2010 Neighborhood Small Grants Program, Applications due Monday, Nov. 2, 2009

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Office of Neighborhood InvolvementThe City of Portland, Office of Neighborhood Involvement and seven neighborhood District Coalitions announce the 4th year of the Neighborhood Small Grants Program with $178,830 available to neighborhood and community-based organizations. The grants program’s goal is to provide neighborhood and community-based organizations an opportunity to build community, attract new and diverse membership, and sustain those already involved. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. Proposals are due no later than 2:00 PM, Monday, November 2, 2009. More information can be found at www.portlandonline.com/oni.

In the first three years of the grant program $553,847 was awarded to 271 neighborhood and community organization projects. The average grant award was $1.972; 127 neighborhood projects were funded along with 102 projects (38%) initiated by underrepresented organizations working with people of color, immigrants and refugees, lowincome families, youth and people with disabilities. The remaining organizations represented environmental, crime prevention, business, arts and culture organizations and associations.

New Coffeeshop to Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

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CaffeBriosoMegan Kennedy has just opened Caffe Brioso in the building between Ned Ludd and Barberama on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Their grand opening is this Saturday (Sept 5). They will be open from 7-7 and will be giving away free drinks and samples.
Their focus is using local products and supporting our community while building relationships with their customers. If you have any ideas on how we can involve the community into the coffee shop and vice versa please let her know at caffebrioso@gmail.com.

The local products they carry are:

Bellatazza Coffee (roasted in SunRiver Oregon)
Dragonfly Chai (NE Portland)
Tao of Tea (SE Portland)
Marsee Bakery (NE Portland)
Grand Central Baking Co. (SE Portland)

The address is 3907 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Near Wayne’s.

North Northeast Portland Bicycle Demonstration Project

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bicyclistSince the spring of 2008, Metro has been working with local business leaders, elected officials, public health professionals and mobility advocates to determine if they were satisfied with the pace of development of our regional trails and network of off-street paths and walkways. This group, identified as the “Blue Ribbon Committee for Trails” decided to expand their scope to include all on-street bikeways. They did so in the course of studying all that is necessary to address this issue–including a trip to see comprehensive “active transportation” systems in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The committee published their report last year. That report, titled “The case for an active transportation strategy,” calls for hastening the development of active transportation systems and to create projects to demonstrate the potential of bicycling and walking–“active transportation”–in three different environments: urban, suburban and rural. The regional call for active transportation proposals was a direct result of their report to Metro.

The proposal calls for creating an urban demonstration project in a 13 square mile area of North and Northeast Portland. All selected roadways are either currently identified as bikeways in the City’s Transportation System Plan or are slated to be included as such with the update of that plan. Metro is currently assembling a grant application to the federal government that, if successful, will fund this project. View the proposal at: http://kingneighborhood.org/Reference_Files/NNE Demonstration Project final.pdf.

For more information on Metro’s Active Transportation Partnership, please see this web site: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=30078
To see the report “The case for an active transportation strategy”, please see this pdf: http://library.oregonmetro.gov/files/brc_final_report.pdf

I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about this project or about Metro’s effort (though I may steer you to Metro for detailed information).

Thanks and respectfully yours,

Roger Geller
Bicycle Coordinator

City of Portland Office of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 800
Portland, OR 97204

voice: (503) 823-7671
fax: (503) 823-7609
TDD: (503) 823-6868

email: roger.geller@pdxtrans.org
web: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34772

Bicycle Master Plan web site (updated regularly): http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=44597

Ned Ludd Liquor License Application

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Ned LuddNed Ludd located at 3925 NE MLK BLVD has applied to change their privilege to a Full On premises sales license (which allows the sale of distilled spirits, malt beverages, wine and cider for consumption on the premises). The applicant currently holds a Limited On premises license which does not allow the sale of distilled spirits. The contact for this application is Jason French at 971-409-5820
Following is the information captured on the business information form:
Seating capacity – 40; Outside – 20
Entertainment – None
Menu – Modern European
Hours – Thursday through Monday – 11am to 11pm; Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
If you are aware of any existing problems or concerns, contact the OLCC. Changes are typically routine paperwork, however, if there is a good neighbor agreement in place or identified problems at the location it can provide an opportunity for problem solving. If you have concerns regarding this license, please list the concerns in writing and remember they must be related to crime, alcohol, alcohol related behavior or drugs. Traffic, Parking and Trash are not considered during the licensing process at OLCC.

Contact:
Theresa Marchetti
Liquor Licensing Specialist – ONI
1221 SW 4th Ave Ste 110
Portland OR 97204
503-823-3092
To view applications currently in process go to http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?&c=48007

Tri-Met Rider Advocates to be Cut

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TriMet LogoThe TriMet-sponsored and NECN-operated Rider Advocates Program is unfortunately slated to end on September 30, 2009 due to the bad economy and TriMet’s financial situation.

Since finding out this information earlier this month, NECN has been continuing talks with TriMet to see what may be possible.

In the meantime, NECN and our Rider Advocates are collecting signatures on a “Public Statement of Support for the NECN Rider Advocates”. We have over 125 signatures at the moment with the goal of 1,000 in a short period of time.

The Statement and associated signatures will be presented to TriMet as they continue to consider when and how to reinstate this program that is so valuable to our community.

The support statement is at: http://kingneighborhood.org/Reference_Files/Public Support Statement August 2009.doc that you may be able to have it at your front desk or to reference it. We would like to receive signed statements by September 4th.

Also, community members are encouraged to email statements of support to NECN at info@necoalition.org as well as TriMet directly at customerservice@trimet.org. All emails to NECN will be presented to TriMet along with the full Public Statement of Support. Our goal is to show significant support by September 4th.