Parkrose Heights Portland

The City of Portland has issued permits for the home  at 3265 NE 108th Avenue (NE 108th and Klickitat, in Parkrose Heights) to be demolished and replaced with a a new, two-story dwelling.

The current home is a one-story house built in 1953, with a shop in the rear. The owner is listed as Kim C. Nguyen. The new construction permit allows a single-family, two-story house with attached two-car garage.

Parkrose United Methodist Church is beginning a weekly "Monday Evenings In the Garden" series in its community garden. The first meeting was held July 12, and meetings will continue weekly.

The church describes this group as:

Community time in the garden each week together building community and attending to the soul:

◊ Checking in with each other on garden progress

◊ Sharing insights about your favorite vegetables

◊ Sharing poetry/meditations from: our own garden experiences, from creation spirituality resources, from world religion and “hands-in-the-dirt” spiritual practices and sharing resources and action potential around environmental issues.

During the first meeting, participants sampled nasturtiums, edible flowers with a strong peppery taste. Many participants had never tried nasturtiums before! Some members also brought fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs to share.

Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the community garden at PUMC, 11111 NE Knott Street. Gardeners from outside the community garden are welcome.

The garden itself is looking well.  I had recently noticed that grass was taking over an empty portion of the garden, which I can sympathize with -- grass is always trying to get a foothold in my garden, too! But community gardener Clay Osburn arranged to have the empty portion of the garden covered in weed-barrier cloth, so all is tidy again. Many different varieties of edible plants are flourishing in the raised beds and other parts of the garden.

We reported last summer that the city of Portland was in the process of purchasing the property at 11510 NE Knott Street (between Knott Park and Knott School), which at the time held a collection of rickety, vacant buildings. 

The purchase did go through, and the Parks and Recreation department has now razed the buildings and flattened the lot.  According to East Zone manager Doug Brennan, the lot will simply become part of the park, and will probably be seeded with grass at some point. However, the lot has no irrigation system, and the parks department has no money to install an irrigation system at this time, so this will probably not happen until fall 2010.  There are also several existing trees which remain on the property.

Local residents can eat out and support Sacramento Elementary School at two upcoming events:

February 24 -- eat at Burgerville on NE 122nd Avenue between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and 10% of all profit goes to Sacramento Elementary. This is the same night as Sacramento's Fairy Tale Family Night Event, so families can plan to eat at Burgerville either before or after the event.  No flyer or coupon is needed for this event.

March 10 -- eat at the Original Taco House, NE 82nd and Klickitat, between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.  Bring a flyer (available through the school) and 50% of your purchase will go to Sacramento Elementary.

The Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors meeting on January 26 featured an energetic conversation with State Representative Jefferson Smith. But before Smith got up to speak:

• Neighborhood police officers gave a brief crime report, including a report on recent graffiti on NE 108th Avenue. Officers said, “We’re not sure if it’s gang related. They threw up some names and stuff that could be gang-related.”
• Teri Poppino, the new crime prevention coordinator for Parkrose Heights introduced herself and reminded us that online self-reporting for non-emergency crimes is now available.  “One of the cool things about self-reporting is that you get a free copy of the report,” mentioned Poppino. She also pointed out a new toll-free phone number for reporting stray shopping carts in the neighborhood: 1-888-55-CARTS.

Also in attendance were Chris Scarzello, the East District liaison for the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Shirley Craddick of Gresham’s city council, who is currently running for Metro Council in District 1, and Joe Smith of the State Aviation Board (also Jefferson Smith’s father).

Representative Smith opened his talk by asking for issues and questions that people wanted addressed.  These included infrastructure, education and funding for it, the LNG pipeline, the Columbia Crossing (I-5 Bridge) project, and the state budget.

He then jumped right into the budget issues, explaining how the legislature came up with its budget: a combination of budget cuts and tax increases was needed to create a balanced budget.

New taxes passed during the 2009 session included:

• a hospital tax that provides health coverage for uninsured children as well as additional spots for adults in the Oregon Health Plan
• a gas tax to pay for transportation-related expenses
• the increase in taxes on corporations and wealthy couples and individuals which was voted on in measures 66 and 67.

