On June 6th, the White Lotus Summer Market began its four-weekend-long event featuring food, culture, and community behind the Fubonn Shopping Center at 2850 SE 82nd Avenue. Every Saturday and Sunday in June from 2 to 10 p.m., the over 40 vendors invite people to experience the outdoor market bringing together local vendors, cultural energy, and a community atmosphere.
Past occurrences of this summer event took place at the Shun Fat Supermarket, 5253 SE 82nd Avenue near Foster Road. The organizers designed the pop-up market to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned businesses and local entrepreneurs, providing a place for people to shop, eat, and connect. Entry to the market is free, with vendor assortments changing each weekend. People should review the market’s website to see the specific weekend guides. The 2026 White Lotus Summer Market season ends on June 28th.
People wanting direct access to the market can use Fubonn’s new, permanent, secondary entrance on SE 85th Avenue. The market removes some parking, but space remains around vendor stalls and in front of the complex adjacent to SE 82nd Avenue. Attendees are also encouraged to visit the year-round tenants of Fubonn Shopping Center who offer complimentary items and services. Time is running out to visit the White Lotus Summer Market, but residents will have another opportunity to shop at a market-style event on August 29th during the Jade International Night Market 2026, taking place at the nearby Portland Community College’s Southeast campus.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
On Monday, June 22nd, Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 22nd to August 21st, kids can visit 23 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Portland Public Schools closed for the summer on June 5th. With over half the city’s school-age children qualifying for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program is a critical tool in keeping young people fed during the summer break. However, the free lunches are available to anyone meeting the age requirements, regardless of enrollment in a school district’s free lunch program. Adults bringing 10 or more youth to a location for a free lunch should contact 503-729-0332 at least 5 business days in advance, so park staff can accommodate the group. USDA Federal guidelines require recipients to eat their meals on-site in the designated area, and youth are limited to one serving per day. Locations will have a No Thank You Table offering unwanted lunch items that youth can take to supplement their meals during the designated lunch hours.
Montavilla Park at 8219 NE Glisan Street, Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street, and Lents Park at SE 92 Avenue and SE Steele Street will host Free Lunch + Play activities for Montavilla area residents. Meal times vary by location, but Parks employees will organize games and other group activities throughout the four-hour sessions. The program staff will observe the July 4th national holiday on the 3rd and will take the day off.
All meal packs comply with USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window, 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program, offering more than 50 free outdoor events for all ages, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, and concerts across the city. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, opening on June 18th. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to their fee-based swim lessons, open-play swims, and water fitness classes. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Catalyst Construction & Kitchen Remodeling, a top-rated general contractor specializing in kitchen, bathroom, basement, and garage remodeling, as well as ADU construction and home additions. We thank them for their support.
This is a big year for the Montavilla Farmers Market: They are entering their 20th year of operating one of the most beloved farmers markets on the east side of Portland. I sat down with Lisa Hebert one morning at Bipartisan Cafe to chat about the market and get a feel for the success of these past 20 years.
Montavilla Farmers Market Founders
I was curious to know more about the people who started the Montavilla Farmers Market. Turns out it was a group of volunteers who worked with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) to found the market. Their website describes them as “a grassroots collection of neighbors who were inspired by visions of a fresh, local, food market in a shared community space within the growing SE Stark Street business district.”
Their first market was Sunday, July 22nd, 2007. “The first year it was run just by volunteers,” Lisa confirmed. “And then the next year they were able to pay their market manager a small stipend.”
It made me think of the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, which also was founded by volunteers and has progressed to a place where the market manager has been designated a paid position.
Purple cauliflower sampled to Kids POP Club October 2025 (Jacob Loeb)
Lisa Hebert, Executive Director of the Montavilla Farmers Market
Lisa is the market’s executive director, where she tackles much of the behind-the-scenes work—things like budgeting, financials, strategy, overseeing a handful of paid staff, marketing, and fundraising. She also works with their board—Montavilla Farmers Market is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit.
She has lived in Montavilla since 2020, and worked for the Portland Farmers Market starting in 2016 before she moved to the neighborhood. But growing up she had a very conventional relationship with food. Then, she went to college.
Lisa’s Early Experience With Farmers Markets
“When I went to college, I went to UC Santa Cruz,” she said. “And I got involved with the sustainability center—I actually taught a gardening class on campus. And then I started working at the seed library, and with the food system working group to actually create a pop-up farmers market on campus.”
She added, “It was so far away from the actual town of Santa Cruz. So we’d go to the farmer’s market, buy things, and bring it to campus and sell it, just at price for folks.”
She ended up interning at the farmer’s market in Santa Cruz during her senior year. And then that summer, they needed a market manager, so they hired her for that just for the summer, and she loved it.
“And then I moved to Portland and I started working at a preschool and I was a cook there, ” she continued. “So I cooked for preschool for a little bit, and then the Portland Farmer’s Market was hiring and they hired me as a market manager there.”
Breads. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.
Why a Market in Montavilla? Food Access.
So why was it important to have a farmers market in Montavilla? “From looking at [the market’s] documents and records, I think it was really important for having that food access in the neighborhood,” explained Lisa.
She continued, “A lot of focus early on in the market’s career was on sustainability and trying to create as sustainable a market as possible—and, again, an accessible market in the way of food access. The market has pretty much always accepted EBT benefits and in 2010, I believe, the market would fundraise to match the EBT benefits on their own. Currently, we are able to match EBT benefits through Farmers Market Fund, which is an Oregon-wide organization, giving markets money for that.”
She added, “But the original founders of the market worked really hard to do that on their before that money was available.”
The Current Location of the Montavilla Farmers Market
The current location of the Montavilla Farmers Market has been their home since the start. On that property there used to be another building belonging to Beets Auto Body (you may remember us mentioning them in our piece on Montavilla Brew Works 10th anniversary last year). That building was razed in 2020 after the property was sold in 2019.
Lisa also said that one point, it was an artist co-op; the Montavilla News article linked above also referenced the artists—and food carts. But 2020 was the start of COVID and having that extra space in the lot was helpful for pandemic social distancing needs.
