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Parks and trails are an important resource for improving the livability of a city. These outdoor areas provide the public with a safe place for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment, and connect individuals to their community. St. Helens is home to 134.9 acres of designated park land, Continue reading “Enhancing St. Helens Parks and Trails” →

Maggie Hanna has what might be seen as an enviable job: she oversees a process that helps people doing good works within gorge communities find other people willing to help pay for that effort. Continue reading “Agora platform aims to aid funding” →

Maggie Hanna came to The Dalles in September for an 11-month stay through the Resources for Rural Environments (RARE) program.

Continue reading “Maggie Hanna comes to The Dalles via RARE program” →

Downtowns are spaces that can exemplify the qualities, lifestyles, history, and interests of the people who live in a town.

This is what enables downtowns to become unique places that are the heart of their Continue reading “Improving downtown means teamwork, enhancing assets” →

Despite shuttered doors and a darkened corner of downtown, City of La Grande officials are not dedicating a ton of time to filling a big vacancy on Adams Avenue.

Mt. Emily Ale House, after five years of business, shut its doors Nov. 4. The building, which sits at the corner of Adams Avenue and Depot Street, now sits darkened.

Officials, though hopeful that it will soon be filled, are not playing a direct role in getting a new business moved in downtown.

“It’s overall a hit to downtown,” said Saira Siddiqui, La Grande Main Street’s coordinator.

Siddiqui, who started the job at the end of October, said she has not been in her position long enough to really be able to help the situation. She has not yet met with her business development committee. They plan to meet this week.

“Our focus is to present the building in a way that people want to fill it,” Siddiqui said. “If anyone is looking, Main Street would love to help.”

The coordinator said she has heard of some people looking at the building at 1202 Adams Ave.

“We want to see our downtown businesses full,” Siddiqui said.

La Grande Community and Economic Development Director Charlie Mitchell said the city does not usually get directly involved with filling vacancies but said he works with Main Street, the Union County Chamber of Commerce and other economic development groups to fill vacancies.

“We all work together. It’s kind of a shortcoming, I guess you could say, that we don’t have a proactive strategy for filling vacancies,” he said.

Mitchell, however, did say that he worked with Mt. Emily owner Jerry Grant on some strategies to sell the pub.

“We weren’t successful, but I did make that connection,” Mitchell said. 

Mitchell said sometimes vacancies are quickly filled, but the Ale House building is tough in that it is larger and uniquely configured.

The 9,300-square-foot building is listed by Re/Max at $845,000, a price Siddiqui and Mitchell said may be a little high for those looking in the area. The listing says the sale includes the building, business, all equipment and some training. 

Grant closed the business in order to be with his wife, who lives outside the area, he said when he announced he was closing this summer. 

Grant also cited a tumultuous relationship with the city and Main Street as reasons for wanting to leave.

“This experience has been a journey through which we have learned, sometimes struggled, yet ultimately become richer in spirit and wiser in many ways,” Grant said in a press release about the closure.

Mitchell said having a brewpub has been good for the city.

“I think we’re in a day and age where, especially in Oregon, having a brewpub in your community is almost expected. It’s a sought after commodity,” Mitchell said. “Hopefully, the market will allow one to come in.”

The Creswell Food Pantry has quadrupled its space, going from a 500-square-foot section of the Veterans of Foreign Wars building to 2,000 square feet in the Cobalt Building, which has been vacant since 2006.

What is welcome news to local patrons of the pantry is also a signal that some life is returning to the city-owned building at 364 Cobalt Lane, which was last used as a torque converter reclamation factory.

The food pantry’s old location was cold in the winter and hot in the summer and so cramped that volunteers sometimes had to turn away food donations, said Susan Blachnik, who manages the pantry with her husband, Kirk.

In addition to more room for donations, the new location means more families can shop at the same time, will not have to wait as long for their turn and can enjoy the shelter of a covered patio rather than wait in the rain.

“It really helps us” in meeting the growing need for food, Susan Blachnik said.

Twenty-nine percent of Creswell residents use food stamps, Blachnik said, and traffic at the pantry has increased by 55 percent in the past year alone.

Pantry advocates
anticipate that demand for services will increase even more as a result of new reductions to the federal food stamp program that took effect Nov. 1.

The VFW had allowed the pantry to use the space in its building rent-free. The pantry, in turn, made an annual donation of $500 to the VFW. The food pantry has a similar arrangement with the city, the Blachniks said.

Expenses for electricity and water will go up with the move to a larger space, the couple said, but that’s a small price to pay for an indoor toilet and better climate control.

From an operational standpoint, it will be faster and easier to set up the pantry and take it down, which could translate into the pantry being open longer hours, Kirk Blachnik said.

Not long ago, the pantry operated from a closet at a church, and before that as a pop-up at a campground, so the move to the Cobalt Building is a big leap forward in serving a growing need, say the Blachniks, who spend almost as much time as volunteers at the pantry as they do at their paid jobs as a nurse and plumber, respectively.

The couple is hoping to find someone to help them apply for grants to help them properly outfit the new facility, which they figure will cost about $30,000, including $9,000 for a walk-in cooler, the most expensive item. The city already had paid for some electrical upgrades before the proposal to move the food pantry was approved.

Ross Murry of Murry Investments gave the building and the 1.2 acres it sits on to the city in 2005 as part of a parks and open space requirement associated with a nearby residential development.

The nonprofit pantry, an affiliate of FOOD for Lane County, paid for all of the upgrades necessary to open to the public in the Cobalt Building.

The city has set up a committee to work on strategies for recruiting other tenants, Community Development Coordinator Madeline Phillips said. She heads the five-member Cobalt Action Committee, which is accepting applications from potential tenants.

Phillips is the Americorps volunteer from the Resources Assistance for Rural Environments program run through the University of Oregon. Since the city acquired the Cobalt Building, RARE volunteers, who work full-time for about a year on average, have been at the helm of moving the project forward.

The previous vision for the building, based on focus groups and surveys, was to turn it into a community center.

A 2009 feasibility study, which focused on using the space for recreation, estimated costs of needed upgrades for the building at between $98,522 and $255,158, depending on floor plans and usage. The town’s population increased 30 percent between 2000 and 2008, according to the feasibility study, which was part of the rationale for making public recreation facilities a priority.

Mayor Dave Stram said he still hopes an indoor skateboarding facility and wrestling club will be able to move into the Cobalt Building.

“Those fit in ideally with our plan,” he said. “There are tons of possibilities. This wonderful facility — 9,000 square feet — you can do a lot with that. I’m a huge proponent of it.”

He said that last year the city put $35,000 into electrical and plumbing upgrades and is looking for “other ways to push (the project) forward in this budget cycle.” he said. “That may not happen. We just don’t know yet.”

Phillips said her main goal for the remaining nine months of her service in Creswell will be gaining new occupants, after first ensuring that the building is safe.

“There’s a lot of optimism and enthusiasm,” Phillips said. “There are organizations that have shown interest. … The pantry sort of led the way for social services to get involved.”

Cobalt Building
Address: 364 Cobalt Lane
Acquired by city: 2006
Square footage: 9,000
Tenants: Creswell Food Pantry
Square footage remaining: 7,000

Originally published in The Register Guard
3500 Chad Drive
Eugene, Oregon 97408
Phone: 541-485-1234

The Dalles Main Street has a new face at the helm; New Hampshire native Matthew Klebes will be serving as the downtown program’s coordinator for the next 11 months.

Klebes is part of the RARE program — Resource Assistance for Rural Environments — that has helped The Dalles build programs and services by bringing in energetic college graduates to help build community capacity. The Dalles currently hosts two other RARE participants, one at Mid-Columbia Economic Development District and another at Mid-Columbia Housing Authority.

“It’s part of our professional learning experience through RARE to provide services to the community and to give back,” Klebes said.

Klebes has office space at The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, but the Main Street program is a separate organization charged with developing a lively downtown environment. He and his wife recently returned from serving in the Peace Corps. His wife is a teacher and he worked with children, youth and families.

“Specifically, children in conflict with the law,” Klebes said.

He said his biggest achievement there was to help build a youth rehabilitation center. Previously, youths who committed crimes were either sentenced to the city jail with adults or returned to families that may put them at further risk.

“The youth rehab center provides a separate, 24-hour facility,” Klebes said.

Klebes has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public policy and management. He said the Main Street program is perfectly in line with his education and professional aims. He has also worked with other downtown revitalization efforts similar to Main Street, including revitalization of a mill town.

He has been attending conferences and getting established in his first month in The Dalles. He attended the Oregon Main Street conference in Astoria and the AmeriCorps Kickoff, of which RARE is just one program. He has also been meeting with the various commissions in the community, and attending board meetings. He has also been meeting with business and property owners downtown.

“When I interviewed in July, The Dalles really stuck out as a place with great potential,” Klebes said.

He interviewed with local leaders, including Lisa Farquharson of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, City Manager Nolan Young and Chuck Covert, chairman of The Dalles Main Street board.

Klebes said his goal is to help The Dalles realize its potential.

“I think The Dalles is a place where I can have some impact and a place where I can learn quite a bit,” he said.

As Main Street coordinator, Klebes has been working with the nonprofit’s board and with its two active committees, promotions and design. He is hoping to recruit new members to the business committee, which has only two members at present.

Another committee, the organization committee, is run by the board.

Klebes’ goal is to help build The Dalles Main Street’s organizational capacity and strengthen its long-term sustainability. He has been updating the group’s contact list, communicating with members and serving as liaison with the community.

“I’m getting a feel for where we want to go,” he said, “and a sense of where things currently lie.”

Right now, the organization’s members are considering what role Main Street will play in the upcoming Christmas celebration. The group is also looking at some small-scale projects to benefit the downtown.

Klebes ran across a couple of ideas while touring Oregon City’s Main Street district that he thinks may translate to The Dalles, including creating planter areas around the downtown trees, instead of the grates currently in place and creating way-finding points around downtown.

Klebes welcomes the opportunity to talk to individuals or groups about The Dalles Main Street. He can be reached at 541-370-2966 or tdmainstreet@gorge.net.

Originally Published in The Dalles Chronicle
P.O. Box 1910
The Dalles, Oregon 97058
Phone: 541-296-2141 Fax: 541-298-1365

Saira Siddiqui had never been to La Grande before a couple weeks ago.

She soon will be moving here, though, to take the reins as coordinator for La Grande Main Street.

“I feel like I’m in a movie,” the Buffalo, N.Y. native said of her new small town home.

Siddiqui has only lived in the city: Chicago and Buffalo. Her adventure, she said, will be getting acclimated to a smaller town.

“I want to get the ball rolling,” she said during her visit to La Grande. She was in town after attending the Oregon Main Street conference in Astoria, where she had a chance to meet other Main Street coordinators. Most of the coordinators in the Rural Assistance for Rural Environments program have been in their positions for about a month, so Siddiqui is a little behind. She says that is just another reason to dive in.

“We can start fresh with a new idea and a new plan,” she said.

While in Astoria, Siddiqui met with Alana Garner, La Grande Main Street’s former coordinator. She was brought up to speed on the organization’s place, which has been in limbo since property owners rejected the implementation of an Economic Improvement District. The EID would have provided stable funding for the group, Main Street officials said.

“I think there needs to be a positive incentive program,” Siddiqui said.

The new coordinator said an incentive will help businesses want to financially support Main Street.

Siddiqui said she is also thinking of ways to bring businesses and property owners together to work together in a way that is not so formal and intimidating as some meetings.

“I would like to do something like a business mixer,” she said.

When she arrives to start the job, by the end of the month, she will also be going over guidelines and goals for each of Main Street’s committees.

The city of Gold Hill has some help in managing its water resources.

Nicolas Lennartz has started his 11-month internship as the city’s new water quality improvement manager. The Portland native and former Western Washington University student – where he majored in urban planning and policy management – started the internship on Sept. 9.

“It’s a big change for me,” Lennartz said. Making the transition from Portland to Gold Hill, however, hasn’t been a major issue. Lennartz has been spending his time acclimating to the area and “learning the lay of the land.” He likes it here. “It’s a beautiful area and it’s so rich in many resources. That’s why,” he said, “I’m here.”

Lennartz is part of AmeriCorps’ Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) program. RARE AmeriCorps members have a variety of backgrounds and bring to their communities a wide range of experiences, he said. In addition, members receive training in areas such as citizen involvement, outreach and communication, land-use planning, grant writing, project management and necessary computer skills. “I get a monthly stipend for living expenses,” he said. “So, the city doesn’t pay me.”

Lennartz had heard of the RARE program from an old friend of his. “She was in the program and talked about it a lot,” he said. “I applied and was accepted. Then, when Gold Hill applied for a RARE intern, I was eventually matched up with the city.”

Lennartz’s work is in response to a University of Oregon Community Planning Workshop (CPW)hosted by the Gold Hill. In a statement from city manager Rick Hohnbaum, he said that after after extensive studies and community input, the CPW created a five-year plan for improving the quality of surface water runoff using such concepts as installing rain gardens in sensitive areas, riparian restoration using native foliage, educational outreach to local schools and interpretive park trails. They also proposed low-impact development code amendments for review by city councilors, which allow greater flexibility for future development.

Lennartz said he plans to apply a combination of these concepts to improve recreation access and opportunities for residents and visitors, raise awareness for water quality issues and improve the health of the ecosystem for fish, wildlife and people.

“Part of my job will call for outreach programs to both the public and the schools,” he said. “It’s all about education. Awareness. Getting the people involved – I mean, this is their water. It’s important that they become part of the process in managing it.”

He said he’ll be working with other agencies, including the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Dept. of Environmental Quality, the Seven Basins Watershed Council and others. “I also hope that we can get volunteers involved as well,” Lennartz said. “I mean, from landowners who want to manage their property with more water sensitivity to townspeople wanting to help to plant local trees or even volunteers at events or simply offer new ideas.”

“Nicolas is providing a very valuable service to the city and the region while gaining experience with community outreach, state agencies and non-profits seeking the common goal of a safe and healthy Rogue River,” Hohnbaum said. “He’s bringing a level of service and commitment on behalf of the City in addressing water quality issues and protecting the Rogue River which our limited staff resources could ever provide.

In the meantime, Lennartz wants people to know that he’s “always  accessible” to anyone who wants to talk to him. “My door is always open,” he said.

For additional information or to volunteer for water quality improvement projects in Gold Hill, Nicolas Lennartz may be reached at 541-855-1525 or via email at wqic@ci.goldhill.or.us.

Originally published by The Rogue River Press, Valley Pride Publications
8991 Rogue River Hwy • P.O. Box 1485 , Rogue River, OR
541-582-1707

Over the past five years, Oregon Food Bank, in partnership with the University of Oregon RARE AmeriCorps program, has been conducting community food assessments in rural communities throughout Oregon. These assessments are collaborative processes that engage citizens in the local community. Participants systematically examine a broad range of local food issues and assets. Communities can then use this information to improve local food security by implementing systems tailored to their location, including improved distribution, gleaning practices and connecting farmers with local markets.

The State of Our Community Food System provides a summary of the 13 assessments completed as of May 2013. The report highlights themes, issues, and opportunities seen throughout Oregon’s rural communities. Special focus is given to groups or organizations that have created model programs or initiatives to address specific concerns. The conclusion section draws from recommendations identified in the community food assessments and provides suggestions for moving Oregon communities towards more resilient community food systems.

Conversations Across the Food System explains the underlying theories behind the community assessment approach and highlights specific methodologies. The report includes useful tips from previous community food assessors. To date, 15 assessments covering 22 counties have been completed with plans to complete assessments for all of Oregon’s rural counties by 2015. Links to completed reports can be found on Oregon Food Bank’s website.

Grocery stores play an integral role in ensuring the food security of rural communities. But as David Proctor and his team at the Center for Engagement and Community Development at Kansas State University have found, they are also “important cogs in the economic engine of rural America” and provide “a sense of cultural and civic identity to a community.” Sustaining Rural Communities presents findings based on 70 rural grocery store owner surveys that were completed as part of the Community Food Assessments. Like other parts of the country, many rural grocery stores in Oregon face challenges in keeping their business running. This report tells the story of rural grocery stores – their challenges and successes – in the hope that other organizations will join in supporting our rural grocery stores.

For more information about Oregon Food Bank’s Community Food Systems efforts, visit: http://oregonfoodbank.org/cfs

About Oregon Food Bank

With sufficient public will and support of the entire community, we believe it is possible to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Oregon Food Bank collects and distributes food through a network of four Oregon Food Bank branches and 17 independent regional food banks serving Oregon and southwest Washington. The Oregon Food Bank Network helps nearly 1 in 5 households fend off hunger. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through advocacy, nutrition education, garden education, and helping communities strengthen local food systems.