Author: Jacob Loeb

Jacob Loeb began writing for newspapers in high school, first for the school's publication and then for a Vashon, Washington, community paper. He graduated college with a degree in English Literature and Television Communications. After graduating, Loeb worked in film distribution for a pioneering DVD company that supported independent filmmakers. Years later, he wrote for a weekly newsletter about technology and ran a popular computer advice column called Ask Jacob. Moving to the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, with his family in 2005, Loeb firmly planted roots in the community and now writes for the Montavilla News. He is a Society of Professional Journalists member and volunteers with non-profit organizations serving East Portland. ~

Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant February 24, 2024

Quiche Me if You Can Opening in March

By the end of March, Quiche Me if You Can restaurant will open in the former Sebastiano‘s space at 411 SE 81st Avenue. Owner Christa Voytilla will take over the shop on March 1st and begin reshaping the space with an indoor service counter and quiche-focused kitchen. Since 2019, the farmers’ market chef has grown her business and is now expanding into the company’s first brick-and-mortar location. Although the new Montavilla storefront will become the central home for Quiche Me if You Can, they will retain their farmers market roots.

Christa Voytilla started selling her culinary creations while working as a full-time nanny during the day and a waitress in the evening. Having worked in the food service industry since age 16, she knows how to cook and developed a passion for baking quiches. That personal interest soon attracted attention and launched her current career. “I was bringing these little quiches to the Barrio at the Portland Mercado, spending time with the community there, and I got close with the owner, Chris Shimamoto,” recalled Voytilla. A regular Barrio customer noticed the baked goods and asked to sample one of her quiches, offering to pay. Seeing an interest and receiving an enthusiastic review of her food, Voytilla wondered if this personal passion could evolve into a business. Shimamoto encouraged her to explore it further and use the Portland Mercado’s resources for small businesses. “I wanted to stop waitressing and do something more for myself,” explained Voytilla, and this was the opening she needed. With the direction from a business advisor at the Portland Mercado and access to the Portland Mercado Commissary Kitchen, Quiche Me if You Can started selling food at a farmers market in November 2019.

For the last four years, people have found Quiche Me if You Can at farmers markets all over Portland, including Lloyd, South Waterfront, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Hollywood, PSU, Woodstock, Moreland, and the Montavilla Farmers Market. The markets are a place to sell to customers and also where this chef finds her ingredients. “We source all of our produce from the farmers market, explained Voytilla. She built lasting relationships with egg farmer Trent Family Farms and shiitake supplier Mindful Mushrooms during the early years working the markets. “I’m pretty loyal to our farmers, and they’re loyal back,” remarked Voytilla.

The mutually beneficial relationship with the market community is essential to Quiche Me if You Can’s past success and future operation. “I’m definitely still going to do farmers markets. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them, and I think there’s such an excellent opportunity to meet new customers and stay connected,” said Voytilla. However, the market-based business has limits, and after years of expansion, Quiche Me If You Can needed to adjust the model. “I’ve been looking for my own space because, as your business grows, it is easy to outgrow the commissary kitchen, and it becomes challenging to find enough time to produce your products. Sharing hours and space is possible, but it’s more of a challenge as your business grows,” explained Voytilla.

*_{Quiche Me if You Can’s owner Christa Voytilla. Courtesy Quiche Me if You Can}*

After two years of looking for a dedicated kitchen, Christa Voytilla received a tip about the Sebastiano’s storefront and jumped at the opportunity. “I heard about it before they made the [move] announcement public, and I knew in my heart that the space was right for me,” said Voytilla. The small restaurant on SE 81st Avenue is perfectly sized for Quiche Me if You Can. They expect to cook all menu items in the shop, and although the restaurant will not offer indoor seating, they will make room for people to order and wait inside. “I am excited to open up the space for people to come in for the first time in -I don’t know how long- because it’s been strictly window service at Sebastiano’s,” explained Voytilla.

