UPDATE and Friday serendipity in downtown Portland

UPDATE: Friday at work went well--in fact, so did getting there and getting home. I am thankful for every single prayer because I feel the power of each one. Now I have a weekend like a regular employee! Sunday, if all is well, I'll be taking at least the group photo of my workplace Race for the Cure team, before the members of it take part in the variety of races available to them. I hope I'll be able to stay to take photos as each one passes me by on their way to the finish line. One or both of my sons will get me and my folding aluminum lawn chair there and then to Pine State Biscuits not too long after noon. Our beloved friend, Pat Musburger, will be at the end of her trip to Beaverton, so we're meeting for lunch before she drives on back up to Seattle. I'm so excited to get to hug her, talk and laugh with her!



Yesterday morning I rode the 12 bus from home to downtown at SW 5th and SW Madison. Then I walked across the street to the bus shelter at SW 4th and SW Madison, to wait for the 4 or the 14 or the 10. All three take me to the bus stop diagonally across the street from my work building's front doors. Just as I walked up to the empty seat at the bus shelter, I noticed these roses out of the corner of my eye. I got my camera out of my purse--I've discovered that it fits in there, plus I wear its strap across my chest just like I do my purse strap--stood up and zoomed in. Click. Imagine my total shock when I uploaded this photo and discovered how the focus had held for more than the top rose which is where I pointed for focus before I pushed the button. Talk about serendipity! I don't know enough about my camera yet to understand how this happened, that the lowest rose is in focus behind the out of focus leaves. Do you have any answers for me?



I heard a bus approaching to my right as I sat waiting for mine to arrive from my left. When I looked that way, I noticed the Benson Bubbler and a few pedestrians. I decided to zoom in on the water fountain. Then I decided to wait for the bus to turn right onto SW Madison--I knew that's where its route would take it--and use the side of the bus as a backdrop for the photo. I tried to focus on the four bubblers, then, lo and behold, I read the sign on the side of the bus and pushed the button without moving the camera. Serendipity, out the wazoo! I watched that man holding the white object walk on across the street, thinking that I had not only gotten the water fountain and the sign about water in the photo, but also a water bottle in his hand. As he walked, I realized he carried a short piece of PVC pipe. I'm not the least bit sad to have missed a hat trick, nope. In fact, I got so excited looking at the photo in the camera that if the person beside me hadn't stood up to get on the bus, I might have missed that chance to go east across the Willamette to my work building.

I am beyond happy to share these two moments of serendipity with y'all!

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 3

I heard the lady in the maroon jacket say, as they approached the single bubbler while I leaned over and took the photograph, "What's she doing?" The man in the jacket with the green stripes answered, "She taking a photo of the water fountain."



Little did they know that I'd also taken a photo with them in focus. I stood up as they came abreast and asked, "Do you want to see the photo of the water fountain?" They stopped and looked and gave their approval. We agreed that it was a beautiful early evening to be out for a walk, enjoying the sunshine and the cherry blossoms. I chickened out and only showed them the top photo where the two of them are not in focus. One of these days, I'll be brave enough when I make eye contact with the subject of a photograph to say something along the lines of, "I've taken this great photo of you and plan to put it on my blog soon. Here's my card with the blog's address so that you can check it out, if you'd like." What do you other photo bloggers think about my plan? OK? Pitiful? Unnecessary? What would you do? What do you do?

By the way, how about that man with the purposeful stride, balancing his brimmed, cloth hat on his right fingertips? I caught him there in the center of the photo in mid-step, the entire sole of his left shoe visible. I love it! And I love that tiny bit of the sky visible between parts of the Steel Bridge, there in the distance. The tiny bit I'm talking about touches the top of the striding man's hat and looks as if it's a feather coming out of the hat, practically the exact color!

We interrupt Disneyland for Portland's winter weather--a few photos I took on the way home by mass transit

At the first of the week, the weather man predicted bitter cold, windy days and the rather certain possibility of a snowy Saturday. I predicted to myself snow earlier, if we got enough moisture in the air. Then, Wednesday night the weather man predicted one to two inches in Portland, starting between 10 a.m. and noon, greater accumulation in the surrounding upper elevations. That's what happened on Thursday. Now we're predicted to get snow through the night, maybe less than we had during the day; more snow on Friday, maybe as much as we got on Thursday, starting around 4 p.m. Snow to ice on Saturday, ice to rain on Sunday, then showers and rain through next Thursday.

