First Rose Lanes Painted in Eliot

Posted on by Allan Rudwick

The most progressive and potentially transformative transportation program in the City of Portland this century is a sneaky transit efficiency-boosting project called the Rose Lane Project. The goal of this project is to improve the speed of transit across the City. Many of the places where buses get most stuck in traffic are in central Portland, so you may have noticed some small upgrades already. Bus-only lanes heading towards the Steel Bridge on NW Everett Street were an early project that affects the #44, #4, and #35 routes that run through Eliot by serving as a northern extension of the Transit Mall into the Rose Quarter Transit Center.

Recently, the Rose Lanes have been painted in Southern Eliot along NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. The right lane of the road is now transit and right-turns only for several miles. I have been using this route a lot on my commute by bike and I have noticed that the road feels a bit tamer with a small portion of the street designated for transit instead of the entire road being for all vehicles. It does not appear that traffic has been slowed at all by this change. I look forward to more changes from this project. You can find out more information about this by looking up the Portland Rose Lane Project.

An Open Letter from IPAC to the Community

Posted on by Sue Stringer

At our Eliot Neighborhood Association Board meeting on Monday, March 15 IPAC was discussed and this letter was mentioned. We wanted to share it with our residents and businesses. IPAC is the Inter-Faith Peace & Action Collaborative (IPAC). IPAC is a group of faith leaders, activists, social workers, police officers, and community members. The group says it came together in July 2016 to address the crisis of violence in Portland, specifically violence impacting communities of color.

Purple Clean Comes to Eliot

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By the Owners of Purple Clean

Purple Clean, insured and bonded housekeeping

Purple Clean is your neighborhood’s cleaning company. Our goal is to always leave you satisfied after we clean your home. We do this by providing you excellent customer service, timely appointments, and a below-market price. We listen to your specific requests before cleaning and work from there. We always aim to be in your house for the shortest amount of time so that you can get back to enjoying your home.

Continue reading Purple Clean Comes to Eliot

Gladys McCoy Memorial Garden Moves Forward with SOLVE Clean-Up and 501(c)3 Designation

Posted on by Sue Stringer
Gladys McCoy Memorial Garden at the corner of NE Knott and MLK Jr Blvd.
Photo credit Sue Stringer

Well, progress is happening at the Gladys McCoy Memorial Garden. Kate Thompson, the organizer of the garden restoration, says, “John Barker, the garden designer got the Hardy Plant Society to approve the memorial garden as a 501(c)3 under their umbrella and the society has approved some funds for plantings but we will need more.”

Continue reading Gladys McCoy Memorial Garden Moves Forward with SOLVE Clean-Up and 501(c)3 Designation

Eliot Neighborhood Association Board Meeting Agenda 3/15/2021 7:00pm

Posted on by Allan Rudwick

Co-Chairs: Jimmy Wilson and Allan Rudwick

Join Zoom Meeting (phone instructions at bottom)

Agenda (subject to changes):

  • Welcome and Introductions
  • Agenda Additions?
  • (PPB officer) Discussion of 2nd Dawson Park Shooting Death within a year
  • (State Senator Lew Frederick) Discussing the introduction of 2 Legislative Bills relating to reparations for slavery.
  • (Kira Smith, BES) Stormwater presentation: small grant program and native plant certificates
  • MOTION: ENA to sign on to No More Freeways litigation
  • MOTION: Write a letter of support for murals in Eliot
  • MOTION: approve minutes from January and February
  • (Sue) Any amendments for the Eliot Bylaws? Could vote on amendments in April if we are ready
  • (Vicki Guinn) Russell and Williams project update
  • Neighborhood updates
  • Public Comment
  • Adjourn

please consider joining by phone if you have connection issues


Dial by your location
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 921 9954 0103
Passcode: 714644
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adBQ1yPQO0

The Human Cost of the I-5 Widening Project

Posted on by Mike Warwick

The State and Regional governments renewed their commitment to the community destroying I-5 project by accepting the Transportation Department’s (ODOT) Environmental Assessment (EA).  To recap, ODOT, with the support of State leaders, intends to increase travel lanes in the Rose Quarter to eliminate the current lane-change bottleneck.  ODOT has tried to justify a project likely to cost a Billion dollars (!) for multiple reasons but has settled on “accident prevention.”  In so doing it can claim the additional lanes will not increase traffic volumes or speeds.  What it will do is make it easier for truck traffic from Lower Albina to merge onto I-5 and for all trucks to switch lanes to and from I-84 and I-405.  In other words, they claim commuters won’t benefit from time savings but lane changers will have fewer accidents.  Most of these claims have been either proven false or dependent on false assumptions.

