Community

Wilkes East neighbors Robyn and Eric El Kay

By: Robyn El Kay Neighbor, WENA Board member Hello, neighbors! My name is Robyn, and my family moved into the neighborhood in Spring 2023. In the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association, our motto is "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together WE Can Make a Difference!”

One of the great things about having a neighborhood association is knowing that there is a group of people advocating for you, your home, and your local community right where you live. Our neighborhood association (WENA) is no exception. This group of dedicated individuals meets every month to discuss upcoming and pertinent matters affecting our neighborhood - you may be surprised to know some of the impact this group has had!

Since moving into the Wilkes East neighborhood, this committed group has:

• Worked to get our beloved Nadaka Park otter, “Slider” back after it was stolen in 2024.
• Ensured that we (your neighbors) are up to date on how land is being used around our area.Take for example, the new Habitat for Humanity project happening near 176th and Glisan.
• Submitted grant proposals to ensure we are able to continue supporting our community.
• Brought awareness to matters affecting our neighborhood, such as the removal of our elder Douglas Firs.

And perhaps most significantly, our WENA has hosted neighborhood clean-ups allowing all of us to dispose of our unsightly and often hidden rubbish from behind our homes and beside our garages free of charge! Be sure to mark your calendars for this year's clean-up - and get your rubbish ready!

WENA is a group of your neighbors that cares deeply about the overall wellness of our community. My family and I have seen that firsthand. Since the day we moved into the neighborhood, we have been welcomed by warmth, kindness, and generosity - even through my pregnancy, and the welcoming of our first child, August. If you see us, please say hi!

As the neighborhood continues to grow and change, this group will also continue to evolve. We want to make sure you know that WENA is here for all of us. We hope that each of you will learn more about your neighborhood association, and consider contributing your voice and expertise. It’s vital that our neighborhood association continues to thrive. Come join us. Share your ideas.

Visit our website any time at wilkeseastna.org or reach out to us at info@wilkeseastna.org - we look forward to seeing you around!

Gather Your Junk! The Dumpsters Are Coming! Rain or Shine

Drop-off Location:   MOOSE LODGE, 16411 NE HALSEY

Bring us household junk, old furniture, plastics, beds, yard debris, bulky waste, small appliances, scrap wood, scrap metal (BBQs, mowers, bikes, microwaves, etc), large appliances (no appliances with Freon), dishwashers, ovens, stoves, washers, dryers, etc.

Please, do not bring clothes, computers, electronics, TV's, food garbage, chemicals, animal waste, liquids, glass, soil, rocks, tires, concrete, paint, batteries, propane, tanks, construction debris, fluorescent bulbs, or medical waste.

Suggested Donation: Car $15, Van/Pickup: $20, Trailer $30.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Contact info@wilkeseastna.org

Fall 2025 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Fall 2025 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Election of Board Officers Jason Naumann Rockwood Common Tool Library Cathy Keathly Gresham City Councilor Neighborhood News and more!

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

¡Descargue nuestro boletín en español aquí!. (incluye enlaces web activos)

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our general meetings.

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By Janet Unruh, WENA Board Member

Until recently, several dozen homeless campers were living in a forested area northeast of Troutdale on the Sandy River Delta, a.k.a. Thousand Acres Park. The park is about three miles from Gresham and five miles from the Wilkes East neighborhood. It consists of 50 acres of land owned by the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL), next to 1,500 acres owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The campers have been living on the DSL land[1]. There have been an estimated 35 camps, some of which were in existence for nearly 25 years[2]. DSL states that the land is not suitable for habitation because of wildfire risk, flooding, and environmental degradation[3].

For these reasons, the state attempted a brute-force eviction of the campers in June, but it failed because the campers and their supporters fought back. Another eviction by means of persuasion and facilitation has been underway since then, with a deadline of October 1st to leave voluntarily, after which the remaining campers were to be forced out. There are unanswered questions about where the campers have gone.

THE CAMPS
Campers said they worked to keep their sites clean and used restrooms at nearby parks[4]. They had electricity—the camps had multiple generators and electrical lines that ran from camp to camp[5]. We have meetings—we try to have standards," said Gene, one of the longtime campers. Gene's camp was visibly tidy, complete with decorations and a makeshift fence[1]. However, when the local TV station, KGW, visited the site, most of the camps they saw were not like his[4].

