North Pearl neighbors complain that community building benefits will be lost By Thacher Schmid A neighborhood group voted unanimously to oppose a developer’s reduction in retail space for the 21-story high-rise at Northwest 11th and Pettygrove at the western edge … Continue reading Retail element trimmed in new Pearl high-rise
By Thacher Schmid The old Northrup Food Center—vacant and rotting for 15 years despite occupying a coveted parcel—has finally sold. Its walls could tell a story of colorful characters, contrasting cultures and economic transition as New Portland uproots the old … Continue reading ‘Strange Sale’ – old grocery sells; the working homeless
For a half-century, the Linnton Plywood Association mill was a model of worker ownership and democratic control of the workplace. Everyone, from the general manager to the guy who ran the Raimann patcher machine—what one former worker called “a … Continue reading Falling Apart
Tank farms Northwest of the St. Johns Bridge are above the Portland Hills Fault, a key reason Linnton would be hard hit by a major earthquake. Photo by Wesley Mahan ‘Perfect storm’ of hazards make Linnton the worst place to … Continue reading Earthquake Central
This piece appeared in the July 2015 issue of the NW Examiner: Corps of Engineers says dredging sediment is ‘suitable for in-water placement’ By Thacher Schmid The Army Corps of Engineers sent public notice to a small group of Sauvie … Continue reading Sauvie Islanders Fight Toxic Dumping
If you’re a big vegetable person like Amanda Munro, who gets enthusiastic about onions, spring salad, potatoes and zucchini, getting a new community garden is cause for celebration anywhere. But for Munro and other residents of Linnton, the promise embodied … Continue reading Community Garden to Knit Town Split by Highway
Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio 