Phil Stanford's column

[MarkDaMan]

For those of us that read the Trib, Phil Stanford is Jack Bogdanski with a newspaper column. In fact, I see Jack's comments popping up in the trib all over the place, including Stanford's columns.

The Trib has turned on a commenting function and I want to encourage those here to head over there and leave comments for the stories and columns that are really stupid, over the line, or lack reality, such as today's Stanford column that said:

If you think the Chinese are the only ones bent out of shape over what the Portland Development Commission has done in Chinatown, talk to Kenyon Dawson, who works as doorman at Darcelle’s on Northwest Third.…

“The whole thing’s a mess,” he says. “Totally tacky. … After all this, it just looks like a bad mall.”… Couldn’t agree more, Kenyon. The entire project has to rank as one of the PDC’s more memorable failures. … First they drive a number of long-standing Chinese businesses out to 82nd, then they manage to obliterate the funky charm that made the place worth visiting in the first place. … In terms of sheer bullheadedness, it’s right up there with the destruction of the entire South Portland neighborhood back in the ’50s. … The misbegotten dragon statue that’s got the Chinese community so riled up was just the finishing touch.

a funky charm?

anyway, I'm not sure comments critical of their stories will stay, but its worth letting them know their slanted negative reporting is unacceptable. To see Stanford's entire column today and my comments to him, if they are still there, go here.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/...53395061638900

[pdxman]

The tribune is trash...i stopped reading it long ago when i figured out their agenda was to belittle everything that happens in portland proper. Theres a reason that paper's free, no one should pay for garbage.

[PDX City-State]

If it's such a success guys, why are all the retailers fleeing? Portland does a good job with planning overall, but this was a botch...

[pdxman]

For some reason portland isn't that great at attracting and keeping businesses. I don't know why, but its true. Just look at the schumacher incident(yeah, yeah its fur--but its still a BUSINESS). The city should do whatever it takes to prevent a business from leaving, no matter what they sell.

[MarkDaMan]

PDX City-State, the renovation of Old Town/China Town, adding festival streets was only completed this fall. Previously, OTCT had become rundown, full of service agencies that left homeless and mentally ill people just mindlessly walking the streets, and crammed with drug dealers at every corner offering meth or 'nuggets'. It is premature to say businesses are fleeing OTCT when the rejuvenation has just begun. In fact, the PDC attracted the UofO and Mercy Corps to the neighborhood which will really anchor the neighborhood. Goodman also expressed hope that the height limits on his surface lots could be raised to allow additional building. The Custom House is being turned into a boutique hotel, the former Daisy Kingdom an art space condo project, the mall to Union Station is getting MAX tracks, and the yellow warehouse just off the Steel Bridge has an ambitious redevelopment proposed. I can't stand opinion reporting like Stanford who prematurely judges just one piece of the project, in this case the Dragon art piece (shows what happens when you have art designed by a committee), without looking at the entire picture.

I too want to see an authentic neighborhood turn a new corner while being inclusive to all. However, when we are 10% complete on a redevelopment, it is not the time to judge its effectiveness and than use a column to express your dissatisfaction without prefacing that this is the beginning, not the end.

[Drmyeyes]

Stanford is not a reporter per se, but a columnist. As a columnist, he's not obliged to confine himself to straight reporting. In fact, the paper hires him exactly for the crusty, biased opinionated writng that has many readers finding themselves so miffed about. But sure, hook up with the paper's discussion blog and weigh in on Stanford. He thrives on the kind of comments his irritated readers have for him.

As far as I'm, concerned, the pros and cons of the OTCT renewal are valid debate. Ultimately, it's probably for the good, but not all of the funky character being lost by the renewal, was bad. OTCT has been a pretty scary place with the drugs and all, but does the city really have to go to such extremes just to get rid of some dealers? All this renewal looks to be creating just another Pearl, or close to it, and I'm not sure that's something to exactly welcome with open arms.

[MarkDaMan]

Another Pearl? Hardly. People for more than a decade have been lamenting about the dead OTCT. The city attracts some good employers, and even students, and now they are forming a mini-Pearl, c'mon. Look at the facts. The service agencies ARE NOT being chased out of the district but encourgaged to redevelop themselves in the district, being mindful of the other people that live and work in the area. There is a large number of affodable housing units including many rent-free spaces. 8NW8 provides the 'from the street to permanent housing' transitional space in a beautiful new building as well as another new support center just a few blocks up. The city added festival streets to encourage more fesitvals, and people, throughout the summer, without forcing out tenants, including the Porn Shop at the entrance of the district on one side, and a strip club on the other.

