Family

MythBusters Exhibition to Come to OMSI

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:03:00 -0800

Photo Courtesy MBE, LLC

OMSI just announced it will open MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition on February 8. We're so excited, we could build a catapult to launch a homemade missile into the lower atmosphere and still not reach the heights of our excitement.

Okay, that might be a bit of a hyperbole, but we'll have to test it to make sure—along with other conundrums, like how much huffing and puffing does it take to blow down a brick house (with the help of an air cannon).

Here's the press release with all the info. We'll work on getting you a preview before the opening.

Portland, Ore. (January 23, 2013) – Does sprinting rather than strolling keep you drier in a downpour? How would you stack up against an action hero or stunt man while, say, hanging from a ledge by your fingertips? Answers await visitors at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), where MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition begins February 8, 2013. The exhilarating exhibition brings the Discovery Channel’s Emmy®-nominated series to life, helping visitors uncover truths behind popular myths by mixing scientific method with gleeful curiosity and old-fashioned ingenuity.

MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition creates hands-on, interactive experiences for guests of all ages by combining popular scientific facts with innovative, family-friendly displays. In MythBusters, co-hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take scientific investigation to exciting new levels by proving or exploding myths using their highly experimental approach and extensive backgrounds in special effects. Savage and Hyneman were heavily involved throughout the development of the exhibition to ensure guests experience a true MythBusting encounter.

"It's exciting to see fans take on some of our favorite experiments from the show while drawing their own conclusions and data," said Savage. "Although they are tackling the same myths and questions, each guest can have a unique experience within the exhibit."

"We hope people have fun at the exhibit and get a sense of what it is like doing the show," added Hyneman.

OMSI guests will learn about myths, the MythBusters and what experimenting is all about by participating in a series of fun, hands-on experiences and live demonstrations. Experiments cover topics such as flight, friction, gravity, speed and combustion.

“This exhibition is a thrilling way to engage visitors in the scientific method, which is not only the foundation for all analytical thinking in science, mathematics, history, and exploration … but also really fun!” said OMSI Senior Science Educator Kristi Falkowski.

“Seeing the MythBusters’ enthusiasm about the exhibition, we are very excited about it coming to OMSI,” said Amy Noble Seitz, founder and CEO of Exhibits Development Group. “We truly hope this exhibition will spur scientific curiosity, thought and experimentation for all ages.”

Tickets are on sale now at omsi.edu. MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition opens Saturday, February 8 and closes Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Exhibition Overview/Highlights:

The Blueprint Room
Based on the real-life operations room of the MythBusters’ iconic set, this room acts as an introduction to MythBusting and is filled with gadgets, props, video and, of course, blueprints used by Adam and Jamie to explore myths on the show.

The Workshop
This is the place where guests turn into investigators and use real science to test myths including:

·         Airplane on a Conveyor Belt: This is considered the most hotly contested myth on MythBusters. Can an airplane take off in one direction while it’s on a conveyer belt that is moving in the opposite direction at the same speed?
·         Butter Side Up: Does toast usually land butter side down, voiding the “five-second rule” and making a mess?
·         Big Bad Wolf: Ala the “Three Little Pigs,” is it really impossible to blow down a house made of bricks? Visitors will find out with the help of an air cannon that packs a pretty mean “huff and puff.”
·         Running in the Rain: Stuck in a rainstorm without an umbrella, does it make sense to run for it, or would you get just as wet if you walked?
·         Blind Driving: A video arcade-style experiment where visitors partner up to blindly navigate a city course.
·         Killer Card Toss: Can an ordinary playing card really be used as a dangerous weapon?
·         Change Like a Superhero: Clark Kent always disappeared into phone booths and emerged in seconds as Superman just in time to get the bad guy. Visitors will test their human speeds.
·         Cliff Hanger: Visitors can find out how they stack up against an action hero or stunt man by measuring how long they can hang from a ledge by their fingertips.
·         Tablecloth Chaos: How possible is this party trick? Visitors try their hand at yanking a tablecloth from under a fully set table without disturbing any of the settings.
·         Phone Book Swing: Visitors take a seat on a swing made from interlaced phone books, testing its strength.

Live Demonstration Stage
Now that the individual experimentation is complete, visitors have the opportunity to be a part of a high-energy, group MythBusting session. This 10-minute live demonstration allows for a dynamic and fun deep-dive into the scientific method to explore myths associated with human reaction time and momentum. Paintball launchers may be involved … (protective gear provided).

