Any former Detroiters in the Portland, Oregon area?...

**Al Publican** · August-23-12, 12:57 AM

I recently settled on the banks of the Columbia opposite Portland. Every once in a while, I feel the need for QFT [[quality face time) with a former homie.

Funny how I seem to bump into former metro Detroiters, even in Southeast Asia in places like Chiang Mai, Thailand and Vietnam.

Maybe there could a thing called FDCs [[Former Detroiter Club) or some such social group...

**the rock** · August-23-12, 06:50 AM

Although he does not post anymore on DetroitYes, former Detroiter and Cass Tech graduate, Arnold Panitch, whose post-handle was Jjaba, is now thoroughly entrenched in Portland's every day activities. He added a great deal of wealth and knowledge to DY. Quite a guy, and he does get together with some former Detroiters when the opportunity presents itself.

**kenp** · August-23-12, 07:25 AM

You sure Jjaba wanted you to say that?

**DetroitPlanner** · August-23-12, 07:44 AM

The Rock's real name is Arnold Ziffle he lives on a farm just outside of Hooterville.

**MidTownMs** · August-23-12, 09:00 AM

There's one in Las Vegas...it's call 313 Connection...you could start a Portland branch.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-23-12, 09:30 AM

How is Portland? I've heard some very good things about it being a pretty good place to live. Does it rain a lot there, like in Seattle?

**SMRJim** · August-23-12, 03:43 PM

My sister has been in West Linn for the last 15 years or so, it's maybe 20 minutes or so outside the city limits. She loves it there. Been there to visit a handful of times. Love that huge bookstore downtown, can't remember the name.

**Pam** · August-23-12, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by SMRJim

My sister has been in West Linn for the last 15 years or so, it's maybe 20 minutes or so outside the city limits. She loves it there. Been there to visit a handful of times. Love that huge bookstore downtown, can't remember the name.

http://www.powells.com/locations/powells-city-of-books/

I was there once. Pretty overwhelming.

**Gistok** · August-23-12, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by kenp

You sure Jjaba wanted you to say that?

The_Rock and Jjaba are good friends, and get together whenever Jjaba is in town... so I don't think he would mind.

**Gistok** · August-23-12, 06:23 PM

And it's nice to put a face to a name to our former beloved Jjaba....
http://photos.oregonlive.com/oregoni...d_panitch.html

... and I don't think he's asking this lady if she wants to go to a baseball game....

**stromberg2** · August-23-12, 07:01 PM

I wish he would post again...even if only to say hi!

Stromberg2, taking the Dexter bus to the Westside...

**Jimaz** · August-23-12, 07:48 PM

Attachment 15390
[[NOT the Dexter bus)

What must it be like to unwittingly form fan clubs wherever you go in life?

**Lt. Dan Bassett** · August-23-12, 08:11 PM

across the river from you on Portland side [[N. Roseway) look up Gregory M. Grenon. He has been there since the late 70s. Detroit Westsider and one of the original Cass Corridor artists from late '60s early '70. Stand up guy. He and mate have been making quality fine art there for years. Good people to know if you are one. Check his and Mary Josephson's art at Laura Russo Gallery in Portland -- and buy something!

**douglasm** · August-23-12, 08:42 PM

Not Portland, but at least on the banks of the Columbia upstream from you. A small town between Wenatchee and Vantage, WA. So when our sewer treatment plant discharges into the river......

**Lowell** · August-23-12, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by the rock

Although he does not post anymore on DetroitYes, former Detroiter and Cass Tech graduate, Arnold Panitch, whose post-handle was Jjaba, is now thoroughly entrenched in Portland's every day activities. He added a great deal of wealth and knowledge to DY. Quite a guy, and he does get together with some former Detroiters when the opportunity presents itself.

The Rock! Where you been hiding? Only the sacred name of jjaba could pull you out of your eastside hermitage.

