Tag: Stark Street

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Stark Street Knitting Mill

Q – What was the Monticello Antique Marketplace building originally?

A – This is a tricky question and one I’ve puzzled over for several years. When you look closely at the 8600 SE Stark Street building, you can see it was built in stages.

I haven’t been able to date all the components, but the earliest one is the two-story building at the corner of Stark and 86th Avenue. If you enter the Marketplace here, you are standing in what was the Dehen Knitting Mills company, a manufacturer of knitted clothing. Just imagine this space filled with busy workers and the clattering of knitting and sewing machines.

Delving into the history of the Dehen company, a fascinating story of a German immigrant and his American family unfolded. The story began with Wilhelm Peter Isenberg (1879-1955), later known as William P. Dehen.

He was born in the beautiful southern German city of Trier, where wool textile production dates back to Roman times. Both his paternal and maternal families were engaged in the manufacturing and sale of knitted wool garments. In 1920, Dehen told a reporter for Olympia’s Washington Standard that, as a youth, he had worked in his father’s knit-goods factory and had studied textile technology at Germany’s prestigious Reutlingen University.

He immigrated to the U.S. in 1903 and—again, according to the Standard—brought the first fully automatic knitting machine to the National Knitting Mills in Milwaukee. By 1905, he had Anglicized his first name to William, but he kept his surname until about 1914. Then, perhaps because of building anti-German sentiment on the eve of World War I, he adopted his mother’s family name, Dehen.

According to Dehen’s grandchildren, Liz Artaiz and Mike Dehen, someone encouraged William to seek his fortune on the West Coast. By 1906, he was working for a knitting mill in San Francisco, but shortly after he arrived, it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. In 1907, he and his brother Mathias established their own knitting company in southern California. By 1909, he was back in San Francisco working as a superintendent for the Acme Knitting Company.

William Dehen (foreground) working at a knitting machine at an unknown location.  Source: TEDX talk by Benjamin Dehen-Artaiz

In San Francisco, William met Celia A. Schmitt (1885-1970), the daughter of a German immigrant born near Trier. Celia helped run the knitting companies they established in Seattle and Portland between 1915 and 1920. The couple had four children: Henry (b. 1910), Rosemary (b. 1912), Alvira (b. 1914), and William (b. 1922). All except Rosemary, who died tragically in a fire in 1915, would work in the Montavilla factory.

1925 Dehen Knitting Mills building at the corner of Stark and 86th. Photo source: Kelli Vinther, Monticello Antique Marketplace owner

According to Dehen family descendants, William and Celia were destitute when they moved to Portland (probably in 1921), so William had to work as a night watchman at Jantzen Knitting Mills. By 1922, they had opened Dehen Knitting Mills on Stark Street, probably in a preexisting building. In 1925, they commissioned a purpose-built, two-story factory at the corner of Stark and 86th Avenue (which is now the northwest end of the Monticello marketplace). The Oregon Daily Journal of May 9, 1925, reported that the new mill had two floors for production and a basement for storing yarn and other knitting supplies. The five employees produced sports sweaters and bathing suits on German knitting machines.

The Dehen family (Celia, William, and Henry, back; Alvira and Bill) standing in front of the 1925 Dehen building at Stark and SE 86th. Photo courtesy of Dehen 1920

The Dehen mill produced a variety of knitted wool garments––sweaters, bathing suits, underwear, dresses, skirts, and jackets––and sold them to wholesale and retail customers. By 1928, the Dehen company had 15 employees.

In 1927, the company acquired a Jacquard circular knitting machine specifically designed for wool bathing suits.

Dehen ad for a worsted sweater coat. Source: The Sunday Oregonian, February 21, 1926

Woolen bathing suits were popular in the 1920s.  Photo source: ad in the Roseburg New Review, July 1, 1926

The Dehen business continued to grow. In 1927, they added a one-story building behind the 1925 mill. (This still exists on the south side of the antique mall.) By this time, the Dehen mill had 26 knitting machines and 24 sewing machines to produce sweaters, bathing suits, underwear, dresses, skirts, athletic suits, and shirts.

1927 addition to the Dehen Knitting Mill.  Photo source: The Sunday Oregonian, January 1, 1928

After the stock-market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Depression, the Dehen company fell on challenging times. Customers were unable to pay for products. The bank foreclosed. But the business would continue. According to William’s son Bill, his father and a few friends liberated some knitting machines and yarn. With these supplies, the family continued to produce knit goods in the basement of their new home in Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood. They sold them in a storefront at 730 SW 10th Avenue (now the Galleria building). At one point, they even had to sell their goods door-to-door in Gresham, sometimes trading for food.

Despite the lean Depression years, the business survived and ultimately thrived. William and Celia lived to see the company turn around and succeed. Today, Jim Artaiz, husband of Dehen’s granddaughter Liz, runs the Dehen 1920 in Portland, producing high-quality knit goods. For more on the company’s history, you can watch the Portland TEDX talk by Benjamin Dehen-Artaiz, great-grandson of William Dehen, on YouTube. You can also see the current line of knit products on the Dehen 1920 website. Additionally, you can visit their retail store at 1040 NE 44th Avenue to see some of their knit goods and even see the current mill with its knitting and sewing machines.

So, what happened to the Dehen Mill Building? When the Dehens left in 1934, the Coast Printing Company (later the Coast Salesbook Company) moved in. This company was purchased in 1968 by Ennis Business Forms, a national corporation. In 1999, Kelli Vinther purchased the building and transformed it into the Monticello Antique Marketplace. At some point during these decades, the owners built additions to the Dehen Knitting Mill to create the antique mall and Monti’s restaurant complex that is the Montavilla institution of today.

By

Patricia Sanders

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

Bar, Food and Drink, New Business

Dingo’s Sports Pub for East SE Stark

In early September, Dingo’s Sports Pub opened at 8826 SE Stark Street, replacing the Beer Brats & Beats venue with an Australian-style sports bar. Owner Brendan Jones has transformed this space several times since opening in late 2021. This iteration pulls inspiration from his national roots with a light Aussie theme that offers a brighter, quieter sports bar experience.

Dingo’s displays four large screens showing American and Australian sports, with a variety of indoor table and bar seating. A bank of glass-fronted coolers behind the bar stock an array of local beer selections and two on-theme imports. “We absolutely support the Northwest beer because it’s the best in the world, having just reaffirmed that in my mind, going to Australia [recently]. There’s no comparison there, but I do have a couple of Australian beers, the iconic Foster’s Victoria Bitter and Coopers, which is our best craft beer,” said Jones. On the other hand, the majority of the food menu incorporates many flavors of his upbringing. “I’m focusing on the great Australian meat pie and the great Australian sausage roll. That food is such a huge part of our football sport culture because it’s readily available and easy to hold.” People can also order grilled cheese prepared several ways and veggie pies or spinach rolls as meat-free options. Dingo’s will continue to serve the espresso and full bar selection patrons of the previous iterations enjoyed.

Australian roll and meat pie pictures courtesy Dingo’s Sports Pub

Brendan Jones moved to the United States in 2001 and embraced his new country. However, a recent trip home rekindled his interest in his heritage. “I had a sort of a patriotic, nostalgic kind of reconnection to Australia when I went down there recently,” explained Jones. On his return, he set to work reshaping his storefront on SE Stark Street to match his vision, but not in the cartoonish fashion often seen in other Australian-themed ventures. Instead, he wanted to capture the feeling of his native country’s local pub, which primarily serves the neighborhood. “This really does feel like an Aussie pub, just straight off the bat because our drinking establishments are light. There are big windows, and you know it’s a very bright country in terms of sunlight, and that’s what I wanted to reflect here,” remarked Jones.

