Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development » Sustainability

Hawthorne Civic Ecology Project

Administrator — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:23:46 +0000

HAND has recently joined the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA) and the four other neighborhoods that border Hawthorne in a new sustainability initiative known as the Hawthorne Area Civic Ecology Project (HACE). The HACE group won a $6,000 grant from Venture Portland to hold a series of workshops during the spring to jump start collective efforts to make SE Portland more sustainable and resilient. HACE will work to bring the community together using a process known as Civic Ecology. The kick-off will be at the HBBA annual meeting in February, and a town-hall style working meeting will be held in conjunction with Earth Day, in April 2012. At the meetings, residents, business owners, community leaders and others will use Civic Ecology to define common goals for the broader SE area, then adopt plans for achieving them. Besides the initial goal of stimulating business to adopt green practices, the meetings are expected to lead to formation of working groups on such topics as transportation, waste use and recycling, energy conservation, sustainability in the home and community gardening.

In addition to the HBBA, HACE includes 5 neighborhood associations: Mount Tabor, Hosford-Abernethy, Buckman, Richmond and Sunnyside Also, HACE is working with Tim Smith and Anneliese Sitterly of SERA Architects, a leading practioner of Civic Ecology, as well as Axis Performance and Portland Sustainability Institute, and expects to involve faculty and students from Portland State University. HACE has a grant application pending with Southeast Uplift. For further information, please contact Michele Michado, of the Hawthorne Hostel: eco@thinkhawthorne.com.

Save Our Elms/Ladd’s Addition Receive 2011 Landslide Award

Administrator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:19:36 +0000

Congratulations to board member David Kaplan and the rest of the Save Our Elms volunteers for their work in preserving the elm tree grove in our neighborhood. This fall, they were recognized by The Cultural Landscape Foundation as one of 12 places in the country considered part of “The Landscape I Love.” You can read more about the project here:

Residents of Southeast Portland’s Ladd’s Addition honored for saving their elms

The Landscape i Love – Ladd’s Addition Elm Grove

Save Our Elms is dedicated to the protection and preservation of Ladd’s Addition’s street trees. Save Our Elms is dependent on the help and financial support of volunteers to carry out their important mission. Volunteers can actively contribute by participating in the vaccination, maintenance, and replacement of Ladd’s Addition’s elm trees and by helping educate the public about Dutch elm disease. Visit Save Our Elms’ website to learn more.

The Portland Plan is Now Available!

Administrator — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:51:32 +0000

This is reposted from our neighborhood coalition, Southeast Uplift. Please take a moment to peruse the cheat sheet here: http://www.southeastuplift.org/content/portland-plan-now-available

SE Uplift encourages you to take a look at the Portland Plan and attend the hearings occuring during the month of November. You can find both the summary and full-length documents along with the hearings schedule here- http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/ . In order to assist your review of the documents, SE Uplift has prepared a “cheat-sheet” pointing out the sections of the Portland Plan we think our coalition neighborhoods will be particularly interested in. If you have questions or concerns about the Portland Plan, please feel free to contact Leah Dawkins – leah@southeastuplift.org/ 503.232.0010

Abernethy Harvest Festival & Farmers Market, Wednesday, Oct. 12

Administrator — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:39:39 +0000

ABERNETHY HARVEST FESTIVAL and FARMERS MARKET
Come and celebrate another year of bounty in the Garden of Wonders!

Bring the kids to enjoy a garden scavenger hunt, apple tasting, Chef Nicole’s famous pumpkin muffins, arts and crafts and more! Support your local farmers and get your week’s veggies at the festival!

Abernethy Elementary School
2421 SE Orange Ave
Wednesday, October 12th 3pm-5pm

Abernethy Elementary is proud to run the award-winning School Kitchen Garden program.

The Garden of Wonders is entirely planted, tended and harvested by the students of Abernethy, who use it as a learning laboratory year-round.

