Month: July 2024

Community, Event, New Business, View of Montavilla

New Holgate Library Opens July 13

The replacement Holgate Library will reopen to the public on July 13th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and three days of events. The entirely new two-story mass timber facility at 7905 SE Holgate Boulevard replaces the former single-story Library and is the first new branch building constructed since 2010. The Multnomah County-run location hosts thousands of new books but also features many other community-supporting resources that help ensure all county residents have access to digital tools and young guests have dedicated areas to do more than read.

The Holgate Library is three times the size of the original building at this site, now offering 21,000 square feet, becoming one of the largest libraries in Multnomah County. The $27 million investment in this facility is part of a 2020 capital bond that supports a system-wide refresh of the previously undersized library system. In addition to added capacity, program designers have looked to enhance the resources provided to the public and adjust to meet shifting community needs. Recognizing that the Holgate Library supports one of the most culturally diverse areas in the region, Multnomah County leaders made this project a cornerstone of the system updates. It features the first fully enclosed Teen Room with Nintendo Switch-based gaming and video creation kits available for checkout. In addition to several community meeting spaces with multimedia connections and assistive technologies, one of the reservable spaces has a sink and splash-safe flooring that can work as a future maker space. Visitors can also access computer resources where they can print and scan. The upper floor features private booths for taking calls or other solitary work.

Teen Room with TV, gaming system, art supplies, media production kits and study space

The Library’s design resulted from extensive community and staff engagement with artwork wrapping the structure and anchoring walls. The green exterior and carpeting resulted from survey participant input, and the art selected in partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council represents the community. Two elevators ensure people can navigate the building smoothly, but a central stairway entices people to walk the naturally lit and decoratively screened steps. Recognizing the need for universal communications, signs in the building feature mostly icons instead of words. Many aspects of the Library respond to the diversity seen in its user base. Fourteen Community Design Advocates participated in a paid program designed to connect library designers to representatives from various communities, shaping this building’s functions and design.

The Saturday opening will begin with brief remarks from 9:30 to 10 a.m. The guests will then have the opportunity to experience performances by the White Lotus Dance Team, Two Generations of Hoops Dance, and Mulan Drum and Jade Dance Team throughout the day. A Traditional Vietnamese music performance with David Dahl concludes the first day’s schedule from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The two remaining event days will contain more afternoon programs representing various cultures and artistic performances. The Library’s information page offers a complete listing of events and times.

Kids room with large play area and reserved computers, alongside age-appropriate books

Library staff invites people to attend the three-day celebration or visit anytime during regular operating hours to experience the amenities not originally part of the former 6,400 square-foot space. People caring for young children should appreciate the large learning and play space on the ground floor. This branch also features the latest automated materials handling technology, allowing people to self-checkout and return borrowed items. A new Book Locker lets patrons pick up on hold without waiting for assistance. The automation already seen in many other library systems frees library staff to assist those with special requests and support the increased number of people expected to visit this location. Even those not wanting to come indoors can enjoy the outdoor plaza where community members can relax and connect. The Holgate Library is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Misaligned Streets

Q – Why are there so many misaligned streets in Montavilla?

A – I understand your puzzlement. I wondered the same thing when I moved to Montavilla. It was confusing. As a driver, I’d have to make two turns instead of driving straight ahead on the same street. As a pedestrian, I could not cross from corner to corner. The map above shows one example of Montavilla’s many jig-joggy streets.

An example of misaligned north-south streets at SE Stark Street. Source: Portland Maps

It would be easy to blame this on poor city planning. But it’s not. It’s one of those quirks of history. It’s because of how Montavilla developed, one subdivision at a time. There was no county plan to conform to, and the properties developers purchased were not of a uniform size.

What is now the Montavilla neighborhood was once Indigenous land, and then, with the arrival of Europeans, it became farmland. As the city of Portland grew, more housing was needed. To meet this demand, real estate developers bought up farm properties and created subdivisions.

