Save the Date for an Awesome Evening Summer Gathering, Aug 21
By Suzanne Perra, SRN President
Let’s gather as a neighborhood at the Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm, 11435 NW Old Cornelius Pass Road, and celebrate the end of summer with food, music, kid’s activities and good company. This year we will try something new. The gathering will be held starting in the evening. Instead of a potluck, dinner will be provided.
For the first time in 28 years, we did not have our annual Skyline Ridge Neighbors Summer Gathering in 2020 due to the pandemic. Let’s make up for lost time and visit with our neighbors. A big Thank You to our hosts the Kessinger Family for providing our venue again this year!
New Time – 4pm to 9:30pm
We decided to shake it up a little this year and try an evening event. Enjoy your day with what you love, be it kid’s sports, bike riding or gardening and then head over to Plumper Pumpkin for an evening of great food, music and neighbors.
4:00 - 9:30 Summer Gathering
4:00 - 6:30 Children’s Activities
4:00 - 7:25 Silent Auction
5:00 - 9:30 Band Plays
5:00 - 7:30 Dinner is Served
7:30 - 8:00 Oral Auction
8:00 - 8:15 Last Chance Auction
9:30 Event Ends
Free Food and Drinks
Thanks to very generous donations from The Meating Place , the Skyline Grange and SRN, we will provide all food and drink this year. Also, plates, silverware and glasses will be provided by the Skyline Grange. If you prefer beer or wine, please bring your own (and include glasses to minimize late evening cleanup).
Bring the Kids
Shea Lavalier is our Children’s Event Coordinator this year and he has all kinds of fun activities for children planned. There will also be farm animals to visit and outside play structures. Shea is a member of the SRN Board and a First Grade Teacher. Also, don’t forget your teens. This is a family event.
It’s a Fundraiser - Auctions and Quilt Raffle
SRN depends entirely on support from the neighborhood to publish the Ridge Runner and Newsline, and organize community events such as the SOLVE clean-up. We are a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization so your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consider donating your time or an item for the silent or oral auctions, making a cash donation or purchasing some of the wonderful auction items.
Feel free to support local businesses this year by purchasing an item or gift certificate from a local business to donate to the auction.
Business donors get a thank you mention in the October Skyline Ridge Runner. Consider asking your contractors such as window washers, painters, weeders, HVAC maintenance, landscapers, etc., if they would like to contribute gift certificates.
This year’s raffle quilt is designed and sewn by Tracy Waters and is quilted by Cindi Cramer. It features a Disney theme. It’s a 45” x 43” quilt starring vintage Disney Babies in a diverse collection of mixed primary color blocks, each with a different center. Tickets will be sold at the SRN Summer Gathering.
Join the Team
The Gathering will be coordinated this year by Brad Graff and Suzanne Perra. Cindy Lou Banks and her band Brooks Hill will entertain us again this year. Thank you to the following neighbors for leading the main Summer Gathering activities. We couldn’t do it without you: Auction-Suzanne Perra, Music-Brad Graff, Children’s Games – Shea Lavalier, Food – Sen Speroff and Valerie Driscoll, Greeters, Registration and Sign out – Rachael Brake, Table Setup and Cleanup - George Sowder, Flowers-Lisa Graff, and Community Relations – Alex Rose.
We expect our State Reps and County Commissioner to attend again this year. Our Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy David McGarry, and TVFR will both attend if their duties do not pull them away. There will be information specific to our neighborhood, including the Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) and the Firewise Program. You will have the opportunity to talk about your latest neighborhood interests, be it traffic, Skyline Internet, Firewise or just introduce yourself and get to know the officials who serve our community.
Please contact Brad Graff at bradgraff@gmail.com or 503.292.1614, or Suzanne Perra at suzanne@perrafamily.com or 503.866.9289 to volunteer for the Gathering. You can volunteer some time to help prepare for the event, during the event or for cleanup. There are some slots that require just an hour of your time. It’s a great way to make new friends. We’d also love to have some teens involved!
Contact Suzanne Perra to make donations for the silent and oral auctions. Cash donations are more important than ever this year since last year’s auction was cancelled and we lost that revenue. To make cash donations, please make checks payable to SRN and send them to Rachael Brake, SRN Treasurer, 14109 NW Rock Creek Rd., Portland, OR 97231. Online donations to SRN can be made using Venmo; account is rcmbrake@hotmail.com and be sure to indicate it is a donation to SRN.
Gathering Updates
We will be following CDC and Multnomah County guidelines regarding COVID 19. Please sign up for the SRN Newsline emails to keep track of any changes to the Gathering at srnpdx.org. Alternatively, “like” Skyline Ridge Neighbors on Facebook, or check our srnpdx.org website periodically for updates.
Let’s gather as a neighborhood at the Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm, 11435 NW Old Cornelius Pass Road, and celebrate the end of summer with food, music, kid’s activities and good company. This year we will try something new. The gathering will be held starting in the evening. Instead of a potluck, dinner will be provided.
For the first time in 28 years, we did not have our annual Skyline Ridge Neighbors Summer Gathering in 2020 due to the pandemic. Let’s make up for lost time and visit with our neighbors. A big Thank You to our hosts the Kessinger Family for providing our venue again this year!
New Time – 4pm to 9:30pm
We decided to shake it up a little this year and try an evening event. Enjoy your day with what you love, be it kid’s sports, bike riding or gardening and then head over to Plumper Pumpkin for an evening of great food, music and neighbors.
4:00 - 9:30 Summer Gathering
4:00 - 6:30 Children’s Activities
4:00 - 7:25 Silent Auction
5:00 - 9:30 Band Plays
5:00 - 7:30 Dinner is Served
7:30 - 8:00 Oral Auction
8:00 - 8:15 Last Chance Auction
9:30 Event Ends
Free Food and Drinks
Thanks to very generous donations from The Meating Place , the Skyline Grange and SRN, we will provide all food and drink this year. Also, plates, silverware and glasses will be provided by the Skyline Grange. If you prefer beer or wine, please bring your own (and include glasses to minimize late evening cleanup).
Bring the Kids
Shea Lavalier is our Children’s Event Coordinator this year and he has all kinds of fun activities for children planned. There will also be farm animals to visit and outside play structures. Shea is a member of the SRN Board and a First Grade Teacher. Also, don’t forget your teens. This is a family event.
It’s a Fundraiser - Auctions and Quilt Raffle
SRN depends entirely on support from the neighborhood to publish the Ridge Runner and Newsline, and organize community events such as the SOLVE clean-up. We are a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization so your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consider donating your time or an item for the silent or oral auctions, making a cash donation or purchasing some of the wonderful auction items.
Feel free to support local businesses this year by purchasing an item or gift certificate from a local business to donate to the auction.
Business donors get a thank you mention in the October Skyline Ridge Runner. Consider asking your contractors such as window washers, painters, weeders, HVAC maintenance, landscapers, etc., if they would like to contribute gift certificates.
This year’s raffle quilt is designed and sewn by Tracy Waters and is quilted by Cindi Cramer. It features a Disney theme. It’s a 45” x 43” quilt starring vintage Disney Babies in a diverse collection of mixed primary color blocks, each with a different center. Tickets will be sold at the SRN Summer Gathering.
Join the Team
The Gathering will be coordinated this year by Brad Graff and Suzanne Perra. Cindy Lou Banks and her band Brooks Hill will entertain us again this year. Thank you to the following neighbors for leading the main Summer Gathering activities. We couldn’t do it without you: Auction-Suzanne Perra, Music-Brad Graff, Children’s Games – Shea Lavalier, Food – Sen Speroff and Valerie Driscoll, Greeters, Registration and Sign out – Rachael Brake, Table Setup and Cleanup - George Sowder, Flowers-Lisa Graff, and Community Relations – Alex Rose.
We expect our State Reps and County Commissioner to attend again this year. Our Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy David McGarry, and TVFR will both attend if their duties do not pull them away. There will be information specific to our neighborhood, including the Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) and the Firewise Program. You will have the opportunity to talk about your latest neighborhood interests, be it traffic, Skyline Internet, Firewise or just introduce yourself and get to know the officials who serve our community.
