Buckman Community Association
By Susan Lindsay
At the upcoming Buckman Meeting Thursday, April 9 we’ll discuss the concerns about potential budget cuts affecting Buckman Elementary and, separately, the need for traffic safety and an additional light on E Burnside St. for area school kids. Multnomah County Commissioners Julia Brim Edwards and Shannon Singleton have both been invited as guest speakers so we can better understand and collaborate with the County as it faces major budget cuts to the general fund due to loss of property taxes. The Buckman Picnic is tentatively planned for Sunday, August 2 and we need sponsors (all tax deductible) and volunteer coordinators. All this and more April 9, 7-9 pm at the hybrid meeting. We meet in person at 1137 SE 20th Ave. (enter on Salmon St.) or find the link to participate online at buckmanpdx.org. Contact us anytime at buckmanboard@googlegroups.com.
HAND
By Jill Riebesehl
The Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood will be seeing small and large changes this year: SE Powell Blvd. traffic improvements, a possible bottle redemption center, progress on a county-sponsored sobering center, new uses for a dead-ended chunk of SE Caruthers St. and Abernethy Elementary’s garden and carnival plans this spring and summer.
The sobering center—soon to receive an official name—lies across SE Grand Ave. from the Goodwill store. It will replace and expand the SE Pine St. facility. The building, under thorough renovation complete with mural art, will have room for 47 people seeking sobering help and withdrawal management. It will serve people referred by law enforcement and first responders. Due to open next year, the center will involve HAND via a good neighborhood agreement.
Meanwhile, assorted entities are working on a much-discussed possible bottle redemption site off SE Powell Blvd. at SE Milwaukie Ave. HAND and the Brooklyn neighborhood together are encouraging stakeholders to consider safer properties with better chances for accountability.
We spent some time imagining the many ways SE Caruthers St., closed by the Portland Bureau of Transportation and another city agency, could in time be converted into a community asset.
And, finally, PBOT is applying to Metro for funding for a much larger project. Aiming at increased traffic and pedestrian safety, it will focus on technical improvements on SE Powell Blvd. out as far as SE 82nd Ave., and will include possible traffic-flow cameras and rest-on-red signals. No doubt HAND, and other Powell-adjacent neighborhoods, will be involved.
Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association
By David Petrozzi
At our March meeting, MTNA hosted the Portland Urban Coyote Project. We learned some of the do’s and don’t’s for human/coyote interaction and received important safety tips to help protect our beloved pets. The Project even has a sighting map on their website so you can see if coyotes are active at or near your specific address. Head over to portlandcoyote.com to check out the map, get free educational resources and support their project. MTNA also heard an important update on land use regarding the installation of a 5G cell tower in our neighborhood and we received regular reports on ongoing initiatives such as Tabor for All, support for older adults in the community and various pedestrian safety initiatives.
Interested in leaving your mark on the neighborhood? Consider running for a position on the MTNA Board; our elections are on the horizon and we have openings for folks who want to make a difference. Voting will occur at our annual meeting Wednesday, May 13, so drop us a line before then or stop by the April meeting to let us know you’re interested and learn about the process. MTNA meets the second Wednesday of each month, in person at Taborspace and online via Zoom. Our next meeting will be held April 8, 7 pm. Register on our website (mttaborpdx.org) where you can read more about what we’ve been up to in the community and join our mailing list to stay informed. Happy Spring!
Montavilla Neighborhood Association
By Steph Cleary
Hello from the Montavilla Neighborhood Association (MNA)! This month, we completed our rebrand project made possible by a generous grant from SE Uplift. Check out our new (very sleek!) website at montavilla.org.
As part of our ongoing effort to reach more of Montavilla, the MNA sent out 4,700 mailers to our residents and held a neighborhood-wide mixer on March 25. (Did we overextend ourselves? This writing is before the event, so stay tuned…). Flying Pie on SE Stark St. hosted us for pizza and The Academy Theater hosted a special showing of The Goonies at a discounted price of $5 per ticket to support our Montavilla neighborhood.
Another update from our March meeting: the Montavilla Farmer’s Market is requesting community feedback regarding their ongoing location search as the current lot is for sale. Please submit feedback to their survey at tinyurl.com/montavillafarmers.
