1) Spring Seed Swap! (Tomorrow 4/6)
2) Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group (4/9)
3) Water Forum Offered (4/10)
4) Transportation Funding Forums (4/16-5/1)
5) “Get Ready For Anything” (4/23)
6) Overlook Neighborhood Cleanup (4/26)
7) Become an Active Transportation Ambassador (4/18)
8) Overlook House Egg Hunt (4/29)
9) Plan for Kindergarten (by 6/1)
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1) Spring Seed Swap! (Tomorrow 4/6)
Sunday, April 6 3-5 pm
6730 N. Wilbur Ave.
Bring seeds to share and envelopes/containers. If you’re new to seed saving come to learn and get seeds to grow and share at future swaps. Everyone welcome!
Sponsored by Sustainable Overlook and Pesticide-Free Arbor Lodge Park
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2) Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group (4/9)
You are invited to attend the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group (CAG) meeting
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
6-8pm
6543 N. Burlington Avenue (Portland BES Water Pollution Control Lab)
Portland Harbor CAG meetings are intended to keep the community informed of developments at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site and to provide a forum for discussion. CAG meetings are open to everyone. Contact the CAG Chair, Jim Robison, with questions jim@jimrobison.org
See new updates on EPA’s Portland Harbor webpage: www.epa.gov/region10/portlandharbor
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3) Water Forum Offered (4/10)
Thursday, April 10th, from 7-9pm, the Buckman Community Association will host an open forum on the Ballot Measure that would remove from City Council management the Water and Sewer (BES) services.
The forum will be held at the Multnomah County Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Many Portlanders (ourselves included!) are relatively clueless about this measure and its potential impacts on water/sewer rates, but also the environment and related programs.
At the forum you will:
-Find out about the measure from the initiative proponents..its purpose, what it creates and what we can expect. How it will aid ratepayers.
-Hear from the opponents why this is a bad idea and how it could negatively affect the city, its residents and the environment. How it will hurt ratepayers.
-Get your questions answered.
The BCA remains neutral and is hosting the forum to create an opportunity for Portlanders to become informed about this serious proposal before the ballots arrive in April.
All are welcome!! We especially invite those from other inner eastside Portland neighborhood to come. Refreshments will be served at the break.
If you have any “pre-questions” feel free to email me personally or the BCA Board as a whole:buckmanboard@googlegroup.com
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4) Transportation Funding Forums (4/16-5/1)
Need another reason to attend one of the upcoming Transportation Public Forums? The city is considering a fee of as much as $144 per address per year and they want to know where you want to spend the money. You should decide if they get it or not (but you may not get a say).
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31444-poll_shows_city_looking_at_%2412_a_home_street_fee_to_fund_transportation_bureau.html
Come to a town hall meeting on transportation funding; four scheduled: April 16 – May 1
We need your help to fix Portland Streets. The upcoming meetings will provide an opportunity to give input and learn more about funding mechanisms and potential maintenance and safety investments.
•Wednesday, April 16: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, 10301 NE Glisan St.
•Thursday, April 17: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Kaiser Permanente’s Town Hall, 3704 N Interstate Ave.
•Thursday, April 24: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy
•Thursday, May 1: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Woodstock School, 5601 SE 50th Ave.
For more information and the opportunity to complete a Portland transportation funding online survey, please visit us at www.ourstreetspdx.com. You can also join the conversation on Twitter by following @PBOTInfo and using the tag #OurStreetsPDX. This is our second series of town halls on transportation funding. To get caught up on the first round, visit our Community Voices page.
If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact Mark Lear at (503) 823-7604 or mark.lear@portlandoregon.gov.
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5) “Get Ready For Anything” (4/23)
Free disaster preparedness workshops in April & May 26 Mar
SE Portland is offering a series of free workshops called “Get Ready For Anything” in April & May. These are open to anyone interested in being prepared for a disaster. (Hopefully that includes everyone!) View the full schedule here: http://getreadysepdx.wordpress.com/the-workshops/
By the way, a great way to get prepared AND help your neighbors is to join your Neighborhood Emergency Team! The City offers free training several times per year. The next training cohort begins Wed. 4/23, 6-9pm, and continues every Wed. evening until early June. Click here to learn more and submit an application:
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/58587
Volunteers are needed in every neighborhood, so please take a look!
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6) Overlook Neighborhood Cleanup (4/26)
Please spread the word to your neighbors and volunteer for your local cleanup. Together we’ll help keep our neighborhoods clean and safe!
Saturday April 26th
Overlook (OKNA) Location: Bethel Lutheran Church – 5658 N Denver
Time: 10am-2pm Free: limit of 2 grocery bags or copy paper boxes
Materials Accepted: Secure Document Shredding
Contact: Alan Cranna (503) 285-7944 ascran3@hotmail.com
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7) Become an Active Transportation Ambassador (4/18)
The City of Portland Active Transportation Division is looking for volunteers. This is an opportunity to get hands-on experience with the Active Transportation staff to reach out to Portland residents assisting with guided walks and bike rides; providing outreach at community events such as street fairs and farmers markets; doing office work; and distributing materials.
Ambassadors are amazing volunteers who represent the Bureau of Transportation and present information to encourage pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and transit riders to travel safely together. There are many different volunteer opportunities to choose from. As part of our SmartTrips program, Ambassadors will assist on guided Ten Toes walks and Portland By Cycle rides and bike clinics. Through the Safe Routes to School program Ambassadors help with helmet fittings and wrenching on bikes. We also have opportunities for Ambassadors to help table at events throughout the city and provide information to the public. By being an Ambassador you will have a great time while seeing some of Portland’s beautiful neighborhoods.
There is a two-hour training on Wednesday, May 7th from 6-8 PM at the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave., to prepare Ambassadors for the 2014 season. Light refreshments will be provided. If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador, please fill out an application by Friday, April 18th. If you would like more information please contact Sarah.Goforth@portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-9863.
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8) Overlook House Egg Hunt (4/29)
Hippity hop down the bunny trail and discover what the Easter Bunny left behind! Children (ages 1-5) bring your basket and hunt for filled eggs and little Easter treasures! Shiny Golden Eggs hold the key to a special prize!
What: Overlook House Easter Egg Hunt
When: Saturday, April 19, 2014, 10:30 am sharp
Where: Historic Overlook House, 3839 N Melrose Dr.
This event is sponsored for Overlook children by the Friends of Overlook House. Free, with contributions gratefully accepted.
9) Plan for Kindergarten (by 6/1)
5 years old by September? Sign up for school by June 1st!
If your child will be 5 years old by September 1st, he or she is ready to start school! Register at your school by June 1st to give your child a good start, connect to summer activities, and get access for free resources. School offices close for the summer, so don’t wait! When you register by June 1st, you have time to get to know your school and your teacher, and they have time to prepare the classroom for your child. To identify your school or get help with other childhood issues, call 2-1-1 or e-mail children@211info.org. Interpretation is available.