Overlook Neighborhood Update (Sept. 12) – Overlook Neighborhood Association

1) OKNA annual meeting on Tuesday

Join your neighbors on Zoom for the Overlook Neighborhood Association annual meeting (also known as the September general meeting). We’ll meet the new board members for 2020-21 and discuss content for the next issue of the Overlook Views newsletter. Full agenda.

2) City to install 100 portable toilets near homeless camps

This city began installing 100 portable toilets for homeless residents in hopes of improving livability. The city’s Homelessness/Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program planned to place 25 portable toilets this week in Northwest Portland, Old Town, downtown, Goose Hollow, and inner Northeast and Southeast Portland.

Over the next several weeks, an additional 75 toilets will be sited across the city, with an emphasis on East Portland and North Portland.

City officials have declined to identify where they plan to place toilets in advance. If you would like to share suggestions about where the toilets should or should not go in Overlook or share any other comments about homeless camps in the neighborhood, contact Program Managers Lucas Hillier (lucas.hillier@portlandoregon.gov 503-823-6930) and Katherine Lindsay (katie.lindsay@portlandoregon.gov 503-823-6928).

An interactive map will show where toilets are after they have been placed. There currently are two in Overlook: near the intersection of Greeley and Interstate (at the Hazelnut Grove homeless camp) and at Going and Interstate where it has attracted a large homeless camp.

Learn more about the program on the official announcement page.

3) I-5 Interstate Bridge closure postponed to next week

The Oregon Department of Transportation has rescheduled the start of the I-5 Interstate Bridge Trunnion Replacement Project to Saturday, Sept. 19 following its postponement because of wildfires. It had been scheduled to begin today.

ODOT cannot wait for too long because the work needs to be done within a Coast Guard permit window and while the river level is low.

Under the new schedule, ODOT will begin closure of the northbound span at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 and it will remain closed until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27.

Following the rescheduled nine-day closure, the left lane on the southbound span will close Sept. 28-Oct. 4 around the clock as crews upgrade the median barrier, remove equipment and wrap up the project.

Learn more about the project at interstatebridge.org.

4) Meet the new OKNA Board

Members of the 2020-21 OKNA Board will have a chance to introduce themselves at the Sept. 15 annual meeting, but in the meantime, here are brief statements from the new board. Thank you all for volunteering to keep Overlook Portland’s best neighborhood.

Alan Cranna

Alan has been a member of OKNA since 1991. During that time he has been chair, co-chair and area representative. He and Carol Cushman are in charge of delivering the OKNA newsletter.

Alexandra Degher

Alexandra has lived in Overlook since 2009 where she has a house with a large vegetable garden and has joint custody of a sweet Goldendoodle. For her day job she leads HP’s carbon neutral program with a goal of understanding and reducing the major carbon impacts of HP’s printer products.

Alexandra has been on the OKNA board for three years, currently serving as chair. During her stint on the board, she has served as secretary, transportation chair, vice chair and sustainability chair.

Brad Halverson

My family has lived on Court Avenue for almost 30 years, and I have worked for Kaiser Permanente (mostly in the neighborhood) for longer than that. I look forward to helping make people aware of transportation-related issues in our part of town. Transportation is one of my passions which motivated me to be involved in OKNA. My years of interaction with PBOT, TriMet, ODOT and others to help make the infrastructure work as well as possible.

Casey Boggs

Since 2011, Casey and his young family have lived in the Overlook Neighborhood and enjoyed its unique community vibe, remarkable neighbors and access to Portland’s food and entertainment. Casey is a small business owner on Mississippi St. and has been on the OKNA board for one year. He serves on the pastoral council of St. Andrew’s church on NE Alberta Street, and is the chairman of the board of Financial Beginnings USA. a nonprofit focused on offering financial literacy curriculum for the underserved.

The primary purpose for Casey to be on the OKNA board is to be involved in this community and be a part of a positive solution to keep the Overlook neighborhood safe and livable.

Cassie Kebler

Cassie and her husband Lee moved to Overlook in September 2019 after previously renting a few years prior. She works in brand communications and is interested in taking over some of the communications tasks for the OKNA board in the future.

Christian Trejbal

Christian has served on the OKNA Board for seven years, including three years as chair and as the current vice chair. He has represented the neighborhood at several city and state hearings to ensure that neighbors best interests are heard by decision-makers. This has included several land-use cases and transportation issues related to tolling on Interstate 5. He also is the digital and communications coordinator for OKNA, including editing Overlook Views, our quarterly newsletter.

His greatest joy serving on the board is helping neighbors tackle problems that might seem insurmountable. That can be organizing support from OKNA or just getting someone in touch with the right person at the city.

Christian lives near the adidas campus.

Cynthia Sulaski

Ever since Cynthia moved to Portland 23 years ago, she’s enjoyed committing herself to all things Portland and Overlook. Besides organizing tree plantings, the Friends of Patton Square Park and movies in Overlook Park, she’s put her energy into many other activities that enhanced the quality of life in the neighborhood. Removing graffiti, picking up trash, helping to fund the creation of Beach Community Garden and Pittman HydroPark all fit the bill. She looks forward to continuing her work for another year on the OKNA Board with a great group of neighbors who are also dedicated to the Overlook neighborhood.

George Spaulding

George Spaulding is a 40-year resident of Overlook with his wife Carolyn. He has been involved with the Overlook Neighborhood Association for more than 25 years in neighborhood cleanup, tree planting, land use, Overlook Views distribution, and public safety, including the Public Safety Action Committee which is in a state of change from being city-coordinated and run to being facilitated by volunteers. PSAC currently is suspended by COVID 19. He would like to continue participating in the re-establishment of PSAC and promoting more community involvement in all aspects of public safety and livability.

John Parks

John has been on OKNA board for one year. He was born in North Portland, grew up in the Woodlawn Neighborhood and graduated from Washington High School. He worked primarily in finance for 30 years, then in logistics for the U.S. Postal Service until he retired last year. Since then, he has volunteered his time at OKNA, Portland Public Schools and the Oregon Historical Society.

John and his family have lived in Overlook since 1975. Their three children were born at Bess Kaiser Hospital, currently the adidas headquarters. Their grandchildren attend Jefferson High School and Beach Elementary.

They chose this neighborhood 45 years ago because it felt like home, filled with old houses, welcoming neighbors and the promise of a bright future. There were challenges then as there are today. He would like to continue to strive to make our neighborhood a home for all who live here, whether by choice or by circumstance.

Lee Kebler

A resident of Overlook in 2014 and again in 2019, Lee and his wife (Cassie) moved to Overlook last September and have been thrilled to call it home. He currently works at Intel on the Olympics team. He is very excited to be a part of the neighborhood and the association.

Marci Macfarlane

Marci grew up in SE Portland and moved to Overlook in 1988 when she was lucky enough to buy her aunt’s house. Her aunt had bought the house in Overlook in 1952. Marci’s parents taught her at an early age that the best way to make a difference is to volunteer in your local community. She has sat on several non-profit boards such as the Portland Highland Games Association, North Portland Tool Library and the Pittman Addition Hydro Park. She also has volunteered her time at several other community organizations.

She worked at Powells for 24 years, running the art gallery for 14 years. She and her husband are owned by two cats and have recently been adopted by the neighbor’s cat. On a nice day you might see her out in her art car called the Trophy Wife.