Holiday Shows Not to Miss

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:58:00 -0800

THEATER

A Tuna Christmas

Thru Dec 23 The family-friendly holiday comedy, starring Jeffrey Jason Gilpin and Alan King as all 22 residents of the fictional third-smallest town in Texas, is back by popular demand. It’s like A Prairie Home Companion, if Garrison Keillor played all of Lake Wobegon’s townspeople and the idyllic Minnesota community were a cracked-up Texas backwoods. For showtimes, see calendar entry. $28.25–52. Dolores Winningstad Theatre, PCPA, 1111 SW Broadway. 503-248-4335. pcpa.com

REVIEWED The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol
Thru Dec 23 In this Bag & Baggage–produced play-within-a-play, the well-born, ill-bred women of Farndale Avenue’s Dramatic Society (played by men in drag) stage a performance of A Christmas Carol that’s as much of a train wreck as its title—to so-bad-it’s-good effect. Read our review. Wed–Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2. $15–28. Venetian Theatre, 253 E Main St, Hillsboro. 503-345-9590. bagnbaggage.org

The Santaland Diaries

REVIEWED The Santaland Diaries
Thru Dec 30 Though it’s been 20 years since Sedaris first read it on NPR’s Morning Edition (launching his career), the humor writer’s tale of working as Crumpet the Elf at Macy’s still holds up as an uproarious, antimaterialist Christmas classic. For this year’s production of Joe Mantello’s one-man adaptation, actor Darius Pierce steps into David’s/Crumpet’s elfin booties for the first time (for more about the show but not the actor, see our review of last year's production with Jim Lichtscheidl). Tue–Sun at 7:30; Sat–Sun at 2. $44–59. Ellyn Bye Studio at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave. 503-445-3700. pcs.org

REVIEWED Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol
Thru Dec 30 Artists Repertory Theatre reprises its 2011 holiday show (read last year's review), a mash-up of sorts of A Christmas Carol and the Sherlock Holmes stories. The play, written by Seattleite John Longenbaugh and directed by Jon Kretzu, visits ghosts past, present, and future upon a retired Holmes to spook the detective-extraordinaire back into the mystery-solving biz. Wed–Sun at 7:30; Sun at 2. For ticket prices, call 503-241-1278 or visit artistsrep.org. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St

Christmas on Broadway

Thru Dec 23 The conceit of this new holiday musical revue from Broadway Rose is actually rather believable, for once: a quartet of would-be actors is snowed in at a Broadway theater on Christmas Eve with only costumes, props, and set pieces. What to do but make the best of it by performing seasonal standards from Broadway shows? Portland Center Stage’s musical director, Rick Lewis, directs. For showtimes, see calendar entry. $25–40. New Stage Auditorium, 12850 SW Grant Ave, Tigard. 503-620-5262. broadwayrose.org

It’s a Wonderful Life
Thru Dec 23 Stumptown Stages adds some tinsel to the beloved 1946 film and Christmastime staple by adapting it as a musical for the first time in Bedford Falls history. The world-premiere score was co-composed by prominent Portland pianist and songwriter Michael Allen Harrison. Thu–Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2. $15–30. Brunish Theatre, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW Broadway. 503-248-4335. stumptownstages.com

A Very Joan Crawford Christmas
Thru Dec 23 Triangle Productions presents a funny, fearsome Yuletide evening with Joan Crawford. A pencil-eyebrowed, vodka-soaked Kam Sisco plays Mommie Dearest, while James Sharinghousen portrays her gentleman companion. For showtimes, see calendar entry. $15–35. The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. 503-239-5919. tripro.org

CLASSICAL MUSIC

NEW Classical Revolution PDX

Dec 26 at 9 For the British Commonwealth, Boxing Day—December 26—has been a tradition for hundreds of years, beginning as the designated time at which masters bestowed gifts upon their servants before evolving into a day of charity and goodwill. For Portlanders, Bachxing Day is a time to unwind after the stress of the holidays with booze and Bach. Classical Revolution PDX will be performing interpretations of their Bach favorites, and encouraging audience members to do so as well, remembering the three rules: "Any Bach. Any Instrumentation. Any Interpretation." Suggested donation of $5–20. Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave. 503-248-1030. classicalrevolutionpdx.org

