Tag: Berrydale Park

Community, Construction

Berrydale Park Reopens Early with New Skateboarding and Play Facilities

On July 15th, crews removed the construction fencing that had been erected around Berrydale Park since October 2024, during Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) extensive renovations of the nearly 70-year-old community asset. Parkgoers now have access to modernized play equipment and a new skate park, surrounded by sidewalks and enhanced lighting. The city will host a grand reopening celebration at the SE 92nd Avenue and Taylor Street park on August 8th from 3 to 6 p.m.

A sign for Berrydale Park, surrounded by trees and grass, indicating park hours and management by Portland Parks & Recreation.

During 2021 and 2022, PP&R staff collaborated with the community to select the new design for Berrydale Park. Parks department leaders identified this park as an ideal location for expanding city skateboard facilities and designated funds collected from System Development Charges (SDC) for the park’s upgrade. This money is not part of the city’s general fund or the park’s operating budget. Developers pay into the fund when building new structures to support the creation or enhancement of public resources. It is a way to ensure that increased density does not come at the detriment of existing neighborhood infrastructure. During planning, the proposed budget doubled, with then-Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio increasing the allocated funds to $3.0 million from an original $1.5 million budget. This increased funding enabled a significant playground update, accompanied by pathway and lighting enhancements throughout the park.

A new playground in Berrydale Park featuring swings, a slide, and various play equipment set on a rubberized surface, with trees and park benches in the background.

City staff used the proposed Berrydale Park project as an opportunity to investigate the construction of adjacent sidewalks on SE Taylor Street and 89th Avenue. However, neighbor opposition to their required financial contribution to the project caused the city to focus sidewalk work on park frontages. In December 2022, the Portland City Council amended the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District (LID) proposal, removing all but one private residence and significantly reducing the scope of infrastructure upgrades. The original LID included the construction of new curbs and sidewalks on both sides of SE 89th Avenue adjacent to Berrydale Park. The proposed LID would have also included continuous sidewalks on the south side of SE Taylor Street, from 92nd Avenue to 89th Avenue, rather than stopping 100 feet short of the whole block.

Map showing SE 89th Avenue and Taylor Street project with improvements like sidewalk additions, curbs, and drainage around Berrydale Park and Clark Elementary School.
Graphic showing sidewalk addition. Courtesy PBOT

For months, Portland skaters have expectantly looked through the fencing at the telltale shapes of purpose-built skateboard amenities, including a prominent clover bowl, mini-ramp, railings/rails, and other skills-building elements. North of the cement skate park, crews have created two new play zones with surrounding park benches. Swings, slides, and climbing structures sit atop a rubberized soft base for safe, youthful exploration and play. The green and brown-toned equipment blends into the mature tree canopy, shading a significant portion of the recreation area and cooling the space during our hot summer days.

Area residents have already discovered the park’s new amenities within hours of the fence removal, with people biking, skating, and enjoying the new benches. The PP&R project website indicated that staff took down the construction fence early, before the newly seeded turf areas were established, in response to the community’s request for park access. Consequently, park staff request visitors avoid areas where seedling grass is taking root. People should monitor the Berrydale Park Improvement Project website for more information about the August 8th reopening event.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Infrastructure

Improved Berrydale Park Takes Shape

Construction is well underway at Berrydale Park, where crews have installed the majority of new skatepark elements and made substantial progress on installing the park’s adjacent sidewalks. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) anticipates completion in Fall 2025.

Behind the construction fencing closing the park to visitors, people will now see the telltale shapes of purpose-built skateboard amenities, including a prominent clover bowl, mini-ramp, railings/rails, and other skills-building elements. Crews have created the outlines of three new play zones north of the skatepark. However, only the surrounding park benches are visible, as the selected play equipment will arrive later in the construction schedule.

Pedestrians will soon gain some new sidewalk sections on SE 89th Avenue and SE Taylor Street. However, the new sidewalk sections are not continuous and only surround the park at 9004 SE Taylor Street and the frontage of one private residence. Planners working on the project did not include connected sidewalks around the park’s block and across SE 89th Avenue from Berrydale Park as first planned because most property owners did not want to participate in a Local Improvement District (LID) that would have required those participants share in the construction costs. The expense to each participant would have been less than if each homeowner conducted the work individually, but the $24,000 share was more than some residents wanted to pay.

