COMMUNITY CONTENTSENTINEL NEWS SERVICE
By Carolyn Neuhausen
The Northeast Portland Tool Library, a local non-profit, will celebrate its opening on July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the intersection of Northeast 20th and Killingsworth (the address is 5431 NE 20th at Redeemer Lutheran Church).
The NEPTL is modeled after the North Portland Tool Library, which is a community resource where North Portland residents can borrow building tools for projects instead of buying various tools themselves.
Eric Fair-Layman, the NEPTL's board president, decided to start a tool library for the Northeast part of the city when he had to do a community service project for a class he was taking. He tried to get involved with the existing North Portland Tool Library, but he lived in Northeast, and his area wasn't serviced by the library. So he decided to start one of his own.
The jurisdiction for the NEPTL goes from Burnside to Columbia Boulevard and NE Williams to 82nd.
With news of global warming and a growing ecologically-minded movement, NEPTL finds itself in league with other community-based groups such as the existing tool library, the ReBuilding Center and DeConstruction Services -- all in the North part of the city. The library helps the community and the environment by reducing the need to buy more new tools, and reusing what already exists. By lending out tools, it also helps residents keep a few more dollars in their pockets.
The new tool library seeks to facilitate Northeast residents in building projects and, in turn, the various communities are helping the NEPTL with such things as tool-gathering and material donations.
In order to rent a tool from the library, a resident must show a form of ID and bring a utility bill that matches the address on the identification. A tool can be rented, at no cost, for a week and all tools are due the following Saturday. Like a book library, overdue tools will incur a late fee and fines will be posted on the NEPTL website soon. Tools may be renewed depending on the popularity of the tool and on a case-by-case basis.
NEPTL is housed in a one-car garage that the Redeemer Lutheran Church has donated as the library's space until they sell the property. Parr Lumber sold lumber and Builders Supply of Hillsboro sold the security door to Fair-Layman at cost. The ReBuilding Center at 3625 N. Mississippi Ave. donated materials that carpenter, tool-gatherer and volunteer Tom Thompson turned into shelving.
The Vernon and Concordia neighborhood associations, along with an anonymous donor, have pitched into help with funding as well. Right now, there are four core volunteers and a local graphic art designer who has donated expertise in creating a logo and website for the NEPTL.
"[The Northeast Portland Tool Library] is so grassroots, it's ridiculous," Fair-Layman said. "You can smell the grass clippings."
Local businesses are also lending a hand to the NEPTL: Hankins' True Value Hardware at 3942 NE MLK Blvd.; Garden Fever at 3433 NE 24th Ave.; and Buffalo Gardens at 3033 NE Alberta will serve as drop-off sites for tool donations.
Fair-Layman emphasized that as of right now the Northeast Portland Tool Library is in need of tools. "We have a great location and a space. We still need a lot, we need a lot of tools, we need money. We still need help," Fair-Layman said.
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