1) Taking action on the Greeley homeless camps
2) Fun had by all at OKNA Holiday parties
3) Travel safely on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31)
4) An OKNA wedding
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1) Taking action on the Greeley homeless camps
About 75 people attended the Overlook Neighborhood Association special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the homeless camps on N Greeley Avenue near N Interstate Avenue. The OKNA Board heard from a couple of representatives of Hazelnut Grove and about two dozen neighborhood residents. They provided thoughtful, compassionate ideas about how the neighborhood association should respond to the current city plans for the homeless campers.
After the neighborhood testimony, the board discussed the options and voted to take two steps in parallel:
First, we will send a letter to the city reiterating our opposition to allowing the camp to exist on a site that is unhealthy and unsafe. If, over the neighborhood’s objection, the city chooses to issue a permit for the camp, we request that it include provisions that will address concerns raised by neighbors and will improve health and safety for all. Among them, we will ask:
- That campers be required to register under their legal name as residents so that the city and neighbors know who is living there.
- That there be a cap on the number of campers allowed.
- That a firm deadline be established by which the camp will shut down no later than the expiration of the city’s emergency declaration in October 2016. The mayor’s office has repeatedly stated that this is a temporary, short-term solution. It’s time to define what that means.
The full letter and list of requests is in the works. It should be available early next week. The Board will post it to the OKNA website and send it out to our email list.
Second, we will consult with an attorney regarding our legal options to address the city’s plans through litigation if necessary. We remain deeply disappointed that the city has refused to engage with us in any meaningful way and regret that legal action seems to be the only course forward to have our concerns addressed by the city.
2) Fun had by all at OKNA Holiday parties
Neighborhood residents recently celebrated not one but two holiday parties.
Last week, Overlook neighbors gathered to celebrate the holiday season at the OKNA Holiday Party. By all accounts, it was a lively event full of merriment and good will. Thank you to everyone for helping make Overlook a special place to live.
Special thanks also goes to the local people and businesses that donated items for door prizes: Blooming Moon Wellness Spa, Grand Central Baking, Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen, Ruby Jewel, Tamara Maher, P.C., Kent and Jill Hoddick, Pinky’s, and Black Wagon.
This week, neighbors again gathered for festivities, this time organized by the Overlook Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) at New American. They talked about emergency preparedness and planning for the year ahead, but mostly they cut back without worrying about earthquakes for a while.
3) Travel safely on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31)
On New Year’s Eve, all TriMet services will be free after 8 p.m. If you tip back a few glasses of bubbly or other beverages, keep yourself and your neighbors safe by catching a bus or light rail ride home.
Buses, Portland Streetcar, and WES Commuter Rail will run on regular weekday schedules. MAX will run on regular weekday schedules with extended late-night service until about 3 a.m. Want to plan ahead? Map out your night using the TriMet Trip Planner. (If you’re traveling after midnight on New Year’s Eve, select January 1, not December 31.)
Congratulations to Overlook Neighborhood Association Board Chair Dannielle Herman who recently married her boyfriend John. We wish them both many years of happiness and joy together.
