It's a big, silly, ridiculous thing that's fun sometimes. So some people get drunk and piss in yards a few days out of the year, big fucking deal. It's a Portland institution, businesses need the revenue, and as long as it isn't bringing any REAL crime with it, I'd vote to keep it.

Agreed. Knowing how much Fritz loves a public discussion, even when the outcome is a foregone conclusion (a la Mayor Adams), it's fairly obvious that the two sandwich options are simply leverage for both sides to get to b:

• Continue the event with significant changes

There's been a shitload of new development lately-- especially that horrible new retail court thing next door to the Nest and the remodeled Arthur Cole Candy lot. I'm willing to be that the developers and business-association types want to turn Last Thursday into more of a First Thursday Pearl District thing-- art and wine and shit-- rather than a drunken street party. This is mere speculation, but you can't deny that money's changed Alberta. Clearly the future is more "civilized" than "quirky".

I wonder if someone's worrying themselves sick over whether they'll have to hire private security to protect their new storefronts...and Adams / Fritz will definitely listen when (gasp!) a developer is upset.

Anyhow, I live a few blocks off Alberta and haven't attended a Last Thursday in nearly three years-- I just don't enjoy being jostled by drunk amateurs looking for a party. But to see what was once one of the neighborhood's main selling points get shitcanned to appease the forces of blandness just ain't right.

I imagine that if I lived in the area, I'd HATE it. It brings a lot of income to local businesses, but not to the guy just trying to get home after a day at the job site...all that traffic, noise, drunk people. I love to visit, but I bet it's a weekly frustration for some of the local residents.

I just bought a house off of Alberta, haven't even moved in yet. I look forward to walking up to the event and strolling around early on in the evening and checking out "Burning Man Spring Training". It can be fun, as long as you get there earlier before the drunks and the crowds. Feel free to pee on my lawn, just not my garden.

It is a monthly frustration. I live off Alberta St, and it's very loud with lots of drunk people. Plus, parking's a mess and some people are just inconsiderate. People blocking driveways, alleys, corners, etc. I love it, and I still go when I can, but I get tired of yelling at hipsters to not block my driveway so my wife can park somewhere when she gets home from work.

Oh, and get off my lawn!! *shaking fist*

Like Chunty, I live off of Alberta, but I'm only about a half-block away. Like Chunty, I have stopped going out on Last Thursday. Maybe once per year.

It doesn't feel much like Alberta on Last Thursday. It feels like a huge crowd from elsewhere invading Alberta, which of course, is what it is.

I find it pretty disrupting for the following:
A) Parking
B) Businesses feeling that it's okay to drag huge speakers out to the street or hire DJs for the street. (sound carries)
C) The people who are left after about 11pm. Just frat boys and Vancouverites doing the party scream: "Whooooo!"
D) Garbage the next day, including on my lawn.

They shouldn't end it, and they won't. But I question the sheer number of times they shut down the street for the event. Between Last Thursday, Art Hop and whatever else, they shut down Alberta about 10 times per year. It gets to be redundant and sometimes a pain in the ass.

Colin: "So some people get drunk and piss in yards a few days out of the year, big fucking deal."

Despite appearances, this town isn't really 100% occupied by current and recent college students having a giant on-going party. There are normal families, trying to be normal here. I own my home. I work on the garden and don't want people pissing in it. I have young children who can watch such behavior in front of my house. Like all nights they have go to bed early on Last Thursday despite the noise.

Please don't be so blase about people who aren't in the same phase of life as you. You'll be me a lot sooner than you think.

@ Blabby: Thank you for characterizing my phase of life as "a giant on-going party," that would amuse anyone who knows me.

I'm being blase about the "peeing epidemic" because I'm skeptical there really is one, and if there is, it can be pretty easily solved by having more Honey Buckets. Like all the other arguments, it's not a good one for shutting down Last Thursday, or any other street fair, but an argument for making some rather simple tweaks.

More importantly, I don't know why I let the Mercury sucker me like this - this is two days in a row where there has been a sensationalistic, alarmist headline that turns out to not have much substance once you read the post (see the Whole Foods post yesterday). I feel like the on-tap rage of us regulars is being cynically harvested for umbrage-taking comments and higher page views.

If only I could stop myself!

Indeed, it is sensationalist. Last Thursday will not be shut down.

But I'd love some sort of enforcement of the rules they're supposed to have. I'd also love to know who is supposed to be in charge of cleaning up the garbage the next day. As far as I can tell, no one is.

If only you weren't so... Commenty? :)

I'm not even 30 and I'm tired of the thing.

Maybe once a month is too often. How about once or twice a year-- Alberta Street Days or something? Close it down for a weekend, have a couple stages for music and roll out the food carts.

