I enjoyed John Laird’s March 13 column, “What’s not to love about Portland?” about the advantages of living near Portland. I have lived in Clark County for 18 years but was in or near Portland for more than 40 years, and feel the best thing about Vancouver is its proximity to Portland. To Laird’s list of Portland’s assets I would add: the live theater scene, the urban bike culture, the noncommercial radio stations and the library system.
Here are a couple of tips for readers: If you can sit on a bicycle, go to one of Portland’s Sunday Parkways family rides. It will revive your faith in city government and the human spirit. Also, Clark County residents are eligible for a free Multnomah County library card. With the new branch now open in the Kenton Neighborhood in North Portland, people on this side of the Columbia River are a few minutes away from the Portland library system’s wealth of films and music.
Gerald L. Carlson
Vancouver