As some of you may already know, Bill Bradbury is hosting a question and answer session with Governor Howard Dean this Wednesday, February 10th.  Below is an excerpt from Bill Bradbury’s website.  For more information and to RSVP to the event click here.

“Join Bill Bradbury, THE Democratic Candidate for Governor, in welcoming Governor Howard Dean to Oregon to energize Oregon through a dynamic grassroots campaign for Governor. Leading Presidential candidate in 2004, Dr. Howard Dean took a stand for Democratic values and gave voice to Progressives Democrats across the nation. As Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009, Governor Dean revitalized the Democratic Party and ushered in a new era of grassroots politics. He is credited with pioneering the 50 State Strategy that reclaimed Capitol Hill and the White House for Democrats.

Take a Stand with Howard Dean and Bill Bradbury on February 10 to fight for Progressive Leadership in Oregon.”

Another chapter of the Leftbank story is written tonight as the FMYI crew premieres their first ever brand video in the ballroom.  In the midst of a fine Happy Hour spread, they’ll screen “A New day,” featuring scenes and change agents from Portland.  If you can’t join us, catch the streaming broadcast at 5:30 PST.

Immediately following, Bill Bradbury will host a celebration of “Born in Oregon” businesses and share his plans to cultivate innovative, home-grown businesses

Snacks and lovely, local brews will fuel the party.

This week we have the distinct pleasure of meeting Dogan, the  beautiful Golden Retriever you have probably seen wandering around the  building.  Dogan’s companion is Bethany from Blue Tree Strategies  located on the second floor.  I often walk past their office and see  Dogan chilling out by the glass partition, the remnants of various toys strewn around him.

Dogan is 4 years old and is originally from South Carolina.  He’s a fine Southern Gentleman who enjoys long walks on the beach and frequent  skinny dipping to retrieve balls.  Bethany adopted him from a rescue organization just over two years ago and gave him a wonderful second chance to have a meaningful, fulfilling life.  Together they drove out to Portland about 7 months ago, visiting over 12 states along the way.  His favorite foods are bacon (who doesn’t love bacon??) and cake.  Let them eat cake, I say.

Dogan visiting our office for his interview

Dogan is very lucky to be allowed to sleep on Bethany ’s bed, provided he gets her up on time and provides lots of snuggles.  He, unlike my dog Chica, is very generous with his space and sticks to his half of the bed.

Dogan has a girlfriend (he is such a handsome guy, after all - who could resist him?) Her name is Stevie (as in Nicks?) and she is a  German Shepherd.  I’m sure they make a stunning couple.

Next time you see Dogan, stop and say hi. He is very friendly and loves to meet new people.

This is a friendly reminder that Election Day is TODAY.

For more information about Measures 66 & 67, please check out the on-line voter’s guide here.

You can drop off your ballot between now and 7 p.m. at the Multnomah County Elections office (1040 SE Morrison Street).

Happy voting!

This week we are introducing Greta the German Shorthair Pointer.  At the tender age of 3 1/2, Greta presents herself as a very proud lady, as evidenced from her profile picture.  Greta’s companions are Holly and David from DC202 and Greta comes to work with them every day where she gets to hang out with the rest of the DC202 crew - human and canine alike.  She has lots of canine friends in the DC202 office including Suvi, Sid and Tucker (who we will introduce later in this series).  Tucker provides the local ear cleaning service which Greta seems to love.

Greta receiving Tucker's salon services

...and now for the right ear.

Greta’s favorite place to run is the beach and she makes the journey out to the coast often.  She also loves to roam around the area where she lives and, being as she is a pointer - originally bred for hunting, she loves the game of hide and seek.  David hides a tasty morsel somewhere in the grounds behind their house and Greta loves to go hunting for it.  She is also partial to bones and, if there are none to be had, she can often be found with her favorite toy - a ball.   Greta loves to play fetch and can play for hours in Forest Park.

So, next time you pass Greta in the Leftbank hallways, please stop and say hi.

Our newest Hive member, Jonathan Maus (Editor-in-Chief of BikePortland.org) recently interviewed Upstream’s Mel Rader about his involvement in a Transportation Seminar Series at Portland State University which investigates links between transport (greenhouse gas emissions) and health.  You can check out this interview here.

We have all been watching the horrors in Haiti unfold over the past ten days.   Some of us have been doing more than just watching.   Our Leftbank neighbors at Uncommon have been rolling their sleeves up and helping to raise funds for the disaster relief efforts of the Red Cross.  Please visit their website here to find out how you can be a part of this process.  Also, please don’t forget that you can easily donate $10 by texting “Haiti” to 9099 on your cellphone.

The submissions are in… 95 in all.  And you are invited to learn all about them.  Which vision for Portland’s Memorial Coliseum will win the hearts and minds of the Rose Quarter Advisory Committee?  On January 26th, all those who submitted an idea will have an opportunity to present their vision to the general public.  The event will be held at the Coliseum (a mere stone’s throw away) and doors open at 5pm.  For more information and to register for free tickets click here.

The members of dc202  have been busy brainstorming ways that we can support each other in healthy living and  actively participate in the community in 2010….

We came up with what we think is a great way to start putting our “collective” New Years resolution into action: the 2010 Shamrock Run on March 14, 2010.

Then we got to thinking…why not see if other Leftbankers want to participate too?

This event is for a good cause (Doernbecher’s Childrens Hospital Foundation) and would also be a fun way to foster relationships within our Leftbank Community and beyond.

….Plus,  can you imagine the cool shirts we could have made?!

Who’s in? If you’re interested in the idea of creating a Leftbank Project team for this event, contact Jaime in suite 202.

**in the essence of full disclosure…Jaime says, “I am not what some would consider a runner, so I’ll be striding”**

Calling all Leftbank bicycle enthusiasts… get involved in planning for the future of cycling in our fair city.  Would you like to see boulevards dedicated solely to bicycles?  Or, how about more bicycle parking around town?  It’s never too soon to stand up and support these issues.  So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030.  Yes, I know, it does seem a little early to be planning so far ahead, but think about the generations of cyclists to come after us.  We can help make things easier for them by giving a little support now.  There are, of course, some measures that will be implemented much sooner and, in some cases, immediately.  The plan is to go before City Council on February 4th, but you can show your support now.

For more information, please visit the plan website here to show your support.