Stanford wasn't debating the pros and cons of the redevelopment, he was using the disgust over the 'art by committee' piece to further his anti-Portland rantings. That's pretty damned irresponsible considering the space he gets on the inside flap of the paper.

[Drmyeyes]

I hope you're right about OTCT not becoming another Pearl, DaMan. Developers can be very zealous once they target an area.

I miss the edit function that used to be here. I also meant to say about Stanford, that his writing is intended to be entertainment, actually more so than reporting. Personally, I just can't see taking what he has to say that seriously. His column is a quick scan, if at all. It's not a must read by any means. It's often gossip, but do people really believe it, Stanford, imagines itself to be anything more than that? I don't.

[zilfondel]

First off, a city isn't a mall, and Chinatown has been around for around 120 years. As with virtually all Chinatowns around the North America (including Vancouver), Chinatowns - which sprang up because Asians were heavily discriminated against and not allowed to own property or actually work (outside of building railroads) in America, so they set up shop in the poorest part of town, making it dense and vibrant.

However, they generally always had that run-down higher crime issue. Since we have less racism today - particularly in institutions such as Fannie Mae - Asians can actually get high paying jobs and move to the burbs or into a condo like anyone else! Oh my gosh...

Thus, the fall of Chinatowns throughout North America is not due to the EVIL PDC hiring drug dealers to beat up Chinese in Portland, but due to FAR larger socio-economic forces (on the national scale).

Oh, but what about Chinatown in NYC and San Fran? Well, some cities still have large influxes of (relatively) poor immigrants; we also seem to have two new 'asia towns' springing up in Beaverton and 82nd. People don't just stick in one place, nothing abnormal here!

===============

Furthermore, regarding the statues...

I have been told by several Chinese students at PSU that the asian community was heavily involved in the planning process - for years! Can't please everybody, so of course there happens to be a few critics. Although I agree the statues are funky; but perhaps there is something about the dragons being caught in a collar - maybe this speaks something about the lack of freedom immigrants had in the US 100 years ago?

[PDX City-State]

I too want to see an authentic neighborhood turn a new corner while being inclusive to all. However, when we are 10% complete on a redevelopment, it is not the time to judge its effectiveness and than use a column to express your dissatisfaction without prefacing that this is the beginning, not the end.

I guess I should have been more descriptive. I absolutely agree that this area needed and needs some investment, but I don't like the way they went about it. First, this area really hasn't been a true Chinatown in years. Chinese and Asian retailers have chosen outer NE and SE because the rents are cheaper and the retail spaces larger and closer to the communities they serve. Some of the improvements were based on the history of the neighborhood, but really don't reflect what the neighborhood is and is becoming. Widening the sidewalks was good, but all the Asian adornment is a bit frivalous. Now we have a neighborhood that has all the frills of a Chinatown--except for Chinese people. Fact is, Chinese retailers are leaving and likely will continue to leave.

[Drmyeyes]

Re; the statues. I read..I think it was the tribune story, some of the sculptors comments, and saw the accompanying picture of the dragon sculpture. I've seen the dragon sculpture personally.

With all due respect to the sculptor and the process he used to prepare for the sculpture's creation, I don't really like the finished work. The sculptor suggested that the stainless steel ring and vertical rods holding the stone dragon were intended to represent the sky, from which the dragon is descending, consistent with chinese tradition. If that's what he truly intended, I'd say he missed the mark. The metal overwhelms the dragon. I would have thought that the intent would have been the reverse; that the dragon would have been the dominant element of the sculpture.

Now, a common interpretation of the sculpture may be what Zilf reads from it...lack of freedom to early immigrant chinese people on the part of their host country. If the sculptor had that in mind, his treatment of the idea seems irreverent at best.

When I first saw it, I couldn't figure out at all what it was supposed to mean. At first I thought it might just be some attempt to affect a sterile, conceptual art treatment of an aspect of chinese culture today. It's as if the dragon is being extruded from some amorphous material by a cold machine. The upturned wok is like chaos and waste.

Alternately, on the bondage theme, the sculpture might be seen to represent some of the seamier activities that befell chinatown over the years.

It bothers me that Chinatown has been taken off-guard by aspects of this renewal effort, as exemplified by this sculpture. No way should it have found itself surprized by the outcome of this sculpture, but that appears to be where they are. When so much hope, energy, and money is directed towards renewing this important part of Portland, it's unfortunate that more effort hasn't been directed towards more effective design review for this neighborhood.

Another dubious idea that is part of this renewal: replacement of the curb strip cherry trees with palm trees. For crying out loud.

