Nick Lerma takes a victory lap at Ventura Park on Southeast Stark Street April 3. Lerma was one of a dozen Northwest Trail Alliance volunteers who helped refurbish the pump track last month.
COURTESY NORTHWEST TRAIL ALLIANCE”
The day after the volunteer crew rebuilt the bicycle pump track at Ventura Park, it was new and dusty, thirsty for a settling Portland rain. Northwest Trail Alliance Jason Van Horn marshalled a dozen able bodies and a little earth-moving Cat into primping the pump track into shape. After a long day, Van Horn managed a few all-pump (leveraging the terrain to accelerate the bike and its rider), no-pedal laps despite the slight surface roughness.
A garbage disposal container has been placed at Luuwit View Park’s entrance at Northeast 131st Place to accommodate scooped-poop bags and fast-food artifacts.
The groundbreaking at Gateway Discovery Park, Northeast Halsey Street at 106th Avenue is scheduled for May 7 at 11 a.m. The groundbreaking at Luuwit View Park, Northeast Shaver at 131st Place, is scheduled for June 4 at 11 a.m.
According to Mark Ross, PP&R’s spokesperson, both parks will be completely fenced off during both Phase 1 (earth-shaping, terracing, etc.) and Phase 2 (erecting, landscaping, accessorizing) construction. More particularly, the fence will go up at Gateway Discovery Park May 5, and the fence will go up at Luuwit View Park no later than the June 4 groundbreaking. Dog-walkers and other day-users are out of luck for the next year.
For more parks information, e-mail Ross at mark.ross@portlandoregon.gov or call him at 503-823-5300. For more art information, visit www.racc.org. For more pump track information, visit www.bermstyle.com or call Van Horn at 415-310-5880.
