May 23, 2013

Heads Up! Street Tree Pruning Coming Soon


Have you ever found yourself dodging that wayward branch at the last moment while walking or riding around the neighborhood? You can thank your neighbors when they finally get around to pruning those low-hanging branches - hopefully soon! The City will train and assist neighborhood volunteers (could be You) to prune Mt. Scott-Arleta’s street trees this summer (could be your tree). 
At least two sessions are scheduled from 7-9pm:  June 27 at the SE corner of Mt. Scott Park, and  July 11 at Arleta School. Contact portlandearthcare (at) gmail.com if you know about needy overgrown trees or would like to help. A neighborhood "tree friend" is needed for the area south of Harold and west of 70th Ave to coordinate stewardship efforts for a possible third event. Could this be you?

May 16, 2013

Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Social!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 5th, 6:30 pm
PIEPER CAFE (6504 SE Foster Rd)
Come meet your neighbors and learn about your neighborhood association.
There are a lot of fun projects happening in our neighborhood and we think you’ll want to know more about them... plus we’ll have snacks and drinks!

May 15, 2013

Vote at Your Library!

One cool thing about Multnomah County Libraries is that we make it easy for you to vote. Official ballot boxes are in every library, checked and emptied regularly by election officials. Drop off your ballots during any open hours. And guess what! We'll have election staff in the lobbies so that you can drop off your ballots on Monday, 5/20, even when the libraries are closed! (No coming in to pick up your holds or such, though. Not until 7/1 when we go back to being open every day.) Election day is the 21st... they have to be in by 8:00 p.m. or they don't count. So, count!

Alley Allies Public Vetting: Alley Toolkit, Sat. 5/18

The Alley Allies team want your feedback on their new Alley Toolkit.
A group of planning students
from PSU's Toulan School of Planning are nearing completion of their workshop project sponsored by Foster Green Ecodistrict along with our neighborhood, Fo-Po, and Lents.
The group, Mill Street Community Planning, is holding a public vetting of the new toolkit this Saturday morning May 18 at Bar Carlo from 10AM-Noon. Please drop by to check it out and offer your valuable feedback. There's more info on Mill Street's website and on Foster United. Go Alley Allies!

May 2, 2013

Neighborhood Clean Up: Saturday May 4th, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Arleta School

Howdy Neighbors,

Once again it's that time of year. Get your spring cleaning on and bring that junk on down to our neighborhood clean up event! By bringing it to the neighborhood clean up you help support our Neighborhood Association but in addition you also save, gas, money, and time because you don't have to take it to the dump.  It's a WIN for everyone!

Check out the flier to see what and what you can't bring and cost for car/truckload.


May 1, 2013

Neighborhood Meeting, Wednesday, May 1st 6: 30 p.m. MSCC

Happy May Day!

Come hear both sides of Ballot Measure 26-151 that would require Portland to fluoridate drinking water.  Also, an update on the Portland Mercado and Board Elections!!! Wow, a jammed packed meeting.  Remember, in June our neighborhood meeting will be at Piepers Cafe. We'll send out reminders, don't you worry.

Apr 24, 2013

Coming up at the Holgate Library: 

Join us at the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade! (Here are some pictures from last year.) Staff and volunteers from your Holgate Library will be marching... see if you can find us among the bands, classic cars, floats and other groups! Begins at Eastport Plaza at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday (4/27) and proceeds northward to Yamhill. (82nd will be closed for the duration.) Announcers (one of whom is that rascal, Patrick, from Holgate Library) are stationed at PCC.

After all your parade, carnival and cruise-in fun, consider a quieter afternoon...

This Saturday, 'Name That Tree'! April 27, 2-3:30 p.m.
Ever stopped to think about that tree in front of your house? How about those that shade the schoolyard or your walk to the bus stop? Portland is a Tree City USA, home to diverse and growing urban canopy. Do you know their names? How or why they were planted here? What will they look like in the fall... in the winter? Get on a first-name basis with the urban forest in this fun session with your Neighborhood Tree Stewards. They'll teach you how to use a tree identification book, and then you'll take your new skills for a walk! The first half of the program will take place in the library, the second half will be a short walk exploring the neighborhood's trees. 
Registration recommended; register online, in the library, or by calling 503-988-5324.
 
Thanks! See you soon...

Apr 22, 2013

Land Use/Sustainability/Transportation (LUST) Meeting this Wednesday, April 24 7:00 p.m. at NWIPA

If you are interested in land use, sustainability or transportation our neighborhood LUST meeting is for you!
We are meeting this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at N.W.I.P.A 6350 SE Foster Rd. 

Emergency Board Meeting Wednesday, April 24 at 6:45 p.m. at NWIPA

To discuss and approve co-hosting of the Alley-Allies Workshop event scheduled for this Saturday, April 27th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Bob White Theater due to requirement of Insurance Certification for this event. This is the ONLY item on the agenda.


Apr 14, 2013

Board Elections at our May 1st MSA N'hood Meeting

Interested in joining the Mt. Scott Arleta Neighborhood Association Board? I bet you have all sorts of questions. What's the neighborhood association? What's the board? What do they do, and is it a lot of work?  Elections will be held at our May 1st meeting! 

