In case you missed it, on Wednesday July 9th the Oregonian printed a very intriguing editorial on their interpretation of the proposed Life Sciences Collaborative on the Schnitzer Campus. Here is an excerpt:

Signs of life (sciences) on the waterfront

Public universities must go beyond a group hug to keep alive the dream of a Portland riverfront campus.

Last year, an anonymous donor gave $40 million to Orego Health & Science University to jump-start development on the downtown side of its South Waterfront campus.

Nothing happened.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Just noticed a great article in today’s Tribune unveiling OHSU’s development plans for the north part of South Waterfront and their Schnitzer campus.

Read the whole article here: “Healthy Ambitions.”

The event will begin at 6pm in the OHSU Center for Health and Healing Atrium. Tickets for the event are $65, which includes a Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glass and a Tram ride. Proceeds from this event will benefit Salud!, which provides access to healthcare services for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.

For more information please visit the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association website.

Thursday, June 12, 2008 ~ 6PM - 8:30PM

OHSU Center for Health and Healing

3303 SW Bond Avenue, Portland

Dear March Wellness members,

We are writing to update you on the future of March Wellness. As you recall, the center was recently placed in jeopardy by a recent Oregon Supreme Court Ruling which created a large budget shortfall for OHSU. This shortfall resulted in our announcement early this year that March would likely be restructured or sold.

We are pleased to tell you that a decision has been reached about our future. March Wellness will remain open, but some of our space and functions will be consolidated. Here is a summary of the changes you will witness:

>The center will be consolidated and occupy the second floor of the Center for Health and Healing. In the future, March Wellness will occupy 32,000 square feet of space. Currently the center occupies 47,000 square feet of space.

> The gymnasium will be renovated and exercise equipment will now reside in this space. The gymnasium was previously under-utilized by members, which is the reason for this decision.
The first floor of March will be converted into clinical space.

> The next phase of the decision is to determine whether OHSU will remain the operator of March Wellness or whether an outside fitness operator will run the center. This decision will take greater analysis and will likely occur in a matter of months. We will of course inform you of this decision when it is made.

> As part of the consolidation, some of the spa services provided by March will likely be discontinued. However many of these decisions have yet to be made.

An extensive cost analysis study and input from several parties – including the public - informed the decision about March Wellness. The cost analysis reviewed several specific issues including monthly revenues, the square footage occupied by March Wellness and the costs associated with renting this space. Because March Wellness will remain open, we will continue promotions for the center aimed at obtaining new members and keeping old members.

We want to thank you for your patience during this difficult time and we hope that you are relieved and pleased with the decision that has been made. As always, if you have questions, we invite you to contact our Executive Director Amber Webster at websteam@ohsu.edu or 503 494-8198.

Thank You,

The March Wellness Management Team

We were most fortunate this week to have Gaden Shartse monks from South India build a Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala in South Waterfront at the Artist in Residence Studio. It began fairly small, on Monday morning, as the monks took turns carefully releasing the sand into the mandala.

They worked with a vast array of sand in different colors, which was loaded into the cone shaped metal tools and slowly tapped into the emerging images

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The mandala grew as details

were painstakingly added.

This is how it looked on Tuesday afternoon, almost complete.

That evening it was complete and a Dismantling Ceremony took place where the symbolism of this intricate design of world peace was explained…

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and ritual formulas recited by the monks as they requested the deities to leave the mandala.

Different symbols made of sand represent the mandala’s deities. They were removed in a strict sequence. The sand was then swept into a pile to be distributed in small portions to those who attended the event.

The event was made possible in cooperation with the Wholistic Peace Institute and the sponsored by the Larson family. The monks are on a tour to raise funds for a hospital in India so medical care and medications can be dispensed free of charge to those in their community.

For more information on the Wholistic Peace Institute, call 503-266-8996

For more information on mandala construction and symbolic meaning, see

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/online/mandala/

SOWA event organizers and supporters celebrate their success. From Left: Lew Pusch, volunteer; Lesley Poirier, SWF Community Relations; Peggy Pusch, event organizer; Brian Alfano, Umpqua Bank; David Gutzler, Neighborhood House Board Treasurer; Linda McCaw event organizer; Julie Countryman, Bella Espresso; and Greg Hardman, home tour host.

Once again, we are so appreciative of the generosity of our neighbors in the SWF. To learn more about Neighborhood House programs, please go to www.nhweb.org.

It is a very vertical environment so you have to like steps and climbing up hills. Needless to say, that contributes to its attractiveness.

The smog does not! The ferries in the harbour are wonderful. Great way to get between Kowloon and Hong Kong and all the other islands; also quite inexpensive. We found one that was free for seniors which became our personal favorite.

The people are welcoming and so ready to help you understand the place and the culture. We had some amazing conversations in places like the museum at an exhibit of portraits of people who live in low income housing. The portraits captured the character of the individual residents being photographed. As we looked at them, a local gentleman asked if we found this exhibit interesting. Thus began a long conversation about the meaning of some of the things we noticed (ex. piles of filled plastic bags surrounding an old woman were the “products” she attempted to sell on the street, not uncollected trash), how you live in a small room with a family using the community kitchen and bath/toilet facilities (our informant lived in one of these rooms for many years with 2 children and a wife), how happy people were to have these homes. It is hard to describe the joy and learning that took place in this conversation. Unfortunately, there was no catalog! The food, variety and quality, is excellent. We ate in several restaurants where only locals were eating and discovered some rather interesting dishes–some we tried and some we decided were for very discriminating tastes that we did not have.

The harbour is the busiest I have ever seen. We lived and I worked on a ship for one week; Lew ran back and forth to land on a tender. Getting on and off was a trick! I did it once! We felt as if we were part of a huge neighborhood on water although you did not interact with your neighbors. We also visited an area where fishing families live on their boats and a whole village of support services exists.

