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!

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Dragons to Visit King School Park

Bring a blanket or chair and come out for this year’s movie in King School Park, How to Train Your Dragon. The show is this Saturday, August 6th at dusk. There will be pre-movie entertainment with live music by Norman and free popcorn. Last year’s movie night turned a bit chilly so bring some layers or an extra blanket–you never know!

From IMDb.com:

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town’s fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.

Special thanks to our local sponsors who offset KNA’s contribution to the Movie in the Park program:

• Alberta Main Street
• Albina Community Bank
• Dwell Realty
• Hankins Hardware
• King School PTA
• Old Town Pizza
• Umpqua Bank

Former CEO Donates Computer Lab to King School

New at King School is the Sam K. Duncan International Media Lab. Today saw its dedication with a visit from the former OfficeMax CEO.

In line with the school’s transformation to an International Baccalaureate program, the state of the art equipment will allow King students to research and collaborate with students of other IB schools around the world. After the official ribbon cutting, there was an all-school assembly, treats, and then classes took turns trying out the new space and equipment on this last day of school. As part of a grant from the Oregon State Department of Education, first year King Principal Patterson plans to hire a technology instructor to get maximum utility from the new asset.

Mr. Duncan wanted to help a school in need and King School seemed a fitting recipient since Dr. King was a great inspirational figure to him growing up in Arkansas. He is now retired after working his way up through the world of retail at ShopKO and Fred Meyer, starting as a clerk in an Albertson’s store.

International Plastic Quilt Project-Opening Reception

From Create Plenty: Student-Led Solutions to Single-Use Plastic!

Please view & Share the Postcard

Sat, June 11, 4-9 PM
Zoomtopia, 810 SE Belmont St
On display thru June 2011 by appointment

Help us celebrate the 9th exhibit of single-use plastic as art! In order to grow awareness and create innovative local solutions to waste, its International Plastic Quilt Project (once called Leave No Plastic Behind) is a traveling exhibit of artwork made by people reducing their “plastic footprint”. For this exhibit, over 200 student participants set aside the plastic they obtained over a period of time to help them think about alternative possibilities to the steady stream of plastic waste coming out of their schools and homes. Out of this came their creative 12×12″ contributions to the Quilt Project.

Sponsored by Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods—dedicated to the livability of inner North and Northeast Portland, the NECN is an independent 501 c 3. necoaltion.org

King History Comics

Artist Joe Sneed, working on a partnership between da Vinci School and King School students, connected with the Dill Pickle Club as a way to orient students to the history of the neighborhood. The Dill Pickle Club led a tour and workshop based on the Oregon History Comics series. The tour was a way for the kids to experience the neighborhood, while comics were a medium for class to create art documenting what they had learned.
Check out the story on the Dill Pickle Club’s website.