Power was expected to be restored to more than 200 PGE customers Friday morning after a tree collapsed onto a Northwest Portland restaurant and several cars parked around it.

KOIN Local 6 reported that the tree broke apart at about 6:45 a.m., Friday, May 24, near Northwest 21st Avenue and Irving Street, bringing down heavy branches on the entrance to the Gypsy Restaurant and at least five cars. No one was injured in the incident.

Northwest 21st Avenue was closed from Hoyt to Irving streets while crews cleared the tree from the road.

PGE reported that power could be restored to customers in the area by late morning.

Zonneveld preserves memories of precious pooches before they pass

Pauline Zonneveld created sort of a Valhalla for dogs with her photo exhibit this past April at the West Linn Public Library.

In a large room just off to the left of the main entrance, the West Linn resident placed many splendid portraits of dogs. Wonderful in themselves, these photos are made even more poignant because all of the dogs pictured are now gone. They once made this world a better place. But Zonneveld’s unique mission is to preserve sweet memories of those dogs with the people who loved them.

Her effort is called the Good Old Dog Project, and one way Zonneveld had of finding what a great impact she was having came from reading the guest book in the library gallery room.

“People leave notes that bring tears to my eyes,” she said. “They break my heart and make me smile at the same time.”

Zonneveld started her project because of a lost opportunity.

“I had moved to a new neighborhood and there was this old, old dog I fell in love with,” she said. “It was wintertime, so I thought I would wait until spring to take its photos. But in the meantime it passed away. I promised that I would never let that happen to me again.”

Immediately, Zonneveld started contacting pet shops and spreading by word of mouth the message that she wanted to take photos of elderly dogs. She not only had a passion but a profession.

A native of the Netherlands, Zonneveld was already a proficient amateur photographer from her many travels around the world with her husband, Tom Hooker. As she put it, “My camera was my friend. I loved photography for 20 years.”

Zonneveld had already earned master’s degrees in cultural science and Asian studies. Yet she knew she could be happy as a pro photographer, and she was so right.

There was one more major reason for this major milestone in Zonneveld’s life. Five years ago, she became a dog lover herself.

“I got a golden doodle named Maggie,” Zonneveld said. “Before, I had no idea what it meant to have a dog and experience the love, time, commitment and also the friendship with other dog lovers. Now I can’t imagine life without Maggie.”

Now, Zonneveld knows exactly how other dog owners feel when they contact her about doing a portrait of their pet.

“I want to give them something they can laugh or cry about,” Zonneveld said. “People want to remember their dog at their best. When you take a photo it’s a matter of patience and time to get the best out of them. I want to commemorate them and show why they were so special to the people that loved them. I’ve seen tears and laughter from big men who come in here.”

Some dog owners call Zonneveld in plenty of time. Her oldest dog model was 19 years old, and she encounters many older dogs in vigorous health. Perhaps her most satisfying experiences, though, come when she is able to photograph a dog that is near death.

“There was this Siberian husky that was 13 years old,” Zonneveld said. “We were able to make something gorgeous out of it. It’s life still shines through.”

Humor is a big part of what Zonneveld brings to her dog portraits, like one of a malamute howling and another of a dog who was wearing a sweater after having lost much of its fur.

There is one more touch that makes the portraits even more special. Each one is accompanied by a haiku — a saying or proverb that illustrates some quality the dog had in life, such as a memory of a favorite day or an anecdote.

As Zonneveld said, “Something that will make you laugh or cry out loud. The combination of a haiku and a photo is a winner.”

Besides her intense photographic endeavors, Zonneveld is busy spreading the word about her project. It is set for another exhibition at Umpqua Bank in Tualatin and she is looking for more venues.

“It’s important to spread the word,” Zonneveld said. “People tell me, ‘If I had only known about this. I lost a dog last week.’ It’s important that people know what I do.”

To learn more about the Good Old Dog Project, go to paulinephotography.com, or call 503-347-7842.

The redesigned 2014 Subaru Forester won the Family Class category of Mudfest this year. The annual comparison of Outdoor Activity Vehicles was conducted by the Northwest Automotive Press Association.

The win was something of a surprise, since the Forester has long been considered a good bargain but not exactly a top class crossover. And the competition was stiff. it included four other redesigned crossovers — the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan Pathfinder — along with the sophisticated Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

In my mind, there are two reasons the 2014 Forester bested them. First, it is vastly improved in all aspects over the previous generation, including styling, interior room, handling, economy and materials. And second, the version we tested was the optional turbocharged model, which had more power than any of the competitors. Automotive writers like fast cars, after all.

But after spending a week in a non-turbocharged 2014 Forester, I can say the improvements still make it competitive against all other family-oriented compact crossovers. The additional room is especially noticeable in the rear seats, which now have much more leg room and good head room.