NEW Oregon Symphony

Christmas with Johnny Mathis

Dec 22 at 7:30 Christmas with Johnny Mathis Mathis was perhaps the last of the great pre-rock crooners to gain popularity before Fender electrified pop music forever—but “Chances Are” you already know him. For this special holiday concert, Mathis, with the symphony as his backing band, sings the seasonal standards. $35–200. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway. 503-228-1353. orsymphony.org

DANCE

The Nutcracker
Thru Dec 23 Oregon Ballet Theatre brings the visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads—yours, too!?—to life through its annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet. Some 27,000 people turned out last season to see the flowers waltz, the fairy dance, and the Nutcracker/Prince defeat the Mouse King, making this one of Oregon’s most popular holiday events. For showtimes, see calendar entry. For ticket prices, call 503-222-5538 or visit opb.org. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St

FILM

The Big Lebowski

NEW The Big Lebowski
Dec 21–27 Take a night off from the holiday spirit for a, well, different sort of tradition: Clinton Street Theater’s yearly screening of the Coen brothers’ classic. Jeff Bridges plays “the Dude,” a slacker par excellence who, after being mistaken for the title character, is spooled into a web of intrigue featuring porno kingpins, feminist artists, and German nihilists. Patrons are encouraged to wear pajamas. 6:50 & 9:20. $6. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St. 503-238-5588. clintonsttheater.com

NEW Charles Dickens
Thru Dec 23 The Northwest Film Center screens three cinematic adaptations of Dickensian works, in celebration of both the great Victorian novelist’s 200th birthday and the season. (Even putting aside A Christmas Carol, there’s a certain Yuletide feel to all of Dickens’s wintry, moralistic tales, isn’t there?) In addition to Brian Desmond Hurst’s essential 1951 version of Christmas Carol, NWFC is showing David Lean’s Oscar-winning 1946 Great Expectations and an Alberto Cavalcanti–directed 1947 film noir rendition of Nicholas Nickleby. For showtimes, see calendar entries. $9. Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave

CONCERTS

Wanderlust Circus' White Album Christmas

NEW Wanderlust Circus’ White Album Christmas

Dec 21–23 The city’s top circus-arts troupe teams up with the Nowhere Band—made up of members of MarchFourth Marching Band, Trashcan Joe, and others—in a stomping holiday celebration for those fed up with the same ol’ holiday fare. For the fifth year running, they cover the decidedly un-Christmas White Album in its entirety with decidedly un–Sugar Plum Fairy circus spectacles, without surrendering any of the seasonal cheer. Fri–Sat at 9; Sun at 8. $25. Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St. 503-719-6055. albertarosetheatre.com

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights
Thru Dec 30 The Grotto’s Catholic shrine and botanical garden are unusual and beautiful enough the rest of the year, but during the sanctuary’s holiday-season light display and choral festival, it is truly a sight to see. More than 500,000 lights deck the 62-acre, cliff-straddling grounds; performances by area choral groups—170 in total—take place nightly; and hot chocolate is as abundant as Christmas spirit. Daily 5–9:30; closed Christmas Day. $9. The Grotto, 8840 NE Skidmore St. 503-254-7371. thegrotto.org

FAMILY

The Peppermint Bear Show: Who Needs Sneeds?
Thru Dec 22 Rise and shine for a continental breakfast and to cheer on Peppermint Bear and Santa’s elves as they fight to save Christmas from the Grinchlike Sneed siblings. Lakewood Theatre Company is staging Peppermint Bear for the first time in the 35-odd years since it premiered (as The Cinnamon Bear Show) at the old Lipman’s department store. Sat at 9 and 11. $12. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S State St, Lake Oswego. 503-635-3901. lakewood-center.org

For more about Portland arts, visit PoMo's Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter, or follow us on Twitter @PoMoArt. Blog content reflects the views of the individual author and not necessarily SagaCity Media, Inc.

Pink Martini + The Von Trapp Family = The Yam-Hills Are Alive Concert

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:00:00 -0700

For two decades, fifth-generation farmer Ramsey McPhillips and a motley crew of neighbors have waged a quixotic battle to stop a mountainous landfill in the heart of Oregon’s wine country from growing even bigger. Thus far, they’ve managed to stall Waste Management, the landfill’s owner and the largest waste company in North America, from doubling the footprint of the dump from 85 acres to 172 acres (that’s 158 football fields, or, since we’re arts lovers here, 374 Armory Buildings). But events in the next few months could determine if the landfill closes for good or continues growing for possibly another 30 years.