The earliest subdivision in today’s Montavilla was Mount Tabor Villa Addition—which gave Montavilla its name. It was platted (or planned) in 1889 as a symmetrical grid of blocks divided into lots and streets. Base Line Road (now SE Stark Street) marked the south boundary, and the north boundary ended at the future Glisan Street. Since there were no other subdivisions in the area, street alignment was a non-issue.

Map of Mount Tabor Villa subdivision. Other than Base Line Road (on the left), the developers assigned the street names, as in subsequent subdivisions. Source: Multnomah County SAIL maps

In 1891, a new subdivision, Kinzel Park, was created immediately south of Mount Tabor Villa. It, too, is a symmetrical grid of blocks and streets. But the developers did not align the streets with those already established in Mount Tabor Villa and the adjacent subdivision, Mount Tabor Villa Annex of 1890.

1891 Section 5 map showing the Kinzel Park subdivision and other properties. Source: City Auditor Archives

Why didn’t the Kinzel Park developers just shift the grid a bit to align with the existing streets in Mt. Tabor Villa? If they had, the subdivision would consist of blocks of varying sizes and two more streets, resulting in reduced profit.

The layout of Mount Tabor Villa and Kinzel Park streets is one example of why some Montavilla streets do not line up. As developers continued subdividing Montavilla, it evolved into a patchwork of 101 tracts–by my count—with more misaligned streets. It’s just surprising that we don’t have even more jogging streets than we do.

~ Patricia Sanders ~

Correction: A previous version of this article referred to jaywalking to indicate crossing out of alignment with street corners. It is not against the law to cross at these intersections. Montavilla News regrets the implication that term implied.

Current SAIL Multnomah County map showing Montavilla subdivisions (outlined in red). If you look at the original plat maps on this website, you will find that the original street names were different from today’s street names.
This Portland Maps view of the Montavilla neighborhood area shows various places where streets do not align.

By

Patricia Sanders

This is part of a new segment at Montavilla News called Montavilla History Questions Answered. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post on this page.

Infrastructure

I84 Weekend Cleanup Closure

This weekend, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will close a five-mile section of Interstate 84 between Interstate 5 and Interstate 205. The 13-hour overnight closure will last from 11 p.m. Saturday, July 13th to noon Sunday, July 14th. Vehicle traffic in both directions must detour around the freeway for east-west travel, potentially adding more cars onto Montavilla Streets. Union Pacific Railroad and TriMet will also suspend most rail usage through Sullivan’s Gulch, clearing the way for crews to remove graffiti and accumulated trash safely.

Around 100 workers from six agencies—ODOT, Union Pacific Railroad, TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Metro, and Multnomah County—will address graffiti and trash in this hard-hit section that is difficult to clean. The number of overlapping jurisdictions through Sullivan’s Gulch complicates most regular maintenance activities. Consequentially, cleanup efforts are infrequent, attracting people camping who are looking to avoid sweeps and taggers who prize long-lasting displays of their mark.

Graphic courtesy ODOT

All on-ramps leading to I-84 will be closed during this work. ODOT crews will also prohibit northbound I-5 travel over the Marquam Bridge, with traffic diverted onto northbound Interstate 405. That overnight closure will allow workers to carry out bridge maintenance. The Morrison Bridge and North Weidler Street ramps to northbound I-5 will remain open. PBOT crews plan to clean their I-84 corridor crossing during this time. Crews will work west to east, starting with the Congressman Earl Blumenauer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge. Cleaning work will then address blight on the NE 12th Avenue, NE 21st Avenue, and NE 28th Avenue crossings. Work could potentially clean bridges farther east into the Montavilla area if time allows. PBOT crews will close the bridges to traffic one at a time as they deploy large trucks and specialized equipment. This phased work will further disrupt traffic overnight and into the morning. Bus routes will not have to detour around closures, but operators will drive slowly through the work sites, adding to travel times.

NE Glisan Street traffic jamb on June 14th during crash closure of I-84

Drivers should check TripCheck.com for real-time traffic information during the closure, with ODOT suggesting that motorists use I-205 or local roads to detour around the work site. TriMet shuttle buses will move riders around Sunday’s partial-day closure between the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center and NE 7th Ave stations. Transit workers may need additional time to resume MAX service once I-84 has reopened, as crews will need to reenergize the system.

