Community

Mt Hood POPS Orchestra presents "A New World at the POPS" Ben Brooks Auditorium Sunday Oct 25th 3:30PM

When: Sunday, Oct 25, 2009 3:30PM
Where: Ben Brooks Auditorium
Reynolds High School
1698 SW Cherry Park Rd
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A World Class Orchestra, right here in Gresham

The Mt Hood POPS Orchestra is the finest orchestra this side of the Oregon Symphony, and it's based right here is Gresham.

Here's your chance to enjoy some of the world’s finest music played by a world class orchestra right here in your own back yard!

Has the air traffic noise increased over your house? Share your comments at this meeting

When: Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 6PM
Where: Gresham City Hall
1333 NW Eastman Pky
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The Citizens Noise Advisory Committee (CNAC) for the Portland International Airport would like to personally invite you and your neighbors to it's upcoming Monthly meeting being held next week at the Gresham City Hall. The Agenda for the meeting is below.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Click here for details!

Put on your painting clothes! Come Help Paint Plaza del Sol at the Rockwood Cultural Marketplace (187th & Stark) Friday, Sep 18th 2009

Come for an hour, or come for the day!

When: Friday, Sep 18, 2009 9:30AM-6PM
Where: Rockwood Cultural Marketplace
(former Fred Meyer site)
SE 187th & SE Stark St
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Help us paint the Plaza!

Plaza del Sol is one of several new interim uses being sited by the Gresham Redevelopment Commission on the Cultural Marketplace (former Fred Meyer store) property in Rockwood.

Volunteers are needed to help paint the “Plaza del Sol,” a scale model of the solar system. Come for an hour or come for the day! Wear casual clothes if you want to paint.

Food and refreshments will be provided for volunteers. Pastries by La Mexicana Market, burritos by Don Pedro, and coffee and hot chocolate by Dutch Bros Coffee. Supplies donated by Parr Lumber and Miller Paint.

Express yourself, Help Gresham set attractive, innovative, Multi-Family Design Standards. Community forum Sep 30th

When: Wednesday, Sep 30, 2009 6:30PM
Where: City Hall Conference Center
(Springwater Room)
1333 NW Eastman Pkwy
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Share your ideas!

The Multi-Family Design Standards project will create Code that will facilitate the creation of multi-family housing that is attractive, innovative, of high quality design and materials, and compatible with surrounding neighborhoods. Multi-family development is defined as three or more units located on a single lot. The project will also look at duplexes and mixed-use developments. Issues include defining a vision for multi-family development regarding site design and building design by considering desired quality, design excellence, sustainability, transportation access, traffic impact

Finally some good news. District receives additional $6.2 million in funding

Board votes $2 million to rehire teachers, $2 million for obligations. Places $2.2 million in contingency fund.

Reynolds board votes to spend added millions now, rehire teachers

by Betsy Hammond
The Oregonian, Thursday Aug 13, 2009

A unanimous Reynolds school board voted (tonight) to spend $2 milllion to immediately hire back laid-off teachers in order to reduce class sizes before school starts Sept. 8.

A standing-room-only crowd of teachers and parents applauded loudly.

Many had testified that students would suffer from a lack of attention and individualized instruction if the district stuck to its earlier plans to eliminate one of every four teaching positions and raise class sizes to 35 or larger at most grade levels.

City of Portland Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) Community Forum Seeking ways to share our streets with the homeless

When: Saturday, July 18, 2009 10AM-12PM
Where: Kaiser Town Hall
3704 N. Interstate
Get Map!

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 7PM-9PM
Where: First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
Get Map!

Share your ideas

The economic crisis has drastically impacted many of our neighbors. Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Nick Fish invite all members of our neighborhoods to join them in a community forum to find alternative ways to share our streets, and discuss opportunities to support members of our communities who are faced with homelessness and other challenges.

On April 29, 2009 the Portland City Council agreed to postpone a decision on the Sidewalk Obstructions Ordinance rather than vote to continue or allow it to sunset. A recent court ruling and the Portland Police decision suspending the sit/lie ordinance has created a wonderful opportunity for a community dialogue on the next steps. A report by the Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) Committee sets the framework for discussion about which services have been provided and which are needed.

One way that you can help is to join together and come up with ideas to support our neighbors who are struggling in meeting some of the most basic needs.

