1) Neighborhood cleanup a huge success
2) Omaha blocks staging area walkaround (May 14)
3) Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) training
4) Portland Community Equality Act (May 12)
5) Budget hearing update (May 12)
1) Neighborhood cleanup a huge success
A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who contributed their time and energy on April 30 to help clean up Overlook Neighborhood. More than 20 adults showed up to lend their time and energy to the annual cleanup event. Five-month old Grace Miho motivated the team with her smile and blue eyes.
The volunteers started at the Concord pedestrian bridge over N Going Street and fanned out from there. Some picked up trash along Going between N Interstate Avenue to N Greeley Avenue. Several removed graffiti along the bridge crossing the railroad tracks to Swan Island. And still others focused on trimming back Himalayan blackberries that had grown over the Going sidewalk.
Moving much of that material was made easy with the help of Chris Radcliffe’s golf cart—thank you Chris.
As a small token of appreciation, all volunteers received an organic tomato start grown by Overlook neighbor, Mulysa Melco from Resilience Design.
Thank you to sponsors: the Graffiti Abatement Program, Metro, North Portland Neighborhood Services, Overlook Neighborhood Association, Portland Bureau of Transportation and the Swan Island Business Association. Thank you also to Grand Central Bakery for providing pastries to keep the team fueled.
And special thanks to OKNA board member Cynthia Sulaski for coordinating the cleanup.
Click here to see more photos from the cleanup.
2) Omaha blocks staging area walkaround (May 14)
Overlook’s Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) continues to prepare for disaster. Next Saturday, join the team as it scouts potential  locations for a staging area around the Omaha blocks. Meet at the intersection of Killingsworth and Omaha. During the scouting, the team will take notes on possible sites and challenges. Bring your gear, your walking shoes and your questions.
Omaha blocks staging search
Saturday, May 14, 9-11 a.m.
Meet at N Killingsworth Street and Omaha Avenue
3) Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) training
Are you prepared for a disaster? Are you willing to help your neighbors when disaster strikes? Portland will kick off a basic NET training program that runs for three session plus a final field exercise. Trainees will meet all day on May 14 and 21, and for a couple of hours on June 4. The final field exercise options are June 5, 11 and 12.
Please note: you must live or work in the City of Portland in order to participate. NET training classes are free of charge. The training will take place in Northeast Portland; the exact location is provided only after you sign up for the class.
There are a few forms to fill out in order to sign up. Find all of the details at the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management website.
4) Portland Community Equality Act (May 12)
Portland is one of the last major cities with an at-large commissioner form of government . Some residents hope to change that. Learn more about their efforts at an information meeting on Thursday. If you can’t make it, check out the next issue of Overlook Views, which will be delivered soon.
Portland Community Equality Act – Information Meeting
Thursday, May 12, 6-7 p.m.
Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (4815 NE 7th Ave.)
5) Budget hearing update (May 12)
A few weeks ago we mentioned the city’s upcoming budget hearings. The time for the May 12 hearing has been changed. If you want to tell City Council how to spend your tax dollars, your chance is:
Budget hearing
Thursday, May 12, 5:30-9 p.m.
City Council Chambers, (1221 SW 4th Ave.)