Smith voted in favor of the hospital tax, despite opposition from Portland Adventist Medical Center, calling it an easy vote because this district has the largest number of uninsured children. “I would have been irresponsible had I not advocated for it.”

He also voted in favor of the taxes included in 66/67, noting that the legislature “did not punt it to the voters.” Anti-tax groups forced the issue to the ballot; if they hadn’t, the taxes would simply have taken effect as planned.  Smith was vehement that this was the right thing to do for both the district and the state, citing population growth, lower incomes, and higher need for services in East Portland.  

Smith also based his decision on the results of a town meeting held in March 2009, in which participants unanimously agreed that the best way to balance the budget would be a combination of budget cuts and tax increases, rather than relying on one or the other.  In addition $733 million to be raised from tax increases, the legislature cut about $2 billion from the budget and used about $1 million in one-time funding.

On the subject of education, Smith pointed out that we have a big achievement gap in this district, between poor kids and richer kids. He attributes this to what happens over the summer, saying “If I had to pick one priority, it would be summer.”  Smith sees summer school programs as the key to kids retaining what they’ve learned from year to year, and thinks poor kids are disadvantaged in this area.

Asked about how to continue funding education without having to vote on it every few years, Smith dodged a bit, saying that if 66/67 passed we shouldn’t have to worry about it for a few years. He admitted that we have a problem, pointing out that part of it is that property taxes have been kept artificially low by Measures 5 and 50.

On infrastructure, Smith regrets that he didn’t try to get on the Transportation committee, where he could have opposed the gas tax passed by the Legislature. He feels the gas tax doesn’t benefit the district enough, and doesn’t do enough to decrease driving either.  He urged residents to talk to city council members and candidates about how they can help with the infrastructure in East Portland.

Smith also briefly touched on the Columbia River Crossing, saying “it is badly planned, it is badly conceived,” and points out that “we’ve spent $100 million without laying a single stone!”  He doesn’t see much benefit for us, because while the majority of the traffic on the bridge will come from Vancouver residents, it’s our marginal tax rates that are likely to increase to fund the project (while Vancouver doesn’t even have an income tax).

In response to a question about the proposed liquefied natural gas terminals and pipelines in Oregon, Smith isn’t sure whether liquefied natural gas itself is good or not, but he supports a bill to limit LNG, saying that what they’re trying to do is use our public resources to give California more power.

Finally, Smith pointed to his successes in the legislature this year:

• Passage of a bill to increase access to high speed internet and reduce the “digital divide.”
• A transparency bill
• Online voter registration (which he hopes will increase civic participation in his district)
• A $3 political party contribution check-off on state tax returns (also to increase participation and political power for the district)
• Passage of the biggest water bill in the last 30 to 40 years, which sets water policy for the entire state.

Smith also spoke at the Glenfair and Hazelwood neighborhood meetings in January.  He's currently back in Salem for a special session of the legislature.

State Representative Jefferson Smith will speak at the Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors general meeting on Tuesday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m.  He'll be there to discuss local issues with residents and talk about the work he's doing for District 47 in the state legislature.

PHAN meets at Parkrose United Methodist Church, 11111 NE Knott Street. General meetings are held quarterly, and are open to all neighborhood residents.

Yes, there were police searching backyards up and down Morris Street, with a dog, Sunday evening.  From what I heard, they were looking for a person. I'll be looking for more information (they asked me to stay inside in order to not confuse the dog), but meanwhile, here are my live tweets from my front window (in reverse chronological order).

UPDATE 12/15/09: I still have no official information, but according to Jade's comment below, the search encompassed several streets, including Morris, Stanton, and Fargo, and she was told that police were searching for a robbery suspect.

The Vine Time Fellowship at Parkrose United Methodist Church is involved in a conspiracy -- the Advent Conspiracy.

The Advent Conspiracy is a movement to change the way we celebrate Christmas. It's not just about "putting the Christ back in Christmas."  The four parts of the Advent Conspiracy are to "Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All."

