Monday Mailing
Year 21 • Issue 26 16 March 2015 1. You Call This a Farm? 2. Brewery Climate Declaration 3. Kauffman Foundation: How Local and State Governments Can Rev Up Business Creation 4. 2015 Oregon Heritage Conference, April 22-24, in Coos Bay 5. Why Coding Can Teach Planners How To Be More Creative 6. Oregon Lawmaker Wants to Punish People who Bike Without Reflective Clothing 7. Surveys: Finding Out What People Want Travel Time is the Forgotten Breakthrough of the Past 200 Years 8. Surfing at Short Sands 9. This Crop of Women Farmers is Stepping Up to Sustain the Land 10. Upcoming Webinars 11. Fighting Poverty With Parks 1. You Call This a Farm? Joe Angel is a real-estate developer and investor best known for once owning 28 Portland-area Burger Kings. Angel also helped develop three downtown hotels—the Westin, the deLuxe and the Lucia.
Quote of the Week: "Almost always the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better." ~Martin Luther King Jr.
Oregon Fast Fact: Multnomah Falls is a 620 foot waterfall in two stages that is the second tallest waterfall in the United States. It is located in the Columbia Gorge along the Columbia River.
Today, he splits his time between his West Hills home, an Arch Cape beach house and Sisters, while managing his investments. He’s a civicminded Portlander who served on the Planning and Sustainability Commission and recently decorated a building he owns at the corner of Northeast Grand Avenue and Lloyd Boulevard with a wall-sized mural of the late street musician “Working” Kirk Reeves. Angel, 71, also owns one of the largest private properties in Portland city limits, a stunning 46-acre, hilltop spread at the pinnacle of the West Hills on Northwest Skyline Boulevard. It’s one-and-a-half times the size of Laurelhurst Park, and a lot less crowded. He bought the property in 1977 but has not lived there since 1980. To access the full story, click here. 2. Brewery Climate Declaration The beer brewing industry is a major economic driver in America, and it is already feeling the impacts of climate change. Leading breweries are finding innovative ways to integrate sustainability into their business practices and finding economic opportunity through investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste recapture, and sustainable sourcing. To highlight the steps they are taking and issue a call to action to others, brewers are signing the Climate Declaration. There are over 2,800 breweries in the U.S. responsible for $246.5 billion in economic output in 2012. Directly and indirectly, they create over 2 million American jobs. For every 1 job in a brewery, 45 indirect Page 1 of 5
jobs are created in agriculture, transportation, distributing, business, packaging, machinery, and retail. When climate change disrupts the beer industry, it not only threatens our economy and jobs, it also threatens the future of great beer. For more information, click here. 3. Kauffman Foundation: How Local and State Governments Can Rev Up Business Creation Local and state governments should reformulate their efforts to promote business startups, according to a research paper released (March 10) by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that first focuses on what does not work. "Guidelines for Local and State Governments to Promote Entrepreneurship," reports that, even though many cities and states have been promoting entrepreneurship for at least two decades, the rate of new business formation is declining. New businesses comprised about 8 percent of all U.S. businesses in 2011, down from about 15 percent in the late 1970s. Further, recent groups of startups are creating fewer jobs. Instead, state and local governments should implement strategies that focus on entrepreneurs as individuals who learn by doing and interacting with others. While books and courses may inform continuous learning, there is no substitute for advice from local business owners as entrepreneurs navigate the complicated decisions they face at each stage of their businesses' development, the paper reports. The paper recommends that state and local governments adopt several strategies to refocus their entrepreneurship support efforts, including: • • • • • • • • • •
Facilitate catalytic events that bring entrepreneurs together to learn and connect. Reinvent existing public venture funds in ways that distribute multiple small investments and involve local entrepreneurs in award selection. Reorganize existing incubators along a holistic format that integrates incubated firms, other local startups and experienced local entrepreneurs. Identify and celebrate successful local entrepreneurs. Reexamine professional and occupational licensing with an eye toward lowering barriers for startups. Simplify tax codes and payment systems. Rethink non-compete agreements. Streamline zoning and approval processes. Welcome immigrants, who have been nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start businesses. Track the progress of whatever strategies are implemented.