Please contact Brad Graff at bradgraff@gmail.com or 503.292.1614, or Suzanne Perra at suzanne@perrafamily.com or 503.866.9289 to volunteer for the Gathering. You can volunteer some time to help prepare for the event, during the event or for cleanup. There are some slots that require just an hour of your time. It’s a great way to make new friends. We’d also love to have some teens involved!
Contact Suzanne Perra to make donations for the silent and oral auctions. Cash donations are more important than ever this year since last year’s auction was cancelled and we lost that revenue. To make cash donations, please make checks payable to SRN and send them to Rachael Brake, SRN Treasurer, 14109 NW Rock Creek Rd., Portland, OR 97231. Online donations to SRN can be made using Venmo; account is rcmbrake@hotmail.com and be sure to indicate it is a donation to SRN.
Gathering Updates
We will be following CDC and Multnomah County guidelines regarding COVID 19. Please sign up for the SRN Newsline emails to keep track of any changes to the Gathering at srnpdx.org. Alternatively, “like” Skyline Ridge Neighbors on Facebook, or check our srnpdx.org website periodically for updates.
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Life on the Hill
SRN Seeks Your Feedback on Internet and Cellular Access
By George Sowder
I am sure that most of the residents of our neighborhood have realized that internet access is highly variable if available at all. Many of us have been able to cobble together some sort of access through various means with varying results and satisfaction. To put it succinctly: most of us have struggled mightily and with less than satisfactory results.
Many of us originally were able to get marginally functional internet access through Centurylink’s DSL phone-line connection. Later, a few of us were able to access the internet through Comcast cable when they extended it a short way up Skyline from Cornelius Pass. Others were able to participate in a line-of-sight antenna based relay system. Some resorted to satellite-based metered systems if they had a clear view of the sky. Others were able to use cell phone-based metered systems if they had a strong enough signal. Some had no access at all.
In this digital age, many in our community with no access are unable to fully participate in the life of our country and our community. This is the fate of rural America. This is our fate.
Your Input Requested Via Online or Mail
Skyline Ridge Neighbors (SRN) is conducting a survey which will collect data on internet and cellular access in our community. Our aim is to analyze this data and provide it to our local representatives to push for equitable internet access for all. We respect your privacy: only anonymized, aggregate data will be shared.
If you have signed up for our email Newsline, you may have already received a message with a link to the survey. We ask that one person per household please take 2-3 minutes and fill out this simple survey here: https://tinyurl.com/88sstyd6.
The other option is to complete a printed survey form with the same questions as the online version, which you will find in the July Ridge Runner. After filling it out, please fold, seal, stamp and mail it back to us.
We would appreciate it very much if you would take the time to respond by email or snail mail - before July 31, please. And feel free to add any other thoughts you may have on the subject.
Emily Bennett contributed to this story & created the survey with input from the SRN Board.
I am sure that most of the residents of our neighborhood have realized that internet access is highly variable if available at all. Many of us have been able to cobble together some sort of access through various means with varying results and satisfaction. To put it succinctly: most of us have struggled mightily and with less than satisfactory results.
Many of us originally were able to get marginally functional internet access through Centurylink’s DSL phone-line connection. Later, a few of us were able to access the internet through Comcast cable when they extended it a short way up Skyline from Cornelius Pass. Others were able to participate in a line-of-sight antenna based relay system. Some resorted to satellite-based metered systems if they had a clear view of the sky. Others were able to use cell phone-based metered systems if they had a strong enough signal. Some had no access at all.
In this digital age, many in our community with no access are unable to fully participate in the life of our country and our community. This is the fate of rural America. This is our fate.
Your Input Requested Via Online or Mail
Skyline Ridge Neighbors (SRN) is conducting a survey which will collect data on internet and cellular access in our community. Our aim is to analyze this data and provide it to our local representatives to push for equitable internet access for all. We respect your privacy: only anonymized, aggregate data will be shared.
If you have signed up for our email Newsline, you may have already received a message with a link to the survey. We ask that one person per household please take 2-3 minutes and fill out this simple survey here: https://tinyurl.com/88sstyd6.
The other option is to complete a printed survey form with the same questions as the online version, which you will find in the July Ridge Runner. After filling it out, please fold, seal, stamp and mail it back to us.
We would appreciate it very much if you would take the time to respond by email or snail mail - before July 31, please. And feel free to add any other thoughts you may have on the subject.
Emily Bennett contributed to this story & created the survey with input from the SRN Board.
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Local Businesses
Linnton Feed & Seed: Serving the Rural Community for 75 years
Darcy Kunkel welcomes customers to the Linnton Feed & Seed store (Photo: E. Bennett)
By Emily Bennett
Linnton Feed & Seed has been an anchor in the local business community for years. We wanted to take a moment to learn more about the business and how they’ve fared this past year of the pandemic.
It’s known that there was a seed & feed store in Linnton dating back to the early 1900’s. The Linnton Feed & Seed business we know today was established by Frank Cavallaro in 1946. The earliest feed store occupied the original building at 10902 NW St. Helens Rd in downtown Linnton (for those of you familiar, it’s the area where the chicks and animal feed are located). In the 1960’s the lot next door at 10920 NW St. Helens Rd was added to the business, housing the main area of the store today. In the 1990’s the business was purchased by Dan Cadmus & Cathy Black who owned it up until 2015 when it was purchased by current proprietor Darcy Kunkel.
Darcy started working at the store as his first job in high school back in 1999. At the time he was living in Vernonia, OR and his parents encouraged him to get a summer job. His family knew Dan & Cathy so he made a connection to see if they needed any help around the shop. The rest is history; he’s been there ever since. After years of working alongside Dan, Darcy had the opportunity to purchase the business in 2015, and at the beginning of June 2021 was able to purchase the property and buildings associated with the business.
Linnton F&S supports the local community for all their rural and urban farming and agriculture needs. The atmosphere in the shop feels more like a community hub than a store. The staff is very knowledgeable, helpful, and welcoming. Gardening, pet, and livestock supplies are the primary areas of the business. They carry a beautiful selection of vegetable starts and native plants, as well as seed potatoes and onion sets. Chicks and ducklings are frequently available (check their schedule online at linntonfeed.com). They also provide some basic hardware supplies, but the focus is on plants and animals. Linnton F&S tries to provide key things that the surrounding community needs without having to drive farther.
Early spring has become a very busy time for Darcy and his team. Linnton F&S has been supplying seed potatoes and onion sets to other nurseries in the Portland metro area for several years and demand has been increasing. Two years ago, their seed potato supplier in Idaho asked Linnton F&S to be the main distributor for the Oregon and Washington area. What started as wholesale orders for local Portland nurseries has expanded to 60 farm stores and nurseries from Seattle, WA to Medford, OR. This change has enabled wholesale volumes and pricing of potatoes & onion sets and the ability to pass those savings on to other local nurseries and customers.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
As a business that supplies animal feed, Linnton F&S was considered an essential business and did not have to close in March of 2020. If anything, the pandemic created additional demand for the business. Suddenly people were seeking things to do in their backyard. Early concerns about food security drove an increase in backyard gardening. People spending more time at home decided to raise chickens for the first time. Demand for chicks, plants, and backyard gardening supplies exploded. Nobody was planning for a pandemic and as a small business, Linnton F&S was caught understaffed and unprepared. Like all of us, they just had to figure it out as they went along.
Darcy recollected an example of the early days of the pandemic. One spring morning when chicks were due to arrive, Darcy found their parking lot and both neighboring parking lots full before 8am with customers waiting for chicks. They had always used a first-come, first-serve system in the past, but had to quickly create a number system to manage the lines out the door, “It was absolute chaos.”