Our story of the farmer and the landfill—based off a spring and summer spent in Yamhill County interviewing folks on all sides of the struggle, attending meetings, and wading through documents—just came out in the September issue of Portland Monthly. You can read it here.

What exactly does this have to do with Culturephile, you might ask, beyond the fact that half the landfill's waste comes from the Portland Metro Area? Well, part of McPhillips success stems from his ability to garner help from cultural partners. Eat Beat reported on a fundraiser he threw with local culinary superstars in April, and Pink Martini bandleader Thomas Lauderdale has been a long time supporter.

Which brings us to, drumroll, please: The Yamhills Are Alive! Portland fans of Pink Martini well know Lauderdale’s historian’s zeal for tracking down often forgotten musical stars of Golden Era stage and screen and reintroducing them to audiences. Phyllis Diller, Jane Powell, Carol Channing, Jimmy Scott—it’s an incredible list. And now he’s invited the Von Trapp Family Singers, the actual great-grandchildren of Maria and Georg Von Trapp, whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was made legend in The Sound of Music, to join Pink Martini and China Forbes for a benefit concert to help raise funds for the Stop the Dump Coalition.

The benefit is Sunday, September 16 at Youngberg Hill Vineyard in McMinnville. A free Salt & Straw ice cream social, along with food carts and wine, kicks things off at 2:30, and then the concert begins at 4:00.

Tickets and further info are available here.

For more about Portland arts, visit PoMo's Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter, or follow us on Twitter @PoMoArt. Blog content reflects the views of the individual author and not necessarily SagaCity Media, Inc.

Best of the City 2012: Family

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0700

Image: Jonathan Case

KIDS’ COOKING CLASS

The Merry Kitchen

Since 2007, Julie Merry, a registered dietitian and Western Culinary Institute grad who has run cooking programs for both Fernwood Middle School and Sur la Table, has delivered culinary know-how (and all necessary supplies) right to her clients’ kitchens for birthdays and other parties. Gatherings feature how-to’s on dishes that range from humorous (Green Eggs and Ham) to refined (Thai curries). For a no-mess option, move the party to Merry’s inviting Northeast Portland cottage, where summer camps include planting and plucking ingredients in her backyard garden. 5202 NE 72nd Ave; themerrykitchen.com

PARK ADDITION

Ventura Pumptrack

Think of it as an earthen skate park for bikes. Cyclists aim their handlebars up and over a series of dirt berms and moguls, using momentum to propel themselves. A beginner and a more advanced track let riders gain bike-handling skills and confidence in a traffic-free and soft-dirt-landing setting. Bonus: courses can be reconfigured easily, keeping short attention spans stoked. Even better, thanks to Northwest Trail Alliance—who designed, built, and now maintains the tracks—it all cost the city less than $5,000. In other words, dirt cheap. Ventura Park, SE 115th Avenue & Stark Street

KIDS’ THEATER

Tears of Joy Theatre

This tiny theater piques the interest of tykes and sophisticates alike with a unique combination of elements: the ancient art of puppetry, new music by the likes of Third Angle, and stories as rich with mystery as they are bright with whimsy. Ursula K. Le Guin herself attended this winter’s Ride the Red Mare, an adaptation of the novelist’s A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back. For now, you’ll have to wait until Tears of Joy returns in the fall with a production of Perseus. 1111 SW Broadway; tojt.org

BEST ROCK STAR ROLE MODEL

Mr. Ben

A former Fender guitar rep who’s toured with Dave Matthews Band and Ozzfest (seriously), Ben Thompson (a.k.a. “Mr. Ben,” mrbenmusic.com) is now considered the reigning king of Portland’s budding “kindie” music scene. Thompson performs up to six shows a week at the likes of the Portland Children’s Museum, Peninsula Children’s Center, and Mississippi Pizza. Typical gigs witness packed houses dancing, clapping, and singing to covers like Feist’s “1234” (the Sesame Street version, that is) and clever twists on old classics, like “Old Mick Jagger Had a Band.” Thompson’s favorite show—a weekly occurrence at Rhythm Traders—even allows hands-on kiddie jam sessions with drums, flutes, and ukuleles. Thompson’s biggest groupie? Try topping 16-month-old son Makai, who’s seen roughly 250 Mr. Ben shows and still asks dad for more.