Quiche Me if You Can’s chef is still working on setting the menu and hours for the new location. However, Voytilla intends to emulate Sebastiano’s schedule so customers have a seamless experience eating at that location. Patrons can expect various quiches on the menu, changing seasonally and served in 4-inch petite versions, slices, or whole full-sized quiches. The menu will also offer gluten-free waffles, from-scratch soups, and sandwiches. Voytilla will not expand the menu drastically until they hire staff and settle into the new format. Since 2019, Christa Voytilla has worked the business alone with occasional help from her boyfriend, Jared Hacmac, who will increase his involvement at the new shop. Knowing that the store will require more support than the two can offer, Quiche Me if You Can is now looking to hire staff.

This restaurant is a Portland Mercado success story. That group offers affordable retail space and a cultural platform for Latinx and other entrepreneurs to start or grow a business. The non-profit organization and Barrio recently suffered a fire on January 3rd, 2024. They have raised funds to rebuild, and the many food carts outside the main building are open. However, they can always use continued support from the community, and Barrio still has its fundraiser underway. Look for Quiche Me if You Can to open its first permanent location next month and watch the company’s Instagram for details about their grand opening.

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Demolition, Infrastructure, View of Montavilla February 21, 2024

City to Demolish House for New Street

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will demolish a 1951-era single-family residence to build a new segment of NE Davis Street. The city purchased the 700-square-foot single-story home at 205 NE 100th Avenue and three other vacant lots to construct a two-block street between NE 97th and 100th Avenues. This work is part of a Local Improvement District (LID) set to rebuild roads and add sidewalks ahead of redevelopment in the Gateway District.

*_{Portland Maps illustration showing street improvements and property boundaries}*

The LID work will take place in two phases beginning in Fall 2024. Most improvements will occur on NE 97th Avenue north of E Burnside Street. Crews will repave the street and add sidewalks to this currently curbless segment of roadway. Cement masons will install Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps at each new intersection, and lighting crews will install new street lights along the updated sections of NE 97th Avenue, NE Couch Street, and NE Davis Street. During the first construction phase, PBOT will build one block of NE Davis Street from NE 97th to 99th Avenue. In Spring 2025, crews will begin the second phase of construction, extending NE Davis Street from NE 99th to 100th Avenue and creating a new one-block segment of NE Couch Street from NE 97th to 99th Avenue.

Funding for the LID comes from adjacent property owners and other government sources. At formation, the total budget was $14,585,083. LID funding accounted for $9,770,408. PBOT provided $2 million from collected System Development Charges and $800,000 from other PBOT budgets. Prosper Portland contributed the remaining $2 million. PBOT paid $2,336,712 for the four lots that will become NE Davis Street. Land left over from those lots not used for road construction will revert to the adjacent property owners.

PBOT will construct these new streets to modern standards with roadways that are 36 feet wide and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The pedestrian area will offer a 6-foot wide through zone and a 4-foot planting strip between the sidewalk and curb. The LID will also create a new marked crosswalk on E Burnside Street across Interstate 205. This crossing will help pedestrians and cyclists travel across E Burnside Street to connect with the I-205 Multiuse Path. BPOT intends to reconstruct the traffic signal at NE 97th Avenue and E Burnside Street, including new crosswalks.

PBOT does not often create new streets in an established neighborhood. Housing developments like those planned for this area often use private driveways and parking lots to grant residents access. Private streetscapes are not always designed with adequate sidewalks and are not open for public use. This extension of these streets will repair the grid and offer Portlanders better east/west access by all modes of travel. The developments within these newly defined blocks will benefit from the new streets, as will everyone traveling through this area. Look for work to begin later this year.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Infrastructure February 19, 2024

A New Path Over the Tracks

Heavy civil infrastructure contractor Stacy Witbeck recently replaced MAX tracks and adjacent road crossing panels where trains turn north from E Burnside Street to travel along Interstate 205. For years, westbound bicycle riders and sidewalk users have navigated the uneven surface in the bike lane and the at-grade pedestrian path at this crossing. Asphalt around the panels buckled with constant light-rail traffic shifting the track. The project repaired the automotive and bike lane rail-crossings but severed the north sidewalk connection with barricades blocking access. Instead, pedestrians will eventually cross the tracks from the nearby Interstate 205 Multiuse Path. Until the new rail crossing opens, people can cross E Burnside at the newly reconstructed 97th Avenue crosswalk and use the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.

