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Neighborhood Connections: Jun 2010

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By admin - Posted on June 16th, 2010
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City of Gresham: Neighborhood Connections June 2010

City of Gresham News,
Community Activities,
Workshops & More

Neighborhood Connections is a publication from the City of Gresham Communications & Community Outreach offering City of Gresham news, Public Safety information, Community Activities & Events, Training & Workshops, Volunteer Opportunities, and more.

Inside this Issue

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

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Gresham Neighborhoods listing

For more information, visit the Neighborhood Associations page at GreshamOregon.gov or contact Cathy Harrington at 503-618-2482, or email Cathy.Harrington@GreshamOregon.gov.

Get Outside and Get Healthy

Whether you visit a Gresham park, travel to a national park, or relax in your backyard, spending time outdoors can improve your health, according to The Children’s Nature Institute. Children with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder show reduced symptoms after playing outside. Adults who spend time in natural settings have decreased levels of stress and recover faster from an illnesses and injuries. For ways you can get outdoors locally, visit the City’s PLAY section on the Web. Read more.

Skatepark Opening Celebration

Help open Gresham’s newest skate park on June 21, national Go Skateboarding Day from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will feature skating demos by Bacon Skateboards and Exit RealWorld, music, food, free skate, and lots of giveaways from event sponsors Gromshop.com, Volcom, and Bacon. Read more.

Historic Certified Local Government Project

The goal of this project is to have Gresham be designated as a Certified Local Government (CLG) by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). This will enable the City to be eligible for matching grants that would support efforts to preserve historic buildings and properties. Urban Design & Planning staff is working with citizens on the Historic Resources Subcommittee to achieve CLG status. Read more.

Love Your Lawn: Leave It Alone

Here’s some lawn advice and facts from Environmental Services staff: try letting your grass grow a little longer and allow it to be dormant in the summer when the rain finally stops. When you cut your grass, you signal it to produce more leaves and fewer roots. Not only does this mean more work for you in the future, but it also creates a fragile root system. Without healthy roots, your soil will not absorb rainwater and will require chemical fertilizers or pesticides. And, short grass acts as a flat surface and liquids will runoff into streams, decreasing water quality and harming native plants and animals. Read more.

Music Mondays at the Center for the Arts Plaza

Gresham Center for the Arts is proud to present our summer Music Mondays series. The Center for the Arts will be hosting a different band each week to come play music on the plaza during the lunch hour for all to enjoy. This is a free weekly event for everyone to come bring a lunch or pick up lunch at one of our downtown restaurant sponsors. The Music Mondays program will be running every Monday through August 30. This is a great way to enjoy the outdoors on your lunch hour and listen to some great community music at the same time.

It’s Not Too Late to Plant Your Garden

The City’s Community Gardening Program still has many plots available for gardeners at Thom Park Community Gardens (1135 SE 9th Ave). A reminder, if you register for a garden plot this year, you have the plot until renewal (February 1, 2011) and have the first opportunity to request the same plot for the next growing season. Many of our gardeners have had the same garden plot for years and enjoy the year-round gardening experience. Read more.

Seven Mediators Join East Metro Mediation

East Metro Mediation just completed its 35-hour training, and seven of the students will volunteer their skills to help neighbors, business people, landlords and tenants to resolve conflict situations. You can see the class photo of the graduates, listen to mediators talk about their volunteer work with the program, and read about our Basic Mediation Training and other workshops available through East Metro Mediation. Read more.

Party on the Plaza: Street Dance

Gresham Center for the Arts is throwing a party, a Street Dance Party. Party on the Plaza is a fantastic event full of amazing local food, beer and wine as well as a wonderful concert. This an exciting concert out on the plaza to enjoy. We will be featuring Kurt Van Meter, a local up and coming country music singer who will be opening for the well-known Neil Diamond cover band, Super Diamond. Center for the Art’s Party on the Plaza will be on Friday, July 30, with gates opening at 5 pm allowing for plenty of time for guests to enjoy food and beverages from our Downtown Restaurant partners, Boccelli’s, 4th Street Brewing Company and Café Delirium. Main stage festivities begin at 7 pm with Representative Greg Matthews serving as emcee. Tickets are $15 each and are on sale now. Don’t miss out on an energetic concert on the plaza this summer!

We’d Like Your Green Opinion

Do you care about natural resources, healthy food, parks, wildlife, biking and walking? Take our new Sustainability Survey and share with us your views on green living in Gresham – what you value, what you would like to see improved, what you would like the City to focus on. Take the Survey.

National Night Out – August 3

Everyone is encouraged to take part in Gresham’s National Night Out celebrations and activities. Get involved by hosting a party or attending an event. Once you’ve decided to host a party, it’s important to register your party, no matter how large or small. To register your party, learn more about National Night Out, get tips on planning a party, or find an event in your neighborhood, contact the Community Services Office at 503-618-2567, or e-mail Kelle.Landavazo@GreshamOregon.gov. Read more.

Summer Paving Projects Start

Summertime means the Transportation Division can go to work fixing street pavement. The last three weeks of June you may see some paving projects happening around town. Expect potential brief delays when paving is underway and streets are reduced to one lane. More paving projects are scheduled to start in July, and we’ll have those details in the next Neighborhood Connections. Read more.

Gresham SmartTrips – Learn How This Summer

The City is offering healthy, fun and educational events through September to teach how to use public transportation (bus and MAX), as well as carpooling, walking and biking. Try these transportation alternatives to driving alone. The City is partnering with the Gresham Regional Transportation Management Association on these free activities. Read more.

Wanted: Stream Stewards and Watershed Warriors

This summer the Watershed Division is offering free downspout disconnection services to qualified homes. Why? The streams need your help! By allowing water to flow back into your lawn and landscaping, our groundwater is naturally recharged and our streams suffer less flooding, scouring and erosion. Read more.

Rockwood in Motion – Get Project News by E-Mail Opt-In

Look for big changes as the Gresham Redevelopment Commission begins transforming the face of Central Rockwood. Rockwood in Motion projects will benefit residents and businesses by providing a fresh, new look for the area, improving safety and access to the MAX, and jump-starting investment in the Rockwood Triangle. Want construction updates? Join the Rockwood in Motion opt-in and receive e-mail news. Read more

Gresham Neighborhoods