HAND
By Jill Riebesehl
In response to the fatality last year at SE 26th Ave. and Powell Blvd., Tom Mills, TriMet’s director of mobility planning and policy, attended our January meeting to inform the Hosford-Abernethy Board and neighbors of plans to make student access safer. A #70 route change would have the bus turning onto Powell Blvd. from Milwaukie Ave., then onto 21st Ave., stopping at Tibbetts St. to let off students.
The #70 would reconnect with its regular SE/NE route via Ladd Ave. This would return bus service through Ladd’s Addition, bring back previous bus stops and enhance access to the light rail red line out to the airport. Mills said the agency will move ahead with these changes by late spring. He also said TriMet is rethinking its service citywide in response to passenger needs post-COVID-19 and will be instituting some fare increases.
The other subject of note was a proposal for converting the piece of vacant land on SE 19th Ave. off Division St. into a transitional refuge for people who are homeless. The nonprofit WeShine has built a tiny house site at NE 125th Ave. and Halsey St. on church property and, in conjunction with others in our neighborhood such as REACH, is moving ahead with a proposal for the Avalon property. HAND Board members are designing a Good Neighbor Agreement, and the Board and neighbors at the meeting wrestled with site problem solving and a number of other concerns. Stay tuned.
Our next meeting will be held via Zoom Tuesday, February 21, 7 pm.
Montavilla Neighborhood Association
By Louise Hoff
We welcome all Montavilla residents to our next Montavilla Neighborhood Association meeting Tuesday, February 7, 6:30 pm at the Gigantic Robot Room at Rocket Empire Machine, 6935 NE Glisan St. here in Montavilla. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and talk about what is happening in our neighborhood, zoning and city issues impacting us.
Montavilla Neighborhood Association had a good turnout for our semi-annual styrofoam collection last Saturday in the Montavilla Church parking lot on SE Hawthorne Blvd. Thank you to our board member/volunteers Ron Thrasher (drove to the recycle center), Jacob Loeb (Chair) and Matt Moore (great graphics). We plan to have another styrofoam drive this summer.
At the heart of Montavilla cultural life is the Montavilla Jazz Society, which is commissioning place-based compositions about the Mt. Tabor Park for their 10th anniversary celebration. They are currently selecting a panel to choose three compositions from the 27 applicants. We cannot wait to hear their music!
Saturday, April 29, the 17th Annual “Roses in the Heart of Portland” Parade is happening! The Parade route goes right through Montavilla along SE 82nd Ave. so we need to get our applications in for floats or performances. We have such an artistic community we can come up with original entries. Applications are online at 82rosescec.com.
Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association
By David Petrozzi
MTNA hosted our regular monthly meeting Wednesday, January 18 via Zoom. We enjoyed an extensive presentation on emergency preparedness by a guest speaker and professional in the field, while several neighbors shared resources with each other regarding safety and disaster planning.
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, February 15 via Zoom with a topic to be determined. Interested in being a part of the MTNA and volunteering to assist the neighborhood? Send us an email and find links for all of our meetings on our website, mttaborpdx.org.
North Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Kim Kasch
The North Tabor Neighborhood Association held its first neighborhood meeting of 2023 Tuesday, January 17 via Zoom. Producing a digital newsletter for the neighborhood was discussed, as increasing our neighborhood involvement is our goal for 2023. Also having a logo contest for the newsletter banner is in the works.
Our next neighborhood meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 pm via Zoom. Please check our website, northtabor.org, for additional information and feel free to email our Board with any questions at board@northtabor.org.
Richmond Neighborhood Association
By Allen Field
The Richmond Neighborhood Association (RNA) does not meet in January so no monthly meeting occurred last month. Zoom meetings are the second Monday of the month, 7-9 pm, except January. The next meeting will be February 13. The link to preregister is on the agenda, which is posted to richmondpdx.org and the RNA Announce listserv the week before the meeting. To be added to the listserv, email richmondnasecretary@gmail.com.
The RNA is excited to have been awarded a $4,900 grant from SE Uplift under its Community Small Grants program, funded by the city’s Office of Community & Civic Life, to provide a Telehealth Booth that our houseless neighbors can use to contact access medical and psychiatric care specialists. Dr. Richard Bruno, RNA Board Member, is managing the project.
The RNA will hold its Spring Cleanup and U-Price-It Rummage/Plant Sale Saturday, May 20 at Central Christian Church, 1844 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. This is an all-volunteer event, except for drivers picking up or delivering recyclable items, who we reimburse for their service and use of their trucks. If you are interested in volunteering for the Cleanup or want to help with your truck, please contact richmondcleanup@gmail.com (please specify if you can provide a truck). If you helped with the 2022 Cleanup, you are already on the volunteer list and will be contacted in February or March about this year’s Cleanup. If you have a passion for recycling or getting involved in fun community events, this is the event for you.
Our next meeting is Monday, February 13; we hope you can attend.