But most impressive is the mileage increase. My test Forester recorded over 24 miles per gallon, a vast improvement over the 18 or so I've gotten in previous-generation versions. Even more impressive, it performed better than them, too — accelerating noticaebly faster and quieter than before.

That's especially impressive, since the normally-aspirated 2.5-liter "boxer" engine is only rated at 174 horsepower. The turbocharged 2.0-liter version produces 250 horsepower, and you'd expect the performance to be pretty good. But I had no complaints about the 2.5-liter engine, even when going up steep hills or passing big trucks on the freeway.

Much of the credit goes to the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which is a form of automatic transmissions without set speeds (three-speed, four-speed, etc.). Manufactures like CVTs because they can be tuned to maximize mileage. Automotive writers tend to dislike them because they are less responsive and noisier than traditional automatics. But Subaru got the CVT in the redesigned Forester right. Hopefully, they'll install it in all their other vehicles, too.

Subaru is the only company providing all-wheel-drive on all their models, meaning everything they make is essentially a crossover. Their vehicles have never been as refined as the direct competitors produce by most other manufacturers. Instead, Subaru has won a loyal following by being quirky and endearing.

The most surprising thing about the 2014 Forester is how mainstream it's become. Yes, it's still offered only with AWD. And yes, it still has a horizontally opposed engine, otherwise known as a "boxer." But the quality is now better than that in the Tribeca, Subaru's luxury crossover. At least, when ordered with practically all available options like our test Forester, which came with a leather leather interior, sunroof and upgraded stereo system.

The Forester has undergone numerous styling changes since it was first introduced in 1997. The earlier models were simple bordering on homely, as if Subaru couldn't decide whether it was supposed to be a station wagon or an SUV. The third generation introduced in 2008 was much larger and more stylish, with flowing lines offsetting its otherwise boxy design. The 2014 advance the look slightly, but also makes it more generic — much like what Toyota did with the new RAV4.

Overall though, just about the only places our Forester fell down was the digital display and backup camera screens, which were considerably smaller than those found in most competitors. They worked but required extra attention to monitor.

Those quibbles aside, the new Forester should please both traditional Subaru buyers and new converts alike. And with a base price of around $22,000 include AWD, it's still a good bargain. In fact, with all the improvements, it's a better buy than ever.

Facts and figures (all models)

• Model tested: 2014 Forester.

• Manufacturer: Subaru.

• Class: Compact crossover.

• Layout: Front engine, all-wheel-drive.

• Styles: Five-door SUV.

• Engines: 2.5-liter "boxer" 4 (170 hp, 174 lbs-ft); turbocharged 2.0-liter "boxer" 4 (250 hp, 258 lbs-ft).

• Transmission: Six-speed manual; Continuously Variable Transmission.

• EPA estimated city/highway/mileage: 22/29/24 (2.5/manual); 24/32/27 (2.5/CVT); 23/28/25 (2.0T/CVT)

• Price: Beginning at approximately $22,000 ($33,000 as tested).

Porker's gambit ends thanks to canny officer, alert citizen

The pig file of the Lake Oswego Police Department has just added another case.

A round but elusive pink pig escaped all efforts to catch it the evening of May 16 near Freepons Park until Officer John Brent of the Lake Oswego Police Department arrived and cornered the annoyed animal. The pig was extremely fast and very loud, but Brent was able to grab the squealing rascal and place it in his patrol car.

The pig was transported to the LOPD’s downtown headquarters and placed in a holding cell. The next move was to contact Officer Ulli Neitch of the Milwaukie Police Department, who is widely known for her work with animals. Neitch said she was just getting into a patrol car to drive to Lake Oswego when she got the word that the pig’s owner had called and had taken the pig back home.

This story had a happy ending, but for a while it was touch and go.

It started on May 16 at around 5 p.m. when Bill Abadie, a resident of Meadows Drive, came upon the pig rooting around in a yard at the corner of Meadows and Hemlock. The action began when Abadie’s neighbor, Betsy Ouchida, came along walking her dog, which spotted the pig and pulled her over so he could get nose-to-nose with the animal.

“The pig was about 25 pounds and pink and white — about the size of a pot bellied pig,” Abadie said. “He wasn’t afraid of us or the dog.”

Abadie sprang into action and tried to capture the pig, but the pig would not allow him to get close. So, Abadie reported the loose pig to police. Fifteen minutes later Brent arrived. He was the right man for the job.

“He’s an expert,” said LOPD Capt. Dale Jorgensen. “He is quite the animal whisperer. Whenever we have weird animal calls he seems to be on duty. He handled the case of the bald eagle caught in the tree and recently with the cougar sightings.”