The MSA Neighborhood Association is part of the the City's Neighborhood System made up of over 90 Neighborhood Associations. Our Neighborhood Association is a group of neighbors and business owners who discuss and act on issues affecting our neighborhood. Our Neighborhood Association seeks to actively maintain and improve our neighborhood, to foster community and keep neighbors up-to-date on events and happenings both locally and on a city-wide level.   The board is an elected group of neighborhood folks who make decisions and represent the interests of our neighborhood, make efforts to create an environment where all neighbors can be heard and to follow the rules and processes outlined in our bylaws. Our bylaws are the roadmap for how our neighborhood association operates. Is it a lot of work?! Just remember we are ALL VOLUNTEERS and we do our best, when times get tough just remember you have a board members that you can call to help out.  Now on to the rest...

Apr 9, 2013

Watch a parade, and Name that tree... with your Library?

Saturday, April 27th will be a busy day for the Holgate Library staff. Why not mark your calendar now and join us?

The 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade begins at Eastport Plaza at 10:00 AM, and as usual, Holgate Library will be there. We (and the bands and marching groups and classic cars and local politicos and such) proceed northward as far as Yamhill Street. And for year #6, your humble reporter will be the Parade Announcer... you can hear me up at PCC Southeast (or avoid my witty commentary and helpful narration by standing anywhere else along the route). Back at Eastport Plaza after the parade, enjoy a carnival, cruise-in and community fair. Come wave at us!

*        *        *

Ever stopped to think about that tree in front of your house? How about those that shade the schoolyard or your walk to the bus stop? Portland is a Tree City USA, home to a diverse and growing urban canopy. Do you know their names? How or why they were planted here? What will they look like in the fall... in the winter? Get on a first-name basis with the urban forest in this fun session with your neighborhood Tree Stewards. We'll teach you how to use a tree identification book, and then you'll take your new skills for a walk! The first half of the program will take place at the Holgate Library, and the second half will be a short walk exploring the neighborhood's trees. Rain or shine, naturally.
Saturday, April 27th, 2-3:30 p.m.

For more information, come see us at the Holgate Library, 7905 SE Holgate Blvd. or call 503-988-5389.
Your humble reporter,
Patrick

Mar 31, 2013

Neighborhood Mtg.This Wednesday, April 3rd 6:30 pm MSCC

Hey Neighbors,

I hope you enjoyed this amazing sunny weekend! It seemed as though everyone was outside doing lots of yard work. This Wednesday, April 3rd is our monthly neighborhood meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Mt. Scott Community Center.

PBOT staff will be joining us and talking about the Foster Streetscape Plan and the alternative design options that the Citizen Advisory Committee have been reviewing. If you can't make this meeting there will be a Foster Streetscape Open House, soon. We will be posting the information as soon as we know the date, time and location.  Also, we will be hearing about a new coalition that is forming to improve safety on 82nd Avenue.  If you are interested in transportation issues, this is your meeting!

The Neighborhood Clean Up is Saturday, May 4th from 9:00 am to 2:30 p.m. at Arleta School.  We welcome volunteers for the clean up and if you are interested in doing a street clean up that morning send me an email. Neighbors are interested in cleaning up the streets and we will be providing supplies.

Hopefully will see you on Wednesday, agenda below.

Happy Spring,
Erika Palmer-Wilson
MSA Board Chair

Mar 26, 2013

Graffiti Prevention and Removal

REPORT THAT GRAFFITI!
Many Neighbors have been talking about the recent rash of graffiti that has hit our area over the past week. Foster Road, 64th, Woodstock, and 72nd Avenues have all been hit.  Preventing graffiti reduces fear and improves neighborhood pride.

  Here's what YOU can do! 
REPORT IT TO:  
       Office of Neighborhood Involvement-Graffiti Hotline:
 503-823-4824
 Or,  Police Non-emergency:
   503-823-3333 

      Or, If you witness it occurring, 9-1-1!
        (Keep Reading for More Info)

Mar 21, 2013

The Wizard of Oz at Franklin High School

Follow the yellow brick road over the rainbow to the Franklin High School Auditorium for an enchanting presentation of “The Wizard of Oz.” This classic musical will land for six performances: April 11, 12, 19, and 20 at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinees on April 13 and 21.

This full-scale production, featuring more than 80 students, transports you to the magical Land of Oz, following Dorothy and her friends through such favorite tunes as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “If I Only Had a Brain” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard.”

Mar 13, 2013

Foster Streetscape Plan: Status Update March 2013


   
By Marcel, MSA Transportation Chair

The City of Portland has been working on the revision of the Foster Streetscape plan over the last several months, and the project is now getting into a phase where the first preliminary options are 
taking shape. The City is reporting on its progress and continues to collects feedback from the Citizens Advisory Group, which consists of different community representatives such as several Neighborhood Association board members, local business owners, SE Uplift, the pedestrian coalition, etc.

Although there is still much work to be done, and a long way to go till everything is finalized and ready 
for implementation, some early insights are now available and there is reason for excitement and 
optimism. The project team has developed and analyzed different cross-section alternatives for different 
road segments of Foster Road. The City is currently working on an analysis of several full alternatives, 
based on basic cross-section alternatives. These full alternatives will provide a lot of the details for the 
specific intersections, transitions, and other special situations.
Some of the main highlights are: