1) Hazelnut Grove homeless camp to move
2) OKNA social and general meeting (Tuesday)
3) Pride Parade (Sunday)
4) Portland bike share system launches next month (July 19)
5) Sunday Parkways returns to North Portland (June 26)
6) Help plan the future of the ReBuilding Center
7) Happy Hour to discuss affordable housing (June 28)
1) Hazelnut Grove homeless camp to move
On Tuesday, the Overlook Neighborhood Association issued a press release announcing that negotiations between the neighborhood, Mayor Charlie Hales’ office and the Hazelnut Grove homeless camp had broken down after the city and camp representatives went silent. (Read the release on our website.)
In response to that press release, Hales’ office announced that it plans to move the Hazelnut Grove camp by the end of October. The city has not yet identified a location for the camp nor is it sharing any potential sites, and in subsequent conversation with the neighborhood, city staff said they might need some “wiggle room” on that deadline.
Read more in coverage by The Oregonian, KATU, KGW and KPTV.
OKNA will continue to monitor the situation and urge the city to take preventive measures to ensure safety and health for campers and the neighborhood and to begin working toward an orderly move immediately. We also hope the city has learned from its experience with Hazelnut Grove and will engage from the beginning with whatever neighborhood might next house the homeless camp.
2) OKNA social and general meeting (Tuesday)
Join your neighbors on Tuesday, June 21 for a social and the OKNA general meeting at Lucky Labrador Tap Room. This is a chance to get to know the people who live in Overlook and to discuss neighborhood issues with members of the OKNA board who will attend.
Our June meeting will focus on tenants’ rights issues and will feature 30 minutes of presentations from Community Alliance of Tenants and Portland Tenants United. Representatives from City Club of Portland will talk about their recently released report on Housing Affordability. Neighborhood renters will have an opportunity to connect with resources, and they and homeowners can learn about issues affecting Overlook and all of Portland.
Stick around after the presentations to get to know your neighbors. OKNA will provide a $2 discount toward your first food or drink is purchase! Pick yours up when you sign in for the meeting.
OKNA Social & General Meeting
Tuesday, June 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Lucky Labrador Tap Room (1700 N Killingsworth St.)
The annual Pride Parade, part of this summer’s Pride Northwest celebrations takes place on Sunday. The parade starts at 11 a.m. This year’s event is particularly poignant after the shootings at a nightclub in Orlando a week ago.
During the parade, traffic will be disrupted downtown. If you must get around, consider public transit, a cab, lyft or uber.
4) Portland bike share system launches next month (July 19)
Biketown, Portland’s next generation bike share system, will launch on July 19. Membership sales are underway at biketownpdx.com, and the first 1,000 individuals to sign up for membership will be “Founding Members,” receiving a commemorative key to access the system and a special founding member t-shirt. The first 500 members to sign up (using access code PDX500) will get their first month of membership free thanks to a sponsorship from Metro.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation and its partners also unveiled a map of the first 100 Biketown station locations (map). The stations will house 1,000 “smart bikes” with the latest technology. Customers will be able to check out a bike using a smartphone, a computer, a member card, or by typing in their member number and PIN into the keypad on the bike. Bikes can also be parked at thousands of publicly-accessible bike racks in the service area. Users who park a bike outside of a station will be charged an additional fee, and users who return such bikes to the stations will receive a credit. Every bike’s exact location can be viewed in real-time from the system’s website or smartphone app. The app will be available shortly before the program launches.
Annual memberships will cost $12 per month, and include 90 minutes of riding time each day. Single-ride passes and 24-hour passes will also be available when the system launches for those who want to use the program more occasionally, including tourists.
5) Sunday Parkways returns to North Portland (June 26)
Sunday Parkways rolls into North Portland next weekend on June 26th for another round of fun! From its 31-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan located near Kenton Park to its beautiful parks, North Portland epitomizes both old and new Portland. Come and celebrate all that it is with friends and family on June 26th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This route will take you on a 9-mile tour of North Portland leading you to sweep along the scenic Willamette Bluff where you will catch a unforgettable view of Downtown Portland and the Willamette River. While you are at it, make sure to stop by the Kenton, McCoy, Arbor Lodge parks and the Peninsula Park & Rose Garden. Live music, food, fitness classes, bike shop repair stations and more are waiting for you at each of these stops.
The route passes through part of Overlook Neighborhood. Drivers should prepare for delays in North Portland during the event.
6) Help plan the future of the ReBuilding Center
The ReBuilding Center is conducting a feasibility study to explore opportunities to maximize use of its space on N Mississippi Avenue. Specifically, the center is looking at the possibility of redeveloping the northern end of its property to maximize its mission.
The center will host five focus groups over the summer to seek community advice and inspiration for the project. Food and refreshments will be provided, and participants will received $50 gift cards to the Rebuilding Center.
Contact Executive Director Stephen Reichard at stephen@rebuildingcenter.org for more information or to RSVP for a focus group session.
Focus group sessions (Location: Date, Time)
- ReBuilding Center: June 21, 11:30-1:30 p.m.
- ReBuilding Center: June 23, 11:30-1:30 p.m.
- Albina Youth Opportunity School: July 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Albina Youth Opportunity School: July 27, 6-7:30 p.m.
- North Branch Library, Aug. 8, 6-7:30 p.m.
7) Happy Hour to discuss affordable housing (June 28)
Innovative Housing, Inc. will host a Happy Hour in the rooftop garden at The Magnolia Apartments (3250 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) on June 28, 4-6 p.m.
Join other Portlanders interested for drinks, snacks and conversation about affordable housing. RSVP online.