2019 Community Clean Up Scheduled for April 27th
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SJNA is eager to announce the official date of the 2019 Community Clean Up Event. This annual event is an opportunity for neighbors to dispose of bulky refuse and recyclables that don’t otherwise fit into curbside dumpster bins, along with other select items. A complete list of items accepted this year will be published in March.
Last year, SJNA was able to help over 100 households to dispose of:
- 36,000 lb trash
- 6,000 lb paper recycled
- 12,000 lb wood debris
- 1 ton metal scrap
- 500 lb batteries recycled
- 450 CFL bulbs recycled
- 27 tires recycled
- 64 computers, monitors, TVs recycled
- 384 gallons paint recycled (+ some donated to Kenton Women’s Village for reuse)
This year, SJNA plans to expand clean up efforts to:
- Equip curbside clean up teams to walk streets and remove unwanted litter
- Enlist volunteer crews to go out into the community and retrieve large items from neighbors who are physically unable to do so themselves
- Engage houseless neighbors and support organizations to provide disposal services for camp communities
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Truck Strategy Construction to Start Next Monday
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Pedestrian improvements are finally coming to St. Johns! After years of persistence, the promised
St. Johns Truck Strategy Phase II pedestrian improvements on St. Louis, Fessenden, and Lombard are coming!
At Monday's SJNA general meeting, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) project manager, Rich Newlands confirmed that construction is set to begin as early as next week.
Improvements will start on N Lombard at the S Curve and move south. Improvements on St. Louis and Fessenden are projected to begin in May. The entire project should take take approximately 8 months.
Follow project updates online.
If you are a property owner, the contractor is required to update you no less than 2 weeks ahead of when construction is set to occur in front of your home. On street parking and driveway use maybe momentarily restricted in some cases.
During construction, speed limits on Fessenden & St. Louis will be reduced to 25 mph during construction and PBOT hopes to keep speeds at that level. At intersections, only one corner will be under construction at a time so pedestrians may still cross effectively.
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Neighborhood Discussions on Needle Distribution
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North Portland neighbors have risen concerns about an organization operating in the community, the
Portland People's Outreach Project or PPOP for short. Formerly housed in the old Anares location on N Lombard for the past 4 years, PPOP volunteers provide free access to medical and drug use supplies once a week from a mobile van stationed along the railroad cut. Materials that PPOP provides include bandages, disinfectant, wound care, and save sex supplies like condoms and dental dams.
PPOP also provides free access to clean needles, pipes, and related drug use materials along with the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug known as Narcan. Opposed neighbors have expressed concerns in recent issues of the St. Johns Review and have even gone so far as to threaten physical harm to PPOP volunteers with axe in hand. Please note that regardless of opinion or opposition otherwise, it is never okay to intimidate, threaten, or respond with physical harm to anyone in our community. SJNA is committed to exploring solutions through communication, collaboration, and respect.
As part of SJNA's mission to facilitate important community conversation, board members networked with other neighborhood associations from Cathedral Park, University Park, and Portsmouth communities along with volunteers from PPOP and a representative from the St. Johns Center for Opportunity to meet and discuss PPOP and drug use here on the North Peninsula. The initial conversation was intentionally kept small to respect PPOPs safety concerns after recent threats of violence were made to their volunteer teams.
Volunteer representatives explained that PPOP is first and foremost about harm reduction. Their goal is to connect with people wherever they may be at in life and to provide them with needed support. By providing access to safe sex supplies and clean needles, PPOP reduces the risk and spread of diseases like HIV and HEP C, the impact of which extends beyond drug user communities and reduces overall risk for everyone.
In addition to distribution services, PPOP offers non-mandatory needle collection as well. Every week, they receive and remove hundreds of dirty needles from our area alone. When asked why PPOP doesn't operate a one-for-one needle exchange program where users receive clean materials equal to the amount they return, PPOP representatives explained that their model is most effective at achieving their primary goal of harm reduction. The requirement for return can be a barrier and prevent people from accessing clean supplies, increasing the likeliness and risk of reusing needles.
Offering supplies without requiring any in return has raised concerns among neighbors worried about increased needle litter in the community. Aside from the few passive needle collection sites in our community like the one recently installed at the Station 22 Firehouse, PPOP is the main organization on the peninsula that is directly engaging with users to collect and remove needles from our neighborhood. In the midst of an opioid addiction crisis that is plaguing our entire nation, were PPOP not present to collect dirty supplies, needle litter would most likely increase like it already has in other Portland neighborhoods that don't have similar services.
When asked why additional support services aren't being offered to help users overcome their addiction and improve their situation, PPOP vehemently agreed, highlighting the unfortunate absence of needed resources and user support programs that aren't available in our neighborhood. Their organization is focused on harm reduction, achieved by providing needs-based access to clean medical, save sex, and drug supplies to prevent the spread of harmful disease and improve the overall health and wellness of the people they serve. PPOP is but one small organization serving a very specific role to address the very big addiction and poverty crises impacting our community, our city, and our country.