“We were able to expand during 2020, which was great timing because that’s when we had to have all the social distancing,” she explained. “We all needed to limit the amount of people that came into the market for a long time based off of ourselves. So if we were still in the smaller area, it would have been much more challenging.”
Montavilla Farmers Market May 2016 (Jacob Loeb)
A Potential Move?
There has been discussion online about the potential need for the Montavilla Farmers Market to move. Please note: They are not moving right now, and nobody has asked them to move. But honestly, nobody knows what the future holds right now.
But they did put out a survey on this topic (location) for people to take and they are currently reviewing the responses and gauging the community’s care for and interest in the market.
The OG Vendors
I was curious to know if there are still vendors today that were there from the beginning. “Yes! C. Chang Family Farm, which grows fresh flowers,” Lisa said. “They’ve been there since the very first market. I believe that Baird Family Farm has been there since 2007. Kiykawa Family Orchard has also been there since the beginning.
She added, “Oh, and then Leopold Farms!”
2026 Montavilla Farmers Market Vendors
These are new vendors this year:
Alleamin African Kitchen (Somali food).
Crooked Carrot Farm (vegetable farm).
Floraboros (wholesale native nursery).
Gompers Distillery (small-batch distillery).
Mariquita Medicinals (herb and flower farm and community-focused apothecary).
Merrow (chili crisp).
Money Bowl (Southwestern Chinese food).
Moonflower Bakery (gluten-free baked goods).
Rhythm Seed Farm (grows locally adapted seeds).
Snack Wine (low-ABV wine spritzers).
Three Goats Farm (fermented hot sauces and pickles).
Tortuga Gordo (fermented hot sauces).
Vorfreude Dairy Beef (premium beef cuts and high-quality tallow products).
Wafeltje Stroopwafels (Dutch stroopwafels).
Wild Roots Spirits (real fruit-infused vodka and gin).
This Market Fills a Need
There are a lot of farmers markets in Portland—and that is one thing that makes Portland a great city. But what is it that makes the Montavilla Farmers Market special among them? “I think Montavilla is special for a couple of reasons,” explained Lisa. “One of my favorite reasons is that I believe a lot of the participants at our market tend to be smaller farms and we tend to get the owner of the farm at the market.”
“I think that’s special, being able to actually be face-to-face with the person who’s hands are in the dirt growing the food.”
“I also think that we’re not a tourist market,” Lisa continued. “We don’t have a lot of tourism at our market, specifically.” This is in comparison to the PSU Farmer’s market, which I would call a destination market. Hollywood is, too, to some extent, attracting people who are visiting out of town. Both of these destination markets are amazing, no cap.
“Also, I think it’s kind of special that we see the same people every week,” added Lisa. She also said that they’ve done surveys where they ask where folks are coming from to the market. Additionally, a recent survey revealed that 53% of people walked to the market.
They also aim to have a set of vendors that offer much of what a person might need for their weekly grocery shopping. “It’s a medium large market, so ideally, someone can go and do most of their grocery shopping there,” said Lisa. “We try to curate the market to have a lot of staples for people. Obviously, we’ll never be a fully one-stop shop because we only have local products. But the idea is for someone to come and be able to do a majority of their grocery shopping at the market and pick up staples there.”
Produce from Yolkan Farms. (Jacob Loeb)
A Significant Market for Vendors
Although Lisa has only been at the market for the last six years, she has enjoyed looking back at the market’s documents and history. “It’s been really exciting to watch the market grow!” she exclaimed.
She continued, “The amount of vendors that we have has gone from 17 on the opening day to now, throughout the year, we have almost 100. And on a typical summer market, we have 60 at any given time, which is just a huge leap.”
“The fact that the neighborhood is able to support all of those vendors is really amazing. And we hear from vendors that say Montavilla is where they’re able to sustain their business—it’s a really important market for them. For some of them, it’s their best market that they’re able to make their most amount of profit from.”
“This market is incredibly important—not only for the community, but those vendors who really rely on the support from our shoppers and from our organization.”
Yearly Anticipation
I wondered if Lisa looked forward to anything in particular at the market each time spring comes along. “I try to shop around to a lot of different vendors, especially farmers,” she explained. “I try to buy a lot of vegetables at the market … because then I eat a lot of vegetables. And I like to connect with the farms that sell products that no one else does.”
I told Lisa that my favorite thing in the spring at farmers markets is strawberries. So what is hers?
“Snap peas to me is a big—like, spring is here! Food is coming!”
She continued, “We’re past the hunger-gap era, where all of the root vegetables are purchased, and then all of the other vegetables with green and greens are this big. And so snap peas to me is like, ‘OK, we’ve made it. We’re now going to see like the abundance of spring that will that come.”
“And garlic scapes are delicious. this kind of year, too,” she added.
The Next 20 Years for the Montavilla Farmers Market
Lisa believes the demand and the interest is here for farmers market in the long term. “I think farmers markets are hugely important to local agriculture and farmers,” she said. “I’ve had a farmer tell me who does wholesale, ‘We would not be here if it wasn’t for the money that we’re able to get at farmers markets because it’s that direct-to-consumer purchase.’”
Direct-to-consumer means no middleman. “I think the farmers need farmers markets, and people crave that seasonal food. And yes, I think we’ll be here because I think farmers markets just make sense.”
Hello, blueberry and Market Manager. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.
20th Anniversary Events
So what is the market and its staff looking forward to as far as celebrating and commemorating this 20 years? They have some activities planned for Sunday, May 3.
“We got a grant from the Portland Events and Film office to do a couple of activities. We are having a ‘Montavilla Through the Seasons’ timeline display. We’re going to have different photos and documents of the market throughout the years for people to look back on.”
They will also have a DIY button-making station, and they have a special t-shirt for the 20th season, which features the original logo of the Montavilla Farmers Market (it’s painted on the side of the barn). Market shoppers also have a chance to win one of 100 of these t-shirts on a spin-the-wheel configuration (no kids sizes).
