Neighborhood Notes – August 2024

Buckman Community Association
By Susan Lindsay

Sunday, August 4, 4-8 pm, the Buckman Community Association brings the 12th Annual Buckman Picnic in the Park back to Colonel Summers Park, SE 17th Ave. and Taylor St.! This totally free event features good music, bouncy house, fire truck, games for kids, free snacks and sodas, a visit by the mini horses and free ice cream truck (as long as tickets last). All are welcome and encouraged to come. No alcohol, smoking or drugs allowed in the park. We do need volunteers and donations…which are fully tax deductible! To volunteer for easy tasks and shifts, contact buckmanpicnicteam@googlegroups.com. To donate, you can send a check to Southeast Uplift (3534 SE Main St., 97214) made out to “SEUL for the Buckman Picnic 2024” or directly donate via our website, buckmanpdx.org. No donation is too small. This year’s sponsors include local businesses and individuals supporting this great event. Due to the picnic, there will be no regularly scheduled monthly meeting in August.
Last month we were informed that the Multnomah County Chair’s Office had decided to site a police drop-off place in the Buckman neighborhood for persons detained for drug possession. The actual specifics of this planned program, called a deflection center, to be located at the former Precision Images business at SE 10th Ave. and Oak St., are still being developed at this time by the Chair’s office, which intends to have it open September 1. Our website hosts a page dedicated to articles and links related to what we know at this time about the plan. To get more information, you can contact the Chair’s office directly or your elected District Commissioner. The BCA co-hosted a public meeting with County staff July 17 and that meeting is available for review via our website or the County’s.
We have one open Board position which we’d like to fill at our Thursday, September 12 or Thursday, October 10 meeting (7-9 pm). Contact the BCA, buckmanboard@googlegroups.com, for information.

Montavilla Neighborhood Association
By Louise Hoff

Although the Montavilla Neighborhood Association is not meeting this month, we have a couple of fun events taking place in August. First off, Friday, August 2, 6:30-9:30 pm in Montavilla’s beautiful Berrydale Park, on the corner of SE 92nd Ave. and Taylor St., will be the site of a very special movie event sponsored by The Jade District. Before the movie starts, around 8 pm, the audience will be treated to many fun and entertaining events, both for adults and children.
A dragon dance will undoubtedly steal the show, but demonstrations of Chinese brush painting, face painting, emergency skills taught by our Neighborhood Emergency Team, interesting information about The Jade District and Montavilla Neighborhood Association will also be available. Two food carts are being sent over by Portland Parks & Recreation for those who want to buy food, drinks or popcorn.
Bring a blanket or beach chair and settle in to watch Disney’s “Turning Red,” an animated feature about a teen making adjustments in her school. Lots of free parking is available all around the edges of the park. Dogs are allowed in the park, but must be kept on a leash at all times.
Friday, August 30-Sunday, September 1 is Portland’s Best Jazz Festival—The 11th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival. Ensuring the viability of the jazz art form and its preservation for future generations, it is a true highlight of our city every summer, featuring world-class musicians. Montavilla Jazz also contributes generously to music in the schools.
Our next in person meeting of the Montavilla Neighborhood Association, open to every resident and business owner of our sparkling neighborhood, will be Monday, September 9, 6:30 pm at the Montavilla United Methodist Church.

Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association
By David Petrozzi

During our June meeting, MTNA unanimously approved changes to our bylaws that had been previously open for member feedback. These changes are designed to ensure our continued vitality by lowering the minimum threshold required for Board members, thereby preventing any risk of non-compliance with nonprofit regulation. Despite this procedural change, we voted to add a new member to the Board as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance community service.
This year, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mt. Tabor Soapbox Derby. Migration Brewing will commemorate the occasion with a special derby-themed beer and the entire event promises a day of fun for the entire family. Protip: plan ahead by biking or taking public transport to avoid parking hassles. The event takes place on Saturday, August 17, 10 am-4 pm. Volunteers are welcome to assist with beverage service, crowd control or merchandise management. Email volunteer@soapboxracer.org if you’re interested in helping out.
MTNA also discussed plans for a community forum focused on improving accessibility to Mt. Tabor Park for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, we voted to endorse a letter from our friends and partners at NTNA, reminding the city to prioritize bike infrastructure and pedestrian safety amidst ongoing community growth and development. Largely in response to member advocacy, we have secured a temporary location for book pick-up and drop-off during the summer renovation of Belmont Library. Finally, we discussed scouting utility pole locations to hang future neighborhood banners that will showcase our community pride. Join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, August 21, 7 pm, hosted both in-person at Taborspace and online via Zoom. To register, and for further details about our many neighborhood initiatives and successes, please visit mttaborpdx.org.

Richmond Neighborhood Association
By Brian Hochhalter and Allen Field

The Richmond Neighborhood Association (RNA) held its monthly meeting July 8. Meetings are the second Monday of the month, 7-9 pm, except January. They are held in-person 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.
Following the annual Board election in June, the Board appointed Debby Hochhalter as Chair, Allen Field as Secretary and Fran Davison as Treasurer.
The RNA is presenting the movie “A Million Miles Away” Friday August 30 in Sewallcrest Park, SE 31st Ave. and Stephens St., as part of the city’s Summer Free for All program of movies and concerts in parks. The HAND and Sunnyside neighborhood associations are co-sponsoring the event. The program starts at 7:30 pm with a kids/teen martial arts demonstration by One With Heart martial arts studio. The movie starts at dusk, which will be around 8:30 pm.
The RNA voted to put on a Styrofoam/stretch plastic and Metro CFL (compact fluorescent lights)/small batteries/prescription meds/sharps collection event Saturday, October 12, 9 am-noon, at Central Christian Church, 1834 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. Green Century Recycling will handle the Styrofoam and stretch plastic, and Metro will handle the CFL/batteries/meds/sharps collection. In addition, we will be collecting recyclable cans and bottles to help fund C3 Food Pantry. More details are on the RNA website and in the Summer issue of the Richmond Newsletter being distributed now.
The next RNA meeting is Monday, August 12. Everyone is welcome. Please join us and learn about ways to get more involved in your community.

South Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Cathy Kudlick

The STNA held Board elections and continued to meet with District 3 candidates who reached out to us to meet informally with neighbors. Even though Board elections are over, there are still ways to get involved. We have a couple Board positions that we will fill with interim appointees. We’re also seeking volunteers to help with The South Tabor Crow.
Join us to meet your neighbors in person 7 pm, the third Thursday of each month. Anyone who considers South Tabor home is welcome! For details about meeting locations, to sign up for our mailing list and to receive our recently re-launched newsletter, visit southtabor.org.

Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
By Gloria Jacobs

Starting in September, both the Board and general meetings will be on the second Wednesday of the month. Meetings are in person at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main St.) and online via Zoom. General meetings are every other month and Board meetings are monthly. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, September 11. At the September general meeting we will learn about Portland’s new election system and how to fill out a ballot.
The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association is working with a Sunnyside architect and the owner of the empty lot at 4511 SE Hawthorne Blvd. to activate the space until it is developed. This is an exciting opportunity to bring new life to the neighborhood on a blank canvas. The project is in its early, idea-forming stages. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the committee at lutc@sunnysideportland.org.
With the Belmont Library set to close this fall for a major upgrade, the library will no longer be able to display the quilt created by Sunnysiders in 1988. Do you have a space or an idea for a new home for the quilt? If you do, please reach out to board@sunnysideportland.org.
The SNA will be volunteering at the Belmont Street Fair Sunday, September 8. If you are interested in participating, please email board@sunnysideportland.org.

Neighborhood Notes – August 2024

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top