For more info email: gardenofwonderssarah@gmail.com
Please feel free to print and post a flyer: HARVEST FESTIVAL 2011

Sustainable Hawthorne Meeting, June 9

Administrator — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:26:56 +0000

Folks from Sunnyside, the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association and SEUL are launching an effort to help Hawthorne become an ever more sustainable business district. Join them tomorrow (6/9) to find out how our neighborhood can support their efforts. See below for details.

Sustainable Hawthorne meeting slated for:
June 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Imbibe restaurant, 2229 SE Hawthorne.

This event kicks off the HBBA District effort to take stock of existing sustainability efforts, explore where there is room for advancement/improvement and discuss ways to successfully market and promote your sustainability efforts as part of routine, 21st Century business.

Flyers were brought to your businesses late last month with more info. If you are planning to attend, please send me an email offlist at ginabinole@hotmail.com.

Update to Clay Street, Green Street Project

Administrator — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:38:58 +0000

From: Debbie Caselton, Community Relations, Bureau of Environmental Services, 503-823-2831, debbie.caselton@portlandoregon.gov

In April 2009, Environmental Services Sustainable Stormwater Division, in partnership with other city bureaus, completed planning and conceptual design work for the SE Clay Green Street Plan.

The SE Clay Green Street Plan encompasses 12 blocks of SE Clay Street from SE Water Avenue to SE 12th Avenue . The project was conceived to provide an urban green connector to link outlying neighborhoods to the Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID) and the Willamette River . The proposed SE Clay Green Street Plan includes improvements within the public right-of-way that will sustainably manage stormwater and enhance pedestrian, bicycle and motorist safety, while serving the business and freight needs of the CEID.

The design of SE 9th Avenue and SE 10th Avenue of the SE Clay Green Street project has been completed. A design team has been hired to begin design this summer of the green street for the remaining intersections on SE Clay Street from SE 8th to Water Avenue . Construction of the SE Clay Green Street from 10th Avenue to Water Avenue is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2012.

This summer, you may see surveyors and geotechnical exploration on SE Clay Street . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time. More information to come your way soon.

DIY Weatherization Trainings

Administrator — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:50:19 +0000

The SE Uplift Sustainability Program is hosting a series of free trainings to help homeowners learn about inexpensive do-it-yourself ways to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. Professional trainers will cover topics such as behavior modification and light weatherization, bypass sealing, basic insulation, ventilation corrections and discussing when to call a contractor. There will also be a field session in a home where participants will get guided hands-on experience applying weatherization methods.

This training opportunity is for residents of southeast Portland interested in weatherization techniques they can learn to do on their own without having to hire a contractor. The result will be low cost energy efficiency that will lower the carbon impact of your home!

First Training:
The first training is on Monday, May 23rd, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. It will be held at SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main. Dates for the following two sessions will be scheduled soon.

The trainings will be given by Fluid Market Strategies, a mission-driven consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon that provides management, marketing and training services. Their specialties include energy services with an emphasis on efficiency and renewable technology programs, as well as sustainability consulting and carbon management services. They focus on projects that provide environmentally or socially responsible benefits.

To sign up for this training email tim@southeastuplift.org.

Information about the trainer:
As the Sr Building Science Specialist for Fluid Market Strategies, Dan Wildenhaus has completely immersed in the discussion of what is required to create High Performance Homes. Dan has over 17 years of experience working directly for a contractor; doing energy audits, weatherization repairs, consulting and analysis for private clients in both New Construction and the existing home market. Dan is currently the Contractor Coordinator for Seattle’s Community Power Works for Home program as well as an instructor at South Seattle Community College where he trains tomorrows Home Performance Workforce. Dan also provides Building Science consultation and training services with Northwest Energy Star Homes.

HAND Neighborhood Clean-Up, Saturday, May 7

Administrator — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:01:44 +0000

Give mom a Mother’s Day gift she’s sure to appreciate – clean out the garage or basement!

Bring your stuff to our annual neighborhood cleanup Saturday, May 7. Drop off begins at 9 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m. at our same location, the Cleveland High School parking lot on SE 26th Ave., please enter on Franklin Street & exit onto SE 26th.

