Let's get dirty and have fun too! Help restore our urban habitat. Invasives removal at Nadaka Nature Park

When: Saturday Jul 11, 2009 9:00AM - 2:00PM
Where: Nadaka Nature Park
NE 175th Ave and NE Pacific St
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Event Info

Be prepared to get a little dirty and to have fun by supporting and volunteering with Friends of Nadaka and Wilkes East Neighborhood Association in their efforts to restore this natural area by removing invasive underbrush and ivy.

Come on by, and give us a hand! Spend all day, or whatever time you can. Dressed for weather. Bring your gloves, waterbottle, clippers, and yard tools.

Coffee, juice, water & refreshments provided by Wilkes East Neighborhood Assn.

No pre-registration required. Volunteers younger than 18 will need a signed waiver (available at the event).

See website calendar for more Nadaka Nature Park events and activities!

Help us celebrate Parks and Recreation Month! Join us for Gresham's Big Service Day at Nadaka Nature Park

Needed: 50 Volunteers

When: Saturday, Jul 11, 2009 9AM- 1PM
Where: Nadaka Nature Park
NE 175th Ave and NE Pacific St
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Join Us!

Celebrate Parks and Recreation Month and the spirit of volunteerism during Gresham's Big Service Day. Gresham Parks is hosting volunteer projects throughout the city to celebrate and improve Gresham’s parks, trails, community gardens, and natural areas.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• removing invasive plants
• picking up litter
• laying down mulch
• Light refreshments will be provided. Reservations are requested, but not needed.

Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations Board Meeting Tuesday July 14, 2009 7:00PM

When: Tuesday July 14, 2009 7:00PM
Where: Gresham City Hall, Springwater Trail Room
1333 NW Eastman Pky
Get Map!

The Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations next meeting will be Tuesday July 14, 2009 7:00PM in the Springwater Trail Room, Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030.

Public welcome

Celebrate Summer with Us! Zimmerman Heritage Farm Open House 10AM - 3PM

When: Saturday July 18, 2009 10:00AM - 3:00PM
Where: Zimmerman Park
17111 NE Sandy Blvd
Gresham OR
Get Map!

A delightful 1874 Victorian farmhouse

Take a step back into history at the Zimmermann House, a Victorian era farmhouse, built in 1874 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This beautiful farmhouse is a perfect reflection of typical Columbia River dairy farm life in the late 1800s. The Zimmerman Heritage Farm is a unique cultural education and recreational resource that is being created for the benefit of the public on a 5.98-acre historic site in Gresham, Oregon. Open house and tours are available every third Saturday. Don't miss this unique opportunity to step back in time!

Wilkes East Neighborhood Board Meeting Monday July 27, 2009 6:30PM

When: Monday July 27, 2009 6:30PM
Where: Contact for location

Board meetings are scheduled for the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30PM

For more information please contact: info@wilkeseastna.org

Rockwood Fred Meyer store, SE 185th & SE Stark (since demolished)

Once the 'heart' of a thriving middle-class community, Rockwood now remains on life-support

Ask anyone in East County to describe Rockwood and you're likely to hear them say "slum", "trouble", or simply "stay away".

From everything to nothing

Not long ago -- or so it seems, Rockwood was a vibrant community, serving the regional needs of folks living in unincorporated East Multnomah County between the cities of Portland and Gresham. Whatever your need, Rockwood had it: grocerers, retailers, furniture, fast-food & restaurants, services, medical and more. Rockwood was buzzing with activity.

Those days are gone along with businesses like Fred Meyer, GI Joes, Girrods, Star Furniture, Rockwood Lanes, Fred's Travelrama, the laundromat, the urgent-care, Burger King, KFC, Dairy Queen, Winchell's, Skippers, and countless others.

Ignored for years by local government, Rockwood has been in decline for decades. Crime-infested, and poverty-sticken. Today Rockwood is fighting for its very survival.

Signal upgrades, ramp improvements, and pavement repairs are underway. Much needed traffic changes come to West Gresham.

Ask any rush hour commuter traveling NE 181st Ave in West Gresham and they will tell you, traffic congestion between Interstate 84 and NE Halsey St is miserable. In fact at times, it's downright unbearable.

Frustrated commuters rejoice, change is here!

According to the City of Gresham Project Manager and City Engineers the long awaited NE 181st Ave Corridor Signal Improvements project has begun.

Linda Kidby, City of Gresham spokesperson says "signal upgrades, ramp improvements, and pavements repairs are underway right now and should be completed soon" to relieve traffic congestion through this busy area.

Expect delays and weekend closures

Construction workers are currently making improvements to all of the handicap accessible sidewalk ramps at the intersection of NE San Rafael St at NE 181st Ave.

Due to the nature of the asphalt repairs and the high traffic volume along NE 181st Ave city workers will need to close several intersections in the coming weeks.

Hollydale Elementary students, teachers, and parents remove invasives from Nadaka Nature Park

Preserving urban habitat for tomorrow. Great Things Are Happening at Nadaka Nature Park

Nadaka Nature Park is a lovely 10 acre natural area of second generation Douglas Fir forest with an under-story of native plants in the Wilkes East Neighborhood. Nadaka offers a quiet, woodsy escape with it's .46 mile walking trail loop and an open meadow on the south. The Wilkes-East Neighborhood Association (WENA) is actively working to restore this natural area by removing invasive blackberry, ivy, and holly with volunteer work parties. Entrance to the park is near NE 175th & NE Pacific St.

Recent events at Nadaka So far in 2009, WENA's Friends of Nadaka group has organized over 10 invasive removal cleanups at the park including 75-90 Hollydale Elementary students, teachers & parents; and a SOLV Earth Day event April 18th with more than 30 volunteers.

SOLV Earth Day 2009 volunteers help restore Nadaka Nature Park's urban habitat

May 28th the Audubon Society of Portland organized a morning stroll to explore the natural and human history of this unique neighborhood nature park and to begin documenting the bird species inhabiting Nadaka.

Grant monies for Nadaka

WENA's Friends of Nadaka recently received a Metro 'Nature in Neighborhood' matching grant totaling

Going from bad to worse, District lays off 149 teachers, more layoffs coming. Middle School students protest planned budget cuts

Reynolds School District lays off 149 teachers

Source: The Gresham Outlook. By Rob Cullivan. May 29, 2009

The Reynolds School District is laying off 149 teachers as of Aug. 31, with the bulk of the layoffs coming among those hired in the past three years.

Faced with slashing almost $15 million from its 2009-10 budget, the district also will announce further layoffs, including among its music education staff as well as support-staff employees, according to Andrea Watson, district spokeswoman.

The teacher layoffs break down as follows: 5 teachers hired between 1996 and 2001; 42 teachers hired between 2001 and 2006; and 102 hired between 2006 and 2009.

Get ready for increased air traffic as PDX extends their runways

North Runway Extension project underway

Wilkes East residents may notice a change in aircraft flight activity as Portland International Airport begins major runway improvements starting May 1st through October 31st 2009.

During the six-month closure of the north parallel runway jet aircraft will use the south runway and will follow noise abatement procedures that direct them over the Columbia River corridor to minimize overflights of residential areas.

The south runway’s east takeoff and approach path will increase air traffic directly over the Wilkes East neighborhood -- particularly in the Sandstone area.