It was a challenge for Darcy and the team to keep up. They had to hire additional help, train new staff, and work 16-18 hour days to stock the store and keep up with demand. One issue that lingers into 2021 is product shortages and extended lead times related to global manufacturing challenges. The pandemic created some disruptions to supply chains, and in many cases the distribution issues are worse this year than they were last year. Orders from manufacturers that used to take 2-4 weeks can now take 5-6 months for some items to become available.
The shifting guidance on masks and social distancing has also been challenging to navigate as a small business. At this point, the staff is fully vaccinated and will continue to wear masks around the store. Their priority is to ensure customers feel safe and comfortable shopping there.
Q&A with Darcy
Q: What’s your favorite vegetable to grow?
A: “Arugula. I love to eat it! And of course, I love growing potatoes. We’re all about potatoes around here.”
Q: If you were a chicken breed, what would you be?
A: Moyer Brown Hybrid. Moyer Browns are an excellent egg producer with an easy-going temperament, and fairly durable. Not flashy in appearance...they are a cross between Rhode Island Red and White Rock, but I've always been more about purpose than looks when it comes to chickens.
Q: Now that you own the property, any plans to change or expand?
A: “A lot of things on the bucket list. Currently our parking space is very limited, especially this time of year when we have all the plants out front. I’d like to build an expansive deck off the side of the building for the plants because the demand increases every year - vegetable starts & native plants.”
Q: Anything else you’d like the community to know?
A: “How much I do appreciate them. Especially through the pandemic the community has been GREAT. We have a really good core group of customers that have been really understanding, flexible, and supportive through a very challenging year.”
If you’ve never visited, stop in and check out the shop at 10920 NW Saint Helens Rd in downtown Linnton. You can also learn more information on their website: linntonfeed.com.
Linnton Feed & Seed has been an anchor in the local business community for years. We wanted to take a moment to learn more about the business and how they’ve fared this past year of the pandemic.
It’s known that there was a seed & feed store in Linnton dating back to the early 1900’s. The Linnton Feed & Seed business we know today was established by Frank Cavallaro in 1946. The earliest feed store occupied the original building at 10902 NW St. Helens Rd in downtown Linnton (for those of you familiar, it’s the area where the chicks and animal feed are located). In the 1960’s the lot next door at 10920 NW St. Helens Rd was added to the business, housing the main area of the store today. In the 1990’s the business was purchased by Dan Cadmus & Cathy Black who owned it up until 2015 when it was purchased by current proprietor Darcy Kunkel.
Darcy started working at the store as his first job in high school back in 1999. At the time he was living in Vernonia, OR and his parents encouraged him to get a summer job. His family knew Dan & Cathy so he made a connection to see if they needed any help around the shop. The rest is history; he’s been there ever since. After years of working alongside Dan, Darcy had the opportunity to purchase the business in 2015, and at the beginning of June 2021 was able to purchase the property and buildings associated with the business.
Linnton F&S supports the local community for all their rural and urban farming and agriculture needs. The atmosphere in the shop feels more like a community hub than a store. The staff is very knowledgeable, helpful, and welcoming. Gardening, pet, and livestock supplies are the primary areas of the business. They carry a beautiful selection of vegetable starts and native plants, as well as seed potatoes and onion sets. Chicks and ducklings are frequently available (check their schedule online at linntonfeed.com). They also provide some basic hardware supplies, but the focus is on plants and animals. Linnton F&S tries to provide key things that the surrounding community needs without having to drive farther.
Early spring has become a very busy time for Darcy and his team. Linnton F&S has been supplying seed potatoes and onion sets to other nurseries in the Portland metro area for several years and demand has been increasing. Two years ago, their seed potato supplier in Idaho asked Linnton F&S to be the main distributor for the Oregon and Washington area. What started as wholesale orders for local Portland nurseries has expanded to 60 farm stores and nurseries from Seattle, WA to Medford, OR. This change has enabled wholesale volumes and pricing of potatoes & onion sets and the ability to pass those savings on to other local nurseries and customers.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
As a business that supplies animal feed, Linnton F&S was considered an essential business and did not have to close in March of 2020. If anything, the pandemic created additional demand for the business. Suddenly people were seeking things to do in their backyard. Early concerns about food security drove an increase in backyard gardening. People spending more time at home decided to raise chickens for the first time. Demand for chicks, plants, and backyard gardening supplies exploded. Nobody was planning for a pandemic and as a small business, Linnton F&S was caught understaffed and unprepared. Like all of us, they just had to figure it out as they went along.
Darcy recollected an example of the early days of the pandemic. One spring morning when chicks were due to arrive, Darcy found their parking lot and both neighboring parking lots full before 8am with customers waiting for chicks. They had always used a first-come, first-serve system in the past, but had to quickly create a number system to manage the lines out the door, “It was absolute chaos.”
It was a challenge for Darcy and the team to keep up. They had to hire additional help, train new staff, and work 16-18 hour days to stock the store and keep up with demand. One issue that lingers into 2021 is product shortages and extended lead times related to global manufacturing challenges. The pandemic created some disruptions to supply chains, and in many cases the distribution issues are worse this year than they were last year. Orders from manufacturers that used to take 2-4 weeks can now take 5-6 months for some items to become available.
The shifting guidance on masks and social distancing has also been challenging to navigate as a small business. At this point, the staff is fully vaccinated and will continue to wear masks around the store. Their priority is to ensure customers feel safe and comfortable shopping there.
Q&A with Darcy
Q: What’s your favorite vegetable to grow?
A: “Arugula. I love to eat it! And of course, I love growing potatoes. We’re all about potatoes around here.”
Q: If you were a chicken breed, what would you be?
A: Moyer Brown Hybrid. Moyer Browns are an excellent egg producer with an easy-going temperament, and fairly durable. Not flashy in appearance...they are a cross between Rhode Island Red and White Rock, but I've always been more about purpose than looks when it comes to chickens.
Q: Now that you own the property, any plans to change or expand?
A: “A lot of things on the bucket list. Currently our parking space is very limited, especially this time of year when we have all the plants out front. I’d like to build an expansive deck off the side of the building for the plants because the demand increases every year - vegetable starts & native plants.”
Q: Anything else you’d like the community to know?
A: “How much I do appreciate them. Especially through the pandemic the community has been GREAT. We have a really good core group of customers that have been really understanding, flexible, and supportive through a very challenging year.”
If you’ve never visited, stop in and check out the shop at 10920 NW Saint Helens Rd in downtown Linnton. You can also learn more information on their website: linntonfeed.com.
Local Nonprofits
New Home on Skyline for Environmental Education
ECO will host students for outdoor education at its new, 77 ac. property off Skyline Blvd. (Photo: ECO)
By Sarah Woods and Claire Baldwin, ECO
People protect what they love. With changing climate patterns, the natural world desperately needs to be known and cared for, especially by its next generation of stewards. That’s what two environmental educators, Sarah Woods and Bethany Shetterly Thomas, believed when they founded Ecology in Classrooms and Outdoors (ECO) in 2005.
Fifteen years later, Sarah and Bethany’s dream of connecting students to nature through innovative science education has flourished. As of 2020, ECO has served 32,670 students in 14 school districts throughout Oregon. ECO’s unique blend of programs include hands-on, in-class lessons, field trips to local ecosystems, and habitat restoration projects. Programs are cumulative and serve students multiple times a year, from kindergarten through high school.
As 2020 came to a close, ECO secured a spectacular donation on Skyline Boulevard, a 77-acre forested property from the Rasmussen Family Trust. Reinhold and Lois ‘Bets’ Rasmussen were both professors and researchers who made important advances in their fields. Dr. Reinhold Rasmussen traveled the world researching climate change, and created Biospherics Research Corporation in 1977 to provide air testing equipment to academic, government, and corporate institutions. Dr. Lois ‘Bets’ Rasmussen was best known for her pioneering research on mammalian chemocommunication. Her work with elephant pheromones provided new ways for scientists to decode their behaviors. ECO is deeply honored to continue their legacy of science education and stewardship. With the support of their community, ECO dreams of transforming this land into an experiential education destination. ECO is looking forward to creating a shared community resource and they welcome collaboration and partnership.
