February 28, 2008 Newsletter of the Portland Water Bureau Randy Leonard, Commissioner • David G. Shaff , Administrator The Man Behind Elk 2nd Annual Limerick Contest! Fountain There Once Was an Elk from Nantucket… That’s right folks, it’s that time of year again, our second annual Water Bureau Limerick Contest! Last year’s assignment was to write a little ditty about our world famous Benson Bubblers. Marion Gaylord in the Revenue Bureau took top prize with: There once was a burgher named Benson, A generous giver, and then some. Between the two Plaza For quenching one’s thirst, Blocks, Main Street His “bubblers” rank fi rst, curves around a huge With Portlanders, aged and winsome! elk fountain given to the city by former Portland This year will be more of a challenge. “The mayor and civic leader, Elk” fountain right here in downtown David P. Thompson. Stumptown is the designated topic. Thompson served in the Contest Rules Oregon State Legislature 1. Entries must abide by standard limerick and was twice elected form (fi ve lines, AABBA rhyme scheme). Mayor of Portland, once I was kind of lax about this last year, but in 1879 and again in no more Mr. Nice Guy. Follow the form 1881. or get your own contest! 2. All submissions should be original (not Roland Hinton Perry, previously published); whose work adorns 3. Meet the deadline: March 21, 5pm. the Library of Congress Here’s what our ignoble Outreach staff has come and the dome of the 4. Contest open to anyone and everyone. up with so far. I only hope that you can do better! If Pennsylvania state 5. One entry per person. you think you can, get out your pen! capitol, created the Our noble Elk Fountain, so grand The winner will be announced in the March And not just sitting there, you know, he was planned bronze statue to Between two city squares commemorate elk that 27th edition of DISPATCH. All entries will be He observes the aff airs once grazed nearby. published in DISPATCH and on the Water Of our city, on his island of land Blog. The winner will receive a framed photo Many have tried to of the Elk Fountain and will go down in history as the 2008 Water Bureau Limerick winner! have Thompson’s elk removed because it can Last year’s contest was a huge hit - both among employees and the public and resulted in be considered a traffi c our being noticed by The Oregonian. I may even ask them to pick a favorite as well. obstacle, but the elk statue remains. In 1974, Send your contest entries by e-mail to Sarah Bott [email protected]. Thompson’s elk and the Plaza Blocks were Have fun and enjoy. designated as Historic Landmarks. Administrator Decorative Fountains QUIZ! Test Your Fountain Knowledge! The Portland Water Bureau maintains 19 decorative fountains in Match the fountains from the list to the left with the photos of the fountains below. Keep track of downtown Portland. how many you guess correctly. No cheating or peeking at the answers! The fountains are historic sites as well as places to meet people, watch people, and to cool on hot summer days. McCoy Fountain Jamison Square Fountain Holladay Park Fountain are Jamison Squ Jamison Fountain Elk Skidmore Fountain Fountain Holliday Elk Fountain Salmon Street Springs Dreamer Ira Keller Fountain Lovejoy Fountain Chimney Fountain Car Wash Animals in Pools Salmon Street Springs Street Salmon Ira Keller Forecourt Fountain Forecourt Keller Ira Kelly Fountain Fountain McCoy Bath Tub Pioneer Courthouse Square Waterfall Shemanski Fountain O’Bryant Square Fountain Commonwealth Fountain Rose Petal Skidmore Fountain Skidmore Fountain Dreamer The Fountain Fountain Lovejoy Fountain Man Kelly Fountain Kelly Pioneer Courthouse Square Waterfall Square Courthouse Pioneer Bath Tub Bath Keeping Portland’s decorative fountains maintained in good working order is no small task. It’s actually a lot of tasks. Operating Engineer John Bee is assigned to fountain maintenance and operations. He cleans them. He grabs water Chimney Fountain Chimney samples and takes Car Wash Fountain Wash Car mals in Pools in mals Ani them to the BES lab to test for coliforms in the water. He empties the fountain pools, refi lls them, and rechlorinates them whenever needed. Most decorative fountains operate spring through fall from 6:30 am to 8 pm. The next time you fi nd yourself looking Shemansky Fountain Shemansky Commonwealth Fountain Commonwealth O’Bryant Square Square O’Bryant fondly at