Overlook Neighborhood Update (Jan. 16, 2015)

1) Overlook Neighborhood Association general meeting (Jan. 20)
2) Fix-It Fair (Jan. 24)
3) Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop (Jan. 17)
4) North Portland Land Use Group meeting (Jan. 22)
5) Report air quality problems

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1) Overlook Neighborhood Association general meeting (Jan. 20)

The monthly meeting of the Overlook Neighborhood Association will occur on Tuesday evening. Join your neighbors to talk about what’s going on in Overlook. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion about the proposed city comprehensive plan review as it affects the Overlook area.

OKNA general meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Kaiser Town Hall (3704 N Interstate Ave., across from Overlook Park)

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2) Fix-It Fair (Jan. 24)

Fix-It Fair is a free City of Portland event where you can learn simple ways to save money and connect with resources. Join your neighbors and talk to the experts about how to spend less and stay healthy. Exhibits and workshops include:

A free lunch, on-site childcare and door prizes will be available. There’s no need to register in advance.

Fix-It Fair
Saturday, Jan. 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Rosa Parks Elementary School (8970 N Woolsey Ave.)
On Facebook

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3) Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop (Jan. 17)

Good, timely pruning can improve the shape, strength and fruit set of your trees while simultaneously helping to reduce pest and disease pressure. Certain fruit trees benefit from winter pruning (Jan-Feb), while others benefit greatly from summer pruning (June-Aug).

The workshop will cover the fruit trees that are best pruned in the winter, general pruning theory, as well as specific techniques to help you learn how to make the best cuts on your fruit trees with confidence and skill. Methods taught are organic and incorporate permaculture principles. Taught by local fruit tree expert Monica Maggio of Core Fruit Institute.

Please register by emailing sustainable@overlookneighborhood.org with your name and contact information.

The workshop is cosponsored by Daybreak Cohousing and Sustainable Overlook.

Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
Saturday, Jan. 17, 9 a.m. – Noon
Daybreak Cohousing Community Room (2525 N Killingsworth Ave.)
Suggested donation $10

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4) North Portland Land Use Group meeting (Jan. 22)

The North Portland Land Use Group (NPLUG) will meet on Thursday to discuss issues related to design guidelines and standards. If you attend, please try to bring at least one photo on a thumb drive of a building in your neighborhood that you have been unhappy with. You are also welcome to bring images of buildings (especially new buildings) that bring joy to your day. The group will use those images to talk through different concerns that people have and then arrive at next steps.

The meeting also will include discussion of the city tree code.

Looking ahead, the February meeting (Feb. 26) will feature a presentation and discussion of the city’s mixed use zones project.

North Portland Land Use Group meeting
Thursday, Jan. 22, 7 – 9 p.m.
Historic Kenton Firehouse (8105 N Brandon Ave.)

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5) Report air quality problems

A reminder to please “Smell it, and tell it.”

The State Department of Environmental Quality’s North Portland Air Monitoring project began intensive monitoring of Swan Island air quality and local meteorological conditions on Nov. 1. The testing will continue through Nov. 1, 2015, and after approximately 6 months of analysis, DEQ will reach out to group members (including the Overlook Neighborhood Association) to present the results.

As a reminder, DEQ is also undertaking parallel nuisance odor investigation of the same area for the same duration. Investigators are coming out weekly to check for odors. However, with the new meteorological data, it is helpful to DEQ to receive reports from you telling the time, location and nature of odor so if you smell it, tell it using DEQ’s online reporting tool.

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The Overlook Neighborhood Association, its board and its members do not endorse the events, programs, services or other items included in the Overlook E-Blast. This information is provided as a community service.

Submissions to the E-Blast should be received no later than Wednesday at 8 p.m. to be included in the following Friday’s E-Blast. They can be sent to info@overlookneighborhood.org. We reserve the right to edit and decide on all content printed in the E-Blast and other OKNA publications.

Thank you for your contributions and support.