Neighborhood Clean Up 2010 – Vernon Drop Off Saturday

VERNON NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP
 Saturday, May 22 from 9 am to noon

DROP OFF SITE
Redeemer Lutheran Church
NE 20th & Killingsworth 

It’s time to clean out your house, get to know your neighbors, and connect with your Neighborhood or Community Association!  Feel free to bring your household goods and recyclable materials to the Vernon Neighborhood Clean-up this weekend.

What will be accepted:

• Yard waste: $15 per load.  Metro is not accepting yard debris this year, but Wood Waste Management on NE 47th has offered to waive their fee.  NO HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE.
•  REUSE area will be available again this year, these are household goods too good to throw away – so drop off or pick up something great at the clean-up event… what better form of recycling!
• Other items that will be excepted: scrap wood, metal and tires ($2 per tire)

Please sort your loads prior to help with unloading.  They will not be accepting paint, batteries, chemicals, light bulbs, sod, dirt, lathe & plaster – these items can all be taken to METRO (FREE of charge).

If this Saturday doesn’t work for you (because you’re attending the AHC events ) – there is one more Clean Up scheduled for Woodlawn on May 29th from 9 am to 1 pm.  Drop site: 6360 NE MLK Blvd.

Have a great weekend!

~Kori

Get Out This Weekend – Two Great Programs from the AHC

Both Events Take Place Saturday May 22, 2010

 

SPECIAL EVENT!

The Fox’s Lady: Holistic Weatherization Meets Historic Preservation

9:oo am to 4:00 pm (open house style event)

Admission is FREE with a suggested donation

5915 NE Rodney

Portland, OR 97217

 

No pre-registration is required for this event.  Guided tours will be given throughout the day.  Due to space constraints, each tour is limited to a maximum of 40 people and is a first-come first-serve basis. 

This event is supported by: EcoTech LLC, Energy Trust of Oregon, Clean Energy Works Portland, Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Lost Oregon - 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Members: $13   General Public $18
701 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97214

Lost Oregonlooks at a selection of resources from Oregon’s now-vanished built environment.  In the past 250 years, Oregonians have built, and then lost, many remarkable structures, from Chinook longhouses to the Capital Building, from nabob’s mansions to towering wooden trestles.  Wood, our most common construction material, is cheap and adaptable; it also burns well and rots easily.  Social and economic fluctuations have also driven changes in the built environment, as railroad trestles were superseded by freeway ramps, and country churches gave way to trail courts.

Historian, Richard Engeman is the author of Wood Beams and Railroad Ties: The History of Oregon’s Built Environment (Oregon Historical Society, 2005; online at www.ohs.org) and The Oregon Companion: a Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane (Timber Press, 2009).

Pre-registration is strongly suggested – visit the AHC online at www.VisitAHC.org or call the front desk at 503-231-7264.  

Have a great weekend!

~Kori   

Tips on choosing paint colors

This article came across my desk today and I thought I’d share because I’ve been in the predicament myself.  We have been “planning” to paint our house for YEARS… literally, years.  Both interior and exterior.  In the three years that we’ve been in our house – we have gotten the bathroom painted.  Last year, we decided we couldn’t wait any longer for the exterior but by the time we picked our colors it was September and needless to said, we got the house primed just prior to the winter rains coming.  We’ve lived with a pok-a-dotted house all winter and I can’t wait to finally paint! 

For those of you who are also planning those “easy” cosmentic projects around the house (I say “easy” because it’s not that easy and the hardest part is picking the color) here’s a few tips to get you started.

PAINT IT – from the Washington Post, May 6, 2010, by: Jura Koncius
Architect Adam McGraw and wife Eliza McGraw, a writer who sometimes reports on design, are fearless when it comes to choosing paint colors. Here is their philosophy on paints and some practical advice on selecting colors yourself.

