The Mt. Tabor Neighborhood is home to a number of fun sights. We've listed some of them below. Let us know your favorite spots in the neighborhood! (Send your suggestions to: prleistner@gmail.com )

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• Art Fence at SE Madison & 50th 

• Hazel the Hummingbird Sculpture on SE 52nd between Main and Salmon

• Salmon on SE Salmon St and 58th

• 58th Ave Faces on 58th Ave just south of Hawthorne Bd. 

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Art Fence (SE Madison & 50th)

 

Artists Todd Samusson and Paula Manley are the keepers of the Mad50 Art Fence at SE Madison & 50th. When the pair purchased their Mt Tabor home nearly 30 years ago, their yard was surrounded by a simple chain link fence. Over the years, Todd began to put his wood working and metal art skills into transforming the fence, integrating benches where walkers can rest, and creating a miniature “gallery” that has featured a variety of neighborhood artists over the years. Many of Todd's found object sculptures, including a series of totems, are integrated within the fence, attracting the attention of passersby of all ages. 

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Hazel the Hummingbird (SE 52nd between Madison and Salmon) 

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Hazel the hummingbird, who you find in the parking strip in front of our house, came about because our mountain ash tree was dying… Was dead… So we contacted a guy in Molalla, and he and his buddies came to our house.

 

He brought five different chainsaws of varying sizes, and we showed him a picture of a hummingbird… And he went to town carving and cutting and creating Hazel, the hummingbird!

 

After he got the hummingbird carved, he took one slab of the tree and made it into a bench, and then he decided it would be good to have the hummingbird’s beak held in something so it wouldn’t be so fragile, so he made a bowl for it.

 

People walk by our house, and often stop to admire Hazel and ask us about where she came from and it opens up conversation and getting to know your neighbors!  Kids are really attracted to her, and they leave little treasures in her bowl, and talk to her and pet her… And she is quite an important part of the neighborhood!

 

We love our Hazel the hummingbird!

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Written by:

Amy Alice Hammond and Bob Eckland

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Salmon on Salmon Street (SE Salmon and 58th)

 

We were sad when the tree service we hired said that our Port Orford Cedar tree was dead. The year was 1998 and many other cedar trees were also dying in Mt. Tabor Park. Tree experts said that a fungas, usually only found in rural coastal forests, had made its way to the urban area trees by way of car tires. The fungus affects the soil creating tree rot. When Flagstaff tree service came to cut the tree down they suggested that we might want to leave the bottom portion of the tree to be carved since cedar is a beautiful wood. He gave us the card for Marvin Howard who became a tree wood carver after a 25 foot fall from scaffolding left him unable to walk for months or continue his career as a plasterer. He had learned to whittle as a child so he pulled himself from his wheelchair and took his chainsaw to a piece of wood. He began to carve small objects at first like turtles then he moved on to bears and fish. He recovered slowly but eventually was able to walk and then stand. When we asked him to look at our tree he said he hardly ever traveled from his home in North Plains, however luck had it that he had to go to the Portland Airport and he would stop by to see if he could do it. He said Port Orford Cedars were a great wood to carve and he showed us pictures of bears and fish that he had made. We chose a Salmon since we live on Salmon street. After the tree was cut down to 8ft he came and spent two days carving it into our Salmon. It has been placed on the walking map tour of Portland. It has been used in the game Pokemon as a gym or charm. We have watched many pictures taken of the fish. Kids like to climb up and give the Salmon a hug. Every new school year we took pictures of our girls, Elaina and Natalie in front of the fish. We have loved its beauty and hope it continues to give enjoyment to everyone for years to come.

 

Written by

Georgia and Dan Obradovich

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58th Ave. Faces (on 58th Ave just south of Hawthorne Bd.)

 

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