News

By Jane Foreman
Chair, Steering Council
UpRiver Village

A new Village is forming in the Gresham-Troutdale area to provide older adults with a way to comfortably age-in-place. UpRiver Village isn't a real estate development or a retirement community. Instead, members live in their own homes; they can be homeowners, renters, in shared housing, or living with relatives. UpRIver Village will join Villages NW, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with 13 existing and developing Villages in NW Oregon and SW Washington. The Village Movement embraces the strategy of bringing services to people rather than moving people to services. UpRiver Village will serve seniors within the city limits of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village.

Steering Council Chair Jane Foreman was a volunteer with and member of Eastside Village for two years before moving to Gresham in December where there is no Village. So she set about creating one with support from Villages NW mentors. A core group of committed volunteers meets monthly to work on organizational development. When the development phase is complete, UpRiver Village will open for membership and start scheduling services.

UpRiver Village is building the foundation to provide practical services to members as well as opportunities for socializing. Volunteers will provide services such as transportation to appointments and shopping, occasional assistance with housekeeping and yard work, and help with technology. Social and recreational activities will include opportunities to meet like-minded seniors for coffees, book groups, potlucks, group walks, and more. Please see information on upcoming events at www.uprivervillage.org. Most events are open to the public at this time.

UpRiver Village currently needs volunteers to help with organizational development, infrastructure creation, communication, outreach and marketing. After UpRiver Village opens, volunteers will be needed for direct services to senior members.

The first Village in the United States - Beacon Hill Village - started in Boston 25 years ago. UpRiver Village will also be a member of the national Village to Village Network that includes more than 500 existing and developing Villages nationwide.

For more information about UpRiver Village visit www.uprivervillage.org, email contact@uprivervillage.org, or call (503)-489-8813.

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

Read it now!

Spring 2024 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Outdoor School for 6th Grade Students Wilkes East Land Use Update Rockwood Greenspace Now Try The MyGresham App Street Sweeping, 4th Wed, Mar-Nov

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

Fall 2023 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Fall 2023 Newsletter Inside This Issue: WENA Board Election November 13th Aging Levees, Will They Protect Us Wilkes East Land Use Update Climate Action Meeting, All Things Trees How We Saved the CCACs

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

Summer 2023 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Summer 2023 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Rockwood Urban Renewal B188 Wilkes East Land Use Update Climate Action Plan workshop Reynolds Schools Start & End Times WENA Summer Meeting August 14th

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

Spring Meeting Notice When: Mon Mar 13, 2023 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 Mar 13th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2023 Spring Meeting being held at the Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey St

Agenda

• Election of 2023 WENA Board
• Jessica Harper, Community Services Manager, City of Gresham
  Homeless Services
• Michael Gonzales, Neighborhood &
  Community Engagement Manager, City of Gresham
• Lucy Harden
  WeShine Village Update
• Janet Unruh
  , Urban Forestery in Gresham
• Neighborhood news and more!

Download the Fall 2023 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, or by postal mail to: Wilkes East Neighborhood, 17104 NE Oregon St, Portland Oregon 97230

Spring 2023 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Spring 2023 Newsletter Inside This Issue: New Play Structure Nadaka Park City Replaces LED Streetlights Urban Forestry in Gresham Caught on Camera WENA Board Elections March 13th

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

Wondering what to do with those broken or unwanted TV's and computers?

Here's Your Answer!
Take them to your nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army store and they'll gladly take them off your hands for free!

Oregon E-Cycles® is a free, easy recycling program for computers, monitors and TVs. Just bring seven or fewer computers (desktops and laptops), monitors and TVs at a time to a participating collection site.

Computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, etc.) and other types of electronics are not included. Dispose of these items in your weekly recycling pick-up.

Summer 2022 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Summer 2022 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Adding Livability through Walking Summer 2022 Weather Outlook Meet Gresham’s New Police Chief New Bike Route In Wilkes East Citizen Volunteers in Policing

Download your copy here. (includes active 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 general meetings.

View archive   |   Policy & Ad Rates

NE 172nd Avenue at NE Clackamas St, Gresham, Oregon

By Sheena Raab
Wilkes East Resident

Neighbors have been increasingly aware of the on-going high speed traffic on NE 172nd Avenue, as well as cars cutting through cross streets such as Wasco, Pacific, and Oregon. In the past, efforts have been made by past WENA councils to address the issues with the City of Gresham. Traffic measures have been put into place such as the speed advisory signs that flash during school hours. The fact remains that many of us, including myself, are concerned for pedestrian safety in our neighborhood, especially after a sedan crashed into the school yard of H.B. Lee Middle School this past fall.

On January 10, 2021, Chris Strong, Transportation Manager of the City of Gresham and Stacy Talus, Vice Principal of H.B. Lee Middle School joined the WENA board meeting to discuss concerns and options. Mr. Strong advised those present that more information would need to be gathered and a discussion would need to be opened with the Fire Department and City Emergency Services which use NE 172nd as an emergency route for call outs. He stated he would have his team collect traffic data to determine the average speed on the street to see if the current situation would meet the criteria for consideration to install any additional traffic calming measures, such as speed humps.

We are hopeful that Mr. Strong will be able to provide an updated report on his team’s findings and advise us of the next steps our community can take.

Please join us for our March Neighborhood Association Meeting to continue the discussion on our shared concerns and possible solutions.

NE 172nd Ave Summary Comparison courtesy of the City of Gresham,Transportation Division:

Congressman Earl Blumenaur and Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall tour Downtown Rockwood in 2021

By Emily Bower, Executive Director, City of Gresham

In 2003, Gresham voters approved the establishment of the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area authorizing the investment of $92 million into a 1,211 acre area in West Gresham. However, the urban renewal area will expire in 2023. This would leave approximately $37 million unutilized dollars due to delays from the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Gresham proposes extending the urban renewal district to 2029. The extra six years would allow the City to invest approximately $37 million in new projects and to continue funding projects in the Rockwood-West Gresham Renewal area. To date, urban renewal has brought in new development, businesses, schools, after-school youth programs, helped with storefront grants and apartment restoration. With a little more time, imagine the projects that could be tackled in the future – using money that is already set aside.

Urban renewal does not increase your property taxes.

How it works:

• It dedicates funds to an identified neighborhood so a city’s urban renewal agency can focus on improving the area.
• It is often used to provide infrastructure to help spur economic development.
• Urban renewal changes how the existing taxes paid on a property are divided out amongst different taxing districts like the City and Multnomah County.

• As public and private investment stimulates growth in the district and the value of properties improve, money becomes available to use on the projects.
• Urban renewal in Gresham can provide funding for projects sooner.

Boys and Girls Club, Rockwood ribbon cutting. Funded through Rockwood West-Gresham Renewal Plan. Photo: City of Gresham

For more information on this effort go to: https://greshamoregon.gov/Urban-Renewal/