Although the closure focuses on cleaning, ODOT crews may perform electrical work and sign maintenance. Workers could also patch pavement, clean drains, and make other repairs that require a full closure. Funding provided by the Oregon Legislature during their 2024 session helped increase ODOT efforts to remove graffiti, clean up trash, and restore areas damaged along the side of the road. This project is part of the multiagency efforts to restore Portland to a cleaner and safer condition. Officials timed this closure to have the most negligible impact on travel. However, people should anticipate some delays and use caution when driving near road crews.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Business Relocating, Event, Food and Drink

Miller Paint’s Opening Celebration BBQ

Miller Paint’s newest location at 9312 SE Stark Street will officially open on July 15th, with a week-long celebration running through the 20th. On Thursday, July 18th, people can join the paint store staff for a BBQ event from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. Cookout guests will receive free grilled food and refreshments and could win raffled giveaways. Customers will receive discounts on all paint and painting supplies throughout the opening week.

Miller Paint began installing signage at its new Montavilla store at the beginning of the year. The 4,000-square-foot shop replaces the decades-old 10114 SE Division Street store that was recently closed to allow staff to transfer operations to SE Stark Street. Crews created a new shopfront for the store, which was previously part of Cascade Athletic Clubs and had no defined entrance. Demolition workers removed the dance studio stage and mirrored the wall to make way for the showroom and warehouse space. Around 1,000 square feet of retail floor area shows off paint colors and specialty supplies, while the remaining 3,000 square feet provide sufficient storage space to keep home improvers and professional painters working.

Miller Paint relocated this paint store to SE Stark Street due to its improved visibility and easy access. The Taco Bell adjacent building’s proximity to Interstate 205 makes it an accessible stop-off location for customers all over the area. Although the business district has several paint supply buying options, Miller Paint touts its Pacific Northwest-formulated paints and stains as a better choice for Portland buildings. The 1890-era Portland-based company was the first paint producer in the region and has gradually grown its network of stores across the Portland metro area and the Northwest. However, Miller Paint is committed to serving customers close to home, keeping its operations and management local.

Customers of the SE Division Street shop will recognize the store staff at the new location, including the shop dog Archer, named after the Star Trek Captain Jonathan Archer character. The store is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Employees began working from the new location on Monday, July 8th, and can help with many needs now but will not have the store fully stocked until opening week.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Bar, Event, Food and Drink, History

Montavilla Brew Works 9yr Celebration

On Saturday, July 13th, Montavilla Brew Works will celebrate nine years of serving locally brewed beer with an all-ages event from noon to 9 p.m. Although this event commemorates the years since this pioneering neighborhood destination greeted guests, it represents a decade of work for founders Melissa and Michael Kora, who nurtured this ten-barrel brewery and taproom through good and challenging times. The festivities at 7805 SE Stark Street will have DJ MD providing music to guests inside and under the covered patio area, while Demarco’s Sandwiches will sell food from their food truck parked on SE 78th Avenue. The brew masters will also break out archived beers at the peak of their aging cycle for special pours of brewing history.

Montavilla Brew Works grew from a home-brewer’s passion and a desire to create a neighborhood-scale enterprise. Before starting his brewery, Michael Kora secured work with Bridgeport Brewing Company after briefly working for the owner’s winery business. When the seasonal wine work ended, Dick Ponzi learned of Kora’s desire to work in the brewing industry and found a place for him in his other business where he could learn about operations. “I didn’t get to brew because I didn’t go to brew school. I was driving a truck, working in the warehouse, shipping, distributing, moving beer around, and learning brewing at home. I then nano brewed for a while at the Green Dragon,” recalled Kora. After growing his skills and experiencing the brewing business from the inside, it seemed time to branch out on his own. Sitting at McMenamins Edgefield, Michael and Melissa Kora sketched out a five-year business plan and agreed to start looking for a space to rent.