Possible discussion topics:
• What are the SAFE Recommendations - Areas of agreement, areas of disagreement?
• How are services coordinated/who does what in the City?
• What services are needed/missing/need enhancements?
• Who needs to be at the table?
• What issues are outstanding?
• Next Steps

Join the discussion

Please join Commissioner Fritz and Commissioner Fish, along with other Portlanders, as together we discuss opportunities to make our city friendly, supportive and accommodating for everyone.

Click to enlarge

City of Portland Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) Community Forum Seeking ways to share our streets with the homeless

When: Saturday, July 18, 2009 10AM-12PM
Where: Kaiser Town Hall
3704 N. Interstate
Get Map!

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 7PM-9PM
Where: First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
Get Map!

Share your ideas

The economic crisis has drastically impacted many of our neighbors. Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Nick Fish invite all members of our neighborhoods to join them in a community forum to find alternative ways to share our streets, and discuss opportunities to support members of our communities who are faced with homelessness and other challenges.

On April 29, 2009 the Portland City Council agreed to postpone a decision on the Sidewalk Obstructions Ordinance rather than vote to continue or allow it to sunset. A recent court ruling and the Portland Police decision suspending the sit/lie ordinance has created a wonderful opportunity for a community dialogue on the next steps. A report by the Street Access For Everyone (SAFE) Committee sets the framework for discussion about which services have been provided and which are needed.

One way that you can help is to join together and come up with ideas to support our neighbors who are struggling in meeting some of the most basic needs.

Possible discussion topics:
• What are the SAFE Recommendations - Areas of agreement, areas of disagreement?
• How are services coordinated/who does what in the City?
• What services are needed/missing/need enhancements?
• Who needs to be at the table?
• What issues are outstanding?
• Next Steps

Join the discussion

Please join Commissioner Fritz and Commissioner Fish, along with other Portlanders, as together we discuss opportunities to make our city friendly, supportive and accommodating for

Signal upgrades, ramp improvements, and pavement repairs are underway. Much needed traffic changes come to West Gresham.

Ask any rush hour commuter traveling NE 181st Ave in West Gresham and they will tell you, traffic congestion between Interstate 84 and NE Halsey St is miserable. In fact at times, it's downright unbearable.

Frustrated commuters rejoice, change is here!

According to the City of Gresham Project Manager and City Engineers the long awaited NE 181st Ave Corridor Signal Improvements project has begun.

Linda Kidby, City of Gresham spokesperson says "signal upgrades, ramp improvements, and pavements repairs are underway right now and should be completed soon" to relieve traffic congestion through this busy area.

Expect delays and weekend closures

Construction workers are currently making improvements to all of the handicap accessible sidewalk ramps at the intersection of NE San Rafael St at NE 181st Ave.

Due to the nature of the asphalt repairs and the high traffic volume along NE 181st Ave city workers will need to close several intersections in the

The Government Affairs Council Presents Going Green in Gresham with Mayor Shane Bemis

When: Wednesday, June 17th 11:30AM -1:00PM
Where: Heidi's Restaurant
1230 NE Cleveland Ave
Gresham, OR
Lunch $20.00

Going Green in Gresham

Where does the City of Gresham stand in the world of going green? Have we implemented green practices at the City and how do we compare to other Cities in the region? What are we doing to leverage our green values for economic development? Do we have a chance of attracting clean technology companies to Gresham? Do we have the infrastructure, work force and tax structure that clean technology companies are seeking? Please join us as we meet with Mayor Shane Bemis to discuss the answer to these and other important questions about our green values and the connection of those values to economic development.

Please RSVP to the Chamber at (503) 665-1131 or by email to gacc@greshamchamber.org.

Going from bad to worse, District lays off 149 teachers, more layoffs coming. Middle School students protest planned budget cuts

Reynolds School District lays off 149 teachers

Source: The Gresham Outlook. By Rob Cullivan. May 29, 2009

The Reynolds School District is laying off 149 teachers as of Aug. 31, with the bulk of the layoffs coming among those hired in the past three years.

Faced with slashing almost $15 million from its 2009-10 budget, the district also will announce further layoffs, including among its music education staff as well as support-staff employees, according to Andrea Watson, district spokeswoman.

The teacher layoffs break down as follows: 5 teachers hired between 1996 and 2001; 42 teachers hired between 2001 and 2006; and 102 hired between 2006 and 2009.