Most efficient government agency I have ever experienced. Quick, easy and conveniently located.read more

Wow. I got my birth certificate. I can't believe how easy and how fast I got it…read more When you go online, everything says it will take weeks to get it. I was so discouraged about how long it takes. As I was doing the paper work, I read that you can go in person and get it the same day. It said I might need to wait 30 minutes to an hour. I was happy with that. I arrived this morning. Entered my info in the kiosk. Paid with credit card. Showed them my driver's license and 30 seconds later, they handed me my birth certificate. It was so fast. If you need a birth, death certificate or marriage license from Oregon, this is the place to go. So easy and so fast. Much much better than online.

I have filed no less than a dozen ADA complaints with this company... THEY HAVE DISMISSED EVERY…read moreSINGLE ONE OF THEM for lacking "substantial evidence"... like I am supposed to walk around all day with a video camera in the HOPES of catching some asshole business violating my rights as a disabled person!! They want me to PAY to see the evidence used to dismiss my case as well, in VIOLATION OF MY DUE PROCESS RIGHTS UNDER THE US CONSTITUTION!!!! They take my statement that express professional temp services refused to help me because they didnt want my service animal in the business. Apparently, all they did was CALL him, then when he said no he didnt do it, they took HIS word and dismissed my case!!! THIS IS A USELESS COMPANY AND HINDERS DUE PROCESS!! I WILL BE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE US DEPT OF JUSTICE!!!! They are a COMPLETE waste of time and drain on taxpayers money!!!

The ladies here are so rude. Every time I have ever gone in here they had a bad attitude. They…read moreclose for an hour too..

It's a huge building, well ordered and with lots of light. You sign in and are given a special tag…read moreto wear with the room number. Parking is a breeze even if you have to pay for it. Besides, the workshop I attended was free of charge. And taking public transportation, depending on where you live perhaps, can be fun in Portland. Back to the Metro Regional Center. I attended a social media workshop for marketing your own business -- in case you missed that from my pictures. Interestingly, Yelp was mentioned a number of times as far as getting more testimonials written about your business. Unfortunately, being an editor and writing coach, I am not sure my business fits the Yelp model, but now you know! And you can always shoot me a DM. Even though I had been asked to bring my own lunch -- this class being offered from 12:30 to 2:30PM -- the SBDC hosted the event with plenty of vegetarian options to snack on (yay, Greek wine leaves with rice) and the water was nice and cold. Definitely will try to attend more meetings here.

Metro, Metro, Metro...how I love you…read more I once felt overwhelmed with the thought of decreasing my day-to-day footprint on the Earth. I like to lead a healthy & low impact existence but it isn't always convenient. Sure, now we have the big blue bin that I can throw my paper, plastic bottles and cat food cans into, but where do I recycle my block styrofoam or my old computer parts for free? Where can I get some info on how to compost my food scraps at home without buying some $15 book on home composting? How about a list of DIY at-home green cleaners made with ingredients from my local Freddy's? And then, there was Metro. Not only does Metro have free pamphlets on all of this info plus more, you can also get all of the info off of their website at: http://www.metro-region.org/ and save trees (if your a hippie like me and can't help but consider those lovely trees) They have info on: - nature & local GreenScene activities - garbage & recycling - sustainable living - getting around Portland w/o a car - planning & conservation For those of you with families out there they have "Story & a stroll at Tryon Creek" geared towards kids in nature. If you are a novice green-thumb like me in the spring/summer they offer FREE classes on natural gardening. Or even if you don't recycle at all, but your neighbor asks you what they can do with their old car tires, you can give them Metro's recycling # 503-243-3000, and you have just done your good deed for the day. Overall Metro gives me good balance. I can be lazy, yet proactive. I let them gather the info and then I take advantage of it. Thanks for doing the legwork Metro, now I can feel better about myself! ; )

In my experience, any interaction with a government agency is about as fun as having teeth pulled…read more However, both of my visits to the Multnomah County building, the first to apply for passports for my two baby sons, and the second to make a correction to a typo in one of them (not the fault of Mult. Co, BTW), the gentleman working window 8, whose name I have shamefully failed to note, was friendly, patient, and helpful, answer questions and ensuring that all forms were filled out properly, and all fees and required documents clearly specified. What could have been a painful, confusing process was mitigated by his professional attitude, knowledge, and patience. Many, many thanks to this gentleman!

Easy place to find. Free street parking. Parking Lot across the street.Came in with my Passport…read moreinfo in tact and whithin 5 minutes I was done and $135.00 less but im getting my Passport. Food of the world. You've been warned!

Right at the foot of the Rose Garden?The red and blue lines pass here for the airport and Gresham…read moreand the yellow line runs by here going from PSU to the Expo Center. Transfers are 1 block apart...super convenient for Rose Garden events! This station is well marked and easily accessible.

