Georgia (Koch) Thomas remembers the cold storage lockers that were located on the SW corner of NE 10th and Beech: “In the 1940's and early 50's most of us didn't have freezers, so our moms rented space for our supply of meat and poultry. That was always a great place to go to on a hot summer day!”  

Mel Cook recalls helping to build that cold storage locker. “During one grade school summer vacation, I can recall stuffing shredded redwood bark into the open spaces in the newly constructed cold room walls. That was the preferred method of insulating at the time, many years before fiberglass insulation became popular.
The redwood bark had to be finely shredded prior to hand-stuffing into the open wall spaces. The mechanical shredding process that we used was very messy. I wore a handkerchief across my nose and mouth. The fine particles became imbedded in my hair and clothes. I itched for days!”

Mel continues: “I do not know how many years that cold storage food locker was open for business. With the advent of home freezers, it is likely they were forced to close sometime during the 1950s or 60s. Today, at that same 936 N.E. Beech Street address, you will find the New Freedom Assembly Church of God In Christ.”

A longer version of Mel's story is published on Steve Schreiber's volgagermans.net website.

Researchers from Portland State University are conducting a neighborhood opinion and attitude survey.  The researchers hope to learn how Portland residents view police use of force. You are eligible to participate in this study if you live in the Portland metro area and are over 18 years of age. Respondents are asked take a short (10-15 minute) anonymous online survey.

This is a great opportunity to get rid of junk that may be cluttering up your home or yard, and help the Sabin Community Association raise funds.

With permission from the Urban Forestry Commission, volunteers from Farm School have taken 10 cuttings from the oldest apple tree in the Pacific Northwest and grafted them to root stock, creating 10 descendants which will be planted at various locations in Portland and Vancouver, including Sabin Community Orchard. Read more about it in the Oregonian.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement in November 2012 warning that exposure to pesticides can result in cancer, decreased cognitive function and behavioral problems in children. They recommend that families learn about integrated pest management, which means seeking out the least toxic methods of dealing with pest problems in the home and garden.

The Oregonian's recent article on this topic provides specific tips for pesticide-free gardening, such as spraying plants with water to remove aphids, or picking slugs off plants by hand.

If you'd like to learn more about natural gardening techniques, come to the Sabin Bee-Friendly Garden Tour on Sunday, July 14 from 11:00 to 3:00. The tour is free and includes 15 bee-friendly backyards in the inner NE Portland neighborhood of Sabin. We'll have natural gardening experts on hand, to chat with you about non-toxic methods of pest control. We'll also have several experts on honey bees, native bees and other pollinators, to answer your questions about these critters and explain how to create healthy bee habitat in your garden. For more information, please see the Garden Tour tab on the Sabin Community Association website: sabinpdx.org

Earth Day is a perfect day for bees at the Sabin Community Orchard!  At this upcoming Sabin Bee-Friendly Garden event, folks can learn from the Xerces Society and local beekeepers about the pollinators in our
neighborhood and how our gardening choices help or hurt them.  Then, those who  want to pick up a shovel can help plant shrubs and perennials to attract bees to the Orchard—and some more fruit trees to take delicious advantage of all those bees.  Optional tour of the tickle bees at the Sabin School field afterwards,
weather permitting.  This event is made possible by a Neighborhood Small Grant from NECN and ONI.  All ages welcome!   

When: Sunday, April 21, 2:00-4:00 pm
Where: Sabin Community Orchard, NE Mason between 18th & 19th
RSVP if you will help plant: [email protected]

We recently received permission from City of Portland to have two sickly trees removed from the Sabin Triangle at NE 15th and Prescott. As part of that agreement, we need to plant two new trees in a parking strip somewhere in the neighborhood. A local nursery has agreed to donate two gorgeous paperbark maples that meet City criteria of 2” in diameter. According to the City Arborist, paperbark maples need at least a 3-foot wide planting strip to thrive. They also need to be planted by the end of  April to ensure they have time to acclimate before the weather gets hot.

If you are interested in having one or both of these trees for your parking strip, please contact Gwenn Baldwin at [email protected] by April 20. A tree inspector will come out and inspect your site and mark the curb for planting locations. Assuming there are no issues with power lines or the planting site, a permit will be issued and we can help get the trees in the ground.
 

Jeff Hilber reports that Friends of Last Thursday (FoLT) is making several significant changes designed to reduce the negative impact of the event on nearby residents and businesses. For example, to help reduce rowdiness, the OLCC has agreed to become more active in issuing citations for open containers. The city will
continue to provide police officers, but FoLT hopes to recruit more volunteers to handle security, and gradually reduce the number of officers required.

To return to the original focus of promoting local artists, FoLT will impose fees for all vendors except those selling locally-made art. Portable food sales will be moved off Alberta Street into nearby pods with reserved spots, making it easier for inspectors to do their work and improving access to established restaurants.
 
In previous years, Sabin residents have had to contend with heavy traffic and blocked driveways as far south as Sabin School. FoLT is asking the city to become more active in issuing citations to reduce these problems. Jeff is seeking impacted residents to help develop a plan to alleviate the parking and traffic issues. If you’d
like to participate, call Jeff at 503-329-4756.

The first annual Sabin Bee-Friendly Backyard Tour is scheduled for Sunday, July 14 from 11:00 to 3:00. The purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and share information about how to create healthy bee habitat in an urban garden. We are seeking a few more gardens to be on the tour - would you like to be included? Participating gardens must be bee-friendly, meaning that no pesticides are used, only natural methods of pest control. If you'd like to participate, contact Diane Benson at [email protected].