FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY SENTINEL MONTH SERVING NORTH PORTLAND AND THE COLUMBIA/WILLAMETTE CROSSROADS SINCE 2001 – VOLUME 6 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2006 HATE CRIME: Not in my back yard Sauvie Islanders rally in TTHEHE HHISTORYISTORY wake of anti-gay attack IISSUESSUE Residents of Sauvie Island were shocked and outraged by last February’s anti-gay attack. Many pledge to fi ght back. PHOTO BY DAVID ARPIN By Will Crow/ Julie Sabatier/Cornelius Swart Residents of Sauvie Island recoiled in shock and rallied in solidarity in mid- TTHEHE DDEVELOPEMENTEVELOPEMENT OOFF SST.T. JJOHNSOHNS OONN TTHEHE WALLWALL OFOF February after anti-gay diatribes were spray- TTHEHE PPORTLANDORTLAND BBAHA’IAHA’I CCENTERENTER SSHOWSHOWS A GGLIMPSELIMPSE painted on walls and vehicles during the OOFF THETHE RREGIONSEGIONS PPAST.AST. SEESEE PPAGEAGE 9 burglary of a homosexual neighbor. “We are upset about it,” said Dave Koennecke, chair of the Sauvie Island Boosters. “It’s a hard one.” St. Johnsʼ high school centennial brings “I hope it doesn’t hurt him any more.” The victim, George Soule, a medical doctor Roosevelt rides again celebration, renewed support, auto shop and psychiatrist, came home Wednesday, Feb. By Elizabeth Fuller 15, at 9-9:30 p.m. to fi nd two cars (which may A two-part series “It’s my school!” exclaimed Mike Noce, or may not have belonged to him) vandalized a 1955 graduate of Roosevelt High School, in front of his home. He called the sheriff’s This year Roosevelt High School will when asked why he’s still involved with his offi ce immediately to report this as well as the be part of a celebration commemorating alma mater. burglary of his home. 100 years of high school education in St. Noce helps with the Women’s Upon arrival, the offi cers noticed signs of Johns. Over the years, RHS has struggled Scholarship Association that provides physical entry into the home. Two detectives with declining test scores and enrollment tuition assistance to some of Roosevelt’s are currently working the case, and neighbors and now fi nds itself in the midst of a female college-bound graduates. He and have been notifi ed. The spray-painted dramatic restructuring. More recently, a hundreds of other Roosevelt alumni are messages on the vehicles were described by new community non-profi t has come to preparing for several weeks of celebrating sheriff’s offi ce spokesman Lt. Michael Shults its aid, aiming to restore extracurricular Roosevelt’s centennial, with events that John Tuescher is part of a community effort to activities that have been missing at Roosevelt as “derogatory remarks threatening harm See ROOSEVELT / Page 18 towards the homeowner.” help bring auto shop and other activities back to for years. Roosevelt High. PHOTO BY DAVID ARPIN See HATE CRIME / Page 17 BREW PUB BLOSSOMS VAUDEVILLE REVIVAL Fifth Quadrant brings NW Portland brew pub Miz Kitty brings turn-of-the-century variety BETWEEN THE PAGES franchise to N Williams show to N Mississippi See Restaurant Review page 6 Page 9 CONDO CLASH SMITH LAKE TRAIL SWAMPED NO FREE PARKING? Neighbors halt Cathedral Park Development Issues muddy waters surrounding new trail THE LIL’EST LIGHTHOUSE Page 2 Page 7 City gets bright idea, parking meters for St. Johns. Yea!!! Sauvie Island’s historic charmer SUNKEN BOAT BLAST FROM THE PAST Page 3 Page 13 Tales from Far Northwest Portland St. Johns Heritage Society never forgets See Far NW Territory Page 3 Page 4 ALEXAKIS ROCKS THE P-CLUB REMEMBERING ROSA PARKS Portsmouth Club hosts all-star fundraiser Refl ections on Women’s History Month SCHOOL CASH CRISIS See Arts & Culture page 8 Page 16 Some schools get grants, others prepare for RUM SLINGS & RAZOR WIRE the worst N Russell street, where everything old is new Page 3 again. PRSRT Std Page 4 NEW MCMENAMINS US POSTAGE Funeral parlor now to host merrymaking ST. JOHNS HONDA HITS ROAD PAID Page 3 Dealership sells, fate still unclear. Permit No. 88 Page 4 GRESHAM, OR Page 2 • St. Johns Sentinel • March 2006 some of the very best qualities of our senior generation of Peninsula residents. The Biggest Name Publisher’s Page Our profi le of a vaudeville act (page 9) on in North Portland News N Mississippi shows how a new generation is taking the past and making it their 15,500 own. From the Historic Little Chapel of the Chimes (page 3) on N Killingsworth Distributed the 1st Wednesday becoming the North Portland’s newest of the month Living in the Past McMenamins franchise (our 3rd) to Sauvie 11,500 Our region is blessed with a deep Island’s Warrior Rock Lighthouse (page “We won’t know where we’re going 13) the state’s smallest and one of its oldest Direct Mail history. Stories like the St. Johns Heritage if we don’t