 

Conditions on the way home. Thank goodness I had left the office at 3:45 p.m. I didn't check the conditions then, though. I took this screen shot at 4:54 p.m. while riding the second of the two buses I take to and from work.

 

Layered for success on the homebound commute! I had my camera in the green and black bag, but I knew I wouldn't get to take many photos--too windy, too cold, too wet.
 

Snow-filled bowls of a Benson Bubbler on SW 6th.
 

I wonder what happened when he came upon some deeper snow? I saw him while waiting for the bus downtown. I heard a young woman who got on the bus later on remark, "I thought I was a tough bike rider. I wanted to do it. Whew." She'd just put her bike on the rack in front of the bus.
 

It was a long wait downtown for the second bus. By the time it came, I had lots more snow on me, here and there. The wind blew it everywhere.
 

Finally, the bus! So packed that the driver couldn't let anyone on at subsequent stops unless someone got off first. I took this shaky photo looking towards the back of the bus--thanks to the young man who gave me his seat!
   

I took this one looking toward the front of the bus. The narrow rectangle of light on the left is part of the front door out of the bus. The driver was fantastic--personable, calm and skilled--I've ridden with him before. I gave him a hug when I got off at my stop, very happy to be so close to home!



My neighborhood bar, The Blue Diamond PDX, closed for the day earlier as the snow kept coming down--I read the announcement on Facebook. Right about when I took this photo, it looked like it had stopped snowing. Nope, just a momentary thing. I just walked to the front door of the building so I could take a look outside where the street lights are--it's still snowing six hours after I left work, about 10 hours after it started on Thursday morning. Once I got inside my apartment, just a few minutes after I took this photo, I peeled off all the layers, put them on hangers on the shower curtain rod to dry with the fan blowing. Then I cooked myself some breakfast for supper, enjoyed every bite, washed the dishes, and settled down to work on the blog. Tomorrow I'll do it all over again.

Benson Bubbler, seen at night.

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My favorite Benson Bubbler to photograph at night. On the corner of SW 6th and SW Main, with enough wind that the water's falling sideways. And an approaching TriMet bus in the background. All of these elements add up to a photo that I like. Click here for last year's post about the same bubbler, from a different perspective. I love these Portland water fountains!

Seen on the street, February 16, 2013, No. 1

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First, that white cloth above his jeans is the top of his tighty-whiteys, not a "crack in the butt" sighting. I promise. I looked, with some trepidation, at the original image in its largest size, just to make sure. Second, I first saw him as we walked toward each other. As he stopped at the Benson Bubbler, I approached on his right and watched without being obvious as I walked by. I knew I had to take a photo, but I also knew that it would be smart for me to take it once I was beyond him. I definitely did not want him to notice that I was taking a picture. Third. Out of the shopping bag, he took a partially filled two-liter plastic bottle, opened it and held it in his left hand. The liquid in it was orange. Next, he filled his mouth with water, brought the bottle neck to his mouth and spit the water into the bottle. Honest. That's what he did, several times before I managed to get past him and turn to take this photo. Tell me the truth, now. You're glad I didn't get a photo of him spitting into that bottle, right? 

A part of the sculpture Talos No. 2 by James Lee Hansen is visible at the right. All along the TriMet Transit Mall downtown, you'll find public art of all sorts. This corner is where the Bank of California stands, right across the street from the U. S. National Bank, both by architect A. E. Doyle. If you search my blog for Bank of California, you'll see the corner on several of the posts. I cannot get a link to any of them to work--sorry.

An extreme change in display

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What could this be, this black behemoth next to a Benson Bubbler on the southwest corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square? At first glance, it looked like some sort of cover over a structure standing on the sidewalk. I took this photo on December 5, 2012, as I continued towards the spot at Pioneer Courthouse Square where I wanted to stand for my attempt to get a good photo of Portland’s Christmas tree .



Front view. To get the lowdown on these structures, read the article from The Oregonian, which comes after the next photo.



