We had the good fortune to come by some last minute tickets to the 2013 Alice Awards & Auction, put on by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) a couple of Sundays ago on May 4th at Pure Space in the Pearl. Now in its 18th year, the Alice Awards & Auction brings together residents, leaders, and businesses from around Oregon to honor the work of those who have made bicycling better. The event highlighted the impact the BTA has had on bicycle safety education programs and recognized the great work of some of our community leaders. All of the proceeds from the event and auctions go to support the work of the BTA.
Good Times at the 2013 Alice Awards & Auction
May 16th, 2013 by CourtneyBreakfast on Bridges
May 14th, 2013 by Brook
Have you ever biked across the Hawthorne or Steel Bridge at some point between 7am and 9am on the last Friday of the month? If so, you may have been greeted by a surprise – coffee and doughnuts from a handful of dedicated bicycle enthusiasts! If you’ve experienced this wonderful event, but missed out on the details while enjoying your treat, you were taking part in Breakfast on Bridges, served by the lovely people of Shift.A New Espresso Bar in NW Portland
May 9th, 2013 by Brook
Nossa Familia Coffee, a local roaster in Northwest Portland, is opening their its first retail location, the Nossa Familia Espresso Bar. Their coffee is sourced from the owner’s family’s farms in Brazil, hence the name Nossa Familia, which is Portuguese for “our family”. This is the first coffee bar in the region – maybe even in the country – where the coffee stays in the family from seed to cup, with no middlemen in between. Nossa’s owner, Augusto Carneiro, grew up in Brazil where his family has been growing coffee since the 1890’s. In 2005, Augusto founded Nossa Familia, which imports, roasts and now brews his family’s coffee.
Look, Ma! No Broken Bones!
May 7th, 2013 by Brook
Our fearless leader, Ken Wetherell, founder and co-owner of Portland Pedal Power was in a cycling accident. Again. Don’t worry though. Ken is a superhero, and he’s doing just fine. Again.
If you look back at Silver Linings, Ken’s blog post from last year, you’ll see that he rides with a streak of luck behind him. He was in two accidents last summer – he was hit by a car in June and wiped out on a mountain bike in August – and while he suffered some injuries, none of them had lasting effects and they didn’t do anything to break his spirit. An avid cyclist who’s always looking for new ways to reduce wind resistance on his fleet of custom bikes, Ken is quick to get back in the saddle.
This time, he’ll be riding again in no time because of one thing in particular: his helmet.
QDoc: The Portland Queer Documentary & Film Festival
April 30th, 2013 by Brook
QDoc: Portland’s Queer Documentary Film Festival is back and bigger than ever.
The 7th annual festival opens at McMenamins Bagdad Theater May 16 with the larger than life portrait of drag superstar Divine in I Am Divine presented with director Jeffrey Schwarz and actress Mink Stole in attendance. Following Opening Night, the Festival continues through May 19 at McMenamins Kennedy School with ten documentaries that feature gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, transsexual and gender-questioning artists, lovers, activists and pioneers.
Festival Passes can be purchased for $75 and also provide admission to the reception. Following the opening screening, the audience is invited to join QDoc at Backstage, located around the corner from the Bagdad Theater, for a no-host celebration.
The Pyxis Story, Part Three: Portability
April 23rd, 2013 by stacy
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve been giving our followers a behind the scenes look at the development of the Pyxis, the cargo bike enclosure that we use to deliver food and all kinds of other products to businesses in Portland. Portland Pedal Power founder and co-owner Ken Wetherell was kind enough to share his insights on The Pyxis Story, giving some background on where the idea came from and where we’re going with it. This week, you’ll see the final piece in this chapter of The Pyxis Story. So take a look at The Pyxis Story, Part Three: Portability to get one more look behind the curtain at Portland Pedal Power.
And in case you missed them, check out Part One: The Concept and Part Two: Improvements to get caught up!
