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May, 2025- Vol. 119, No. 9 Scroll down to read this issue! Memories of THE BEE's first 100 years! In 2006, THE BEE celebrated its centennial of serving Southeast Portland! A special four-page retrospective of Inner Southeast Portland's century, written by Eileen Fitzsimons, and drawn from the pages of THE BEE over the previous 100 years, appeared in our September, 2006, issue. Click here to read the special centenary retrospective!
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A “flash-over” in the front room of this Foster-Powell neighborhood house charred the interior. Smoke belched from the roof through the holes firefighters cut to release hot, combustible gasses from what was left of the home. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
At this Mt. Scott-Arleta house fire later the same day, using specially-designed equipment, firefighters tried to resuscitate a dog that they’d found in the burning house. Sadly, the pet did not survive the inhaling the deadly smoke in the home. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Two fires, hours apart: A ‘flashover’; a dead pet
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Two major Inner Southeast house fires, in the span of only ten hours, kept Portland Fire & Rescue busy on Wednesday, April 9th – in the Foster Powell and Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhoods.
10:46 am – Flash-over in ‘cluttered house’ On Wednesday morning, March 9, several neighbors called the 9-1-1 Center, reporting seeing “lots of gray smoke” from the house at 4324 S.E. 65th Avenue in the Foster-Powell neighborhood.
PF&R crews were dispatched to the fire at 10:46 a.m. – and four minutes later, both Woodstock Station 25’s Engine and Ladder Truck companies arrived, as did Lents Station 11’s Engine Company.
“The first arriving apparatus Ladder Truck 25, had been redirected from a low-acuity medical call to respond to this fire,” PF&R Public Information Officer Rick Graves told THE BEE afterwards. “That truck’s officer reported heavy gray smoke pushing out of the front of the home.”
Some of the firefighters rushed into the house, searching for victims, while other crews hooked up water lines to Engine 25 and began spraying water into the front door of the “small, yet heavily cluttered, home”, as Graves put it.
Moments later there was an extremely dangerous “flash over” in the front room – that’s when smoke and flammable gasses simultaneously reach their ignition temperatures leading to an explosion of flame throughout the space.
“Although the crew had properly donned protective clothing, one crew member did receive a minor burn to an ear right through the protective hood,” Graves reported.
About then, crew members with PF&R Training Station 2 in Parkrose pulled in, and continued their “on-the-job training” by helping to cut holes in the roof for vertical ventilation, allowing smoke and flammable gasses to escape.
Some ten minutes later, the fire was under sufficient control that it was no longer a threat to nearby houses that were only about 10 feet away. But as crews quenched the blaze inside the house, fire broke out on the porch. Fortunately, with the addition of the Training Station crew (along with their command staff), there were 32 firefighters on hand to extinguish the flames.
“One person was taken to the hospital by ambulance as a ‘precautionary transport’ Graves said. “The fire remains under investigation.” There is no damage estimate, but the fire gutted much of the home.
7:39 pm – Dog dies in Mt. Scott-Arleta Alert neighbors calling the 9-1-1 Center told operators that they were concerned about “smoke from the roof, and dog inside a house” at 6510 S.E. Tolman Street.
PF&R stations from Westmoreland, Woodstock, Lents, downtown Portland – and, again, from the Parkrose Training Station – were dispatched to this fire at 7:39 p.m. later the same day.
As Westmoreland Fire Station 20’s Engine Company pulled up, their lieutenant reported to dispatchers seeing smoke billowing out of the house’s windows. Firefighters began their search of the house, and used water in their engine’s tank to start putting out the fire, while water supply lines were being hooked up.
“This appears to be a kitchen fire involving a stove and cabinets, and the fire is mostly extinguished,” a firefighter soon radioed to the Commander. “The fire didn’t spread beyond the kitchen.”
Crews searched for the dog that was reportedly in the house – and found it, unresponsive and not breathing. “Despite twenty minutes of resuscitation efforts by firefighters, sadly, the dog died of smoke inhalation,” Graves told reporters.
This blaze, as are all fires, was examined by PF&R Fire Investigators; the specific cause of this kitchen fire has not yet been revealed.
A personal note – as THE BEE was walking in two blocks to reach the first fire, we heard and felt that concussive “flashover” blast which the firefighters who were already in the house survived, thanks to their protective suits. In this exclusive BEE VIDEO, here’s what we saw and heard as we arrived at the incinerated house –
Last year’s CHS Rose Festival Princess, Zora Forsberg, stepped up to place the “Princess Tiara” upon the head of this year’s Princess, Sabrina Johnson – surrounded by the rest of her court. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Rose Fest Princess for Cleveland High School named
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
In the period before the school day ended on Thursday, March 20th, the Cleveland High School Auditorium filled with students, all of them eager to learn who would represent them for the 2025 Portland Rose Festival celebration.
“You know, I’m always proud of our Cleveland Rose Festival candidates,” CHS Principal Jo Ann Wadkins told THE BEE before the program began. “We have such a diverse student body; each one has such diverse interests.
“Those we see represented on the stage today are students who are deeply involved with our student community; and any one of them would well-represent our school!”
CHS student association leaders welcomed guests, and introduced a Portland Rose Festival Association official, who in turn introduced others present from the nonprofit organization.
As they were announced, the members of this year’s CHS Rose Festival Princess Court each received applause when entering through the curtain onto the stage: Jenny Pham, Alara Bekleyen, Sabrina Johnson, and Celia Roehl.
Next, last year’s Cleveland High School Princess – Zora Forsberg – stepped up to say, “I’m glad I was able to be part of the Portland Rose Festival tradition. For my mentor, to our chaperones, to the entire Rose Festival staff: I appreciate your kindness and your help. My memories of the Portland Rose Festival will be some of my favorite memories of my life.”
Then came the moment when this year’s Princess was revealed – and it was a CHS junior, Sabrina Johnson, who reacted with surprise and joy.
“Thank you so much for voting for me; and, thank you so much for the Rose Festival Association making this possible,” CHS Princess Sabrina Johnson told the audience. “I’m so much looking forward to participating in all of the events this year!”
After the program, Princess Sabrina shared that her favorite place to visit in Portland is Sellwood Riverfront Park. “Or, ‘the docks’ as we call it. It holds special memories of joy and friendship with friends and family… It’s surrounded by greenery, the Willamette River, and a stunning view of the Portland skyline. It’s where I find peace and happiness.”
After she graduates in the CHS class of 2026, Princess Sabrina confided that she plans to attend a four-year university, and then a graduate school, with an eye to working in counseling psychology or environmental justice. Her career goal will be supported by a $3,500 scholarship presented by The Randall Group.
Learn more about the entire 2025 Portland Rose Festival at their official website – http://www.rosefestival.org
And off they all go, scooping up eggs, after the timed signal to start hunting – at the 2025 SMILE Egg Hunt, held at Oaks Amusement Park. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Nearby, Sellwood resident Kateland King had an eye on her son Evan, here – who was way too fully occupied picking up eggs to pose for any old BEE photos. But we got this one anyway. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Sun shines on SMILE’s ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ at Oaks Park
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
For decades, the traditional Egg Hunt put on by the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League (SMILE) neighborhood association, on the day before Easter, was a cozy affair – tucked away in the grass, at the south end of Westmoreland Park.
But, when it was revived after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 – and then moved to historic, nonprofit Oaks Amusement Park – the number of families who came from all over the Portland metropolitan area dramatically swelled.
This year’s celebration, held on April 19th at The Oaks, once again brought out a large and polite – but energetic – crowd. The kids were more than ready to hunt for candy-filled plastic eggs, and their parents were ready to take pictures.
“The Egg Hunt is a great way for our local families, and those who come from beyond our neighborhood, to learn about our neighborhood association,” SMILE President David Dugan remarked, as families were massing behind the bright orange tapes marking off the area in Picnic Area 9.
“We’re so glad that Oaks Park is one of our sponsors; the space they provide is ideal for this,” observed Dugan.
It takes weeks to plan, hours to set up, and it’s over in minutes!