ECO was founded on the belief that all students deserve the chance to connect with the natural world, regardless of their circumstances, serving minority and low income students who often lack the resources to explore the outdoors. In 2019, Jonathan, a third grader, went to the beach for the very first time—just fifteen minutes from his school. “Are we still in Oregon?” he asked Amelia, ECO’s Program Manager. “He was absolutely astounded we were still in his home state,” she remarked. Every week, students experience ‘firsts’ with ECO—first waterfalls, first hikes, first time touching a snail.
This has held true, even as ECO has switched to online learning. “I didn’t know rocks could be different colors! I’d never seen a colored rock, so that’s something new that I learned,” said Sophia, age 7, after playing an ECO ‘rock bingo’ activity via Zoom.
ECO’s vision is to reach students throughout Oregon and beyond, and creating digital curricula is part of that plan. In 2019, ECO secured a $100,000 award from the ninety-nine girlfriends philanthropic initiative to create an educational film series, ECO Adventures. Much of the series was filmed at ECO’s new headquarters on Skyline Boulevard. This series accompanies ECO’s Place-Based Units: kits that teach science concepts aligned with national and state standards, through a suite of activities, games, and experiments. Place-Based Units weave science into math, English language arts, social sciences, and art lessons, to seamlessly integrate the concepts during the school day.
Even as ECO has pivoted to online learning, getting more students outdoors is the ultimate goal and the Skyline property is the perfect opportunity to do just that. “Nature has been my sanctuary and I want to share that joy with other people,” said Sarah Woods. ECO has come a long way from its beginnings, when Sarah and Bethany were hustling to find funding, prove their credibility, and make a living wage. Their perseverance continues to empower students with the knowledge and passion to become the stewards and scientists the planet needs. Now, with a diverse and highly skilled board and staff, a community of avid supporters, and 77 acres of beautiful Oregon forest, ECO stands on the precipice of unlimited potential. Learn more at ecologyoutdoors.org.
People protect what they love. With changing climate patterns, the natural world desperately needs to be known and cared for, especially by its next generation of stewards. That’s what two environmental educators, Sarah Woods and Bethany Shetterly Thomas, believed when they founded Ecology in Classrooms and Outdoors (ECO) in 2005.
Fifteen years later, Sarah and Bethany’s dream of connecting students to nature through innovative science education has flourished. As of 2020, ECO has served 32,670 students in 14 school districts throughout Oregon. ECO’s unique blend of programs include hands-on, in-class lessons, field trips to local ecosystems, and habitat restoration projects. Programs are cumulative and serve students multiple times a year, from kindergarten through high school.
As 2020 came to a close, ECO secured a spectacular donation on Skyline Boulevard, a 77-acre forested property from the Rasmussen Family Trust. Reinhold and Lois ‘Bets’ Rasmussen were both professors and researchers who made important advances in their fields. Dr. Reinhold Rasmussen traveled the world researching climate change, and created Biospherics Research Corporation in 1977 to provide air testing equipment to academic, government, and corporate institutions. Dr. Lois ‘Bets’ Rasmussen was best known for her pioneering research on mammalian chemocommunication. Her work with elephant pheromones provided new ways for scientists to decode their behaviors. ECO is deeply honored to continue their legacy of science education and stewardship. With the support of their community, ECO dreams of transforming this land into an experiential education destination. ECO is looking forward to creating a shared community resource and they welcome collaboration and partnership.
ECO was founded on the belief that all students deserve the chance to connect with the natural world, regardless of their circumstances, serving minority and low income students who often lack the resources to explore the outdoors. In 2019, Jonathan, a third grader, went to the beach for the very first time—just fifteen minutes from his school. “Are we still in Oregon?” he asked Amelia, ECO’s Program Manager. “He was absolutely astounded we were still in his home state,” she remarked. Every week, students experience ‘firsts’ with ECO—first waterfalls, first hikes, first time touching a snail.
This has held true, even as ECO has switched to online learning. “I didn’t know rocks could be different colors! I’d never seen a colored rock, so that’s something new that I learned,” said Sophia, age 7, after playing an ECO ‘rock bingo’ activity via Zoom.
ECO’s vision is to reach students throughout Oregon and beyond, and creating digital curricula is part of that plan. In 2019, ECO secured a $100,000 award from the ninety-nine girlfriends philanthropic initiative to create an educational film series, ECO Adventures. Much of the series was filmed at ECO’s new headquarters on Skyline Boulevard. This series accompanies ECO’s Place-Based Units: kits that teach science concepts aligned with national and state standards, through a suite of activities, games, and experiments. Place-Based Units weave science into math, English language arts, social sciences, and art lessons, to seamlessly integrate the concepts during the school day.
Even as ECO has pivoted to online learning, getting more students outdoors is the ultimate goal and the Skyline property is the perfect opportunity to do just that. “Nature has been my sanctuary and I want to share that joy with other people,” said Sarah Woods. ECO has come a long way from its beginnings, when Sarah and Bethany were hustling to find funding, prove their credibility, and make a living wage. Their perseverance continues to empower students with the knowledge and passion to become the stewards and scientists the planet needs. Now, with a diverse and highly skilled board and staff, a community of avid supporters, and 77 acres of beautiful Oregon forest, ECO stands on the precipice of unlimited potential. Learn more at ecologyoutdoors.org.
Public Service
TVF&R Offers Online Course on How to Prepare for Wildfire Season
By Christina Lent, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue
Are you prepared for wildfire season? Join TVF&R’s online presentation of “Ready, Set, GO!” to learn about creating and maintaining defensible space around your home, forming emergency plans, and preparing emergency kits. TVF&R’s Fire & Life Safety presenters will cover the simple steps you can take now to best prepare your home and family for wildfire season.
Visit www.tvfr.com/395 to sign up for one of our scheduled presentations via Zoom and gain access to additional wildfire safety and planning information. The website link will also include a sign-up to our pre-recorded, on-demand classes for those who cannot attend one of the live presentations.
Wildfires Can Happen Here — Take Steps Now to Reduce Risks
It’s important for property owners to take steps to help protect your home and land from potential wildfires this summer.
During a wildfire, time is crucial and resources are limited. What you’ve done before a fire strikes may determine whether firefighters are able to save your home and other structures on your property.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has taken deliberate steps in the past 20 years to ensure a quick and effective response to wildfire, including investing in specialized wildland vehicles and equipment. Firefighters also participate in hands-on training.
This is the perfect time to create a 30-foot defensible space or safety zone around your home that may help firefighters safely protect your home from an encroaching fire.
To create this space, homeowners are encouraged to take the following steps:
Access to your property is also crucial. To ensure crews can safely respond, cut back low-hanging tree limbs and clear dense vegetation and debris from the road or driveway. Driveways should be 20 feet wide and have a minimum clearance of 15 feet overhead.
Are you prepared for wildfire season? Join TVF&R’s online presentation of “Ready, Set, GO!” to learn about creating and maintaining defensible space around your home, forming emergency plans, and preparing emergency kits. TVF&R’s Fire & Life Safety presenters will cover the simple steps you can take now to best prepare your home and family for wildfire season.
Visit www.tvfr.com/395 to sign up for one of our scheduled presentations via Zoom and gain access to additional wildfire safety and planning information. The website link will also include a sign-up to our pre-recorded, on-demand classes for those who cannot attend one of the live presentations.
Wildfires Can Happen Here — Take Steps Now to Reduce Risks
It’s important for property owners to take steps to help protect your home and land from potential wildfires this summer.
During a wildfire, time is crucial and resources are limited. What you’ve done before a fire strikes may determine whether firefighters are able to save your home and other structures on your property.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has taken deliberate steps in the past 20 years to ensure a quick and effective response to wildfire, including investing in specialized wildland vehicles and equipment. Firefighters also participate in hands-on training.
This is the perfect time to create a 30-foot defensible space or safety zone around your home that may help firefighters safely protect your home from an encroaching fire.
