build an outdoor mall with a farmers’ market, and a community garden and an urban park with fountains. No cars allowed, just bikes and people — and cute dogs.
 
— Greg Mistell, Hollywood Boosters president, Fleur de Lis

Casino Night draws crowd

Boosters, friends and neighbors turned out in April for the annual Casino Night. Thanks to everyone who attended, and to the people and businesses below for sponsoring tables and for contributing prizes and food:

Able Business & Tax
Afton Field Farm
Albina Community Bank
Aliviar Coffeehouse
Ambassador Restaurant & Lounge
Annette Stevko, D.C.
Antique Addictions
Antique Alley
Aunt Tillie’s Deli
Baby Boomers
Bank of America
Baskin-Robbins
Blackwell’s Grub/Steak Grill
Bluefin Sushi Bar
Bohemian Vintage
Breslin & Wallace Buick GMC
Broadmoor Golf Course
Broadway Medical Clinic
Brunke Furniture Co.
Cabezon Restaurant & Fish Market
Café Darwin
Carkners Family Vision Care
Casteel & Carson Attorneys
Catering by Suzanne
Chins Kitchen
Celtic Corner
Chameleon Restaurant & Bar
Clyde’s Prime Rib Restaurant
Curves
Edward Jones
Escapade in Hollywood
Floral Dreams
Flowers by Dorcas
Fleur de Lis Bakery & Cafe
Giants Gym
Gift of Life Clinic
Gordon’s Fireplace Shop
Grocery Outlet
Highway House Bar & Grill
Himalayan Gift & Candy Store
Holiday Travel Services
Hollywood Antiques
Hollywood Boosters
Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Burger Bar
Hollywood Camera Store
Hollywood Cycling
Hollywood Hair
 Hollywood Hounds
Hollywood Reruns
Hollywood Star News
Hollywood Theatre
Home Instead Senior Care
Jackson & Adolph Flower Company
Jan and….
Ken VanDamme’s Automotive
Key Bank
Kim Cottrell, Feldenkrais practitioner
LA Communications
Laurelwood Pizza
Lisa’s Upholstering
Mackin’s Hollywood Auto Body
May Chang, D.D.S.
Medak Realty
Millius Estate Services
Minuteman Press
Moon & Sixpence
Nancy Varekamp
Nationwide
Northeast Community Center
Northwest Auto Accessories
Norm Stoll Enterprises
Oregon Wine Negociants
Pacific Energy Group
Pacific Northwest Title
Periodicals & Books Paradise
Pioneer Gas Furnace
Portland Merchant Services
Posh Designs & Furnishings
Ralph’s Hollywood Florist
Rose City Vision Care
Sam’s Hollywood Billiards
Sandy Blvd Tire & Auto
Settlemier Jackets & Logos
Stanich’s Restaurant
State Farm Insurance
Sterling Savings Bank
The Hobby Smith
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish
Tony Starlight’s Supperclub Lounge
Tune-Rite
U.S. Bank
U.S. West Coast Taekwondo
West Coast Frames
Whole Foods
Zanzibar & Continuous Threads


Off the Couch celebrates one-year anniversary

Mayor Sam Adams helps Activity Night participants celebrate one-year anniversary.
Mayor Sam Adams helps Activity Night participants celebrate one-year anniversary.
What began as a one-time Friday evening of activities for half a dozen young, differently-abled adults just completed its 15th monthly encore in Hollywood, thanks to founder Shauna Perkins.
 
Now Activity Night, sponsored by Off the Couch, draws about two-dozen participants and their companions to quarters donated by Friendship Masonic Lodge every third Friday.
 
Shauna identified the need for social activities for this underserved population of differently-abled adults 18 years old and older. The most difficult challenges for that population in adulthood are: socialization, employment and housing. The organization she created last year, Off the Couch, tackles the first.
 
“The participants have such a good time they keep coming back,” Shauna said. “So do the volunteers. Activity night wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers, many of them Boosters.
 
“We all get out on the dance floor together — it’s just an evening of fun, where you don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks.”

You can help

Shauna Perkins has no plans to end Activity Night sponsored by Off the Couch. In fact, she plans to acquire nonprofit status for the organization to encourage more financial donations to support the continuing efforts.
 
If you can make a contribution, she’d like to hear from you at 503-702-2394 or offthecouchevents@gmail.com.  In-kind donations — food, beverages, supplies, your time, just about anything — are welcome too.
 
“I can’t offer you a receipt for your taxes yet,” Shauna said. “But I can show you some really happy faces from people who otherwise would not have much opportunity to have a Friday night out.”

Hollywood is 'The City within a City'

“Portland’s City within a City” was what Hollywood called itself in the 1940s. By today’s board acclaim, that tag line is back.
 
“It describes us to a T,” said Greg Mistell, Boosters president, Fleur de Lis Restaurant and Bakery. “We have everything in a small area of this metropolitan city. It’s the place to be.”
 
Look for the tag line on the Web and future Boosters promotional materials.

Farmers Market opens May 1

Hollywood Farmers Market opens its 14th season May 1 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Northeast Hancock Street between 44th and 45th avenues.
 
Market managers are expecting about 50 vendors this year with farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, baked goods, honey, plants, pasta and flowers. That’s a fivefold increase from the market’s humble beginnings in 1997.
 
The market runs every Saturday through Thanksgiving. The dog policy continues in effect from last year. Dogs are allowed in the market only between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
 
Visit www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org for details.

3rd Thursday steps aside for August activities

Don’t look for a Third Thursday on the Hollywood Boosters summer calendars.
 
“It’s been fun, but we’ve laid Third Thursday to rest,” said Linda Seals, event chair, Posh Designs. “We don’t have all the details in place, but plans are for events throughout August.
 
“They’ll have similar aspects to Third Thursday, like trivia, games, food and music.” So stay tuned for the June issue of BoosterNews for dates and details.




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