While this may conflict with the goals of politicians seeking quick results, the paper emphasizes that all of the recommended strategies require a long-term outlook in order to work. To access the full report, click here. 4. 2015 Oregon Heritage Conference, April 22-24, in Coos Bay The Oregon Heritage Conference brings together people who love and work with Oregon's heritage. Designed to be interdisciplinary, the conference focuses on all sectors of heritage, such as historic preservation, museums, archives, libraries, and local and state government. By bringing everyone together in one place, we can begin to realize that our work in heritage is all interconnected, that we have similar problems, and, together, can create better solutions. The Heritage Conference will offer workshops, tours, and breakout sessions that are equal parts innovation and practical advice. Topics will include:
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The National Register Disaster Preparedness Underwater Heritage Archive Digitization many many more!
Registration is now soon. The full conference rate including several meals and the Oregon Heritage Excellence Award Banquet will be $85. The student rate is $45. For more information about this event, click here. 5. Why Coding Can Teach Planners How To Be More Creative I want to learn HTML and CSS, or maybe get a refresher on the current state of web technology— where should I start? This is a question I get asked often by planners. When I started planning, people express a desire to learn Geographic Information System (GIS). Today, people ask about coding and it signals a shift in our thinking around technology. Every company and every government has a presence on the web these days. Every major planning project has a web component. Planners are turning to the web in order to share information with citizens or extend engagement activities to people who are unable to attend public meetings. Knowing the basics of HTML & CSS and how they're used to create web pages is a skill that will always be useful. Just like knowing a foreign language, it's helpful in almost all professions including planning. To access the full story, click here. 6. Oregon Lawmaker Wants to Punish People who Bike Without Reflective Clothing A member of the Oregon House has introduced a bill that would require all bicycle riders in Oregon to wear reflective clothing. Representative John Davis (R-District 26) introduced House Bill 3255 this morning. According to the text of the bill, Davis wants anyone caught riding a bicycle, “on a highway or on premises open to the public” without wearing reflective clothing to be punished by a maximum fine of $250. The bill also dictates that the clothing is, “including but not limited to a reflective coat or reflective vest.” The new law would only apply to people riding bicycles at night (between sunset and sunrise). The new offense, “Failure of a bicycle operator to wear reflective clothing,” would be a Class D traffic violation. To access the full story, click here. 7. Travel Time is the Forgotten Breakthrough of the Past 200 Years The classic Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States shows exactly how travel times across the United States have evolved over time. Back in the early 1800s, without easily navigable roads or railroads, even a journey from New York to Washington, DC, was a multi-day affair.
