Parks & Recreation

Public Invited Town Hall Meeting When: Wed Oct 3, 2012 6:00-7:30PM Where: Rockwood Public Library 17917 SE Stark St Get Map!

We invite you to join us at Mayor Shane Bemis' upcoming public town halls for a community conversation about the proposed Police, Fire & Parks Fee of $7.50 per month and why it’s critical to keeping the community safe and livable.

Share Your Opinion
The public can provide input and ask questions at the Town Hall meetings on Oct. 2, 3 and 10. at 6:00-7:30PM

Gresham is a great community, with one of the most efficient local governments in Oregon.

But additional revenue is needed now to keep the community safe and vibrant and the City’s financial foundation stable. That’s why this fall your City Council will consider a monthly Police, Fire & Parks Fee of $7.50 – assessed to households

We invite you to join us at Mayor Shane Bemis' upcoming public town halls for a community conversation about the proposed Police, Fire & Parks Fee of $7.50 per month and why it’s critical to keeping the community safe and livable.

Share Your Opinion
The public can provide input and ask questions at the Town Hall meetings on Oct. 2, 3 and 10. at 6:00-7:30PM

Gresham is a great community, with one of the most efficient local governments in Oregon.

But additional revenue is needed now to keep the community safe and vibrant and the City’s financial foundation stable. That’s why this fall your City Council will consider a monthly Police, Fire & Parks Fee of $7.50 – assessed to households

Click to enlarge

Fun for the Entire Family! Music, Food and Activities. When: Sat Aug 11, 2012 12PM-3PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park Nelson property addition 175th & NE Glisan Gresham, OR Get Map!

A festival to celebrate the accomplishments of WENA and the other partners who have joined together over the past three years

Nelson Master Plan. Click to Enlarge

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING When: Thu Jul 19, 2012 3PM-5PM Where: St Aidan's Episcopal Church 17405 NE Glisan St Portland, OR Get Map!

Garden Project Public Meeting
You are invited to a meeting of the Project Committee for the Nadaka Nature Park & Garden Project. The consultants for this project, MIG, will be presenting final designs for the Nelson property. These include a community garden, nature-based play area, picnic tables, edible fruit bushes, pathways, ecolawn, etc.

Other topics may include removal of trees infected with laminated root-rot, improvements along NE Pacific and procurement of funding and materials for the project.

When: Sunday Jun 3, 2012 7-9PM Where: Linnemann Station Springwater Corridor Trailhead 18200 W Powell Loop Gresham OR Get Map!

You're Invited
Join Portland Audubon and City of Gresham naturalists for a walk along the newest section of the Gresham-Fairview Trail between Division and Powell. This nighttime walk will focus on the American bitterns that breed in the large wetland just off the trail, as well as some owl calling and identification. Dozens of other songbirds and waterfowl are likely to be seen. Meet at Linnemann Station on the Springwater Trail.

No registration required.

More Info
Contact Laura Guderyahn, 503-618-2246 or Laura.Guderyahn@GreshamOregon.gov

Friday May 18, 2012
For Immediate Release

Regional funding improves access to West Gresham nature park and supports community garden

On May 17th the Metro Council awarded $238,000 in capital funding to the Nadaka Nature Park and Garden Project, building momentum to this community-driven garden and nature park project in West Gresham. The competitive Metro grant award comes from capital bond funds approved by voters as part of the 2006 Regional Natural Areas Bond Measure and will support new park features like a nature based-play area, rain garden, community garden and more. The new funding adds to over $150,000 in existing financial support from East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, Meyer Memorial Trust and the City of Gresham.

Do We Really Need This Fountain? When: Tue Apr 3, 2012 6:00PM Where: Gresham City Hall Council Chambers 1333 NE Eastman Pky Gresham, OR Get Map!