To create this space, homeowners are encouraged to take the following steps:
- De-limb trees at least 10 feet up from the ground and cut back tree limbs hanging over your roof.
- Trim branches that are within 10 feet of a chimney.
- Consider replacing wood shakes or shingles on the roof with non-combustible or fire-resistant materials.
- Remove leaves, brush, and other debris from your gutters, rooftop, and underneath decks and crawlspaces.
- Regularly mow and water lawns and other green belts on your property. Keep your landscaping well pruned and watered.
- Plant low-growing, fire-resistant plants such as groundcovers, perennials, and annuals near your home. Plant individual shrubs and hardwood trees at least 10 feet from your home and other structures.
- Store firewood and other combustibles at least 100 feet from your home.
Access to your property is also crucial. To ensure crews can safely respond, cut back low-hanging tree limbs and clear dense vegetation and debris from the road or driveway. Driveways should be 20 feet wide and have a minimum clearance of 15 feet overhead.
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Forest, Farm & Garden
Why Were the Forest Fires of 2020 So Damaging?
By Michael Ahr, Forest Conservationist, WMSWCD*
Many of the woodland owners in the Tualatin Mountains have deep roots in Oregon. We’re sure many of you have close family and friends who have been greatly impacted by our recent wildfires. It’s warmed our hearts to hear stories of people on the Hill taking in friends as well as livestock owned by loved ones – another example of the strong connections and community spirit in the Tualatin Mountains.
Last year was one of the deadliest wildfire seasons in Oregon’s history. As we recover from these fires, we hear stories of homes being saved by the actions people took to reduce fuels in their forest or trimming trees around their house. However, we also hear many stories where people took these protective actions and still lost everything including human life.
It’s natural to ask questions like, “Why were these fires so damaging?” or “Why did they overwhelm our fuels reduction projects?” There are many reasons for this, many of which land managers and scientists will be learning more about as these fires are further examined. Below are just a few thoughts for now…
Surface Fire
Much of the fire risk reduction that we do on forest land is related to mitigating risk from surface fires. These are the fires that burn sticks, shrubs, and other plant material lying on the ground. These fires might cause property damage, but can also help rejuvenate the ecosystem and offer benefits to many species of plants and wildlife. We thin forests to create wider tree spacing and pile slash in an effort to make sure that surface fires will burn with lower intensity and not significantly damage living trees.
Crown Fire
When a fire climbs a tree and starts burning the upper branches in the canopy, it will spread quickly. As these fires spread, we call them crown fires. The fires last September were crown fires which can be very damaging and unpredictable.
Wind-borne Embers
One factor that leads to a surface fire becoming a crown fire is wind, and winds continue to cause problems after reaching the crown. As trees burn, strong winds can carry burning embers up to one mile away. This means that embers can literally fly over all the good forest management that you’ve done, land on your deck, and start a fire. Note that burning embers and strong winds were a major reason why the Beachie Creek, Riverside, and Holiday Farm fires grew in size so quickly. This is also why we hear frightening stories from those who evacuated about new fires starting all around them as they were driving to safety.
Flammables
During intense fires, some of the actions you’ve taken at your house might be more important than the actions on your woodland. Cleaning gutters, sweeping your deck, removing flammable materials, and several other tasks are very important. See a great list of recommendations https://www.srnpdx.org/save-your-home.html.
To stay safe during wildfire, the actions you take on your woodland and around your home are important. If a backyard campfire or overheated car starts a fire near your home, these measures can help offer great protection. But keep in mind that catastrophic fires are known to occur in western Oregon, and have occurred for centuries, which means that you should be prepared to evacuate. Sometimes nothing you do in preparation or to combat an active fire are enough to keep you and your family safe. Please consult the resources provided in links above to craft an evacuation plan and pack emergency items. Stay safe!
*Michael Ahr, formerly with WMSWCD, is now with Benton County SWCD.
Many of the woodland owners in the Tualatin Mountains have deep roots in Oregon. We’re sure many of you have close family and friends who have been greatly impacted by our recent wildfires. It’s warmed our hearts to hear stories of people on the Hill taking in friends as well as livestock owned by loved ones – another example of the strong connections and community spirit in the Tualatin Mountains.
Last year was one of the deadliest wildfire seasons in Oregon’s history. As we recover from these fires, we hear stories of homes being saved by the actions people took to reduce fuels in their forest or trimming trees around their house. However, we also hear many stories where people took these protective actions and still lost everything including human life.
It’s natural to ask questions like, “Why were these fires so damaging?” or “Why did they overwhelm our fuels reduction projects?” There are many reasons for this, many of which land managers and scientists will be learning more about as these fires are further examined. Below are just a few thoughts for now…
Surface Fire
Much of the fire risk reduction that we do on forest land is related to mitigating risk from surface fires. These are the fires that burn sticks, shrubs, and other plant material lying on the ground. These fires might cause property damage, but can also help rejuvenate the ecosystem and offer benefits to many species of plants and wildlife. We thin forests to create wider tree spacing and pile slash in an effort to make sure that surface fires will burn with lower intensity and not significantly damage living trees.
Crown Fire
When a fire climbs a tree and starts burning the upper branches in the canopy, it will spread quickly. As these fires spread, we call them crown fires. The fires last September were crown fires which can be very damaging and unpredictable.
Wind-borne Embers
One factor that leads to a surface fire becoming a crown fire is wind, and winds continue to cause problems after reaching the crown. As trees burn, strong winds can carry burning embers up to one mile away. This means that embers can literally fly over all the good forest management that you’ve done, land on your deck, and start a fire. Note that burning embers and strong winds were a major reason why the Beachie Creek, Riverside, and Holiday Farm fires grew in size so quickly. This is also why we hear frightening stories from those who evacuated about new fires starting all around them as they were driving to safety.
Flammables
During intense fires, some of the actions you’ve taken at your house might be more important than the actions on your woodland. Cleaning gutters, sweeping your deck, removing flammable materials, and several other tasks are very important. See a great list of recommendations https://www.srnpdx.org/save-your-home.html.
To stay safe during wildfire, the actions you take on your woodland and around your home are important. If a backyard campfire or overheated car starts a fire near your home, these measures can help offer great protection. But keep in mind that catastrophic fires are known to occur in western Oregon, and have occurred for centuries, which means that you should be prepared to evacuate. Sometimes nothing you do in preparation or to combat an active fire are enough to keep you and your family safe. Please consult the resources provided in links above to craft an evacuation plan and pack emergency items. Stay safe!
*Michael Ahr, formerly with WMSWCD, is now with Benton County SWCD.
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Public Service
Skyline NET Offers Tips for Wildfire Season
By Sen Speroff
It’s that time of year again. And this year they are predicting that we could have one of the worst fire years in our history. Here are a few things you should consider ahead of time.
Have an Out-of-the-Area Contact
Choose a trusted person that doesn’t live in your area. Make sure family members and close friends have this contact information. And remember that during a disaster, your phone service, cell battery life, and power may be limited, so you may need to rely on texting your contact person.
Your out-of-area contact person will have the responsibility of distributing information about you and your household to others. Of course, this depends on that contact having pertinent information, so advise your household to keep him/her/them informed.
It could be helpful for your contact to have copies of important family documents, birth and marriage certificates, passports, wills, driver’s licenses, bank and insurance account records, deed to the house; health records, other vital papers, and ideally a video or photos of your household to document possessions.
Be Prepared to Evacuate on a Moment’s Notice
All too often we hear of people who were evacuated during an approaching wildfire say, “We only had a moment’s notice. We just grabbed the kids, the cat, and our cell phones and left. Everything burned to the ground and now we have nothing but our lives.” In a panic, people often cannot make wise, quick decisions. Don’t be left with only the clothes on your backs, plan and prepare in advance to evacuate quickly. Fire season and a drought are upon us now. Have a Go Bag at home, at work and in your car with supplies and information you will need after an evacuation. For information about Go Bags, go to https://www.ready.gov/kit. Have a checklist of last minute things to do. Have a plan and be prepared now.