“We will also be having a chef recipe demonstration booth,” explained Lisa. “Laura Bennett’s going to come and cook up a seasonal dish for people to taste.” Laura has a business called The Vegucation Station. She is also a longtime farmer in the Corvallis and Eugene area. She’s done a couple of chef demonstrations for them in the past..
Produce. (Jacob Loeb)
Final Thoughts
“This neighborhood has been very supportive of the market through the years,” said Lisa. “It has been really amazing and has taken ownership of the market, which I think is really special. You can tell through the survey results that people really care about the market, really love the market, really want to see like the best for it.
“I was a little nervous that we’d get maybe some negative comments, but it was so positive! And so many people were saying, ‘Thank you for the work with this..’ There’s a lot of support. And in the past when we’ve done fundraising, we’ve always had a lot of support from the community. I think that’s really special.
“And as someone who also lives in their community, it really feels like Montavilla is kind of its own bubble a little bit. We’re almost at our own town. We have these amazing businesses—you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to!”
Many thanks to Lisa for chatting about the Montavilla Farmers Market. Every good wish to her, the market, and the Montavilla neighborhood for getting to 20 years! I hope you will have a chance to stop in soon.
Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by
Meg Cotner
This article originally published in Bridgetown Bites on April 23rd, 2026. Montavilla News republished it with permission of the editor and author. All copyrights remain with the original publisher.
Meg Cotner lives in NE Portland and is the editor and publisher of the independent Portland food news website Bridgetown Bites. She is also an active editor and writer, and the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens” (2023, Globe Pequot Press)
On April 21st, the renowned and storied Stoopid Burger opened a new location inside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall at 6935 NE Glisan Street. This new location is Portland’s second brick-and-mortar space for the Oregon chain, which also operates a Lloyd Center restaurant and a St. Helens food truck location. This new location is just 2.5 miles from its original restaurant, which closed during the pandemic. They are known for massive towering burger creations and have received local and national recognition.
Stoopid Burger “cooming Soon” sign from early April
Stoopid Burger opened as a food cart at the corner of N Fremont Street and N Vancouver Avenue in 2014, and expanded into a storefront at 2329 NE Glisan Streetin 2017. That year, Willamette Week named the signature Stoopid Burger Portland’s best classic burger. The venture closed in 2020, with the Willamette Week reporting that Co-owners John Hunt and Danny Moore parted ways. Moore revived the brand in 2021, transitioning into two food trucks. In 2025, Stoopid Burger took over the 1950s-style diner space at Lloyd Center mall. The St Helens, Oregon, food truck location is the organization’s only remaining mobile kitchen.
Moore explained that with the impending closure and demolition of the Lloyd Center this August. The NE Glisan location will become the only brick-and-mortar storefront for his company. He said he is excited to move back to NE Glisan and enjoys the Montavilla neighborhood. He thinks people will appreciate the $5 “Super Boring” burger on the menu, noting that people are experiencing hard times, and it is important to hit that price point. He also wanted people to know about their fried fish, remarking, “People are calling our fish some of the best in Portland.” All locations serve the same menu, so fans of the Lloyd Center restaurant can start visiting the NE Glisan location to get their Stoopid Burger fix.
The Montavilla Stoopid Burger location is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It replaced Alleamin African Kitchen in the Rocket Empire Machine food hall. Moore said the new space will offer the same “bold flavors” his company is known for in a good location. The burger restaurant lets people order at a kiosk, freeing the cook to prepare the food. In the future, when the service is activated, customers can call 971-668-7237 to place an order. Until then, people can stop in and reintroduce themselves to this returning business or discover it for the first time.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
Colise Johnson and her husband, James, run a small food pantry from their home, a few blocks east of the Leodis V. McDaniel High School athletics fields on the corner of NE 86th Avenue and Brazee Street. As economic pressures push more people into food insecurity, they say the number of people served at this privately funded community resource has increased to an estimated 400 per week. They fund a sizable portion of these efforts through can deposit redemption and donations from people who wish to support the weekend lunch program and their Thursday pantry boxes.
Social media graphic courtesy Colise Johnson
Johnson explained that her home is filled with a fluctuating amount of food ready for weekly pickup by individuals and groups who visit her white house with purple trim. “We’ve got a big freezer out in the back and what we call a mini Winco upstairs,” explained Johnson. Nearly an entire floor of the home is dedicated to stocking canned and dried goods. Stacks of empty produce boxes sit on the front porch waiting to transport food. The couple and around 15 volunteers serve the majority of people on weekends with lunches. “Mike and Faye just brought over 300 sandwiches because we do 300 lunches a week, and a hundred of those go to veterans at least every week,” said Johnson. “We put in a bottle of water, a snack, a bag of chips, and the little fruit snack bags. If we have fruit, we use that as well.”
The volunteer staff only includes a bottle of water in the lunch if the person is unhoused as a way to stretch a slim budget and reduce waste. Additionally, on Thursday pantry box days that operate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., they ask people what they want to eat instead of giving everyone the same items. “The reason I give them choices is because you see so many food boxes left on 82nd, or up on Glisan, or on Halsey because they take what they want out of the food box, then leave it,” remarked Johnson.
Pantry refrigerator filled with hundreds of sandwiches for lunch kits
Most of the food they give out is first-come, first-served. “There have been days that I’ve opened up at 9 o’clock, and our breads have been gone by 11:30 a.m,” Johnson said. But in those cases, they tap into reserves upstairs and give people anything they want so they will not leave hungry. “I’ll give them whatever I have here and just make the best of it.” The only time people need to sign up for food is on special holiday meals that require more planning. “For Thanksgiving and Christmas last year combined, we did 88 total dinners. We fed 537 people, and almost $2,000 of that was pop can money,” said Johnson.