Mr. Ben’s picks:

FAVORITE KIDS’ MUSICAL EXPERIENCES

You Who (youwhoportland.com) performances at McMenamins Kennedy School are a Portland treasure. And the Northwest Children’s Theater and School (1819 NW Everett St; nwcts.org): their recent reimagining of Rapunzel had a young teen rock band onstage the entire time performing songs throughout the play.

MOST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

Santa Fe Taqueria (santafetaqueria.com) on NW 23rd is great, and kids eat free with adult meal purchase every Wednesday.

PLACE TO PRACTICE ART

The Art Cubby (1500 NW 18th Ave; kidsartcubby.com) ?and Art a la Carte (8535 SE 13th Ave; artalacartepdx.com) are both cool and have drop-in hours for painting and crafts.

Readers’ Picks

KIDS’ BOUTIQUE

Posh Baby

Posh offers a mix of the hip (retro soccer polos), the whimsical (bird-adorned pillows), and the practical (oodles of lotions and soaps). 809 NW 11th Ave and 12345 Horizon Blvd, Beaverton; poshbaby.com

LOCAL PARK FOR KIDS

Jamison Square

Cascading fountains, rocks for scrambling, and good proximity to Cool Moon Ice Cream invite loads of summer splashing. 810 NW 11th Ave

KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

Hopworks Urban Brewery

Both locations feature dedicated kids’ play areas and menu options like the little brewer’s cheeseburger and organic pasta. 2944 SE Powell Blvd and 3947 N Williams Ave; hopworksbeer.com

BEST SUMMER ZOO ATTRACTION

Summer Concert Series

You rock to acts like Levon Helm while the kids gawk at the swooping birds of prey. oregonzoo.org

SUMMER OMSI ATTRACTION

OMSI After Dark

DJ parties with Bollywood dancers and workshops on liquid-nitrogen ice cream—better call a sitter! omsi.edu/afterdark

The Bottom Line

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:00:00 -0700

Image: Michael Schmitt

WANT LUNCH RUINED? Every day, the United States alone sends 50 million disposable diapers to landfills.

As a new mom in the early ’00s, Kim Graham-Nye didn’t like her options. “It was either washing cloth, or disposable,” Graham-Nye says.

At the time, Graham-Nye and her Australian husband, Jason, lived in Sydney planning romantic getaways for wealthy clients. Today, Graham-Nye is president of gDiapers, a fast-growing Portland company whose flagship product consists of reusable—and sportily colored—outer pants and flushable, compostable absorbent inserts. Over the past six years, the company’s growth often approached “vertical,” as Graham-Nye puts it. Even post-recession, gDiapers enjoys a devoted following (30,000 Facebook fans) and recently launched in Europe, the UK, and Graham-Nye’s native Canada.

Meanwhile, gDiapers embodies Portland’s progressive-business dreams. On yoga day, staff members spread mats just outside the on-site day care at the headquarters on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Kim and Jason work side by side. (He’s CEO.)

Even their move here seems tailored to a Portland brouchure. Graham-Nye stumbled upon the flushable diaper at a trade show and licensed the product—a license valid only outside of Australia and New Zealand. “We looked everywhere,” Graham-Nye says now. “Europe. Japan. Canada. Northern California.”

"WE HAD NO PORTLAND TIES, BUT THIS CITY OFFERED US EVERYTHING.”
— KIM GRAHAM-NYE

Portland seduced them with sportswear know-how (“Our products are technical fabric, too,” Graham-Nye notes) and proximity to New Seasons Market, a natural-grocery trendsetter. The city’s cheapness and friendliness helped.

“If you raise $5 million, it goes twice as far as in San Francisco,” she says.

Growing pains long ago replaced baby steps. Two years ago, with upscale retail in the doldrums, gDiapers launched at titanic Babies-R-Us. The UK market required a name tweak: kids wear gNappies there. “When you’re as brand-focused as we are, the slightest change is hard,” Graham-Nye says. “People like our products, but they love our brand.”

With every customer supposed to quit using the product by age 3, Graham-Nye keeps searching for new frontiers—no stretch for a woman who moved halfway around the globe to battle a foul problem. “We’re after world diaper domination,” she says.

Boiling Point

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

STEPPING FROM Markham Elementary custodian Greg Meyers’s office into the Southwest Portland school’s boiler room is like diving into a Dickens novel. On a spring day, one of the soot-stained steel chambers warms the building’s 375 students while the other gets its weekly cleaning. A peek through a slit reveals a powerful blaze of fuel oil. The 61-year-old equipment’s only fail-safe is a thin string attached to a spring-loaded switch. Out-of-control flames would burn the string, trigger the switch, and shut down the system—a standard safety protocol, circa the Truman administration, which nonetheless seems a little alarming to a 2011 visitor.

