Five of us on this surprisingly nippy – 37 degree – clear morning headed out to Westmorela via SE Clinton to the the newly improved SE 17th roadway adjacent to the Milwaukie Max line. (One of the secondary joys of the Sunday excursions is learning new ways to get around.  Except for waiting to cross the carcentric McLaughlin Blvd., the Clinton and 17th-to-McLaughlin sections were a dream.)

Sparrow’s – which roasts its own coffee – is the same space that once housed Marsee’s and then Khavatology.   It’s under some renovation now, so hard to get the full picture of what it’ll look like when it’s completed.   We know it currently is a meeting spot for a weekly postcard-writing group of SE residents, so it is serving locals.   But we didn’t see a bulletin board or games to play or other indicators of community building, but maybe that will be evident when the remodel is completed.

Discussion topics today included the closing and opening of restaurants on our home turf of NE Fremont, the head-scratching success of the Pip’s donut store and our guessing how they might compare to Voodoo, Dunkin, and Crispee Creme donuts, and the wisdom of Democrats in DC starting an impeachment process with the Senate controlled by Republicans.

1625 SE Bybee                                                 sparrows-coffee.com