Overlook news...
Aug 29,2008
Take the Streetcar Survey
by Trace
The Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) is currently drafting a Streetcar System Plan, with the intent of creating a citywide network. The purpose of the Streetcar System Plan (SSP) District Working Group process that is currently underway is to engage the public in the beginning of a long-range planning effort that will identify future streetcar corridors with the highest potential in a long-term implementation strategy. Specifically, the goal of the NE District Working Group process is to identify where community support for potential streetcar corridors is located in NE Portland. Currently, volunteers like us are doing community outreach to gauge the level of support in Northeast Portland along various corridors such as Broadway/Weidler, MLK Blvd, Alberta St, and 82nd Ave. The city has stated that new streetcar corridors will be prioritized in areas where community support exists.http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7QjGufQZvkQ5cFawdRA6CA_3d_3d
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posted at 11:07 AM
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Aug 29,2008
Portland School Board appoints Martin Gonzalez to fill vacant seat
by pearlgirl
Last evening, the Portland School Board voted unanimously to appoint Martin Gonzalez to the Director position vacated by Dan Ryan's departure earlier this year.Gonzalez, the former executive director of the Portland Schools Alliance and long-time community activist, now works as an outreach coordinator for TriMet. As a parent, volunteer, activist and community supporter, Gonzalez holds a thorough knowledge of the school district, its strengths, and its challenges.
"Martin Gonzalez has been deeply engaged with schools in Portland for many years," Director David Wynde noted, "he brings great experience in engaging parents and families who have not traditionally had a voice in the district. His integrity, intelligence and commitment to to all students will serve the district well."
Gonzalez will serve the remainder of Dan Ryan's term ending in June 2009. If he wishes to run for a full four-year term, he will have to file by March 2
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posted at 08:37 AM
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Aug 28,2008
PPS Board Meeting is Now at 5 p.m.
by pearlgirl
The Portland School Board has shifted the start time of its scheduled meeting on Thursday, August 28 to 5 p.m . The meeting will remain in the auditorium of the Blanchard Education Service Center located at 501 N Dixon St . At the meeting, the school board will appoint a mew member to fill the seat vacated by Dan Ryan earlier this year. The appointment follows a forum on Tuesday for the five candidates sponsored by the League of Women Voters; the forum will be be replayed on Channel 28 Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The appointee will serve the remainder of Ryan's term, ending in June 2009, and may run for election at that time. For a list of candidates and full description of the selection process, click here .
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posted at 09:09 AM
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Aug 27,2008
Presentation Leads Water Blogmistress to Strong Realization
by jenniferd
I had a really neat experience yesterday. I was invited to the adidas campus, located in North Portland, to talk about the excellent quality of Portland's tap water . The folks over at adidas have organized a group of "sustainability ambassadors," who are working to improve "green" practices at their company, from head to toe. The idea is that the ambassadors meet periodically and not only decide on changes they would like to implement company-wide, but also to learn information to transmit to co-workers. I spent about 1/2 hour talking to this group of people about Portland's great tap water and worked on dispelling many of the myths and fears that people have about drinking from the tap . I was delighted that they not only listened incredibly intently to my presentation, but they also asked some great follow-up questions. I could tell that this group was really thinking about what I had told them. They even invited me back for their health fair in October. T
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posted at 11:29 AM
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Aug 27,2008
Grant from Kaiser Permanente Community Fund Puts Local Food on the Menu in Portland Public School and Gervais School Districts
by pearlgirl
The first school assembly of the new academic year will take place today at 10 a.m., at Atkinson Elementary in South East Portland, where school food and education leaders will gather alongside farmers, food producers, grocery retailers and government officials to cheer a grant from the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at the Northwest Health Foundation that will subsidize approximately 2,640,000 meals with the funds needed to serve more Oregon grown and processed foods in Portland Public Schools and Gervais School Districts. The grant, secured by Ecotrust’s Food and Farms program , will bolster existing efforts to bring more regionally produced food into two distinct school districts in the immediate school year, and kick-off a six-month study to measure the impact of nourishing the minds and bodies of young school children with fresh seasonal produce and locally processed foods, while directing dollars spent to feed Oregon students back into the local economy. A
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posted at 07:32 AM
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Aug 25,2008
2009 Neighborhood Small Grants Program, Applications due Monday, Nov. 3, 2008
by pearlgirl
Applications being accepted for Portland Neighborhood Small Grants through seven District Coalition offices The City of Portland, Office of Neighborhood Involvement and seven District Coalitions announce the third year of the Neighborhood Small Grants Program with $187,557 available to neighborhood and community-based organizations. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis through the seven neighborhood District Coalitions.Click here for more information on this year's grant program.
