Announcement

City of Gresham News, Community Activities, Workshops & More

Neighborhood Connections is a publication from the City of Gresham Communications & Community Outreach offering City of Gresham news, Public Safety information, Community Activities & Events, Training & Workshops, Volunteer Opportunities, and more.

Inside this Issue

• Get Outside and Get Healthy
• Skatepark Opening Celebration
• Historic Certified Local Government Project
• Love Your Lawn: Leave It Alone
• Music Mondays at the Center for the Arts Plaza
• It’s Not Too Late to Plant Your Garden
• Seven Mediators Join East Metro Mediation
• Party on the Plaza: Street Dance
• We’d Like Your Green Opinion
• National Night Out – August 3
• Summer Paving Projects Start
• Gresham SmartTrips – Learn How This Summer
• Wanted: Stream Stewards and Watershed Warriors
• Rockwood in Motion – Get Project News by E-Mail Opt-In

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

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Gresham Neighborhoods listing

For more information, visit the Neighborhood Associations page at GreshamOregon.gov or contact Cathy Harrington at 503-618-2482, or email Cathy.Harrington@GreshamOregon.gov.

Planning Commission to discuss Development Code Improvement Project

When: Monday June 15, 2010 3PM
Where: Council Chambers
City Hall
1333 NW Eastman Parkway
Gresham, OR

The City Council will be holding a hearing on some of the topics from the 2009 Development Code Improvement Project and the 2009 Corridor Districts Review project at 3:00 PM on June 15, 2010. The hearing will be held in the Council Chambers, located at 1333 NW Eastman Parkway. You may find the staff report and proposed amendments on the City Council website. The public may provide written testimony before or at the hearing, and may provide oral testimony at the hearing.

Nelson Neighborhood Park Master Plan Click to enlarge

Public forums, citizen input and design changes complete City Council set to adopt Nelson Neighborhood Park Master Plan

When: Tuesday Jun 1, 2010 6PM
Where: Gresham City Hall
Council Chamber
1333 NW Eastman Pky
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Council to consider plan

The Gresham City Council will consider for adoption the Nelson Property Neighborhood Park Master Plan at the June 1st, 6PM meeting in the City Council Chamber. There will be a public comment period at the start of the meeting. Comments are limited to 3 minutes. Everyone is encouraged to attend this important meeting and show their support for this project.

About Nelson

The Nelson Property is a 2.0-acre parcel located adjacent to the City-owned Nadaka Nature Park, fronting NE Glisan Street at NE 176th. Click here for a vicinity map of the area.

The second Nelson Property Neighborhood Park Master Plan Community Forum was held March 31st. At this forum the Preferred Design Alternative was presented which took into account comments from the Parks & Recreation Advisory Subcommittee, Urban Forestry Subcommittee, January 20 Community Forum, Metro Parks & Greenspaces, East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and City staff.

The Master Plan includes approximately 1/3 of the property to be community gardens and orchard. There will also be picnic tables, a nature-based play area, and public restrooms. A walking loop will connect the Nelson Neighborhood Park with Nadaka Nature Park. (It will be necessary for citizens to obtain addtitional grant monies to develop the Nelson property.) The Nelson Property Summary Report and Community Forum Summary Reports are available on the City's website here.

Background

In 2009 the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association and Friends of Nadaka successfully obtained a Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grant, a grant from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and a donation from the Nelson Family Trust to purchase the 2 arce site for use as a neighborhood park. The Trust For Public Lands negotiated the purchase.

Improving citizen safety though understanding and participation

When: Saturday May 15, 2010 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Where: Gresham City Hall
Council Chambers
1333 NW Eastman Pkwy
Gresham OR
Get Map!

You're Invited!

The spring's quarterly neighborhood safety forum topics will be:

• Update on City Enforcement Objectives
• Effective Crime Reporting and why it is important
• Property Crimes are on the rise – what you can do to protect yourself
• Organizing your street/block – it’s fun and easy and we’ll give you just the “tool” to get you started

“Ride for Reynolds” Car Rally and Poker Run Saturday May 15th 9:30AM

When: Saturday May 15, 2010 9:30AM
Where: Reynolds High School
1698 SW Cherry Park Rd
Troutdale, OR 97060

Get Map!

Join the Fun!

Reynolds Education Foundation will host a car rally/poker run, May 15th starting at 9:30 am at Reynolds High School.

Visit district businesses to collect your poker hand and raffle tickets.

Registration is available at 503 256-2088. $25 covers your poker hand, raffle tickets, and BBQ at the end of the run back at Reynolds High School.