Temples were fascinating and we saw as many as possible. There are big coils of incense hanging and burning all around and you have to be open to having ash on your shoulders….and to being overwhelmed by sweet smoke. It became quickly apparent that I could not stay long and would leave with eyes streaming. The temple here is located in the New Territories where we also visited the walled cities.

That is a quick take on Hong Kong at Christmas and at the beginning of 2008…Chinese New Year (Feb. 7) will be much more exciting, I am told, but that is hard to imagine. Happy Year of the Rat.Peggy Pusch

Peggy Pusch and Linda McCaw

The Buford home showed how white, both in the walls and slip covered furniture, could provide the kind of background that showcased their art, much of it produced by the artist who resides here, off to great advantage. The home is expansive and charming and looks over a patio that had been planned to give the impression of a large yard where the gardener in the house could putter among potted plants. Sculpture and books compliment the paintings and provides a visual treat that keeps the visitor engaged in the environment.

Finally the Hardman/Nollen home is exceptional in its combination of living and work space that draws on the panoramic views of the city and employed lovely decorative features, creative lighting, and comfortable furniture. Here there is definitely a sense of city living as you look directly out at the surrounding buildings and the lights of those more distant. If you saw the article in the New York Times several weeks ago about the interchange between the outside and inside of largely glass buildings, (and some questions about what is private!) you could appreciate how much this is demonstrated here .

This is one person’s review of the homes visited and selection of the features that are so appealing in homes that show contrasts in life style and use of space. Please let us know what features of the homes were most memorable for you. We are already thinking about how this tour can be organized next year. One more thing, there is information on Neighborhood House elsewhere on this blog and continuing opportunities to contribute to their excellent work. Please mail an envelope directly to Neighborhood House. We do not yet know how much as been donated and we’ll post a final figure when the appeal has been completed.

mdp

The Clark home pulled you into a totally different era. It is far more modern with clean lines complimented by Asian accents and with a choice of color that invites you to feel at home. Here, as in all the homes, there is art that blends with the decor–in this case much of it contemporary, begging you for an interpretation. Relaxing in front of the fireplace or hosting a dinner party is definitely an option here.

Several homes tended toward contemporary furniture; they are not at all the same and have interesting contrasts. The Pyko/Schneider home is punctuated with Asian and antique pieces. Floor to ceiling carved wooden panels slide over the pantry and utility rooms, providing texture to the hallway and saving space. A reclaimed Indonesian doorway hides the wine storage in a living room niche at the end of the hallway. Much of the lighting in this home is clever and attractive; for example, a small crystal chandelier is centered over the bathtub. The living room is arranged at a very intriguing angle. The collection of mirrors in the guest powder room and entrance hall allows reflection in many shapes and sizes. There are little surprises throughout the home and it is fun to keep discovering them.

Moving on to the McBride residence, you find a combination art gallery and living space that definitely draws attention to the many paintings that adorn the walls. And you cannot miss a single room because they all have original pieces on display. Greeted by a large friendly dog, you can wander about for quite a while, checking out amazing glass and metal free-standing pieces along with playful artwork that hangs close to landscapes and Japanese etchings.

At the top of the building, the Krages have very contemporary furnishing accented with modern paintings, hangings, and a light focused glass sculpture, all displayed beside a sensational broad sweeping view of the city and river. A sense of drama is created in this high ceilinged penthouse with the use of black paint and elegant wallcoverings. One room is dedicated to an interest in film and it is possible to enjoy memorabilia related to the hosts favorite movies as well as actually viewing those films. We want to hear your responses to these homes so do let us know what “stood out” for you.

Last Thursday was the October Third Thursday, a regular event held at Bella Expresso in SW. Third Thursday started when a resident of the John Ross, about to move in, suggested that we needed an informal, regular event to bring people together. Third Thursday between 6 and 8 pm was selected by the 20/20 Health, Wellness and Social Spaces Committee as the time to share wine and nibbles on an ongoing and self-supporting basis. We asked Bella Expresso if it could be held in their cafe because it is centrally located. For the latest event, the signs that were posted were not clear about how this works. Everyone is invited to bring something to share such as an appetizer or a bottle of wine. The intention is to get together without great cost and with considerable cheer and comraderie.

Bella has graciously hosted two of the Third Thursdays, the first was their grand opening and the last was a lovely gesture on their part. They have been open to having us meet there at no charge and we are pleased to have such a central location. On the next Third Thursday (November 15), we will be introducing our adopted SW charity, Neighborhood House. TT has proven to be successful in bringing people together. So join us on the Third Thursday and bring something to share.

We are most appreciative of Bella’s open door policy and a space on the balcony to have this event. Please come to as many TTs as you can, wander down to the main floor for supper if you like, and vist Bellas at other times for coffee and, among other things, their very special, locally made, scones.

Peggy Pusch

Two people from The Meriwether, Linda McCaw and Leah Grotzinger, were trained last year to become members of the NET team. They would be delighted to tell you about the experience. We are delighted to have at least two trained people in South Waterfront. We hope, of course, that they will never be called upon to help us in a disaster that would isolate the community for as much as three days (such as an earthquake) without critical assistance. Needless to say, they would be amazingly busy if they were the only two so check this program out and become a part of it. Linda and/or Leah can be reached through Comments. It would be terrific if we could assemble a group to take a training program together. Stay tuned for the next dates that training will be available.

Waterfront Run (2.5 miles)
This run is flat and scenic.

* Start at Waterfront Park
* Go north on running path until the Steel Bridge
* Cross over the Willamette
* Follow the new Espanade to OMSI
* Go up the stairs to Hawthorne Bridge bike path
* Cross over the Willamette
* Take offramp to Waterfront Park