Graphic showing sidewalk addition. Courtesy PBOT

Without the larger LID, the City only improved a little over 200 feet SE 89th Avenue with a standard curb and sidewalk segment built on the east side. The west side received a small concrete lip to mitigate gravel spilling from the unpaved shoulder onto the asphalt. They also created asphalt driveway connectors or stubs over the gravel parking strip to minimize wear and further contain gravel spillage. The resulting street appears narrow and unfinished, with the new infrastructure stranded mid-block. However, as property in the area redevelops over the coming decades, those property owners will need to build sidewalks and complete the road along their frontage.

  • SE 89th Ave looking north
  • SE 89th Ave looking south
  • South sidewalk on SE Taylor St looking east
  • South sidewalk on SE Taylor St looking west

Crews will work to complete the new skatepark facility, new pathways, new lighting, and a new playground this spring and summer leading up to a grand opening. Until then, onlookers will continue to see the once-sleepy park grow, offering enticing amenities for parkgoers of all ages.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Berrydale Park Closed for Renovations

Recently, crews with Faison Construction fenced off Berrydale Park at 9004 SE Taylor Street for a nearly year-long renovation. On October 24th, workers disassembled old play equipment so heavy equipment could regrade the site’s ground to prepare it for a new playground design and the installation of a skatepark at the southeast corner of the 1956-era park. Work will continue through Summer 2025, when Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) intends to unveil the new facilities, bordered by enhanced sidewalks and illuminated by new lighting.

Crews taking apart slide in Berrydale Park’s playground

During 2021 and 2022, PP&R staff worked with the community to select Berrydale Park’s new design. Parks department leaders identified this park as an ideal location for expanding skateboard facilities and designated funds collected from System Development Charges (SDC) for the park’s upgrade. This money is not part of the city’s general fund or the park’s operating budget. Developers pay into the fund when building new structures to support the creation or enhancement of public resources. It is a way to ensure that increased density does not come at the detriment of existing neighborhood infrastructure. During planning, the proposed budget doubled, with the then Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio increasing allocated funds to $3.0 million from an original $1.5 million budget. This increased funding allowed for a significant playground update, with pathway and lighting enhancements throughout the park.

City staff used the proposed Berrydale Park project to investigate constructing adjacent sidewalks on SE Taylor Street and 89th Avenue. However, neighbor opposition to their required financial contribution to the project caused the city to focus sidewalk work on park frontages. In December 2022, the Portland City Council amended the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District (LID) proposal, removing all but one private residence and significantly reducing the scope of infrastructure upgrades. The original LID included the construction of new curbs and sidewalks on both sides of SE 89th Avenue adjacent to Berrydale Park. The LID would have also added sidewalks on the south side of SE Taylor Street from 92nd Avenue to 89th Avenue.

The Berrydale Park Improvement Project’s progress can be followed at the PP&R website. Most construction activity will occur along SE 92nd Avenue, but work extends across most of the park. By next summer, the new park should reopen with modern and desirable amenities to meet community needs.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

Construction, Infrastructure

Corner Reconstruction Along SE 92nd Ave at Yamhill

Soon, road crews will demolish the existing sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Ave at SE Yamhill Street and reconstruct them with improved curb ramps. The current crossing infrastructure no longer complies with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards and is in poor condition. Work on this project will also allow for improved stormwater management.

Over the last two years, crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have updated many sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue near Berrydale Park and the adjacent Portland Public School campus. PBOT prioritizes projects along school routes as those projects often receive dedicated funding, and the city’s transportation bureau must reconstruct a set number of non-ADA-compliant sidewalk corners yearly to meet the 2018 Curb Ramp Consent Decree requirements. 

As work progresses, SE 92nd Avenue will eventually become universally accessible to all pedestrians traveling from SE Stark to SE Division Street. Look for crews to begin demolition at the intersection within the next few weeks and continue work through the end of the year. Partial lane closures could be necessary as equipment operates at the road’s edge. Pedestrians may need to cross the street to avoid sidewalk detours.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update: This article was updated with a new link to Consent Decree information.

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Corner Reconstruction on SE 92nd

Crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) are reconstructing sidewalk corners across Montavilla this summer, focusing on the SE Stark and Washington couplet. That work included a previously challenging Intersection for pedestrians at SE 92nd Avenue and Washington Street. Crossing improvements are also underway south along SE 92nd Avenue at Taylor, near Berrydale Park. The new sidewalk infrastructure feature Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant crosswalk ramps, improved stormwater management, and extended corners to shorten crossing distance and provide more space for people waiting to cross.

