Community

By Janet Unruh
Wilkes East Neighbor and Board Member

There are at least 28 quirky, one-of-a-kind shops in Gresham, including such things as yesteryear consignment shops, guitar and musical instrument shops, upscale resale women’s clothing, antiques, Mexican and Latin American flea markets; and probably others I haven’t found yet. For this article, I left out a whole category of grocers, but they include Mexican, Middle Eastern, Euro-Russian, Pacific Islander, and a little farther away: Somali, Indian, and Asian. However, I have to make an exception for the PDX Halal Supermarket and Kabul Restaurant. They sell Persian rugs, furniture, wall art, housewares, spices, and packaged foods from the Middle East. It’s right in our neighborhood at 16223 NE Glisan Street. Google reviews: Friendly people from Afghanistan! Great food with big helpings. The bread is always delicious. Great prices. Immaculately clean market. Food is authentic Afghani. Food is probably the best Afghani food that I have had in the Oregon area.
We also have a new Mexican flea market nearby called Oregon Flea Market, at 16321 SE Stark Street. Google reviews: They carry an assortment of things like candy, food, snacks, toys, gifts, shoes, clothes, jewelry, electronics, and so much more. Great place! Great vibes! There's a really awesome second-hand shop on the east end way in back of the covered area, highly recommend. Lots of cool and unusual stuff, always getting new stuff. Hidden gem!
As I was collecting the list of quirky shops, I looked at the photos for each shop in Google Maps. My eye landed on a “Fire King Jade-ite” juicer. See below.

Fire King Jadeite juicer, Click to enlarge

My family has a large collection of this light green, opaque “milky” glassware: dishes and bowls of different sizes, cups and saucers, serving bowls, etc. However, this juicer is one piece that we don’t have.

Permit me a little diversion. Once upon a time, my family had a cabin in the Colorado mountains, which we visited every summer. We have fond memories of the scent of pine forests, evening cookouts, and the path into town. On the way to town, we’d cross streams and run through the patch of wild roses to avoid a bee sting. It was there that we had these dishes. They were inexpensive in the late 1940s, but now they are collectible.

I couldn’t read the price of the juicer (does it look like $69.99? Ouch!), so I went to look at it in person. It was at a shop called Side Hustle Auction and Thrift at 317 NE Roberts Ave., Gresham, OR 97030. It’s a consignment shop with several rooms full of interesting items.

Side Hustle Auction and Thrift, Click to enlarge

17 Google reviewers gave it five stars. What’s extra quirky about this shop is that the owner, Carrie Hughes, runs a weekly online auction.I asked about the juicer and it had already been sold. But I was amused to find a few pieces of the green uranium glassware under a blacklight, which causes them to glow. This type of glassware is made with a small amount of uranium and is radioactive, but its radioactivity is very low. I browsed the whole place and had a good time. I was tempted to buy a blue guitar in good shape. Google reviews: Amazing hidden gem! So very great deals! My friend had to drag me out because I was about to buy half the store. Awesome place. Lots of cool stuff. Don't think I've ever been in and not come out with something. Love collecting VHS tapes from my childhood.

Here’s my list (so far) of quirky, one-of-a-kind shops:

