January « 2011 « Summa Real Estate Group Blog

Lake Oswego Streetcar? Public Comment Period Ends Today

January 31, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

As shared here a week ago, various options are being discussed with regards to improved mass transit between Portland Lake Oswego, with one of the favored alternatives being an extension of the Portland streetcar line into Lake Oswego. Well If you feel very strongly one way or the other, now is the time to have your say so. The public comment period ends today, with Metro accepting emailed statements from the public up until 11:59pm regarding the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Read More +

Slow Recovery Continues: Umpqua Bank Back in the Black

January 28, 2011 | Financial, Portland Living | Comments (0)

There’s still a long path to full economic recovery in Oregon, but positive signs continue to abound. Umpqua bank, a fixture in the local banking community, is officially back in the black, having posted a profit of $8.1 million and 7 cents per diluted common share in 4th quarter 2010, which ended December 31st. Read More +

Sellwood Bridge Design Approved; Project Comes in Under Budget

January 27, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

Earlier today, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved by unanimous vote a design for the new Sellwood Bridge. The approved design (seen above) is of the steel deck arch type, recommended by both a citizen group and a committee of public officials.

The community favored the steel deck arch bridge because they felt it fit into the image of the surrounding area, and they, along with the local government, realized the savings that particular design offered. At an estimated $290 million, the project is coming in at $41 million less than originally forecasted. Most of that funding has already been raised, although Multnomah County hopes to pay the final $20 million with federal money.

While the design has now been approved by the county, there are still a few more milestones along the way. That said, construction on the new Sellwood Bridge is expected to break ground in 2012.

Longview Adds Redlight, Speeding Cameras

January 26, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (2)

To all of our friends who drive in the Kelso-Longview area: slow down, and come to a complete stop! Beginning February 1st, Longview police will start issuing moving violations–accompanied by $124 fines–to drivers who run red lights at three locations along the Ocean Beach Highway. Read More +

Lake Oswego Considers Streetcar Expansion

January 25, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (1)

With a mind toward making Lake Oswego more accessible to Portland residents, and vice versa, a meeting was held last night to discuss the feasibility of bringing Portland’s streetcar to the suburb. The mayors of both cities attended the meeting, encouraging public discourse in order to gauge public sentiment and begin addressing the pros and cons. Read More +

Check the Status of Your Tax Return with the IRS App.

January 24, 2011 | tech corner | Comments (0)

In 2011 even the stodgiest of government institutions are tech-savvy innovators. The IRS has released a new app, IRS2Go, for iPhone and Android phone owners. While you can’t yet electronically file your tax return, nor can you track the year’s receipts, the app allows you to check the status of your already-filed return as well as receive daily tax tips and updates. Read More +

IFC’s New “Portlandia” Spoofs Portland Culture, Debuts Tonight

January 21, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

Premiering tonight on the Independent Film Channel (IFC), Portlandia is the much anticipated sketch comedy program both filmed and set in Portland. The show could be generally described as satire, lampooning Portland’s eco-friendly, relaxed culture. Early in the first episode, star (and current SNL cast member) Fred Armisen describes Portland to co-star Carrie Brownstein (a Portland-based musician, and the show’s co-writer and co-creator) as the place where the 90’s—that time when people were “talking about getting piercings, and getting tribal tattoos, and people were singing about saving the planet, and forming bands”—is still alive. Read More +

Forest Grove Mulls New Shop/Live Development to Lure MAX

January 20, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

After years of hoping that the MAX light rail system would come through Forest Grove, city officials are trying a new approach to accomplish that goal. On February 7th, the city’s planning commission will meet, and on the agenda will be discussing the possible development of a new community comprised of shops and residences, similar to Hillsboro’s Orenco Station. Forest Grove’s hope is that a popular new living/shopping area would make the area much more appealing to mass transit such as MAX. Read More +

Today’s LivingSocial Deal Nationwide: Amazon.com

January 19, 2011 | Portland Living, tech corner | Comments (0)

Bulk discounter LivingSocial.com will get a big sales boost today, as it is offering a $20 coupon for Amazon.com for $10. LivingSocial, one of the primary competitors to Groupon.com, offers one deal per day per city, typically to a local business, for at least half off the normal price, with every city it serves today featuring the Amazon deal, although some also feature a local business. The general idea of LivingSocial is that users pay the sale price and get a digital gift certificate (which has to be used in one transaction) which they can print off and hand to the retailer (or, frequently, restaurant), bring up on the mobile LivingSocial app or, in the case of online retailers such as Amazon, simply read the code off the certificate. Read More +

Tree Planting Season at Peak; Get One for Your Home

January 18, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

Whether you’re looking to add some natural splendor to your home, or interested in helping to beautify the community, the Friends of Trees planting program is a great way to keep Portland green. The non-profit organization, who recently planted their 400,000th tree, has a tree planting schedule for the next two months. If any of the plantings are in your neighborhood, you can order a tree for your home. The cost, between $35 and $75, includes delivery of an eight- to 12-foot tree, planting assistance (including hole-digging), mulch, help filing the required permit, and follow-up maintenance checks. The deadlines to reserve a tree are fast-approaching, with some as soon as February 7th, so check FriendsOfTrees.org for exact dates. Read More +

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