1) Family night on the Bluffs (Sunday, April 3)
2) Sign up for Portland’s urgent safety messages
3) Middle Housing coming to Overlook?
4) Parks and clean water through art (Wednesday, April 6)
5) Celebrate spring with a healthy lawn and garden
6) Civics for Adults Workshop Series
7) OKNA Board meeting (Tuesday, April 5)
8) And finally…
1) Family night on the Bluffs (Sunday, April 3)
Overlook neighbors on Skidmore Terrace invite you to join them on Sunday for family night at the Skidmore Bluffs.
Over the years Skidmore Bluffs have become a popular spot to watch the sunset, and over the years residents of Skidmore Terrace have noticed a few trends they’d like to curb, e.g., urinating in yards, smoking, drinking, loud music, parking in the no parking zones, etc. One night in particular – Sunday night – seems to always attract crowds that for whatever reason are particularly ill-behaved.
The Skidmore Terrace residents would like to put a stop to the rowdy Sunday nights (and get to know their neighbors a bit better, too). They invite all Overlook residents to join them on Sunday for family night at the Bluffs. They hope that by filling the park with families, over time the crowds will either move on to another location or curb their poor behavior.
Come out to meet some neighbors, enjoy the sunset and keep Overlook a great place for families.
Inaugural family night at Skidmore Bluffs
Sunday, April 3 at sunset (about 6:45 – 7:45 p.m.)
Skidmore Bluffs
2) Sign up for Portland’s urgent safety messages
The City of Portland and Multnomah County reminds all residents to visit www.PublicAlerts.org (PublicAlerts) to sign up to receive urgent safety information.
PublicAlerts is able to send messages to landline phones, mobile phones, and email addresses. Alerts are only issued when the public needs to take action to remain safe, such as staying inside, evacuating, or boiling water.
PublicAlerts was first launched in 2011. The system used by Portland and Multnomah County was recently improved and is now able to issue safety information in 10 languages other than English, including Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Laotian, Arabic, Romanian, Somali and Ukrainian. Residents must sign up to receive non-English messages.
When signing up, residents are also able to indicate if they may have additional needs in an emergency — such as mobility issues or hearing or visual impairment — or difficulty communicating with public safety responders.
3) Middle Housing coming to Overlook?
Commissioner Steve Novick has come out in support of “middle housing.” That’s denser development between a regular house and a large apartment building. Think duplexes and garden apartments.
The idea has made its way into discussions about the city’s Comprehensive Plan update, which is the official development plan for the next 20 years. The blocks north across the street from Overlook Park could be a test spot for middle housing development.
Share your thoughts on this idea or any other elements of the Comprehensive Plan at upcoming public hearings and City Council action. Among the upcoming meetings are:
- April 14, 6-9 p.m. Comprehensive Plan Hearing on Amendments, Portland Building Auditorium (1120 SW 5th Ave.)
- April 20, 9:45 a.m. Comprehensive Plan Hearing on Amendments, Council Chambers, City Hall (1221 SW 4th Ave.)
- April 28 2 p.m. Comprehensive Plan Amendment Vote
4) Parks and clean water through art (Wednesday, April 6)
The North Portland Parks Advisory Group and Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group are sponsoring an evening of artistic expression and information sharing in support of clean water and parks. Speakers will include:
- Travis Williams, Willamette River Keepers
- Emily Bosanquet, Pacific Northwest College of the Arts (PNCA)
- Mary Lou Soscia, Environmental Protection Agency
- Susan Barthel, City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Parks and clean water through art
Wednesday, April 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Historic Kenton Firehouse (8105 N Brandon Ave.)
5) Celebrate spring with a healthy lawn and garden
Did you know that more than 400 Overlook neighbors have pledged to reduce or eliminate pesticides like Round-up and “weed and feed” in their yard? According Metro, “Garden chemicals can be harmful to humans, pets, wildlife and waterways. The good news is there are many surprisingly easy ways to care for your lawn and garden that avoid putting your family and neighbors at risk.” If you’re interested in learning more or in taking the Health Lawn and Garden Pledge, visit the Sustainable Overlook website.
6) Civics for Adults Workshop Series
The Civics for Adults Series will host two upcoming discussions in North Portland. The first is titled “Misinformation and political propaganda.” The second is called “The Constitution and the governments we live with.” Click on the image for details.
7) OKNA Board meeting (Tuesday, April 5)
The OKNA board meets on Tuesday. Items on the agenda include middle housing, questions for a possible North Portland mayoral candidate forum and general meeting format.
OKNA Board meeting
Tuesday, April 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Overlook House (3839 N Melrose Drive)
Spring has arrived in Overlook, and what better place to take some wedding photos than at our neighborhood street art?
