2009 Annual Conference

Scaling the Heights
April 23–25, 2009
DoubleTree - Lloyd Center Hotel
Portland, Oregon

Portland News and Notes
January 2009

An occasional report on ASI conference planning
for our Portland meeting, April 23–25, 2009

As I write this, preparations are going on all over my home town for the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 45th president. It’s an exciting time for this area, as it is for the whole country, but also a frustrating one as bridges and roads are closed down (but, for some reason, the water taxis will be operating, at cutthroat rates), the metro system schedule is subject to constant change, and strangers flood the streets. So it’s perhaps appropriate that a good deal of this conference newsletter will be devoted to Transportation into and around Portland.

Airline Flights—Portland is quite accessible by air. We have managed to make special arrangements with American Airlines, which will be ASI’s official carrier (check out details in the preliminary program on the ASI website), but SouthWest, USAir, and many other major and minor airlines fly into Portland. Officials of the MSA Chapter are looking into group arrangements for their members, and I would encourage members in other areas of the country to share information about flights from their chief hubs to Portland—a few searches on the major air travel websites quickly provides a range of prices and times to choose from. For those coming from the East Coast, remember you’ll gain three hours going to Portland, but will lose it on your return.

Getting Around Portland—Located only 11 miles from the Portland International Airport, the MAX light rail system picks up at baggage claim and drops off directly across the street from the front door of the Lloyd Center Doubletree, our conference hotel. Portland has an extensive public transport system, with free travel in the downtown area, so it will be easy to get around, and all the locations for our receptions and special tour events are accessible by mass transit. Nevertheless, if you’d like to have your own wheels, we’ve arranged a special rental car deal with Hertz (see the preliminary program for details), and ASI conference attendees can get parking at the Doubletree for $3 a day or $9 overnight. If you want to take a taxi, Cheryl Landes tells me that taxis operating in Portland are under strict regulations. Taxis must have a working meter and the drivers must run it when they’ve been hired for a fare. Only certain cab companies are licensed inside the Portland city limits; these companies are listed in the following article: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1232162707145890.xml&coll=7.

Kohlrabi-Friendly Portland—Portland is the gratified winner of the VegNews 2008 Editors’ Pick Veggie Award. Portland restaurants have long been known for their interest in fresh, innovative cuisine and their support for local agricultural products. So wear your Kohlrabi Award pins in Portland with pride! Check out http://www.vegportland.com for a great vegetarian guide to the City of Roses.

Happy Birthday Oregon—2009 in Portland isn’t just the occasion of ASI’s annual conference. It also happens to be Oregon’s 150th birthday, starting February 14, which marks the admission of Oregon as the 33rd state of the Union in 1858. And ASI is pitching in; Tabby Cat Communications, run by ASI member Cheryl Landes, is running a competition for a bursary to attend the conference for members of the PNW Chapter. There will be special museum openings, Native American tribal events, and local festivities in Portland and all over Oregon in honor of its anniversary.

Registration is Now Open! Remember, registration for ASI’s annual conference is now open. Go to the ASI website and click on Conference Registration at the home page to get started. Remember, we will not be mailing registration forms this year (thereby saving ASI, and its members, quite a bit of money), but you can download and print a hard copy version of the registration form to fax or mail in. Or, you can register online—we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible.

See you in Portland!

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