We will have the same general categories for drop off – bulky waste, yard debris, metal and a free exchange/swap area. If you have loose debris, please plan to bundle or bag it up before drop off. Our volunteers appreciate your help in making this a quick and easy process.

TWO ANSWERS TO FAQ’s:
1. Will you accept block styrofoam? – YES! We will accept your large block styrofoam. But please keep in mind that we’ll be charged for hauling it off to the recycler. So if you drop off more than a few pieces, you may be charged a little extra.

2. Will there be a shredding truck? – NO! though a great service and one we have considered, we WILL NOT be providing a shred-it truck to this year’s cleanup.

Last year, items in the free exchange went early and fast! Plan to check it out throughout the day. This is a great resource for toys, furniture, house hardware & more!

Before May 7th – PLAN TO TAKE DIRECT:
TAKE DIRECT – E-WASTE
All computers, monitors, TV’s and other e-waste: As part of the Oregon E-cycles program, you can take these items and drop them off for free at Free Geek, at SE 10th and Mill or take it to Goodwill at SE 7th. For more information, contact FreeGeek at (503) 232-9350 or online FreeGeek.org.

TAKE DIRECT – CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, ETC.
Take flattened cardboard (no wax coated cardboard) and all rigid plastic (including broken kids’ toys, CD/DVD covers) to Far West Fibers for recycling. They will also take old fridges and air conditioners for $20 — a bargain. Most Far West services are basically free services. At best, they request a $3 donation per trip at their public recycling station at 4629 SE 17th Avenue. For more info, call them at (503) 238-1640 or visit: FarWestFibers.com

TAKE DIRECT – PAINT & OTHER HAZ-MAT WASTE
We will NOT accept any hazardous waste materials at the neighborhood cleanup. You can take them to Metro. Metro holds haz-mat collections throughout the year. Visit: OregonMetro.gov for more info on where to go.
We reserve the right to refuse to take anything that we feel is unsafe or exceeds the above requirements.

The HAND Neighborhood Cleanup is sponsored by Southeast Uplift, the City of Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability and Metro. For more information on how you can help, contact Marilee Tillstrom at 503-236-1866.

Learn About Watershed Health, April 29 & 30th

Administrator — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:05:46 +0000

Please join us for the first ever Urban Master Watershed Stewards Program on April 29th and 30th . Learn more and register at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/watershed/class-offerings (you are not required to attend both days but registration is required.)

Bureau of Environmental Services, SE Uplift, Oregon State University, SOLV, OWEB, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District and Mt. Hood Community College have put together an exciting session designed especially with you, the residents of the Tabor to the River Program area, in mind.

Learn about the subsurface history of Portland (you’ll see amazing images of what our neighborhoods used to look like), rain gardens, urban wildlife, rainwater harvesting and more. Tour Mt. Tabor and learn about bird monitoring and ecological restoration underway. Lots of fun opportunities await and it all takes place in the neighborhood at the Western Seminary at the top of Hawthorne St .

Participants will have the opportunity to continue their studies and create their own stewardship project towards completion of the Master Watersheds Stewards Program.

Bring your friends and neighbors together to learn how to make your neighborhood an even greater place to live and play.

Thanks for your great partnership for watershed health! Please see our website for more information on this and other great opportunities to get involved: www.portlandonline.com/bes/tabortoriver

UPDATED 2/9/11: Bioswale Construction in the Neighborhood

Administrator — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:55:18 +0000

Have you caught yourself going down a side street you regularly turn on just to discover it’s been closed for construction?

Construction for the Bureau of Environmental Services’ Tabor to the River project is well underway in parts of our neighborhood. To get a better idea of the UPDATED (2/9/11) construction schedule, please download this .pdf.

This schedule is only an estimate and as construction progresses the schedule will likely change. For the most up-to-date schedule information please visit the Tabor to the River website: www.portlandonline.com/bes/tabortoriver

Any questions or concerns, contact:
Rhetta Drennan, Community Relations
City of Portland,Environmental Services
503-823-6006
rhetta.drennan@portlandoregon.gov
www.portlandoregon.gov/bes