MHCC Project YESS students Click to enlarge

Project YESS volunteers use Nadaka Nature Park as classroom for real-life experience

YESS they can

For the 2nd year in a row the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association has been fortunate to have a group of students from Mt. Hood Community College’s Project YESS working in Nadaka Nature Park. During the week of August 9th the students worked a total of four days removing invasives like ivy, blackberries and laurel from the park. In addition they removed litter from areas in the woods that had obviously become possible gathering places.

Project YESS helps students gain real life work experience and can place them on a paid temporary part-time job to learn work skills. One such experience is a Habitat Restoration Specialist working outdoors, helping with and learning about the environment. Nadaka has provided a classroom for the Project YESS students and we are very grateful for their hard work in our neighborhood.

About Project YESS Established in 1981, Project YESS is a youth education and employment program designed to help students prepare for the GED examination, establish career goals, find a job, and transition to college classes.

Project YESS students take a well-deserved afternoon break Click to enlarge

Located at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham OR, Project YESS provides a comfortable, stimulating learning environment where students needs are taken seriously.

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

• Multnomah County RSVP, a Program of Metropolitan Family Service (MFS)
• 92% Satisfaction at East Metro Mediation
• Parks Picnic on the Plaza - August 21
• Music Mondays Summer Concert Series
• Teddy Bear Parade with the Transportation Safety Fair to Follow
• Join Us Saturday for Parks Picnic on the Plaza
• Experience is the Best Teacher, and You Have a Lifetime’s Worth
• Powell Valley Neighborhood Event – August 27
• We’re Giving Away Four Rain Gardens
• Healthy Streams Fall Happenings
• Like Gresham’s New Bike Signs? Take Our Survey
• Rockwood in Motion Construction Update
• Learn How to Travel Smart
• Volunteers Needed: Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts – September 14-19
• Legacy Healthy Kids’ Fair – September 18
• Transportation Safety Fair and Bike Rodeo – September 25
• Workshop ‘Energy and Water – Double Your Savings’ – September 30

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

Facebook - Read more
Twitter - Read more
Subscribe to City media releases - Read more

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.

Human Solutions Rockwood Bldg Click to enlarge

Join Human Solutions as we break gound on the new Rockwood Building and celebrate the hard work and dedication of all our project partners

You're Invited!

When: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 1:00PM
Where: Human Solutions
Rockwood Mutli Service Center
124 NE 181st & Couch
Get map!

From vision to reality

After more than six years of fundraising and project design, The Rockwood Building will be the realization of a concept envisioned by Human Solutions that will bring much-needed housing and a suite of human services -together in a single building- to serve low-income families in the Rockwood area. The Rockwood Building will be constructed on a lot that has been empty for thirty years in the heart of one of the poorest areas in Multnomah County. It will bring infrastructure development and much needed social services to families in East Multnomah County, many of whom have been displaced by gentrification that has taken place in many Portland neighborhoods.

Guest Speakers

The program presentation will include a Welcome from Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis, with comments by Victor Merced, Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, Oregon State Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson, Jan Laskey of Bank of America, Margaret Van Vliet, Director of Portland Housing Bureau, and Jean DeMaster, Executive Director of Human Solutions, as well as Carla Piluso, Human Solutions’ Board President and former Chief of Police for Gresham.

Burnside construction, Rockwood (Click to enlarge)

Rockwood in Motion: 188th MAX Station nighttime construction continues Expect excavation, drilling and other construction noise overnight

When: Sun Aug 22 thru Fri Aug 27, 10PM-7AM
Where: E Burnside (Between 185th - SE Stark)
Gresham, OR
Get Map!

Plug your ears (It's not over yet)!

Nighttime construction work will continue up to five additional nights next week at the Rockwood 188th MAX station from 10PM to 7AM starting Sunday, August 22 through the morning of Friday, August 27. This is an extension of the original notice (Aug 15-19) as TriMet has encountered challenging subsurface condition during construction.

This work must be completed at night while the MAX trains are not in service in order to avoid machinery contacting the high voltage overhead wires. This work will involve excavation, drilling and other construction equipment. TriMet will make every effort to reduce the impact of this unavoidable noise on the surrounding neighborhood. Noise levels will vary depending on how close one is to the construction area, but are expected to peak between 66 and 76 decibels at 150 feet from the work site, or about as loud as a truck passing on Burnside. Free ear plugs are available during business hours at the Rockwood Community Office, located at 18709 SE Stark Street (directly adjacent to the construction site).

Gresham OR, July 23, 2010

There is admittedly bad blood between two neighbors in West Gresham's upscale Sandstone neighborhood but now their animosity is impacting an entire neighborhood.