• Find colors from your past that inspire you. The McGraws drew from their childhood rooms and every other place they’ve lived in for the paint colors for their bungalow in the Palisades. Your muse could be a favorite restaurant or a friend’s living room. Go to open houses in your neighborhood to help narrow your selections.
• Choose trim color carefully. There are hundreds of shades of white. The McGraws go-to trim paint is Atrium White by Benjamin Moore, a clean, crisp pick.
• Never believe you can settle on a color just from a paint chip. Buy a quart or small pot and paint broad swaths of color, inspecting them in sunlight and lamplight. The McGraws test paints in three places in a room before they commit: opposite windows, next to windows and going down both sides of a corner.
• Try a strong color in your kitchen. It’s a good place to make a color statement because the wall space you need to paint is usually very small due to cabinets and appliances. A bold color with white trim frames everything.
• Get over your fear of fan decks. If you find Benjamin Moore’s Color Preview fan of 1,621 colors overwhelming, go with a brand that has culled selections to a more manageable palette: Farrow & Ball, Restoration Hardware or Stark Paint. Or just stick with Benjamin Moore Historical Colors, 174 timeless shades inspired by 18th- and 19th-century interiors and architecture.

This article really promotes Benjamin Moore paints; however, here in Portland, we have a great alternative resource that is both frugal and environmentally friendly – check out METRO recycled paints.  Little tip: ask to see their “book” of expanded color choices just make sure that when you do decide on a color – get all the paint you need and a little extra because the next batch most likely will not match exactly.

Happy Painting!

~Kori

Metro Natural Areas Program receives a second positive review, gives $1.9 million in community grants

Great news for protecting some of our natural areas.  I recieved this press-release from Metro today – figured it may not make headline news but it’s always nice to hear something positive.

Metro Natural Areas Program receives a second positive review, gives $1.9 million in community grants
Projects include neighborhood-inspired light rail park-and-ride, creek restoration, natural area acquisition

Metro’s Natural Areas Program reached two milestones Thursday: an independent citizen oversight committee lauded the program for “staying on course,” and the Metro Council awarded $1.9 million in community nature grants.

Both accomplishments come shortly after Metro surpassed the halfway point toward its goal of protecting 4,000 acres with the region’s natural areas bond measure, which was approved in 2006 by voters in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Combined with a 1995 bond measure, Metro has acquired more than 10,000 acres.

“Independent citizen experts are echoing our belief that Metro’s Natural Areas Program is both responsible and visionary in protecting the region’s best natural resources,” said Metro Council President David Bragdon. “It’s appropriate that, on the day independent citizens are expressing their support, we are funding innovative projects championed by five local communities.”

The Metro Council accepted its second report from the 20-member citizen-based Natural Areas Program Performance Oversight Committee, which is charged with evaluating voters’ $227 million investment in rivers and streams, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Business, real estate, finance and nonprofit professionals on the committee focused on the changing economic climate during the time period covered by the report, from July 2008 through December 2009. Because desirable natural areas typically aren’t on the market, some owners may be inclined to wait out the economy, the report said. But, the evaluation concluded, Metro’s “skillful, tenacious” team of real estate negotiators made recession-appropriate deals.

The committee also analyzed Metro’s response to previous citizen and expert recommendations, such as  strengthening public and landowner outreach, learning from every potential transaction and developing additional tools to measure the success of the program. In every case, Metro has responded by improving, the report says.

“The enthusiasm with which Metro staff greeted the committee’s suggestions is encouraging,” said committee chairman Peter Krainock, CEO of American International Supply Inc. “They exhibited a genuine willingness to accept feedback and grow in order to generate an excellent outcome.”

The committee also praised Metro for bolstering the outreach and geographic diversity of its Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants program – on display Thursday as the Metro Council made its third round of awards, totaling $1.9 million. New grants more than double the amount that’s been awarded since the program chose its first recipients in 2008, bringing the tally to $3.3 million.

Capital grants are designed to involve the community in innovative projects that incorporate nature in their neighborhoods as the region grows.  Criteria include “re-naturing” neighborhoods by improving their ecology, restoring rare habitats, demonstrating cost-efficient design solutions and providing public access.

Capital grants are available to neighborhoods, community groups, nonprofit organizations, schools, cities, counties and public park providers. Recipients must match Metro awards with outside funding or in-kind services worth at least double the amount of the grant.

“This program helps nurture new projects, giving them the best possible shot at funding,” said Sue Marshall, volunteer chair of the capital grants review committee. “Today, we’re recognizing five groups that had the right mix of creativity, resources and momentum.”

