Buckman Community Association
By Susan Lindsay
Please join the Buckman Community Association (BCA) Thursday, March 12, 7 pm, in our new ground floor, ADA accessible, in-person meeting space at Hinson Church, 1137 SE 20th St. Please enter on SE Salmon St. using code provided at door. Parking is available in the lot. The meeting is also available remotely. The link can be accessed directly from our website, buckmanpdx.org, or email us for it.
The BCA welcomes Vadim Mozyrsky, candidate for Multnomah County Commission District 1, to our March 12 meeting, and hopefully Rep. Rob Nosse.
The BCA has formed a sub-committee to begin work on a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for the planned 70 bed treatment center in the Lolo Pass Hotel, SE 16th Ave. and E Burnside St. This plan will hopefully encompass both the Buckman and Kerns neighborhoods as it is situated between the two areas. For more information on the GNA, attend the monthly meetings where reports will be given or reach out directly to the Association.
Buckman is hosting a Portland Parks “Movie in the Park” Thursday, July 18 at dusk. After that, our annual summer event, Buckman Picnic in the Park, will be Sunday, August 4, 4-8 pm. Both will be held at Colonel Summers Park. We’ll need volunteers for both, especially the picnic, and your tax deductible donations are needed and welcome. Information about donating to support our ability to host fun summer events for residents, their friends and especially kids can be found on our website.
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, which comes out just prior to the meeting, at buckmanpdx.org. To ask for time on meeting agendas or if you have any questions or want to get involved, please contact the BCA Board at buckmanboard@googlegroups.com.
HAND
By Jill Riebesehl
Known to us old-timers as the Civic Auditorium, the Keller is on the drawing boards to be replaced or relocated, as Portland seeks a modern arts and performance events venue. The Hosford-Abernethy (HAND) Board and neighbors heard from one of the groups (PSU, the Lloyd Center and 21st Century Keller) in the running at its February meeting. The Keller Renaissance Project, a public-private entity, proposes a reinvented structure that would overlook and be connected with the Keller Fountain designed by Lawrence Halprin. We look forward to hearing Portland State University’s proposal.
Vadim Mozyrsky, who is running for a seat on the Multnomah County Commission, shared his qualifications and ideas. He is on the May primary ballot; HAND lies in District 1. We heard from another candidate last month.
In other news, infrastructure work is progressing on the Avalon sanctuary at SE 19th Ave. and Division St., with a hoped-for opening in late June. The HAND Board agreed to give $150 to help build better protection from vandals at the Colonel Summers Community Garden, which is used by several HAND neighbors. Additionally, the Board gave its support for a new mural on the 7-11 building at SE 19th Ave. and Hawthorne Blvd.
We learned that the Clinton Triangle sanctuary (TASS) is at capacity; people from there are rolling out, finding more permanent futures; there haven’t been many expulsions; and efforts to deal with the area surrounding the camp are succeeding. Further, using a small pot of city money, we are eyeing spots in our neighborhood that could be brightened up with light displays using funds available as an offshoot from the sanctuary.
The HAND board meets at 7 pm every third Tuesday of each month on the campus of St. Philip Neri. Everyone is welcome.
Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Nadine Fielder
The Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association’s February meeting on Zoom delved into important topics that included an update from Southeast Uplift’s director about the coalition office’s 31 percent budget cut and what that might mean for neighborhood associations, an update on the repair and refilling of Reservoir 6 in Mt. Tabor Park (soon!), an upcoming personal safety training for neighbors and much more. We also had a visit from representatives of the Portland Police Bureau, who addressed neighbor concerns and questions. Our next neighborhood clean-up, in conjunction with the North Tabor NA, will be Saturday, April 20, in the Unity Church parking lot on SE Stark St.
We invite all neighbors to come be a part of the process! The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm, and you can find a link to all meetings under the Meetings and Events tab on our website, mttaborpdx.org. Come join us!