The graffiti on the home of retired dentist Jeffrey Brady has caused his neighbor who's selling his house next door to loose 5 potential sales and 36% of the original asking price. The neighbor says if he doesn't sell his home soon he'll be forced to loose it to foreclosure.

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

• Music Mondays Summer Concert Series
• Experience is the Best Teacher, And You Have a Lifetime’s Worth
• We Are Bringing the Party on the Plaza!
• Urban Forestry Management Plan Community Forum – August 2
• National Night Out – August 3
• Retail Design & Development Standards Community Forum - August 4
• Slow Traffic Ahead - Summer Paving Underway
• Open House July 27 - Springwater Interchange Area Management Plan
• Watershed Management Neighborhood Block Parties Planned
• Section of Gresham Butte Saddle Trail Closed
• Parks Picnic on The Plaza: August 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Rockwood in Motion – Construction News, Restaurant Guide
• Take a Gresham SmartTrip This Summer
• Wanted: Stream Stewards and Watershed Warriors
• Sustainability Survey

Keep up with what’s Happening in your City!

Facebook - Read more
Twitter - Read more
Subscribe to City media releases - Read more

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.

Crosswalk and westbound MAX platform *CLOSED* for construction Please support local Rockwood restaurants and businesses

Closure Notice:

Beginning Monday, July 19, the north-south crosswalk on the west side of 188th Avenue and Burnside Street will be closed for construction of the new MAX platform. The westbound MAX platform for the Rockwood/E 188th MAX Station will also be closed as of that day, and riders will be directed to a new temporary westbound platform located directly across from the existing eastbound platform (just east of the intersection of 188th and Burnside). There are no changes for eastbound riders at this time. The MAX will continue to operate on schedule with no service interruptions anticipated.

Vehicular traffic both eastbound and westbound on Burnside Street will continue to be limited to one lane in this area until the new light rail platforms open in early 2011.

See Traffic Impact Map for a visual illustration of the pedestrian and vehicular traffic impacts.

Hungry? Eat in Rockwood!

There is a world of great dining options in Rockwood. Please support local Rockwood restaurants and other businesses during the construction. They are open and look forward to serving you!

Click here Rockwood in Motion Restaurant Guide (pdf).

IMPORTANT

Please observe all detours and other signs and signals near the site for safety. Please avoid closed crosswalks and sidewalks, and do not enter the posted construction area.

Traffic reduced to one through and one turn lane, east and west bound Burnside, during Rockwood MAX station construction

Rockwood Traffic Changes

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2010, work on the Rockwood/E 188th MAX Station improvements will impact both east and westbound traffic on E Burnside St between SE 185th Av and SE Stark St.

Both eastbound and westbound Burnside Street will be limited to one through lane and one left turn lane each in the same area until the new light rail platforms open in early 2011. Temporary MAX station platform construction is underway at the Rockwood station while work proceeds on the new platforms for the rebuilt station. The temporary platform, which will serve both east and west bound riders, is expected to be operating on July 19.

Curbside garbage prowler spotted, NE 164th & NE Holiday

Is your trash can a treasure chest for identity thieves?

X marks the spot!

Well, in this case, the 'X' is more like a lid with a handle on the top. For identity thieves who are looking for buried treasure, your garbage bin can be a jackpot of personal information. As the old saying goes, ’One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’

Have you seen this guy?

About 5:30am July 7, 2010 a "scruffy looking" 25-35 year old male on a bicycle w/toddler trailer was observed sifting through several curbside trash bins in the area of 164th Ave & NE Holiday St. After being spotted he got back on his bike and casually rode away with his booty. But, not before this picture was taken with a cell phone.

What was he looking for?

Pop cans? Food? Personal information (maybe credit card receipts, bank statements)? Who knows.

Whatever it was, he decided to look elsewhere after he was seen doing some early morning 'dumpster diving' through other folks trash.

Try this: Guess your child's height and weight. Write it down Then measure him or her and see how close you come

How'd you do?

No one wants to imagine going through the nightmare of having their child go missing. The very thought strikes fear in every parent.

Fortunately you can prepare for the unthinkable by ordering a free Child ID kits from the Oregon State Police.

Since June 4, 2010 close to 3,000 "Complete Identification and DNA Kits" (which are free and are available in English and Spanish) have been sent to people in Oregon as well as nationally (and Canada too!).

The kits help families record important information like dental information, physical information and a photograph. In addition, they provide the necessary tools for taking a DNA cheek swab sample and fingerprints.

Interested?

Child Complete Identification and DNA Kits are available to order by calling 1-800-282-7155, or by email at childidkits@state.or.us. The kits are free of charge!