The awards spanned the region and support everything from natural area acquisition to creek restoration to public structures:

Re-Greening Park Avenue park & ride
Recipient: TriMet, Urban Green
Partners: North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District, Oak Lodge Sanitary District, North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council
Grant amount: $349,305
Total project cost: $1 million

Finding inspiration in Metro’s Integrating Habitats design competition, this project will create the region’s first sustainable, habitat-friendly light rail station and park-and-ride. When TriMet’s new orange line zips into Oak Grove in 2015, commuters will experience a re-created riparian forest, a natural stormwater treatment system and many other green features at the Park Avenue stop along Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard. Agencies and community groups are collaborating to showcase development that balances design excellence, ecological stewardship and economic enterprise. Project partners hope to restore the Courtney and Kellogg creek basins and promote low-impact development throughout the McLoughlin corridor – showing community members, Trolley Trail users and thousands of MAX riders how to restore ecosystems in a built environment.

Trillium Creek restoration
Recipient: City of West Linn
Partners: Mary S. Young Volunteers, Willamette Riverkeepers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,  Harris Stream Service, Robinwood Neighborhood Association
Grant amount: $55,330
Total project cost: $179,000

Students, volunteers and other community members will come together to restore a degraded stream system at Mary S. Young State Park, creating a healthy riparian corridor. Severe bank erosion has compromised the 1,045-foot section of Trillium Creek that will be transformed. The project will restore floodplain connectivity and enhance the rich diversity of native trees, shrubs and other plants along the riparian corridor and adjacent wetlands in this West Linn park. 

Baltimore Woods connectivity corridor
Recipient: City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, Three Rivers Land Conservancy
Partners: Portland Parks & Recreation, Friends of Baltimore Woods, Audubon Society of Portland, SOLV, Port of Portland
Grant amount: $158,000
Total project cost: $475,000

The Metro grant will help purchase four parcels, totaling one acre, within the Baltimore Woods corridor in North Portland. This acquisition will protect rare native oak trees and enhance the nature experience for bicyclists, walkers and joggers who will someday use this section of the Willamette River Greenway Trail envisioned along the adjacent street. These parcels are part of a larger natural area corridor connecting Cathedral Park and Pier parks. Active participation from city agencies, land trusts, non-profit organizations and the Friends of Baltimore Woods will involve the community in restoration and long-term stewardship. 

Crystal Springs partnership
Recipient: City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Partners: Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Friends of Crystal Springs, Portland Parks & Recreation, Reed College
Grant amount: $311,480
Total project cost: $968,000

Crystal Springs has all the characteristics of an excellent salmon stream: It’s entirely spring-fed, which eliminates pollutants from urban runoff. Relatively consistent year-round flow and low temperatures attract some of Portland’s most threatened fish species. This project helps realize the stream’s potential by removing a culvert that blocks juvenile fish passage and restoring the floodplain and riparian habitat along 350 feet of the creek. Conservation easements or acquisition on three additional properties will allow future floodplain restoration.

Summer Creek natural area acquisition
Recipient: City of Tigard
Partners: The Trust for Public Land, Tualatin RiverKeepers, Tualatin Watershed Council, Fans of Fanno Creek, Washington County, Clean Water Services.
Grant amount: $1 million
Total project cost: $5.4 million

Metro will contribute to the acquisition of 43 acres of wetlands and mature forests at the confluences of Summer and Fanno creeks. The property is a high-profile natural area – the best remaining unprotected land in Tigard and, soon, the city’s second largest park. The site has functioned as an outdoor lab for students at Fowler Middle School. With the help of several community partners, this project will expand environmental education programs to students throughout Washington County.   

Metro, the regional government that serves 1.5 million people who live in the 25 cities and three counties of the Portland metropolitan area, provides planning and other services that protect the nature and livability of our region.
For more information about Metro’s Natural Areas Program, go to www.oregonmetro.gov/naturalareas

Think You Know Green – Take These Green Guide Quizes

National Geographic’s Green Guide: For Everyday Living is a great resource for everything from greener vacation travel to how to harvest rain water for your home and garden.  Here’s a couple of quick quizes to test your eco-knowledge around the house.

Quiz: Whole house, where does money leak out of your house?

Quiz: Bathroom, are you water wise?

Quiz: Laundry room, save money and greenhouse gas emissions simply by rethinking the way you wash your clothes.

Quiz: Bedroom, how heathy is yours?

Quiz: Kitchen, is your kitchen full of water hogs and old appliances?

Quiz: Living Room, learn how to rid your living room of energy vampires.

So how did you do?  Check out the National Geographic GREEN GUIDE for other great tips on how to live a greener life.