Melissa and Michael Kora touring the Daugherty Auto Service garage 2013. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

The couple moved into Montavilla several years before starting their business. After agreeing to start a brewery, they looked for commercial spaces in neighboring areas but could not find a suitable location that fit their vision for the taproom. However, with some luck and good timing, Michael Kora discovered the neglected former Daugherty Auto Service garage at the corner of SE 78th and Stark Street. “I was riding home from the gym and came by Stark Street just to kind of look at what was going on and there was a for sale or lease sign. This building was so dilapidated it was nothing to look at, but Melissa and I were from the Detroit area of Michigan. I’d seen worse, so [I thought] this building is pretty cool and would make a cool brewery,” said Michael Kora. William “Dave” Beets, the operator of the now-demolished Beets Auto Body, owned the property and was excited to see it go to new owners for such an unexpected use. “He was a character, but he was surprisingly stoked. He said, ‘I think this is awesome. You guys are gonna be the first. There’s no breweries around here like this. It’s gonna be good for the community and the neighborhood.’ He was a neighborhood guy even though he didn’t live here,” recalled Kora.

Daugherty Auto Service garage. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

The Kora’s became tenants of the Stark Street building in 2013, but it would take over two years to open the doors to the public. The original owners of the 1922-era auto garage never designed it to house any other type of business, and it took substantial efforts to rehabilitate the building. Permits took four months to approve, and construction lasted another nine months. Kora discovered that the building roof slopes significantly to the northwest corner of the property for rainwater drainage, forcing him to place his tall brewing equipment at the south-facing front of the building, blocking windows and putting beer production centerstage. During construction, he added onto the north side of the building to create a walk-in cooler and storage room needed to keep finished beer and ingredients out of the limited customer-facing space.

Montavilla Brew Works construction. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

Construction delays, the added brewery inspections, and unanticipated expenses drained their cash reserves. Michael Kora started beer production offsite to begin bringing in funds and building the brand. Flying Pie Pizzeria was an early supporter, buying the pre-opening batches and installing a permanent Montavilla Brew Works tap handle at the restaurant, replacing Bud Light. Initially, they relied on help from friends, but the couple mainly worked alone at Montavilla Brew Works for the first few years. “Melissa designed everything on the interior. So she made this place feel like it does. And I was the beer guy and eventually the business guy. It was her and I for the first four and a half years,” recalled Kora. After the early lean years, they brought in help to brew their beers and cover bar shifts. With the added staff, it was beginning to feel sustainable until the pandemic upended the business model. Montavilla Brew Works focused on serving draft beer onsite with little attention paid to the at-home market. They distributed a limited number of kegs to local businesses but had not embraced canning. COVID-19 bar closures forced a change in the whole microbrewery industry. “We completely 180’d, and we’re in this world where we were doing 100% draft, and then we switched to 100% cans. Melissa and I were out there every week delivering to people’s homes,” said Michael Kora. They had to let their employees go to keep the business going. The brewery survived that scary time and invested early in outdoor seating to bring people back as soon as possible. Business is still recovering, but Kora expects it will not be on the same trajectory it was on before the pandemic.

Post-COVID, Melissa and Michael Kora spend less time in the brewery during service hours. Both are more focused on improving operations and branding, with a goal to make each subsequent batch better than the last. Although they retained canned beer to some degree, wide expansion is not part of the company’s plans. “A good 80 plus percent is still draft, and the remainder is packaged because we don’t distribute that far out of Portland. Hence putting the name of the neighborhood on it. We want people to come here. You want them to come to the neighborhood,” explained Michael Kora. Montavilla Brew Works’ hyper-local interest extends beyond just its business name. Over the years, Kora collaborated with area businesses to produce cross-promoting brews. These include an American amber beer titled Academy Amber after the Academy Theater, East Glisan Mosaic is dedicated to East Glisan Pizza Lounge, and a German Pilsner-style lager called Plywood Pilsner spotlights neighbor business Mr. Plywood. “We figured we live here, bought our house here, our business is here. We’re going all in, and you know, it’s worked. It’s helped build a really loyal fan base,” said Kora.

