Come out for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

There will be a second round on the invasive species removal at the King Facility Parking Lot, next January 16th from 10:00-4:00, for MLK day. AmeriCorps seem very interested in helping us in the project. Hopefully they will send some hands the 16th. At the same time the King School PTA will be coordinating a cleanup, weeding, graffiti removal project on the school grounds, playground, and local area.

The Portland Farmers Market is also planning to bring a small crew, a tent and some snacks. Whole Foods has also pledged pastries, snacks and drinks.
So far, it is unlikely that we will have an excavator on this day.

We estimate that now we are around 20 volunteers, but some will come on the 14th and others the 16th. We would love to have 20 more folks helping us. Please join us!

We have a truck to do the trips to Metro on Saturday, but still need more for Monday the 16th.

The land we’re clearing of invasive species, and prepping for later installation of native plant species, borders the King Facility parking lot,

at 4815 NE Wygant at 7th. We are also looking for someone to watch kids so we can provide day care for the volunteers. Let Diego know if you can help.

Diego Gioseffi
808-779-3435

Trace Salmon
King PTA
info@kingpta.org

KNA Meeting, Wednesday Oct 12th

What a great meeting we have planned! We’re so sorry that this agenda is being released so late… Columbus Day preparations had us running around all of last week, and we’re just catching our breath.

This week’s King NA meeting will feature our last visit with Officer Ryan Bren, who has served our neighborhood as District Officer for the last couple of years and has been a pleasure to work and communicate with.

We’ll be hearing from Emily Wilson, who has worked tirelessly to put together a project to improve Two Plum Park, in particular by raising money to install a bench. Two Plum Park is one of four neighborhood parks in King, and we’re happy to help out folks who are looking to take a hand in the care and improvement of them!

Speaking of, neighbor Diego Gioseffi and his neighbors have developed a project to remove invasive species from part of the King School lot, and replace them with native plants in the ground. We have struggled to get permission from the City to go ahead with the project, but progress is being made; also, the folks who run the King Farmers Market have offered to help. Once we have a date set, all are invited to come pull weeds and help us clean up part of the King School grounds! Please join us to get an update on the planning of this project.

We’ll be getting an update on the Portland Playhouse, & its efforts towards getting a Conditional User Permit from the City, in order to resume using their building at 602 NE Prescott. In addition, King NA has had discussions with the Playhouse and nearby neighbors about parking issues ~ we’ll have a short update on this.

The Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods is looking for feedback about Last Thursday. In addition to a survey of residents living near Alberta Street, NECN is reaching out to the nearby neighborhood associations to get feedback, ideas, compliments, and criticisms about how Last Thursday operates. Please join us and share your experience with us.

There will be other short presentations on topics of community interest, as well as a bit of time to bat around ideas, projects, questions, and thoughts. Please join us for Wednesday evening’s meeting – all are welcome at our Neighborhood Association!

Continue reading

Fundraiser to Support Fresh Food Purchases

News on Fresh Exchange from KNA member Traci Manning:

It’s that time of year again. The birds are singing, the sun is flirting (the weeds are growing…) and the Farmers Markets are opening!

I’m still involved with Fresh Exchange, a program to raise funds from our community to match food stamps spent at the farmers market. We add to the buying power of our neighbors spending food stamps at the market – dollar for dollar up to $5 per week. They turn around and buy produce from our local farmers to put fruits and veges on their family’s table and support the local economy and food system. More info? http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/programs-and-services/snap-participants/

We started two years ago with the opening of King Portland Farmers market. Last year, an amazing group of volunteers worked to create the program at Buckman Portland Farmers Market. The two programs funded an amazing $26,000 in food for our neighbors. A great testament to the generosity of our community. This year, we join forces as Fresh Exchange and serve both markets.

Please join me to celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry at Old Town Pizza on MLK, 5201 NE MLK @ Sumner). Monday, May 16, 5:00 – 8:00 pm. They are a great, local, community and sustainability minded partner/local business.

They’ve got great food, drink, and a big play area for little ones. AND, they donate 30% of everything you spend IF you present the voucher below (or know someone there who’s carrying around a stack of them…).

You can print the voucher by clicking here:
Fresh Exchange OTP Fundraiser 2011

Love to see you there,

Traci

but if you can’t make it, you can still donate here: http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/programs-and-services/snap-participants/

Fresh Exchange is a program of the fabulous Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods and Southeast Uplift, with generous, unflagging support of Portland Farmers Market.

Really long Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/updates.php?id=112783382095824&sent=1&e=0#!/event.php?eid=203923659647215

Kids Cook at the Market

From Portland Farmers Market:

Portland Farmers Market Expands its Kids Cook at the Market Program for 2011

Returning season sponsor The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland is teaming up with Portland Farmers Market again this year to offer Kids Cook at the Market, the Market’s deliciously fun cooking program for young chefs-in-training. The program is expanding in 2011 to include “bite-sized” drop-in classes at three neighborhood markets: Buckman, King and Northwest Portland Farmers Markets.

“We’re thrilled to be back at Portland Farmers Market this year, both as a season sponsor and with the Kids Cook program,” said Ken Rubin, Academic Director of The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland. “We are passionate teaching about local food and how to cook it, and the Kids Cook program is a great way to cultivate young chefs and an appreciation for our local bounty.”

Bite Size Kids Cook
Beginning in May 2011, kids can get cookin’ with seasonal produce and recipes at the new Bite Size Kids Cook classes at the Buckman, King and Northwest neighborhood markets. These drop-in cooking classes for children will take place once a month at each location during market hours.

All Bite Size Kids Cook classes, which are made possible by the generous support of season sponsor COUNTRY Financial, are free of charge and open to kids of all ages (though recipes and equipment are geared toward age seven and up).

2011 Bite Size Kids Cook schedule:
MAY
Featured Ingredient: Rockin’ Radishes
King Market: May 29

JUNE
Featured Ingredient: Groovy Greens
King Market: June 19

JULY
Featured Ingredient: Booyah Berries
King Market: July 31

AUGUST
Featured Ingredient: Sassy Summer Squash
King Market: August 28

SEPTEMBER
Featured Ingredient: Terrific Tomatoes
King Market: September 25

King Portland Farmers Market
Sundays from May 1 to October 30
(27 markets)
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
NE 7th at Wygant between Alberta and Prescott

Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners the Art Institute of Portland, Country Financial and Dave’s Killer Bread.

King Farmers Market to Add New Vendors, Open May 1

From Portland Farmers Market:

Spring is slowly but surely coming, and with it comes the reopening of the popular King Portland Farmers Market! Our opening day for 2011 is Sunday, May 1 at 10 AM. New vendors for 2011 include:
• Eatin’ Alive, a bicycle powered mobile vending station that believes in harnessing raw energy in both transport and cooking. A Portland company, they use all organic, locally grown produce to create seasonal, freshly prepared raw snacks such as: seed and nut pates, wild crafted pesto, garden wraps, a variety of prepared salads, and delicious sweet treats.
• Good Natured Gardens, a small, family run vegetable and herb farm located on Sauvie Island that grows a wide verity of heirloom produce and seedlings using organic methods to insure the highest quality.
• KCK Farms, is a family owned and operated nursery in the heart of the Willamette Valley of Oregon offering fresh cut peonies, bare root, containerized trees and perennials.
• Trailhead Coffee Roasters, the bike-based Portland coffee roaster featuring coffees produced by women farmers and served from Trailhead’s rolling bike cafe.
Continue reading