Unlike the classic American dark and loud sports pub, Dingo’s patrons will notice natural light streaming in from the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and the general openness inside. Tables are widely spaced so people can come in groups and not feel on top of one another. Jones noted that he is conservative with screen placement around the pub, ensuring that TVs do not overstimulate guests. “I’ve been to those bars where you just sort of feel like your head’s gonna pop [from the distraction]. So it’s more of a happy balance of laid-back enjoyment without it being over the top,” said Jones. He explained that it is important for Montavilla residents living east of 82nd to have a “Local” in the British and Australian sense. A comfortable third place that is not home or work where neighborhood people can relax or meet friends.

Dingo’s Sports Pub is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. People can follow the company’s Instagram page for special games and updates. Visitors are welcome to walk in from the neighborhood. However, a newly resurfaced parking lot offers five standard parking stalls and one reserved accessible space for guests.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

New Business, Top 2025

Storied Vintage Opening on SE Stark

On August 21st, Storied Vintage opened its new Montavilla location at 7850 SE Stark Street after relocating from a 1,000-square-foot space at the Brooklyn Mall on NE Sandy Boulevard. This leap into a dedicated storefront reflects three years of business growth for store owner Jana Fulop. The family-run shop is still developing its hours during this soft launch, but Fulop anticipates hosting an official opening in early September.

Store owner Jana Fulop

Jana Fulop grew her furniture restoration career from a 20-year-long hobby that has roots in her childhood. She grew up outside Portland near Mt. Hood, where pre-owned furniture was more abundant and cost-effective than new furniture. That foundational experience and a desire to reduce consumer waste led Fulop on a life-long effort to rescue quality furniture that is difficult to find in contemporary stores. During her downtime from her marketing and interior design profession, Fulop would put on music and restore furniture for private resale or on commission. However, when the pandemic left her without a job, she made the leap to full-time refinished furniture sales. With the encouragement of Fulop’s spouse, the business grew from 100 square foot space to 1,000 square feet.

Not long after the Brooklyn Mall relocated from SE Milwaukie Avenue to NE Sandy Boulevard, curiosity prompted Fulop to look at a dedicated space where she could bring in her own partner creators and grow the company’s offerings. She was interested in the storefront recently vacated by Endure Vintage. However, she soon learned that Flipside Hats was moving into that smaller storefront, making their larger space with a 1,200 square foot showroom available. It was a tough choice to leave the comfort of her current situation and take on a larger, dedicated space. However, the location won them over. “The minute I walked in here, I’m like, ‘Yep, this is my store.’ It just works,” said Fulop. Even in the short time since she opened the doors, it has seemed like the right choice. “It’s been amazing, honestly, and the community has been fantastic. It’s just been really great, you know, some places you don’t get that,” remarked Fulop.

Although furniture and housewares are still arriving in the shop, Fulop has already filled the showroom with reconditioned items and new products that use reclaimed materials. Fulop tries to make sure she has reasonable prices on her items. Thinking back on her upbringing, she hopes people find essential items they can afford in her store alongside the higher-end showpiece furniture on display. The shop features a mix of styles spanning years of durable and creative furniture. “I’m not a purist in the sense that I have to stick to one style. I sell a little bit of everything. I do a lot of mid-century. I carry a lot of antiques and primitive pieces, such as art deco when it’s a good piece,” explained Fulop.

People can also find mixed animal prints on parchment from Whatif Creations. “Jesse is a local Portland artist, and she has all these funky animal prints. She was a social worker working with kids, and she’d draw little things for them to engage with. They would ask, ‘What would happen if you mixed a turtle and a giraffe? What would that look like?’ So she started making these [drawings], and then it turned into a full-time business for her,” said Fulop. Shoppers will find a collection of jewelry made from vintage 1970s tiles alongside other adornments on display next to the sales counter. Throughout the store, visitors will discover hardwood products made by Tropical Salvage. For nearly 30 years, that company has imported discarded wood from Indonesia to build furniture and homewares.