Richmond Neighborhood Association
By Allen Field
The Richmond Neighborhood Association (RNA) held its monthly meeting Monday, February 12. Meetings are the second Monday of the month, 7-9 pm, except January, at Central Christian Church, 1844 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. People can also participate via Zoom; the link to pre-register for Zoom is on the agenda, which is posted to richmondpdx.org and the RNA Announce listserv. To be added to the listserv, email richmondnasecretary@gmail.com.
Nanci Champlin, Executive Director of SE Uplift, the District Coalition that provides services and funding to the SE area neighborhood associations and other community groups, gave a presentation on the changes to the Neighborhood Association (NA) System and a proposed budget cut under the new form of city government voted in last year. The services of the seven coalitions that currently oversee the city’s 95 NAs will be consolidated into four existing nonprofit coalitions, which will have boundaries that match the four geographic council districts. The new form of government will start on January 1, 2025; however, the new coalition maps and proposed budget cuts will start July 1, 2024.
SE Uplift faces a 31 percent budget cut, while the other coalitions get a budget increase, based on a population-based funding formula. The four new council districts were drawn to equalize the population count for the districts.
The largest and most direct impact to NAs is the possible elimination of insurance funding; if that disappears, NAs can no longer put on community events and many will fold. People are encouraged to email the mayor to ask for additional funding for coalitions, especially to ensure that NA insurance funding is not eliminated.
The Richmond Spring Cleanup takes place Saturday, May 18. Central Christian Church, 1844 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd., will again be the site for cars and trucks to drive in to unload bulky waste and metal/electronics/Styrofoam recycling for free. No construction or demolition material will be accepted. The popular, huge U-Price-It plant and rummage sale will return.
We are seeking volunteers to help at the event. Morning snacks and pizza lunch provided. We also need two-person pickup truck crews to pick up items from seniors’ homes for $20/hr. Contact richmondcleanup@gmail.com to volunteer or be a pickup truck crew. If you have a passion for recycling, helping our seniors or getting involved in fun community events, this is the event for you.
Come and check out an RNA meeting and learn about ways to get more involved in your community. Our next meeting will be March 11.
South Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Cathy Kudlick
Greetings to all who live and/or work in the area bounded by SE Division St., SE 50th Ave., SE Powell Blvd. and SE 82nd Ave.! With signs of spring starting to peek out, join us to bring our neighborhood together. We meet in person the third Thursday of every month to plan events such as our annual June garage sale/garden shares, street mural painting and of course discussions of safety and other concerns related to the world we share. We’re low-key and open to your suggestions for topics, guests and ways we can connect.
For example, following our practice of meeting with candidates who request time with our association, at our February meeting we hosted a lively Q&A with Mary Lou Hennrich, who is running in the May Democratic primary for state representative in Portland’s HD 46.
Get involved by coming to a meeting, joining our Board or pitching in for our in-the-works neighborhood newsletter.
Our next meeting will be March 21, 7 pm at All City Church, 2700 SE 67th Ave. (enter from the parking lot side). We will be hearing from PBOT about the Building a Better 82nd project, as well as possible improvements to the neighborhood greenway at SE Woodward St. and 59th Ave.
To learn more, follow us on Facebook or visit our website, southtabor.org, where you can also sign up for our low-traffic email list.
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
By Gloria Jacobs
In February the SNA had a special General Meeting to hear from our local state representative Rob Nosse. He shared his thoughts on reforming Measure 110, the governor’s housing plan, the chronic under funding of Oregon schools and his bill to improve arts funding. The SNA also welcomed Nathan Broden as our liaison to the Sunnyside Environmental School (SES) PTSA.
The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association has been asked to sign onto a letter supporting the rezoning of Sunnyside and other Eastside neighborhoods to allow for more multi-family housing. At our March General meeting, Inner Eastside for All, the organization which is seeking a change in the zoning of inner eastside neighborhoods to enable increased denser development, will make a presentation. Bring your questions and help the SNA Board decide if this is an effort to support. The General meeting will be Thursday, March 14, 7 pm at Southeast Uplift (3534 SE Main Street).
Board elections are in May. If you have questions or think you might be interested in serving on the SNA Board, email board@sunnysideportland.org or Chris Waldmann at president@sunnysideportland.org.