Commentary: City of Second Comings

Commentary on Portland, Oregon's fascination and commitment to re-use and the sustainability movement, with Sustainable Northwest in the spotlight.

Just the other day, it seems, everyone was getting all excited about Portland being the hot new home for America's "creative class," Old school, baby.

Now you're nobody unless you're part of the re-creative class.

In order to being considered even halfway hip these days in Portland, you have to be deep into adaptive re-use.

Translation: You have to believe in second comings.

Around the house, everything from your Prius to your plumbing fixtures must be born again.

Your windows? Salvaged from Scappoose. Your doors? Recycled from Rajasthan.

Even when forced to consume something actually new - vegetables - you have to consider the source. Coffee must come from postmodern peasants. Burgers pay homage to contented cows.

Oh yes, and your underwear must be organic.

Want to keep up?

People have been wondering for months what would go into the cool brick building across the street from the Gotham Bldg Tavern. The answer comes with ecoPDX, 2289 N. Interstate Ave., where Patricia Morgan and pals are selling "entombed and salvaged wood furniture."

Translation: No live trees were hurt in the creation of this armoire.

The adaptive re-use mantra is even infecting Northwest Trendythird Avenue, where chef Kenny Gaimbalvo is busy recycling his Nonna's recipes at Balvo. Yes, currently the scene here is hotter than the food - and way hotter than the service - but try the pear tart with caramel gelato and all else will be forgiven.

How, anyway, did this whole thing get started? One piece: Ten years ago, a guy named Martin Goebel came to town talking about the need to develop "sustainable" economic practices in the rural West. The folks who run The Cycle Oregon Fund are fans of the rural West, so they gave Goebel a startup grant and told him to have at it.

Ten years later, Portland is putting energy-effìcient bulbs in its traffic signals and Sustainable Northwest is hailed as a pioneer in the business of husbanding communities that "refuse to sacrifice the good of the land for the good of the people, or the good of the people for the good of the land."

At the organization's 10th anniversary bash Jan. 19, the keynote speaker will be Chris Johns, editor of National Geographic magazine. Just how impressed is the Oregon native with Goebel's work? He's joined the Sustainable Northwest board.