Eliot News Throwback Almost-Thursday : October 1992

Eliot News Article: 2nd Gospel Music Festival a Success

On the final day of 2025, look back to the last edition of Eliot News in 1992.

Boyz II Men’s End of the Road maintained its death grip on the top of the charts, President George H.W. Bush’s reelection was about to be upset by a relative political newcomer from Arkansas named Bill Clinton, and fall’s breakout TV debut was Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

Closer to home, the covered pool at Dishman Community Center was opening, Kurt and Rob Widmer were moving their brewery to the Smithson-McKay Block, and the Albina Community Plan of 1993 started taking its final shape.

ENA is always looking for contributors to another edition of Eliot News. Current events, history, and more are welcome on our pages. Sometimes the little things matter more than you think in the end.

Read the October 1992 Eliot News, and have a happy new year!

Pacific Power to demolish substation building by Dishman Community Center

Pacific Power has released a document detailing this plan. The original PDF is attached and the text replicated below.

Pacific Power is demolishing and removing the brick substation building located across the
street from the Dishman Community Center on NE Knott St. in Portland. Below are
answers to anticipated questions about the project.

Q. What is the history of the building?
A. The Knott substation building was built in 1906 for Portland Railway Light & Power, which
became Portland General Electric. In the 1960s, the building and adjoining substation property
were acquired by Pacific Power & Light as a part of a separation of utility service territories in
Portland.
The building was being used as a control center until a fire in 1995 made parts of the building
unusable. It was then used for training until 2000 when site conditions made its continued use
unsafe.

Q. Why is it being demolished?
A. The building is no longer safe for use. It is also targeted for break-ins, which is dangerous
given its location within an energized substation.

Q. When will it be demolished and how long will it take?
A. The physical demolition began in mid-December 2025 and is expected to take approximately
45 working days.

Q. What will go in place of the building?
A. The area the building currently occupies will be backfilled with the same material that covers
the rest of the substation site. No new structures are planned in place of the building.

Q. Why couldn’t the building be preserved as a historic site?
A. The building no longer serves any purpose for providing electricity service and has too much
damage to restore.

Q. What steps will Pacific Power and its contractor take to ensure the surrounding
neighborhood won’t be harmed by debris, dust or other impacts of the demolition?

A. The contractor will bring the building down using a slow, methodical process that gradually
deconstructs the building into its footprint rather than via a more dramatic sudden demolition.
Other community protection measures will include use of barricades, site fencing, setbacks to
limit access and use of water to suppress dust.

Q. What street or sidewalk closures will occur and for how long?
A. Current plans will close one lane of NE Knott St. from the substation building area east to NE
Rodney for about four weeks starting the week of December 27, 2025. The sidewalk on NE Knott
on the substation side of the street will also close during that time from the building area east to
NE Rodney. During this time the traffic lane on NE Knott on the Dishman Community Center
side of the street will remain open for the entire block. The sidewalk on the Dishman Community
Center side of the street will also remain open throughout the project.

Q. Will access to Dishman Community Center be affected?
A. The approved traffic management plans for the project should allow full access to Dishman
Community Center during the project. The traffic lane closest to the community center on NE
Knott will remain open, which will provide access to the pull-out area in front of Dishman. Both
lanes on NE Knott between the entrance and exit to the parking lot and N. Williams Ave. will also
remain open.

Q. What other changes will take place at the substation as part of the project?
A. The existing chain link fence around the entire substation will be replaced with a black
wrought iron high-security fence that should be more attractive and provide better security.

Q. Who can I contact with questions or if an issue comes up during the project?
A. RiverLine Power – Project Manager – Dylan Stoller – 360-360-2611
Pacific Power – Regional Business Manager – Bob Gravely – 503-568-3174

Eliot News Throwback Thursday: June 1992

For this (very occasional) throwback, here’s a scan of our oldest archived edition of Eliot News. Kris Kross had the #1 song, the city was set to break ground on a new basketball arena, and [spoiler alert] the Portland Trail Blazers were battling Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals after winning the Western Conference.

