Albina Library is offering a series of free workshops designed to help people  find a job, start a business or maintain a sustainable income during retirement. Registration is required for these workshops, which will be held on six Tuesdays in September and October at the library, 3605 N.E. 15th Ave. in the Whole Foods shopping center. For more information or to register for a workshop, call 503-988-5362.

— On Sept. 16 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Goodwill Industries will present “First Impressions,” a workshop designed to help job seekers maximize their ability to make a lasting, positive first impression on prospective employers.  

— On Sept. 23 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Goodwill Industries will present “Interview Success,” which includes a variety of job interview tips to help prepare candidates for tough questions.

— On Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Society for Financial Awareness will present “Strategies for a Sustainable Income in Retirement.” This workshop covers setting retirement goals and strategies for a sustainable income in retirement.

— On Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center and SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) will present “Starting Your Own Business: Feasibility & Business Plans.” Participants will learn what to consider before starting a business plus how to write a business plan. Registration for this workshop opens Sept. 23.

— On Oct. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., “Access to Capital: Funding Your Business” will be presented by Mercy Corps Northwest, Small Business Administration’s Portland District Office, Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center and Albina Opportunities and Community Sourced Capital. Registration opens Sept. 30 for this workshop, which will discuss funding options.

— On Oct. 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the Small Business Administration's Portland District Office and Portland Community College's Small Business Development Center will present “Encore Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business After 50.” This workshop offers free resources and tools to people who are not yet ready to retire but who are interested in turning professional experience or a hobby into an “encore” career by starting a new business. Registration is required and opens Oct. 7.

The Portland African American Leadership Forum and the North/Northeast Business Association are gathering community members, including residents and those who have been displaced, of all backgrounds and perspectives, to develop a community-based development plan for the site.

NEW DATE AND LOCATION
 
Date: March 4
Time:  6pm-9pm 
Location: NNEBA Building -  311 N Ivy Street, Portland

"Majestic Realty, the California-based company behind an $8 million Trader Joe's development in Northeast Portland, said Portland firm Colas Construction will serve as the general contractor firm for the project."

Read the full story in the Oregonian.

Ben Kaiser is moving ahead with building an 85' condo building on N. Williams, despite pleas from neighbors to scale it back a bit. Read more about the man and his mission in this story from the Oregonian.

If you want to know what's happening in our neighborhood, check out MLK in Motion...

photos courtesy of MLK in Motion

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) voted last Wednesday to authorize the sale of a 2-acre lot at
the corner of NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and Alberta Street for $502,160 or $2.4 million less than its appraised value of $2.9 million. Once the deal closes, Majestic Realty Corp. will build a 20,000-square-foot Trader Joe's at the site.

A group of concerned citizens gathered on Sunday to protest the decision which they believe "will further exacerbate gentrification in the neighborhoods of North and Northeast Portland."

Protestors questioned the need for a taxpayer-subsidized grocery store when there is a Safeway a half mile north of the site and a New Seasons one mile south. The money could be better spent, they felt, to help attract grocery stores to east Portland, where residents have far fewer shopping options. They also noted that meetings with the developer were held in secret, without any public input.

The citizens group expressed disappointment that PDC "failed to see the property as an opportunity to bring together neighbors and community members affected by gentrification" and urged the agency to operate with "more accountability, more transparency, and stronger focus on equity."

Prior to Wednesday's vote, the Oregonian's editorial staff argued that the deal was not in the public's best interest because it doesn't provide significant economic or social value, and they urged the PDC to vote against it.

In September, the King Neighborhood wrote a letter to the PDC, requesting that the public agency "seek new ways to engage the public in decisions about the direction of planning and developing neighborhoods" and offered to "partner with the PDC in constructing and maintaining robust, participatory democracy" in the interest of "developing innovative and creative changes to our neighborhood, through dialogue that is truly inclusive."

From the Oregonian:

Portland's urban renewal agency this week will consider selling land at a $2 million-plus discount to ensure a new grocery store is built at the corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Alberta Street. The Portland Development Commission hasn't disclosed which grocer would move into the project, although a different development team proposed a Trader Joe's at the same location in 2010.