~Kori

HouseLogic: A Resource for Homeowners

Click Image to Play Video

NAR created this site to help consumers become more informed, responsible homeowners which in turn results in a more stable housing market.  As a homeowner, it’s in your best interest to maintain and protect your home for your own enjoyment and your overall financial investment.

Footnote and Disclaimer: From time to time, NAR may ask you to partner on issues or legislation that may impact you as a homeowner.  It’s up to you whether to participate in these causes.

I hope you find this site beneficial.  I have already marked a number of articles for future reference – we all need a little guidance when it comes to knowing what, when and how to protect our homes.

~Kori

Energy Efficiency and the Historic Home

Green Renovation in Seattle, WA

Just because your home is older or historic, does not mean it is energy-inefficient and it doesn’t mean that you have to replace all the original windows with vinyl.  This Saturday, the Architectural Heritage Center is featuring a program lead by Joy Sears, of the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), offering easy and relatively inexpensive ways to make your home more energy efficient while keeping its historic character intact. Whether you want to do-it-yourself or hire someone to do the work for you, this workshop will provide you with the information needed to get the job done right. You’ll even learn about contractors who specialize in historic repairs and suppliers of energy efficient products.

Joy has served as a Restoration Specialist for the Oregon SHPO since 2005. Prior to joining Oregon SHPO, she worked as a Restoration Specialist for five years with the South Dakota SHPO. She received her masters in Historic Preservation from the University of Oregonin 2001, where she worked on the restoration of Villard Hall, a National Historic Landmark.

COURSE INFORMATION 
Date:Saturday, February 20th
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Cost: $10 per person
Location: Architectural Heritage Center (AHC)
701 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR  97214
Register on-line or call 503-231-7264

If you’re not able to attend this course this coming weekend but have an interest in preservering your historic home while making it more energy efficient, check out these additional resources or contact the AHC for local guidance.

• National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Repair or Replace Old Windows: a visual look at the impact
• General Weatherization Links & Resources

Remember, when you are thinking about making your home more energy efficient to be more “green” – think about your overall “green” impact.  An existing home is often more green when you think about the fact the materials are already in place and the energy to create the structure has already been exhausted.  Restoration is often the more “green” choice.

~Kori

Did you know?

Wow, it’s been a busy start to 2010!  The market is hopping with activity, there are a number of new policies and procedures in place from lending to energy tax credits and we’re only in week two! 

Today I thought I’d just share a little did you know.  I know many of my friends and colleagues have set New Year’s resolutions – there are the same old culprits… loose weight, quit smoking, save money, etc. but I’ve also heard a number of your talk about becoming more “green” and taking strides in your everyday life to leave behind a healthier planet for the next generation.  So, here’s a little did you know about water to get you thinking…

10 Water Trivia Facts:

1. How much of the earth’s surface is water? 
80%
2. How much of the earth’s water is suitable for drinking water?
1%
3. How much water does an individual use daily?
 Over 100 gallons (all uses)
4. In which room is the most water used? Bathroom
5. How much water can you save by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and before bedtime? 8 gallons a day
6. How much water can a leaky toilet waste each day? 200 gallons
7. How much water is used in the average five-minute shower?
15-25 gallons
8. On the average, how much is used to hand wash dishes?
 9-20 gallons
9. How much water is used to produce a single day’s supply of U.S. newsprint? 
300 million gallons
10. How much water is used during the growing/production of a single orange?
13.8 gallons
    Source: Environmental Protection Agency

So, what can we do – well, we can turn off the water while we brush our teeth, take a shorter shower and make sure our water supplies are in good working order (i.e. facets, dishwashers, toilets, etc.).

With that being said, if you’re thinking about making any updates to your home this year – take a look at the Energy Trust of Oregon’s web site first.  You might be surprised, with the added tax incentives what might seem like a more expensive option (often the “greener” option) could be just as expensive or even less expensive than the less efficient model.  The Energy Trust offers incentives for dishwashers, clothes washers and water heaters in addition to other incentives for weatherization, lighting, solar and small wind options. 

For other ideas about how to make greener lifestyle changes for yourself and your home, check out EcoHatchery.com.  Make it a resolution to help preserve our planet!