Developers made this redesigned crossing alignment public in a 2019 Design Commission Hearing for the 97th and Couch Apartments. The illustration includes a parklet at the intersection’s northwest corner, replacing the current I-205 Multiuse Path and leading people to a perpendicular track crossing from the sidewalk. The multi-family housing plans may have changed in the five years since they were approved. However, the pedestrian crossing panels installed by TriMet this month are in roughly the same location as the 2019 documents indicated. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) needs to realign the sidewalk on both sides of the track to connect with the updated crossing location. Diagrams for a Local Improvement District (LID) project planned for later this year include this new crossing realignment.

*_{Site plan as presented to the Design Commission for the 97th and Couch Apartments (North is to the right)}*

When westbound E Burnside Street reopens later this month, cyclists and drivers will have a smoother crossing over the MAX tracks. Pedestrians will need to wait for PBOT to complete sidewalk connections to use the new safer crossing that allows pedestrians to cross in a location with better visibility to approaching light-rail trains. That minor inconvenience should allow for improved pedestrian routes and help Multiuse Path users connect to the southern segment across the I-205 Freeway overpass.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant, View of Montavilla February 16, 2024February 3, 2025

Happy Lemon Opening in Fubonn

A new Happy Lemon tea shop will open in the Fubonn Shopping Center within the next few months. The former insurance agency storefront at 2850 SE 82nd Avenue, Suite 8, will transform into a brightly colored tea and bubble waffle restaurant offering dine-in tables and counter service. When it opens, it will be the fourth store in the Portland Metro area and the only location on the east side of the Willamette River.

*_{Rendering of Happy Lemon store courtesy Jian Xu}*

Happy Lemon franchise owner Jian Xu became a fan of the brand after discovering their Bridgeport Village location during a search for flavors from Xu’s childhood. “Lemon tea is one of the most popular drinks in China because it’s tasty and refreshing. Growing up in China, my friends and I would always grab a lemon tea after school. The drink would make us feel energized and cool us down in the hot weather. When I moved here, I couldn’t find good lemon tea until I found out about Happy Lemon,” explained Xu. In addition to its Fresh Lemon line of tea flavors, Happy Lemon is known for its Salted Cheese tea and hexagon-shaped bubble waffles. The company also features classic milk tea with boba variants.

Since 2006, Happy Lemon has grown its network of franchise locations across Taiwan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. By 2014, they expanded globally with stores in 21 countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Dubai, and the United States. Xu decided to open this new Happy Lemon at Fubonn because it is centrally located and well-known by the community. “I want to bring it closer and share it with everyone here in Portland,” remarked Xu.

The new Happy Lemon sits in an externally accessed storefront to the right of the main Fubonn entrance. Xu expects to open by late April. However, it is still under construction, and buildout delays could shift that date. When ready, the Fubonn Happy Lemon location will greet guests daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Expect to see updates about the official opening date in April.

Jacob Loeb

Construction, New Residence February 15, 2024

SE Clay Apartments Become Townhomes

Plans have changed again for the 35-foot wide lot at 8416 SE Clay Street. Provision Investments purchased the property in April 2021 after the previous owners split it from the parcel to the west. In early 2022, the new owners proposed a nine-unit, three-story-tall apartment building. By March 2023, the owners listed the property for sale with approved plans to develop the multi-family housing. On February 1st, Provision Construction changed course and filed building permit applications to construct four two-story townhouses at the site. Address changes to reflect the four residences are pending.

