wilkeseastnaorg

Winter 2012

Wilkes East Neighborhood NewsletterGresham Oregon USAldquoDiversity Harmony Community - Together we can make a differencerdquoWE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

City to Build West Gresham PolicePrecinct at Former Kaches GardenCenter Site

Site acquisition for Rockwood publicsafety facility approved - Facility willimprove police presence and services inRockwood West Gresham area

GreshamRedevelopment Commission approved theacquisition of 23 acres at 675 NE181st (1-block north of Glisan) for the future site ofthe Rockwood Public Safety Facility

acquisition will allow design and constructionof the project to proceed on schedule forcompletion by the end of 2013 At the samemeeting an award of business was given toGroup Mackenzie Inc to providearchitectural services for the project

demonstrates the Cityrsquos commitment toimproving public safety and enhancing policepresence in Rockwood said Mayor ShaneBemis It is very exciting to see work begintowards delivering on this vital urbanrenewal goal

Public Safety Facility will create a welcomingand highly visible police presence inRockwood improving public safety andencouraging new investment in the area

range of police functions including supportfor patrol officers serving Rockwood andother special units and programs The newfacility may also include space for publicsafety-related community uses

funds administered by the GreshamRedevelopment Commission and satisfiesGoal 5 of the Rockwood-West GreshamRenewal Plan calling for the Developmentof Public Safety and Community ServicesFacilities

retain their existing headquarters near CityHall The new Rockwood facility will replacethe Rockwood Community Office located at18709 SE Stark St

East County Courts in Rockwood NearsCompletion Doors Open Late April 2012

East County Courts Building 185th amp SE Stark St Opening April 2012

After decades of delays andmissteps the new courthousereceives the finishingtouches as it prepares toopen for business

East County Courtsproject in the heart of GreshamsRockwood neighborhood could bejust whats needed to jumpstart thetown centers redevelopment

represents a commitment to an arealeft behind long ago

square-foot three-floor facility will have threecourtrooms with room for future expansion tosix an office for the district attorney a sheriffsdepartment security office court businessoffice a data center in the basement and adrop-in child care facility for visitors

adjudicated for misdemeanors violationssmall claims landlord and tenant actions exparte hearings and document filing for all civiland domestic relations actions - many ofwhich were previously filed at theovercrowded downtown Portland courthouse

It will not include a detention facility nor willfelony cases be heard

$15 million from Recovery Zone EconomicDevelopment (stimulus) Bonds The remainingportion will be funded from the 2008 sale ofthe South Edgefield property

Commissioner DianeMcKeels office says The building will openthis spring after at few weather-dependentprojects are completed according to SeanFiles Commissioner McKeels assistant

COURT Page 2

Got Radon

The only way to knowyour homersquos Radonlevel is to test

Radon gas occurs natu-rally It is present in nearly all soil and rockyou cant see smell or taste it - but its there

to radium which in turn breaks down to formradon As radon decays it releases radioac-tive byproducts that are inhaled Radon is thesecond-leading cause of lung cancer aftersmoking -- and the number one reason whynon-smokers die of lung cancer Its esti-mated to be responsible for over 21000deaths annually in the United States

walls basement floors foundations and otheropenings Once inside radon can becometrapped and build up to unsafe levels espe-cially in areas below ground-level Nationwideits estimated that 1 in every 15 homes haselevated radon levels In the Portland Van-couver area that number can skyrocket to 1in 4 homes

have the Great Missoula floods to blame fortheir radon-rich soil

15000 years ago swept in to the area whenice dams in western Montana burst GlacialLake Missoula immediately released an as-tounding 520 cubic miles of water swampingPortland and the Willamette Valley to a depthof 300 to 400 feet and leaving behind layersof radon-generating sediments

house to the next so testing is the only sureway to know the amount of radon in yourhome

RADON Page 2

Mark Your Calendar

St Aidanrsquos Church174th amp NE Glisan

Wilkes East NeighborhoodNEXT MEETINGMar 19 2012 bull 7PM

Wilkes East Neighborhood Association - 2Winter 2012

Wilkes East NeighborhoodAssociation Newsletter

Published quarterly Over 1500 copiesdistributed throughout Wilkes East

The Wilkes East Neighborhood Association(WENA) is a non-profit organization in GreshamOregon Deadline for submission is the 10th ofthe month prior to publication Submit materialto infowilkeseastnaorg WENA reserves allrights and all copy may be edited for clarity andlength PDF of this newsletter with active linksonline at wwwwilkeseastnaorgnewsletterhtm