Know Levels of Evacuation
Wildfires can be unpredictable; you may need to evacuate quickly and without much warning. Monitor updates and directions from Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Multnomah County Emergency Management on local television and radio stations. Sign up for Public Alerts at https://www.publicalerts.org/signup.
Officials use a 3-level system to warn residents about impending evacuations. Know what these levels mean and follow directions from officials. Officials will determine areas to be evacuated and escape routes depending on the fire’s location, behavior, winds, and terrain. It is best to leave early.
ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning
After 15 years of planning and development, the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system is now available to more than 50 million people in California, Oregon and Washington. It works through the wireless emergency notification network; no additional signup is required. ShakeAlert can save lives and reduce injuries by giving people time to take protective actions like drop, cover and hold before potentially dangerous earthquake shaking arrives at their location. In addition to supporting public alerts to mobile phones, ShakeAlert system data has been used to develop applications that trigger automated actions. Automatic actions can be used to slow down trains to prevent derailments, open firehouse doors so they don’t jam shut and close valves to protect water and gas systems.
This innovative technology will continue to improve over time with the addition of more seismometers to the network, by expanding alert delivery areas and by improving messaging speeds. For more information, visit https://www.shakealert.org/.
Recent NET Activities
Nine local members participated in a City-Wide Deployment Exercise along with over 200 other NET members. The scenario was a major earthquake with many injuries. It was an exhausting 3 hours, making it very apparent that during a major disaster, our small team will need to supplement our numbers with local volunteers. Since our relatively remote location will slow response time for our normal first responders, we are fortunate to have a wealth of skilled local residents and households with equipment useful in an emergency.
We also had our own local team exercise that included meeting up at our three designated staging areas: lower NW Rock Creek Road, Skyline School, and Skyline Tavern. We learned that even under good conditions with vehicles, it took about a half hour for team members to get to the staging areas. We conducted radios tests to locate gaps/poor coverage in our areas. The need for basic equipment at the staging areas will be essential in a disaster.
Become Involved Our NET
You can take most of the Basic CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) lecture training online for free through the University of Utah: at www.onlinecert.org. If you get certified through that program, PBEM will honor the units and you will only need to complete hands-on training and a final field exercise when they are scheduled again locally. You also can wait and take PBEM’s 30-hour NET training locally when it safely resumes to become a certified NET Team member.
Another way to get involved is as an Amateur NET Radio Operator. AROs are vital in an emergency, especially with walkie-talkie communication limited in our steep, vegetated terrain. For further details log onto www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/31667.
Contact Us
NETS are here to support the community. Questions? Email Skyline Ridge NET at SkylineRidgeNET@gmail.com or contact Rachael Brake, Team Leader, at 503.621.3423.
It’s that time of year again. And this year they are predicting that we could have one of the worst fire years in our history. Here are a few things you should consider ahead of time.
Have an Out-of-the-Area Contact
Choose a trusted person that doesn’t live in your area. Make sure family members and close friends have this contact information. And remember that during a disaster, your phone service, cell battery life, and power may be limited, so you may need to rely on texting your contact person.
Your out-of-area contact person will have the responsibility of distributing information about you and your household to others. Of course, this depends on that contact having pertinent information, so advise your household to keep him/her/them informed.
It could be helpful for your contact to have copies of important family documents, birth and marriage certificates, passports, wills, driver’s licenses, bank and insurance account records, deed to the house; health records, other vital papers, and ideally a video or photos of your household to document possessions.
Be Prepared to Evacuate on a Moment’s Notice
All too often we hear of people who were evacuated during an approaching wildfire say, “We only had a moment’s notice. We just grabbed the kids, the cat, and our cell phones and left. Everything burned to the ground and now we have nothing but our lives.” In a panic, people often cannot make wise, quick decisions. Don’t be left with only the clothes on your backs, plan and prepare in advance to evacuate quickly. Fire season and a drought are upon us now. Have a Go Bag at home, at work and in your car with supplies and information you will need after an evacuation. For information about Go Bags, go to https://www.ready.gov/kit. Have a checklist of last minute things to do. Have a plan and be prepared now.
Know Levels of Evacuation
Wildfires can be unpredictable; you may need to evacuate quickly and without much warning. Monitor updates and directions from Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Multnomah County Emergency Management on local television and radio stations. Sign up for Public Alerts at https://www.publicalerts.org/signup.
Officials use a 3-level system to warn residents about impending evacuations. Know what these levels mean and follow directions from officials. Officials will determine areas to be evacuated and escape routes depending on the fire’s location, behavior, winds, and terrain. It is best to leave early.
- Level 1 means get ready. Pack your valuables and Go Bag into your vehicle. Do tasks to give your home the best chance of surviving a wildfire. Check on neighbors. If you have farm animals, physical disabilities, have children, limited egress, or need extra time, you should consider evacuating at this level.
- Level 2 means you should be set to leave. Finish preparations for evacuation. Have your vehicles packed and ready. Don’t wait to be ordered to leave. Leave as soon as evacuation is recommended by fire officials to avoid being caught in fire, smoke or road congestion. Evacuating the forest fire area early helps firefighters keep roads clear of congestion, and lets them move more freely. In an intense wildfire, they will not have time to knock on every door.
- Level 3 means leave NOW! Go!
ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning
After 15 years of planning and development, the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system is now available to more than 50 million people in California, Oregon and Washington. It works through the wireless emergency notification network; no additional signup is required. ShakeAlert can save lives and reduce injuries by giving people time to take protective actions like drop, cover and hold before potentially dangerous earthquake shaking arrives at their location. In addition to supporting public alerts to mobile phones, ShakeAlert system data has been used to develop applications that trigger automated actions. Automatic actions can be used to slow down trains to prevent derailments, open firehouse doors so they don’t jam shut and close valves to protect water and gas systems.
This innovative technology will continue to improve over time with the addition of more seismometers to the network, by expanding alert delivery areas and by improving messaging speeds. For more information, visit https://www.shakealert.org/.
Recent NET Activities
Nine local members participated in a City-Wide Deployment Exercise along with over 200 other NET members. The scenario was a major earthquake with many injuries. It was an exhausting 3 hours, making it very apparent that during a major disaster, our small team will need to supplement our numbers with local volunteers. Since our relatively remote location will slow response time for our normal first responders, we are fortunate to have a wealth of skilled local residents and households with equipment useful in an emergency.
We also had our own local team exercise that included meeting up at our three designated staging areas: lower NW Rock Creek Road, Skyline School, and Skyline Tavern. We learned that even under good conditions with vehicles, it took about a half hour for team members to get to the staging areas. We conducted radios tests to locate gaps/poor coverage in our areas. The need for basic equipment at the staging areas will be essential in a disaster.
Become Involved Our NET
You can take most of the Basic CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) lecture training online for free through the University of Utah: at www.onlinecert.org. If you get certified through that program, PBEM will honor the units and you will only need to complete hands-on training and a final field exercise when they are scheduled again locally. You also can wait and take PBEM’s 30-hour NET training locally when it safely resumes to become a certified NET Team member.
Another way to get involved is as an Amateur NET Radio Operator. AROs are vital in an emergency, especially with walkie-talkie communication limited in our steep, vegetated terrain. For further details log onto www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/31667.
Contact Us
NETS are here to support the community. Questions? Email Skyline Ridge NET at SkylineRidgeNET@gmail.com or contact Rachael Brake, Team Leader, at 503.621.3423.
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Local Nonprofits
Nonprofit Group Manages Mountain Bike Trails on Rocky Point
Northwest Trail Alliance relies totally on volunteers to build and maintain its trail system. The crew maintaining Forest Part Fire Lane 5 were on the job this spring.
By Kelsea De Filippis, NWTA
Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to advocate for new trails, to protect, improve, and build sustainable mountain bike trails, and to create recreation opportunities for mountain biking. We are a volunteer group of over 5,000 active members dedicated to creating cycling opportunities in nature, fostering a community of engaged volunteers, and building a culture of land stewardship and environmental responsibility.