The four townhomes are planned for a gravel-covered, unimproved segment of SE Clay Street. Three homes will offer around 920 square feet of living space, with the remaining unit slightly larger at 1,000 square feet. A shared walkway will provide access to the back residences. The city has addressed the additional townhomes as 8418 SE Clay Street, 8420 SE Clay Street, and 8422 SE Clay Street. Permits have the development sharing a single property, but a Middle Housing Land Division filed after construction begins could create four distinct properties for each new home.

*_{Unimproved segment of SE Clay Street, the property is located on the right side behind the taller hedge}*

These homes will not support attached garages, and the site lacks room for onsite parking. Its location near SE 82nd Avenue makes it a good location for transit riders, but the absence of sidewalks and paved roads makes it challenging for non-drivers. When permits are approved, construction could begin as early as this year. However, this site has taken years to develop, and it may take a few more years before new neighbors can move into the homes.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction, New Residence February 14, 2024

Glisan Landing Buildings Become Montavilla’s Tallest

This week, the two low-income buildings at NE 74th Avenue and Glisan Street became Montavilla’s tallest structures. Construction crews recently completed the roof framing atop the fourth floor, redefining the neighborhood’s skyline. Future residents of the upper floors will have unobstructed views of Mt. Tabor and the mostly low-slung streetscape surrounding this site. This development marks a change to area housing height and density with 137 new residences in a half-block site.

*_{View South of Mt Tabor from Aldea unit}*

The two distinct apartment buildings under construction form Glisan Landing and serve different needs in the affordable housing market. Aldea is the larger of the two, spanning the entire width of a block between NE 74th and 75th Avenues in a “U” shape configuration. The building features 96 homes ranging in size from studios to four-bedroom units. Property managers will reserve 81 apartments for people making at or below the 60% median family income (MFI) level for Portland, with the remaining available to those earning 30% MFI. Beacon is a bar-shaped building on a quarter-acre lot carved out of the complex’s northwest corner. This building has 41 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units for those who were recently homeless or housing insecure. The structures encircle a center courtyard containing a play area and exercise loop.

The architects of this project placed all housing above the ground floor. Two parking garages under the southern portion of Aldea at Glisan Landing offer 56 stalls. Vehicle access parking on NE 74th or 75th Avenues. The northeast corner of the building next to the NE 75th Avenue garage contains culturally specific building amenities. The building’s co-owner, Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), will anchor Aldea’s community space with a fiber and textile art studio in the corner room looking out onto NE Glisan Street. Residents can also access an adjacent multicultural reading room, teen room, and property management office. Designers placed a gated open wall courtyard facing NE 75th Avenue. The green space is accessed through the lobby, providing residents a secluded outdoor space. Over half of the units in this building have multiple bedrooms, providing the family-sized apartments often overlooked in affordable housing.

Planners placed the main entrance to both structures off NE Glisan Street in the gap between the new buildings. Site operators intend to keep gates to the property open during daytime hours when staff are in the resident services office facing the entrance. Although separate projects, Related Northwest is the co-owner and development partner for both buildings. That relationship helps create a cohesive site plan with shared resources and a communal space.

Beacon at Glisan Landing is co-owned by Catholic Charities and features the only storefront space in the complex. Non-profit Stone Soup will offer a barista and culinary training program from the ground-floor shop with a cafe open to the public. The northwest corner will have bar seating against big windows looking onto NE Glisan with bistro seating outside. Catholic Charities will provide case management and services to PSH tenants living on the three floors above the cafe. Each of the 41 studio apartments features tall ceilings and deep storage areas. The building provides a table, chairs, and a durable bed designed by Central City Concern in each unit. Beacon offers several Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant units accessed by an elevator, providing accessible housing for seniors and those with special mobility needs.