• Amiton Furnture, 202 N Main Ave. Retail home furnishings.
• CB’s Tropical Aquarium, 3 NE 181st Ave. Fresh and saltwater fish, and accessories.
• Cheap Charlie’s Beer and Wine Superstore, 79 NE Roberts Ave. 1,000-plus brews, plus many wines.
• Deep Creek Garden Center, 2330 NE Hogan Dr. Seasonal trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials.
• Discounts Plus, 211 NE Roberts Ave. Closeout and liquidation.
• Eagle Bargain Outlet, 867 E Powell Blvd. Eclectic furnishings, household items, clothes, etc.
• Eastside Music, 21977 SE Stark St. Musical instruments.
• “FLEA” Market, 18340 SE Stark St. Booths with lots of Mexican items, jewelry, electronics, and mini cafes.
• Found on Fremont, 560 NW Eastman Pkwy. Consignment.
• Foxtrot Vintage, 227 N Main Ave. Upscale antiques, etc.
• Gaia’s Workshop, 475 NE Burnside Rd. Drums and sacred art.
• Gresham Guitar, 835 N Main Ave. All things guitar, electric and acoustic, repairs, and lessons.
• Gresham Music, 620 SE 223rd Ave. Brass, woodwind, and stringed instruments. Orchestra, band; rentals, and lessons.
• Island Hope Mart, 17308 NE Halsey St. Pacific Islander clothing, jewelry, packaged foods, and snacks.
• JunkYard Deals Thrift Store, 23 NE 10th Dr. Upscale used furnishings and clothes.
• Let’s Play Again, 20 NW 2nd St. Toys, dolls, stuffed animals.
• La Pulga Fantastica, 19340 SE Stark St. Super-large Mexican flea market with all kinds of Mexican items and mini cafes.
• Maggie Mae’s Bookshop, 50 NW 1st St. Books, games, gifts for all ages, especially baby to teens, reading challenge, teas!
• Molly's Upscale Resale, 111 N Main Ave. Women’s clothing.
• Montavilla Sewing Center, 971 NE Kelly Ave. Sewing supplies.
• NW Creations and Collectibles, 364 NW Eastman Pkwy. Crafts. They are looking for another (cheaper) location.
• Oregon Flea Market, 16321 SE Stark St. Mexican flea market.
• PDX Halal Supermarket with Kabul Restaurant, 16223 NE Glisan St. Middle-east furnishings, grocery, and restaurant.
• Schedeen’s Nursery, 845 NE 10th St. Plants, farmer's market, gifts, and preserves; something for every season.
• Second Nature Pet Supply, 17 NW 1st St. Food, snacks, toys.
• Side Hustle Auctions and Thrift, 317 NE Roberts Ave.
• The Gresham Toy Shop, 126 N Main Ave. Toys, collectibles.
• The Other Side Nursery, 458 SE 185th Ave., #103, Rockwood Market. Wide variety of indoor plants, plus rocks and crystals.

Let’s visit these quirky shops and keep them going!

For a map showing the location of these shops, click this link.

By Alma Landon, Wilkes East Resident

As a dedicated doula, my work is never done. I am passionate about supporting mothers and families during one of the most transformative times in their lives. I'm taking my advocacy to the state capital to present my testimony for Senate Bill 692 and Bill 693 before the Early Childhood Committee.

This bill aims to enhance early childhood and behavioral health services, a crucial step in nurturing the next generation.

Having witnessed the profound impact that maternal mental health can have on families, I firmly believe that providing comprehensive support is essential for fostering healthy connections. Our community’s well-being starts with ensuring that mothers feel heard, supported, and equipped to thrive.

I envision a world where every mother has access to the resources and care they need, allowing them to embrace their role with confidence and joy. Together, we can create a nurturing environment for our children and help build a resilient future.

Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we can continue to grow hope for maternal health and well-being.

Fall Meeting Notice When: Mon Nov 18, 2024 7PM-9PM Where: Moose Lodge 16411 NE Halsey St Get Map!

Everyone's Invited

Join Your Neighbors. Get involved. Make a difference!

Save the date
Be sure to save Monday Nov 18th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2024 Fall Meeting being held at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey St

Agenda

• WENA Board Elections
• Cook Plaza Homeless Center
• Habitat for Humanity
• Spring Cleanup Volunteers Needed
• Neighborhood news and more!

Download the Summer 2024 meeting minutes here!

Download the Fall 2024 meeting agenda here!

Who should attend?
Participation is open to all residents who live, own property or a business, organization, church or government agency within our boundaries

Be Part Of Your Community. Plan To Attend.

Watch for these red & white Meeting Signs the week before our meeting. The signs were purchased with assistance of the City of Gresham Neighborhood Grant Program, and with volunteer hours to set them out and retrieve them. Signs Now NW also made a generous contribution to this project.

Mark your calendar. See you there!

Questions or comments?
Contact Wilkes East Neighborhood by email at info@wilkeseastna.org, or by postal mail to: Wilkes East Neighborhood, 17104 NE Oregon St, Portland Oregon 97230

Fall 2024 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Fall 2024 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Cook Plaza Homeless Center Wilkes East Land Use Update SnowCap Communitiy Charities Upriver Village, Age-In-Place WENA Board Elections Nov 18th

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

¡Descargue nuestro boletín en español aquí!. (incluye enlaces web activos)

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 general meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates

Adjecent to 70 Unit Family Housing By Janet Unruh Wilkes East Neighbor

Cook Plaza, Click to enlarge

I have a generally positive view of humanity, and I think that every person has something to offer. But we have a homeless problem in the U.S. and the Portland metro area specifically, that is getting worse as time goes by. Enter JOHS, Joint Office of Homeless Services[1].

Gresham's Homeless
Gresham doesn’t have a big homeless problem, according to JOHS. As of January 2022, there were 48 unsheltered individuals (according to the point-in-time street count). In January 2023, there were 33 unsheltered individuals, a decrease in the numbers[2]. This is a good trend, though I couldn’t find updated data as of January 2024.
The City of Gresham has a Homeless Services department whose employees go out and contact the homeless directly and offer immediate help. This includes rent assistance, which is funded by JOHS. As of May 2024, JOHS provided permanent housing to 84 households, over 170 people, including children in Gresham. For 2025, the funding for housing and staff have been doubled[3].