[cab]

The Cherry trees were the best part of that area. I believe the landscape architect for the project was quoted as calling them "nasty old trees". The thing is, because they were old and gnarly it gave them charater. Its a shame an architect wouldn't understand the value of the nuances of a good old tree.

[cab]

Double post

[Drmyeyes]

".....quoted as calling them "nasty old trees". ". And why might that be? Start examining Portland street trees a little more closely than usual. Probably for budgetary reasons, the city tends to give trees minimal if any pruning maintenance. The city tends to let downtown trees grow natural; o.k. out in the wild, but in a confined setting, this can seriously compromise the aesthetic appeal of trees, and the length of their lives.

Many downtown trees are overly bushy and way out of proportion to their site. In some cases, they tower unneccessarily, obscuring beautiful architecture. Now is a good time to see this...for example, look at Pioneer Courthouse from Pioneer Square. Gradually, the London Planes have been rising higher and higher, so that spring through summer we see less and less of that building.

Some of the OTCT cherries might have been unhealthy and needing replacement, but mostly, I think they just needed better maintenance. Ultimately though, I think they may have had to come out to allow for the street improvements, and then somebody came up with the novel idea of the palms. At least I think the palms are still being planned for.

[PacificNW]

I agree with your point of view, Drmyeyes. I realize many people are not a fan of the Portland Building but the trees at the front entrance obscure the view of Portlandia. I think they need trimmed or removed.

[cab]

Sorry, but Portland is known for its urban forest, NOT its architecture. That is the beauty of this city, its amazingly Green. Only the arrogance of an architect would think they could top nature. Cut all the trees down in downtown and this place is a dump. Those "horrible" trees blocking the buildings are what make us a little different then most US cities. Its still amazes me that people don't get why Portland is so liked. Not sure who said it, but a great quote I read about Portland "Most US cities are cities that have some parks in them, Portland is a park with a city in it" Or something like that. Everyone I ever give the PDX tour too all comment the same, "its so green"

[PacificNW]

Geez Cab....did I touch a sore spot, or maybe your comment wasn't directed towards my above comments???? I agree that the trees are what make downtown Portland special but I do feel the two at the entrance of the Portland Building need pruned, or scaled back, so that the statue can be viewed. By the way, Cab, if you own property...please don't prune your trees or shrubs.

[Urbanpdx]

I would bet everything in my pocket that he does not own property so no worries.

[cab]

PacificNW Its not about pruning it's more about cutting down mature trees or not planting trees that can grow too maturity. I agree with pruning the trees near the Portlandia. So didn't mean any offense.

Urbanboy, Sorry to disappoint you but I do own property, and I prune my landscaping. So what did I win? A ticket stub from John Charles talk at Brainstorm Magazine? To be honest, I'd be afraid to touch anything from your pockets...Can you catch Greed?

[Drmyeyes]

Cab, I beg to disagree about the need for pruning Portland street trees, particularly the ones in closely confined quarters like OTCT and downtown. There's probably very few species that can be truly allowed to grow to maturity in such locations without overwheming their surroundings. Most trees not in the wild; in a garden per se, benefit immensely from regular pruning, given that the demands upon them are different from those in the wild, and because the circumstances of their arborial community in that setting are totally different.

In the wild, of course, most trees are not pruned at all by humans. They are subject to pruning by a number of different natural means; wildlife foraging, insects, storms and other natural causes. Unlike in the city setting, there may be many trees of a given species in all phases of maturity and health. Some of them are inevitably old and broken down, while others are in a peak of aesthetic perfection. Unlike in the city, there's lots of room for this to take place.

In the city, trees are often planted all at the same time, all of the same maturity. Unlike wild trees, many of which humans may never lay eyes upon, city trees are eyed, studied and enjoyed every day. To an extent, they're show trees, that are expected to possess a certain peak of perfection if people are going to live with them.

Accomplising this doesn't require doing nothing until they attain excessive growth through maturity or become so brushy, unmanageable, unattractive or unsafe, that they have to be completely cut down. For many species, just periodic pruning and shaping can far extend the period of time that a tree can stay within the ideal parameters of its location.

Some compromise to the natural appearance of a tree is to be expected in order to accomplish this, but it's not neccessary to make them look like popsicles or overly fussy bonsai. They can be pruned and shaped to retain a natural look.

When I walk around the city, and see all this work on the trees and other plantings that needs to be done, and goes undone, it's with a certain irony. There's so many people that need work, homeless and others, and here's work waiting all around them. It's good work too, at least some of which can be done with modest supervision.

If the city ever were to take a philosophical look at their priorities, maybe someday there would be a way to properly budget for this very important part of the city's infrastructure, and offer employment to people who may very much want and need it.