1) Mayor rescinds homeless camping policy
2) North Portland Tour Des Tanks bike ride (Sunday, Aug. 7)
3) Ice cream social (Sunday, Aug. 7)
4) Neighborhood Emergency Team meeting (Monday, Aug. 8)
5) I-5 ramp closures at Exit 303 (Tuesday to Wednesday, Aug. 9-10)
6) Bike Ride: The bridges of North Portland (Wednesday, Aug. 10)
7) New green stripes at intersections
8) Jewish Sabbath at Overlook Park (Aug. 19)
9) The Wake of Vanport – Free showing (Aug. 26)
10) Pollinator workshop (Sep. 18)
11) City of Portland election reform public forum (Monday, Aug. 15)
12) Portland’s earthquake plan
1) Mayor rescinds homeless camping policy
Mayor Charlie Hales this week announced that he was ending the “safe sleep” policy that allowed homeless residents to set up campsites on public right of way at night. Going forward, camping in public is again illegal. However, Hales said that enforcement would be the lowest priority for police, so expect very little to change for now.
Although the release mentions Hazelnut Grove in the Overlook Neighborhood, it offers no information about how the new rules apply to the camp or what will happen going forward. Unfortunately, City Hall continues to keep Overlook and Hazlenut Grove in the dark about its plans.
Because the mayor has canceled the camping policy, the lawsuit that Overlook Neighborhood was a part of will not be refiled.
Read Mayor Hales’ full announcement online.
2) North Portland Tour Des Tanks bike ride (Sunday, Aug. 7)
The North Portland 350 Group will offer a guided bike ride of North Portland’s energy hub, where 90 percent of all Oregon’s oil is brought, distributed and stored.
The ride will highlight the area’s natural geography and history. We plan on stops that offer information on air pollution, gas tanks, trains and pipe lines. We will look at public transportation and the many efforts people and groups are making for change.
The ride will start at the University of Portland with a brief overview of climate change and how Portland’s climate change resolution in light of North Portland’s current infrastructure and oil import/export systems. We will also connect the superfund sites to climate change.
The ride will be about 6 miles and take about 2.5 hours. All riders must wear helmets. Please bring water and a lunch.
Some Overlook neighbors will ride over the University of Portland together. Contact OKNA Board Member Mitch Bixby at overlookprepares@gmail.com if you’d like to join them.
Tour Des Tanks
Sunday, Aug. 7, 11-1:30
University of Portland, Pilot House Patio (5000 N Willamette Blvd.)
3) Ice cream social (Sunday, Aug. 7)
Join your neighbors at the annual Overlook Neighborhood Ice Cream Social on Sunday, Aug. 7. Lovely’s Fifty Fifty generously will provide ice cream at the discount rate of $2 for adults and $1 for kids. There also will be bocce ball and games of skill as well as a prize drawing. Don’t miss one of the sweetest, most friendly summer events in Overlook.
Overlook Neighborhood Ice Cream Social
Sunday, Aug. 7, 6-8 p.m.
Overlook House (3839 N Melrose Dr.)
4) Neighborhood Emergency Team meeting (Monday, Aug. 8)
Overlook’s Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) meets in even-numbered months. This month’s meeting will take place Monday at Luck Labrador Tap Room. If you’re interested in how you can better prepare for natural disaster, show up on Monday. New NET attendees should arrive around 6 p.m. The regular meeting will begin at 6:30.
Overlook NET
Monday, Aug. 8, 6:30-8 p.m. (new attendees should arrive early)
Lucky Labrador Tap Room (1700 N Killingsworth St.)
5) I-5 ramp closures at Exit 303 (Tuesday to Wednesday, Aug. 9-10)
The Oregon Department of Transportation will close the northbound I-5 Exit 303 ramp and southbound on-ramp from N. Going Street will be closed Tuesday to Wednesday (Aug. 9-10) for grinding and paving. Drivers should detour by using Exit 304 at N Alberta Street and following detour signs.
Nighttime lane closures are expected to take place Aug. 15-16.
6) Bike Ride: The bridges of North Portland (Wednesday, Aug. 10)
Ride the bikeways and bike-only bridges of North Portland. Meet at 5:45 at Dawson Park at the corner of N Morris Street and Vancouver Avenue. The ride starts promptly at 6 p.m.
This ride is great for folks new to the bike or new to the area. The ride will be an easy-paced, 10-mile loop, with stops along the way and returning to the start location. The route will be mostly on low-traffic streets and neighborhood greenways, with some off-street paths. A few sections will be on streets with bike lanes.