Located in Portland, OR, NWTA serves roughly a 60-mile radius extending from the Oregon coast, into parts of Southern Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St Helens National Monument, and to the Western foothills of Mount Hood National Forest. We work with public agencies and landowners to build and maintain trails for public use, and with lease agreements through private timber companies, we also build trails for off-road cyclists at locations including the Rocky Point Trails south of Scappoose.
Our private land access depends on specific owner requirements, and access is always ancillary to the primary use and schedule. As such, our members must be in good standing, sign a waiver, and have read/acknowledged the terms and conditions and follow communications and signage regarding closures, working forest operations and any special conditions. This is essential to ensure the safety of the workers, trails, and riders, as well as maintaining good relationships and ensuring continued opportunity with landowners.
Throughout the trail building season, volunteers spend over 25,000 a year dedicated to over 190 miles of trail. Trail building season goes through the rainy months of October through the end of May. Between those months, we work on community building, learning, riding, and minor trail maintenance such as clean-ups or trimming growth over the trail.
To be part of our mission or to learn more about us, head to our website at NW-Trail.org. To learn more about our trails and the regions we maintain, head to nw-trail.org/trails/. To get involved and help the Local Stewardship Team that maintains the trails, please head to our trail team page nw-trail.org/trail-teams/.
Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to advocate for new trails, to protect, improve, and build sustainable mountain bike trails, and to create recreation opportunities for mountain biking. We are a volunteer group of over 5,000 active members dedicated to creating cycling opportunities in nature, fostering a community of engaged volunteers, and building a culture of land stewardship and environmental responsibility.
Located in Portland, OR, NWTA serves roughly a 60-mile radius extending from the Oregon coast, into parts of Southern Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St Helens National Monument, and to the Western foothills of Mount Hood National Forest. We work with public agencies and landowners to build and maintain trails for public use, and with lease agreements through private timber companies, we also build trails for off-road cyclists at locations including the Rocky Point Trails south of Scappoose.
Our private land access depends on specific owner requirements, and access is always ancillary to the primary use and schedule. As such, our members must be in good standing, sign a waiver, and have read/acknowledged the terms and conditions and follow communications and signage regarding closures, working forest operations and any special conditions. This is essential to ensure the safety of the workers, trails, and riders, as well as maintaining good relationships and ensuring continued opportunity with landowners.
Throughout the trail building season, volunteers spend over 25,000 a year dedicated to over 190 miles of trail. Trail building season goes through the rainy months of October through the end of May. Between those months, we work on community building, learning, riding, and minor trail maintenance such as clean-ups or trimming growth over the trail.
To be part of our mission or to learn more about us, head to our website at NW-Trail.org. To learn more about our trails and the regions we maintain, head to nw-trail.org/trails/. To get involved and help the Local Stewardship Team that maintains the trails, please head to our trail team page nw-trail.org/trail-teams/.
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Skyline Grange News
Skyline Grange Prepares for the Return of Popular Events
By Sen Speroff
We look forward to opening more fully in the fall. Safety will take top priority so we will not hesitate to modify our plans as needed. We encourage all people planning to attend Grange events to be fully vaccinated and to follow fully any COVID rules we have in place. Those may be more conservative than those of the Oregon Health Authority. Details of events will be updated and announcement of any cancellations will be posted on our website and on SRN’s Newsline. We have tentatively scheduled the following events:
Grange at Summer Gathering
Skyline Grange will again coordinate the food at SRN’s Summer Gathering. SRN has decided that there will be no potluck this year due to the pandemic. Not only will we miss your wonderful potluck dishes, we are forced to compromise on our principle to be as green as possible. Ouch - paper dishes will be used, but we will still offer metal utensils and cloth napkins. The Meating Place is donating meat to grill. Grange members will make side dishes (that are not mostly mayo). In addition, a meatless option, dessert, and Valerie’s lemonade will be available. We look forward to seeing you there.
In Person Yoga at the Grange
Classes are held outdoors when weather permits. For updates, schedule, and required registration, visit Janci’s website at www.yogainalignment.com.
Fall Garage Sale 9/17-18
Our garage sale will be held on Friday-Saturday, September 17-18, 2021. This is earlier than usual. We hope the weather will allow for some displaying outside to minimize any indoor crowding. We will be ONLY accepting clean, functional donations in August and September. Refer to SRN’s Newsline and our website for updates on drop-off times and criteria for donations as August approaches.
Saturday Soup Supper 10/23
We have tentatively scheduled our popular Soup Supper for Saturday, October 23, 2021. We may need to modify it as time approaches to minimize overcrowding. More information will be posted in the October Ridge Runner and on our website.
Grange Artisans Holiday Fair 11/13-14
Save the dates of November 13 & 14. With 20+ local artisans presenting beautiful and unique handmade goods just in time for the holidays, it’s one you won’t want to miss. During the Fair, the Grange plans to offer home-cooked snacks and lunches for sale.
Join Skyline Grange
Grange is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit, and a totally volunteer-driven organization. We are a diverse group of people with the common belief that we are fortunate to live in the Skyline area and want to support its well-being. We take seriously the fact that our building is a community asset as a gathering place. Our impact, activities, and accomplishments depend upon our members and community volunteers.
You can contact the Grange at SkylineGrange894@msn.com, including rental inquiries for dates starting October 1. Skyline Grange is located at 11275 NW Skyline Boulevard. Our website is www.skylinegrange894.org. and our Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/Skyline-Grange-894-169559023662398/
We look forward to opening more fully in the fall. Safety will take top priority so we will not hesitate to modify our plans as needed. We encourage all people planning to attend Grange events to be fully vaccinated and to follow fully any COVID rules we have in place. Those may be more conservative than those of the Oregon Health Authority. Details of events will be updated and announcement of any cancellations will be posted on our website and on SRN’s Newsline. We have tentatively scheduled the following events:
Grange at Summer Gathering
Skyline Grange will again coordinate the food at SRN’s Summer Gathering. SRN has decided that there will be no potluck this year due to the pandemic. Not only will we miss your wonderful potluck dishes, we are forced to compromise on our principle to be as green as possible. Ouch - paper dishes will be used, but we will still offer metal utensils and cloth napkins. The Meating Place is donating meat to grill. Grange members will make side dishes (that are not mostly mayo). In addition, a meatless option, dessert, and Valerie’s lemonade will be available. We look forward to seeing you there.
In Person Yoga at the Grange
Classes are held outdoors when weather permits. For updates, schedule, and required registration, visit Janci’s website at www.yogainalignment.com.
Fall Garage Sale 9/17-18
Our garage sale will be held on Friday-Saturday, September 17-18, 2021. This is earlier than usual. We hope the weather will allow for some displaying outside to minimize any indoor crowding. We will be ONLY accepting clean, functional donations in August and September. Refer to SRN’s Newsline and our website for updates on drop-off times and criteria for donations as August approaches.
Saturday Soup Supper 10/23
We have tentatively scheduled our popular Soup Supper for Saturday, October 23, 2021. We may need to modify it as time approaches to minimize overcrowding. More information will be posted in the October Ridge Runner and on our website.
Grange Artisans Holiday Fair 11/13-14
Save the dates of November 13 & 14. With 20+ local artisans presenting beautiful and unique handmade goods just in time for the holidays, it’s one you won’t want to miss. During the Fair, the Grange plans to offer home-cooked snacks and lunches for sale.
Join Skyline Grange
Grange is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit, and a totally volunteer-driven organization. We are a diverse group of people with the common belief that we are fortunate to live in the Skyline area and want to support its well-being. We take seriously the fact that our building is a community asset as a gathering place. Our impact, activities, and accomplishments depend upon our members and community volunteers.
