Community

Get your Portland home on HGTV! HGTV is looking for First-time Homebuyers to be on “My First Place!”

One of HGTV’s most popular series, “My First Place” will be in Portland for its SEVENTH season to film first-time homebuyers through all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on and ultimately buying their first place! Each half-hour episode features people making the dream of homeownership a reality!

We are currently looking for homebuyers who are:

• Buying their FIRST place.
• Fun, interesting people who are excited to be a part of this show.
• People willing to share their personal & financial struggles with viewers.
• Buyers that are going to be closing before the end of 2009.
• Will be buying within a 90-minute radius of downtown Portland.

Candidates who are chosen for the show will also receive a housewarming SURPRISE gift at the end of shooting to thank them for being on the show!

Singles, couples and families are all encouraged to apply!

Everyone's invited! Wilkes East Neighborhood Semi-Annual Meeting Monday Feb 16th 7PM

Join Your Neighbors -- Get involved. Make a difference!

When: Monday, February 16, 2009 7:00PM
Where: H B Lee Middle School
1121 NE 172nd Ave
Click here for map

Be sure to save Monday, February 16th at 7:00 PM for WENA’s Semi-Annual Meeting. This years meeting will be held at H B Lee Middle School, 1121 NE 172nd Ave (between Glisan & Halsey), Portland, Oregon.

Meeting Topics

• Gresham Recycling
  Karen Guillen-Chapman, Coordinator
• Curb Extensions on NE 172nd Ave
  between Halsey & Glisan
• Friends of Trees Comes to Gresham
  Elizabeth Elbel, Friends of Trees
• Nadaka Park Progress Report
  Cleanups & Grant status
  Lee Dayfield, Friends of Nadaka
• Upcoming neighborhood events
• And more!

Everyone's Invited to Attend!

This meeting is open to all residents and businesses in the Wilkes East Neighborhood! Be A Part Of Your Community, Plan To Attend.

The Wilkes East Neighborhood is located in the Northwest corner of the City of Gresham, Oregon, and is one of Gresham's sixteen neighborhoods. Wilkes East Neighborhood borders are roughly NE Sandy Boulevard to the north, NE 181st Ave to the east, NE Glisan Street to the south, and NE 162nd Ave to the west. Click here for a map of the Wilkes East Neighborhood.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend this important meeting.

181st Corridor Signal Improvements Coming Spring 2009 Smart signals, wider turns to relieve traffic congestion

The 181st Avenue Corridor project is intended to increase existing street capacity and support new industrial businesses within the Urban Renewal Area, and is supported by the Wilkes East Neighborhood and the Rockwood Business Coalition.

Reason for the project

181st Avenue provides the only connection to Interstate-84 within Gresham city limits. As the areas to the south develop, including Pleasant Valley and Damascus, this corridor will grow more congested because it provides the nearest freeway access. The redevelopment potential of the Wilkes East and North Gresham neighborhoods, including the industrial portion of the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area, will be hampered (without improvement) as intersections on 181st near the freeway reach capacity.

Smart signals, wider turns, and a crosswalk closure are expected to relieve traffic congestion through this busy area.

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...

• Gresham Landlord Forum For All Multi-Family Rental Landlords and Managers Jan. 21
• On Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Artist Selected to Create the Art Elements at the Center for the Arts Plaza
• Interested in Organizing your Neighborhood for a Disaster Response?
• Are You Ready? Workshop Jan. 24 from 9AM to Noon
• New Skate Park Community Design Workshop is Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2:30PM
• Register for Free Naturescaping Workshop at Gresham City Hall
• Oregon E-Cycles in Gresham<
• Become a Master Recycler
• Successful Mediation Cases

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

Join Us! Johnson Creek Watershed Wide Event Mar 7th 10 Locations!

When: Saturday, March 7, 2009 9AM-12PM
Where: 10 Locations
Johnson Creek Watershed
Portland & Gresham

Watershed Wide Event

Please join us for our 11th Annual Watershed Wide Event with hundreds of volunteers working together to restore a valuable community resource we all share -- Johnson Creek.

Volunteers will gather at 10 different restoration sites throughout the watershed to remove invasive species and plant native plants.

Historically, this has been a very popular event; please sign up early! Register now!

Click to enlarge

Free -- Don't delay! Small Leaf Maple saplings Transplant Now!

It's transplant time!

Beautiful Small Leaf Maple Tree saplings available for transplant now. These hardy saplings are from the tree pictured above.

Maple saplings transplant very easily during the dormant season, which is roughly from mid-November to mid-February, taking care to set it at the same level in the soil at which it was previously growing.

To obtain your free Maple Tree sapling please email kjohnk@juno.com.

Join Us for Bargins Galore! Reynolds Learning Academy Annual Rummage Sale Sat & Sun March 14-15

When: Sat March 14, 2009 10AM-4PM
Sun March 15, 2009 10AM-2PM
Where: Reynolds Learning Academy
20234 NE Halsey
Fairview, OR 97024
Click here for map

Graduation fund raiser

Reynolds Learning Academy will be holding it's annual Rummage Sale to raise funds for our graduation ceremony and other school activities, Saturday March 14th from 10AM to 4PM, and Sunday March 15th from 10AM to 2PM.

If you haven't been to an RLA Rummage Sale -- you've got to go!

City of Gresham News, Community Activities & 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...

• Learn to Mediate
• Urban Renewal Marks its Fifth Year
• Urban Renewal Welcomes Henningsen Cold Storage to Gresham
• Rape Survivor Edens Receives Humanitarian Award
• Justice Assistance Grant Awarded
• Save the Drain Campaign Targets Holiday Cooking
• Holiday Schedule for Garbage and Recycling Service
• Annual Holiday Construction Ban in Busy Retail Districts Starts Nov. 21
• Gresham Transportation Projects Seek Your Public Comment
• How to Set Out Garbage Cans, Carts and Bins
• Jenne Road Sewer Project Update
• Stark Street Boulevard Transportation Project Open House, Rockwood
• Volunteers Needed for Outdoor Work Party at Kelly Creek
• Free Educational DVD Features Puppet Skits and Environmental Messages

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

Proposed map and codes changes available for review

When: Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008 3:00PM
Where: Council Chambers
Gresham City Hall
1333 NW Eastman Parkway

Proposed changes close to approval

The Planning Commission on November 10, 2008 recommended that the City Council approve the map and code changes proposed as part of the Residential Districts Review project.

The proposed changes are described at www.tinyurl.com/GreshamCode.

Planning Commission suggests staff take another look

The City Council is scheduled to conduct a public hearing at 3:00PM Dec 16, 2008. The Planning Commission suggested staff take another look at the proposed map changes for a few locations. Staff will describe those suggestions and its recommendation to the City Council in the materials for the Dec 16, 2008 meeting.

Proposed map and codes changes available for review

When: Monday, Nov 10, 2008 6:30PM - 10:00PM
Where: Council Chambers
Gresham City Hall
1333 NW Eastman Parkway

Proposed changes available for review

The Residential Districts Review project is proposing Development Plan Map and Development Code changes. The latest map (and other information) is available at www.tinyurl.com/GreshamCode.