https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil Portland District News RSS Feed en-us Mon, 14 Dec 2020 22:34:55 GMT Sun, 14 Jun 2026 17:07:34 GMT https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Feature-Stories/Article/2446389/crowded-crest-in-portland-confronts-crafty-crew-of-engineers-planners/ The Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus sits on a 450-foot-tall basalt-rock hill south of downtown. Marquam Hill, also known as “Pill Hill” due to the amount of medical facilities clustered on its crest, is also crowded with homes, steep slopes and daily commuters (during non-pandemic times). These steep and rocky slopes garnered ridicule for Dr. Kenneth Mackenzie when he initially proposed to build a medical school on Marquam in 1914. According to Oregon Health and Science University’s historical collections, “The land, unusable to the railroad company, came to be known as ‘Mackenzie’s Folly’ in reference to its location on an inaccessible hilltop.” <br/> <img src='https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/14/2002551959/115/75/0/180928-A-A1408-0003.JPG' alt='Brigadier General Peter Helmlinger, Northwestern Division commander, toured the Portland Veteran&#39;s Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC) with Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team members who are working on designs and plans to retrofit the PVAMC, Sept. 28, 2018. The tour was a way for District staff to discuss the difficulties the team will face during seismic retrofitting.' /> <br /> Mon, 14 Dec 2020 22:34:55 GMT Tom Conning, Public Affairs Office https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Feature-Stories/Article/2446389/crowded-crest-in-portland-confronts-crafty-crew-of-engineers-planners/ Portland U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Feature-Stories/Article/1261848/new-commander-takes-charge/ Col. Aaron L. Dorf became commander of the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during a ceremony, July 28. Dorf took command from Col. Jose L. Aguilar, who served as commander of Portland District since April 15, 2014. Aguilar had high praise for his staff. <br/> <img src='https://media.defense.gov/2017/Jul/28/2001784957/115/75/0/170728-A-VN916-1010.JPG' alt='Col. Aaron L. Dorf, Portland District incoming commander, holds the District’s colors during a change of command ceremony, July 28 at the Sentinel Hotel, Portland. Dorf was most recently a student at the National Security Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Canada.' /> <br /> Fri, 28 Jul 2017 22:39:00 GMT By Tom Conning, Public Affairs Office https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Feature-Stories/Article/1261848/new-commander-takes-charge/ Portland