Announcement

Container Gardening When: Tue Jun 28, 2016 6PM-8PM Where: Murdock Hall at St. Aidan's Episcopal Chruch Nadaka Nature Park 17405 NE Glisan Street Gresham, OR Get Map!

Learn how to container garden with Sarah Canterbury from Growing Gardens. Each participant will leave the class with two planted containers, seeds and handouts in Spanish and English. Perfect for balconies, patios and front porches, container gardening is a low-cost and sustainable way to treat yourself to fresh vegetables and herbs for the whole family. Space is limited so register now.

For more information or to register by phone please call 503-956-8558 or email monica@friendsofnadaka.org.

Aprende a jardín dentro las macetas con Sarah Canterbury de Crezcan Jardines. Cada participante sale de la clase con dos macetas plantadas, las semillas, y folletos en español e inglés. Perfecto para balcones, patios y porches, jardinería dentro las macetas es de bajo costo y de forma sostenible para disfrutar de las verduras frescas y las hierbas para toda la familia. El espacio es limitado así que regístrese ahora.

Para más información o a registrarse por teléfono, llama 503-956-8558 o escribe un mensaje de monica@friendsofnadaka.org 

Get Involved, Make A Difference When: Mon Jun 27, 2016 6:30PM-9PM Where: Gresham City Hall Springwater Trail Room 1333 NW Eastman Parkway Gresham, OR Get Map!

The Planning Commission advises City Council on long-range, comprehensive planning and land use issues within the city.

For more information about this event contact Tammy Richardson, Planning Technician at 503-618-2401 or Tammy.Richardson@GreshamOregon.gov.

Neighborhood Assn Board Meeting When: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:30PM-8PM (Note date change) Where: Simmons' Foster Care 17104 NE Oregon St Portland, OR Get Map!

Board meetings are scheduled for the 4th Monday each month 6:30PM
For more information please contact: info@wilkeseastna.org

Upcoming Meetings

• Jul 25, 2016
• Aug 22, 2016 (Public Meeting)
• Sep 26, 2016

Wilkes East Neighborhood
PO Box 536
Fairview, OR 97024

Sparks Will Fly As We Celebrate Our Nation's Birthday!

Fireworks
July 4, 2016
Best Fourth of July fireworks

• Waterfront Blues Festival - Downtown Portland. (See above.)
• Oaks Park - 2 miles south of Portland.
• Fort Vancouver - 10 miles north of Portland. (See below.)
• Corbett Fun Fest - 22 miles east of Portland.
• St. Paul - 30 miles SW of Portland. (See above.)

St Paul Rodeo
July 1-4, 2016
30 miles SW of Portland
Watch fearless cowboys and cowgirls ride bucking broncos, rope and wrestle steers, and even ride bulls at the St. Paul Rodeo. Also enjoy a barbecue, carnival, art show, and nightly fireworks. Schedule.

Mollalla Buckaroos Rodeo
July 1-4, 2016
30 miles SSE of Portland
Molalla Buckeroo: Rodeo competition, a carnival, barbecue, live music, dancing and fireworks (nightly following rodeo). Various times Wednesday-Saturday. Visit molallabuckeroo.com for schedule. Molalla Buckeroo Grounds, 815 Shirley St, Molalla; $8-$17; or 503-829-8388

Waterfront Blues Festival
July 1 - 4, 2016
Portland Waterfront
Waterfront Blues Festival features over 75 performers on four stages, plus fireworks on July 4th, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette River. Visit their website for schedule and details.

Fourth of July at the Fort
July 4, 2016, All day!
10 miles north of Portland
Independence Day At Fort Vancouver includes music and activities at noon and fireworks at 10:05 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Nadaka Nature Park Click to enlarge

Plant nerds, gardeners, and nature lovers When: Sat May 14, 2016 10AM-12PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park (Meet at the picnic shelter) 17615 NE Glisan St Gresham OR Get Map!

Join Monica McAllister, Friends of Nadaka, Ivy Watson, City of Gresham Natural Resources Program, and Heather Buley from the Backyard Habitat Program for a fun and educational plant walk through the 10 acre forest at Nadaka Nature Park.

Whether you want to explore nature with your kids, find out what native plants you can grow in your backyard (and which weeds you should kick out), or learn the difference between epigynous and hypogynous flowers, this walk and talk will have something for you.

Dress for the weather and for exploring in natural areas. Refreshments provided.

