Transitions Professional Center is offering two new support groups. All groups are open enrollment (no need to RSVP), open to the public, and free of charge.

Bereavement Support Group
For adults experiencing the loss of a loved one.
First and third Wednesday of every month, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
First meeting is November 7, 2012

Caregiver Support Group
For Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Last Thursday of every month, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Transitions Professional Center
3735 SW River Parkway, Portland, OR Map It
www.transitionspc.com/support-groups | 503-972-7090

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Looking for a running group?  Join one of these informal groups and the miles will fly by. All paces are welcome, distances vary.  Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing and reflection/lights.  All groups meet in the march wellness lobby on the second floor.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
march wellness & fitness center
3303 SW Bond Avenue, 2nd Floor, Portland, OR Map It
503-418-6272 | www.marchwellness.com

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Soon, iPhone and Android users will have a convenient new option for buying and showing their TriMet fare. Just download the free mobile ticketing app, register your debit or credit card in the secure system, and you’re ready to purchase and use tickets and passes instantly on your phone, anywhere, at any time. When you’re ready to board, just open the app and show your digital ticket to the operator or fare inspector. No paper fares to keep track of, and no need to carry cash, count exact change, or find a ticket machine. TriMet is testing the app now, and they expect to make it available to all riders as early as spring 2013.

Learn more and sign up for mobile ticketing email updates at www.trimet.org/mobiletickets.

Is your furry best friend for the environment?  Help your pooch put his or her best paw forward in the South Waterfront through responsible pet ownership. Simple steps include:

• Leashing your dog – Enjoy your dog’s company on-leash in the South Waterfront, for your dog’s safety as well as to show respect for wildlife, our green spaces, and your neighbors and their leashed dogs.
• Scooping the poop – Special bag dispensers and garbage cans throughout the community and in all neighborhood green spaces are very convenient and make this a no-brainer.  Who doesn’t enjoy a poo-free walk in the park?
• Letting Fido run free – responsibly.  South Waterfront is home to the South Waterfront Dog Club, the District’s only off-leash area for dogs.  Managed by community members, maintenance of this dog park is paid for by reasonable annual member dues:  South Waterfront Dog Club.  The nearest City-managed off-leash area is located at Willamette Park, a half hour walk or 5 minute drive to the south:  Willamette Park Off Leash Area.

Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is!  Take the Portland Parks & Recreation pledge so that you and your dog can both say, “I’m for the environment!” Get your pledge form and information at:  Dogs for the Environment. Fill it out, send it to the address listed, and Portland Parks will send a bright green Dogs for the Environment bandanna for your dog to proudly sport around town.

Violations of the poop-scooping and leash laws may result in a $150 fine.  If you notice violations at specific times of day/locations within the South Waterfront, feel free to call 503-823-DOGS to let Portland Parks know.

Just because the South Waterfront Farmers Market is done for 2012 doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your favorite vendors this fall and winter!  It’s easy and fun to continue eating delicious local food by taking advantage of fantastic fall and winter programs available from many of our farmers market vendors.  Stay tuned for a different featured vendor each month!

Gelato Maestro: Isn’t gelato just the Italian word for ice cream?  Yes and no. Gelato, in Italian, literally means ‘frozen’, so it is the word that Italians use for this frozen treat but it is so much more than ice cream!

First, gelato is lower in fat than ice cream.  Ice cream must contain at least 10% butterfat in order to be called ‘ice cream’.   Premium ice cream can be as much as 20% fat.  Gelato, on the other hand, runs between 4 and 8% butterfat. In addition to containing less fat, the absence of fat coating your tongue allows you to enjoy the taste more.

Secondly, gelato has less air pumped in (known as overrun). Ice creams can have over 50% overrun.  Gelato, made in small batches, tends to be less than 35% overrun.  What does this mean? Gelato is more dense, so a smaller portion should satiate even the most demanding sweet tooth.

Finally, gelato should be served at a slightly higher temperature than ice cream.  Not only do you potentially avoid ‘brain freezes’ but, again, your tongue is able to better sense the taste of the gelato.

In addition to milk-based gelato, the lactose-free, fat-free version is known as sorbetto.  Sorbetto is made using fresh fruit, fruit juice, and a simple syrup. Most any fruit (and even some vegetables!) can be made into sorbetto.

During the holiday season, Gelato Maestro is preparing many of the traditional ‘winter time’ flavors including torrone (almond nougat), amaretto, cinnamon, malaga (rum raisin) as well as year round favorites like chocolate, hazelnut, nutella, and vanilla.  Surprise your guests with a scoop of pumpkin pie gelato or fat-free apple pie sorbetto!

Gelato Maestro will deliver your order to South Waterfront free of charge through the end of December! E-mail orders@gelatomaestro.com or call 503-866-8640 to place your order (please allow up to 72-hours for delivery).

Thanks to the combined efforts of many individuals and community, business, and City of Portland groups, there is now a permanent location for the osprey platform and nest in the new South Waterfront Greenway. On November 16, Portland Parks & Recreation relocated the 8-ton steel platform and pole (fabricated by Zidell Marine Co. especially for the osprey) to its new location along the banks of the Willamette River, just 200 feet from its prior location.

We look forward to welcoming the ospreys to their permanent home in March 2013, when they return from a 3,000 mile migration to Mexico. It is likely that the KGW Audubon Osprey Cam will continue to broadcast in 2013.

The nest is registered as Nest #304 at the Center for Conservation Biology Osprey Nest Watch: www.ospreywatch.org.  A history of the nest is located there, at www.KGW.com, as well as in the “about” section of the Osprey Society Facebook page – where you can also post your own observations and photos! The South Waterfront Nature & Greenspaces Committee meetings are another great way to learn about the osprey, contact jim@lukeonline.com.

Starting Sunday, December 2, 2012, Portland Streetcar will be changing its South Waterfront layover stop from the OHSU Plaza to SW Lowell and Bond (by Gray’s Landing).  This means that the streetcar will no longer idle for extended periods at the base of the tram.

Please make a note to check the schedule if you catch the streetcar at the OHSU Plaza.  Click here for real time South Waterfront transit arrivals, or visit www.portlandstreetcar.org.

Don’t know what to get friends and loved ones this year? Oranj Studio’s got you covered! Through the month of December buy a $100 Gift Certificate and receive a free L’Oreal Power dose conditioning treatment and gift bag (a $50 value!) In addition, all South Waterfront residents get $10 off their first salon visit and 10% off all hair care products (an ongoing promotion). And stop buy our new retail section for that very special gift – one of a kind jewelry and accessories from NYC, Barcelona, London.

Oranj Studio
0726 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It
www.oranjstudio.com | 503-719-5338

Curious about construction progress on the South Waterfront Greenway?  Get the latest news directly from Portland Parks & Recreation by reading the most recent Construction Update. Topics include Construction, Water Levels, and Fencing.

As always, contact Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong, 503-823-5113 or
Elizabeth.kennedy-wong@portlandoregon.gov, with questions/comments.

There is still time to sign up to get your fresh winter veggies!  This delightful biodynamic family farm located in Ridgefield, WA is offering a 2012 Winter CSA (community supported agriculture) program to the South Waterfront neighborhood!  Your 10-week share starts in November and includes a large volume of storage crops in addition to a variety of fresh greens, including cauliflower, cabbage, asian greens, swiss chard, beets, carrots, leeks, potatoes, turnips, broccoli, spinach, fennel, onions, parsnips, collards, kale, winter squash and more!  This is an ideal share for making delicious winter  soups, stews, and roasted veggies.

The cost of each 10-week share is $350; add on free range chicken or duck eggs for $50-$60! The farm needs at least 10 members from the South Waterfront to make this a viable dropoff location (actual dropoff location at South Waterfront Community Relations office, Atwater Place, Unit 115).  Don’t delay! Contact the farm at 360-448-7889 or littlegnomefarm@gmail.com or visit at www.facebook.com/littlegnomefarm today!