Continue reading The Human Cost of the I-5 Widening Project

2021-03-09 LUTC Minutes from end of 2020

Posted on by Brad Baker

November 2020

Attendees:

  • Brad 
  • Allan
  • Kathryn
  • Andrew C
  • Harrison O
  • Scott B, PBOT Traffic Engineer

Minutes:

  • Discussed ways to mitigate speeding on NE Stanton including speed bumps and diverters
  • Folks on call were interested in diverter. We discussed doing outreach with the churches to ensure they were in favor.

December 2020

Attendees:

  • Brad 
  • Allan
  • Phil
  • Debora from Red Cross
  • Ali Sadri from Legacy
  • Thomasina Gabriele from Legacy

Minutes:

  • Discussed rezoning of 2800 N Vancouver. Ali seemed to be okay with rezoning the lot which was different from what Allan had heard in a meeting with Legacy’s PR person. Ali is going to connect with Legacy’s PR person. 
  • Discussed mitigation plan from Legacy. It is going to expire in 2025 and won’t be needed with the new Institutional zoning.
  • No new developments planned at Legacy for now, just finishing their existing projects.
  • Discussed ways Red Cross and Emanual could potentially work together
  • Discussed wanting to bring someone from the city to an LUTC meeting to talk about all the underutilized land they’re holding onto in the neighborhood.

Local Poet, JC Mehta, Competes in Poetry Competition

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Linzi Garcia

Meadowlark Press invites you to celebrate the winners and finalists of the Meadowlark Press Birdy Poetry Prize during this free, live virtual event! Please register at tinyurl.com/birdypoetryprize. (Event is 6 pm CENTRAL TIME on March 13)

The Birdy Poetry Prize is an annual full-length poetry manuscript competition that draws a large variety of

Continue reading Local Poet, JC Mehta, Competes in Poetry Competition

Boise Eliot Native Grove Update

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Andrine and Howard de la Rocha

It’s rapidly turning into winter in our tiny ecosystem. Most of the deciduous trees (such as the Quaking Aspens “MackenFrank”) are dormant and bare now – “Alan,” our Oregon white oak, still retains a few brown leaves, as is his species’ habit, but he too is shut down for the winter. Buds are already beginning to swell on many of our leafless trees and shrubs, laying the groundwork for a verdant spring. 

Continue reading Boise Eliot Native Grove Update

St. Philip the Deacon – “Building Neighbors” Project to Create Affordable Housing

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Reverend Maria McDowell

For the last year, St. Philip the Deacon has been a member of the Leaven Community Land & Housing Coalition. We have worked with other faith communities to change city code as a part of the Expanding Affordable Housing Opportunities grant. We successfully lobbied for changes to city code to allow faith communities to use their abundant land to build affordable housing. 

Continue reading St. Philip the Deacon – “Building Neighbors” Project to Create Affordable Housing

Pretty in Pink

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Shireen Hasan

Pretty in Pink would describe this woman, the amazing Minister Kim Meyers. Meyers is one of the top-ranking African American women in the nation working with one of the most prestigious and prominent companies, Mary Kay. Mary Kay is known for empowering women from all walks of life and cultures to become their own boss, reach their highest potential, and make their dreams come true! 

Continue reading Pretty in Pink

Jimmy Wilson: Entrepreneur joins NECN Board

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Lisa Loving, Hey! Neighbor

Jimmy Wilson in front of the mural of he and his grandson.
Photo credit Lisa Loving

Already a member of the Eliot Neighborhood Association Board, entrepreneur Jimmy Wilson is the newest member of the NECN Board of Directors. Hey Neighbor! spoke with him recently about his vision of community leadership, his experience in the local business economy, and his family roots in North and Northeast neighborhoods.

Continue reading Jimmy Wilson: Entrepreneur joins NECN Board

Ladybug Nature Walks for Kids 6 and Under

Posted on by Sue Stringer
Little Ladybug Nature Walks explorers. Photo courtesy Chrissy Larson,
Portland Parks & Recreation

Need a winter or spring activity for you and your toddlers and preschoolers? Ladybug Nature Walks are perfect for those who want to explore nature with their kids led by a trained educator. These walks are geared to the children with an adult who assists in guiding them along as they explore.

Continue reading Ladybug Nature Walks for Kids 6 and Under