I've lived around and attended street fairs like that, and they've always been enjoyable. But I can never seem to find a good enough reason to bother attending Last Thursday. The art is mostly lame, the people are mostly lookie-loos, and the real random / crazy stuff seems like it packed up and left years ago.

As much as I want the neighborhood to remain "quirky" (there's that word again!), the truth is that it's too far gone, commercially, to turn back. The more I think about it, the more it becomes obvious that Last Thursday can't help but evolve along side the commercial / entertainment corridor it had a large part in creating.

I mean, Northeast is just hipster overflow parking now that Southeast has reached saturation. And it wouldn't be fair to deprive the neo-sters of their very own Hawthorne District, no matter how much corrugated sheet metal it takes to get the job done.

It's pretty amazing given the size of the event now versus 10 years ago that the level of formal organization and management for Last Thursday remains pretty small and somewhat elusive.

I was a member of Art on Alberta for a couple years. I don't think Art on Alberta has ever wanted to "own" this event (unlike Art Hop). The invite on their Facebook page makes it clear that their relationship with Last Thursday is still more as a stakeholder and facilitator of sorts.

There have been a number of starts and stops on creating a business association on the street but no real organization exists right now.

So I imagine the biggest change to come will have to be a clear response to the question: "Who is in charge of Last Thursday?"

"I'm not even 30 and I'm tired of the thing."

Hey! What are you trying to say, 30 is the age where you tire of all things fun? I'm 30 and I can still party... As long as it's early, my bedtime is 10pm.

Chunty: "The art is mostly lame"

Agreed. There unfortunately are fewer actual galleries on the street. I'd love to have more.

But the most apparent art on Last Thursday is offered by untrained artists on the sidewalk. Some is interesting, some is by people whose family and friends obviously haven't had the courage to tell them they're no good.

Then there are people who just bring boxes of second-hand garbage and spread it all over the sidewalk. I guess if no one is regulating that stuff, then you have to close down the street.

pssst!: Just like all the people who move anywhere for "hipness," all trendy neighborhoods and street festivals will get old and become bland, and people will flock to the NEW new thing somewhere else.

Embrace the triteness, and plan accordingly.*

* NB: This can be applied to my commenting as well. Maybe I should make a crest....

Here's a question, somewhat related to the Last Thursday debate: How can we get TriMet to permanently reroute the bus that travels along Alberta? They reroute it for Last Thursday, which never seems to be a problem. It comes from Killingsworth and ends up back on Killingsworth anyway, and Alberta Street is just too damn narrow and crowded for bus transit. Would businesses be terribly affected if the bus went away for good?

Yeah, I've been to the Art Hop too. But it was my understanding that Last Thursday was begun with the premise of art galleries opening their doors and allowing people to check out their wares while some gutter punks flopped about in clown makeup outside.

Wait, there's a Street Fair too? How many neighborhood-promoting events do we need? It's not like Alberta's a soggy heap of abandoned buildings any more. I think the "build here, it's arty" cat is out of the bag.

Like every parking problem, I think it could be solved by putting in meters. I suggested that to my boss in Beaverton the other day, (he doesn't want to put in as big of a bioswale as he needs because it will take out too many parking spaces,) and he looked at me like I was crazy. We have more space on the property dedicated to parking than to building: my cubical is smaller than a parking space. And while it is Beaverton, there is a bike lane on one side of the property, and a MAX station on the other so it isn't like you can't get to the building any other way...

The way it should work in Alberta: the people that own property in the neighborhood would get the keys to the ones in front of their house/business. If they want to "validate" by giving the money back to their customers/guests/themselves that is cool. If they want to write parking tickets/call tow trucks on the people that park there and don't pay the meter, that is cool too.

@CraigW: I hear you. The real problem isn't the street, it is plenty wide for the buses. The problem is that people are using half of it as a storage area for private property. It is called a, "right of way," not a, "public storage facility," for a reason.

[/rant]

Matthew, parking meters? Really? There's zero problems with parking all the other days. It's the 4-5 warm Last Thursdays that are the only days in the whole neighborhood where parking is an issue. And, it's not that people mind there's no parking, it's that people mind the parking in illegal spots - in front of driveways, alleys, fire hydrants, etc.

I could see Last Thursday ending. This isn't the first time it's been discussed. There was discussion of it last year, too. If you haven't noticed, myself, Chunty, and Blabby all live near Alberta, and none of us are too excited for it. That's why it would end, all the people that live in the neighborhood just get tired of it. It's a party for lots of people, it's a pain for those of us that live there (and in some cases it's destructive to property).

Don't take this to me I want it to end. I like it, I just think it needs some refinement.