Vine Time is spending their weekly meetings learning about and discussing these four areas. But they're also working on a project for the "Love All" part of the conspiracy. This project is called "Beans of Grace."  The group is assembling dried bean soup packets to donate to local food pantries.

The project originates from local charity SnowCap.  SnowCap provides bag labels and instructions for making soup packets, and groups or churches can then purchase beans, soup base, and plastic bags and assemble the packets.  "They did it at Eastminster [Presbyterian Church] during the Maundy Thursday service," explains Shannon Starr. That's where Vine Time got the idea to take on the project themselves.

They've also been learning things from this project -- like how to cook beans! During a discussion, they found that some members regularly cook with beans and others don't. Some had to learn how, discovering how delicious and economical they are.

According to Pastor Bill Gates, as a follow-up, the church may explore partnering with Crossroads Community Church to provide volunteers for the local food pantry.  Meanwhile, they're doing hands-on work assembling the bean soup packets.

UPDATE: The entire special report on Kids and Play is now available on katu.com. Segments three and four (Recess Problems parts one and two) were filmed at Sacramento.

KATU visited Sacramento Elementary earlier this year to film an promotional spot for the Bald Faced Truth Foundation; now they're back with a special report on Kids and Play. Reporter/anchor Anna Song, who's a co-founder of the Bald Faced Truth Foundation, came out with a crew to film students at recess, doing games with nonprofit group Playworks. Kids and Play segments will be featured on KATU newscasts all day on Monday, November 23.

Segments from Sacramento will also be used to promote the Playworks program, which provides recess coaches who lead games and activities at lower income schools. In exchange, Sacramento received one week of free services from Playworks, something that simply wouldn't be in the budget otherwise.

37 students, parents and staff from Parkrose's Sacramento Elementary attended the Portland State Vikings football game on October 17, which benefited the Bald Faced Truth Foundation.  Participants rode a school bus to the game, received free admission, and appeared on the field between the first and second quarters.

The event will be covered on KATU's 11:00 news on Saturday, and on the earlier evening newscasts on Sunday.

The Bald Faced Truth Foundation is helping to fund a special class for Sacramento's afterschool program. Sacramento students also appeared in a a TV promo for the event.

John Canzano and Anna Song's Bald Faced Truth Foundation is doing a fundraiser with the Portland State Vikings football team, and students from Sacramento Elementary are featured in the TV promo! Proceeds from special $10 tickets to the Portland State/Northern Arizona game on October 17 go to the foundation, which supports local programs for kids in the arts, music, education and athletics.

Sacramento Elementary also received tickets for 25 children (and a parent for each) to attend the football game. 

You can still help!  Just go to the football game, and let them know you're from Sacramento Elementary. They'll make sure proceeds from your ticket go to the fundraiser.

Sacramento Elementary in Parkrose Heights will hold its Back to School Night on Thursday, September 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Pizza will be served, and parents and students will be able to visit classrooms and meet teachers.

Sacramento is gearing up for a busy year, too!  October 7 will be Walk and Bike to School Day (more details to come). The PTO and school will also host a winter celebration in December. Fundraisers are already underway; the PTO is selling entertainment books for $20, and has a new scrip program, in which families can order gift cards for many different businesses (including grocery stores and gas stations), and the PTO gets a percentage of all sales. In October, kids will be selling food and gift items from Cherry Hill.

Finally, over the summer Sacramento received a Bronze Award from the Healthy Schools Program for its efforts to create a healthier school environment for students and staff. Congratulations to Sacramento Elementary!

ParkroseGateway.com has confirmed that the City of Portland's Parks and Recreation Department is under contract to purchase the property at 11510 NE Knott Street (adjacent to both Knott Park and Knott School). 

Family members who were on-site Saturday, August 8 said that the city had bought the property and would be razing the buildings.  Acquisitions Program Manager Riley Whitcomb of Parks and Recreation says that the purchase probably won't be completed until October.

Neighbors have been concerned about the condition of the property for some time. The parcel currently contains a small, boarded-up house and several sheds and garages in varying states of disrepair.  Grass, weeds and brush have been allowed to grow up around the buildings.  The owner, according to city records, was Alfred J. Bayer, who died this year, leaving the property vacant. The buildings and property were supposed to be secured for safety reasons, but children and others have sometimes been able to gain access to the property. Several nuisance and housing complaints have been filed against the property.