Here's a shot of that same corner, taken on July 5, 2009. You can see the numerous publication boxes--I count five--if you're not too distracted by the golden retriever taking a drink from the Benson Bubbler. Remember, they're cleaned routinely. I say kudos to that woman who has been on a run with her dog on its leash--they both got a drink, I remember seeing her bent over at one of the other bowls. And it can be warm in Portland in July.

But I digress from the original point of this post--the extreme change in newspaper display at this corner.

Donna and Todd, I'm curious what you think of these. What's the latest about that attempt to use similar-shaped boxes in Jackson? As I remember it, there was an entirely different back story than what you can read below.

Here's the Oregonian article for you:

News racks at Pioneer Courthouse Square get clean, new look in pilot program

Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, Special to The Oregonian

A pilot program to tidy up publication boxes on downtown Portland sidewalks is headed to Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously for an ordinance approving the pilot program, part of the Public Sidewalk Management Plan the council approved in 2009.

The purpose of the yearlong program, which begins in September, is to test the use of news racks with multiple compartments in place of numerous, freestanding publication boxes. The goal is to improve sidewalk access, safety and aesthetics.

The four test racks will be set up at the corners of: Southwest Broadway and Morrison Street, Broadway and Yamhill Street, Yamhill and Sixth Avenue, and Sixth and Morrison.

The Clean & Safe District, a 213-block business improvement district, will maintain the racks, wiping the structures down daily, removing graffiti, gathering feedback and keeping an eye out for potential issues, said Mirabai Vogt, external relations representative for the Portland Business Alliance.

The alliance, which manages the Clean & Safe District, will bear the cost of the new boxes, according to city documents. Portland Bureau of Transportation will reimburse the alliance for as much as $20,600.

All of the test racks will carry The Oregonian, Portland Mercury, Willamette Week, The Portland Tribune and USA Today. Other publications in each test rack will vary by location.

All publications in Pioneer Courthouse Square were invited to participate, and no publications have objected to the Portland Business Alliance, said Bernie Bottomly, alliance vice president of government relations and economic development.

The pilot program will clean up and unify the publication boxes, said Kevin Denny, vice president of circulation for The Oregonian.

“I think it’s to our benefit, and to every publication’s benefit,” Denny said. “I am certain we won’t lose any sales. In fact, we might pick up some additional sales.”

The change also will make a difference to retailers at Pioneer Courthouse Square, said Randy Harris, president of Shreve & Co. (Portland). Harris said aesthetics are important to the high-end jewelry store at Southwest Broadway and Morrison Street.

“It makes a big difference in people’s first impression when they look at you,” Harris said.

The storefront currently is flanked by two groups of publication boxes, made of plastic and metal and displayed in a variety of colors. Long cords with padlocks secure some of the publication boxes in place. Neglected boxes may get stuffed with trash or tarnished with graffiti.

When an area looks better, more people tend to flock to it, and that’s good for businesses, said Emily Flint, vice president store manager of Macy’s Downtown Portland.

“The whole downtown retail strategy is: How do we drive more business to the downtown core?” said Flint, also chairwoman of the Downtown Retail Council.

Mayor Sam Adams’ transportation policy adviser, Katja Dillmann, this week said the project, which Adams has long supported, regulates the boxes placement. Dillmann said the boxes occupy random swaths of sidewalk, making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and for pedestrians to navigate the sidewalk.

And the boxes, some of which stand empty for days, have other drawbacks.

“From time to time, police are aware of paper boxes being used to hide things such as weapons and/or narcotics, although we could never know the true scope of the problem,” said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

The new metal racks in the pilot program also will be somewhat crime-resistant with an anti-graffiti coating, making them easier to clean.

Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have had great success with similar multi-publication news rack systems, Vogt said. After it is tested a year, the pilot program could be extended another six months if data on circulation and maintenance are inconclusive, Vogt said. If deemed a success, the racks could be placed throughout the central city.

“There are a series of issues that would come up at that point about how to expand the program and how would you pay for it and so forth, Bottomly said at a recent council meeting. “But initially we’re just testing to see whether this idea of congregate boxes works for everybody.”

