Complete with bird walks, play spaces, and a community garden—and soon Gresham’s first handicapped-accessible swing.

Source: Portland Monthly Magazine (November 2016)

One spring morning in 2007, Lee Dayfield took her dog for a walk. As she passed an empty field, she saw a sign that would forever change her life. It read “for sale.”

The desolate plot of grass sat next to 10 acres ringed by a chain-link fence and barbed wire. Where others may have seen a $900,000 meadow, Dayfield saw a two-acre opportunity: a nature-based play area for the Gresham neighborhood’s children, many of them Native American.

2016 Summer Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Inside This Issue:   Shelters Quickly Fill with Homeless Waterside Apt Selects Design Summer Happenings at Nadaka Wilkes Elementary Design Chosen 6th Nadaka Festival, Sat Aug 20th WENA Summer Meeting, Aug 22, 7PM

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our regular meetings.

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We are beginning design. Help us this June!

WHAT IT IS: We're creating an economic engine to transform Rockwood into a prosperous, healthy, and thriving community that welcomes and creates opportunities for all.

WHERE: A 5.5-acre Commission owned property at 18535 SE Stark Street - the former Fred Meyer site. We are designing several new buildings and a public plaza.

Visit us at Rock the Block! Friday June 3rd, 3pm-8pm Saturday June 4th, 10am-4pm 30-minute "Place It!" hands-on workshops will happen both days - Friday at 4pm and 6pm, and Saturday at 11am and 2:30pm in the STEAM tent. Visit our booth and learn more about the project, engage with the interactive model and learn about the architectural process from our development team and designers.

What's Next? Learn. Listen. Speak Out June 8 Sunrise Community Center 18901 E Burnside, Gresham, OR Doors open at 6pm. Presentation at 6:30pm. Food, translation, and childcare provided. Join us to preview design concepts, give feedback and provide ideas for future development. Meet the development team and city staff working on the project!

S-t-r-e-t-c-h  your grocery dollar!

Enjoy the freshest produce, flowers, and plant starts direct from the garden.

Healthy and fresh
Farmer’s markets are a fantastic source for fresh, seasonal, locally produced foods and artisan products. Plus, you'll find great activities and fun for the whole family. Come experience the markets. Meet the vendors. Meet local cooks. Enjoy the freshest produce and products. Make your own statement in support of local food.

2018 Portland's Eastside Farmer's Markets

• Fairview Farmers' & Artists' Market (Apr 7-Oct 2)
• Gresham Saturday Market (Apr 16th-Sep 24th)
• Gresham Farmers Market (May 7th-Oct 29th)
• Hollywood Farmers' Market (year-round)
• Lents International Farmers' Market (Jun 5-Doc 30)
• Lloyd Farmers Market (year-round)
• Montavilla Farmers Market (year-round)
• Parkrose Farmers Market (May 7-Sep 10)
• Portland Farmers Market (year-round)
• Rockwood Farmers Market (Jun 12-Oct 16)
• Troutdale Farmers' and Artists' Market (year-round)
• Other Area Farmers Markets

(Complete details on these area markets below)

You'll find plenty of root vegetables, braising greens and lettuces, and of course plant starts for your own vegetable garden.

Bring your reusable shopping bags and plenty of small bills, though some of the markets will trade you a credit/debit card for wooden tokens that all vendors accept, which can be easier to handle than cash. We've indicated those markets that accept EBT or other food assistant coupons.

2016 Spring Newsletter   "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it Online

Inside This Issue   Are You Prepared for a Disaster? Nadaka Is Not Finished, Help Needed Spring Events at Nadaka Park 2016! Mult. County District 4 Candidates Earth Day 2016 Recycling, Apr 23rd WENA Spring Meeting, Mar 28th 7PM

Download your copy here. Now with active web links!

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our regular meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates

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Thirty thousand people in West Gresham could get different zip codes next year if the United States Postal Service thinks a realignment would benefit the community. The Gresham City Council on Dec. 15 unanimously decided to request that the postal service remedy “jurisdictional confusion” caused by residents in West Gresham having a Portland or Fairview zip code.

Source: Gresham Outlook, Dec 18, 2015

The two main Gresham zip codes are 97030 and 97080, but the 30,000 people that are in the impacted area have zip codes that are 97024, 97230, 97233 and 97236.

The zip code alignment issue leads to residents being unclear about what city they live in and from where they should be requesting services such as police and fire or business licenses

Residents in North Gresham asked whether they want the city to undergo a project to unscramble a street grid that is not congruent with the rest of the city.