This year, some 75 volunteers from Moreland Presbyterian Church and Sellwood Community House, two of the other egg hunt co-sponsors, gathered to stuff the 6,000 plastic eggs – all within about an hour – and who, along with SMILE Board Members, spread them across the large grassy area at The Oaks near the outdoor Pavilion.
All the parents did a good job holding back their eager youngsters as 11 a.m. approached. Dugan picked up a bull-horn and counted down to the hunt’s start. A SMILE Board Member shared that the hunt was essentially over in only three and a half minutes this year!
With the sun out, and spring in the air, many of the families who came for the egg hunt stayed on to enjoy the rides and atmosphere of the Oaks Amusement Park midway, on the east bank of the Willamette River.
Now, experience this year’s Easter Egg Hunt at Oaks Park, in an exclusive BEE VIDEO –
Officers, and the people from the car dealership where this eye-catching used car was for sale, gathered – after the yellow 2001 Dodge Viper GTS sports car, out on a test drive, was rear-ended by a van on S.E. 17th at the entrance to Garthwick, at the southern end of Sellwood. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Sports car on test drive rear-ended, driver hurt, on 17th
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
On the sunny Sunday afternoon of April 13th, Portland Police Bureau officers, and an ambulance, were dispatched at 4:35 p.m. to an “Injury Accident” at S.E. 17th Avenue and Ochoco Street, at the entrance to Garthwick at the south end of Sellwood.
Pulled off onto S.E. Ochoco Street, facing east, was a canary yellow 2001 Dodge Viper GTS sports car suffering rear-end damage, apparently from being smashed into by a white Chevrolet van. We learned that it had been out on a test drive by a potential buyer.
Milwaukie Police Department cruisers were blocking traffic, and their officers were attending to the crash. An ambulance left the scene bound for a hospital.
“This took place on the ‘Milwaukie side’ of Ochoco Street; the center line of the road divides Portland and Milwaukie,” informed a Milwaukie officer. That’s also the line dividing Multnomah and Clackamas Counties at that location.
The following day, MPD PIO Sergeant Mark Inman responded to THE BEE’s inquiry: “It looks like one driver involved in the accident was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries,” he said.
This smashup may be an expensive one to repair for the sports car; one can expect to pay $62,650 for a 2001 Dodge Viper GTS – if it’s in good condition. The Chevy van that ran into it will also require some substantial front-end work if it is ever to drive again.
Here’s the currently-proposed “look” of the new two-block-long, seven-story-high apartment house planned for the edge of the Oaks Bottom Bluff on the west side of Milwaukie Avenue, between Ellis and Insley Streets at the north end of Westmoreland. (Courtesy of City of Portland)
Plan for 7-story building on edge of Oaks Bottom Bluff advances
By ERIC NORBERG Editor, THE BEE
THE BEE’s front-page report last month told of the plans for construction of a seven-story apartment house on the edge of the Oaks Bottom Bluff, at 5515 S.E. Milwaukie Avenue, between Ellis and Insley Streets, in Westmoreland. The last paragraph of that article contained an error, which was corrected in the online versions: The hearing that was the basis for the article was, in fact, a design review hearing for the project, already approved.
THE BEE’s April newspaper deadline occurred before the outcome of that hearing was available. David Schoellhamer, long a leader of the SMILE neighborhood association’s Land Use Committee, subsequently prepared a report on the outcome, from which we quote verbatim:
“On March 20 the Portland Design Commission held a design advisory hearing for the preliminary design of a 7-story 243-unit development along the Sellwood Bluff. This was an advisory hearing to give initial feedback to the applicant. SMILE submitted written comments asking that the design follow the ‘Sellwood Moreland Main Street Design Guidelines’ [which can be reviewed online at – https://tinyurl.com/6433yy2j].
“Commissioners had several comments, and did not like the two block long ‘wall’ of a building. Design review, however, cannot reduce the size of the building if it satisfies the zoning code, which it does. The next step is for the architects to revise their design and submit it to the Commission for approval.
“In 2022, SMILE opposed a zoning change to this property to allow additional height on the southern part of the property (4 to 7 stories); City Council approved a reduced height increase (7 to 6 stories) and required design review.”
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