Managing a business will be a balancing act for someone like Jana Fulop, who is primarily interested in doing restoration work and needs that production time to ready items for sale. Fortunately, her niece watches the shop a couple of days a week, allowing the shop owner to work in the back, refinishing furniture or working on operational issues. However, she will also bring in more per-owned items that do not require refinishing. Additionally, partnering with environmentally friendly companies like Tropical Salvage is another way for the store to have inventory on the floor that does not require constant sourcing like the pre-owned items.

Fulop is happy with her move to Montavilla and looks forward to adapting the shop to meet local tastes and interests. The shop’s name comes from her desire to share stories through the pieces on display. With the large windows and skylights filling the sales floor with natural light, each classic piece of unique furniture can show its history and its refreshed potential to continue life in another home. Storied Vintage is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Jana Fulop and her husband are Seventh-day Adventists and do not work during the day on Saturdays.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

History

Montavilla History Questions Answered: Milepost 5 Stone

Q – What is the milepost 5 stone on SE Stark Street?

A – Here is the short answer. This obelisk-shaped stone is a wayfinding tool, also called a milestone or a milemarker. Historically, they were put up along roads to indicate the distance to or from a particular place. Here, the “P” stands for Portland, and the “5” stands for the distance from that place. 

This milepost is one of 15 erected at one-mile intervals along SE Stark Street. Nine survive, but not necessarily in their original locations. Milepost 5 may have been moved around during later street construction, but it is still approximately five miles from downtown Portland.

Milepost 5, 7724 SE Stark Street (Jacob Loeb)

The Milepost 5 marker is listed in the Portland Historical Landmark inventory, which places its installation date as 1854, the same year Stark Street was created. In that year, the Clackamas County Commission, in response to a property owner’s petition, approved the construction of a dirt road from the Willamette to the Sandy River. It followed the base line surveyed for the Territory of Oregon in 1851 and became known as Base Line Road (now SE Stark Street).

Google Maps detail showing the location and status of the original 15 milestones along SE Stark Street

Mileposts or milestones have a long history, dating back to the Roman Empire. The ancient Romans erected them along important roads at one-mile intervals, which for them was 1,000 double paces (.9 of our mile). Milestones were also used in Britain from the Middle Ages on.

This 1741 British milestone has a truncated obelisk shape like the ones found along Stark Street. Source: Alan Rosevear article in Milestones & Waymarkers, vol. 1, 2004

Milestones were used in America from colonial times until the early 20th century. Colonial Postmaster Benjamin Franklin wanted these markers on post roads to improve mail service efficiency. In Oregon, the importance of mile markers for wayfinding was encoded into territorial law. In the 1850s, Oregon laws required mileposts on territorial roads and made it a crime to remove or destroy milestones, mileboards, or guideboards.

Milestone marker on the Boston Post Road. Photo source: Wikimedia

By the 1920s, the old mileposts were being replaced with modern standardized road signs. But on our freeways, we still apply the old Roman system of identifying distance in relation to a significant destination.

By

Patricia Sanders

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

Community, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Montavilla Street Fair July 28

The 11th Montavilla Street Fair had record attendance in 2024, with an estimated 25,000 people walking along SE Stark Street from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues. The day started overcast, keeping temperatures lower than the previous two years. However, by the afternoon, the skies were solid blue. Temperatures climbed over the remaining hours until the vendors broke down their booth at 6 p.m. After the fair, many attendees remained in the neighborhood, dining and drinking at local restaurants and bars.

Original Article published July 20, 2024.

On Sunday, July 28th, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host the 11th annual Street Fair on SE Stark. Early that morning, crews will close the road from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues along with segments of side streets to allow the 150 booth operators to set up ahead of the 10 a.m. opening. This year’s event will run an hour later, allowing the anticipated 18,000 guests to stay until 6 p.m., with traffic returning to the street later that evening. Attendees will have access to four beer gardens and entertainment at four stages placed along the 1,400-foot-long community party.

On Wednesday, July 17th, sign installers placed the banner over SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, announcing the Street Fair dates to everyone passing by. Although many people in the area already marked the date on their calendars, raising the banner represents Montavilla’s invitation to Portland. Thousands of visitors attend this neighborhood event annually, driving record sales to local businesses and introducing people to the historic Montavilla downtown.

This year, event organizers added a teen music stage on SE 80th Avenue and a pet cooling station sponsored by Noble Woof Dog Training. Younger fairgoers can gather for kids’ focused singer-songwriters performing on the SE 79th Avenue Plaza Stage. The two main stages will feature a diverse mix of local Portland music and national touring artists. Many past fair booth operators are returning alongside a crop of new makers, food vendors, and organizations. As an extended bonus, the Montavilla Farmers Market will open during its regular hours on the 28th, allowing attendees access to more booths and food options at SE 76th Avenue and Stark.

Sponsorship from Adventist Health Portland and a grant from the Portland Office of Events & Film help fund what has become one of the largest street fairs in Portland. Other local businesses, like Mr. Plywood, Washman Car Wash, and OnPoint Community Credit Union, are supporting this year’s street fair. People can find day-of-event updates and the full music lineup, including performance times, at the METBA website (metba.org).

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Map courtesy METBA

Promotion: Montavilla News will have a booth at this year’s Montavilla Street Fair. Please see us for a free sticker. We hope to see you there.

Bar, Event, Food and Drink, History

Montavilla Brew Works 9yr Celebration

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

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

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

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

Daugherty Auto Service garage. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

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

Montavilla Brew Works construction. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

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

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

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

By

Jacob Loeb

Community, Entertainment, Event

HONK! Fest Returns June 8-9th

On Sunday, June 9th, HONK! Fest PDX will return to the Montavilla neighborhood for a free community festival of marching bands, drum lines, and other acoustic street bands. Last year’s celebration filled the streets with sounds, dancers, and neighbors from all over the area. Building on that success, the event organizers are back on SE Stark Street for its second day of sound celebration. Unlike last year’s HONK season-starter that occurred within Portland’s inner Eastside, the June 8th opening event will take place in East Portland at Lents Park. The proximity of the locations should allow more people to participate in both days.

Images courtesy HONK! PDX

HONK! bands draw inspiration from Klezmer, Balkan-Romani music, Brazilian Samba, Afrobeat and Highlife, Punk, Funk, Hip Hop, and the New Orleans second-line tradition. People attending the Saturday celebration should arrive at the south end of Lents Park on SE 92nd Ave and SE Steele Street between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Sunday, area residents and visitors to Montavilla Town can enjoy free music at the SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street plaza, Milwaukie Lumber parking lot, and a Beer Bunker-hosted stage from noon to 7 p.m. HONK! features Open Jam sessions each day where organizers encourage the audience to join the festival, playing their own instruments.

Honk! PDX 2024 Festival Bands

  • Analog Brass (Bellingham, WA)
  • Artesian Rumble Arkestra (Olympia, WA)
  • Beat Crunchers (Eugene, OR)
  • Brassless Chaps (Portland, OR)
  • Bug Complex (Portland, OR)
  • Chaotic Noise Marching Corps (Seattle, WA)
  • Cimarrona La Original Domingueña (Costa Rica)
  • Couch Brass (Portland, OR)
  • 8-Bit Brass Band (Seattle, WA)
  • The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra (Eugene, OR)
  • Filthy FemCorps (Seattle, WA)
  • Jesters Brass Marching Band (Portland, OR)
  • Kef (Eugene, OR)
  • MADBand (Eugene, OR)
  • Neon Brass Party (Seattle, WA)
  • Portland Samba (Portland, OR)
  • Portland Taiko (Portland, OR)
  • The Power Pep Band (Portland, OR)
  • Tacomarama Community Street Band (Tacoma, WA)
  • Unpresidented Brass Band (Portland, OR)

