1) Overlook House Holiday Craft Bazaar (Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 14-15)
2) Prepare for disaster with the Neighborhood Emergency Team (Tuesday, Nov. 10)
3) Portland community survey results are in
4) City off-road cycling committee accepting applications
5) Water look strange? There’s no need to worry.
1) Overlook House Holiday Craft Bazaar (Sat.-Sun., Nov. 14-15)
Visit the Overlook House Holiday Craft Bazaar for a great opportunity to begin holiday shopping in the neighborhood. More than 30 artisans and crafters will fill all three floors of the Overlook House. Shoppers will find it bursting with stocking stuffers as well as that perfect gift for someone special.
All items are hand-made locally. New vendors will join some old favorites. Artisans include photographers, painters, knitters, weavers, glassblowers, ceramicists and more. Gifts include jewelry, soaps, clothing, ornaments, candies, photographs, paintings and much more.
Stop by the dining room for delicious baked goods – both savory and sweet – prepared by neighbors. Anyone who would like to make a favorite treat and donate it to the bake sale table should bring it by on Friday, Nov. 13, between 4 and 8 p.m., or on Saturday morning around 9. Bake sale proceeds benefit future programs at Overlook House.
Overlook House Holiday Craft Bazaar
Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Overlook House (3839 N Melrose Dr.)
2) Prepare for disaster with the Neighborhood Emergency Team (Tuesday, Nov. 10)
Are you ready for a big earthquake or other disaster? Overlook’s Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) is a group of neighbors dedicated to promoting disaster preparedness in our neighborhood.
Learn more about them and how you can get ready on Tuesday at NET’s Skills and Drills series at Beach School 6:30 – 8 p.m. Everyone will meet at the corner of N Humboldt Avenue and N Denver Street. Bring whatever response gear you have. If you have a “go bag,” great. If you don’t have one (or have never heard of such a thing), please join the group just the same. Look for orange helmets.
Overlook’s NET also holds regular meetings the second Monday of even numbered months. The next will take place Monday, Dec. 14, 6:30 – 8 p.m. at Lucky Lab.
Send questions to overlookprepares@gmail.com.
Emergency Skills and Drills
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
N Humboldt Avenue and N Denver Street
3) Portland community survey results are in
Did you know that 87 percent of North Portland residents rank the quality of parks near their homes as Good or Very Good? Or that only half feel safe or very safe walking around North Portland at night?
These data and more are available in the City Auditor’s 2015 Community Survey. It reports residents’ views citywide and by quadrant, covering a wide range of topics including housing affordability, city utilities and transportation.
4) City off-road cycling committee accepting applications
The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is recruiting for Project Advisory Committee members for the Portland Off-road Cycling Master Plan.
The Portland Off-road Cycling Master Plan project will develop a citywide plan for a system of off-road cycling facilities – such as sustainable trail networks, skill parks and pump tracks – for a variety of users, including children, adults and families.
In addition to a broad community outreach and engagement process, a Project Advisory Committee will guide the development of the Portland Off-road Cycling Master Plan. The Advisory Committee will advise staff throughout the development of the Plan and will have the opportunity to submit a Committee report in the Plan’s transmittal to City Council.
The Committee will include 15 at-large community representatives, ideally including:
- Trail and park users
- Portlanders with interests, skills, knowledge and expertise in off-road cycling, environmental stewardship, trail design or management, outdoor recreation, business, tourism and health.
- Members who might be able to contribute perspectives or experiences from historically under-represented or under-served communities, such as communities of color, Portlanders with limited-English proficiency, low-income residents, youth, and Portlanders with disabilities.
The City is particularly interested in members who can bring and consider multiple perspectives and who can think creatively about off-road cycling opportunities citywide.
The Committee will meet approximately monthly for up to one year. Translation, accommodations and childcare will be provided with advance notice.
A Statement of Interest must be submitted no later than Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m.
5) Water look strange? There’s no need to worry.
The Portland Water Bureau reminds city residents that discolored tap water is a common occurrence this time of year. Unusually dry weather this year meant that since July, the Portland Water Bureau has been supplementing the Bull Run water supply with a blend of groundwater from our Columbia South Shore Well Fields. Fall rain has finally returned, and as of November 4, 2015, Portland will return to 100 percent Bull Run water. As we return to the Bull Run source, especially at this time of year, some customers may notice a slight color change in their drinking water.
This is a normal occurrence in our system, as our water supply originates in the Bull Run Watershed near Mt. Hood. Before the water is treated and enters the distribution system, it can take on a tint from organic materials that are washed into the streams and the reservoirs in the watershed, particularly after the first fall rains. Drinking water from the Bull Run is not filtered, which is often why the color can be seen in tap water or staining the filters in your business or home.
The color you see is produced by tannins in organic material, much the same as the color you find in a cup of tea. There is nothing harmful to your health from these tannins. The color effects only the appearance of the water, not the quality.
The length of the fall color season varies with the strength and duration of the rains we experience during this time of year and how much organic material is carried into the system.
As always, the Portland Water Bureau constantly monitors the water entering the distribution system to ensure that it continues to meet all state and federal regulations for safe drinking water, and customers are notified of any changes that may affect the quality of the water we bring to you.
Any questions may be directed to the Water Quality Information Line at 503-823-7525.