Hello Neighbors - here is the latest update from March Wellness - we just received this email yesterday:

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

I noticed on Friday that PDOT had finally installed parking signs and meters along Bond Ave. in the South Waterfront. Most importantly, unlike Moody Ave., these metered spots are between 2 and 3 hrs:

I’ve been living and working in the South Waterfront for around 6 months now and every morning this stretch of Bond is packed with cars. I know it’s not construction workers, they have a lot, a big one. I know it’s not the retailers of South Waterfront - they are the ones who have been so supportive of abolishing the 11 hr parking in the neighborhood. Basically, all those OHSU employees have to find somewhere else to park now. Although I can’t blame them, I probably would have done the same thing in their shoes. This is a great thing for the neighborhood, now our guests won’t have to search for hours to find parking and more people can come frequent the retail shops, like Le Hana and the new Bambuza Vietnam Bistro opening next week, without getting too frustrated.

Now the city just needs to change the 11 hr parking on Moody and we’ll be all set.

Hello all,

A new restaurant is moving into the John Ross, on the corner of SW Bond and Gaines.  Daniel and Katherine Nguyen are inviting local residents to a welcome event next Saturday, the 5th of April, from 6-9pm.  He has asked that anyone interested please RSVP by Thursday, April 3rd by calling 503.206.6330.

“Taste of the Mekong along the banks of the Willamette”

Sip on a Mekong Mojito and munch on Coconut Summer Rolls by the Willamette River. The delightful culinary flavors of Vietnam await at Bambuza Vietnam Bistro, opening in April. Owners Daniel and Katherine Nguyen have been busy traveling and preparing since last summer to open Bambuza at the John Ross Condominium Tower in Portland’s South Waterfront District.

“It’s great to be home,” says Katherine who grew up in Portland and will manage the South Waterfront location. “I’m up for the challenge,” says Daniel, a Camas native. “It’s truly a unique place and an opportunity that I could not let pass by,” said Daniel after being introduced to the location by college classmate.

To kick off Bambuza’s Grand Opening, Daniel and his wife, Katherine will host a private sneak-preview event in early April to offer a tase of what’s been cooking since last summer down at the South Waterfront. Bambuza will open to the public on Tuesday, April 8th.

Bambuza Vietnam Bistro in the South Waterfront will be the second in the family’s line of casual, upscale Vietnamese restaurants. Bambuza will feature distinctive Vietnamese dishes that focus on fresh and healthy ingredients. The restaurant will offer casual, take-out service at lunch and full-service meals at dinner with a full bar and wine list.

Who’da thought? INTERNATIONAL / EUROPE   |  Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL The Irish have embraced the use of cloth bags to carry groceries, encouraged by a 33-cent tax on plastic ones. Maybe we need such a tax in Oregon. I was stunned by another story about the garbage dump in the Pacific that now reaches from Hawaii almost to Japan. It’s in an area that does not have much current so it just sits there, a big ugly in the ocean that consists largely of plastic in one form or another. Shopping at several grocery stores here, I have noticed that plastic is now banned in New Seasons (although there are still bags in produce) and Whole Foods, Fred Meyers is not far behind.  We got “points” with the checkout folks when we pulled out our cloth bags. And while we are at it, why do we have to have bottled water? That is another huge contribution to the Pacific dump. All that stuff we are throwing away has to go somewhere and plastic just moves to another part of the world.  Those bags can be recycled; collect them and take them to a recycle bin near you.

Save the date and support Neighborhood House by attending their annual fund raiser. This is the adopted charity for South Waterfront and so we invite you to be part of their excitement and use this opportunity to support their amazing programs.nh-animation-2008-save-the-date.pdf

Our own Linda K. Johnson and this month’s guest artisit, Adam Kuby, had a great interview in the Willamette Week this week regarding the Acupuncture Project.  Please read it here: http://wweek.com/editorial/3419/10668/