Source: Gresham Outlook, Dec 28, 2015

Residents were first notified of this project at the end of November with letters from the city saying that a survey would be coming to gather opinions about changing the street names and addresses in the neighborhood.

The area impacted contains about 1,800 residents and is bounded by Northeast 205th Avenue, Northeast 226th Avenue, Northeast Stark Street and Northeast Burnside Road.

The street names in the neighborhood do not match those in the rest of the city because they were addressed under a different set of standards before the property was annexed into Gresham in the 1990s.

If the city moves forward with the project, the street names would be changed to be consistent with the rest of the city.

Who's going to build a $30 million Rockwood catalyst project?

Josh Furher, Exec Dir Rockwood Development Commission

City councilors make a pick By this time next year, construction crews could begin building a $30 million economic campus where city leaders hope Rockwood and Gresham residents will learn, shop and make money.

Source: The Oregonian/OregonLive
November 17, 2015

View video

On Tuesday, Gresham City Council members approved the selection of the project's developer who will help pay for the project and bring in an architectural firm to design a 5.5-acre campus for technology, media, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Rockwood residents should also find restaurants, banking services and grocery items in an area that's seen major chains close their doors.

City leaders have so far found funding sources of about $11.5 million to $12.5 million of that cost to build at the project location, called by officials as the catalyst site. With a population of about 16,500, Rockwood is known for its high rates of poverty and crime but also its diversity and youth.

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"There are a lot of young smart people and a lot of great ideas that don't have an opportunity at this point," City Councilor Mario Palmero said. "I still think the American dreams lives in Gresham more than anywhere in the state of Oregon."

City Council members chose RKm Development, owned by Roy Kim, over two other candidates: Pate Retail and Hanlon Development. RKm built Bethany Village, a mixed-use development of residences, office and retail spaces just north of Beaverton. The developer will work with YBA Architects and Robert H. Foster Consultants on the project, according to their proposal.

Architects and designers would be influenced by Latin American, Northern European and Asian elements, such as "eclectic architecture, non-traditional plant materials, and a wide color palette," according to their proposal.

"To capture a multi-ethnic experience, the public spaces and circulation would take cues from Latin American urban plazas and Asian market streets while also acknowledging the nascent block structure of the immediate vicinity," the RKm proposal states.

More below the break

By Monica McAllister, Nadaka Park Coordinator

Nadaka’s 5th Annual Nadaka Community Festival was a huge success! We had 23 partnering organizations hosting booths, free refreshments provided by Albertsons and Earth H2O, Aztec dancers, steel drum performer, a Ukrainian folk singer, and a variety of family fun activities and crafts. Between 350-400 community members attended the event. All of this was made possible by our wonderful volunteers, partnering or-ganizations, and local community members. We're always look-ing for great new ideas and help planning. To join the Festival Planning Committee email the Nadaka Park Coordinator at monica@friendsofnadaka.org.

Since June, we've had 3 Nadaka Community Cleanups and the SOLVE Beach and Riverside Cleanup at Nadaka. This year’s “No Ivy Day” had 60 high school students from “College Possible” volunteer to remove invasive plants! We are so thankful for all our volunteers and their hard work! We’re always looking for volunteers, groups, organizations, and businesses to come to our stewardship events. Our next stewardship opportunity is the Native Planting Event February 27th 9-12pm.

We also hosted a series of classes and private organizations at Nadaka for environmental and garden education. These include our monthly Bird Walks, Garden Workshops, and “Tadpole Tales” with story time, a craft, nature walk, and show and tell. We held a nature day camp called “A Week in the Woods” taught by Earth Art and Agriculture.

Nadaka will host an Urban Coyote Talk with Audubon Society of Portland, Monday November 16th 6:30pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Murdock Hall. Coyotes have become established in Gresham neighborhoods just as they have become established in many urban areas across the United States. Some people are happy to see these wild dogs while others are concerned about conflicts. Come learn about urban coyotes with Audubon Conservation Director, Bob Sallinger. Bob has been working on coyote issues in the Metro Region for more than two decades.

With funding from the Oregon Youth Development Council’s “Youth & Gangs Grants”, the City of Gresham is sponsoring a late-night basketball program every Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. at H.B. Lee Middle School.

Boys & Girls, Grades 6-12

The program, which started last fall, offers skill-building and supervised games for youth in grades 6 through 12. The program is part of a larger citywide effort to connect more at-risk youth with positive adults and activities, and so far it’s working well. Last year an average of 50 youth participated every Friday night without incident. Following the success of year one, the school happily agreed to continue its partnership with the City, and the state renewed the grant fund-ing for the next biennium.

Morer Info
For more information, contact Joe Walsh, City of Gresham, at 503-618-2372.