know where we’ve been.” That Society (page 4) show how some in our lighthouses, we’ve gone from one end of our common axiom sums up our intentions 4,000 community have dedicated their efforts to region to the other to fi nd you stories that with this issue of the Sentinel. Some tend will bring the past and the present to life. In Local North Portland Businesses preserving our cultural identity. Our article to ignore the past, refusing to learn from on N Russell (page 4) street illustrates how a So sit back, relax, and let us tell you a story… it, repeating their mistakes over and over. 1,200 street once known for nightlife is, after many Once upon a time… Others can get stuck in the past, refusing to Online readers decades, making a name for itself once again let go; covering the same old ground again as a late night hot spot. and again. Knowing, respecting and learning See you in the neighborhood, In our tribute to Lester Viles (page 13), Advertising That Works from the past is the best way to move into Cornelius Swart P.O. Box 3316 • Portland OR, 97208 the community honors the memory and PH: 503.287.3880 • FAX: 503.287.3880 the future and in that spirit we bring you our Publisher/Managing Editor The St. JohnsJ contributions of a man who symbolized www.stjohnssentinel.com Sentinel history edition. [email protected] businesses are all within the same block • • • TThehe SSt.t. JJohnsohns near Portsmouth and Lombard, yet their “I just wanted to say we really like the appearances are going down, rather than newspaper. I just wanted to call and say we SSentinelentinel Letters up. And this is despite urban renewal dollars appreciate the newspaper and we fi nd it very and opportunity for business growth. good to read.” We are so lucky to have independent and locally owned businesses in our John Barr The St. Johns Sentinel welcomes your FOR INFORMATION, CALL neighborhoods, but with that comes a Linnton/Forest Park letters, emails and phone calls. The paper Phone Call 5503-287-388003-287-3880 reserves the right to edit letters for length. You responsibility of the business owners to keep are free to comment on any subject except for up their properties, storefronts, and parking • • • Dear Editor, PUBLISHED BY other submitted letters. Letters must be free lots. I value our independent businesses, SYDHONDA MEDIA, LLC of intentionally defamatory or slanderous but unless they start doing a better job of My compliments to Will Crow and the material. The Sentinel does not take keeping up appearances, monster chains Sentinel on the four-part series “On the MANAGING EDITOR Waterfront” that you recently published. CORNELIUS SWART responsibility for the contents of letters nor do like Wal*Mart will come in and wipe them they necessarily refl ect the views of the paper all out. I’d hate to see that happen in North Helping to make the community aware of NEWS EDITOR or its publisher. Portland. this underused asset with Will’s thorough WILL CROW report is of great value to the future of North ARTS & CALENDAR EDITOR SHOW RESPECT FOR THE FLAG Sincerely, Portland. Also, I have received numerous Laura Hutton Dear Editor, LeAnn Locher Portsmouth inquiries from business and property COPY EDITOR owners on the details and availability of my MICHELE ELDER It is clear that the owner of the Shell station at N Columbia Way and Fessenden REGARDING THE NAME GAME (FEB 05) program of building improvements, which ASSISTANT EDITOR “I’ve lived in this neighborhood for is the underpinning of the revitalization of Chelsia Rice doesn’t really have much respect for the fl ag that fl ies over the station. They should have over 50 years. I do not like this term NoPo. the St. Johns business district. Mayor Katz ART DIRECTOR given it a decent burial long, long ago. I guess This is North Portland, North Portland. I sponsored and supported the supplemental THERESA ROHRER it is just up as a marketing gimmick. It is wish you would stop using the term NoPo in incentive funds I provided starting in sad how people will use treasured national the paper. Otherwise, fabulous paper! I’m 2000. The program provided another 30% GRAPHIC DESIGN over PDC’s 50% of construction costs on CONNERY WILSON symbols to promote their product. glad to see some young blood moving in and COLLEEN FROEHLICH taking over. But drop the NoPo boy!” storefront improvements. My time was Tom Wilson volunteered out of my retirement. In a CONTRIBUTORS Linnton Anonymous Phone Call four-year period I improved 22 buildings, Laura Hutton • • • Vanessa Timmons added more than $2 million in real estate Christopher Knott NOT REVITALIZED ENOUGH While I think that the Sentinel ought value, fi lled empty storefronts, improved Chelsia Rice to increase in professionalism as the St.