This month, Portland Public Schools seek voters’ verdict on a $548 million bond—the biggest in Oregon history, it would add $25 a month to the average homeowner’s property tax bill—to finance repair and renovation of 85 district buildings. The bond would fund a broad agenda, including studs-up rebuilds of nine schools. To bond supporters, aged equipment like the Markham boilers makes the case for a Yes vote as well as anything. “These boilers are emblematic of two major problems,” says Ben Unger of the independent pro-bond campaign, “age and fire safety.”

If the bond passes, about half of PPS’s schools, including Markham, would update to natural gas heat, at a total cost of around $8 million. This would affect Meyers’s job significantly; the custodian spends about eight hours a week maintaining the current beasts. If a part breaks, steamfitters must custom-fabricate a replacement. If both boilers go down, school closes.

“For how old they are, they run pretty well,” Meyers says, “but dependable doesn’t mean efficient. You never take a promotion in this district until you see what kind of boiler the school has.”

Carole Smith Q & A

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

This month, Portland voters will decide on a $500 million-plus bond that would fund a sweeping reconstruction of Portland Public Schools’ buildings. The largest bond in Oregon history marks a turning point in the three-and-a-half-year tenure of district superintendent Carole Smith—if it passes, her administration will have a chance to put a modern stamp on 85 schools across the city. We talked to Smith about the stakes in play.

Let’s start with the bond’s price tag: half a billion dollars. Eye-opening, isn’t it?
It is. But part of what’s interesting for us is pointing out that of the 197 school districts in Oregon, only 56 have more than one high school. So if you look at us, with 85 schools, the magnitude of our project is just bigger than anything anyone else would have to deal with. And all of the surrounding districts in the metro area have had capital bonds in place to pay for buildings and renovations, while we have had nothing since 1995. The size of our district is enormous compared to others. All of our buildings are old. Most of our buildings were built from the 1920s to the 1940s.

And so that demands a bond of this size?
That demands a bond, period, because a bond is the only mechanism we have as a school district to deal with infrastructure issues. This is the only way to do it. Before Measure 5 (note: a statewide 1990 ballot measure that limited property tax increases), our local tax base paid for what it takes to operate a school district, and that included a different level of routine maintenance than what we’ve been able to do over the last 20 years. We’re looking at a couple decades in which we’ve essentially had to choose between keeping teachers in the classroom and doing basic maintenance. Now, it’s time to do both: keep teachers in the classroom and deal with a key piece of infrastructure for the city.

The bond would pay for complete rebuilds of some high schools, and classroom and playground upgrades at every school. It sounds like it would definitely improve the district’s buildings. Would it improve grades?
This will make a huge difference to the actual learning experience. If you have sinks available for groups of kids instead of a single sink where a teacher has to demonstrate a lab, that makes a difference. Our electrical infrastructure isn’t adequate for modern computer technology. We’re looking around for outlets, you know? Natural light is used in modern school design in a very different way. We need more flexible learning spaces for projects, collaborations, small groups. There are new ways to teach that didn’t exist when our buildings were designed, and in general they don’t accommodate those methods well.

You mean there’s a state-of-the-art for teaching, and we’re not there?
Our teachers have become masters of improv. I would say that they do amazing things to make our spaces work. But go to an outlying metro-area school, in a district that has had a capital bond in place, and walk in the door. You’ll realize that this is the difference, and it’s palpable, between a modern school and most of our schools.

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What’s the model if this thing passes?
Seattle is 15 years into a comparable undertaking of modernizing buildings—and they’re tackling buildings that, in some cases, were built by the same architects who designed buildings in Portland. They’ve done a remarkable job. But you could look at Beaverton, where they have beautiful new schools. In Portland, we built Rosa Parks, in 2005. It’s a fabulous building that has received national awards for being a great learning environment. That’s what we can achieve.

This bond only runs for six years. Why such a short timeframe?
We’re looking at an entire portfolio of buildings with huge needs. So how can we chunk this up in increments that make sense? This first round involves total remodeling in some buildings, and learning-environment upgrades that touch every single school. That’s how the package is constructed, and it’s done with short-term debt instruments, so the whole thing is done with and paid for in six years. Then we can go back to voters and show them fully renovated learning spaces.