In addition to accepting donated cans, Colise Johnson traverses the neighborhood in her motorized chair to pick up discarded cans. However, recent changes to the Green Bags bottle and can deposit redemption program limit people to 30 sacks per account per calendar quarter. This policy change has hampered the food pantry’s funding efforts, limiting its ability to scale up operations. Johnson has limited fundraising options, but the deposit collection has supported the feeding efforts for 27 years. “I have cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I can’t work, but I want to do something,” said Johnson.
The couple explained that funding restrictions will not prevent the pantry from continuing its work. They are thankful for the support of volunteers who keep the efforts going. “We’ve got Faye and Mike, we’ve got Corey and Garrett, we’ve got Terrence and his crew, and Don. We’ve probably got 15 volunteers. People come over and help me restock upstairs; they don’t think twice about coming over and donating their time,” recalled Johnson. “Danny comes in from the VFW and picks up the vets’ lunches and hands them out at Fort Kennedy.”
Johnson says they make a special effort for veterans who experience food insecurity. However, they serve all people and create a safe space by not tolerating abusive language directed at themselves or guests. Their goal is to be easy to access for people in need, and they are willing to give whatever they can source from private donations. “We don’t ask for ID. We don’t ask for any of that. We just give them the food,” said Johnson. “We give out school supplies, we give out sleeping bags, tents, we give out clothes, shoes, we make personal care kits.”
The community food pantry accepts donations to keep the program running. “We can’t take anything that’s open. We can’t take anything that’s expired. But we gladly accept donations,” explained Johnson. “If they do happen to bring donations of any cans and bottles, please bring them up to the porch. If you just set them over the fence, they’re going to get stolen.” The couple has dealt with theft of items from their property and some violence over the years. Overall, people are just grateful they are there year after year.
Colise Johnson explains that this multi-decade effort to feed people is her way of contributing to the support she received earlier in her life. “It was done for me when I was a single mom with two kids. People helped me, and we were able to start giving out what we had. We always tell everyone it’s a hand up, not a hand out.” What began as a simple way to pay support forward has only grown year over year as demand has increased. “The economy sucks, and the worse the economy gets, the more people we get. Grocery prices, gas prices, rent prices; you name it, it contributes to hunger,” remarked Johnson. She explained that some people who are not accustomed to needing support sometimes come in with the wrong attitude and need to adjust to current circumstances. “When you’ve got food insecurity, and you’ve got financial insecurity, we’re seeing a lot of entitlement. And it’s getting more and more as the times get tougher.”
This is a small community food pantry run out of a home in a residential area. They limited hours by locking their gate and had to shut down their self-service option due to abuse. Even with the added visitors to the area due to their efforts, Johnson says they have the support of the people around them and hope to keep doing this work as long as they are able. “We’ve got great neighbors. They have never had a problem with what we do.” Colise Johnson and James welcome donations of unopened food and personal care items. You can contact Colise on Nextdoor or Facebook to arrange drop-off times. Visitors are asked to wear a mask indoors for health reasons.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
You might expect that Roscoe’s—the popular pub and restaurant at the corner of SE 81st Avenue and SE Stark Street—would be named for one of its owners. But no. Neither Jeremy Lewis nor Quyen Ly is a Roscoe.
According to current lore, Roscoe’s is named for the ghost of a man who died nearby and now haunts the premises.
History offers a different answer. Before Lewis and Ly opened Roscoe’s, there had been a previous restaurant and bar also named Roscoe’s in the same building. The first Roscoe’s opened in 1997. It was owned by John Hurst and Mike Winczeiwski. They chose a name common in the Hurst family tree. Hurst’s father and grandfather were both named Roscoe Patterson Hurst. His brother William used Rosco as a middle name.
Roscoe P. Hurst Jr. obituary. Source: Oregonian, May 6, 2005
The first Roscoe’s was smaller than today’s Roscoe’s. It occupied only what is now the middle area of the current Roscoe’s. That sounds strange until we realize that the 1910 building was originally divided into three separate commercial spaces.
The first Roscoe’s occupied what is now the middle section of the current Roscoe’s. Photo by Jacob Loeb
The 1910 building was designed by the architectural firm of Roberts and Roberts for the Ukase Investment Company. They divided the building into three separate spaces, which could be used by three different businesses, each with its own Stark Street address. Partition walls could be removed to create a larger space if needed.
The brick pilasters between the banks of plate-glass windows reflect the three-part division of the interior. Photo by Jacob Loeb
When the Ukase building went up in 1910, there was a lot of new construction taking place on Stark Street. Builders were replacing commercial structures destroyed in the July 4th, 1910, fire between 80th and 79th Avenues. To avoid future fire damage, builders used brick or concrete. You can still see the original brick construction in Roscoe’s back hallway.
Roscoe’s original brick construction in the hallway to the right of the bar. Photo by Jacob Loeb
Over the years, the Ukase building was occupied by a wide array of businesses. The interior looked quite different when the Montavilla Savings Bank—one of the earliest tenants—opened in May 1913. The Oregon Journal of May 11th, 1913, described it as “elegantly fitted up with fixtures of mahogany, marble, and bronze.”
“Montavilla Bank Opens with Excellent Prospects.” Inset profiles: President Lee Arnett (upper right) and cashier H. L. Smith (lower left). Source: Oregon Journal, May 11, 1913
At noon on September 3rd, 1919, what happened in the bank must have looked like something out of a silent movie. Two robbers armed with pistols walked into the bank and demanded cash. Teller William Burg refused their request, and bookkeeper George Pickering fired three shots with his revolver to attract attention. The frightened robbers scurried to their getaway car and sped down Stark Street.
These Montavilla Bank employees foiled an attempted robbery. From left to right, they are William Burg, teller, L. G. Mconnell, cashier, and George Pickering, bookkeeper. Source: The Oregonian, September 4, 1919
In 1924, the Montavilla Bank vacated the Ukase building and moved into its new brick building at the northeast corner of 80th and Stark. (Today, the same—but remodeled—building is occupied by the Ya Hala Lebanese restaurant.)
After the bank moved out, Ray Wilson opened his bakery in 1924 and eventually added a grocery store. In 1936, he moved to a larger building across the street at Stark and 80th, where Fred Mayer would later be, and where Lewis Rents is now.