I agree with the sentiments, Jimmy P.

I think Tony Fuentes probably makes the best point, which is someone actually has to be in charge of this thing. And not only claim responsibility, but BE responsible for it - keeping order, clean up, helping to close it down when it's supposed to,maybe tracking vendors.

Right now it feels like a bunch of people looking at each other and shrugging their shoulders. "I don't know where this thing came from."

Which is exactly why the city is worried. They see that it's ending up in their lap.

@Jimmy P: See, you think I'm crazy too. Here is the deal though: If there were open curb spaces that you had to pay for, nobody in their right mind would park in front of your driveway instead. People are stupid but they aren't that stupid. And in any case, what people are complaining about here aren't the fact that people come to this, but the types of people that come to this. If you weed out the cheapskates for a few quarters, (or at least made them ride their bike or take the bus,) everyone would be much happier. (Yeah, yeah, more evil G word and all that.)

Have you thought about calling the police on the people that are parking illegally? It isn't an emergency so don't call 9-1-1, you'll want 503-823-3333 after 5pm, but between 9 and 5 the number to report illegally parked cars is 503-823-5195. Not that I have that number in my phone, or call people in who park in the bike lane...

Hey,

I am Magnus, one of the organizers of Last Thursday. We want to keep the event quirky (there is that word again). Attached is our plan.

The public meetings tend to attract detractors. If you want the event to continue please come to the February 8th community meeting to voice your opinion.

See you there.


Team Last Thursday
www.LastThursdayPDX.ning.com
2009 Plan
Draft, July 2009


OUR VISION
After a humble beginning more than a decade ago, Last Thursday has become an iconic event, attracting ever-increasing crowds in the summer months. As the event has evolved and the number of attendees grown, a halo of related problems has widened too.

In the spirit of making this an event everyone can enjoy—neighbors and participants alike—we have formed a nonprofit, Team Last Thursday. Our goal is to mitigate some of the problems that have emerged, while preserving and fostering the unique culture that is its lifeblood.

We believe Last Thursday should evolve on its own, with spontaneous street performances and time-based-art. But, we recognize that there is a need to establish infrastructure now so that the event can sustain itself in the future.


OUR PLAN

Street Closure
Now that we are able to close Alberta Street to car traffic from 7-10pm, we have drafted a plan—which will be modified as needed—to ensure it stays this way.
• We will divert cars off Alberta right at 7pm.
• We will erect Type III barricades on NE 15th, 27th and 30th.
• Volunteers will help drivers who need to get off Alberta after 7pm.
• We will reopen Alberta to car traffic right at 10pm. We will reopen the street and officially end the event with a parade starting at NE 15th.

Bus Rerouting
• Tri-Met will continue to reroute the #72 bus between NE 30th and Killingsworth and MLK Blvd and Alberta during the event.
• We will post bus rerouting notifications at all affected bus stops.

Street Parking on Alberta
• We will post “No Parking” signs on Alberta the day before the event.
• We will leave flyers on windshields, requesting that vehicle owners not park on Alberta during future events. Repeat offenders will be towed.

Barricades
• We will have barricades manufactured specifically for the event that comply with the City’s requirements.
• We will erect Type I barricades on all side streets and Type III barricades on NE 15th, 27th and 30th, in accordance with the traffic plan approved by the City.

Porta-Potties
• We will place 12 porta-potties at strategic locations on Alberta Street.

Trash Removal
• We will place 40 trash cans on Alberta Street during the event.
• We will remove the cans Friday morning by 9am, or as soon as feasible.
• We will scout Alberta and all side streets between NE 15th and 30th and Wygant and Sumner for trash.
• We will strive to have all trash picked up by noon on Friday.

Open containers
• The event has a zero tolerance policy towards open containers. Anyone found with an open container will be asked by a volunteer to immediately pour out the content of the container and to properly dispose of the empty container. The police will cite offenders.
Food Vendors
• Volunteers will verify that each food vendor has a current license from the Health Department. If a vendor can not comply, we will give him/her information on how to apply for a license and ask him/her to leave the event.

Amplified Music
• We will ask bands and DJs playing amplified music to stop playing it. Violators will be cited with noise violations, in accordance with the City’s noise policy.

Vendor Registration, Fees & Rules
Our goal is to make Last Thursday an art event that is family-friendly, rather than a flea market.

• We will update vendor rules monthly or as needed.
• Corporate vendors will be prohibited to participate in Last Thursday.
• Art vendors will not be charged to attend the event, nor will we will ask them to register.
• We are currently developing a plan to limit “flea market” vendors.
• We will discourage vendors from selling drug paraphenalia and glass pipes that can be used for smoking weed.