Feeling overwhelmed with the state of the world? Volunteering with your neighborhood association is a great way to get involved! The MNA needs a neighbor who is willing to lead a monthly neighborhood cleanup with SOLVE. This recurring volunteer will lead the cleanup (a four-hour time commitment including prep and event facilitation). A one-hour training from SOLVE on how to be an event leader is provided. Can you help keep our neighborhood clean? We need you! Reach out to mna-email@montavilla.org for more information.
And while we’re speaking of volunteers, the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade needs us, too! The event is Saturday, April 25. Find out more about volunteer roles at 82rosescec.com/volunteers.
If you want to know more about what the MNA is up to, we meet every second Monday of the month. Our next meeting is April 13, 6:30-7:30 pm at the Montavilla United Methodist Church. We hope to see you!
North Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Amanda Sparks
The North Tabor Neighborhood Association has a number of events coming up, starting with the Tabor Neighbors Yard Sale Saturday, April 18, 9 am-4 pm throughout the Tabor neighborhoods. A map of participating homes will be available on our website, northtabor.org/2026/03/2026-tabor-neighbors-yard-sale.
The annual Tabor Neighbors Clean-Up, co-hosted with the Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association, will be held Saturday, April 25, 9 am-1 pm at 4700 SE Stark St. Community members can drop off bulky waste, small electronics and scrap metal. A reuse area will also be available for those looking for treasures. For details on the event or to sign up to volunteer, visit northtabor.org/2026/03/2026-tabor-neighbors-clean-up.
Thursday, April 30, 6–8:30 pm, North Tabor Neighbors will host a free Edible Landscaping Workshop at Leikam Brewing, presented by the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. The workshop will cover incorporating edible plants into home landscapes, including soil health and supporting pollinators. Register to attend at emswcd.org/event/creating-an-edible-landscape-3.
The monthly neighborhood meeting will be held Tuesday, April 21, 6:30–8 pm, both in person at 4837 NE Couch St. and online via Zoom (zoom.us/j/99699816373). All are welcome.
South Tabor Neighborhood Association
By Cathy Kudlick
At our March meeting, neighbors shared what was known about a sexual assault spree and arrest that took place in the neighborhood March 15. We continued our Small Projects discussion and held a Neighborhood Action Workshop, connecting neighbors around shared ideas such as gardening, mutual aid, climate action, accessibility and community events.
We also noted the one-year anniversary of Roger Lee’s death on SE Powell Blvd., as safety concerns on this roadway continue to go unaddressed. We gathered input on what to prioritize at the city level, as we prepare to host District 3 councilors and candidates in the coming months. And we continue to monitor Franklin High School’s compliance with a 2015 land use decision requiring that pedestrian connections through campus remain open during specified hours (with some exceptions) and that signs be posted informing the public.
Looking ahead, it’s time to start planning our big event of the year: South Tabor’s annual yard sale in early June. Let us know if you’d like to help plan and promote this and other events throughout the year!
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
By Hannah Wallace
At SNA’s March general meeting, Councilor Steve Novick was our special guest. He talked about a few things that are before the Portland City Council right now, including the proposed fee on residents that would raise money to fix our crumbling roads; the discovery of $106 million in the Portland Housing Bureau and what City Council is considering doing with it; and the idea of using some Portland Clean Energy Fund money to help renovate the Moda Center, using renewable technology to reduce its carbon emissions.
The Sunnyside Shower Project has a bunch of fundraisers coming up, the biggest of which is the Jesus Christ Superstar singalong with Low Bar Chorale Friday, April 3, 7:30 pm. You can buy tickets at lowbarchorale.com.
At our Board meeting we talked about a few projects we’d like to do in 2026 or early 2027. These include a community potluck, a neighborhood-wide yard sale and a potential Bingo Card with Hawthorne businesses that would raise money for the SNA. Stay tuned. We’ll post info to our social media channels! We’re on Instagram @Sunnysidepdxna and on Facebook, we’re Sunnyside Neighborhood Association.
Board elections will be at our Wednesday, May 13 meeting, 7 pm. All Sunnysiders can run for office or vote. We have five positions up for election this year, one of which is an “open” seat. Please reach out to Chris at cjwaldmann@gmail.com if you are interested in running for a Board seat and would like to know more.