One of the best things about Lents International Farmers Market is that it serves the whole community of Lents. One of the ways we help welcome all of our neighbors is by providing match for SNAP benefits. LIFM was Portland’s first farmers market to provide a SNAP (formerly food stamps) match for shoppers through an innovative program called Healthy Rewards. This year, we need to fund raise an additional $4,000 to provide full support for the Healthy Rewards program. This contribution from the community helps leverage $11,000 in corporate sponsorship from   New Seasons Market, PGE Foundation, and Bob’s Red Mill.

If you would like to donate to support Healthy Rewards at Lents International Farmers Market, please visit their Indiegogo campaign page.

If you talk a walk westward, just beyond the plaza, it’s easy to see the scale of the improvements being made to the west triangle of the couplet. The massive steel chevron that will serve as a retaining wall next to the pedestrian path has been installed. Many thanks to Christopher and Steve at Koch Landscape Architecture for designing great spaces for our neighborhood!

The Lents Town Center Business Development Committee in Partnership with Working Class Acupuncture is pleased to issue a call for artist’s portfolio submissions to qualify to submit a proposal to design and implement a large scale mural on the south exterior wall of the Working Class Acupuncture building located at 5814 SE 92^nd Avenue in Portland, OR.

Mural artists and painters as well as graphic artists are encouraged to respond. Three artists will be selected, from the initial pool of applicants, to complete full proposals. A stipend of $200.00 will be provided to each of these three artists upon completion of full proposals.

Please submit the following by email to cora.potter@gmail.com by May 10, 2013. Use the subject heading Lents Mural Portfolio Submission.

• Submit 5 portfolio images in jpeg or pdf format that can be printed individually on 8.5×11 inch paper. Please submit images that you feel best represent the style and/or design direction of the mural you would be proposing.
• Include a brief description, not to exceed 500 words, of why you would like to complete a mural in the Lents area and your artistic approach to this project.
• A brief description, not to exceed 300 words of your approach to the planning and execution of this mural project.

Please read full Call for Artists document before responding.

Not a muralist or artist? Please consider donating to the project. We are currently fund raising to provide stipends to our top three artists who will be commissioned to complete a full proposal for the mural project. Donations can be made at http://fundly.com/artist-stipends-for-lents-town-center-mural-proposals

One of the other nicer features of the new streetscape that is still in progress is the improvements to the triangular island where the couplet splits at 90th. The crossing improvements are significant, with a new pedestrian signal as well as an additional ladder crosswalk added on the south side of the triangle. But, probably the most impressive feature that will be popping up soon is the large-scale monument that will be rising out of the new landscaping in the center of the triangle.  The landscaping and monument improvements will also be mirrored in the triangle to the east where the couplet converges (or splits apart if you’re west bound).

As you’re heading East on Woodstock Blvd, you may have noticed that two large orange signs have been posted in vacant lots along the route. And maybe, if everyone was driving the 30 mph speed limit or slower, you may have noticed that they say “What Would You Like to See?” with the web site address wwylts.com printed just below. In addition, there’s one of those crazy QR codes, that help folks that are passing by with smart phones easily access the web site as they’re walking (Not while you’re driving folks; be safe!) down the street.

The two lots are owned by the PDC and the signs are part of a new collaboration they are testing out with What Would You Like to See, with the goal of gathering community input on interim uses for the vacant sites. So, head over to the web site, add your own idea or vote for someone else’s idea that you like!

A project underway in the Lents Town Center will help connect the business district with the MAX Green Line.

In the next few months, a sleepy cul-de-sac will turn into an active, engaging, pedestrian-friendly path for cyclists, walkers and drivers.

A rebuild of Ramona Street from 92nd Avenue to the Lents Town Center MAX Station will incorporate design elements that will make the street unique in Portland.

The street will drain toward a band of pavers in the center of the road, and a small, landscaped swale in the middle of the cul-de-sac will add to the park-like feel of the road. Trees will be planted, sidewalks upgraded and streetlights replaced.

All of this will help encourage pedestrians to use Ramona Street to get from the MAX Station to the Lents Town Center business district and 92nd Avenue.

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2013.

<a href=”http://lents.biz/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ramona-landscape.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-399″ title=”ramona-landscape” src=”http://lents.biz/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ramona-landscape.jpg” alt=”" width=”500″ height=”334″ /></a>

View a PDF rendering of the project

Ramona Street available properties:

Parcel adjacent to Lents Town Center MAX Station (vacant lot, 7925 sf)

Historic building with commercial kitchen, parking (12,900 sf building on 9,853 sf lot)

New Storefronts in progress line 92nd Avenue photo credit Adam Simmons of Lents Creative

If you’ve walked, biked or driven through Lents Town center in recent weeks, you may have noticed that there’s a lot of dust being stirred up on 92nd. The serious face lift began with the restoration of the building that is now home to Working Class Acupuncture and has started to spread down the street to the building that is currently home to El Pato Feliz. This building has also welcomed a new tenant in the former Riley’s space who is currently somewhat hidden behind the storefront renovation in progress, the Eagle Eye Tavern. The rebirth of these storefronts is thanks to the hard work and vision of Farah Family members, especially Sam, Caesar and Ronnie. The skilled craftsman executing the renovation is Reno Joeson and he’s proudly hung the banner for his company Reno-vations on the current storefronts in progress.

Everything may look a bit boarded-up at the moment, but expect to see new windows and fresh coats of paint soon!