Since the grant money for childcare at our meetings has run out, we have voted to fund continuing it throughout the summer to see if demand is there to provide this service. This is an attempt to remove barriers to Neighborhood Association involvement among busy parents. If childcare is important to you as an incentive to attend, contact us at info@kingneighborhood.org. If we don’t attract parents with children to the July, August, or September meetings, we will decide if we should continue or provide childcare on a reservation only basis.

A planning meeting for this year’s 10th avenue block party takes place this Saturday, June 27th. The block party will take place on 10th avenue between Alberta and Wygant streets. If you live on the block or adjacent to it and would like help make this year’s block party an even bigger success than last year, come to the Bye and Bye at 10th and Alberta at 6:00pm. Some possibilities are live music and a better kid’s play space.

If you don’t live on this block and want to block off the street and have a party on yours, go to: http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=33907 or stop by the King Neighborhood Facility at 4815 NE 7th avenue and get your forms filled out. Finally, the King Neighborhood Association will assist in the planning and payment of fees for block parties in our neighborhood that promote involvement in the neighborhood association.

For more information or to RSVP, contact “The Governor,” aka Brian aka Bre at 971.235.5065 or email at mdarne”at”hotmail.com

Are you interested in increasing the community’s ability to have an impact on government decisions? Would you like to help the City of Portland to involve the public in ways that are more inclusive and meaningful? If so, consider serving on the Public Involvement Advisory Council for the City of Portland.

Two positions are currently open for youth who live in Portland and are between the ages of 16 and 22. Applications being accepted until June 25th, 2009.

The Public Involvement Advisory Council (PIAC) was created in 2008 to strengthen the City’s commitment to public involvement. PIAC assists City bureaus in creating consistent expectations and processes for public involvement activities. PIAC is made up of both community members and city staff.

http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=48951&a=245409

Up until recently, the King neighborhood has been marginally affected by the monthly Last Thursday event on Alberta. As attendance continues to grow to 10,000 its impacts spread over an increasingly large area as people drive in from elsewhere and park in the neighborhoods. Complaints of public drunkeness and numerous associated “livability” crimes dog the event. Magnus Johannesson, the founder of the event and the non-profit organization tasked with organizing its future, believes that the least intervention is best and that the best path is to let Last Thursday be unregulated.

The question is whether and how Last Thursday takes responsibility for its impacts. Currently, the City of Portland spends many thousands of dollars in overtime pay to staff extra police for the event. The King, Vernon, Sabin, and Concordia neighborhoods need to individually and collectively decide how to best advocate for their citizens’ interests regarding Last Thursday so that it is not a burden on the residents or the City of Portland and the event is a net postive for everyone, not just the businesses and attendees.

There is a Last Thursday meeting – open to public – on 5/19 (Tues) at 3pm at the NE precinct, 449 NE Emerson St.

(503) 823-5700