West Gresham

Rockwood NA Meeting When: Mon Nov 16, 2015 7-9PM Where: Rockwood Building 124 NE 182st Ave Greaham OR Get Map!

More Info
Contact Catherine Nicewood, Rockwood President, at 503-285-6587 or email rockwoodpresident@gmail.com.

When: Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:00PM-9PM Where: Albertina Kerr   (New location!) Louise Room 722 NE 162nd Av Gresham, OR Get Map!

Neighborhood Meeting, Everyone's Invited

Join Your Neighbors. Get involved. Make a difference!

Save the date
Be sure to save Monday, Nov 16th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2015 Fall Meeting. The meeting will be held at Albertina Kerr - Louise Room, 722 NE 162nd Av, Gresham OR. Get map!

Guests & Topics
Election of Officers, Rockwood Triangle Development, Reaching Out for a Better Oregon, Waterside Apartments Update, Friday Night Youth Basketball, and neighborhood news and updates.

Join the Board   Are you motivated, passionate, creative?
Become a Member-at-Large at this year's neighborhood elections. Being a Board Member is a great opportunity and experience for any neighbor, whether you’ve been on a board before or you're considering the idea for the first time. No experience required.

Who should attend?
This meeting is open to all residents and businesses in the Wilkes East Neighborhood!

Be Part Of Your Community. Plan To Attend.

By Monica McAllister, Nadaka Park Coordinator

Nadaka’s 5th Annual Nadaka Community Festival was a huge success! We had 23 partnering organizations hosting booths, free refreshments provided by Albertsons and Earth H2O, Aztec dancers, steel drum performer, a Ukrainian folk singer, and a variety of family fun activities and crafts. Between 350-400 community members attended the event. All of this was made possible by our wonderful volunteers, partnering or-ganizations, and local community members. We're always look-ing for great new ideas and help planning. To join the Festival Planning Committee email the Nadaka Park Coordinator at monica@friendsofnadaka.org.

Since June, we've had 3 Nadaka Community Cleanups and the SOLVE Beach and Riverside Cleanup at Nadaka. This year’s “No Ivy Day” had 60 high school students from “College Possible” volunteer to remove invasive plants! We are so thankful for all our volunteers and their hard work! We’re always looking for volunteers, groups, organizations, and businesses to come to our stewardship events. Our next stewardship opportunity is the Native Planting Event February 27th 9-12pm.

We also hosted a series of classes and private organizations at Nadaka for environmental and garden education. These include our monthly Bird Walks, Garden Workshops, and “Tadpole Tales” with story time, a craft, nature walk, and show and tell. We held a nature day camp called “A Week in the Woods” taught by Earth Art and Agriculture.

Nadaka will host an Urban Coyote Talk with Audubon Society of Portland, Monday November 16th 6:30pm, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Murdock Hall. Coyotes have become established in Gresham neighborhoods just as they have become established in many urban areas across the United States. Some people are happy to see these wild dogs while others are concerned about conflicts. Come learn about urban coyotes with Audubon Conservation Director, Bob Sallinger. Bob has been working on coyote issues in the Metro Region for more than two decades.

Who's going to build a $30 million Rockwood catalyst project?

Josh Furher, Exec Dir Rockwood Development Commission

City councilors make a pick By this time next year, construction crews could begin building a $30 million economic campus where city leaders hope Rockwood and Gresham residents will learn, shop and make money.

Source: The Oregonian/OregonLive
November 17, 2015

View video

On Tuesday, Gresham City Council members approved the selection of the project's developer who will help pay for the project and bring in an architectural firm to design a 5.5-acre campus for technology, media, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Rockwood residents should also find restaurants, banking services and grocery items in an area that's seen major chains close their doors.

City leaders have so far found funding sources of about $11.5 million to $12.5 million of that cost to build at the project location, called by officials as the catalyst site. With a population of about 16,500, Rockwood is known for its high rates of poverty and crime but also its diversity and youth.

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"There are a lot of young smart people and a lot of great ideas that don't have an opportunity at this point," City Councilor Mario Palmero said. "I still think the American dreams lives in Gresham more than anywhere in the state of Oregon."

