And here’s your weekly recap and weekend primer…

- First, happy birthday to Bar Carlo.  Their building may be for sale, but they’re not going anywhere.  And to mark five years of going strong, they’re celebrating their fifth anniversary of being open this Saturday.  Come enjoy live music, with DJs Mike Steele, Mason Fisher, and Melody, who’ll be spinning club classics and 80′s hits.

- In another nod to local business, it’s time to check out Tambayan if you have not already.  The Mercury had a nice review of the Filipino restaurant, located at 60th and Foster.  Perhaps a little under the radar, it sounds like the food is pretty legit.

- For those interested in making the neighborhood more livable, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) will be awarding up to $300,000 in community livability grants to people or groups in the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area.  Because Foster Road is included in the URA, there is an opportunity to attract grant money to the neighborhood.  Projects must increase neighborhood livability by advancing social equity, improving physical spaces that benefit the neighborhood as a whole, and building local community capacity.  Examples of past projects include cultural centers, community gardens, and building improvements that benefit the general neighborhood.

- It appears as if the Multnomah County library system will be enacting some of their budget cuts this summer, which could limit your visits to your local libary (that would be Holgate for you, FoPoians).  As reported by the Mercury, libraries will be closing on Mondays starting in July in response to expected revenue shortfalls and budget cuts.  All the reason to vote for more funding for the library system.

- “Keep Your Fork, There’s Pie,” the band who played at Kern Park for FoPo’s National Night Out, will be performing this Saturday night at Lents Commons.  Although not technically a local band, they certainly have ties to the neighborhood and play good music.  If anything, there’s a good community vibe at Lents Commons, so show ‘em some love.

Have a good weekend, y’all.

However, the building which houses the neighborhood fixture is up for sale.

What does this mean for you?  Well, for one, it is an attempt to reassure you that one of Foster’s best dining options isn’t going anywhere. Secondly, it’s to solicit offers from local investors who seek to maintain the building in a fashion that best fits the neighborhood scale and character.

Above Bar Carlo are seven apartments, which, we imagine, will someday be prime living quarters.  In fact, as Foster Road develops, this could be the model (after a bit of renovation, perhaps) of what mixed-use buildings could potentially look like: ground floor commercial space, and modest, multi-unit residential space above.   With the “heart of Foster” being primed for growth, this building plays a vital role in neighborhood vitality, and without a doubt will benefit from the someday-opearational theater next door.

And if the Saturday and Sunday morning crowds are any indication, Bar Carlo’s presence will benefit its new neighbors, too.  In that same vein, it is time to celebrate that presence, as Bar Carlo will be marking their five year anniversary this Saturday, 2/25.  To bring in year six in style, DJ’s Mike Steele, Mason Fisher, and Melody will be spinning club classics and 80′s hits Saturday night, from 9p until closing.  Come out and show your love for FoPo’s own.  They’ve definitely earned it.

With that, we wish you a happy birthday.  May you find a decent buyer and friendly landlord.

Welcome aboard, Chris…