~Kori

Changes to Energy Trust of Oregon Cash Incentives – January 2010

For those of you who have been thinking about making some energy saving improvements to your home after the holidays you may want to re-evaluate your timing depending upon your specific project.  As of January 1, 2010 a number of credits that had been approved through April 2010 will be amended resulting in a few reduced rebates as well as an increased incentive for direct-vent gas fireplaces.  If you’re thinking about making any improvements to your home you may want to prioritize based on the upcoming cash incentive changes.

Incentive changes for Oregon customers

Direct-vent gas fireplaces – increased incentive and lower requirements

Requirements for high-efficiency direct-vent gas fireplaces are changing from a minimum 80 percent AFUE specification to a tiered approach with varying incentive amounts for qualifying models, based on Fireplace Efficiency (FE) standards. A complete list of qualifying models will be posted to the trade ally and consumer-facing pages of our website by January 1, 2010:

Tier 1: Direct-vent gas fireplace with a minimum 65 percent FE—$100
Tier 2: Direct-vent gas fireplace with a 70 percent or greater FE—$150 
Home Energy Solutions and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® trade allies can still offer this service to Oregon homes primarily heated with gas from NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas.

Floor insulation – decreased incentive by $0.15 per square foot

The floor insulation incentive is decreasing from $0.45 per square foot to $0.30 per square foot. Floor insulation can be installed by a contractor or by the homeowner.

Floor insulation—$0.30 per square foot
If existing floor insulation is R-11 or less, insulate the floor to R-30 or fill cavity
Home Energy Solutions and Home Performance trade allies can still offer this service to Oregon homes heated by Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas.

Gas furnace and gas water heater bonus - incentive remains the same if coupled with water heater conversion

Gas furnaces will no longer qualify for Energy Trust incentives; the $100 incentive for installing a stand-alone gas furnace expires December 31, 2009.

However, from January 1, 2010, to April 30, 2010, Oregon homeowners can receive a $100 bonus for combining the purchases of a qualifying gas furnace and a qualifying gas water heater:

Tankless gas water heater: Minimum Energy Factor (EF) of 0.80, or greater —$200
Tank gas water heater: Minimum EF of 0.67, or greater, when available—$35
Gas furnace: 90 percent or greater AFUE, primary heat source only—no Energy Trust stand-alone incentive.
Gas furnace and gas water heater bundle bonus—$100
There is no change to the gas water heater incentives, and they can still be offered as stand-alone measures even if a gas furnace is not installed.

So, if you’ve already replaced your water heater and were thinking about tackling the furnace next, you might want to initiate that project prior to December 31, 2009 to get your Energy Trust tax credit or if you were thinking about insulating your floors, that’s another project you might want to address sooner than later.

Here’s a link to the current incentive brochure for Oregon Residents.  As an Energy Trust of Oregon Trade Ally, I can help you save money and energy with the Energy Trust of Oregon, feel free to ask me how to earn cash incentives for making your home more energy efficient.

~Kori

Portland Perfect… Pretty Darn Close

I’m a local gal so many might say that makes me bias but time and time again “outsiders” have supported my theory that Portland is perfect… or at least pretty darn close.

I just came across an article in the December 2009 issue of Runner’s World which named Portland, Oregon the BEST, as in numero uno, running city in America.  Specifically for our “sweet trails” in Washington Park and along the Willamette River.  Also mentioned in this article, the Hood to Coast relay, as the best “other distance” race.

This made me think, I come across articles all the time that mention Portland as the BEST so do we live in the BEST city in America?  My personal opinion, yes!

Portland has been named amongst America’s Top Ten Green Cities, North America’s Most Bike-Friendly Cities, Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities for 2009, America’s Best Cities 2009 and America’s Favorite Cities. My favorite article was America’s Favorite Cities by Travel + Leisure.  Portland ranked #1 for public parks and access to the outdoors… our “worst feature”, luxury stores (and even with that we were ranked 29).  As you look down the list of ranked features, Portland ranked #2 for athletic/active people and #4 for intelligence.  We ranked #2 for farmer’s markets, #3 for cafes/coffee bars and #6 for neighborhood joints; however, we ranked 29 again for big-name restaurants.

For this Portland native, Portland is perfect; however, if big name stores and national restaurants are more your style Portland is probably just a little too “small town” for you.  Having lived in New York City as well, I know it’s simply a matter of preference but this tree hugging, Dansko wearing, dog loving gal is perfectly happy in Portland, OR.

~Kori

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