West Gresham

Wilkes East neighbors Robyn and Eric El Kay

By: Robyn El Kay Neighbor, WENA Board member Hello, neighbors! My name is Robyn, and my family moved into the neighborhood in Spring 2023. In the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association, our motto is "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together WE Can Make a Difference!”

One of the great things about having a neighborhood association is knowing that there is a group of people advocating for you, your home, and your local community right where you live. Our neighborhood association (WENA) is no exception. This group of dedicated individuals meets every month to discuss upcoming and pertinent matters affecting our neighborhood - you may be surprised to know some of the impact this group has had!

Since moving into the Wilkes East neighborhood, this committed group has:

• Worked to get our beloved Nadaka Park otter, “Slider” back after it was stolen in 2024.
• Ensured that we (your neighbors) are up to date on how land is being used around our area.Take for example, the new Habitat for Humanity project happening near 176th and Glisan.
• Submitted grant proposals to ensure we are able to continue supporting our community.
• Brought awareness to matters affecting our neighborhood, such as the removal of our elder Douglas Firs.

And perhaps most significantly, our WENA has hosted neighborhood clean-ups allowing all of us to dispose of our unsightly and often hidden rubbish from behind our homes and beside our garages free of charge! Be sure to mark your calendars for this year's clean-up - and get your rubbish ready!

WENA is a group of your neighbors that cares deeply about the overall wellness of our community. My family and I have seen that firsthand. Since the day we moved into the neighborhood, we have been welcomed by warmth, kindness, and generosity - even through my pregnancy, and the welcoming of our first child, August. If you see us, please say hi!

As the neighborhood continues to grow and change, this group will also continue to evolve. We want to make sure you know that WENA is here for all of us. We hope that each of you will learn more about your neighborhood association, and consider contributing your voice and expertise. It’s vital that our neighborhood association continues to thrive. Come join us. Share your ideas.

Visit our website any time at wilkeseastna.org or reach out to us at info@wilkeseastna.org - we look forward to seeing you around!

Gather Your Junk! The Dumpsters Are Coming! Rain or Shine

Drop-off Location:   MOOSE LODGE, 16411 NE HALSEY

Bring us household junk, old furniture, plastics, beds, yard debris, bulky waste, small appliances, scrap wood, scrap metal (BBQs, mowers, bikes, microwaves, etc), large appliances (no appliances with Freon), dishwashers, ovens, stoves, washers, dryers, etc.

Please, do not bring clothes, computers, electronics, TV's, food garbage, chemicals, animal waste, liquids, glass, soil, rocks, tires, concrete, paint, batteries, propane, tanks, construction debris, fluorescent bulbs, or medical waste.

Suggested Donation: Car $15, Van/Pickup: $20, Trailer $30.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Contact info@wilkeseastna.org

Spring 2026 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' Can Make a Difference!”

Read it now!

Spring 2026 Newsletter Inside This Issue: WENA Spring Meeting - Mar 9, 7PM Neighborhood Clean Up - May 16 Join the Board - Get Involved Clean Up Volunnteers Needed

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

Neighborhood Board Meeting Zoom Online Meeting RESCHEDULED When: Mon Jan 21, 2026 6:30PM-8:00PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82054640074?pwd=mqjKVBnMv23uX0MF54JvdgQAOmLZbJ.1

Download Oct 2025 meeting minutes here.

Board meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Monday each month 6:30PM via Zoom

For more information please contact: info@wilkeseastna.org

Upcoming Meetings

* General Meeting. Everyone's invited. Please attend.

Fall 2025 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Fall 2025 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Election of Board Officers Jason Naumann Rockwood Common Tool Library Cathy Keathly Gresham City Councilor Neighborhood News and more!

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

By Janet Unruh WENA Board Member Good news— Slider, the otter has returned to Nadaka Nature Park. Slider is a beautiful, life-size bronze sculpture of a standing otter, the twin of the original,that was stolen. As luck would have it, sculptor Rip Caswell (https://caswellsculpture.com/) had created two otter sculptures, almost identical in size.

Judy Han, director of Gresham Outdoor Public Art, was instrumental in convincing the City of Gresham to replace the otter sculpture in Nadaka Park. There was a suggestion to place the otter in another park, but Judy prevailed. Thanks to Judy Han and the City of Gresham for restoring Slider to Nadaka Park.