$1.5 million Children's Fountain Loan Application
A couple of weeks ago, the City of Gresham posted an obscure 24-page document titled "Five Year FY 2011-2016 Consolidated Plan Amendment / Amendment to the One Year Action Plan 2011-2012" on the City's "Children's Fountain" webpage (http://greshamoregon.gov/city/) by following the Read More link. The key part of this lengthy HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) application document is on the back page, where it says that the City "intends to utilize HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee assistance to create a Section 108 Loan Pool" and that the City "intends to apply for a Section 108 Guaranteed Loan in 2011-2012 to develop a Children's Fountain in Gresham's downtown......for $1.5 million to aid in the elimiation of slum and blight in downtown Gresham."

It turns out that the City intends to pay back the loan ($110,000/yr. for 20 yrs.) from it's annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds (currently $900,000) from HUD. These CDBG funds typically pay for things like affordable housing and public improvements in qualified neighborhoods.

At a recent Community Development & Housing Subcommittee meeting committee members questioned:

• why the City was building a fountain at this time,
• whether the fountain would really bring more shoppers to downtown,
• how downtown qualified for a Section 108 loan,
• why the fountain costs $1.5 million,
• what would happen if HUD again cut the City's CDBG funds & the City couldn't repay the loan with them,
• what the annual maintenance costs for the fountain (not part of grant) would be.

You'll find the City's 2-page Children's Fountain project flyer here. You can find a 5-page Case Studies of other such fountains (Jamison Square-Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton and Maryland) compiled by City staff here. We encourage neighbors to take a few moments to review these documents. Written public comment due no later than 4:30pm Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

(Click 'Read More' link below for more details and project concerns.)

Zimmerman House, Gresham OR

Every Saturday through August When: Sat Aug 6, 2011 10AM-3PM Where: Zimmerman Park 17111 NE Sandy Blvd Gresham, OR Get Map!

A lasting vestige of East Multnomah County's agricultural roots

A delightful 1874 Victorian farmhouse
Take a step back into history at the Zimmerman House, a Victorian era farmhouse, built in 1874 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This beautiful farmhouse is a perfect reflection of typical Columbia River dairy farm life in the late 1800s. The Zimmerman Heritage Farm is a unique cultural education and recreational resource that is being created for the benefit of the public on a 5.98-acre historic site in Gresham, Oregon.

Open house and tours every Saturday through August 10AM-3PM

Nelson Park, Gresham OR

Nadaka Nature Park, Garden Project Petition of Community Support Show your support to seek grant funding to implement the Nelson Neighborhood Park master plan. When fully implemented the park will include community gardens, an orchard, picnic tables, a nature-based play area, and a walking loop that will connect it to Nadaka Nature Park. Sign the petition (below)

In 2009 Wilkes East Neighborhood Association and Friends of Nadaka successfully obtained a Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grant, a grant from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and a donation from the Nelson Family Trust to purchase the 2.0 arce "Nelson Property" for use as a neighborhood park. This additional land, with its tall trees and open grassy area is now part of Nadaka Nature Park.

Neighbors celebrate the Nelson addition to Nadaka Nature Park. Click to enlarge

Rain didn't dampen the spirits of community festival guests Celebrating the Nelson addition On June 18th, 2011, the Wilkes East Neighborhood held a community festival at Nadaka Nature Park to celebrate the Nelson property addition which was purchased with local grants.

The new addition which added 2 acres to this wonderful nature park has allowed the opening of the south gate -- improving accessibility to all of our neighbors and visitors as well as making room for the master plan that will include community gardens and more.

Rain is our sunshine
June 18th was a very wet cloudy day, typical of Oregon spring weather. Despite the rain, 58 volunteers with SOLV arrived at 9AM at Nadaka Nature Park for a park clean-up event. Participants removed invasive plant species as well as trash and debris. Volunteers came from HB LEE Middle school, SUN Community Schools as well as GGAPP Peer group and Catholic Charities.

The festival started at 12 noon and lasted until 3PM. Constant rain didn't dampen the spirits of the several hundred guests that attended the festival.