Re-Erect Hung Far Low!

When I heard that Chinatown's famous neon Hung Far Low restaurant sign had been removed for safety reasons, I was dismayed. It seemed that our city was losing yet another piece of its unique identity.

Gladly, there was a flurry of interest. A small but passionate group of activist citizens, including yours truly, decided not take this development sitting down. The result? A groundswell of support has emerged to repair the sign and return it to its place. I lent my wordcraft to the cause, drafted the slogan you see above and sent it off to a few friends. Seems they liked it. It caught on.

Get yourself this Pander Brothers t-shirt.

A fundraising campaign has now materialized, rallying around the cry "Re-Erect Hung Far Low"! You can visit a website to make donations to the cause or, for a better ROI, purchase T-shirts that feature my words and a design created by Pander Brothers studios. How cool is that?

The fact is, our unique identity as a city matters. Our sense of place, of history, even of self are closely tied to landmarks signs like Hung Far Low and Made in Oregon. It's part of what makes us, us. Unfortunately, like most U.S. cities, Portland seems to be under constant threat of a mega-corporation ooze that encroaches upon our cultural heritage. In this case, time itself had brought a threat to bear.

For that reason, I encourage you to drop by the site and pick up a shirt. I'm also pitching in to help throw a block party to raise funds for the sign. Watch this space for details -- or if you want to help, drop me a note. In the meantime, let's keep Portland weird.