Many living in Thousand Acres describe their community as a family. “This community is a very rare one indeed. It’s a community that’s full of people that come from different walks of life, that in a normal setting would not get along. But one thing that we appreciate the most [about] Thousand Acres is it’s always been a place where we could go and feel like no one is here to judge[4]. Another said, "This is more of a communal existence out here[1].”

The area has multiple memorials for community members who have passed, and gravesites for deceased pets. But in spite of their efforts, trash accumulated and the area became polluted, especially around abandoned camps.

THE INITIAL EVICTION ATTEMPT
Notices were posted in May, stating that campers had to leave by June 2[6]. Campers were to be forced out after the deadline[2]. They hadn’t been offered any help, they said[7].

On June 3, teams from two contract companies hired by DSL, NorthWest HazMat, Inc., and Northwest Enforcement Inc., arrived at Thousand Acres with work crews, trucks, and an excavator. They were blocked at the site by ditches dug across the road to the camps and barriers erected to prevent eviction[1]. A crowd of campers and their supporters had gathered to resist the eviction and cleanup effort. They held up signs that said, “We do not consent” and “Stop the sweep.” As the contractors began attempting to collect the belongings of the campers, a struggle ensued, and witnesses said that four people were maced by the hazmat workers[4]. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek ordered a pause on the eviction due to the repeated clashes[7]. The contractors had been on site for less than a week.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW
The Department of State Lands (DSL) reassessed its approach and worked with homeless advocates to determine the best way forward. DSL hired remediation contractor Rapid Response Bio-Clean, which is experienced in trauma-informed engagement and field operations[8].

Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) contracted with The Salvation Army to conduct outreach to the campers throughout the summer and fall. The outreach team made regular visits to the camps to build trust, share information, and offer connections to shelter and services[3].

"We do anticipate that this current effort will be ongoing for the next several weeks," said DSL spokesperson Alyssa Rash. "Our priority at this time remains voluntary compliance with the people experiencing homelessness or camping overnight at the Delta to relocate. However, we are partnered with law enforcement agencies, and when we have exhausted every avenue toward voluntary compliance, we do have enforcement as a legal backstop option[9]."

The campers responded by submitting a proposal, the “Cooperative Stewardship Proposal for the Sandy River Delta,” which would allow them to continue to live on site and help maintain the space[4].

“This proposal presents a community-driven approach to managing the Sandy River Delta. It emphasizes environmental restoration, responsible habitation, and proactive land management—all aimed at preserving human dignity while safeguarding ecological balance. By integrating sustainable housing solutions with organized land cleanup and long-term cooperative governance, this model stands as a robust alternative to short-term, temporary fixes that have failed many in our community[10].”

The proposal offered solutions for abandoned camps, waste management, hazardous waste, fire safety, enforcement of community rules, unauthorized vehicles, and land restoration. The proposal included a description of the supporting legal and financial framework. The proposal requested modular tiny homes and sustainable infrastructure, with estimated costs of approximately $11,357 – $14,957 per unit. No estimate was given for the number of units. The proposed timeline for phase one called for cleanup and restoration to be completed by August 25. Remaining activities were listed, but without dates.

In conclusion, the proposal offered “a permanent, sustainable solution for the Sandy River Delta. By addressing immediate cleanup needs and combining cost-effective, modular housing with robust community governance, we move beyond the short-term fixes that have repeatedly failed our community. This unified model not only ensures dignified, long-term shelter but also fosters a resilient system of environmental and community stewardship[10].”

The proposal was apparently ignored by DSL. Perhaps the biggest reason would be the risk of flooding. If we ever have another flood like the one in 1996, it would wipe out their village.

THE OCTOBER EVICTION
Some campers had moved out of Thousand Acres by September. On September 15, DSL announced a new, accelerated phase in the eviction and cleanup process. Legal notices were posted at the remaining occupied camps on September 26 informing residents that the area would be closed on October 1st—five days later—and they had to vacate immediately[3].

HSD’s contract with The Salvation Army expires at the end of October, and the outreach team will continue to work with the remaining campers until then. DSL’s contractor, Rapid Response Bio-Clean, will remove personal property and debris from the site, and a (unnamed) security contractor will monitor the area to prevent campers from returning. The area will remain closed for restoration until January 2026[3].

THE OUTCOME FOR CAMPERS
Did East Multnomah County (or the metro area generally) have the capacity to house several dozen homeless people by the October 1st deadline? How many were placed in housing, and how many were forced out to the streets or parts unknown?