The ride is free, but helmets are required. Kids under 16 welcome if accompanied by an adult.
This ride is part of the Portland By Cycle series of rides and classes. Click here to see the full schedule.
Bridges of North Portland bike ride
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 5:45 p.m.
Dawson Park
7) New green stripes at intersections
Portland Bureau of Transportation has begun painting “Cross-bikes” in some intersections around the city. They are green bars that highlight the extension of a bikeway through the intersection. The cross-bikes, in conjunction with crosswalks, make it clear to drivers that the intersection is a location where there might be people walking and biking across the street. People are not legally required to stop for people biking through a cross-bike, but drivers should exercise extra caution.
Click on the image to learn more.
8) Jewish Sabbath at Overlook Park (Aug. 19)
For the fifth year in a row, Congregation Shir Tikvah will hold a celebration of the Jewish Sabbath at Overlook Park. Folks are encouraged to bring a picnic and relax out in the summer sun. Live music to be provided by Rabbi Ariel Stone and the bluegrass band Stumbleweed. The event starts at 6:00 pm. All are welcome – challah will be provided.
Jewish Sabbath
Friday, Aug. 19, 6 p.m.
Overlook Park
9) The Wake of Vanport – Free showing (Aug. 26)
“The Wake of Vanport” is so named to honor the death of a city and the viewing of its history through the collection of Vanport stories told by the voices of those who lived there. It is also a celebration of life after loss. Vanport is a lost city of Oregon with a rich history for all Oregonians.
Come out for this screening of multimedia works produced during the Vanport Multimedia Project – now updated with new stories – dedicated to collecting and preserving Vanport survivors’ stories. Community members, local historians, artists, media makers and educators collaborated to turn oral history interviews into short and powerful pieces of digital audio and visual narrative.
Portland author Zita Podany will sign copies of her book “Images of America: Vanport” at the event. The first 40 guests to arrive for the event will receive a free copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for purchase.
Immediately following the screening there will be an opportunity for discussion with survivors and producers. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free, but space is limited and reservation is required.
If you can’t make it for the event, you can watch the movie online.
The Wake of Vanport
Friday, Aug. 26, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Embassy Suites Portland – Downtown (319 SW Pine St.)
10) Pollinator workshop (Sep. 18)
Mark your calendar now for the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District’s upcoming workshop at Overlook House “Attracting Pollinators to the Urban Garden.” Learn about the bees, flies, beetles, moths and butterflies that provide vital pollination services in urban gardens, and discover which plants can help attract and support them. We will go beyond the bloom so you can find out how to provide water, shelter, nesting, and overwintering sites.
Advanced registration is required. Click here to register.
Pollinator workshop
Sunday, Sep. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Overlook House (3839 N Melrose Dr.)
11) City of Portland election reform public forum (Monday, Aug. 15)
Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Mayor Charlie Hales will hold a public forum on election reform. The Open and Accountable Elections package features a public campaign finance matching system, increased penalties for willful violations of election laws, improved contribution reporting requirements, and other reforms to increase transparency and accountability. Details will be shared and feedback will be encouraged.
A second meeting will be held on Sept. 9 to present the final draft prior to filing the ordinance.
City of Portland election reform public forum
Monday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
Portland Building, Second Floor Auditorium (1120 SW 5th Ave.)
12) Portland’s earthquake plan
Portland is at risk from earthquakes, floods, landslides and other natural hazards, threatening hundreds of lives and potentially causing billions of dollars in property damage. With this in mind, a group of government and community stakeholders met over the past 15 months to review the latest data on these hazards and develop a list of actions to save lives, lessen property damage and reduce the impact on the city’s most vulnerable populations. The result is The Mitigation Action Plan (MAP): The City of Portland’s Path to Resilience.
The draft plan includes 160 specific actions and projects Portland city bureaus can take before disaster strikes. Examples include retrofitting Portland’s stock of unreinforced masonry buildings, ensuring emergency plans account for residents with access and functional needs, and providing ways to connect residents to power during a prolonged outage.
Public comment on the draft plan is being accepted from now until September 15th. View the plan online or stop by the Multnomah County Central (801 SW 10th Ave), Midland (805 SE 122nd Ave), or North Portland (512 N Killingsworth St) libraries to view a hard copy of the plan.
Portland Bureau of Emergency Management will hold a series of summer socials this month for residents to learn more and provide comment on the plan. View the complete list and learn more online. The social in North Portland will take place Aug. 17, 6-8:30 p.m. at Columbia Park.