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Over time, that slowly improved. Construction on the National Road, which stretched from Cumberland, Maryland, across the United States, began in 1811 and continued through the 1830s. The advent of the steamboat also made it easier to use rivers. The big advance, however, came through trains. By 1857, railroads had improved travel times significantly — culminating with the development of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. Even in 1857, travel was easier, thanks to the railroad system. To access the full story, click here. 8. Surfing at Short Sands I’ve walked the white sands along the western coast of Nicaragua. I’ve played on the warm, sunny beaches of the Southern California shoreline. And I’ve built sandcastles beside the turquoise waters of Key West. But my favorite beach remains on the wild, rugged Oregon Coast. Sheltered by a cove blanketed with thick, wet forest and edged with volcanic basalt and sandstone cliffs is one of the most popular surfing destinations in Oregon. Nicknamed “Shorty’s” by locals, Short Sands beach at Oswald State Park is alive with activity on any weekend or summer day. But even in the winter, especially in the winter, I always know I can find at least one or two more dedicated water-seekers like myself aching for the perfect wave. To access the full story, click here. 9. This Crop of Women Farmers is Stepping Up to Sustain the Land Last year, all five of the first-year apprentices at Soil Born Farms’ headquarters near Sacramento, California were women. Another young woman, Elle Huftill-Balzer, was the boss of them all, the farm manager. “It [was] a total girl-power year around here,” says Janet Whalen Zeller, co-founder and co-director of Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project, which oversees two farms totaling 56 acres. In fact, during the past few years the majority of apprenticeship applicants at the farm have been women. Zeller isn’t a farmer. She is an educator and advocate with a vision of healthy food for all of Sacramento County’s 1.4 million residents. In 2004, she and two farmers turned Soil Born into a nonprofit organization to help urban residents connect with their local food system and to improve underserved communities’ access to organic produce. To access the full story, click here. 10. Upcoming Webinars WALLACE CENTER WEBINAR: The Million Dollar Question: Break-even and viability for different food hub models, Thu, Mar 19, 2015 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM EDT How much volume does it take for a food hub to be a viable business? Food hub managers, planning commissions, funders, support organizations, economic development commissions and investors are all asking this same question! Of course this is difficult to answer with a single number since there are diverse food hub models and management structures. And context matters: the region of the country, urban vs. rural, and others. This webinar peers in the operations and financial books of several illustrative examples of different hypothetical hubs to tease apart those “magic numbers” – where each model reaches profitability, and true viability. Co-presenters: Jim Barham, USDA Rural Development, DC and Jim Matson, Matson Consulting, SC Page 4 of 5
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3399986084975337473 For more information: Contact James.Barham@wdc.usda.gov
WEBINAR SERIES: USDA Rural Development (RD) is holding a various training webinars on different RD Programs. The webinars will be accessible by phone and via the Internet. Here is a list of upcoming webinars and topics:
Project Finance (Guaranteed Loans); Thursday, April 2; 2:00 PM Eastern Time; https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/789/7312; Dial In: Toll-Free (US & Canada): (888) 669-0676, https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/789/7312. For more information: Contact Venus Welch-White at venus.welchwhite@wdc.usda.gov or Tony Crooks at Anthony.crooks@wdc.usda.gov The Rural Utilities Service is holding webinars to inform stakeholders about a new loan application system. The dates are March 19 and 27 for Telecommunications Program stakeholders, March 20 and 31 for Electric Program stakeholders, and April 1 and 2 for Water and Environmental Program stakeholders. All attendees MUST RSVP to get the link and the PIN code for the conference. Please RSVP at denise.scott1@wdc.usda.gov.
11. Fighting Poverty With Parks Yoni Peraza was an out-of-work Portland grocery clerk who had never heard of a green job, until he landed one. It happened in the most unlikely area: Portland’s Cully neighborhood, a place left behind by Portland’s recent green wave of development and industry growth. Since it was annexed into the city in 1985, Cully has been left to fend largely for itself in terms of transit, parks, and updated streetscapes. Only one third of streets have sidewalks within this neighborhood of odd-size residential lots bordered by an industrial corridor. It has only one official park—an undeveloped stretch of open space—within its borders. Meanwhile, it has a poverty rate about twice that of the rest of the city, and two of the three most diverse census tracts in Oregon. As of the last census, it became a “minority majority” neighborhood, where communities of color outnumber white residents—something rare in Anglo-dominant Oregon. Despite their disadvantaged status, Cully residents and activists have worked persistently to create opportunities. Having emigrated from the Yucatan at sixteen, Peraza benefitted upon arrival in Cully from safe, affordable housing units maintained by Hacienda Community Development Corporation, an organization started by Latino neighborhood leaders. Still, living just across the street from the shadowy Sugar Shack strip joint, a known center for prostitution and crime, Peraza had trouble finding outlets for him and his kids. To access the full story, click here.
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