Ad for Ray Wilson’s Puritan Grocery and Bakery. Source: Montavilla Times, February 13, 1931
Over the ensuing years, the individual stores of the Ukase building were home to a variety of small businesses. At different times, between the 1940s and the 1980s, you could find another grocery store, an insurance agency, a shoe store, a real estate office, a women’s apparel store, a mom-and-pop café, and a card shop, to name just a few.
Phils Wear-A-Bouts is one of several businesses once located in what is now Roscoe’s. Source: Oregon Journal, December 19, 1968
In 1997, the first Roscoe’s opened. It offered food, drink, and Wednesday-night comedy.
In 2004, the first Roscoe’s changed hands and reopened as Clifford’s. Clifford’s closed in 2006 just as Stark Street was revitalizing with new businesses, such as the Bipartisan Café (opened in 2005) and the remodeled Academy theater (re-opened in 2006). (Flying Pie Pizza, incidentally, had been in business since 1984).
In 2006, longtime friends Jeremy Lewis and Quyen Ly created a restaurant and bar in the Ukase building. They revived the Roscoe’s name for the pub portion of the operation. (Ly’s adjoining restaurant is Miyamoto Sushi.)
Roscoe’s hardwood floor with old layers of flooring still seen at the right under the bar’s edge. Photo by Jacob Loeb
With businesses in the 1910-Ukase building spanning more than 100 years, it’s not surprising that the current owners had to spend hours removing layers of carpet and tile flooring. A ghost may not have haunted Roscoe’s, but we might say it contains the ghosts of many businesses past.
Roscoe’s – 8105 SE Stark Street, open daily 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
By
Patricia Sanders
This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. 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.
Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by
Meg Cotner
Secret Sauna: The name is intriguing right off the bat. So what is it? It’s literally a sauna parked on the patio behind Montavilla’s Replicant Wine Bar (shared by Mudd Works Cafe in the mornings). It offers a place to relax, enjoy some drinks and food, sit around the fire pit, and have a sauna. And as of today, it is officially open.
I met with Sarah Mayo, the owner of the Secret Sauna, to learn more about the sauna and its connection to the businesses that are hosting it.
It’s a sign (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
Secret Sauna Overview
I’ll also add that this interview was a first for Bridgetown Bites: The majority of it took place in the sauna itself, wood fire happily burning in its stove. And yes, it was very relaxing.
Sauna, rocks, fire, and window inside the Secret Sauna (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
It’s a barrel-style sauna structure—but not perfectly round like most barrel saunas are. Think of it as a square with rounded corners. That means straighter sides, giving more space inside the sauna, adding to the comfort level. It is made of cedar wood, and produced by AC Forest Saunas in BC, Canada.
The sauna itself is warmed by a wood fire rather than by infrared technology. There is a bucket with water that you can use to ladle over the hot igneous rocks (the best kind of rocks for a sauna) to create steam.
There is room for about a dozen people inside the sauna (more, if people want to be closer to each other). There will be an area for cold showers (an easier setup than a cold plunge, while still providing contrast therapy), and there is also an outbuilding that holds four dressing rooms, a stack of rental towels and sandals, and a check-in desk.
Connection to Replicant and Mudd Works
I was curious to know what Sarah’s connection was to the Replicant/Mudd Works space. She’s a neighbor and a fan.
Replicant Wine Bar and Mudd Works Cafe space (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
“So I live in Montavilla and this is my favorite spot to just come and have a glass of wine,” she explained. “And I love the patio—I was here all summer last year. And there’s these big trees behind that I think are so unique for this space. We’re behind the building, have a little bit of privacy, and then these trees are just so great.”
The tops of the trees by the Secret Sauna (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
Sara’s Previous Work
Before she got into the sauna business, she worked in investor relations for commercial real estate investment companies. “I was doing that full-time in-house for a few different companies up until 2023,” she explained. “At that time, it was venture capital instead of commercial real estate, but still in the investor relations field.”
She also worked with startups and did consulting for smaller companies in this same field for a couple years. But at one point, something changed.
“My values had been shifting a lot,” she explained. “And once I was not working on [investor] projects anymore and thinking more about what I was actually doing, I realized that it was making rich people richer.” It’s safe to say that she craved doing something that supported community rather than participating in something she considered to be destructive.
The Start of the Secret Sauna
So how did the Secret Sauna come to be? It began with COVID. “So this whole thing started in October,” Sarah said. “I had COVID twice back to back, and I was sitting at home for eight weeks, basically losing my mind. I knitted a hat, and then I’m like, ‘What do I do now?’”
The Sauna Business, and a Partnership
“I was looking for something new to do anyway, and I kind of always had this idea to do a sauna business—but I hadn’t seriously explored it,” said Sarah. While she was stuck at home with COVID she started building a financial model for the potential business, along with creating a business plan. “And then I thought, ‘This could actually work!’” she exclaimed.
As soon as she got a negative COVID test, she messaged the Instagram account for Replicant Wine Bar, which was her number one choice of location for the sauna.
“And so I messaged the Instagram account,” explained Sarah. “Mila [short for Gianpiero Milani, the owner of Replicant—and yes, it’s a “Blade Runner” reference] answered within five minutes. We didn’t know each other—he had probably seen me here, but we hadn’t met each other. I showed the idea to him and he said ‘That sounds really cool. And can you come in to talk?’” She came in the next day, and the rest is history.
She appreciates how collaborative he is and how he caught on to her vision so easily. “I didn’t even have to explain a whole lot about the idea,” she said. “He could just like see it, and was getting excited about it, too. He thought this was a great way to use the space.”
When Marco at Mudd Works heard about, he, too, was excited about it and wanted to support the project.
What Type of Sauna Is the Secret Sauna?
I wondered if she was going to encourage any specific type of sauna culture—the two that came to mind immediately were Finnish and Russian. She replied, “It’s a PNW-type of sauna, but I think that I’m kind of trying to emulate the Finnish style. I don’t have Finnish roots, so I’m not trying to like culturally appropriate it or anything. But I think that’s the style that a lot of people are familiar with.”