Carol Williams, chair of the Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors, says "...it is a parcel that we would like to have as an addition for Knott Park.  There has also been talk of the space being used as a community garden."

About 900 people attended the Parkrose Heights Neighborhood Party in Knott Park for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4. Among the guests was Portland Mayor Sam Adams, along with Amy Ruiz, his Planning and Sustainability Policy Advisor.

The United Methodist Men of Parkrose United Methodist Church served up 450 hot dogs, plus fruit, bean salad, chips and lemonade. Cha Cha the Clown entertained kids with balloon hats, swords and animals, and face painters also decorated the kids. Everyone enjoyed hanging out in the park and listening to live music from the Insomniacs and the Eric Christopher Band (some even danced).

City Repair's Tea Horse also visited Knott Park. Volunteers set up the huge cloth wings, set out rugs and pillows, and the Tea Horse opened for business, serving free tea and cookies.

Plans are already under way for next year's event.

See pictures of the event here.

NOTE: Parkrose Kidical Mass is taking a break until October 2009. Thanks for your interest!

Parkrose Kidical Mass is held the third Friday of every month at 6:00 p.m. It's a fun, safe, family-friendly bike ride through the Parkrose Heights neighborhood. We begin and end at Knott Park, in the parking lot near the baseball field at NE 112th and Russell.

Parkrose Kidical Mass rides this Friday, June 19 at 6:00 p.m.  Meet at Knott Park, in the parking lot near the baseball field at NE 112th and Russell for a fun, family-oriented bike ride through the neighborhood.

Why?  Well, FUN, getting to know your neighbors, and increasing awareness of cycling and bike safety.

Be there at 6:00; we'll be departing promptly at 6:15 for our ride.  Helmets are required, and children should be accompanied by an adult. Scooters, skates and skateboards are welcome, too!

The Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors will hold its quarterly general meeting on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m.  It's held at Parkrose United Methodist Church (NE 111th and Knott), and all neighborhood residents are welcome.

On the agenda for January is a visit from Mike Rick of Code Compliance and Nick Atsansov of Neighborhood Inspections, both from the City of Portland.  They'll discuss what you can do about code and zoning violations (like illegally parked vehicles, excessive junk, etc.).

Also, Angela Wagnon will make her first visit as the new Crime Prevention Program Coordinator for the Office of Neighborhood Involvement.

For more information, contact Carol Williams, PHAN Chair, at 503-255-9596 or carolsmailbox@msn.com.

Parkrose Kidical Mass WILL ride this Saturday, January 17, at 3:00 p.m. We'll start at Knott Park, NE 112th and NE Russell, in the parking lot near the baseball field. It will be cold, so we'll make it a short ride -- from 3:00 - 3:30. Parents and other adults are encouraged to ride along with children.

Kidical Mass is a fun, family-friendly bike ride, designed to bring people in the community together and make bikes more visible in the community, especially where children are concerned.  Anyone is welcome to take part.

There are no closures or delays in the Parkrose/Gateway area due to weather for Monday, January 5 (as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday).  However, parents should know that while David Douglas and Portland schools are in session on Monday, Parkrose schools are NOT.  Parkrose students have an extra (planned) day of vacation; Parkrose teachers have a mid-year planning day.

And don't forget that Monday is also the day of Mayor Sam Adams' public inauguration at Parkrose High School, 12:00 noon!

The Oregonian reported recently on the Ukrainian School of Knowledge, which is held on weekends at Parkrose High School and draws students from all over the Portland area.  The school teaches a wide variety of subjects, including Ukrainian language and culture, music, and core subjects like math.

The Portland Tribune tells us about a plan to purchase new, heated switches for MAX tracks.  Recent cold weather froze switches and prevented Red line trains from continuing from Gateway Transit Center toward the airport.