(If you don't see the full article below, Click "Here")

By Greg Hartung
Land Use Co-Chair

Hello members of our Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. The Wilkes East Neighborhood Association board regularly receives land use plans from the City of Gresham to notify us of land use projects within or proximity to the Wilkes East neighborhood boundaries.

Pre-application PRE-24-00239 16651 NE WASCO ST PORTLAND, OR 97230. Application date 4/19/2024: Proposed standard partition for the creation of (2) parent parcels, one of which is proposed as a flag lot. They are each proposed to contain a quadplex, a permitted housing type in this zone. Current zoning Residential 7 LDR7. Once finalized a MHLD (Middle Housing Land Division) will be applied for. Demolition permit DEMO-24-00044 was issued on 02/12/2024 to remove a single-family home and wooden shed from the property.

Proposed lot partition. Click to enlarge

Demolished lot. Click to enlarge

Design review DR 23-00425 NE Glisan Habitat for Humanity project.
Location 17640 NE Glisan Portland, Or 97230 (across from Nadaka Nature Park). This is a development of 20 two-story dwelling units arranged in 10 duplex buildings with 28 parking spaces, landscape and open spaces. Lot consolidation of 17616 and 17636 NE Glisan was required to form one lot of 17640 NE Glisan. Total land size is 1.41 acre. Tree removal and land clearing has begun. There will be several mature trees in the rear of the property that will be preserved as part of the open space. Street side improvement will include landscaping. Watch for street side improvements and heavy construction equipment.

Architect rendering. Click to enlarge

Demolished lot. Click to enlarge

For these and other public records,
Please visit https://greshamor-energovweb.tylerhost.net. You do not need to create or register an account to access project files. To search for project files and public records: Click on the search icon. In the screen that loads, type in the Plan case number in the search field and click on the search button. The page will reload with the results of the search, including highlighted direct links to cases. Click on the highlighted link for the Plan case. In the page that loads, click on the Attachments tab to view project files.

You can also view detailed instructions on how to search for public records. Website: https://greshamoregon.gov/workarea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=13448

If you have any questions about accessing the files online or any projects, please contact PlanningTech@GreshamOregon.gov

By Nate Larsen
SnowCap Volunteer Coordinator

SnowCap Community Charities is a philanthropic organization created to provide food, clothing, advocacy and other services to our neighbors in need. Located off 178th and Stark street in the Rockwood area, SnowCap has been providing essentials to people that live East of 82nd, but still within Multnomah County, since 1967.

Over this past summer, SnowCap has been serving an average of 12,600 people per month, nearly 3,000 more than last year. And the sustained increase in the number of neighbors we are serving shows no signs of slowing down.

SnowCap is primarily known for our food pantry. Families and individuals who live in our area can come to SnowCap up to two times each month for free groceries, pet food and hygiene items.

SnowCap accepts donations of just about any kind of non-perishable food, provided it is still in the original, factory packaging. We can also accept donations of fresh fruits and vegetables from gardens and orchards! Some of the most requested items from our clients, are things like soups, stews, chilis and other canned proteins (peanut butter, SPAM, tuna, etc.).

SnowCap also operates an offsite clothing closet, where our clients can make appointments once each month, to select donated clothing to help keep their families warm. To facilitate this, SnowCap accepts donations of any kind of gently used clothing - any size, any shape or any style! Shirts, pants, sweatshirts, jackets, shoes, and even sheets or towels make wonderful donations. We also accept brand new packages of socks and underwear.

But one of the best ways to help, is by volunteering your time! SnowCap is always on the lookout for folks to help assemble food boxes/bags in our warehouse, assist clients as a personal shopper in our offsite clothing closet, or even help answer phones as a receptionist! With a small staff of only 12 people, we literally cannot do what we do, without the help of our wonderful volunteers!

SnowCap’s pantry is open every Monday through Friday from 10am to 2pm, and Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm. If you are interested in volunteering as an individual or group, please contact nate@snowcap.org, or visit www.snowcap.org for more information.

Summer 2024 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Summer 2024 Newsletter Inside This Issue: From Chicago to West Gresham Wilkes East Land Use Update Housing vs Trees in Gresham WeShine Village Update Meet the Tooth Taxi Volunteer (With updated school start and end times!)

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

¡Descargue nuestro boletín en español aquí!. (incluye enlaces web activos)

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 general meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates