Week of 9/8/09 - 9/13/09
The summer lull was over with a vengeance starting the day after Labor Day.
* Labor Day, I went to the AFL-CIO picnic and had multiple conversations with labor leaders regarding their concerns.
* Our new Director of the Office of Healthy Working Rivers, Ann Beier, started work. I met with her, and staff will begin introducing her to the new office and its mission. She's a great addition to our team.
* Bureau Directors' monthly lunch - always enjoyable. Lisa Turley of Emergency Communications was out on vacation.
* Meeting with Patrick Nolen and Barry Joe Stull, Soap Box Under the Bridge, to discuss next steps for sharing public spaces
* Meeting with Colleen Johnson (Mayor of LaGrande), Andrea Fogue and Craig Honeywell (League of Cities) regarding statewide cable/franchise issues and cell phone tax equity statewide.
* Meeting with Jim Francisconi and Peter Savage, Regional Manager, NW Council of Carpenter, at their request to discuss the Convention Cengter Headquarters Hotel. There are many good jobs for stagehands setting up and taking down equipment at the Convention Center for conventions.
* The Gathering, quarterly meeting of North Portland community leaders, coordinated by Mike Verbout, at Ladybug Cafe on Lombard in St. Johns
* City Council hearings Wednesday morning and afternoon
* Metro Policy Advisory Committee meeting
* Meeting with staff regarding Office of Neighborhood Involvement "Communities without neighborhood boundaries" concept
* Gateway Area Business Association 9/11 Police and Fire Officer Appreciation Ceremony
* Meeting with David Olson and Mary Beth Henry, Cable Communications & Franchise Management
* Joe Beeler, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival and St. Johns Booster President Gary Boehm, regarding St Johns' Town Hall building as community center proposal
* Met with Laborers 483 staff Richard Beetle and staff from the Water testing lab, regarding contract concerns potentially coming up on City Council agenda soon
* Met with Mark Larabee, The Oregonian, regarding an article he is writing on sharing sidewalks
* Visited Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
* Visitor Development Association Board meeting, Travel Portland offices
* Citywide Wellness Committee - met with staff from Human Resources to discuss roles and responsibilities
* Meeting with Planning Bureau's River Plan staff, with Office of Healthy Working Rivers staff
* Celebration for Opening of Green Line MAX
* The People's Republic of China 60th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
Dinners at home: None but Labor Day, which is a bit sad considering my husband Steve was at Burning Man for the past week and didn't return until the day after Labor Day. We caught up on Sunday morning, and also squeezed in a dinner at home on Thursday with Maxwell on the eve of his return to college, before the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association meeting.
Family notes: Maxwell the Younger Son returned to college in NJ on 9/11; daughter Ali went back to Willamette University on Labor Day; Luke the Older Son started his tutoring job at Marshall High School when all Portland area public school students returned the day after Labor Day. I've enjoyed spending time with my family over the summer.