The northeast corner of SE 92nd Avenue and Washington Street was too small for safe pedestrian use. A utility pole blocked the few feet of sidewalk available to anyone walking along SE Washington, and water would flow over the sidewalk on its way to the often clogged storm drain. The new sidewalk corner repositions the drain and pushes the corner into the street, creating more pedestrian space. Each of the eight curb ramps at this intersection now aligns with the direction of travel, making it safer for sight-impaired people and those using a wheelchair to cross in a straight line. The north side of SE Washington Street still lacks functional sidewalk width from SE 92nd to 94th Avenues. However, this is a substantial improvement in pedestrian safety.

SE 92nd Ave and Washington St’s northeast corner before reconstruction

Down the street, crews are beginning work at SE 92nd Avenue and Taylor Street. These new corners will help people access Berrydale Park and the adjacent school. Corner improvements will create better crossings and prepare the area for the Berrydale Park Improvement Project, which will update sidewalks around the public greenspace in 2025. Walking along SE 92nd Avenue should soon become more accessible and safe for all users. Expect construction to continue through the summer.

By

Jacob Loeb

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

Community, Demolition

Jade District Community Garden Threatened by PPS

On Tuesday, June 13th, at 6 p.m., the Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board will hear public comment and consider the permanent closure of the Harrison Park Community Garden. Community gardeners and Jade District residents who rely on the public green space have initiated a petition urging PPS to reconsider their decision. Removing this urban micro-farming location will severely limit garden access for the culturally diverse population in the community and hamper district initiatives to expand green spaces.

In 2015, the Jade District group initiated the Harrison Park Community Garden‘s creation. It filled a gap in green space for area residents and made urban farming more accessible with multilingual sign-up sheets and instructions. The City of Portland has a long history with community gardens dating back to 1975. Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) operates 60 Community Gardens located throughout Portland. However, those facilities are not always reasonably accessible to every Portlander. The closest alternative to the Jade District location is the Berrydale Community Garden, whose limited space may not support the displaced gardeners.

The community garden supporters sent a letter to the PPS Board outlining the importance of the space and suggesting alternatives to a full closure and removal of the public green space. In the public letter, the authors explain that “many residents who utilize the garden do so to grow culturally specific varieties [of produce] that they are otherwise unable to find in Portland. It allows lower-income residents, renters, and those living in apartments to be able to access healthy nutritious foods at a lower cost than grocery stores.” They ask that people support the petition and come to the School Board Meeting held at 501 N Dixon Street or email letters to publiccomment@pps.net.

PPS is removing the garden to make way for expanded education space. If the board does not overturn the PPS staff’s decision, demolition of the now overgrown garden will occur sometime next month. People interested in providing comments should do so before Tuesday at 6 p.m. and look for updates regarding this community garden in the coming weeks.

PortlandMaps Image with Montavilla News illustration showing garden boundary

By

Jacob Loeb

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

Construction, Infrastructure

Smaller LID Maintains Sidewalk Gaps

Yesterday, the Portland City Council amended the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District (LID) proposal, removing all but one private residence and significantly reducing the scope of infrastructure upgrades. The original LID included the construction of new curbs and sidewalks on both sides of SE 89th Avenue adjacent to Berrydale Park. The LID would have also added sidewalks on the south side of SE Taylor Street from 92nd Avenue to 89th Avenue. The amendments refocussed the LID on pedestrian improvements around the Park’s boundary, including just one home that sits between Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) owned lots.

Portland’s Local Improvement District Administrator, Andrew Aebi, recommended this change based on feedback from the homeowners initially included in the LID. Aebi explained that most potential LID members he communicated with opposed the $24,000 LID contribution. Local Improvement Districts form when a majority of property owners in an area elect to pool private funds with the City of Portland, sharing the new infrastructure expense. In early versions of the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St LID, several City bureaus covered an outsized portion of construction cost compared to private property owners. However, even the subsidized infrastructure investment exceeded what some affected homeowners felt they could afford.

Amended SE 89th & Taylor LID area

When the project first appeared at Portland City Council on October 12th, neighbors had already mobilized a combined opposition to the LID. Those efforts continued over the next month, with residents contacting Aebi and media outlets. The ordinance returned to the Mayor and City Commissioners on December 7th with proposed amendments that all but unraveled the LID but gained the support of the original LID participants. City Council approved the amendments and will hold the final vote on December 14th after a second reading.

The original scope of the proposal will remain with the ordinance. The now-approved amendments remove participant obligations and reduce planned work. Aebi recommended this approach to save time and retain a record of the process. Scrapping the LID would force PP&R back to the public works permitting process, delaying Berrydale Park’s renovation planned for Spring 2024. City staff also felt it important that future home buyers know an attempt to provide sidewalk infrastructure occurred. The houses that would have participated in the LID will have a $0 obligation recorded against the property referencing this LID, but they will not receive any upgrades. The lone participating private residence at 9020 SE Taylor Street will gain a sidewalk, and the owners are obligated to contribute $23,959.55 to the project’s cost.

Original SE 89th & Taylor LID

As amended, the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St LID will repave a portion of SE 89th Avenue and provide a disconnected sidewalk along the Park’s edge. However, it fails to create any measurable improvement to this area’s poor pedestrian infrastructure. Residents using SE 89th Avenue in anything other than a car face significant challenges. Pedestrians using SE Taylor Street will continue crossing over to the north side of the street for sidewalk access. Without the improvements to the northwest corner of the Park’s block, people requiring a walkway will need to travel through Berrydale Park on the new paths created during the Park’s renovations.

Image courtesy Portland Parks & Recreation

According to Andrew Aebi, opposition to the LID was based on costs alone. In his presentation to City Council, he explained that most remonstrances mentioned support for curbs and sidewalks, but not at the proposed price. That observation highlights the problem with infrastructure improvement models that require private funding. Lower-priced houses without sidewalks or paved streets sometimes attract buyers without extra income for upgrades. That creates streets of people who opt out of LIDs due to budgetary constraints. The City Council members and Aebi understood the financial burden this LID placed on these homeowners. The introduction and adoption of the amendments reflect that understanding. However, for non-participate supporters of the LID, this change denies them access to sidewalks, and they are left wondering how improvements will ever occur on their street.

There is no current solution to Portland’s sidewalk funding shortfall. New home builders must construct sidewalks with their projects or pay a Local Transportation Infrastructure Charge (LTIC). Property owners must pay to keep their sidewalks in good repair and accessible for people of all mobility needs. Eventually, homeowners on unimproved streets or places that lack sidewalks will have to pay for the creation of those street amenities. The timing of that is uncertain as City officials and citizens struggle with when to demand property owners pay for that infrastructure. For now, City leaders have passed that decision on to the next generation of homeowners.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Infrastructure

SE 89th and Taylor LID’s Burden and Benefit

On October 12th, Portland City Council approved a declaration of intent to form the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District (LID). This proposed infrastructure project would rebuild 450 feet of SE 89th Avenue adjacent to Berrydale Park, adding curbs and sidewalks to this partially paved roadway. The LID would also add sidewalks on the south side of SE Taylor Street from 92nd Avenue to 98th Avenue. Although unanimously approved, the Council members expressed deep concerns regarding the financial burden placed on the adjacent homeowners, some of whom testified against this LID’s formation.

Local Improvement Districts form when a majority of property owners in an area elect to pool private funds with the City of Portland, sharing the cost of infrastructure construction. Landowners commonly use LIDs to improve unpaved streets and reconstruct paved roads not built to current engineering standards. Although SE 89th Avenue has paved travel lanes, it’s bordered by curbless gravel shoulders, lacks stormwater management, and has no sidewalks. Andrew Aebi, Portland’s Local Improvement District Administrator, worked with Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to propose this LID formation ahead of Berrydale Park’s renovation in the Spring of 2024. Portland Parks & Recreation owns the majority of street frontages included in this LID and will shoulder the bulk of its costs.

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) chose to pursue this expanded infrastructure improvement project based on lessons learned from the missed opportunities of past projects. In 2007, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) built Holly Farm Park in a neighborhood of SW Portland without sidewalks, consistent curbs, or stormwater management. Crews constructed the missing infrastructure around the Park’s frontage and reconstructed the road to the center of the street. However, the properties across from the Park still lack sidewalks and stormwater management. Aebi pointed to this project as a turning point in the City. The lost opportunity to improve conditions for adjacent residents was glaring. PP&R now collaborates with the other Portland bureaus to include infrastructure upgrades during Park construction and encourages LID formations so area residents can take advantage of discounted upgrades made cheaper by piggybacking on funded projects.

At last Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Aebi explained that regardless of a LID’s formation, the Berrydale Park project will include curb and sidewalk construction on PP&R property. However, as is now standard procedure, City staff proposed the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District to offer cost savings to adjacent property owners. If this LID is approved by City Council on November 30th, residences involved in the LID could pay substantially less for the infrastructure improvements. “We have structured this LID so that Parks pays the lion’s share of LID Costs,” said Aebi. The savings stem from an 800,000 commitment to the LID from PP&R and other City contributions intended to defer the financial burden placed on homeowners. The City will cover all roadway reconstruction costs and only ask residents to pay for the curbs and sidewalks built in front of their property.

Even with all the expected cost savings for property owners, the City is seeking a significant sum. If City Council enacts the LID as presented, 14 property owners will each contribute close to $24,000. Payment is due after LID work is completed, with the option to pay over time. Financed over 20 years, people would pay $165 per month for the infrastructure added to their property. Although not an exorbitant amount, people on fixed incomes could face hardship due to the forced monthly payment. Commissioner Dan Ryan expressed reluctance to approve the LID, fearing that this financial imposition could jeopardize retired people’s ability to age in place.

Looking west on SE Taylor showing where the sidewalk ends at SE 89th

In addition to the homeowners opposed to the LID, City Council heard from three testifiers in favor of the project. However, those in support of the LID were not members of the planned improvement district. Instead, they all lived near Berrydale Park and planned to use the sidewalk infrastructure to navigate the neighborhood. One speaker, who uses a wheelchair, mentioned the challenges of moving around his street due to the lack of curb ramps and sidewalks. His testimony highlighted the shared responsibility for infrastructure in a community and how delaying these updates will negatively impact other people on the street.

City staff will keep working with affected property owners and try to find options that everyone can accept. Andrew Aebi anticipates returning to Council in November with two different proposals for a LID in this area. He intends to present an option that will fully modernize the public infrastructure around the Park’s property and another that creates fewer enhancements but still builds the pedestrian access needed for parkgoers and schoolchildren walking to this destination. City Council will hear this item next month and likely vote on the LID formation in December. 

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Corner Reconstruction Near Park on SE 92nd

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) intends to update the sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue at Taylor and Yamhill Streets. These intersections provide multimodal access for pedestrians traveling to Berrydale Park and the adjacent public school. Work will add ramps to crossing points that currently lack them and replace outdated single-ramp corners.

Circles indicate curb ramp construction. Image from Portland Maps with illustrations by Montavilla News

Corners at these two intersections will use a dual ramp configuration that allows pedestrians to travel in a straight path across the roadway. Older single-ramp designs direct uses towards the intersection’s center point and require wheel-assisted pedestrians to change direction twice while crossing a street. Crews will also add a mid-block ramp to compensate for the shifted alignment of SE Taylor Street. New ramps will use the raised truncated dome pads at the street’s edge. Those yellow strips provide detectable warnings to people with vision impairments. The distinctive surface pattern of bumps are detectable by cane or underfoot, alerting people to street crossings and hazardous drop-offs.

Unlike other recent corner reconstructions in the area, this project will not incorporate curb extensions. Those sidewalk enhancements reduce pedestrian crossing distances and place the sidewalk zone at the outer edge of the parking lane. Road crews previously constructed curb extensions at SE 92nd Avenue and Market Street. However, that work was part of the East Portland Access to Employment and Education project that prioritized bike and pedestrian safety.

These sidewalk corner enhancements will assist school children and park users in traveling to their destinations. In 2024, Berrydale Park should see an increase in usage after a $3.75 million renovation planned for the currently sleepy city green space. Work may occur this year. However, as winter approaches, this project could push back to 2023. Pedestrians using these sidewalks should anticipate some detours when work begins.

Mid-block ramp in alignment with SE Taylor Street

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Berrydale Park’s Skatepark Design Reveal June 29

The third and final Berrydale Park Open House Survey is available online through July 13th.

Article first published June 24th, 2022.

On Wednesday, June 29th, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) staff will present the final design for the new Berrydale skatepark at an open house. Residents are invited to attend from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the southeast corner of Berrydale Park, at 9004 SE Taylor Street. At the event, PP&R will continue soliciting community feedback on new playground design options included in the Berrydale Park Improvement Project.

Image courtesy Portland of Parks & Recreation. Image does not represent the final design

Next week’s gathering is the third and final open house for the $3.75 million renovation project. The proposed budget doubled over the last year, with Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio increasing allocated funds to $3.0 million from an original $1.5 million budget. The bureau will source that money from System Development Charges (SDC) and not the City’s general budget. PP&R’s planned upgrades will significantly enhance the recreational amenities at the 66-year-old City park. The proposed upgrades will create a new skatepark facility, new pathways, new lighting, street improvements, and a new playground.

This open house is the last time the public can significantly influence the future appearance of the Berrydale Park Improvement Project. After a full year of community engagement, the project is now at the end of the design phase. Beginning in Fall 2022, City engineers will develop the construction documentation needed to secure permits and hire contractors. Construction crews will break ground on the project in the Spring of 2024, with the new park amenities opening in 2025.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.