EXECUTIVE BOARDPresident Kris Freiermuth

Vice President Marc Thornsbury

Secretary Greg Hartung

Treasurer Billy Simmons

Land Use Chair Curt Duval

Members-at-Large Bob Lundbom

BOARD MEETINGSBoard meetings are held on the fourth Monday ofeach month at 630PM See website for details

SPECIAL THANKS

City of GreshamPrint Results Inc 503-287-9566

St Aidanrsquos Episcopal Church

Got an interesting story to shareEmail it to infowilkeseastnaorgor mail to

Volunteer OpportunitiesGet involved Let us know how youd like to helpEmail infowilkeseastnaorg for details

NE Glisan St

NE

162

nd A

v

Wilkes EastNeighborhood

NE

181

st A

v

NE Sandy Blvd

door-to-door rides for seniorsand people with disabilities

5032260700

FREE LOW COST TRANSPORT

wilkeseastnaorg

COURTS (Page 1)

1960s to have a courthouse in East Multno-mah county This new courthouse will replacethe overcrowded run down one-courtroom inthe old City Hall building on West Powell indowntown Gresham

went through the old courthouse

struction began on the 42 area site located at185th amp SE Stark St formerly the sites ofKFC Rockwood Lanes Bowling and an oldlaundromat All were deconstructed in the Fall2010 to make way for this project

general contractor for the project and localdignitaries hosted a Topping Off Event torecognize the completion of the structuralsteel construction for the new facility After thefanfare the final signed beam was lifted intoplace on top the south wall of the southweststairwell

Gold Certification standards and the Architec-ture 2030 Challenge requiring the use ofgreen and energy reduction technology suchas solar eco roofs and geothermal groundsource heating The new building will use 50of the energy of a similar type building and itwill be 60 carbon neutral It will use smartbuilding system controls for lighting ventila-tion and access It will also have a greenroof solar power a radiant floor slab on-sitestormwater management rain water re-useand low irrigation need vegetation

about the new Rockwood courthouse

ence new businesses and an easy-to-findjustice facility They believe the new court-house could change the Rockwood neighbor-hood for the good after years of high crimeand broken promises

growing population of residents East of 122ndAvenue and it complements the other impor-tant projects in the Rockwood WestGresham area Projects like the City of Gresh-ams Rockwood in Motion urban renewal im-provements in the Rockwood Town CenterHuman Solutions Rockwood Building at 181stamp Burnside and the recently announced newGresham Police station (to be completed bythe end of 2013) on the 23 acre site formerlyoccupied by Kaschs Garden Center 181stnorth of Glisan

RADON (Page 1)

area of a home exceeds 4 pCiliter (picocuriesper liter) it is recommended that measures betaken to lower the concentration

test kits are available at home im-provement stores or online for under $20 each(3 for $40) Testing is easy Simply open thetest and hang it at normal breathing level for3-7 days Then return the test by mail for im-mediate processing and results

$2500 and involves sealing cracks in wallsbasement floors foundations and possiblyinstalling additional ventilation

fied radon repair specialist

Dear Neighbors

wonrsquot be making any changes to the Glen-doveer Golf Course The Council unani-mously voted to keep Glendoveerrsquos two18-hole courses driving range pro shop cov-ered tennis courts jogging path and restau-rant

cleaning at the curbs at the beginning ofMarch This service is done nine times a yearYou can check the sweeping schedule atgreshamoregongovlive for maps and datesfor your area It is most important that carsboats campers garbage cans recycling con-tainers portable basketball hoops and any-thing else sitting in the street be removed Ifobstructions prevent sweeping debris will beleft behind on the street The sweepers arenot equipped to remove leaves piled at thecurb ndash only leaves naturally fallen from nearbytrees

planned for Sat June 23rd Clean out thegarage and clean up the yard with this WilkesEast fundraiser Watch website for details

Nadaka Nature Park Check the WENAwebsite and the gates at the entrance to thepark for announcements

have a special interest please feel free tocontact one of our Board Members and letthem know

projects for our community Jazzy BagelStarbuckrsquos at 181st Growerrsquos Outlet andAlbertsons

Your Neighbor

Kristen Freiermuth

Winter 2012 Wilkes East Neighborhood Association - 3

wilkeseastnaorg

Reynolds Seeks Fourth Superintendent in Four Years

District Begins Search for New Leader Again

announced Nov 8th that she will retire on June 30 2012 after 40years in education She was named interim superintendent inDecember 2009 before being named superintendent in May 2010

left in January 2010 six-months before the end of his contract sayingthe School Board steps beyond its responsibilities and is morecomfortable than he is by not following Board Policies and OperatingAgreements

then Superintendent Terry Kneisler was removed over budget practiceconcerns

Jacobson LLC Executive Recruitment and Development to assist inselecting superintendent candidates for the board to interviewSeveral forums were held during January to gather input about theideal candidate from employees students and the community

should respect teachers be a knowledgeable educator and mostimportant not already be working for the district

and has suffered large layoffs and deep program cuts in an effort tostabilize the budget In addition the district and its teachers havebeen locked in a bitter contract battle since May (2011)

profound lack of trust and respect one teacher said

repairing relationships with the employees

Email infowilkeseastnaorg for details

Now This is a Bright Idea

Excited about solar Would you like tojoin the efforts in increasing solarpower in Gresham Become avolunteer

Solar Gresham is an exciting newprogram promoted by the City of Gresham It offers homeowners solarat up to 80 off the cost with ease of installation and financing Inaddition to providing solar at a great price Solar Gresham will beoffering free workshops and assistance with incentives Theyll alsohelp residents find resources to make their homes more energyefficient therefore reducing utility costsProgram Available for a Limited Time ndash April 1 to July 31

process from home assessment to installation to ongoing monitoringof your energy production They will also assist you with obtaining allavailable incentives

For more information about the Solar Gresham programs or tovolunteer contact Nicole Cousino by phone 503-618-2485 or emailNicoleCousinoGreshamOregongov or visit the Cityrsquos website athttpwwwgreshamoregongovsolargresham

Did You Know Each person uses about 12000 gallons ofwater every year 13 of that water is used to flush the toilet

March 19th Meeting Agenda

Neighborhood ReportBy-Laws ApprovalPurpose

Guest SpeakersValerie Beck MedCure IncSteve Messinetti Habitat for HumanityMike Bowling Owens CorningDan Blue Dept of Environmental Services City of GreshamDick Strathern former Gresham City Councilor

Rosewood Initiative Applies ForImprovement Grant

A Dream Three Years Ago NowAnchors A Neighborhood

Rosewood Initiative is one stepcloser to full participation in the City ofPortland Neighborhood Prosperity

Initiative (NPI) In a show of good faith as well as to assist in theirinitial planning efforts the Portland Development Commissionawarded the Rosewood Initiative $10000 in early December as seedmoney to continue business district organizing and visioning throughFebruary This will further help the Rosewood group meetrequirements for recognition as an NPI district

PacificSE Morrison St and overlaps the boundary between Portlandand Gresham -- including the southwest corner of Wilkes East

to participate in the project which is part of a larger effort TheNeighborhood Economic Development Strategy is a five-year plan toboost business districts in all of Portlands 95 neighborhoods and willbring much needed improvements to the business district around162nd amp SE Stark St

of February for full participation in the program

district in the next seven years The money could be used foreverything from adding bike racks improved lighting and storefrontfacade work

rosewoodinitiativeorg or Facebook Rosewood Initiative

MedCure Prepares To OpenNew Headquarters

MedCure Inc a 6-year old Portlandcompany that arranges body donationsfor medical training and research willsoon move into their new headquarters at

181st amp NE Sandy Blvd in Gresham

1300 square foot surgical training center with six stations classroomsand a small auditorium Construction of the new building began inearly October 2011

to science - and medical researchers needing a body for their work

donor center in Florida and has 70 employees in four cities

Wilkes East Neighborhood Association

would like to express its gratitude to the

following organizations for their generous

contributions amp continued support

bull Jazzy Bagels Main St amp Powell

bull Parkrose Hardware 106th amp Sandy

bull Third Place Coffeehouse 172nd amp Halsey

bull Starbucks Coffee 181st amp Glisan

bull Growers Outlet 162nd amp Glisan

bull Albertsons 181st amp Glisan

bull SOLV Bringing Oregon together

bull And all the many volunteers

Winter 2012 Wilkes East Neighborhood Association - 4

NADAKA NATURE PARK

Where we nurture nature food ampfamiliesBy Lee Dayfield Friends of Nadaka

daka these days There were no cleanupsheld over the winter months but there wasplenty of activity in the parkStudents Learn About Nature