City Council members chose RKm Development, owned by Roy Kim, over two other candidates: Pate Retail and Hanlon Development. RKm built Bethany Village, a mixed-use development of residences, office and retail spaces just north of Beaverton. The developer will work with YBA Architects and Robert H. Foster Consultants on the project, according to their proposal.

Architects and designers would be influenced by Latin American, Northern European and Asian elements, such as "eclectic architecture, non-traditional plant materials, and a wide color palette," according to their proposal.

"To capture a multi-ethnic experience, the public spaces and circulation would take cues from Latin American urban plazas and Asian market streets while also acknowledging the nascent block structure of the immediate vicinity," the RKm proposal states.

More below the break

"Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together WE can make a difference!”

Read it Online

Wilkes East Neighborhood 2015 Fall Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE 64-Unit Waterside Apartment Update Enhabit Fall Energy Saving Tips RHS Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Nadaka Happenings Fall Edition Friday Night Youth Basketball Zimmerman House Holiday Tours WENA Fall Meeting Nov 16th

Download your copy here. Now with clickable web links!

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 regular meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates

1874 Zimmerman House. Click to Enlarge

Enjoy Our Fall Colors! When: Sat Oct 17, 2015 Noon-4PM Where: Zimmerman Park 17111 NE Sandy Blvd Gresham, OR Get Map!

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.

Start Your New Business! When: Sat Oct 17, 2015 10AM-2:30PM Where: Sunrise Community Center 18901 E Burnside St West Gresham Get Map!

Just starting a business plan, looking for financial assistance, or maybe need advice on marketing? Come as you are and talk with the experts about getting to the next level. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Childcare and interpretive services will also be provided.

RSVP to RockwoodRising@GreshamOregon.gov or call 503-618-2416 and identify your language preference.

Read more about the Rockwood Rising project.

More info
Contact Brian Monberg at 503-618-2418 or Brian.Monberg@GreshamOregon.gov.

Neighborhood Assn Board Meeting When: Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:30PM-8PM 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

• Nov 16, 2015
• Dec 28, 2015 (No meeting)
• Jan 25, 2016

Wilkes East Neighborhood
PO Box 536
Fairview, OR 97024

16539 NE Halsey, Gresham OR Click to enlarge

Neighbors are worried about the pressures on the infrastructure, the school district and the traffic, saying there are all ready too many apartments

Source: The Gresham Outlook
Friday 28 August
by Jodi Weinberger

Residents in the Wilkes East neighborhood are objecting to a 64-unit apartment complex to be built at Northeast Halsey Street and 165th Avenue, both because of the density and the fear of creating more low-income housing.

“The primary thing that most people feel is that there are too many apartments already in our area,” said Kris Freiermuth, president of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. “I’m voicing what was indicated at the (neighborhood association) meeting. They are worried about the pressures on the infrastructure, the school district and the traffic.”

For weeks, residents have been voicing concerns about a growing trash problem and code violation issues in Wilkes East to the city, police department, and in letters to the editor in The Outlook. Many residents say another complex will just add to these issues.

The four-story apartment complex, to be located at 16539 N.E. Halsey St., is being called the Waterside Apartments. It would contain one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with elevator access to upper floors and a playground in the yard.

The building is being proposed by SGS Development LLC, a Bend-based company that has built several projects in East Multnomah County.

At the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday, Aug. 24, more than 50 residents showed up to express concern about the building.

Help cleanup Nadaka Nature Park! When: Sat Aug 01, 2015 9AM-Noon Where: Nadaka Nature Park & Garden Meet at the Picnic Shelter 176th & NE Glisan Gresham, OR Get Map!

Join Friends of Nadaka to to help cleanup Nadaka Nature Park. We will be removing invasive species such as English Ivy from the 10 acre forested portion of the park, weed and water the community garden and the front two acres of the park.

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

About Nadaka Nature Park
Nadaka Nature Park is a designated 12-acre natural area with a .5 mile walking loop, tall trees, native plants, grassy meadow plus a Community Garden and Nature Based Play area. Visit Nadaka Nature Park, 176th & NE Glisan St, Gresham OR

More Info
Contact Monica McAllister, Nadaka Nature Park Coordinator, 503-956-8558 or email monica@friendsofnadaka.org. Visit friendsofnadaka.org.