Join us to remove invasives and find a 'little' treasure! Nadaka clean-up starts at 9AM, CITO Geocache begins at noon

When: Sunday May 16, 2010 9:00AM - 2:00PM
Where: Nadaka Nature Park
17500 NE Pacific St
Gresham, Oregon
Get Map!

Clean-up Event

The Wilkes East Neighborhood Association continues to restore Nadaka's 10 acre natural area. This event will include removing invasive underbrush such as ivy, holly & blackberries. A CITO geocaching event by Nogs & Devil Hunter will be held around Noon. (To participate in the geocaching come prepared to work first.)

Geocache Event

Nogs and Devil Hunter would like invite you to participate in a CITO and nature park restoration at Nadaka Nature Park in Gresham, Sunday May 16th. Clean-up starts at 9:00AM. Geocache begins at 12:00PM with a geocoin raffle! Bring our CITO kit, gloves, water, snacks and or lunch.

CITO -- "Cache In, Trash Out" is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers have been dedicated to cleaning up parks and other cache-friendly places around the world. Through these volunteer efforts, we help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor resources!

Stretch your grocery dollars at the farmers market! Enjoy the best produce and products, flowers, and plants starts direct from the garden.

Healthy and fresh

Farmer’s Markets are a fantastic source for fresh, seasonal, locally produced foods, and artisan products. Plus, there are activities and fun for the whole family. So come experience the market. Meet the vendors. Meet other cooks. Enjoy the freshest produce and products. Make your own statement in support of local food!

(Grow your own vegetables? Click here for Portland Nursery's 12-month "Veggie Calendar" planting guide)

Details on these area markets can be found below.

• Fairview Farmers' & Artists' Market
• Gresham Farmers Market
• Hollywood Farmers' Market
• Lents International Farmers' Market
• Lloyd Farmers Market
• Montavilla Farmers Market
• Parkrose Farmers Market
• Portland Farmers Market
• Troutdale Farmers' and Artists' Market

You'll find plenty of root vegitables, braising greens and lettuces, and of course plant starts for your own vegetable garden.

Bring your reusable shopping bags and plenty of small bills, though some of the markets will trade you a credit/debit card for wooden tokens that all vendors accept, which can be easier to handle than cash. We've indicated those markets that accept Oregon Trail or other food assistant coupons - more access to good food for all.

Urban Renewal Project Funding Small Business Incentive Program

When: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 6:00PM
Where: Council Chambers
Gresham Civic Center
Public Safety & Schools Building
1333 NW Eastman Parkway
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Special Meeting

The Gresham Redevelopment Commission will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. The special meeting will convene immediately following adjournment of the 6:00 p.m. Gresham City Council meeting in the Council Chambers, Gresham Civic Center, Public Safety & Schools Building, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR. No Executive Session is scheduled at this time.

The purpose of the special meeting is for the Commission to consider two resolutions:

1. Resolution authorizing execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Gresham for Urban Renewal Project Funding
2. Resolution in support of a Small Business Incentive program

The complete agenda packet is available on the City of Gresham web site, accessible from the following link: GRDC Agendas and Minutes.

Wasco Street Neighborhood Watch Multi-site Garage Sale Cypress Park May 7th-8th, 9AM-4PM

When: May 7-8, 2010 9AM-4PM
Where: NE Wasco Street
(Between NE 172nd - NE 179th)
Get Map!

Mark your calendar

It's that yardsale and garage sale time of year again!

Cypress Park's Wasco Street Neighborhood Watch group is hosting a two-day multi-site Garage Sale, Friday & Saturday, May 7th-8th 2010, from 9AM to 4PM.

Look for signs in the neighborhood directing you to garages full of treasures.

Judging from Commissioner McKeel’s reaction the East County courthouse construction could start in December 2010

Source: The Gresham Outlook (Apr 20, 2010)

Judging from Commissioner Diane McKeel’s smile following Tuesday’s briefing on the East County courthouse project, the embattled building is likely to become a reality.

The five-member board of commissioners will decide on Thursday, April 22, whether to build the structure, more than 25 years in the works.

During its Tuesday meeting, county commissioners considered both two-courtroom and three-courtroom configurations for the building, which is proposed for county-owned land on SE 185th Ave and Stark St in Rockwood. Get Map!

Depending on the number of courtrooms, the project could cost between $17.4 million and $20.7 million. A few million dollars from selling surplus county land south of Edgefield in Troutdale is earmarked for the courthouse. The rest of the money most likely will be financed through bonds.

County commissioners seemed to like the idea of moving ahead with the project now to take advantage of the weak construction market and low interest rates.

If approved, construction could start in December, with the building finished in early 2012.