SUN program at HB LeeMiddle School walked over to Nadaka almost every other week Theylearned about invasives and native plants and played games in the for-est Also they removed invasives like ivy and Stinky Bob and plantedsome new plants and trees on the north end of the park One of theirprojects involved making bird feeders from pine cones and hangingthem in the forest In February they hung 4 new brightly painted birdhouses around the south meadow areaImprovement Grants Submitted

Metro Nature in Neighborhoods (NIN) capi-tal grant in the amount of $238000 was submitted January 8 2012 forthe development of the Nelson Property Neighborhood Park MasterPlan The Columbia Slough Watershed Council was the submitting or-ganization for this grant A site visitwas done by the Metro NIN grantcommittee on February 13th with ap-proximately 33 individuals attendingThey included representatives fromAudubon Society of Portland WilkesEast and Rockwood neighborhoodassociations Grow Portland PacificGardens Alzheimerrsquos Care CenterSt Aidanrsquos Episcopal Church East-rose Unitarian Church SnowCap Human Solutions Metro CouncilorShirley Craddick Gresham City Councilors Paul Warr-King and JohnKilian as well as Gresham Park staff East Multnomah Soil amp WaterConservation District Board Member Rick Till and Owen Wozniak fromTrust for Public Land

$75000 through the Columbia Slough Watershed Council in partner-ship with the City of Gresham This grant would be primarily for sitework and street improvements along NE Glisan that can be completedwithin one year from June

$1 million A requirement of this project are improvements along NEPacific which include removal of the fence a sidewalk planting streettrees lighting and rain gardens These improvements will make Na-daka more inviting as a public park should be and will be a big improve-ment from the 8 foot chain link fence there nowSOLV Earth Day At Nadaka Apr 21st

SOLV for Saturday April 21stfrom 9AM-1PM You can pre-register on the SOLV website atwwwsolvorg Find the Nadaka cleanup project to pre-register yourselfor a group We need volunteers to handle the registration table or as-sist around the park and you can volunteer for 1 or 2 hour shifts If youcan volunteer or would like to donate food or drinks for this cleanupplease call Lee at 5039981044 or email leedayfieldhotmailcom Itis your neighborhood and this is a good opportunity to meet your neigh-bors and take part in making it more livableNadaka Community Festival Aug 11th

gust 11th It will again begin at 9AM with a cleanup until Noon and foodand fun from Noon until 3PM The Audubon Society of Portland willhave their live birds on display which are really a treat if you have neverseen them A Festival Committee is being formed and will have its firstmeeting at Eastrose Unitarian Church on NE 181st on Wed March21st at 7PM If you are interested in being on the Committee please bethere or call Lee at 5039981044 for more information We are lookingfor groups that want to organize childrenrsquos games face painters or mu-sicians Other fun ideas are welcome If you canrsquot volunteer but wouldlike to donate money to pay for tents supplies etc please call Lee

GARAGE SALE April 13-14 2012 Friday 9AM-4PMSaturday 9AM-1PM 16336 NE Oregon St

Earth Day 2012 Recycling

Free Recycling Event for GreshamResidents amp BusinessesGresham City Hall 1333 NW EastmanSat April 21 2012 9AM-2PM

foamreg paper for shredding rigid plastic amp clean plastic bags cellphones fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs

Sorry No Electronics Accepted TVs computers and monitors canbe recycled free year-round at area Goodwill or Salvation Army storesTo dispose of hazardous materials or other recyclables call Metro Recy-cling at 503-234-3000 for details and locations

2694 or email ShaunnaSutcliffeGreshamOregongov

Clean out the garage Clean upthe yard The Dumpsterrsquos AreComing Saturday June 23rd

take to the dump Gather it up because thedumpsterrsquos are coming Open to all WilkesEast residents A Wilkes East fundraiserWatch website for details

STREET SWEEPING APRIL 3 2012Wilkes East is swept the 1st Tuesday each month

PLEASE KEEP CURBSIDE CLEARDid You Know Crews sweep 474 miles of streets every month

GOT A STORY TO SHAREIf yoursquove got an interesting story yoursquod like to share email it toinfowilkeseastnaorg

wilkeseastnaorg

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