ENA is always looking for contributors to another edition of Eliot News. Current events, history, and more are welcome on our pages. Today it’s a byline, tomorrow—or perhaps 33 years later—you’ll see your name here again!

Read the June 1992 Eliot News

Eliot Neighborhood Association Board Meeting Minutes Monday 10/20/2025

Eliot Neighborhood Association

General Meeting Minutes

Oct 20, 2025 7:00 PM at Cascadia Health Garlington Center

Attendees

Board

Laura Fay – Co-Chair
Pat Montgomery – Co-Chair
Serena Li – Community Outreach
Andrew Champion – Recorder
Jennifer Wilcox – Treasurer
Anders Hart
Kathryn LePore
Alice Newman
Allan Rudwick
Bliss Suh
Jimmy Wilson

Guests

Seth Anderson – resident
Max Nash – resident
Jonathan Tasini – resident
Alyssa Whitesides – resident
Dora DeCoursey – resident
Bill Spangle – resident
Lynne Randall – Arc en Ciel Montessori parent
Jim Proctor – Lewis & Clark College
Jona Davis – NECN
Andrew Harnish – resident

Reflections on Talmage Ellis

Pat lamented Mr. Ellis’ senseless death.

The group observed a moment of silence.

Approve September 2025 Minutes

Draft approved unanimously, verbatim.

Motion: Allan | Seconded: Bliss

Neighborhood Safety

Laura feels that Safe Blocks is not doing enough, and that the city is handing us off to the county, believing PEMO’s work has run its course. ENA will be meeting with county commissioner Shannon Singleton in early November.

Ann said “there was a fight in the street on NE Sacramento Street right before I came to the meeting. Also, the elders on the block have handled the human trafficking issues I asked for help at the last meeting.”

Lynne talked about inconsistent results improving safety in and around Dawson Park for her and other Arc-en-Ciel families. Laura and Jennifer shared differing experiences of the park rangers making the park welcoming.

The group discussed ideas for providing consistent, increased services for Dawson Park users.
Jimmy urged for more coordination and collaboration with people who do provide those services.

Allan suggested that parking around Dawson Park be reverted to its pre-2015 state, a full prohibition on the curb around its immediate perimeter. Pat added the idea of one-way streets. The board approved writing a letter to the city asking for these changes.

Motion: Allan | Seconded: Pat | Abstention: Jimmy

Board Elections

The new slate was approved unanimously:

  • Andrew Champion
  • Laura Fay
  • Anders Hart
  • Ann Kasper
  • Kathryn LePore
  • Serena Li
  • Pat Montgomery
  • Alice Newman
  • Cassie Muilenburg
  • Allan Rudwick
  • Bliss Suh
  • Alyssa Whitesides
  • Jennifer Wilcox
  • Jimmy Wilson

Motion: Jennifer | Seconded: Bliss

Neighborhood Updates

NECN Update

Jimmy remains unable to comment on changes to group leadership. He also shared a document with the city’s accounting for its Byrne grant funds: personnel expenses amount to more than $128,000 of approximately $230,000 already spent.

Treasurer’s Report

Jennifer reports that the transition to OnPoint is complete, and indicated satisfaction with the new banking arrangements.

Land Use & Transportation

The Land Use and Transportation Committee is reopening conversation about traffic diversion on NE 7th as part of the larger Lloyd-to-Woodlawn neighborhood greenway project extending from the Blumenauer Bridge over I84.

Max reported that her petition to support this project had gained over 300 signatures, then shared her observations and research about traffic on NE 7th Avenue.

Ann took an opposing view, asserting that “the issues of diverters on NE 7th Avenue was examined by a huge city process through PBOT, meetings and public input a couple years ago and it was decided by the majority of people who actually live there that NE 7th should not have diverters. We already have 15 speed bumps installed. NE 8th Ave was chosen as the bike street. .”

Adjournment

Adjourned at 8:15 pm.