The mystery tenant would anchor a new development featuring two buildings, space for retail shops and about 100 surface parking stalls on nearly 2 acres. In all, the $8 million project would transform one of the last big vacant lots along a commercial corridor where developers have remained skittish nearly 50 years after divisive race riots.  

Alan Silver, president of the King Neighborhood Association, said he heard rumblings about a revived project a few weeks ago and assumes it'll be a Trader Joe's. He said Monday that he's excited about the development potential but concerned about the lack of public involvement. He wants to make sure it includes locally run businesses so the project becomes more than just a car-centric grocery store for people looking to buy cheap but tasty cheese. He's also skeptical of the subsidy that taxpayers would provide. "It's stretching the definition of a food desert very thin," he said, "to say that this is worth $2 million.”

Read the full article here and a follow-up article here.

This year, King Farmers Market has expanded its season until Nov. 24 so shoppers can continue to purchase fresh produce, meats and seafood, wines, coffees, flowers and prepared specialty foods such as jams,
honey, salsa, sauerkraut and cheeses from about 30 local vendors.

“These extended market days are perfect for people stocking up on gift items and food for their Thanksgiving tables,” points out Mona Jackson, communications manager at Portland Farmers Market, which
sponsors the King market on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning each year in early May.


Since 2009, nonprofit Fresh Exchange has provided a dollar-for-dollar match to King Farmers Market shoppers who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. During November, these shoppers will receive from $5 to $7 worth of tokens for every $1 deducted from their Oregon Trail Card at the King Farmers Market.

Fresh Exchange, administered by Farmers Market Fund, is funded through private donations and grants from Portland companies including Whole Foods and New Seasons markets. For several years, the Sabin Community Association Board has donated between $250 and $750 to Fresh Exchange to help their neighbors afford the farmers market’s fresh, local and organic produce.

- Susan Goracke

“We don’t have the $800,000-to-$1-million homes that you see in Irvington and Alameda,” Clark points out. “The most expensive home on the market in Sabin right now is listed at $739,000. It’s a total rebuild, and it’s been on the market for a while.” Although Portland home sales have been brisk this summer, Sabin lacks a large inventory for agents to show. With just 11 active homes on the market in late August and 16 home sales in July, Sabin has less than one month’s inventory. The national real estate industry measures an area’s monthly inventory by dividing the number of active listings by the number of homes sold in the last 30 days.

As a comparison, the entire city of Portland has 2.8 months worth of inventory. However, economists generally consider 6 months of inventory to be a balanced market, with anything below indicating a seller's market. “That means we are a super, super seller’s market right now,” says Clark. For Sabin homeowners considering selling their homes anytime soon — or even in several years — Clark suggests talking to an agent who can advise them how to maximize their profit on a prelisting fixer-up investment. “We might suggest replacing a countertop and flooring, and adding new fixtures rather than spending $30,000 on a whole-kitchen redo,” she says. “It’s going to be difficult getting that entire $30,000 out of the sale.”

Home prices are definitely up from last year. In 2012, Sabin had 106 homes sell with a median price of $368,500. The median price means half the homes sold for more and half sold for less. As of Aug. 20, Sabin’s 11 active listings had a median asking price of $475,000. Clark notes that even during the recent recession, Sabin home owners didn’t have to take much of a hit on their asking price. Her historical data shows that from January to August in 2009, Sabin homes sold for 96 percent of their asking price. During those same months this year, sellers got 101 percent of their listing price. "Sabin is a great, walk-able neighborhood, and it’s very community focused,” adds Clark, who knows the neighborhood well. She’s lived here for eight years. “Personally, I’d rather live in Sabin than in Irvington or Alameda. I like the diverse culture here.”

— Susan Goracke 

Now it's a little easier to support the local economy, because we've created a Sabin Business Directory to help you.  The directory lists businesses physically located within Sabin boundaries, plus businesses located elsewhere, as long as the owner lives in Sabin.

We're grateful to Michelle Ganow Jones for creating and maintaining the directory - thanks, Michelle!

Sabin business owners: if your business isn't already included in the directory, please complete this form and we'll include you.