Portlanders passing through the Kenton neighborhood last week were
surprised to see workers sawing down 21 trees within view of the
neighborhood’s iconic statue of the world’s most famous lumberjack,
Paul Bunyan. Portland Transportation staffer Kathryn Levine explains
that widening the sidewalk along North Denver as part of the
redevelopment of Kenton placed the current trees in the middle of the
pedestrian path. The citizen redevelopment committee approved cutting
down the area’s 21 trees and replacing them with 49 new ones. The new
trees–honey locust and redwood ash–”meet the needs of the
district” by avoiding excessive leaf litter and having “business
friendly airy leaf/branch patterns.” SARAH MIRK
Oregon Congressman David Wu was most likely embarrassed last week by
footage released by the National Republican Congressional Committee
(NRCC) of him driving a huge GMC Yukon SUV, despite promising to be a
champion of the environment. Neither Wu’s office nor the NRCC responded
to the Mercury’s requests for comment, but the congressman’s
spokeswoman told one news outlet that Wu is a regular recycler who
bought the truck eight years ago to carry his dog, a couple of
strollers, and his family. Wu’s opponent in the 2010 primary, David
Robinson, drives a 22-mile-per-gallon BMW. “It’s better than driving a
GMC Yukon,” he says, adding that he plans to upgrade to a more
environmentally friendly car as soon as the financial opportunity
presents itself. MATT DAVIS