Okay, I'll admit it.  Most of the action for New Year's Eve 2008 seems to be centered closer to downtown Portland.  But if you're like me, you don't always want to head that way, especially if you've waited until the last minute to decide what to do.  With that in mind, here are a few things happening in East County for New Year's Eve.

The Sheraton Portland Airport will host a New Year's Eve celebration, and is offering a $99 per night special for December 31st.

The Airport Holiday Inn has Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts for it's New Year's Eve party, beginning at 9:30 p.m.  $28.50 per person for just the party, $189 per couple for a dinner and dancing package, or $289 per couple for an overnight package.

The New Year's Eve party at McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale will feature live music from The Strange Tones, The Quick and Easy Boys, and Lincoln Crockett and Lucky Finn.  Performances by The Quick and Easy Boys and Lincoln Crockett and Lucky Finn are free.  The Strange Tones will perform in the Blackberry Hall for overnight guests with Ballroom or Black Rabbit packages only.  Overnight packages are available from $245-445 per couple.

As always, the entire Tri-Met system will be fareless after 8:00 p.m. until end of service on New Year's Eve.  MAX will have additional late night service available.  For Parkrose residents, MAX Red line will continue to run a shuttle train from Gateway Transit Center to Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center and the airport every 30 minutes from 11:50 p.m. to 3:26 a.m. (I can't do the math on that, but whatever).  Use Tri-Met, taxis, or a designated driver, please!

The big thaw is well underway.  I was surprised to see how much snow melted overnight!  My husband, Steven decided to go pick up some donuts and a few other things from Gateway Fred Meyer, but when he got there, he was greeted by emergency vehicles and waved away from the parking lot.

We found out later, from KATU, that part of the store's roof had collapsed!  No one was injured, but KATU reports that the store is closed for the time being because of fears that other portions of the roof could fall in.  I was unable to reach the store by phone for more information.

Very few closures are reported today, since most roads are clearing and it's Saturday anyway. Most Tri-Met lines are running as normal (but don't forget that it is Saturday).

The City of Portland is asking residents to help by clearing sidewalks and storm drains/catch basins so that melting snow can drain off properly and prevent flooding.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day!  We stayed home all day.  I'd say we had a quiet day at home, but we have three children.  We're hoping to get out today to see the grandparents.  We can get out - I took the car out on Christmas Eve, and only got stuck getting back into our own driveway.  And the main streets are OK, but Mom says their neighborhood in SE is pretty difficult still. 

Things around town are getting better, but there are still closures and delays in place, especially for Tri-Met.

Tri-Met

MAX Blue line and Red Line are both running their full lengths, every 20 minutes.  Yellow line is running only between the Rose Quarter and Expo Center, every 20 minutes.

Lines 22, 23, 25, 27 are still canceled. 

15-Belmont: No service on Mt Tabor. Buses use Glisan between 39th and 82nd.

33-Fremont: No service on Fremont between 27th & 35th or east of 82nd; 92nd; Benjamin; Halsey or 102nd north of Pacific (if you can figure out what that means, I'm impressed).

Line 71 is running again.

Garbage/Recycling Service

I contacted our carrier, Arrow Sanitary, and they said that all garbage/recycling service this week had  been canceled, but that they would resume their normal schedule next week, beginning on Monday, 12/29.  Residents can put out extra bags of garbage at no additional charge.  Any recyclable materials that do not fit into the recycling cart can be put into paper bags and placed next to the cart (recycling cannot be accepted in plastic bags).

If your garbage/recycling is handled by a different carrier, you should contact them for details.  If you don't know who your carrier is, you can find out here.

Other

Happy Christmas Eve! Snow fell overnight and is falling again, with freezing rain predicted for later this afternoon. With that, many churches have either canceled Christmas Eve services or changed the service times. I'll list those I know about below, but if your church isn't listed, be sure to call someone to confirm before you try to go out. Or, if you know about a closure that isn't listed here, email me at kathleen@parkrosegateway.com or tweet me at @parkrosegateway, and I'll get it posted.

These updates are local to Parkrose/Gateway; for information about the greater Portland area, check with one of the local news stations. I will update around noon with any additional closures, since some decisions have not been made yet.

