I spent a recent weekend in Portland, a delightful place. (I love Oregon -- I spent much of my childhood there so it feels like home.) I was attending a training session on intercultural education. There is more information on that right here.
Whenever I'm in Portland, I'm always impressed with how easy it is to get around downtown on their transit system, Tri-Met. I usually stay at the Doubletree. First, I take a quick right from the baggage check at the airport and I'm on the light rail. I take a bright and comfortable ride, about 25 minutes to go downtown. The hotel is across the street from the Max line, and across the street from a park and across the street from a tri-level mall with an indoor ice skating rink, the Lloyd Center. Great location.
The city of Fresno has been studying Portland's streetcar system to get ideas for improving downtown. That got a lot of chatter going on the opinion pages. (Take a look at the letters by clicking here, and here, and here.) Personally, I think it's something that deserves serious study, but there's also a lot more we can learn from Portland's innovations. Here are six more ideas the Valley could put to work:
* Art walk: The walls lining the walkways from my gate to the rotunda of the airport were covered with student art. Some for sale, some not. Great idea for our own airport, bus station, train station.
* Hits just keep coming: Stressed out from a busy traveling day, I suddenly heard the most wonderful sound. I looked everywhere to see where it was coming from. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a huge grand piano in the middle of the airport rotunda with a pianist. Turns out the Portland Airport has someone in charge of making sure visitors have a good experience there. They have a wonderful system where performers from the Portland area -- and elsewhere -- pianists, vocalists, harpists come to the airport and soothe the weary travelers. They have even had school choirs, bands and choral groups. I was completely enchanted by a pianist, Charles Suniga, and I bought his CD. There was a note posted near his piano, "I hope you enjoyed this moment of peace." The grand pianos are provided by a local piano store. The airport administration started this project after 9/11 to create an atmosphere of calm and serenity at the airport when so many people were anxious while traveling. This costs the city zero, the performers donate their time, which gives them good exposure, allows them to sell their CDs, and get bookings. For the harried traveler (is there any other kind these days?), it was a gift.
* Saving water: There are experimental toilets in the airport manufactured by Sloan, one of the nation's first installations of these appliances, I understand. You push the handle up for liquid waste and down for solid. The amount of water in the flush is appropriate to the job required. Good idea for conservation. The water savings is supposed to be about 30% when you use the "liquid" flush.
* Green hotel: In my hotel was a paper bag to hold recyclables. You usually don't think of recycling when you're in a hotel, but they think of everything in this Doubletree. The paper bag said, "A better future. A better now. Please recycle." Instructions were for guests to use the bag to dispose of rinsed plastic bottles, cardboard (unsoiled), newspaper and paper, all colors. Turns out that's just one of many efforts to be green by this award-winning hotel. The property has earned a Green Seal Lodging Sustainability certification. It's the largest hotel west of the Mississippi to receive this "green hotel" designation. In addition to the recycling provisions they use in public areas and guest rooms, the folks there also have installed energy- and water-efficient fixtures and lighting in guestrooms and public areas.
* Composters: The Doubletree even handles food waste inventively. The property includes food donation and composting programs in their operations. The results have been impressive: 65% of food waste is now being diverted, an effort highly praised by an organization called Portland Composts! When I looked this program up on the Internet, I was amazed at the cooperation of businesses there who contribute their food waste to a highly successful composting program. Not only do you save it from the landfill, but you create some darn fine planting soil as well. The Portland Airport is a major player in this effort also. Read about it right here.
* Our group had dinner at a wonderful Moroccan restaurant, the Marrakesh. It's reasonably priced for a delightful seven-course meal of food I've never had before -- plus interactive entertainment from a belly dancer who encourages audience participation. Big fun. You eat with your hands (they give you a white bath towel when dinner begins and there is a ceremonial handwashing before and after dinner.) We all really enjoyed that. Seating is on sofas and little ottomans at low tables. Great place for a group or a special occasion. Fresno needs one just like this. With our rich ethnic tradition and terrific restaurauteurs, we should be able to do it.
Portland is possibly the most european city in the west, and there's a lot to like, I've been reading about it for 25 years, it's their approach thats unique, the local leaders had a vision, and the political courage to plan for the future. Most developers "vision" doesn't extend beyond the next fiscal quarter. Portland has a working model we could learn from.
My wife and I recently moved to Beaverton to get away from the horrible air in Fresno. Since it will take years and innovation on the part of leaders in the community does not exist we have been enjoying the fresh air, light rail, green thinking and a whole fresh and new look at health. It does not exist in Fresno. You all need to get out of there before the air kills you.
I am hoping maybe one day to move to Oregon. I have only been once to Gold Beach and it was just so serene. I hear there are no state taxes there so that would be another benefit. I still love California but it there is just to many prople and not enough resources for our own people. I think we could also learn alot from some European countries as they may pay mpore taxes but their citizens can go to college without hving to figure out how to pay for it. In my experience of hodting exchange students they are better educated than most here maybe because they don't get sent through to the next grade when they don't know the material and sports are not played in schools but in outside clubs making school about academics.
Nice to hear of a business such as a motel, doing things the right way. Not only the RIGHT way but LEADING the way. Kudos to Doubletree. Contrast their approach to business management with your own Quality Inn on Ashlan Avenue. We had the misfortune to stay there in early September for ten days. Room was filthy, electrical outlets were a hazard and potential fire, waiting to happen, owner neglected to renew the ISP contract before she waltzed out of town for a week, so NO INTERNET for five of the ten days. We were there to conduct some business and needed a place that was pet friendly and centrally located between Fresno and Lemoore NAS. Talk about stealing some ideas from other motel chain......the Quality Inn on Ashlan would be vastly improved if it was under new management/ownership and conducted business in a humane, civil and gracious manner. I encourage anyone and everyone to get the word out on this place. It's bad news and you would be doing your family or friends a severe injustice if you recommend this inferior lodging choice. I speak from personal experience with this establishment. Let this post serve as your experience too !
Bob