It was no easy task, however, for Brent to corral the pig, who was determined to keep on rooting. Abadie was fortunate enough to observe the whole incident.

“It was really funny watching him trying to grab the pig and put it in the back of the patrol car,” Abadie said.

Brent kept his sense of humor during the situation, cracking pig jokes the entire time, and finally got the pig in custody by pretending to have food.

Brent’s fellow officers were delighted that he brought in the pig and tried to take photos of it in the patrol car. Only an hour and a half after the pig was put behind bars, the LOPD got a phone call.

“I’ve lost my pig,” a man said.

“We were able to reunite them,” said Jorgensen, who noted there was another pig-on-the-loose incident several years ago.

News that the pig was home again was greeted with relief.

“It was good to hear,” Abadie said. “I’m glad it didn’t end up on somebody’s breakfast table.”

The redesigned 2014 Subaru Forester won the Family Class category of Mudfest this year. The annual comparison of Outdoor Activity Vehicles was conducted by the Northwest Automotive Press Association.

The win was something of a surprise, since the Forester has long been considered a good bargain but not exactly a top class crossover. And the competition was stiff. it included four other redesigned crossovers — the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan Pathfinder — along with the sophisticated Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

In my mind, there are two reasons the 2014 Forester bested them. First, it is vastly improved in all aspects over the previous generation, including styling, interior room, handling, economy and materials. And second, the version we tested was the optional turbocharged model, which had more power than any of the competitors. Automotive writers like fast cars, after all.

But after spending a week in a non-turbocharged 2014 Forester, I can say the improvements still make it competitive against all other family-oriented compact crossovers. The additional room is especially noticeable in the rear seats, which now have much more leg room and good head room.

But most impressive is the mileage increase. My test Forester recorded over 24 miles per gallon, a vast improvement over the 18 or so I've gotten in previous-generation versions. Even more impressive, it performed better than them, too — accelerating noticaebly faster and quieter than before.

That's especially impressive, since the normally-aspirated 2.5-liter "boxer" engine is only rated at 174 horsepower. The turbocharged 2.0-liter version produces 250 horsepower, and you'd expect the performance to be pretty good. But I had no complaints about the 2.5-liter engine, even when going up steep hills or passing big trucks on the freeway.

Much of the credit goes to the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which is a form of automatic transmissions without set speeds (three-speed, four-speed, etc.). Manufactures like CVTs because they can be tuned to maximize mileage. Automotive writers tend to dislike them because they are less responsive and noisier than traditional automatics. But Subaru got the CVT in the redesigned Forester right. Hopefully, they'll install it in all their other vehicles, too.

Subaru is the only company providing all-wheel-drive on all their models, meaning everything they make is essentially a crossover. Their vehicles have never been as refined as the direct competitors produce by most other manufacturers. Instead, Subaru has won a loyal following by being quirky and endearing.

The most surprising thing about the 2014 Forester is how mainstream it's become. Yes, it's still offered only with AWD. And yes, it still has a horizontally opposed engine, otherwise known as a "boxer." But the quality is now better than that in the Tribeca, Subaru's luxury crossover. At least, when ordered with practically all available options like our test Forester, which came with a leather leather interior, sunroof and upgraded stereo system.

The Forester has undergone numerous styling changes since it was first introduced in 1997. The earlier models were simple bordering on homely, as if Subaru couldn't decide whether it was supposed to be a station wagon or an SUV. The third generation introduced in 2008 was much larger and more stylish, with flowing lines offsetting its otherwise boxy design. The 2014 advance the look slightly, but also makes it more generic — much like what Toyota did with the new RAV4.

Overall though, just about the only places our Forester fell down was the digital display and backup camera screens, which were considerably smaller than those found in most competitors. They worked but required extra attention to monitor.

Those quibbles aside, the new Forester should please both traditional Subaru buyers and new converts alike. And with a base price of around $22,000 include AWD, it's still a good bargain. In fact, with all the improvements, it's a better buy than ever.

Facts and figures (all models)

• Model tested: 2014 Forester.

• Manufacturer: Subaru.

• Class: Compact crossover.

• Layout: Front engine, all-wheel-drive.

• Styles: Five-door SUV.

• Engines: 2.5-liter "boxer" 4 (170 hp, 174 lbs-ft); turbocharged 2.0-liter "boxer" 4 (250 hp, 258 lbs-ft).

• Transmission: Six-speed manual; Continuously Variable Transmission.

• EPA estimated city/highway/mileage: 22/29/24 (2.5/manual); 24/32/27 (2.5/CVT); 23/28/25 (2.0T/CVT)

• Price: Beginning at approximately $22,000 ($33,000 as tested).