You can contact the Grange at SkylineGrange894@msn.com, including rental inquiries for dates starting October 1. Skyline Grange is located at 11275 NW Skyline Boulevard. Our website is www.skylinegrange894.org. and our Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/Skyline-Grange-894-169559023662398/
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Classifieds
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Write/Bright: Full spectrum writing, editing and research service. Prize-winning writer and editor, Oregon Book Award finalist, will help you put your best words forward. Speechwriting, copyediting, newsletters and resumes, works of fiction and poetry, memoirs, family history... Call or email to discuss your project’s needs. Barbara LaMorticella, 503.621.9894, barbala@teleport.com.
Bird Watercolor Painting for Beginners. Every Tuesday for ALL AGES, 4:00-5:30pm (Portland, OR time). Learn how to paint birds in watercolor, step by step instruction with Ronna Fujisawa. $15/ class or $50/ 4 classes. Register online www.saltywaterart.com or email: ronnafujisawa@me.com. Bamboo Fencing for sale: Approx. 75 linear feet of 6 ft tall bamboo fencing. mostly in rolls 5 ft wide with some shorter sections. Bamboo avg. diameter 1”, secured with sturdy wire. Painted dark green on one side. Make me an offer. Miles, 971-285-6960. |
Phoenix Farm Riding School. English horse riding lessons for the whole family. All ages and ability levels welcome! Day-off-school camps. Summer camps. Parties and special events. Located on the corner of Skyline Blvd. & Rock Creek Rd. Call/text 503.621.3823, email 13phoenixfarm13@gmail.com.
Owen West Electric. Our specialty is service and panel changes, kitchen and bath remodels, security, and yard lighting. 30 years of experience. CCB #29492. 503.297.6375 Office, 503.880.9512 Cell Borrow tool to eliminate Scotch broom, holly & other woody shrubs and sapling trees easily. SRN will lend 3 sizes of Weed Wrench. Contact Sen 503.621.3331 for large & medium size (Skyline near mile marker 15). Contact Laura 503.407.7175 for small size (McNamee Rd.). Rent the Skyline Grange. Reservations are tentatively accepted for dates after mid-October. Rental details at www.skylinegrange894.org. |
Community Calendar
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July 12, 6:30 PM: SRN Board online meeting via Zoom. All are welcome to attend. Contact Emily Bennett (ebemilybennett@gmail.com) to get the link.
July 12, 7:30 PM: Skyline Grange monthly meeting. All are welcome to attend, regardless of Grange membership. August 9, 6:30 PM: SRN Board online meeting via Zoom. All are welcome to attend. Contact Emily Bennett (ebemilybennett@gmail.com) to get the link. August 9, 7:30 PM: Skyline Grange monthly meeting. All are welcome to attend, regardless of Grange membership. |
August 21, 4:00-9:30 PM: SRN Summer Gathering, Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm 11435 NW Old Cornelius Pass Road. Read more in the front page story.
Sept. 13, 6:30 PM: SRN Board online meeting via Zoom. All are welcome to attend. Contact Emily Bennett (ebemilybennett@gmail.com) to get the link. Sept. 13, 7:30 PM: Skyline Grange monthly meeting. All are welcome to attend, regardless of Grange membership. Sept. 17-18: Fall Garage Sale, Skyline Grange. “Everything but the kitchen sink.“ Watch the Newsline and our website in August for updates on drop-off times and criteria for donations. |
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Thanks for Your Donations!
Many thanks to the following neighbors and friends who recently made cash donations to SRN:
~ Joe and Laurel Erhardt
~ L. Collins
SRN relies on the financial support of the Skyline community to pursue its nonprofit, educational mission. We operate entirely on the volunteer efforts of neighbors like you. Donations are tax-deductible and always appreciated! Please make checks payable to SRN and send them to Rachael Brake, SRN Treasurer, 14109 NW Rock Creek Rd., Portland, OR 97231. Thank you.
Many thanks to the following neighbors and friends who recently made cash donations to SRN:
~ Joe and Laurel Erhardt
~ L. Collins
SRN relies on the financial support of the Skyline community to pursue its nonprofit, educational mission. We operate entirely on the volunteer efforts of neighbors like you. Donations are tax-deductible and always appreciated! Please make checks payable to SRN and send them to Rachael Brake, SRN Treasurer, 14109 NW Rock Creek Rd., Portland, OR 97231. Thank you.
Skyline Ridge Runner
Editor: Miles Merwin
Contributing Editor: Laura Foster
Page Composition & Graphics: Agnes Kwan
Copy Editor: Libby Merwin
Printing & Mailing: City of Portland, Metro Presort
Digital Editors: Emily Bennett, Shea Lavalier
Contributors: Suzanne Perra, George Sowder, Emily Bennett, Sarah Woods, Claire Baldwin, Christina Lent, Michael Ahr, Sen Speroff, Kelsea De Filippis
Send comments, articles, opinions and advertising requests to the Ridge Runner, 14416 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR 97231, ridgerunner@srnpdx.org, or fax to 503.621.3450. Deadlines for all submissions are the 15th day of March, June, September, and December unless otherwise announced. Letters to the Editor are welcome, but must include your name and phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for length.
➜ Deadline for the next issue is September 15
Skyline Ridge Neighbors Inc.
Skyline Ridge Neighbors is a nonprofit organization serving rural northwestern Multnomah County through educational, environmental, and social programs that inform residents on relevant issues and events. SRN endeavors to better our community, encourage volunteer efforts, and openly communicate with residents and outside organizations.
SRN Board of Directors
Skyline Rural Watch Newsline
Subscribe to SRN’s weekly email newsletter of local events and news via the link at www.srnpdx.org. Contact the Editor, Laurel Erhardt, at newsline@srnpdx.org or 503.621.3501 to submit items for publication
SRN Website
Visit www.srnpdx.org for more news, photos and information about our community. If you have questions or comments, contact the Webmaster, Agnes Kwan, at webmaster@srnpdx.org.
The views and opinions presented herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by SRN or Skyline neighborhood residents.
Editor: Miles Merwin
Contributing Editor: Laura Foster
Page Composition & Graphics: Agnes Kwan
Copy Editor: Libby Merwin
Printing & Mailing: City of Portland, Metro Presort
Digital Editors: Emily Bennett, Shea Lavalier
Contributors: Suzanne Perra, George Sowder, Emily Bennett, Sarah Woods, Claire Baldwin, Christina Lent, Michael Ahr, Sen Speroff, Kelsea De Filippis
Send comments, articles, opinions and advertising requests to the Ridge Runner, 14416 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR 97231, ridgerunner@srnpdx.org, or fax to 503.621.3450. Deadlines for all submissions are the 15th day of March, June, September, and December unless otherwise announced. Letters to the Editor are welcome, but must include your name and phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for length.
➜ Deadline for the next issue is September 15
Skyline Ridge Neighbors Inc.
Skyline Ridge Neighbors is a nonprofit organization serving rural northwestern Multnomah County through educational, environmental, and social programs that inform residents on relevant issues and events. SRN endeavors to better our community, encourage volunteer efforts, and openly communicate with residents and outside organizations.
SRN Board of Directors
- Suzanne Perra - President - 503.866.9289 - president@srnpdx.org,
- Emily Bennett - Vice President - 971.280.3142
- Rachael Brake - Treasurer & Secretary - 503.621.3423, 503.201.6740 / treasurer@srnpdx.org, secretary@srnpdx.org
- Alex Rose - 213.507.6616
- Brad Graff - 503.292.1614
- George Sowder - 503.621.3552, 503.961.3440
- Grant Rolette - 503.621.3423, 503.985.2060
- Shea Lavalier - 612.718.9683
Skyline Rural Watch Newsline
Subscribe to SRN’s weekly email newsletter of local events and news via the link at www.srnpdx.org. Contact the Editor, Laurel Erhardt, at newsline@srnpdx.org or 503.621.3501 to submit items for publication
SRN Website
Visit www.srnpdx.org for more news, photos and information about our community. If you have questions or comments, contact the Webmaster, Agnes Kwan, at webmaster@srnpdx.org.
The views and opinions presented herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by SRN or Skyline neighborhood residents.