Tri-Met

MAX Blue line trains are running every 15 minutes. Red line trains ARE now running, but only between Gateway and the airport. You will have transfer to or from a Blue line train at Gateway. Yellow line trains are not running and have been replaced by shuttle buses.

15-Belmont: No service on Mt Tabor. Buses use Glisan between 39th and 82nd. Expect delays.

20-Burnside/Stark: No service on East Burnside between 39th & 102nd. Buses use Glisan from 39th to 82nd and Stark or Washington from 82nd to 102nd. Expect delays.

22, 23, 25, and 27 are still canceled (blecccchhhhh).

The 71-60th Ave/122nd Ave. is CANCELED! The whole route! Holy heck, what is up with that? There goes my potential trip to Winco.

Medical

Adventist Medical Center: Emergency Department and patient care services are open. Most health education classes and meetings have been canceled. Gresham Imaging Center is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Some Adventist Health Medical Clinics are open, but with limited hours. Please call to confirm before traveling to your appointment. For updates, visit www.AdventistHealthNW.com.

County Offices/Libraries

Multnomah County offices and clinics will open at 10 am on Wednesday, except for the Mid-County Health Clinic which is closed. The late opening is due to ongoing snow removal from facility parking lots. Limited parking is available at many facilities due to snow drifts. Essential employees should report at their regular scheduled time. Non-essential employees should report in time to open for business at 10 am. County libraries are closed Wednesday and Thursday, as scheduled, for Christmas holiday.

Multnomah County library has stated on their website that there will be no overdue fines for books that were due on days that they library was closed due to severe weather conditions.

Community Centers

Montavilla Community Center opens at 10 a.m., but all camps and activities are cancelled. Call for updates.

Businesses

Environmentally Conscious Recycling at NE 122nd and San Rafael is closed and cannot take customers due to weather conditions.

Churches

Abundant Life Church - Happy Valley and Parkrose Campuses have canceled all Christmas Eve services. Visit www.coolchurch.com keyword "Winter Weather" for more information and for a special video from Pastor George.

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ - Christmas Eve service CANCELED

Parkrose United Methodist Church Christmas Eve service CANCELED (updated 10:50 a.m.)

Eastminster Presbyterian Church - Christmas Eve service CANCELED

St. Rita Catholic Church - St. Rita Church midnight Mass CANCELED this evening, 5:30 PM and 10:00 AM Masses as scheduled.

Crossroads Church - Christmas Eve service CANCELED (updated 12:30 p.m.)

Eastside Foursquare Church - Christmas Eve service CANCELED.

The Grotto - Festival of Lights is CANCELED for Dec. 24th. Christmas Eve masses will still be held at 10:00 p.m. and midnight. (updated 12:30 p.m.)

Portland Harvest Church - Christmas Eve Prayer and Worship CANCELED (updated 12:30 p.m.)

I'm a little late, but everything was pretty much the same today!  PDOT was able to plow and sand secondary routes like NE 111th today, but we're still stuck because our tire chains did not work.  The rubber bands used to tighten the chains properly were old and snapped. 

We're also expecting a few more inches of snow before Christmas, apparently!

These updates are local to Parkrose/Gateway; for information about the greater Portland area, check with one of the local news stations.

Tri-Met

MAX blue line is running every 15 minutes.  MAX Red line is now running all the way to the airport.

Lines 22, 23, 25 and 27 have NO service today (I'm quite annoyed by that, as I live on and use line 23).

15-Belmont is running, but does not cross Mt. Tabor (uses Glisan instead).  Expect delays.

77-Broadway/Halsey: No service on Halsey between 82nd and 102nd (buses use Stark and Washington). No service east of 257th in Troutdale.

County Offices

All county offices, clinics, and libraries are closed, except for the McCoy Building Health Clinic and Pharmacy in downtown Portland at SW Stark and SW 5th. The clinic and pharmacy are open from noon to 4 pm to all county patients..

Community Centers

East Portland and Montavilla are open.  Some scheduled camps and classes may be cancelled; call for updates.

Churches

Abundant Life Church Parkrose campus is closed.

The Grotto and the Festival of Lights are closed.