I think it's time to go back in time for a milestone review…read more A long time ago,160,00 years ago, humans, as we know, emerged in an evolutionary epic from Africa. They traveled on foot, and later by boat, crossing the Bering, to our Northwest area about 50,000-15,000 years ago. That is 1,500 to 5,000 generations of regional knowledge! That 'here' would later be named the United States of America, Canada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia; all of our mountains, rivers, cities, neighborhoods and streets. The original people were named by new arrivers from Europe, who spread from Africa on their own Descartian epic. Those 'Native Americans', 'Indians', and 'First Peoples' in Canada, lived in balance with the land. One of their most beautiful traditions was the Potlatch. What we call religion, economics and politics were one. Food was sacred. Berries, roots, game and salmon were considered sacred foods: First Foods. Gathering and eating them were a religious ceremony. They are considered sacred foods today, and they are a religious ceremony. They will continue to be for generations. The Columbia Intertribal Fish Commission is their voice. I was fortunate to meet a leader from the Commission and know individuals who founded it. I know a little about the rivers and the fish. But I have to say I did not understand until I heard that leader speak just recently. And I have to say it brought tears. Salmon, an anadromous fish, are fish that are born on small streams in shaded gravel. They swim downstream over as much as 1200 miles to the ocean. There they grow. At the end of their life cycle, about three years, they return up those miles to their specific birthplace, spawn, laying eggs, and pass away to the great fish heaven. I have been very thankful to experience the fish swimming upstream to mate on a small river in the Washington Cascades off the Snohomish that flows undammed. It is intense survival of the fittest. It's real. And beautiful. Can't really describe it. Salmon only live in colder climates. They have been fished out in the Atlantic Oceans, Scotland, Norway, Eastern Canada. Almost all Atlantic salmon your buy in a store are farmed. Salmon are surviving in Alaska, the Russian peninsula. But we do not take care, they will be driven to extinction here. In 1932, President Franklin Roosevelt was elected. He created a hydroelectric dam building program on the Columbia River. His intent was to create jobs (did) and provide cheap, inexpensive, sustainable power (did). Fish, passing dams, swimming up to mate, and down, to grow, to the ocean, have suffered. The number of fish swimming up the Columbia River and tributaries to mate has declined since from sixteen million a year to around one million. Generally Indian treaties have been tragic. But a few treaty words in the Northwest promising a few, named, of the many tribes, the opportunity to catch salmon in their usual and customary places has saved those fish, so far, from extinction. (Just a note, most native people in British Columbia, the First Nations, are unrecognized and rights under law are lacking.) Do I advocate dam removal on the Columbia and Snake? No! But I would favor universal fish passage where spawning habitats can be restored, including high dams. Especially restoring fish passage into Canada. And I would advocate maximum habitat restoration. We can afford it. The Columbia Intertribal Fish Commission is the advocate for a balanced approach for fish in our region. Under their advocacy and interpreting treaties, native fishers can fish the Columbia. They sell fish locally and I always recommend buying from them. They are a repository of that knowledge, and a great source for Northwest school teachers or speakers for your event. The Intertribal Fish Commission collects the deep knowledge of thousands of generations of fish in our rivers. They are a voice for that knowledge for us new arrivers of only 6 generations. If you eat fish, especially salmon, they are a great resource.

From the owner: Fisheries research and analyses, advocacy, planning and coordination, harvest control and law…read moreenforcement.

We went for a scheduled biometric screening. Security was straightforward and let my wife have a…read morepat-down instead of going through the metal detector when she requested it. The staff were busy but efficient. The wait-time between checking in and being seen was about about 30 mins.

Trying to get a hold of a real person is the hardest, most frustrating, wasteful thing I could've…read moreever experience. The auto message machine was not helpful just trying to send me to the website (that I have already tried endless times before) my questions that are regarding a form will not be answered throughout the website since they are too specific. Overall I feel very disappointed and helpless.

There are bridges... and then there's the Steel Bridge a true Portland original that doesn't just…read moreget you across the river, it gives you a front-row seat to the city itself. Coming in by train, this is where it hits you. That slow roll over the Willamette, the tracks shifting as you glide onto the bridge it's iconic. Built in 1912 by the Union Pacific Railroad, with Union Station standing proudly nearby, this bridge has been welcoming travelers into Portland for over a century. And it's no ordinary structure it's one of the only double-deck vertical lift bridges in the world, carrying trains, cars, bikes, and pedestrians all at once. But here's the part I love most on foot. Walk it, take your time, and look out. You get one of the best viewpoints of Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the river bending through the city, and that full loop that calls your name if you're in the mood to move. It's the kind of spot that makes a simple walk feel like an experience. Historic, hardworking, and still showing off this bridge isn't just part of Portland... it is Portland.

It has been a minute since I walked over this bridge but it is a lovely walk leading you to the…read moreends of both parks on either side. If bike riding is your speed, you can also do that! The Max uses it for it's crossing over to the MODA Center stop so you will cross it if you are going that way.