So you hope to demonstrate success, and then ask for more.
The longer-term plan is to make over every high school over 15 years—they are the biggest-ticket item, so it makes sense to do them out of the shoot. But we’re looking at upgrades spread across the district. We’re looking to focus on science classrooms in the middle grades, because we’ve identified that as an important strategic need. We’re working on student achievement in a lot of different ways, but this is one of the structural things we need to achieve those goals.

Portlanders like to think they live in a cutting-edge city. It’s frankly hard to feel that way when you walk into a crumbling school. Will this change that?
We’ve got an incredible design and architecture community in Portland, so right there you have enormous opportunities. We can retain our historic character and, at the same time, create modern learning environments. So, yes.

Just to ask a personal question, how big is this bond in the context of your career?
I feel like the decisions we’re making right now are not about surviving the next few years, but setting things in motion for decades to come. I look 10 years from now, and I want to be able to feel proud of what we’ve built. People come to Portland to see what we’ve got. I want the schools to be part of that. Right now, our buildings are a challenge, not an asset. But we can change that.

Fantastic Fortress

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:17:00 -0800

FIVE HUNDRED CHILDREN. On its busiest day, PlayDate PDX, a new indoor mega-rec-room in Northwest Portland, brings in that many tots, their parents and guardians in tow, for hours of amped-up action. It’s not hard to imagine the scene descending into total chaos.

Yet PlayDate, which opened in December, fends off anarchy with a three-story, fairy tale–themed castle that looms over the 7,500-square-foot space. While it looks like the Middle Ages filtered through a sugar high, the castle is actually an ingenious crowd-control device. Expert hands are at work: British Columbia’s International Play Company, a North American leader in the worldwide play-structure market, custom-built the castle to the specifications of PlayDate’s local owners.

With its intricate threading of slides, ramps, walkways, tubes, battle zones, and dance floors, PlayDate’s palace ranks as one of the most hallucinatory (and entertaining) architectural designs we’ve seen in a long time. Here’s a look at the inner workings of this monumental, inventive citadel of fun.

1. THE GRID International Play design manager Wes Loberg divided PlayDate’s floor into four-by-four-foot squares, allowing him to remix blueprint concepts from International’s 1,000-plus previous structures. Company craftsmen fabricated the stronghold in a 30,000-square-foot workshop outside Vancouver, then took it apart and shipped it to Portland with a team of four.

2. THE SKELETON That modular layout is translated into a three-floor steel framework—which can be snapped apart, reconfigured, or expanded “like Legos,” Loberg says.

3. THE SLIDES The design revolves around slides—Loberg places them first, then arranges other elements around them. International Play is particularly proud of the “helix tube” it developed, reducing the number of plastic components (and labor) needed to make a twisting tubular slide. Loberg also notes that International’s tubes are 36 inches in diameter, rather than industry-standard 30, so grown-ups can ride, too.

4. THE AIR CANNON BATTLE Possibly the coolest element lies outside the castle proper, where two ranks of air cannons blast Nerf-style balls at each other. Loberg’s obvious (but important) insight: “The trick is not to put them so far apart that no one can hit their target, but not so close together that kids are shooting each other point-blank in the face.”

5. THE THEME In a growing and increasingly cutthroat field, International Play prides itself on the richness of its aesthetics. “The business is getting more colorful all the time,” says sales rep Carey Robertson. “But when we say we’re giving you a castle, we give you a castle.” Hand-carved foam turrets and dragon heads highlight a look completed by “bricks” produced on a large-format printer. The only thing missing is the moat.

Pop Quiz

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

WHEN SHOULD I INVEST IN PRIVATE SCHOOL?

BECAUSE PRIVATE SCHOOLS OFFER smaller class sizes—a significant predictor of a child’s academic success—a private school education can be beneficial at any age, experts say. "When they go early, they tend to come out of the gate a little ahead and get excited about learning at a young age," says Portland-based education consultant Ann Locke Davidson, who has a doctorate in education. In middle school, smaller classrooms encourage greater participation, notes Nancy Smith, a Portland education consultant for 23 years. The self-confidence this affords is especially valuable for pre-teens,who—given their socially vulnerable stage—are more susceptible to slipping through the cracks. Smith also points out that a small high school setting means students get more individual attention when it comes to finding a college that’s a good fit.
–Ali Moran

WHERE DO I START?

