My name is Matt McClanahan. I've lived in Tualatin, Oregon since 1984. With some oddly random exceptions, most of my contributions focus on my own little world, the Northwestern US, the Portland area in particular.
Unsorted Musings edit
- There doesn't appear to be an article for Benson Bubblers, the drinking fountains found in downtown Portland.
- This hasn't gone entirely unnoticed, see Talk:Portland, Oregon.
- Simon Benson's article briefly mentions it.
- Speaking of fountains, The Downtown Portland article might benefit from a section on its various water fountains
- Information on the Oregon coast seems pretty thin.
- Much more can be said about the relatively brief life of the Japanese submarine Sensuikan Toku [1]
- I-70 through the Glenwood Canyon deserves a little more detail for the efforts made to minimize environmental impact.
- Curiously, while Dr Seuss's article does mention it, there's no mention on the Lorax article about the controversy surrounding it, including banning attempts, and the pro-logging response, Truax [2] by Terri W. Birkett.
- No article for the Mazamas. No shortage of information [3]. Mention its founding in the Mount Hood article?
- Kind of curious that none of the articles relating to Pearl Harbor seem to mention the mock attack by the USS Saratoga (CV-3) three years prior to the Japanese attack, which followed much the same strategy, and caught the base completely by surprise. One would've thought that might have inspired them to improve their defenses.
- Tom McCall quotes:
- "Heroes are not statues framed against a red sky; they are people who say: ‘this is my community and it’s my responsibility to make it better.'"
- "If Oregon can do it, other people try it"
- Linkspammers
- What can be done for Passenger rail terminology? It seems to overlap a fair amount with Tram.
- A surprising number of images in the Commons Tram area don't have the Tram category set on them.
Burnside Bridgehead edit
The Burnside Bridgehead project is a mixed-use development effort in Portland, Oregon being managed by the Portland Development Commission. The site occupies five city blocks north of the east end of the Burnside Bridge, totalling 195,500 square feet, and sits within the PDC's Central Eastside Urban Renewal Area.
In the fall of 2004, the PDC sent out a request for proposals from developers. Proposals were received from three firms: Beam Development, Opus Northwest, and Gerding/Edlen Development. Initially, Opus and Gerding/Edlen included a big box store as part of their proposal. However, in response to widespread public opposition to such a design, both firms removed them from their proposals.
On April 27, 2005, the PDC selected Opus Northwest for the contract to develop the site.
External links edit
Portland Streetcar edit
- Plans appear to already be underway for an extension beyond Gibbs to Lowell (0.4 miles?)
- Ridership numbers (Well, not so much numbers as a marginally useful graph) [4]
- Much of the Gibbs extension will use the existing tracks that currently carry the Willamette Shores Trolley. This is a departure from the rest of the system; it will have its own right-of-way, and be able to travel faster along that stretch. It's also possible that it's the first example of a 'rapid streetcar' concept[5]
- From 4th to Riverplace, it's double track.
- If the Eastside crosses the river near OMSI, it forms a ring.
- Resistance to extending streetcar to Lake O. Compare with trolley article for existing references.
- Mention the advertising policy; only a simple text name on the vehicles (PSU, Powells, etc) and only a 'Sponsored by <name>' on the station shelters.
Bull Run Watershed edit
The watershed was established as a national forest reserve on June 17, 1892 by President Harrison. In 1908, it was combined with other national forest land to form what would ultimately be the Mount Hood National Forest.
The watershed is cooperatively managed by the US Forest Service and the Portland Water Bureau under the Bull Run Act.
Oregon Coast edit
- The Oregon Coast is 362 miles.
- Managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
- Oregon Beach Bill based on the Texas Open Beaches Act.
- Current rules covered in ORS 390.605.
- Unique level of protection in the US? Hawaii? Texas?
- 30-something state parks along the coast (Exact number?)
- Make a List of Coastal Oregon State Parks?
All of Oregon's beaches are public property, from the shore to the vegetation line. This protection was first established in an unusual way in 1913 by Governor Oswald West. By that time, shore land was already beginning to be sold to private interests. West justified making the land public with the need for a highway from the Columbia River to California. The same legislation that protected the beach's public status also created the State Highway Commission, which began buying land for parks, viewpoints, and later a coastal highway. In 1965, the shore's designation changed from a highway to a recreational area. However, legislation was insufficient to keep the entire beach public; the vegetation line rule was not part of the 1913 legislation.
To better assure public access to the shore, state politicians and citizens created the 1967 Oregon Beach Bill, which Governor Tom McCall signed.