"Square People” reaches 3000 page views

Thank you readers! It’s really great that so many people enjoy the people and events at Pioneer Courthouse Square as much as I do. One thing I didn’t expect was the viewer’s from around the planet. People in 22 countries have dropped by to check it out. Here’s a list of the top ten countries: US (2715), Canada (94), Italy (23), UK (21), France (20), Russia (20), Brazil (16), Bulgaria (11), Taiwan (11), United Arab Emirates (11). Let’s hope they all get to Portland, and “hang out” on the square. Thanks again for the support! It will be interesting to see what happens in the fall and winter.

Sukkot in the Square

Rabbi Chayim E. Mishulovin [right], shares information with a visitor to the Sukkot in the Square, while Shmvel looks on. Rabbi Mishulovin of the Chabad of Oregon, will be conducting the Sukkot today and Wednesday from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm. For more information on Sukkot visit this link: http://www.chabadoregon.com/sukkot

Big time delivery

Look at that grip. This little guy is getting ready to unleash a 10-mph fastball. In addition to having great form and desire, he’s wearing a Dodger Blue t-shirt. I’m forwarding this link to the Dodgers scouting organization. Maybe he’ll be on the mound against the Giants in twenty years.

Memory Walk

The Alzheimer's Association’s Memory Walk was held today in Portland. The event started and ended at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The Portland march is part of a national event held each year. Teams participate to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. It brings together family, friends, caregivers and concerned community members — who all want to make a difference. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $300 million nationally to help those battling Alzheimer's disease. Today's event had between 2500 and 3000 participants in Portland. It was raining, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. If you would like to learn more, and possibly participate in next years event, check out this link: http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Got a new song?

The most popular instrument on the square is the guitar. Musicians are welcome on the square, providing they don’t ask for donations, or use amplified sound. Since starting this blog I’ve seen more guitars than any other instrument. So, if money is not the object, this is a great place for guitar players to try out their new material in front of a friendly audience. Give it a shot, come on down!

Indian Day

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) and other local area American Indian organizations hosted the American Indian Day Celebration today at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The event was a celebration of American Indian cultures and is intended to raise the level of awareness concerning the challenges that American Indian people continue to face in this country. For further information: http://www.npaihb.org/

Visitors from Japan

These young ladies were part of a very large group visiting the square today. I would estimate there were between 50 and 100 young women in the group. A chaperone told me they were from a city a short distance from Tokyo. I wrote the name of the city on a piece of paper, which I lost. Anyway, they were having a great time, and as you can see from the shopping bags, the local merchants were also having a great time.

Traveling troubadours

On the first day of fall, I found these traveling troubadours on the square. They didn’t travel very far, because they arrived on bicycles and skateboards. They were juggling, twirling batons and a performing a variety of other acts. So, we’re headed into a new season on the square and this was the first day. Hang on for the ride.

Last day of summer

The end of Summer 2010 came today as the sun went down over Pioneer Courthouse Square. This blog started on the first day of Summer 2010, and published photos of all the major events held at the square, over the past three months. 114 individual posts containing 171 photographs. Wow, what a blast. Our readers will be able to re-live the summer on the square by referring back to these photos in the middle of winter. As we move into fall and winter, events will slow down considerably. We will continue to post the events, and cover the “square people” throughout the coming months. It will be very interesting to see what happens. Stay tuned!

A picture is worth 1000 words

As I was walking down Morrison Street on my way to the square, I passed a small coffee shop with outdoor tables. This man was sitting at one of the tables, and when he saw my camera, he asked me to take his picture. I stopped and told him I would be happy to take his picture. As I pointed the camera at him, he raised his Odwalla juice bottle and pointed at it, just as I took the picture. Then he stood up to leave and as he walked away he said, “A picture is worth 1000 words.” This is all I know about this picture and it only took 95 words to explain it. I agree with him, this picture is worth 1000 words. I just can’t come up with the other 905.

Gay Fair at the square

Today, the Portland Gay Men's Chorus put on a concert at the Square from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Information booths were available for non-profit activities available in the LGBT community.

A case of hives

I owe it to my readers to cover as many events as possible at the square. However, today was a tough one. OSU held a football rally from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. That’s right, Pioneer Courthouse Square was full of Beavers. As a lifelong Duck fan this was difficult to take. When I get around too much orange and black I usually break out in hives. So, I took a couple of Claritin, grabbed my camera and made the best of it. It turned out to be a lot of fun. I’ve mellowed out about the Beavers since they got Jacquizz and James Rodgers. I love watching those guys play. So, Go Beavs, until the Civil War!

Fawn

Fawn was playing her guitar on the square today, to promote a concert she’s appearing in on Saturday. It’s called Smiles, and it benefits Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. It’s being held at the Barracuda in downtown Portland. Several groups are participating and they’re asking for a suggested $3 donation. This is a great cause. For complete information, check out this link: http://dmaclub.com/2010/08/19/fr-918-smiles-a-benefit-for-doernbecher-childrens-hospital-portland-or/

Celebrating Mexico’s Independence

The rain didn’t dampen the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico, held at Pioneer Courthouse Square today. Umbrella Man, [top photo], was prepared for the rain and quickly got into the spirit of the event. The event featured Mexican music, dancing and food. The blogger and everyone else who attended had a great time. Congratulations to the people of Mexico.

A really big square!

Today, we celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a “really big square.” It’s name is the Plaza De La Constitucion in Mexico City. I was in Mexico City in 1982 on the day the government nationalized the Banks of Mexico. The English newspaper reported that one million people were protesting in and around the square. It’s bordered on one side by the Government Palace, the seat of the Mexican Government. The “Square People” blog sends its congratulations to the "Square People", who are on the plaza today in Mexico City, as they celebrate their 200th Anniversary of the Independence.