PICKING THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR CHILD CAN BE A LITTLE daunting, to say the least. Fortunately, a number of organizations can help you get started. Begin with the Oregon Department of Education site, ode.state.or.us, where you can find an online directory of more than 360 private schools registered with the state (including schools approved for special education). Greatschools.org contains information on more than 290 area private schools, many of them reviewed by parents. Still feeling out of your depth? Consider hiring an education consultant. For a fee—typically between $125 and $250 per appoinment—a consultant can help ensure your child finds the best fit. Educationalconsulting.org, a site managed by a consortium of independent school experts with decades of experience, can help you find a local consultant who has been accredited by the Independent Educational Consultants Association of the US.
–Nicole Morales

WHAT’S ACCREDITATION?

ACCREDITATION IS ESSENTIALLY A QUALITY-CONTROL measure for private schools. It’s awarded by one of six US regional associations—for Oregon that’s the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)—to certify that a school adheres to the same standards as those set for public schools. Accreditation is more important than just ensuring academic rigor, though. It also can affect a student’s chances of being accepted into college. According to Dr. David G. Steadman, NWAC’s executive director, students who graduate from an unaccredited high school can be denied admission to college—even if they meet all of the school’s other admission criteria. If you don’t see the NWAC stamp of approval on your school, don’t panic; that doesn’t mean it’s not accredited through them. NWAC facilitates third-party accreditation through several local organizations. To see the list of organizations recognized by NWAC, visit northwestaccreditation.org.
–Gretchen Holzgang

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION?

FOR STARTERS, KNOW THAT YOUR options are limited in Portland. St. Mary’s (all-girl) Academy is the only single-sex private school around. But it might be a good option, says education consultant Ann Locke Davidson, if your daughter is easily distracted (or intimidated) by boys. Studies by the likes of the National Institutes of Health also suggest there are learning differences between boys and girls, so some educators believe students can benefit from a teaching style that matches the learning habits of one sex. A University of Michigan study seems to support the notion: in the study, pupils at all-girls schools earned higher grades in reading and science classes, had higher self-esteem, and were more likely to go to a prestigious college than girls who attended coed schools. Sounds great, but before you jump on the gendered-education bandwagon, cautions Locke Davidson, be sure the rest of the school’s culture and curriculum are also a good fit.
–Ali Moran

CAN I AFFORD PRIVATE SCHOOL?

IN A CITY WHERE THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME hovers around $48,000, few parents are likely in a position to pony up the average $10,500 a year tuition for private school. Fortunately, there are several places to seek relief. Some private schools, such as the Portland French School, give a sibling discount (sometimes as much as 33 percent) for parents who enroll more than one child. Many schools also give scholarships or need-based grants; in fact, 23 percent of the students attending the private schools in our grids receive financial aid—to the tune of an average $3,169 a year. And a few—like Thomas Edison High School—even offer help with low-interest loans. Already dizzy? Consider consulting with FACTS (factsmgt.com), an online tuition management site that works with 95 Oregon schools to help parents navigate private school financial aid.
–Nicole Morales

WHAT DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

WHILE APPLICATION PROCESSES can vary widely between schools—and grade levels—a few things remain fairly consistent, says local education consultant Ann Locke Davidson. For elementary students, many schools will ask for letters of recommendations from preschool teachers, any previous standardized test scores, and an interview with the parents. High school students often must submit essays (some schools also require parents to submit an essay of their own), take a placement level test (such as the Secondary School Admission Test, or SSAT), and an interview with teachers and administrators. To help alleviate anxiety during the interview, Locke Davidson recommends students spend a day shadowing a current student beforehand. "They’ll feel like they know someone that way," she says. "And they’ll have firsthand knowledge so they speak more articulately about why they’d like to attend the school."
–Gretchen Holzgang

Fertile Ground

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:00:00 -0700

SURE, THE SIDEWALKS are snarled in a traffic jam of stroller-pushing parents and tricycle-pounding tots—but is your hood one of Portland’s hottest breeding grounds? We did some digging to discover which zip codes had the highest number of births over the past 15 years. The news: since 1990, Portlanders have flocked ever farther east to start their families, first in neighborhoods like South Tabor and Woodstock (97206), and more recently in Centennial (97233) and Pleasant Valley (97236).

1995

661 Births (97206)
535 Births (97202)
528 Births (97233)

2000

697 Births (97206)
689 Births (97233)
518 Births (97211)

2007

761 Births (97233)
645 Births (97206)
617 Births (97236)