For a complete list and downloadable map of all outdoor public art in the City of Gresham please visit https://www.greshamoutdoorpublicart.com/

Neighborhood Board Meeting Zoom Online Meeting When: Mon Sep 08, 2025 6:30PM-8:00PM Rescheduled: When: Mon Sep 15, 2025 6:30PM-8:00PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89944001511?pwd=xSAe3cMrIjEYTUUeUIlhOsAT7PPMf8.1 Meeting ID: 899 4400 1511 Passcode: 471835 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbcIIKhFJv

Download July 2025 meeting minutes here.

Board meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Monday each month 6:30PM via Zoom

For more information please contact: info@wilkeseastna.org

Upcoming Meetings

* General Meeting. Everyone's invited. Please attend.

Summer Meeting Notice When: Mon Aug 11, 2025 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 Aug 11th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2025 Summer Meeting being held at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey St

Agenda

Download the Summer 2025 meeting agenda here!

• Jan Hann
  President Gresham Outdoor Public Art
  Sliders Return to Nadaka
• Janet Unruh
  Secretary, Wilkes East Neighborhood
  Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”
  and Impact on Gresham
• Neighborhood news and more!

Download the Spring 2024 meeting minutes 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

Neighborhood Cleanup Event (Click to enlarge)

Wilkes East Neighborhood Cleanup Event May 10, 2025

By Greg Hartung, WENA Board Member

Wilkes East Neighborhood Cleanup event was held on May 10th 2025 at the Moose Lodge. The day marked the much-anticipated neighborhood cleanup, an event that—thanks to the collective effort of residents, local organizations, and Metro officials—would become a resounding success, leaving a lasting impact on our community’s environment and spirit.

Every great accomplishment is rooted in thoughtful preparation, and this year’s cleanup was no exception. Planning began months in advance. Flyers were hand delivered to residents, newsletters detailed the event’s objectives: to have a place to bring bulky waste that normally would not have been able to place in a garbage can. The event was free to all to help all residents clear their yards, homes, and garages of no longer needed trash. Donations were collected to help offset the expenses.

The planning committee—comprised of residents young and old, representatives from the neighborhood association, Moose Lodge, Metro, and Waste Management. Metro provided grant money for the dumpsters. The Moose Lodge provided the location and refreshments.

More than 5 tons of bulky waste were collected. Additionally, another 4 tons of scrap metal was diverted to local recyclers.

One of the defining features of the cleanup was the diverse collaboration it fostered. Residents who had rarely exchanged more than a passing wave now worked side by side, sharing stories and laughter as they tackled shared tasks. Yet the true impact of the cleanup reached beyond the day’s visible results. Neighbors, once strangers, now felt a sense of camaraderie forged in shared effort. Throughout the day, conversations among participants revealed a deepened appreciation for both the neighborhood and those who call it home. One resident, originally hesitant to join, was inspired by the sight of so many coming together.

Plans are already underway for next year’s cleanup, with organizers eager to build on this year’s momentum. Suggestions have poured in. If you would like to donate your time and energy for next years plans, you can drop us a line at info@wilkeseastna.org. We welcome ideas and volunteers.

The legacy of this year’s cleanup will live on, not just in the tidy streets and blooming gardens, but in the friendships, goodwill, and renewed sense of belonging it inspired.

Event Photos

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by Greg Hartung, WENA Land Use

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.

DR-24-00679 Location: Pape Properties 17217 NE Sandy Blvd. Ditch Witch Outdoor Storage and lot line adjustment. The proposal involves the additional 49,000 square feet of outside graveled storage yard to be used by Ditch Witch for outdoor storage of equipment and a separate lot to the east for future development. No new buildings are proposed at this time.

PRE-25-00061 Location: 17905 NE Glisan St. This is a pre-application for consideration of food cart pod for 18 carts, 40 x 80 indoor seating area: retaining the existing house. Narrative: “The lot contains approximately 0.63 acres and is relatively flat with an elevation of approximately 251 feet near the south line adjacent to NE Glisan Street. The owner wants to develop the site with 18 food carts and a 3200 square foot covered dining area in the center as shown on the Preliminary Site Plan included. The project also includes 9 parking spaces within a parking lot, the required utilities, including stormwater management, will be part of the project. The driveway accesses to NE Glisan Street and is 20 feet wide”.

For these and other public records, you can visit this web link: https://greshamor-energovweb.tylerhost.net

You do not need to create or register an account with online services to access project files. To search for project files and public records:

• Click on the search icon.
• n 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