**Al Publican** · August-24-12, 12:41 AM

Folks in the Midwest and places like Texas often seem to agonize [[vicariously, I might add) about the infamous shitty weather in the Northwest. I call it "noir," as in what detective stories are made of while I walk around with a fedora that I bought at Henry the Hatter in downtown Detroit.

Actually, a winter day around 45F to 55F is common in the Portland area. [[Average daily high on Feb 1st is something like 51F.) Even when it is drizzling and around 50F, folks are out in force pushing sport-style baby buggies, riding bikes, and even sitting outside [[under cover) drinking local beer.

A Texas acquaintance complimented the Northwest saying that I picked a fine region to reside, but added, oh, the rain. I came back jokingly, Texas--the heat, the wind...the people.

SMRJim, Powell's Block of Books on Burnside adjacent to downtown maybe the country's most famous independent bookstore. I made a point of visiting Powell's before I moved to this area during a '05 visit after reading about it in the NY Times.

Memo to fellow Michiganders: You've all been to Florida umpteen times. Next vacation give the Northwest a try, if you haven't been here. Fly into to PDX [[Portland) and drive out the Columbia River Gorge. If you're a wino, you can visit the area around Walla, Washington. If you're into the cowboy thing, you can visit Pendleton, Oregon; folks seem friendly to city sleekers like me there. If you're a coffee and book-type, you can hang at Powell's in Portland.

Here is an 1850s tie to Detroit and the Northwest: During that decade, U.S. Grant as an Army officer was posted at Eureka, California, Vancouver, Washington, and Detroit. That's a lot of travel considering travel tech at the time.

While posted in Detroit, Grant lived around Livernois near Fort Wayne. There was an Army horse stable in Eastern Market that Grant oversaw on the site of the DFD apparatus repair shop across the street from the Roma Cafe. There was a brass plaque on the apparatus building with a narrative about the stable and Grant that was removed some years ago. When I complained to both fire and historic departments about the probable theft of the plaque, I was told that they weren't aware of the plaques presence.

If you are ever in the area, look on the northwest corner of the fire apparatus building. If you see holes in the brickwork, that means the plaque was never replaced.

**Gistok** · August-24-12, 02:00 AM

One thing about the Columbia River.... is where it empties into the Pacific... called the "Columbia Bar"... it probably has some of the worst maritime weather on the planet. They don't call the nearby state park "Cape Disappointment" for nothing. Over 2,000 large vessels have sunk in the Columbia Bar.

The Columbia Bar is used for training the Coast Guard.

But where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific, it's about as bad as rounding Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Bar

**douglasm** · August-24-12, 06:46 AM

Al.....
.....as to the weather, it all depends on which side of the Cascade Mountains you're on. You're on the wet side, I'm a drysider.

**kenp** · August-24-12, 07:25 AM

A few years ago I was lucky enough to win one of Jjaba's contests on DYES. The winner always got a prize which he mailed to you. He also awarded prizes for milestone posts like #1000. I actually made that club on the old site and he wanted to send a prize but since I had one already I turned it down.
The prize I was able to use for a few years until it finally wore out.
Here's to Jjaba, a good man with a good heart and full of so much knowledge and Detroit history. I miss his posts on here.
Hope you are well

**Downriviera** · August-24-12, 08:56 AM

Stop in at Chapter 4, a tres chic women's clothing boutique in Portland. Mita is the owner and she and her husband used to live in midtown. She had a shop in Ferndale back then. Nice people and it's a shame we lost them.

**TKshreve** · August-24-12, 09:35 AM

Spent two+ weeks in Portland on business some years back. I was actually working out of Aloha, but lucky for me I had some old a Traverse City acquaintances who had relocated to Portland. One of these old chums took me around the city to some of the better breweries and night spots. It was a very good time. And the beer is pretty incredible. By the way, I think everybody eats Caesar salads out there and play a lot of trivia from what I observed.

Another thing that would catch a traveler off guard is the looming Mt. Hood that hangs over the city. As you're driving up and down on the rolling streets, a small break in the tree line will give way to the monolithic peak which chews up a better part of the sky line. Very cool. We have a big lake. Portland has a big rock.