I interviewed The Salvation Army Program Manager Phillip Emery about their effort to help the campers transition to shelter. He assured me that they all had access to resources, including the Salvation Army’s own shelters, but he explained that it was out of scope to ensure that everyone was placed. At the end of October, HSD would take that over[11].

The HSD’s data dashboard is a monthly view of data about homelessness in Multnomah County. The most recent demographics as of July, 2025, show 8,278 chronically homeless people in Multnomah County, with 4,467 unsheltered[12].

“I’m on a six-month waiting list for housing, and I don’t know what I’m going to do,” a 20-year Thousand Acres resident known as Grizzly said in the group’s press release. “There’s gotta be some kind of a solution that’s not forcing us out and putting us in jail. That would help nothing[4].”

"There's 40 of us that aren't willing to separate. So as a family, we are going to find a neighborhood somewhere where we can exist at. That may be in somebody's backyard. It may be on their front (expletive) porch," Thousand Acres resident, Countryman said. "I'm not real happy about any of this, but we have to be somewhere[2].

ADDENDUM
I contacted Zach Kearl, Management Analyst at Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department, to ask him to comment on a draft of the article I wrote on the Thousand Acres homeless camp eviction. He and I have discussed the homeless situation many times over the past months. He kindly wrote back to me in email on October 20, 2025 and told me several interesting things. He gave me his permission to post his response on the WENA newsletter website:

Click "Read more" (below) to view Endnotes

By Janet Unruh, WENA Board Member

The Moose Lodge is a fraternal order—a membership organization with formal rules, officers, and local chapters (often called lodges). Fraternal orders in the United States include the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Columbus, the Elks, and many others. Decades ago, the Moose Lodge was a men-only club with initiation rituals, but over time it has opened membership to all genders, and the rituals have fallen away. Today the Lodge focuses on social, charitable, and mutual-aid activities.

The Wilkes East Neighborhood Association has been fortunate to partner with our neighborhood Moose Lodge, where we hold our public meetings. The room we use is ideal: a spacious, multipurpose room with long tables, plenty of chairs, and hookups for a microphone and a laptop to display presentations on big screens. The Lodge also permits us to hold our Spring Cleanup—where neighbors drop off household junk for disposal—in its parking lot.

And when I say “the Lodge,” I also mean Steve Waters, the administrator. I interviewed Steve and learned much more about the Lodge. He is personable and generous and was happy to talk about its activities; I scribbled notes as fast as I could. The Lodge keeps a full calendar: Sunday breakfasts, dinners, an art/painting club, a camping club, Boy and Girl Scouts, bingo, poker, pinochle, Monday Night Football (in season), and special events for kids. One of its biggest efforts is partnering with SnowCap. The Lodge also sponsors fundraisers for back-to-school supplies, the county animal shelter, Parkrose High School football equipment, Red Cross CPR classes, and many other causes. Although membership skews toward baby boomers—and many similar clubs have closed—our local Lodge is growing.

On the national scene, Moose International supports two residential communities:

Mooseheart is a residential childcare campus founded in 1913 by the Loyal Order of Moose. It provides a safe, structured home with K–12 education, small class sizes, vocational training, and extracurricular activities designed to prepare students for college, careers, and life. See: https://www.mooseheart.org/

Moosehaven is a private membership retirement community on the St. Johns River in Orange Park, Florida. Serving members age sixty-five and older, it offers a full range of programs and support services. Moosehaven has served members since 1922 and is rated among the best nursing homes in the country by U.S. News & World Report. See: https://www.moosehaven.org/

Back at our neighborhood Lodge, it feels like an oasis. Members say they feel safe and welcome. Inside, the Lodge has a full bar with ten beers on tap and reasonably priced mixed drinks. There’s a large dining room, an ample kitchen, the back meeting room, and plenty of parking. I noticed the outdoor patio with tables and chairs, and Steve said the Lodge plans to build an outdoor event area at the back of the property with a stage and a barbecue.

I asked about membership. The Lodge is a private club, and new members need a sponsor who is already a member. The application fee is $20, and annual dues are $70. I like the sense of community and the Lodge’s broad charitable work, and I’m enthusiastic about expanding our partnership with them.

Our local Moose Lodge is at 16411 NE Halsey St., Portland OR 97230. Ph: 503-253-1891. Website: https://mooselodge1891.com/ Email: loom1891@gmail.com