-- Jillian Daley

Benson Bubbler

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After work on December 5, no rain fell, so I took advantage of my walk from one homeward bound bus to the other. I stopped in at the Portland Building and took the photos in yesterday's post. Plus, I took this photo of a Benson Bubbler outside the Portland Building, near the southwest corner of SW 5th Avenue and SW Main Street. And, yes, I've had a drink from various Benson Bubblers around the city, without consequence other than quenching my thirst.

I'm especially proud of how this photo turned out--the soft light on the edges of the four bowls, the spigots, and the water; the traffic on SW 5th Avenue; the brick sidewalk. Note the wet look on the sidewalk, near that concrete planter. That's what happens when gusts of wind come in contact with bubbling water. Read on to discover the decision the city makes sometimes, all because of that contact.

About Benson Bubblers from the City of Portland's Web site:

Benson Bubblers are Portland's iconic drinking fountains. The city currently boasts 52 of the fountains and 74 one-bowl variations. Though the single-bowl variations look like Benson Bubblers, they are not. In fact, in the 1970's, the Benson family asked that the installation of the four-bowl fountains be limited to certain downtown boundaries so as not to diminish the uniqueness of them.

And while most Benson Bubblers are, indeed, downtown, there are a couple of notable exceptions.

• In 1965, the City of Portland presented a bubbler to Yosaku Harada, mayor of Portland's sister city, Sapporo, Japan. 
• Sam Hill, a friend to Simon Benson, asked to have a bubbler installed at his Maryhill Museum of Art. 

Benson Bubblers are made of bronze, but years of weathering give them that eye-catching patina finish that makes them so beautiful and green. Patina is a thin layer of brown and greenish oxides that takes years to build up. Well meaning citizens have "cleaned" off the patina more than once over the years, but the Water Bureau has always restored the patina finish, preferring it to the shiny copper.

Bubbler Facts
Drinking water is fresh and NOT recycled, fountains are cleaned routinely.

• The Bubblers flow freely from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., daily.
• The fountains run 365 days per year unless a cold snap or excessively windy weather forces the Water Bureau to temporarily shut them down.
• The fountains serve up Bull Run drinking water! 

Benson Bubbler Legacy
In 1912, Simon Benson, a local businessman and philanthropist, donated $10,000 to the City of Portland to purchase and install 20 bronze drinking fountains, now known as Benson Bubblers.

Local folklore tells us that Simon Benson donated the 20 bronze drinking fountains as an effort to keep loggers out of the saloons at lunchtime. Others say that Benson was inspired after seeing a little girl crying at a 4th of July parade because she couldn't find a drink of water. Either way, the Benson Bubblers have become a historical and enduring legacy here in Portland.

Portland's first Benson Bubbler was installed at SW 5th & Washington. Another one of the original Bubblers was installed in front of Benson's home, where it remains today, to commemorate his generous gift to the city. The remaining 18 original bubblers were installed by 1917. Currently, the Water Bureau proudly maintains 52 of the four-bowl Benson Bubbler fountains throughout the city. 

Construction & Design

A.E. Doyle designed the four-bowl Benson Bubbler. Doyle is the noted architect of the Multnomah County Library, Multnomah Falls Lodge and Portland's PGE Park.

Although most bubblers were made by local foundries, two bubblers were made by students at Benson High School. In 1975, the cost to make a bubbler had skyrocketed and, in an effort to save money, the city asked the principal of Benson High whether his foundry students might want to take on the task. They were excited to try their hand at bubbler construction and eagerly agreed.

The first Benson High bubbler was installed in front of downtown Portland's Oregon Historical Society and the work is of the highest quality. Visitors can check this out for themselves at 1200 SW Park Avenue.

Conservation Efforts

The Portland Water Bureau is committed to using water wisely, and has made significant changes in the design and operation of the bubblers over the years to improve their water efficiency. For example, in 1995, the bureau narrowed the feed lines to the bubblers. This cut water use almost in half.

In 2000, the bureau installed timers which shut the fountains off during low-usage periods, generally in the late night and early morning hours.

In 2005, the Water Bureau installed small, flow-restricting devices in the bubblers to reduce the amount of water that each fountain uses. The devices do not affect the physical appearance of the fountains, but they do reduce the amount of water the fountains use by 40 percent. The bubblers now use less than 1/10th of 1 percent of Portland's daily water demand, yet they still stand proud, as a defining, iconic element of our city's history.