People can find limited supplies of Montavilla Brew Works beer at around 300 locations from Hood River to Hillsborough and as far south as Eugene and Corvallis. However, the corner of SE Stark Street and 78th Avenue is the best place to experience it. This weekend’s celebration will feature vintage beers that Kora has stored for years, just waiting for a special accession. The staff will sell these beers in smaller sipper cups to let more people experience the limited stock of aged brews. The event will also allow children to attend. Montavilla Brew Works has famously prohibited children, smoking, and televisions inside the tap room during regular business hours. However, on street fair days and special events, they set aside the rules prohibiting kids and open the space to all ages. Guests are encouraged to stop by July 13th starting at noon, and those interested in the archival beers should drop by early to get a taste while supplies last.

By

Jacob Loeb

Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Stop By Bakery and Deli on Division

On December 5th, 2023, Waseem Elaibi opened Stop By Bakery & Deli at 8245 SE Division Street near Portland Community College’s southeast campus. The owner and chief baker migrated from Iraq in 2016, bringing traditional baking skills first honed in his youth. The menu features halal-compliant foods and many freshly baked items, including samoon, an Iraqi bread enjoyed by many cultures throughout neighboring regions.

Stop By Bakery & Deli is Elaibi’s first restaurant, although he worked as a baker early in his career. Before moving to the United States with his family, he worked with electronics, repairing phones in Iraq. Elaibi explained that as technical jobs became more scarce, he saw an opportunity to rekindle his commercial cooking know-how. Finding affordable rent in a former Mexican restaurant on SE Division Street, he opened his bakery with what he believes are the town’s finest halal dishes made with the freshest ingredients, enhanced by his flavorful sauces. Stop By Bakery creates organic bread and other baked goods from this location, giving customers access to recipes developed before mass production altered the way people cook.

Since opening, Elaibi has updated the menu to accommodate customer requests. Although he enjoys cooking the gyros, kebabs, and other dishes, he hopes to hire more kitchen staff to bolster the offerings. For now, he is focusing on creating fresh bakery goods, including a well-reviewed baklava. People can also purchase dried goods at Stop By Bakery & Deli, and they accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefit cards. Waseem Elaibi invites people to come to try his signature bread from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. He thinks there is a good chance new customers will experience unique dishes that some guests may have never experienced before and perhaps find new favorites.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Entertainment, View of Montavilla

Personal Fireworks Still Banned

In March 2022, Portland City Council permanently banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks. This restriction includes Independence Day celebrations, particularly with the hot and dry weather expected this holiday weekend. Portland Fire & Rescue (PP&R) encourages people to attend the professional fireworks displays presented throughout the region. Montavilla residents can often view the South Waterfront Blues Festival display from Mt. Tabor Park uphill from Reservoir Number 5.

Portland Maps image with MV News illustration

The consumer fireworks prohibition passed the Portland City Council unanimously in part due to a fatal fireworks fire the previous year and in reaction to the devastating Eagle Creek Fire in the gorge that started with the use of personal fireworks. Fire departments regularly see a spike in injuries, fires, and fatalities related to the fireworks season, which begins on June 23rd and runs through July 6th. People with pets also report significant stress inflicted on their animals during this time, with some dogs and cats becoming separated from their owners when they run away from the explosive sounds.

This holiday weekend’s predicted triple-digit heat and low humidity could contribute to an enhanced danger from fireworks. PF&R is already responding to increased grass, brush, and vegetation fires without the added spark provided by personal pyrotechnics. Fireworks are easy for people to obtain outside the Portland area, with many ignoring the ban. PF&R has seen a rise in Independence Day fires, surpassing pre-ban numbers last year. Officials ask the public to abide by City fireworks rules and help protect the community from harm.

Update: Today, July 2nd, the Fire Marshal issued a burn ban for the City of Portland due to forecasted high temperatures and ongoing dry conditions. Effective immediately, people must refrain from using recreational campfires, fire pits, or burring yard debris. Outdoor grills, smokers, and similar cooking appliances are allowed if they use clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels. Residents should exercise extreme caution when using the allowed outdoor cooking devices and place them at least ten feet away from anything combustible, such as siding, fences, or shrubbery. The burn ban will remain in effect throughout the summer weather season.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.