During the conversation, PPOP representatives shared some of their experiences connecting, helping, and befriending the people they serve, many of whom struggle both with addiction and houselessness. They talked about people who grew up right here in St. Johns, that went to Roosevelt High School, and now live in a tent along the cut. They expressed how important it was for these people to be seen without judgement and treated with respect. They reminded the group that each person they work with is a person, a human being who deserves kindness as any person does, and they're right.
SJNA is committed to working for everyone who lives, works, or owns a business in our community regardless of gender, race, religion, ability, orientation, age, country of origin, family status, or housing status. That is why SJNA board members are networking with our neighboring communities to form a North Peninsula Coalition of neighborhoods. Together as one large community, we will advocate for and work to get the needed support services from our city, county, and state governments into our neighborhoods to impact real improvement for everyone that lives here.
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Possible Changes to Road Names That Make Sense
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Have you driven north out of downtown St. Johns on Lombard and wondered how you ended up on N Burgard, and then either had to make a left back onto N Lombard or a right onto N Columbia even though it feels like the same road? Confusing road name changes like these are not just disorienting for your GPS, they can also cause issues for emergency services.
That's why PBOT is proposing a few road name changes in the area, so that getting around makes a little more sense.
Check out the full proposal presentation to see what way-finding improvements PBOT has in mind for our area.
These changes must first go through a public approval process. If approved, dual street signs with the old and new road names will be put up. Dual signs stay up for about a year before the expiring sign is removed and the road is fully renamed.
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Smith & Bybee Wetlands Neighborhood Rep Needed
Passionate about the Smith & Bybee wetlands or St. Johns Prairie? The advisory committee is looking for a new volunteer representative from St. Johns. For more information, contact the outgoing representative, Sara Henderson.
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Community Sewer Repair Update
Environmental Services has begun construction on a project to repair over 11,000 feet, or about 2 miles, of public sewers in the St. Johns and Cathedral Park neighborhoods. Many of the sewer pipes are about 80 years old and deteriorating due to age. This investment in your neighborhood will allow for continued dependable sewer service and protect the public and our environment by reducing the possibility of sewage releases to homes, businesses and streets. For the most up-to-date information,
click here.
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I-405 Ramp Construction Coming Spring 2019
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will soon begin construction on a project to repair a number of freeway ramps along Interstate 405. These repairs will improve the condition and maintain the long-term safety and use of this heavily traveled freeway.
Construction begins in the spring of 2019 and lasts through the fall of 2020. This work requires closing lanes, shoulders and on-and off-ramps along I-405, US 30, Interstate 5, and US 26.
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FEBRUARY 19th | 6:30PM - 7:30PM | Baltimore Woods General Meeting
BES Water Lab - 6543 N Burlington
Friends of Baltimore Woods general monthly meeting, 6:30pm at BES Water Lab, 6543 N. Burlington. All are welcome.
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FEBRUARY 25th | 6:30PM - 7:30PM | SJNA Clean Up Planning Meeting
Leisure Public House - 8002 N Lombard
The Clean Up Event committee is starting planning meetings for the 2019 event. Scheduled for April 27th, the Clean Up is an opportunity for neighbors to dispose of trash that is too large or not suitable for street-side pick up. All interested in building a great event are encouraged to attend.
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MARCH 2nd | 5:00PM - 8:30PM | 2019 Celebrate North Portland
University of Portland, Bauccio Commons - 5000 N Willamette
Join us for the 8th annual Celebrate North Portland event on Saturday, March 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This year's theme, A Night with the Stars, is dedicated to recognizing all of the amazing individuals, organizations, and businesses that make North Portland such a great place to live and work. This event is a sit down dinner, featuring an awards ceremony and live entertainment. However, there is plenty of room to network with your friends and neighbors too! You are welcome to wear whatever you are most comfortable in, although many neighbors choose to dress up for the occasion.
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MARCH 7th | 3:00PM - 6:00PM | Farmer's Market Pop Up
Health Clinic Parking Lot - 9000 N Lombard
Starting on Thursday, March 7th, we'll be doing a weekly pop-up Farmers Market in the parking lot next to Multnomah County Health Clinic (9000 N Lombard Street) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This series will start on the 7th and run through Thursday, May 9th. EBT cards will be accepted, plus we'll be offering our $10 SNAP match incentive. Come grab some fresh fruits and vegetables brought to you by Mark's Market Garden and Food Works. We'll also have fresh bread from Pan Fuerte and a few other staple grocery items.
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MARCH 15th | 9:00AM - 12:00PM | Baltimore Woods Work Party
BES Water Lab - 6543 N Burlington
Tour & Work party meets at N. Baltimore and N. Decatur, Walking tour at 9am, work party 10am - 1pm. Removing invasive vines on N. Decatur. Tools, gloves, coffee, water, snacks provided.
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:: NET Neighborhood Emergency Team
meetings
:: Multnomah county crisis line 503-988-4888
:: PDX Women's Crisis Line 503-235-5333
:: Report traffic concerns, call PBOT 503-823-7233
:: PDX Park Rangers, call 503-823-1637
Please join us at our next neighborhood meeting.
March 11th, 7pm at the St. Johns Community Center.
Doors open at 6:30PM. All are welcome.
Forward to your neighbors :-)
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