Completing the vertical structure of a building is a significant construction milestone. It is the beginning of a shift to interior work and lets the community see the new structure’s placement in the skyline. Although four stories is not tall for city-scale buildings, these new structures stand above all others in the neighborhood and signal a new high-water mark for development. Crews with LMC Construction have many months of work ahead of them as developers expect them to complete Beacon this year and open Aldea to residents in 2025.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Bar, Event, Food and Drink February 12, 2024

Zwickelmania at Montavilla Breweries Feb 17

On February 17th, Zwickelmania® returns to the region with two Montavilla Breweries featuring Zwickel pours from the fermentation tanks and brewery tours. Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street starts the celebration this Saturday at 11 a.m., followed two hours later by Threshold Brewing & Blending at 403 SE 79th Avenue.

Zwickelmania® is an annual celebration of Oregon craft beer during Oregon Craft Beer Month organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Member breweries open their production facility to the public for a behind-the-scenes view of their operation and to offer unique sampling opportunities. The event’s name stems from the word Zwickel, describing the valve or sample port mounted outside a cask or tank. Brewers use those ports to test the product during fermentation, and this annual event allows people 21 years or older to taste beer from a producer’s perspective.

*_{New cask beer engine at Montavilla Brew Works. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works}*

Montavilla Brew Works will offer brewery tours with free Zwickel samples from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can meet the brewers and purchase special beer releases throughout the day. The brewery owners will unveil their new cask beer engine and pass out special giveaway items to mark the occasion.

From 1 to 4 p.m., Threshold Brewing & Blending will invite attendees behind their roll-up door into the production area with hourly tours and Zwickel pours. Cousins Maine Lobster food truck will sell its crowd-pleasing food from noon to 8 p.m. on the 17th in partnership with Threshold, allowing people to make a day of Zwickelmania® in Montavilla.

*_{Threshold Brewing & Blending owners Jarek and Sara Szymanski. Image courtesy Threshold}*

This weekend’s Zwickelmania® is taking place outside of Montavilla as well. More than 50 breweries across Oregon are participating, including beer producers StormBreaker Brewing and Gigantic Brewing Company, which have sales locations in Montavilla. However, the event focuses on beer production at the brewing location. Consequentially, those brands will greet Zwickel-seeking guests at their primary locations. A complete list of participating locations is available online at the official Zwickelmania® site.

*_{Zwickel sample. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works}*

For people who miss this beer-rich opportunity on the 17th, Threshold Brewing & Blending will hold its 5th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, February 24th. That event will offer five beer releases served in exclusive and limited glassware. A line-up of DJs will provide entertainment, and wood-fired pizza from guest food truck Hearth and Soul will feed the hungry guests. February is a good month for exploring Montavilla’s brewing community, and walking to the potentially inebriating events is easy.

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure February 9, 2024February 3, 2025

Lighting Montavilla Park for Safety and Flair

In January, the Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) installed decorative lighting around the Montavilla Park and Community Center at 8219 NE Glisan Street. This work is an extension of the lighting project led by PEMO that illuminated trees on NE Glisan Street and the Jade District last year. The ongoing project intends to improve pedestrian lighting on sidewalks, storefronts, and other public spaces across the city.

Portland lacks sufficient pedestrian-scale lighting across the city, particularly east of the Central City. Most lights along streets focus illumination on the road surface, aiding drivers and leaving pedestrians in the shadows. Street trees that block the sun on summer days can also block city lights at night. The cost to install lamp posts designed for sidewalks everywhere they are needed would exceed the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s entire annual budget. Lights from local businesses help brighten the pedestrian realm, but stores tend to sit back from the street the further east one travels in the city.

Mayor Wheeler established PEMO through an emergency declaration in May 2022 to address cleaning needs and activating public spaces around Portland. Identifying the lack of light as an inhibitor to Portlanders’ willingness to walk the streets at night, the PEMO staff launched the decorative lighting effort ahead of the 2022 holiday season. “This lighting helps boost not only safety but also adds a welcomeness and artistic flair to the surrounding area,” explained John Roble with the Mayor’s Office. In 2023, the program gained a dedicated staff person and added tree lights to NE Glisan Street and the Jade District in Montavilla.