Sauna room (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
The Secret Sauna Is Social
Sarah says she wants to create a sauna atmosphere that is social, a way for guests to connect. “The vibe that I really want to go for is making this more of a social experience,” she explained. “Not like at other saunas that I’ve been to, where you’re kind of sitting silently, everyone’s quiet, and you’re almost afraid to make noise.”
She continued, “The sauna experiences that I’ve liked the most are where strangers are talking to each other and maybe even making friends and plans for later. And that was part of the vision—if I could be in an environment that is already somewhat social (like a bar and bonus coffee shop), then that was what I was going for when I was envisioning this.”
However, she may consider creating some designated quiet hours, “so people can self-direct into the type of experience they want,” she said.
Managing Your Secret Sauna Session: Inside and Outside
During a sauna session, it usually involves breaks, which could be a cold plunge or simply sitting outside to cool down. Sarah has a number of chairs nearby to sit in, and there is a fire pit to sit around where you can also be social.
Fire pit outside sauna room (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
At this point in your sauna experience, you can enjoy a beverage—whether that’s a drink from Replicant or coffee from Mudd Works, or drinks (herbal tea, lemon water, electrolyte drink) that Sarah will provide.
They will also install some showers just to the south of the sauna structure. They want them to be heated as well as having cold water for contrast therapy.
So why a cold shower and not a cold plunge? It’s a practical choice. “Cold plunges in Portland are kind of hard to do ,” Sarah explained. “They’re classified as pools, so then you’re required to have all of the same level of filtration and circulation that a pool has.” This was more involved than her resources could handle. So instead of a cold plunge, you can do a cold shower if you want to. I’ve had this experience at other saunas, and it has been satisfying.
How To Dress in the Secret Sauna
A visit to the sauna during public hours will require you to be clothed (like in a swimsuit or athletic clothes—but not street clothes) but any private events can be clothing-optional. You’ll just need to wrap yourself in a towel when you step outside from the sauna. Next door to Replicant/Mudd Works/Secret Sauna is an auto shop, and there are private homes nearby.
The sauna, seating, and the patio seating for Replicant/Mudd Works (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)
Additionally, this is a shared space among folks who are eating and drinking things from Replicant and Mudd Works who are not planning to sauna. There is no hard separation between the patio seating area for the two businesses and the sauna side, apart from the big sauna structure itself. That means anyone can stop by over near the sauna and use that seating. “We’re not keeping anything strictly segregated at all,” said Sarah.
Drinking and Eating Inside the Sauna
At this point here will be no food or drinks inside the sauna for a variety of reasons—of course there’s the potential mess from liquids and comestibles, as well as the risky warming of some food; any kind of glass itself could get quite hot, too.
As a solution to help guests keep track of their drinks from the wine bar or cafe, is that there will be set of racks with cubbies for storage.
Collabs With Replicant and Mudd Works
I was curious to see if there were any future collaborations with Replicant and/or Mudd Works on drinks or food. “I would love to like collab on that with them,” said Sarah. “My focus has just been on getting open.” This is fair.
She’d like to talk with them more about ideas they have regarding collaborations. One idea she had was to create promotions—discounts on drinks. or a combo of a sauna sesson and a drink. She has not nailed down any specifics on that quite yet.
Winter vs. Summer
I was curious to learn if the Secret Sauna will be available all year, or just during the winter/colder seasons. Summers can be hot so perhaps a sauna is less appealing then. “My plan initially was that I’d be closed during the summer,” said Sarah. “And Mila wants the backyard space fully back during the summer, so I am committed to moving this on out during the summer.”
In case it wasn’t obvious, the sauna is on wheels.
“And this is a trial year, so we’re going to see how this goes and then see what people want. If I’m still super busy in May, then maybe I would look for another place to be during the summer. I’m just not sure exactly yet.”
Pricing
A social session is $40 for a 75 minute session and $270 for a private session. She is also considering a multi punch pass where it’s like cheaper per visit if you buy multiple sessions ahead of time. She is also considering memberships, but that idea needs to be hashed out a bit first.
Sauna Hours
Right now, she’s planning on having the sauna available to reserve starting at noon with the final slot at 7:40pm. She may adjust that in the future—for instance, she’d like to be open in the mornings, but it requires having enough staff.
They had a little bit of a soft opening last week, and now the places is open for booking!
Also note that the sauna is for those age 18 and older only.
What Sets the Secret Sauna Apart
First, it’s heated via wood-fire rather than infrared. Sarah has strong feelings about infrared saunas. She points out that the two heating elements work in different ways, and she prefers the traditional heat source—wood fire warms your body in a way that is easy and familiar.
Infrared heat has been around a fraction of the time (decades) compared to traditional wood fire (thousands of years). “I don’t think that they have the amount of longitudinal research [for infrared saunas] that exists for traditional saunas,” she said.
That said, she acknowledges that people will gravitate towards the type of experience that they want to have—whether it’s the way a sauna is heated, or the level of social interaction in a particular sauna. “I think the biggest differentiator here is this social vibe that we’re trying to cultivate, and how you can have like a beer or a glass of wine.” Also note there are some food options (pastries, pizza) to enjoy along with beverages in the back by the sauna.
She wants the accoutrements to a Secret Sauna experience to be solid, as well. That’s the hot herbal tea, lemon water, and electrolyte drink; secure changing rooms; a dry floor, secure hooks on the wall, and a shelf or cubby for your things. “We’ve thought through all of those little details,” she added.
This also includes the availability of towels and shoes for rent, swimsuits for sale, in case you find yourself at Replicant/Mudd Works and realize there is a sauna in the back, but you didn’t prepare yourself ahead of time.
Additional Details
Right now she is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The sauna’s day off will include doing any cleaning that needs to be done aside from what is done throughout the week, and a chance for Sarah to catch up on admin work and other projects for the sauna, too. And, to take a break.
