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The City of Portland, Oregon

Nick Fish (In Memoriam)

City of Portland Commissioner

phone: 503-823-3589

Email: nick@portlandoregon.gov

1221 S.W. 4th, Room 240, Portland, OR 97204

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"We call it the eyes and ears of our park system"

Jun 2, 2009 at 12:00 AM

Portland Parks, led by Commissioner Nick Fish, debuts ParkScan, a tool for citizens to comment on Portland's many parks.

Thanks to Kenneth Aaron of Neighborhood Notes for the photo!

June 2, 2009

After several months of testing in East Portland parks, the Parks Bureau officially launched ParkScan yesterday at Chapman Park in downtown Portland, writes Jim Mayer in the May 12 Oregonian.

The ParkScan tool allows the public to provide feedback about parks that need maintenance, to ask questions, and to provide suggestions directly to the Bureau. A story on the KGW website quotes Isabel Wade, Executive Director of the San Francisco-based Neighborhood Parks Council, as saying that this input is a "real key to keeping up our parks to the standard people expect." Funded by a $150,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Portland is the first city in America to adopt the program.

See Nick's observation and use ParkScan for yourself at parkscanpdx.org!

Classical Chinese Garden celebrates 10th anniversary

Jun 8, 2009 at 12:00 AM

Commissioner Nick Fish joined the 10th anniversary celebration of the Classical Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, June 7, 2009.

June 9, 2009

Portland's Classical Chinese Garden is an authentically built living museum of Chinese trees and flora. Constructed in the Ming Dynasty style, the non-profit Garden is nationally known for its unique beauty and is a draw for visitors from around the world.

Nick was honored to participate in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Portland's Classical Chinese Garden on Sunday, June 7. Also in attendance were Mayor Sam Adams and former Mayors Bud Clark and Vera Katz.

Thanks to Philip Tang for the photos! 

Commissioner Nick Fish joined former Portland Mayor Bud Clark at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Classical Chinese Garden on June 7, 2009.    Commissioner Nick Fish spoke at the 10th anniversary celebration of Portland's Classical Chinese Garden on Sunday, June 7, 2009.

Ross Island natural area welcomes volunteer group's effort to remove invasive species

Jun 15, 2009 at 12:43 PM

Portland's Ross Island natural area welcomed a volunteer work group removing invasive species this past Saturday.

June 15, 2009

Portland's Ross Island, one of our newest natural areas, is home to invasive garlic mustard.

Last Saturday, June 13, a group of volunteers gathered for a paddle up the Willamette to the 45-acre parcel of Ross Island donated in 2007 by Robert Pamplin Jr., owner of Ross Island Sand and Gravel. Part of an internationally recognized bird habitat, Ross Island also hosts a number of invasive species, the most pernicious of which is garlic mustard. The group removed numerous bags of the plant, which spreads rapidly and can inhibit the growth of other plants, during the inaugural work party in the area. It will take years to fully restore the native habitat of this, one of Portland's newest natural areas.

Friends of Ross Island will host three more Saturday outings to remove invasive species and litter: July 11, August 8, and September 12. Boats depart from the Portland Boathouse at 9:00 and return around noon.

For more information, or to register, contact Marissa Dorais in the City's Bureau of Environmental Services at marissa.dorais@bes.ci.portland.or.us or by phone at 503-823-7016.

Thanks to Flickr user Donna62 for the photo!

My statement on the Cesar Chavez street renaming vote

Jul 8, 2009 at 12:00 AM

 

July 8, 2009

I would like to first acknowledge all the parties involved in this debate for what has been, for the most part, a process marked by respect rather than by confrontation. I have received hundreds of emails and letters from Portlanders. I have read many of them, and listened to all the testimony.

It is clear to me that most people agree that Cesar E. Chávez is a national hero worthy of an appropriate public honor. His legacy extends to workers rights, civil rights, environmental justice, equality, peace, and nonviolence.

Locally, people have proposed naming bridges, parks, schools, and buildings in his honor. But that is not the issue before us today. Currently, Portland has no formal process in place to name or rename parks, bridges, or buildings.

The issue before us today is a street naming proposal, and I disagree with those who suggest we should change the ground rules in the middle of the process. No matter how you feel about the issue, street naming is one way Portland has honored those who have made a difference in our lives – at the local and national level. The honor roll includes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Bill Naito.

Read my full statement in our 'News' section.