REDUCING THE ‘SUMMER SLIDE’

It is well known that many children, especially those from families with limited financial and transportation resources, lose about 2 months of schooling during each summer vacation. That loss compounds year after year ultimately leaving the children many months or years behind their more affluent peers.

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Project overview website: Click here.

Based on feedback from the City of Portland’s outreach, this project will move forward for the approval of the City Traffic Engineer and the Transportation Director.

The City of Portland has indicated that the future maintenance and design of the pocket park improvement at NE 13th Avenue will require further discussions with the neighborhood.

Project information for the NE Holman Street Project:

Updated: NE Holman Street – Existing Conditions and Route – Click here.

Updated: NE Holman Street – Project Proposal and Possible Intersection Improvements – Click here.

Updated: NE Holman Street – Possible Intersection Options for 13th, 15th, 33rd and 42nd – Click here.

Updated: NE Holman Street – Crossing at Martin Luther King Jr. Option – Click here.

Updated: NE Holman – Boulevard Evaluation Goals – Click here.

On the corner of Northeast 13th Avenue and Holman Street there is a tiny park. It houses one pine tree, a bench, a broken sprinkler system, and an odd play structure/sculpture that some call the “horse saddle.” But this unassuming and often neglected little patch of soil and concrete has been the centerpiece of a neighborhood caring, protecting, and providing for itself one little block at a time.

Read the rest of the article on the Sentinel website.

Portland Sunday Parkways is a festival that brings the entire community together along traffic-free streets. Over 125,000 people will walk, jog, bike and stroll together on routes in NE, N, SE, E and NW Portland. The first event for this summer is on Sunday, May 16 in NE Portland and it’s coming through Woodlawn!

The support of the entire community is needed to make Sunday Parkways possible. Over 300 volunteers assist with project such as park set up and roving bike mechanics at each event. The greatest need is for Intersection Superheros: the essential volunteers who staff every intersection along the course for safety reasons.

There are two cool ways to get involved. If you’re thinking of just yourself or you plus friends, you may volunteer by yourself or with friends and family to throw an intersection party, decorate it, make it your own, have fun.

The other option is to bring your group (organization, cause, riding club, etc) together to host an intersection and promote your organization. You get to “own” the intersection, decorate it, promote your cause, and have fun. With 25,000 people coming right past your station, this is a great opportunity to get the word out.

Check out the schedule and plan for a summer full of fun, traffic-free Sunday Parkways events!

PortlandSundayParkways.org

If you missed the last meeting about making NE Holman street into one of Portland’s new “neighborhood greenways” you can see the materials and information on the Portland Office of Transportation webpage.  The meeting was well-attended, standing room only and full of lively conversation and energy.

Of particular note for Woodlawn is the proposal (originated by a group of neighbors who passionately wish to improve the “pocket park” at NE Holman and 13th) to use the Greenway project to slow and/or divert traffic, put in a bioswale, extend and improve the park and create a space for community and recreation.  This idea has been advocated for quite some time by the informal “Woodlawn Corner” group, and is an example of how a small group of committed citizens can bring an idea to the attention of city planners and have it incorporated into a project.  Most attendees at the meeting showed enthusiastic support for the proposal (a raise of hands was called for by the city presenters to make sure this was supported by the neighborhood) but it will still be on the table for discussion at the next meeting, so it is critical that neighbors show up and participate in the process.  Join the Woodlawn Corner google group or email Alan at strongworkarch//@//gmail.com to join, and/or come to the next potluck Wednesday April 28th at 6pm in the park.

SHOW UP!  For the next Greenways meeting on Tues May 4, 6-8pm Concordia Library Room 314.

Returns to the Village Ballroom!

Come join us this Monday, March 29, 7:30-9:30.
Village Ballroom, 700 NE Dekum

Square Dance to the hot tunes of the Greasy Chain String Band.
All Ages and Beginners Welcome!

Suggested Donation $5+
Pay-what-you-can; 100% of the door benefits Green Empowerment.

http://www.greenempowerment.org/

Saturday, March 20th from 1:00PM – 5PM

Believe Movement Studio invites you to join them, along with neighbors Buffalo Gardens, The Purple Garden and Good Neighbor Pizza to a celebration of the Vernal Equinox. You can take advantage of a spring sale on class cards, session packages and retail items. These businesses also have contests for April. There will be food, live music, and festivities for the entire family. Rae Minten will offer a free session of sun salutations to honor the return of the sun at 1:30PM and 3:30PM.

Saturday, March 20th
10a-3p – free
1158 NE Morton Street (map >>)

WHAT UP?
A bunch of friends (some of whom are gear reps) are getting together to sell off gear at great prices.  We dug through our basements and garages and found bins upon bins of stuff that has to go.

* Bikes * Bike parts * Wheels * Product samples * Accessories * Bags and panniers * New and used * Snowshoes * Snowboards * Climbing shoes * Boots * Life jackets + more

More info >>

Two great events happening Saturday March 13!

The Woodlawn United Methodist Church is starting up a community garden.  All neighbors are invited to take part in the set up.  It will be a great opportunity to meet other neighbors and build community.
1pm – 2:30pm
On the SE corner of the church (15th and Dekum).

Also, Woodlawn neighbors Gregg and Nikki got a grant from the city to build an ecoroof! Gregg says the next deadline for the next round of grants is in about a month… it was really easy. He suggests people who are interested check out

Free Portland ECOROOF event THIS weekend March 12-13th
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. both days
Leftbank Annex | 101 N Weidler Street  Portland, Oregon  97227 Read the rest of this entry »

“Hey, let’s get our bikes, we can go over to the Sandy River. There is a lifeguard there today and it’s supposed to be a hot one. We can even take the MAX back with our bikes!”

How would you feel waking up every morning knowing that every day will hold unforgettable adventures, bonding with a diverse group of co-explorers, facing exciting challenges, learning life lessons from trusted mentors, and looking back at the end of each journey with a sense of the world around you grown closer and full of possibility?

Camp Bike Fun will run two to three week long summer programs between June and August 2010 for 10 to 15 year olds. Cost is 190 per week- with scholarships available. Bicycles and helmets (and more) are provided by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Registration begins in March at the North Portland Bike Works. 3901 N Mississippi Ave. Portland. 503-287-1098.

http://www.northportlandbikeworks.org/

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