Event organizers recommend people bring chairs, picnic blankets, water, snacks, sunscreen, hula hoops, flowtoys, bubble makers, and dancing shoes. Although well-behaved dogs are allowed on a leash, the HONK! team cautions that the loud noises and crowds can overwhelm some animals. This June 8th and 9th event suits all ages, with music spanning a wide range of tastes. People interested in attending should mark their calendars for one or both days and consider donating to the event to help keep it going for years to come.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Speed Camera Van and NE 78th Closure

Motorists in Montavilla should use extra caution when driving on May 1st. Wednesday morning, commuters on SE Stark Street encountered a Portland Police Bureau Photo Enforcement van parked near SE 78th Avenue. Drivers traveling over the posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour saw their speed displayed on the van’s attached reader board and flash. To the north, posted road closure signs on NE 78th Avenue at E Burnside Street and NE Everett Street prohibit through traffic as Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews work in the roadway.

Although outside the active NE 78th Avenue project area, PBOT crews have begun repairing the sinkhole that appeared on that street last week near NE Glisan Street. NE 78th Avenue remains open on that segment, but cars must navigate barricades covering the sinkhole area. Look for construction to disrupt local travel as work progresses. 

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

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

Infrastructure

High-visibility Crossing at SE 80th and Stark

On April 18th, crews with Hicks Striping & Curbing began applying high-visibility crosswalks and bike crossings to SE Stark Street at SE 80th Avenue. Workers plan to continue the street painting process one block south on SE Washington, completing this section of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project. With road markings applied, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) can energize the rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB) installed at each intersection to aid pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross these busy streets. Winter weather delayed this work, leaving both intersections without painted lanes or crosswalks. This work is a welcomed update to what has grown to be a problematic crossing point during construction.

Road crews began project work at this intersection in June 2023, completing most infrastructure work by January 2024. During that time, street users did not have a marked crosswalk or the ability to use the installed RRFBs. According to PBOT representative Hannah Schafer, crossing lights require street markings. “We must complete the striping of the crosswalks before we can turn on the RRFBs. As soon as the weather allows, we plan to complete the striping, and then we will activate the RRFBs.” That delay frustrated many pedestrians who found that cars would not stop reliably for people attempting to cross.

Drivers traveling through these intersections and users of the Greenway should plan for delays and detours during this phase of work. Crews will need to close through traffic on SE 80th Avenue and reduce east-west travel lanes one at a time to apply the street markings. Work will take several days to complete, but the favorable weather forecast should allow for the speedy completion of this project. People on foot and bike should have a safer experience crossing SE Stark and Washington Streets at 80th shortly, thanks to the striped crosswalk, bike crossing, and RRFBs.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

Community, Crime

Speed Camera Van Calms Morning Commute

Thursday morning, commuters on SE Stark Street encountered a Portland Police Bureau Photo Enforcement van parked near SE 78th Avenue. Drivers traveling over the posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour saw their speed displayed on the van-attached reader board and a flash. Once the vehicle passes the van, another flash triggers as the van presumably captures additional photos of the speeder’s rear license plate.

Traffic enforcement vehicles often park in front of Mr. Plywood, capturing people driving through the center of Montavilla’s historic downtown. Speeding between the traffic lights at SE 82nd and 76th Avenues has become more dangerous since road work temporarily removed high-visibility crosswalks at SE 80th Avenue. For many business owners and residents, speeding along SE Stark is a significant concern because it is a two-lane, one-way road that encourages efficient vehicle throughput at higher than posted speeds. 

Portland is increasing the use of speed and red-light cameras across the city with three proposed additions in Montavilla along 82nd Avenue. Although the van’s placement could temporarily decrease speeding, a permanent installation is likely the only way to reduce dangerous driving without significant changes to the street’s design. Portland is seeing record-high traffic fatalities, with 2023 being the deadliest in the last three decades. Using vans like the one place on SE Stark Street and permanent traffic cameras could help reverse that trend, but additional tactics are likely needed.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay 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.