Vision Zero action plan to target neighborhood danger spots.

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From Vision Zero:

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee (StAC) for Vision Zero Oregon’s King/Humboldt/Boise’s Roadway Safety Action Plan will begin looking at neighborhood road problems. These problems were collected through stakeholder interviews, a public survey, and a March 2011 community walking tour. The Vision Zero project will use the perspectives and expertise from the StAC to make a plan to increase road safety in the King, Humboldt, and Boise neighborhoods. This project will look at ways to reach “Vision Zero;” a vision of roads that don’t have any deaths or injuries for people walking, biking, or driving.

Both StAC meetings are open to the general public. Pizza and refreshments will be provided.

Wednesday, March 23
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs
(Amelia Room, 4134 N. Vancouver Avenue)

Wednesday, April 20
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs
(Amelia Room, 4134 N. Vancouver Avenue)
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Community Livability Grant funds available in Interstate URA

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The Portland Development Commission (PDC) will have funds available in fiscal year 2011-12 for community livability projects in the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area (ICURA). PDC’s Community Livability Grant Program began in the Interstate Corridor URA in 2006 and expanded to the Lents Town Center URA in 2010. The program has awarded nearly $2 million to more than three dozen projects that improve livability for residents and enhance the unique nature of the Interstate Corridor and Lents Town Center neighborhoods.

For the Interstate Corridor URA Map, click here.

Up to $300,000 in Community Livability grants will be awarded in the coming fiscal year in each of the two urban renewal areas. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, neighborhood and business associations and neighborhood groups.
Individuals or groups interested in submitting an application are strongly encouraged to learn more about project eligibility, completing the application, and the evaluation and selection process by attending an information workshop. For ICURA: Thursday, April 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Legacy Emanuel Hospital, 2801 N. Gantenbien, Room 1075 in the East Wing.

The grants support a wide variety of community benefits: historic preservation, open spaces and gardens, community and cultural centers, social services, jobs training, and the growth of local businesses. The work is not always visible, but investment supports each organization’s ability to benefit the community.

Grant applications are due to PDC by Monday, May 10 at 5 p.m. Applications will be reviewed by Community Livability Committees for each urban renewal area, which will make recommendations back to PDC. Decisions will be announced by Thursday, June 30, and projects can begin as soon as the grantees have formalized a Letter of Agreement with PDC.
Since 2006, PDC has awarded approximately $1.8 million in Community Livability Grants, ranging from $5,000 to more than $100,000. Projects receiving awards have included:

• Green/energy efficient upgrades to a historic building
• Preservation of historic assets: Kenton’s Paul Bunyan statue; Historic Columbian Cemetery
• Improvements to small community open space and community fruit garden
• Added outdoor performance space
• Exterior improvements to a music center
• A wheelchair ramp for a community medical center
• New shade trees and benches at Humboldt School
• Heating, electrical upgrade, and doors for a new art center in Kenton
• Exterior building improvements for a community center in Boise
• A new furnace and energy efficient improvements for a child care center
• Historic building improvements, including acoustic upgrades, new solar power and sustainable storm water runoff

Details about the grant program, highlights of two recent projects and a downloadable application are available at: www.pdc.us/clg, or contact Susan Kuhn at kuhns@pdc.us; 503-823-3406 (Interstate Corridor URA).

Vision Zero Traffic Safety Meeting

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From Vision Zero:

Please join us for our first Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting on March 23.

We are inviting anyone and everyone to join us in identifying safety hazards in the King, Boise, and Humboldt neighborhoods and work towards developing a range of solutions that citizens can pursue. During the meeting we’ll briefly introduce the project and summarize our current findings in the neighborhood. After that we’ll break into small group with you the public to discuss more specific unsafe locations and behaviors.

When: Wednesday, March 23 – 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Where: Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (Amelia Room, 4134 N. Vancouver Avenue)

Details: Please arrive by 5:30 to promptly get started. We’ll provide delicious refreshments.

If you have questions about the Stakeholder Committee or the project in general, please feel free to contact the Public Outreach Coordinator, Michelle van Tijen (503-893-8777) or (michelle@visionzerooregon.org).

Art on Alberta to Cease Art Hop

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photo by Heather Zinger

From Art on Alberta:

In June of 2010, Art on Alberta decided to undergo an organizational transition. We were invited by the Regional Arts and Culture Council to take part in their Cultural Leadership Program, which gave us the opportunity to work directly with professional nonprofit arts consultant George Thorn over the course of the next two years. Thorn has decades of experience as a consultant to nonprofit arts organizations around the United States, and we felt the chance to be able to redefine ourselves after ten years of serving the Alberta Arts District was an offer we couldn’t refuse. We’ve been working closely with Thorn to redefine our role within the community with the intent to remain true to our original mission of bringing exceptional arts and educational programming to Northeast Alberta Street.

Our strategic work thus far has led us to redefine our main focus for 2011. This focus includes restoring a 1960s teardrop trailer into a mobile art gallery to host rotating, monthly shows that can travel around the street, neighborhood, and city to promote Northeast Alberta Street’s arts identity. Watch for its presence this spring!
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Local Traffic, Parking Could Be “Grimm”

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NBC Universal is filming a TV pilot in Portland titled “Grimm”. It is a police drama with a sci-fi bent based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The main character “Nick” and his wife “Julia” live in the neighborhood. His aunt arrives with her Airstream trailer and parks it in his backyard. Unknown to him she is a supernatural crime fighter and he is about to inherit her gift. There is an altercation in front of their house and he shoots a ghoul who is trying to attack his aunt.

There will be some street closures and parking restrictions connected with the filming:

Parking:

Barricades will be placed indicating spaces and hours of restricted parking. In at anytime they do not need to continue reserving the parking in various areas, they will remove barricades. If they plan on blocking a driveway, they will contact the owner for permission first.
The barricades will read: ALL HOURS because they will be working day and night. The listed EXPECTED HOURS are the hours they will be in operation:

3/16: 1:00 pm to 1:00 am
3/17: 5:30 pm to 5:30 am
3/18: 5:30 pm to 5:30 am

The barricades will be placed on:

Both sides of NE Going, 7th to 9th
South side of NE Prescott, 7th to 9th
Both sides of NE 8th, Prescott to Going
West side of NE 9th, Prescott to Going
East side of NE 7th, Going to Wygant.

3/16, 3/17
• Crews will arrive around 12 pm and film a driving sequence along NE Prescott and 8th. Portland Police and flaggers will temporarily hold traffic on NE Prescott between NE 7th and 9th and on 8th between Going and Skidmore.
• Upon finishing with the daytime driving, they will move to inside filming.

3/18 from 5:30pm to 5:30 am
• Police will close NE Prescott between NE 7th and NE 9th Avenue during non-rush times into the early morning hours. In this scene there will be GUNFIRE. The gunfire is in one scene and will take about one hour to complete. Residents will be allowed in and out of this closed street but it will be closed to through traffic.