Recently, PEMO expanded its lighting initiatives to St. Johns and Gateway. Additionally, crews have illuminated pedestrian decorative lighting at Dawson Park, Holladay Park, Dishman Community Center, and now Montavilla Park & Community Center. PEMO selected sites through the Problem Solver Network, which works with local business districts, neighborhood associations, and other stakeholders. Montavilla Park is dark at night, and the lack of consistent lighting can make it uninviting. Working with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Urban Forestry, PEMO chose to install holiday-style lights around park trees and hang LED Fireworks lamps from the branches. Installers clustered the outdoor lights around the Community Center building and playground.

PEMO’s decorative lighting is an ongoing program that includes funds for installation and ongoing maintenance. Installing this type of lighting is less expensive than permeant lamp post construction and can occur quickly in response to a community’s needs. The lights are on now and visible to everyone passing NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street. The subtle flicker of the spherical Fireworks lights is best when experienced at night, but people can also appreciate the new decorations in the daytime.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article is part of the Problem Solver Network and participated in tree lighting efforts on NE Glisan

Construction, New Residence, Property Sale February 8, 2024February 8, 2024

Workforce Family Apartments on SE 89th

Sometime this spring, the joint venture between APANO and Gorman & Company will finalize a purchase of a 1.1-acre property at 2905 SE 89th Avenue. The group will create affordable family apartments in a dual courtyard configuration. Construction of the 40-unit complex will begin in fall 2024, with an anticipated opening date in early 2026. The developers intend to create a healthy and sustainable community with solar panels providing the bulk of residential power and families having ample access to green space.

Fifteen units in the new apartment building will offer family-sized accommodations with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The developers will also create 14 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats, each with a single bathroom. Residents can access various site amenities, including a bike room, package lockers, and resident services offices. People can also use a community room, two courtyards, and outdoor areas with a garden and play area for children. Larger apartments have in-unit washer and dryer appliances. The building offers laundry rooms on each floor for the rest of the residents.

The developers will reserve all units in the three-story building for people earning 80% or below the median family income (MFI) for Portland. That commitment keeps rents from exceeding levels set annually based on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) calculations but does not fit what people consider low-income housing. Based on 2023 numbers, one of the development’s three-bedroom apartments would cost up to $2,347 monthly. At those rates, these homes support the working families often priced out of modern apartments west of Interstate 205.

A 2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded study of the Jade District identified the unimproved segment of SE 89th Avenue north of SE Brooklyn Street as a prime redevelopment opportunity for sustainable housing and a new public park. APANO is the fiscal sponsor of the Jade District Neighborhood Prosperity Network (NPN) and used the 2018 data with community input to pursue development opportunities in this area. The land identified for a park is not currently on the market. However, APANO’s vision for family housing across the street from the future park could occur with the purchase of three lots owned by the Argonaut Group. With the help of Gorman & Company’s nearly 40 years of experience creating housing, APANO will begin work on what was envisioned for this part of the Jade District six years ago.

This area contains a multitude of housing with buildings around the site ranging from farmhouses to multifamily buildings. The architect worked to create a design matching its environment while still providing the desired housing density. “The building will have a residential character, and we’ve subdivided the masses to be consistent with the other buildings in the neighborhood,” explained Kevin Kellogg, Gorman & Company’s Market President for the Pacific Northwest. People will access the apartment’s upper floors through a central stairway, and a courtyard facing an open-air walkway connects the units. “Each of the courtyards has a unique character. One of them, we call the living room courtyard, and the other one is the family room courtyard,” said Kellogg. The ground floor will house the site’s accessible units and its 32 on-site parking stalls partially covered by solar panels.