one of them, Your Score: thank our very own Fountain Man, John 19-15 correct You are a decorative fountain savant! You should consider Bee. going to work as an apprentice for John Bee. Learn all about 14-10 correct That’s a pretty good start, but don’t rest on your laurels. Make sure to sign up for Field Day this year to take an our fountains on interactive walking tour of the fountains so you’ll score the Water Bureau better next time. Web Site, including 9-5 correct Go directly to the Water Bureau Web Site and start history of fountains, studying up on fountains if you ever want to amount to architectural details, anything in this organization. and more! Rose Petal Rose 4-0 correct I think we should consider seeing other bureaus. portlandonline.com/water Water Bureau The Tap Project Addresses During World Water Week, Portland Tap Water is the House Special! Climate Blueplate Soda Fountain Besaw’s Change Clarklewis Meriwether’s Restaurant Daily Grill, Portland Navarre On February 26th, a Gilt Club Noble Rot group of water utili- Half and Half Cafe Savoy Tavern & Bistro ties from all over the Isabel Screen Door Restaurant nation, announced the Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen Tabla Mediterranean Bistro formation of the Water Le Pigeon Vindalho Utility Climate Alliance To commemorate World Pazzo Wildwood Restaurant and Bar (WUCA). Water Day, patrons at some Red Star broder Portland restaurants are Saucebox dove vivi The impacts of climate invited to donate $1 for the Saucebox il piatto change on the United tap water usually served for Simpatica Dining Hall nuestra cocina States, particularly in free. The funds collected Veritable Quandary 3 Doors Down Cafe & Lounge the West, are likely to will support UNICEF water Vino Paradiso Wine Bar & Bistro Apizza Scholls be signifi cant. Pro- programs, which provide Acorn Cafe Arleta Library Bakery Cafe viding leadership in safe drinking water for Basta’s Trattoria Cava understanding these children around the world. Biwa Francis Restaurant impacts, adapting our Bluehour Iron Horse Restaurant policies, programs and Carlyle Lauro Kitchen The Portland Water Bureau systems to responsibly EAST INDIA CO. GRILL & BAR Los Dos Hermanos is partnering with UNICEF meet this challenge, Masu Sushi Mill Creek Station & Catering and reducing our green and Wieden + Kennedy to Nostrana Podnah’s Pit BBQ promote this event, and also house gas emissions are Paley’s Place Bistro & Bar Pok Pok the main ideas behind to educate Portlanders about Piazza Italia ROUX the formation of WUCA. the quality of our tap water Pinocchio bar and restaurant Salty’s on the Columbia versus bottled water. Toro Bravo Seven Virtues Coff eehouse The alliance is sup- andina Steam Heat Coff ee House ported by the following Dine at any of the following bay 13 water providers across For additional information or to check for restaurants between March ¿Por Qué No? the nation: 23Hoyt Restaurant & Bar updates to the list of participating restaurants, 16 - March 22 to participate. visit www.tapproject.org Acadia Bistro Seattle Public Utilities Portland Water Bureau Horse Trough Fountain bowl at the base, presumably for dogs, and a San Francisco Public Utilities drinking spigot for humans. Commission Up and Running Metropolitan Water District It’s not in our decorative fountain quiz, and of Southern California According to Bill Georgeades, Grounds it’s not the subject of this year’s limerick San Diego County Water Maintenance Supervisor, Authority fountain, but Portland’s the fountain was pressure Southern Nevada Water Horse Trough Fountain, Authority’ washed, and the rusty recently got some special Denver Water mounting plate for the New York City Department attention--it got an early bowl was replaced. Ageing of Environmental spring cleaning by the folks grout was also removed and Protection in Grounds Maintenance. replaced. Read the whole story The Horse Trough Fountain, on this new alliance, In 2003, National Geographic written by Water on the corner of NW 31st did some research on the Resources Planning & Thurman, was installed fountain and found that Manager, Lorna Stickel, sometime in the early 20th children had raised money to purchase it, on the WaterBlog. century. The fountain was originally intended because they felt sorry for the workhorses as a drinking trough for horses. It also has a pulling loads up the hill on Thurman. .