Plaza De La Constitucion (Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%B3calo

Plaza De La Constitucion (Satellite map)

To view the satellite map below: (1) click the + key three times (2) click the top arrow key one time (3) close the address information box

View Larger Map

Where were they?

Zipcar held a program at the square today called “Low Car Diet.” It was designed for participants to test whether reducing personal car use is a viable option. According to the printed schedule, it was supposed to run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The blogger, after traveling a few blocks from his home, arrived at 2:10 pm. Zipcar was nowhere to be found on the square. So, on the way back home, I walked by their office and took this picture. If you want to find out about their program, check this link. http://www.zipcar.com/portland/office

No tickets! No fences!

The National headlines the second MusicfestNW concert on Pioneer Courthouse Square on Sunday. The Walkman and Helio Sequence also appear on Sunday. MusicfestNW is a super event for Portland. That being said, this blog opposes any event held on Pioneer Courthouse Square that charges admission, and fences off the square to the general public. Many people in Portland assume anything held at the square is free, and hop on a MAX train and head downtown to check out whatever’s going on. The square prohibits street musicians from performing if they ask for donations. So, why do they let commercial rock groups hold paid events on the square? Let MusicfestNW and other groups who charge admission fence off Waterfront Park to hold their outdoor events, or, rent PGE Park. Umbrella Man is in complete agreement with this blog policy.

The Standard Volunteer Expo

The Standard Volunteer Expo was held today at Pioneer Courthouse Square. It may be the most important event held on the square. It’s designed to hook-up volunteers with over 100 non-profit organizations who had booths at today’s event. Congratulations to The Standard for putting this event together. One of the non-profits on the square was Loaves and Fishes Centers. That’s where the blogger volunteers. I have been working on various projects at the Loaves and Fishes Elm Court Center in downtown Portland for a couple of years. For me, it’s been a fabulous experience. It’s a tremendous organization, with this vision: No senior will go hungry or experience social isolation. I caught up with Susan Gilson , the director of the Elm Court Center, [middle photo], as she was talking to a prospective volunteer. While she was manning the booth at the square, the staff and volunteers, [bottom photo], were busy back at the center serving food and delivering Meals on Wheels. All thirty centers need volunteers to serve as greeters, clerical support, meal on wheels, activity leaders and energetic people who want to serve on the center’s steering committee or fundraising team. Anyone interested in helping can phone 503-736-6352, in Portland, or, 360-699-6325 in Vancouver.

Information please

The information center is located under the waterfalls in Pioneer Courthouse Square. It’s a valuable resource for visitors to the square. They provide information, maps and event brochures for all the major attractions in Portland. The people who work in the center are very knowledgeable about the city. A lot of confused people walk out with smiles on their faces, carrying a city map and a few brochures.

Meeting friends

One of the really great parts of doing this blog is meeting friends. On my second day on the square, back in June, I met a friend I hadn’t seen for years, and I said this is going to be fun. I was right. Since then I’ve bumped in to several people from the past, including one who owes me $300.00, (we didn’t discuss the money). I figure if I keep this up, I’ll catch up with everyone I’ve ever known. On Sunday, I ran into some of my favorite people on the planet. The Barbaricks'. Brad, his wife Dana and son Zack. They also have twin teen-age daughters, Emily and Megan, who missed out on this amazing photo opportunity, Needless to say, it was great seeing them. I can’t wait to see who shows up next.

Kumoricon 2010

Trust me. This could only happen at Pioneer Courthouse Square. One half of the square filled with families checking out a new series of Lego games, and the other half filled with Japanese cartoon characters. I was waiting for [Ringling Bros.] to bring a couple of elephants onto the bricks. I really felt like I was in the middle of a three-ring circus. The Kumoricon 2010 convention was held at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The Hilton is only a block away and convention participants spent a lot of time on the square. Kumoricon celebrates all things anime and manga. Which are words that really just sum up any “cartoon” or comic book from Japan. Popular examples are shows such as Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Ponyo, Speed Racer, and Pokémon. Anime and manga come in a wide variety, from workplace dramas to romance sagas to fantasy adventures. Anyone interested in attending next years convention can check out their website: http://www.kumoricon.org/?page_id=12

Lego hits the road

Lego leaves Pioneer Courthouse Square on Monday evening for Sacramento, the last stop on this year’s eleven city summer tour. Hundreds of kids had the opportunity to try out super-sized enlargements of Lego’s new line of board games. The [middle photo], is one of the actual games in the new series. The [bottom photo] shows kids playing the super-size version of the game. They didn’t have much time to learn to play, but they seemed to have a good time.

Lego games

The Lego exhibit remained on the square Saturday, and will continue through Monday. These kids are playing super-size enlargements of the actual games Lego is marketing.

Lego bull

The Lego exhibit on the square this weekend is designed to market the world’s first constructible board games. They allow families to literally create and customize their own gaming experiences. Build the game, switch up the dice and change the rules to make each gaming experience new and different. The exhibit will be on the square Friday through Monday. The information on the games their marketing is on this video: http://games.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx

Super quick

This little girl was racing her brother on the bricks. She’s a whole lot quicker, because he’s nowhere in sight. I’m forwarding this photo to Vin Lananna, the University of Oregon track and field coach. It’s never too early to start the recruiting process. Go Ducks!

A huge effort

As I watched the Westside Vineyard Church setting up for their concert on the square this evening, I started thinking about all the preparation that goes into each event. After all the planning and volunteers are recruited, the event is staged. The tent and chairs have to be set up, the cables and cords are connected, the musicians warm up and hope people will show up to hear them play. The great thing about Pioneer Courthouse Square is that it seems they always do. When the last song is played and the people leave, it has to be torn down and taken home. Thanks to all the groups, for the effort that makes this such a unique place!