This is a very interesting mix of sauna relaxation, access to food and drink, and an unconventional social opportunity, all in one place in the north section of the Montavilla neighborhood. Replicant/Mudd Works is cozy, the sauna is cozy, and it’s a nice place to hang out in.
Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by
Meg Cotner
This article originally published in Bridgetown Bites on January 29th, 2026. Montavilla News republished it with permission of the editor and author. All copyrights remain with the original publisher.
Meg Cotner lives in NE Portland and is the editor and publisher of the independent Portland food news website Bridgetown Bites. She is also an active editor and writer, and the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens” (2023, Globe Pequot Press)
On February 21st, Zwickelmania returns to Oregon, with two of Montavilla’s breweries joining more than 55 other craft beer makers from across the state. Host businesses offer attendees Zwickel tasting pours from the fermentation tanks and guided brewery tours. Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street and Threshold Brewing & Blending at 403 SE 79th Avenue will again participate in this annual celebration of local beer makers. Event organizers will offer free sober transportation between sites via a network of shuttle buses, which should broaden participants’ exposure to Portland’s selection of independent brewers.
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 industry term 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.
The 2026 beer-centric program offers a safe way for event attendees to visit more breweries through a free shuttle service that transports them to 16 participating Portland establishments. Attendees can catch one of six vehicles driving on two routes throughout the Eastside. This service allows drinkers to experience the event in several neighborhoods without getting behind the wheel or losing time taking indirect public transit. The participating businesses want people to enjoy the experience without overindulging while learning about the region’s craft beer producers. “We have bags of pretzels we’ll probably put on the tables to keep people eating and keep them hydrated,” said Michael Kora of Montavilla Brew Works. “Because if you get on the bus and even hit half of one of these routes, that’s a party.” During the event hours of 11 a.m. through 5 p.m., buses will depart from each location approximately every 30 minutes. The two shuttle routes overlap at Migration Brewing on NE Glisan Street for riders to transfer. However, there are too many participating locations to reach them all via the bus service during the event timeline, so people must plan to visit their favorite locations first or decide to explore some new beer makers.
Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street
Kora explained that Montavilla Brew Works has always made beer production front and center in its tap room, with the fermentation tanks only protected by a table-height wall and a roped-off entrance. “I think you can go to a lot of breweries and there’s a pub out front and there’s some stainless [tanks in the back]. I guess there’s a brewery back there, but we’ve always liked to have it showcased,” Kora said. “So on a day like[Zwickelmania], it’s even more fun because people can cross the line and go into our workspace and hang out with us.” The brewery will be open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, with the last tour starting around 4:30 p.m. People on the tour can have free samples at the brewer’s discretion, but patrons must pay for anything ordered at the bar or from the Oi! The Sausage food vender working the event. Kora said he will release a new Scottish Porter at the event, adding to a line of brews he has created that honors his heritage. “My mom came here when she was eight years old with her family. Cruised into Ellis Island, signed papers, and moved to Michigan. My grandparents started a family and started a new life. So I get to be a first-generation American,” recalled Kora. “Scottish beers often are thought of as very heavy, big alcohol, dark, which is true in some of them. But the Scots drink a lot of lager, they drink IPAs, they drink porters. So we’re starting to look into more historical styles and bring them out. It’s a cool story to tell, and they’re really good beers.”
Threshold will open for brewery tours every hour starting at 11 a.m. People can also find special beer tappings, unique food menu items, a prize raffle, and a live DJ. The Threshold team also created an “Ultimate Zwickelmania Survival Kit” consisting of wearable snacks, hydration, energy boosts, Underberg digestif bitter, a shuttle map, and a glossary of brewhouse terms. These are offered on a first-come, first-served basis to Threshold visitors while supplies last.
Threshold Brewing & Blending at 403 SE 79th Avenue
Zwickelmania’s organizers gear the event toward craft beer enthusiasts who can sample directly from the Zwickel port, find unique beer releases, take tours, and meet brewers who provide educational talks. Kora also stressed how important it is to reach a wider audience that may not know about the breweries in Montavilla. “Zwickelmania sometimes brings out people that are not as familiar with us, or the brand, or the neighborhood. And so that’s where I get really excited.” Some host locations will offer food and beer pairings or specials. This non-ticketed event will only cost the price of beer and food at each location. Designated drivers can also find non-alcoholic drinks at the event. Oi! The Sausage will start selling grilled single sausages on a bun at Montavilla Brew Works in the afternoon. People interested in attending should visit the Zwickelmania website for more information and an up-to-date list of participating brewers.
Brewer lead tours, meet the brewer, zwickel samples
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On January 22nd, Portland’s first free-standing Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in the Gateway district across from Mall 205. The store is unique in several ways from the other locations in the outer Portland area. It has a larger kitchen than most stores, a kids’ play area less often included in new facilities, and no drive-through window. Instead of hosting lines of cars, the fast food destination will serve guests with a digitized version of a drive-in model, allowing customers to park and order via a mobile app, with meals brought to the vehicle. First-time franchise operator Austin Morrow has worked toward this moment since age sixteen, learning all he can about building an inclusive, family-oriented establishment.
Kids’ play area
For the last 12 years, Morrow has dedicated his career to Chick-fil-A, with the last four spent in the Leadership Development program. That helped in the competitive process to become an operator. In this franchise model, the company owns the restaurant building and equipment, but operators control the local business. “I have 100% flexibility. I rent the space from Chick-fil-A, but I am an independent business owner, and all the staff work in my organization here. I have direct influence on how I give back to the community, how I serve my team, and how I can offer opportunities for my team,” explained Morrow.
Franchise operator Austin Morrow
Morrow moved to the area last September, but had visited before when considering the opportunity. “When I was looking at coming to Portland, I went down [to the Clackamas location] and met with Brian Davis, the operator there. Just like me, he’s from the south, and he moved his family up here,” said Morrow. What he found was that most people did not have direct experience with the company on the West Coast, which allowed operators to shape the experience in a meaningful way. “In the south, Chick-fil-A is everywhere, so to be able to come to a community where it might be that first bite… there’s something special about when you’re sharing that first impression.”
