. . . Against the Tea Party

. . . fortunately the Portland Police Department was prepared as they moved into position to keep the opposing party’s from letting their emotions get out of hand. People on both sides of the issue were forceful in expressing their opinions. Once again the Square was available to people, so they could express their beliefs in the heart of the city. Hats off to the Portland Police Department for being on top of the situation.

Walk MS

People from all over the area came down to the Square today to participate in Walk MS, to help the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society raise critical funds that support cutting-edge research, drive change through advocacy, facilitate professional education and provide programs and services that are vital to the over 7,200 individuals living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Oregon and SW Washington.

Field trips

School field trips are a frequent occurrence on the Square. I usually see several each week. Health and Science School of Beaverton held a field trip in downtown Portland recently. The school prepares students for college success through a relevant health and science based educational experience in a small school environment. When they arrived at the Square, they gathered for a briefing session on the bricks, and then formed a line behind their teacher and headed out to explore the city. For further information about the school, phone 503-533-1853

Shark fin soup

Recently a group of high school students from the Portland area were on the Square to protest the practice of Shark Finning. They wanted to point out that every year millions of sharks are killed to meet the demand for shark fin soup. The fins are often sliced off while the sharks are still alive; their bodies are the thrown back into the water as the sharks endure a painful death from suffocation, blood loss, or predation by other species. You can help stop this practice in the State of Oregon by contacting your state representatives, and asking them to support Bill 2838, which will stop the sales of shark fins in Oregon. To learn more about this subject visit:http://www.hsi.org/sharkfin

Restraining Umbrella Man

Sometimes Umbrella Man gets very excited while speaking and needs to be held back by a passing tourist.

Warm-weather lunch bunch

When KGW’'s Rod Hill did his noon weather forecast from the square today, he told us we could be getting our second day in a row over 60 degrees. People, who were having lunch at that time on the Square, didn’t need the information. They had already taken their coats off and were enjoying the sunshine. The sun is now high enough to clear the buildings across the street, and cover the square in sunshine at noon. I can’t tell you how great it is to see warmer temperatures. This means I don’t have to hide out in the information center, pretending to read bus schedules.

High-tech treasure hunt

The Northwest Chevy Dealers sponsored an exiting event on the Square on Saturday. It was a high-tech treasure hunt where the winner drove home a brand new 2011 Chevy Cruse. Contestants raced through downtown Portland receiving challenges and clues via text messages, while trying to earn the most points and pick up the key’s to the Chevy Cruse. A young couple from Salem racked up the most points and won the car. In the photos you see that Umbrella Man was trying to get in the act and give advise to several contestants. I also photographed David Coiteux, a participant who pointed out his own brick on the Square. How cool is that! Visitors and shoppers in downtown Portland had to wonder what was up, with several hundred people in blue t-shirts running in all directions.

War protest

On Saturday, several hundred people gathered on the Square to protest the United States involvement in conflicts around the globe. The rally marked the 8th anniversary of the United States invasion of Iraq. Speakers and organizations were on-site to educate the public on the U.S. policy in Iraq and the economic situation in the United States.

Waterproof watch

I was in a driving rainstorm on the square the other day and didn’t want to pull out my cell phone to check the time. I was near Umbrella Man and decided to check his watch. I found it still keeps perfect time after 28 years of rain on the square. They just don’t make this kind of quality stuff anymore.

Cold weather tourists

With temperatures in the 20’s Umbrella Man draws a crowd on one of the coldest days of the year. The leader of this tour group gathered everyone in a semi-circle to introduce Portland’s famous icon. Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square is the focal point for several tours in the downtown area and Umbrella Man is always the star attraction.

Strong kid

Everyone knows how much little boys love to climb on things. It looks like this little guy knocked over this column on the square, so he could climb on it. Wow, that took some major strength.

Afternoon sun break

On a cold winter day, the afternoon sun hits the square for a little over an hour in the late afternoon. People take advantage of the sun to relax, get warm and catch up on some reading. During the winter months the sun shines on the square for a couple of hours a day, once at noon and again in the late afternoon. Those two hours are a welcome break from the cold weather.

Electronic revolution

Protesters gathered on Pioneer Courthouse Square calling for ouster of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak. This has been billed as an electronic revolution, with worldwide protester's using Google, Facebook and Twitter. Many people learned about this protest on the square through electronic networking media. Many other gatherings on the square are fueled by these same methods. So, once again Portland’s Living Room gives people with a cause a place to meet and voice their beliefs.

$1,000,000 studio

NewsChannel 8's HD "Studio on the Square" is adjacent to the Square's Visitor Information Center. The construction was completed in the summer 2008. The studio cost over $1,000,000 dollars to build. The location of the high definition studio showcases events at the Square in visual detail never seen before. With only a select number of street level news studios in operation throughout the United States, the "Studio on the Square" captures the recent trend of integrating news and information access with some of the nation's most distinguished public spaces. For a tour of the studio watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkXIL_akEss