Click here for links to applications for each of the seven District Coalitions.
Click here for an informational flier you can print out and share with others.
If links are not working go to: www.portlandonline.com/oni and click on Neighborhood Small Grants Program.
Deadline for proposals Proposals will be due no later than 2:00 PM, Monday, November 3, 2008 at the District Coalition you apply to. Do not send proposals to the Office of Neighborhood Inv
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posted at 08:26 AM
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Aug 21,2008
Portland's Community Gardens Struggle to Grow
by shooter
My parents were gardeners, Dad especially. We had a good-sized lot in Menlo Park , about half way between San Francisco and San Jose. On it were two apple trees, two walnut trees, a plum tree, and space for a vegetable garden. Every spring, Dad would clear the plot for the vegetables and do whatever needed to be done to the trees. Once that was done, my parents would turn their attention to the flowers and shrubs around the house. All summer they would work around the yard this way. Of course, when the vegetables started coming in, we all enjoyed their efforts. In late summer the apples would ripen and my parents would get busy canning apple butter, baking, and passing apples out to the neighbors. The plums were used for plum jam and the occasional "plum fight" with my friends in the neighborhood. The walnuts were stored until the holidays when we would crack them open for mom to use in her holiday baking.
As we grew up and Dad got tired of
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posted at 10:08 AM
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Aug 20,2008
Dig in the Dirt for Beautiful Schools
by pearlgirl
Make your school shine! On Saturday, Aug. 23, join thousands of volunteers for Community Care Day, 9 a.m. to noon, to take on landscaping and groundskeeping at 75 schools. Click here to sign up. Tasks vary from school to school, but include weeding, pruning, edging and laying bark chips. The volunteer commitment is important to Portland Public Schools, which employs only four groundskeepers to care for about 100 sites. Event sponsors include Pacific Coast Fruit Company and Coastwide Laboratories. Hands On Greater Portland is overseeing volunteer coordination. Volunteers include PPS parents, students and current and retired staff; members of local faith communities, and other community partners. Community Care Day is part of Project: Community Care, a program launched in 2001 to match every school with volunteers and hold events throughout the school year. Project: Community Care aids schools, improves learning and fosters long-term partnerships between groups and individual school
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posted at 10:27 AM
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Aug 19,2008
Blog-Off Day 2: What Will Tuesday Bring to our Blog-Off Bloggers?
by jenniferd
Tuesday's Blog-Off Challenge sent by The Mercury's Amy Ruiz: This challenge is courtesy of a reader: "I'd like to hear a response plan from each agency on a Nessie-esque beast in the water reservoirs. Assume it is dangerous, eating skinny dippers, dragging dogs underwater, etc." News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact, August 19, 2008
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posted at 03:15 PM
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Aug 19,2008
TriMet Fares Increase September 1
by pearlgirl
Just a reminder that TriMet will increase fares on September 1. Adult single fares will increase 25 cents One month pass will increase $10 dollars Youth/Student, Honored Citizen and LIFT single fares will increase 10 cents. 1-Month Passes will increase $2. TriMet is also introducing a 14-day pass—valid 14 consecutive days from date of purchase. Learn more .
posted at 07:33 AM
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