The developers are targeting a Net Zero certification for the building, making it environmentally friendly and resilient to changing weather conditions. “Our goal is for it to be as low maintenance and energy efficient as possible,” said Kellogg. The environmental goals also align with APANO’s goals for the Jade District. “We’re working to build the most climate-friendly, transit-rich, and affordable neighborhood we can. We feel this complements our work at PCC, Canton Grill, and the Orchards,” explained Duncan Hwang, Community Development Director at APANO.

This apartment complex will become the fourth housing project in the Jade District for APANO. The organization is interested in having a mixed-income neighborhood, and this project fits the need for workforce-priced housing. Other projects built by the organization or in development support lower-income renters. APANO often partners with other organizations in creating and managing developments. In this case, Gorman & Company will provide asset management and compliance, with APANO providing resident services.

In addition to improving housing availability in the area, this project will create public right-of-way improvements. Towards the end of the project, crews will construct new sidewalks along the frontage and build a portion of the paved street. These infrastructure upgrades will move the area closer to completing a disconnected street and sidewalk network that inhibits travel along SE 89th Avenue. Walkable access is a primary feature of this building, which is blocks away from the Fubonn grocery store and frequent public transit. Look for construction to begin later this year, with more housing availability in 2026.

Jacob Loeb

Crime February 6, 2024February 6, 2024

Police Catch Suspected Christmas Hit-and-run Driver

David Wayne Becker was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on December 25th, 2023, near SE Stark Street and 106th Avenue. On January 31st, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested the 37-year-old suspected driver in Vancouver, Washington. Nationally, an increasing number of drivers flee the scene of a crash. However, as indicated by this recent arrest, Police can still hold people accountable even after they leave the area.

On Christmas morning, an off-duty Portland Police Officer discovered Becker on SE Stark Street suffering injuries from an apparent vehicle collision with a pedestrian. The off-duty officer contacted emergency services at approximately 12:19 a.m. and provided medical aid to the victim until an ambulance arrived. Paramedics transported the 63-year-old Becker to a local hospital, but he was later declared deceased. A nearby camera captured an image of a red Dodge Ram with a broken driver’s side headlight assembly and damage to the front driver’s side corner from the collision.

*_{Security footage of red Dodge Ram involved in the crash. Image provided by Portland Police}*

Police shared the image of the suspect’s vehicle on January 2nd and asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the driver. On January 12th, a Multnomah County Grand Jury returned a four-count indictment against the suspect, charging him with Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver Resulting in Death, Attempt to Elude Police, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Reckless Driving. With the help of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Vancouver Police Department, authorities took the suspect and his red Dodge Ram into custody.

According to a AAA Study, hit-and-run deaths in the U.S. have increased an average of 7.2 percent each year since 2009. Portland is also seeing an increase in fatal crashes and people fleeing the scene. At approximately 2:17 a.m. on February 5th, Portland Police officers responded to another pedestrian hit-and-run fatality near the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and Flavel Street. Portland Police do not capture all drivers who fail to remain at the crash site. However, the Major Crash Team and Criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division are regrettably practiced at gathering evidence from fatal crashes, aiding in the apprehension of drivers who flee the scene.

Preventing fatal crashes is the primary goal of traffic safety officials and law enforcement. However, holding people accountable for their involvement in a collision is essential in deterring reckless behavior. Portland Police and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office collaborate on crash investigations and are actively working on convicting more hit-and-run drivers. Prosecution alone will not make streets safer, but increasing driver accountability is necessary to reduce crash fatalities.

Update: Portland Police arrested a suspect involved in the hit-and-run crash at SE 82nd Avenue and SE Flavel Street. Officers booked the 26-year-old Portland resident into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Criminally Negligent Homicide, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Death), and Tampering with Evidence. Investigators determined the suspect was speeding through a work zone when he struck the pedestrian crossing SE 82nd Avenue.

Jacob Loeb

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