More Info
For information or to RSVP contact Ivy Watson at 503-618-2383 or ivy.watson@greshamoregon.com

Neighborhood Assn Board Meeting When: Mon May 02, 2016 6:30PM-8PM (postponed from Apr 25, 2016) Where: Simmons' Foster Care 17104 NE Oregon St Portland, OR Get Map!

Board meetings are scheduled for the 4th Monday each month 6:30PM
For more information please contact: info@wilkeseastna.org

Upcoming Meetings

• May 23, 2016
• Jun 27, 2016
• Jul 25, 2016

Wilkes East Neighborhood
PO Box 536
Fairview, OR 97024

Give Back to Your Community When: Mon Jan 18, 2016 9AM-12PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park (Meet at the picnic shelter) 17615 NE Glisan St Portland, OR Get Map!

MLK Day of Service at Nadaka!
Join Friends of Nadaka this MLK Day of Service to restore a healthy habitat at Nadaka Nature Park and give back to the community. We will be removing invasive species such as English Ivy from the 10 acre forested portion of the park.

Tools, gloves, and light refreshments will be provided. Dress to work in natural areas: long pants, warm cloths, and closed-toe sturdy shoes. Please bring a water bottle and a friend!

There are two locations for parking:

• St Aidan's Episcopal Church parking lot, west of Nadaka Nature Park located at 17405 NE Glisan Street Gresham, OR 97230
• Nadaka Nature Park north entrance, 176th & NE Pacific St. You may park in the neighborhood and follow the path through the forest to get to the picnic shelter

Get Involved, Make a Difference When: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6PM-8PM Where: Gresham City Hall Springwater Trail R 1333 NW Eastman Pky Gresham, OR Get Map!

The Community Development and Housing Subcommittee advises the City Council on community development and housing goals, policies and budgets.

More info
Contact Laurie Wells at 503-618-2404 or Laurie.Wells@GreshamOregon.gov.

Let's Hoop It Up! When: Fri Nov 20, 2015 6-10PM Where: H.B. Lee Middle School 1121 NE 172nd Av Gresham, OR Get Map!

Middle school and high school youth in grades 6-12 can attend free basketball practice, skill building and game play on Friday nights at H.B. Lee Middle School, 1121 NE 172nd Ave.

• Open to boys and girls in grades 6-12
• Learn new skills, make new friends, play basketball.
• Adult supervision and mentorship provided by the Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC).
• Sponsored by the City of Gresham.

Schedule:

• 6-8 p.m. for grades 6-8
• 8-10 p.m. for grades 9-12

Registration form

More Info
Contact Coach Michael Magnum at 503-975-2929

Click to enlarge

Saving Streams, Creating Habitat When: Sat Nov 21, 2015 9AM-1PM Where: Troutdale Community Police Bldg 234 SW Kendall Ct Troutdale, OR Get Map!

Learn how to build your own rain garden! Explore the critical role rain gardens can play in urban stream restoration, and how they add beautiful landscaping to your yard at the same time.

You will learn how to assess your site to determine the best location and size, calculate impervious surfaces, determine soil suitability, choose appropriate plants, and how to maintain your new rain garden. You will also receive a comprehensive manual that guides you through all the steps in constructing your rain garden. Where possible, workshop includes a short tour of a nearby rain garden.

Register here! Spaces available: 14 (of 40 max as of Nov 16th)

Rain Gardens
A rain garden is a sunken garden bed that captures stormwater runoff from hard surfaces like rooftops, sidewalks and driveways, and allows it to soak back into the ground naturally. They are planted with hardy, native perennials that filter pollutants commonly found in stormwater runoff. This helps reduce the overall amount of runoff and pollution that gets into our streams, and maintains the natural hydrology (the movement and distribution of water in the area, as it would be under natural conditions) so streams don’t go dry during the hot summer months.

If you are a resident of Gresham, you may be eligible for our $200 Rain Garden Incentive!

Why build a rain garden?
When a landscape is covered in natural vegetation, most rainfall soaks into the ground. As we start adding roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and streets to the landscape, much of the rainfall can’t soak into the ground anymore. This can create a lot of problems for people and for our streams.

Rain gardens hold stormwater runoff and allow it to soak into the ground naturally. This prevents pollution from entering our local streams and wetlands, and helps recharge our groundwater. By planting a rain garden with native plants, you can create a beautiful, low-maintenance and drought-tolerant landscape feature, while also providing habitat for beneficial wildlife. You can see examples of stormwater-managing features in the Rain Garden gallery