Welcome to the Business Voice - the newsletter for Portland's Business District Associations. To unsubscribe, use the link at the bottom of the page. To forward to your email list or list-serv, use the Send to a Friend Box.

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Spring Grants
The spring grants were to be delivered or postmarked yesterday, February 28th. The committee will meet the week of March 12th and decisions should be available by March 20th. Contracts for the funds are still with the lawyers.

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Annual Meeting
The APNBA's Annual Meeting is Monday, April 23. We will elect new officers and a new board, vote on new bylaws, hear Patrick Donaldson's recap of the past year and consider activities for the coming year.

Put the date on your calendar and at your next board or general meeting, elect a delegate to represent your business district and vote your wishes. Then bring your board to enjoy dinner and the evening.

visionPDX
The APNBA's report on Business District responses to the visionPDX survey will soon be available on the web site. A limited number of printed copies of the report is available to business district associations.

The report shows a surprising agreement among businesses throughout Portland. They want to preserve and enhance the diverse and individual business districts within thriving neighborhoods. They want the government to embrace regional thinking. They want job ready high school graduates, an opportunity to work on projects that improve their districts instead of sitting on committees. They want more family wage jobs and an end to homelessness and unaffordable health care.

They like the people and the city although they wish it ran on more business-like lines. They are enthusiastic about the parks, the rivers, the festivals, sidewalk cafes, public art, free concerts, and the short drive to the ocean, mountains, and the dessert.

Following the report are the responses from each of the business districts, detailing how each group responded to the survey. Contact info@apnba.com to arrange for a copy.

Keynote Speaker
APNBA President Patrick Donaldson opens the March 15th half-day conference, Creating a Vibrant, Sustainable Local Economy hosted by the sustainable Business Network of Portland (SBNP).

Morning session choices include:

• Utilizing the Local First Brand: Creative and cost effective marketing for your locally owned business
• Food for thought: Benefits and obstacles to localizing our food
• Values, Money & Investing: Opportunities for alignment in our sustainable economy

The conference ends with a talk by Michael Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution: How local businesses are beating the global competition.

For more information and to register, see ww.sbnportland.org.

2007 Events
March 2: First Friday Art Quest - 6:00 - 9:00PM Greater Brooklyn and Sellwood. Contact Madeline Janovec, 503-231-8346.

March 3-4: SE Area Art Walk - Division/Clinton, 11th - 41st, Maps provided. Contact Rin Carroll Jackson, rinzart@spiritone.com.

March 4: First Sunday, Old Town Chinatown, Portland Saturday Market (west end of Burnside Bridge) from 11 am to 4:30 pm. Portland Chinese Classical Garden (NW 3rd at Everett) from 10 am to 7 pm. “Walk Historic Old Town” is available free at the Saturday Market.

March 15: 3rd Thursday, 6:00 - 9:00PM Hollywood District.

Tell us about your event - Contact the Editor.

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