Unlike the auto-focused Clackamas store, this location will need to serve customers arriving in a variety of ways. “I think we’re going to be pretty foot traffic heavy,” said Morrow. “We have a lot of people who walk or use public transportation. Even my team members live really local in the community and walk here to work, so I think we will be a high foot traffic area.” Additionally, the city’s building code did not allow them to build a standard fast-food restaurant targeting people in vehicles. The Portland City Council voted in 2018 to prohibit new drive-through construction within commercial zones. Although this project is a near-complete renovation of an existing building, the structure never included a drive-through service window, which prevents it from qualifying for a prior-existence exemption. This project dates back to May 2022, when the national fast food chain explored development at 9950 SE Stark Street, opting to renovate the original structure to maintain its nonconforming use of the existing site for food service. The 1984-era structure previously hosted Rax Roast Beef, Tony Roma’s, and Hooters restaurants before converting to Mystic Gentlemen’s Club and later Venue Gentlemen’s Club.
Delivery Driver entrance and numbered parking stalls for app orders staff will bring to customer’s cars
Although they have improved pedestrian infrastructure around the property, the freeway-adjacent location will continue to attract motorists. Without the drive-through option, Morrow and his staff will be creative to meet customer demand. “We have 15 curbside spots where we’ll be offering a similar experience [to other locations] where you don’t have to get out of the car, and we’ll bring the food to you,” said Austin Morrow. “They can order ahead of time, or they could park and then order in the parking spot.” The dedicated and numbered stalls are at the northwest corner of the parking lot, adjacent to the delivery driver entrance. People working with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub have a dedicated, inside, welcoming space to pick up orders. Delivery apps can make up 10 to 30% of a day’s orders, and having the separated space helps get them on the road faster without imposing on customers in line.
Delivery Driver pickup counter
Morrow said that customer experience is paramount to his efforts in Portland, but he also wants to support the nearly 100 employees joining his team. “My mission is to exceed the expectations of my guests and my team members. I want to be a premier employer for the team that’s working here, explained Morrow. At the base level, that is with a paycheck and a meal. “Sometimes we’ll have team members who come in and may not have food at home. This [shift] may be their only opportunity. So I want to make sure that they can have a hot meal for free that day.” Morrow said that he also wants to help his staff beyond their time at Chick-fil-A. “One thing I’m going to offer is I’m offering is a program where they can go to college. If you can work 30 hours a week, that will enable you to be able to go to college and hope for a better future. Because it’s not my hope that someone joins this organization and stays here for the rest of their life.”
In addition to staff support, the organization encourages locations to participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, donating leftover protein to groups feeding the community. Morrow selected the Highland Christian Center to receive unserved food items that are cooled and ready for storage for use in the church’s meal program at 7600 NE Glisan Street. With this program, community kitchens will receive unused chicken that can be incorporated into other dishes. So recipients will not get the traditional sandwiches and may not know where the protein came from, but the leftover food will go to good use, feeding people with limited access to food. This philosophy of sharing food started even before the doors opened. “We’ve been training here [ahead of opening] so we actually donated a thousand sandwiches within the community, and so we use that as an opportunity to train our team,” said Morrow.
Morrow explained that he is committed to joining the community and improving the area around his store. “I want people to feel that local ownership aspect. We operate under a large brand that says Chick-fil-A, but I want people in the community to feel like this is a local organization.” He expressed how much he appreciates Portland’s cultural and intellectual diversity, noting that people have been far more welcoming than he anticipated. “It’s my hope that when you come into my restaurant, you’re going to see through my team members, all different backgrounds, all different walks of life. And it’s my hope that we can create a culture in our community that everyone is welcome in this restaurant,” said Morrow. Starting today, the Chick-fil-A Mall 205 location will open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. They anticipate significant demand during the first few days and recommend people consider parking in the Mall 205 parking lot and crossing SE Washington Street if the main parking lot is full.
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On December 19th, Portland Water Bureau (PWB) announced a complete switch to groundwater from Portland’s Columbia South Shore Well Field in response to higher amounts of organic material suspended in the Bull Run Watershed after this week’s heavy rainstorm. City ratepayers receive water from two primary sources that utility operators can switch between or blend together based on supply and environmental conditions. Groundwater sources are often activated by PWB during the dry summer season, as the Bull Run water supply diminishes in capacity, and they try to extend its availability by mixing the two sources. However, water from wells can take over for Bull Run if that source is threatened by wildfire contamination or by turbidity from excessive rain.
A similar event occurred in November 2022, when a massive rain event increased the flow of streams feeding the Bull Run watershed, contributing to a rapid increase in organic material washed into the supply, which takes time to settle. Almost a million people depend on water supplied by the Water Bureau. Long-term investments have added well-water sources to the City’s water supply, enhancing resiliency against weather-related events. The new Bull Run filtration facility, when it comes online, should reduce the need to switch to groundwater after storms. Federal water quality regulations require PBW to activate the extra water treatment capability by September 2027. The filtration facility will remove sediment, organic material, and other contaminants, including disease-causing microorganisms that could threaten drinking water safety.
The Portland Water Bureau assures residents that the Columbia South Shore Well Field water supply meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations. However, they make it a policy to notify the public when activating groundwater sources so sensitive water users can take precautions. Ratepayers can sign up at the Portland Water Bureau’s website to receive notifications regarding changes to the water system. In 2022, that took less than 30 days. Customers with questions should call the Water Line at 503-823-7525 and watch for updates to this article when Portland’s water system returns to 100 percent Bull Run watershed-sourced water.
Update December 27, 2025: The Portland Water Bureau reactivated the Bull Run water supply after elevated turbidity from heavy rains subside. It can take up to two weeks for the system to completely clear of groundwater and deliver 100% watershed sourced water. Ratepayers may notice a tea like color in the Bull Run water as harmless fine organic matter continues to settle within the reservoirs post storm.
Article and photo by
Jacob Loeb
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