Pamper for a Purpose 2013
April 18th, 2013 by Brook
This is a guest blog written by Denise Wetherell of Lake Oswego’s Shear Creations Salon. After learning about the horrors of genocide in North Africa, Denise and her daughter, Anna, started a grassroots effort called Pamper for a Purpose, which is in its third year.
Once a year for the last two years, Shear Creations has played a big part in helping women and girls affected by genocide in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Living in refugee camps, these women and girls face the threat of an attack when they go out in search of wood to use to build fires for cooking. So far, we have raised $6,300 to help solve this problem! This money goes toward the purchase of solar cookers, which provide an easy, sustainable way to cook, giving women a chance to provide for their families while staying safely in their villages. We also provide hygiene packs and vocational education as we strive to bring positive change to an unimaginably hostile land.
This year, Pamper for a Purpose will be held at Portland’s Director Park on Sunday, July 28th from 2-7pm, so mark your calendar! Enjoy live music, kids activities, a silent auction and pampering services such as acupuncture, haircuts, massage and more with all proceeds going toward the cause. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about what we do and how your donations will impact the women and girls of Darfur and the Congo. If you’re interested in helping, we are still accepting volunteers, practitioners and sponsors, as well as donors for the silent auction. Click here to sign up to be a part of the event. We hope to see you there! Thank you so much for your time!
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together” ~ African Proverb
The Pyxis Story, Part Two: Improvements
April 16th, 2013 by stacyLast week’s interview with Portland Pedal Power founder and co-owner Ken Wetherell was just the beginning of the The Pyxis Story. This week, you’ll hear from Ken about the improvements that have been made to turn the Pyxis into what it is today. So take a look at behind the scenes at the PPP headquarters in Southeast Portland and enjoy The Pyxis Story, Part Two: Improvements.
And in case you missed it, check out last week’s video to get caught up: The Pyxis Story, Part One: The Concept
Drive Less, Save More
April 13th, 2013 by Brook
Have you ever wondered how Portland became such a great cycling city? Look no further than the people, organizations and programs that are invested in building a rich community of cyclists through promoting cycling as an alternate means of transportation. Drive Less, Save More is one of those organizations, and they’re changing the face of our community.
Launched in 2006 by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Drive Less, Save More raises awareness about the practical, economic and environmental benefits of improving the way in which ODOT manages our transportation system. Reducing individual car trips is one of the main goal, and, bicycles are a big part of the solution, while public transit, carpooling and ride-sharing are emphasized as well.
Here’s the rundown from their website:
“Traffic congestion takes a heavy toll on residents, our economy and the environment. Oregon’s population is projected to grow exponentially, and traffic will only get worse unless action is taken.
Compounding the problem is the fact that there are insufficient funds to build new roads on a sizable scale. Part of the solution is to better manage the demand put on our transportation system and maximize its capacity. That’s the primary aim of Drive Less Save More.
Launched in 2006 by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Metro and its public and private partners, Drive Less Save More seeks to reduce individual car trips as an integral part of a larger solution to addressing traffic congestion. The goal is to raise public awareness about the benefits of driving less through trip chaining and other smart driving strategies, such as riding transit, carpooling, vanpooling, ridesharing, telecommuting, biking and/or walking. Today, Drive Less Save More has expanded beyond the Portland metro area into Salem, Eugene/Springfield, Medford and Bend.”
The Pyxis Story, Part One: The Concept
April 9th, 2013 by BrookHave you ever wondered how we came up with the design for the Pyxis, the enclosure that we use to deliver delicious food to local businesses all over Portland? Well, here’s your chance to take a look behind the scenes at Portland Pedal Power. The team recently built a new Pyxis, number seven in our ever-growing fleet, and this time, we documented the process while interviewing Ken Wetherell, PPP’s founder and co-owner and a cargo bike enthusiast. So take a look at The Pyxis Story, Part One: The Concept to learn more about how the Pyxis evolved from an idea into a finished product.
info@portlandpedalpower.com
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