Acoustic Music & Performance Art
• We will encourage and promote acoustic music and time-based performance art.

Volunteers
• We will build and train a group of volunteers who will be responsible for monitoring the event as much as possible.
• Our initial plan is to train 20 volunteers, but we plan to increase that number to as many as 50 over time.

Public Urination
We are currently developing a plan to stop public urination. At this time, we have agreed to the following action items:
• We will lock up the porta-potties later in the evening.
• Volunteers will man the side streets as people are leaving the event, reminding them that the porta-potties are still available and discouraging them from relieving themselves in the neighborhood.
• We will provide all volunteers with flashlights so they can shine a light on anyone who may be urinating in public.

Public Forums
• We will hold three public forums in 2009:
 May (completed)
 July 21st, 6:30pm, Acadian Ballroom at 1829 NE Alberta
 August or September

Website
• We have started building a website to invite public comment. Visitors will be able to participate in public forums and leave feedback. The URL is www.LastThursdayPDX.ning.com.

With freedom comes responsibility!

To the home owners I understand your feelings about the noise and inconvenience. Have you ever thought though that..it was the arts that brought up your home values, cleaned out the drug dealers, attracted the restaurants & shops that you can walk to & enjoy and the reason you live here. If you want a bland, un-weird city just check out what has happened to First Thursday. I'm over 40 and I haven't let life suck the adventure out of me yet.

We are all adults , but do we really want to be telling our children about the freedoms we used to have back in the day? Think about it before you just react. Come up with solutions, be a part of the answer.

Keep art alive,

NW Artist

We live 3 houses off of Alberta. I'm tired of the noise, the trash, the parking, etc. I don't think this does anything for the businesses, many of them are going out of business. The bars and restaurants are the only ones doing well. I think most of the vendors are not from the neighborhood. Cost is a huge problem. The extra cops are coming out of the precinct's general budget, that means that after 10pm, NE Portland gets only 1 cop patrolling.

As for ownership, Magnus, you've always said that you don't want this event to be controlled by anyone, and instead of evolving into a controlled anarchy, it's become chaos. And one that is costing the neighborhood.

And it wasn't the arts that brought up the home values, it the people who bought homes here more than 10 years ago, and have cleaned and nurtured the neighborhood.

Hey Blabby, "You'll be me a lot sooner than you think." --- Pfffff. Lame-O.

Last Thursdays is the shit. So many places don't have kick-ass art gatherings, free party happy dance music time such as this - and is one of the great events that makes Portland unique and awesome. For the people who don't like it in their neighborhood and complain about one of the best events in the country - how about not only move away from Alberta, move away from Portland?

Upset about people having a good time? How about moving to good old Vancouver, WA, where you can be 'normal' all you damn well please, talk shit about all the 'kids running around peeing everywhere' (OH MY GOD NO!), rub shoulders with the Joneses, talk about how lovely it is to have a nice place to park on your quiet suburban street, and all of those cheesy cheese ball things. They probably even have message boards there where you can whine and complain!

"Waa, waa, waa, people are having fun.. my wife... my kids.. my lame self.. waa waa waa." --- For anyone who's saying that shit, you guys are the old Portland. Whether you like it or not, this city is becoming younger in flavor - with a VIBRANT, energetic, artistic, and exciting feel. No time to worry about parking spots. And for those who do worry about parking spots - move to Vancouver - they have PLENTY of parking, no art walk with people having non-violent fun, but just good old America suburban shit. Like it or not, you are being phased out - so you can either move to a 'normal' city - PLENTY of those in America - or you can type on message boards, complain at meetings, and whine whine whine the rest of your 'normal' lives.

Also, even though last Thursdays has become less of a spontaneous, anarchistic happening - more and more other events like this will pop up and are popping up in Portland. Last Thursdays isn't the end all be all. So for all of you wanna-be Vancouverites, you can slow down the wildness, and have your town-hall meetings, and kiss the asses and have your asses kissed by all the developers and cheese-balls in the world - but this energy isn't stopping.

"You'll be me a lot sooner than you think." - yea if I was a whiny loser.

And hey, PDX Goosh - by the way I'm disappointed you're using such a great screen name for such shitty words - the arts DEFINITELY brought up the value. And the reason why so many cops are there now is because people like you complained and complained. Why are there so many cops there? Is there any violence? No. No violence, nothing dangerous - there shouldn't be cops. But because of whiners like you, you got a shit ton of cops prowling around - and then you complain about the cost. What a joke!

Oh wait, haha - I am PDXGoosh, I forgot I made a comment on another issue and the mercury automatically saved name. Anyhoo, Sol-leks, not only are your words negative and wrong, but your screen name is not nearly as cool as I thought it was - the comment below is for you.