Community police report
Sabin School PTA report
SCA survey results
Sabin School playground improvement
Art on Alberta
Sabin Hydropark project
Summer music at Irving park
SUMMARY
Community police report (PPD Officer Alicia Russell) The NE Precinct office is now open seven days a week until midnight. Four parents were cited last weekend because their children were out after curfew. A bike was stolen near NE 12th and Beech Street and a car window was smashed. Officer Russell reminded residents to lock bikes, lawn mowers, and the like inside garages. Discussion Betty Walker said that she had gotten a call from a neighbor who was concerned about an elderly neighbor who hadn’t been seen in a while. Russell encouraged residents to keep an eye on the welfare of their neighbors, especially the elderly. It is OK to call the police and ask them to do a “welfare check” on that person’s home. Tom Braibish suggested reminding residents in the newsletter to look out for each other in this way. Conclusion At its next meeting, the SCA board will identify ways to raise community awareness of this issue.
Sabin School PTA report (Judy Harrison) The Sabin PTA met February 8 and main agenda item was the 2007 Sabin Auction, April 20. The auction is increasingly successful, raising $4,000 in 2005, $26,000 in 2006, and now aiming to raise $40,000 at this year’s auction. There is a lot of parental support of the PTA. The PTA is looking to fill its volunteer coordinator position (which is, itself, a volunteer job). Discussion Tom Braibish suggested that the SCA and the PTA meet jointly this summer to review each organization’s plans for the coming year to identify opportunities to share resources.
SCA survey results (Gabrielle Josephson) Fifteen hundred surveys were distributed to residents in February, with 50 completed forms being submitted. This 3.3 percent response is about the norm. Many of the forms had written comments, which may provide some useful anecdotal information, but the sample isn’t big enough to provide a thorough representation of residents’ concerns. Discussion Perhaps we should do an annual survey. Zoomerang Internet survey program may be an option. Kamberly suggested handing out additional survey forms at the Sabin Spring Cleanup in May. Conclusion Kamberly will bring a summary of the survey results to the board meeting.
Sabin School playground improvement (Jordan Secter) Jordan is a landscape architect and local resident with a 7-year-old daughter attending the Sabin School. While involved with the PTA, he learned from the principal that the school would be going from preK-6 to preK-8 model, and that this would make it necessary to improve the playground facilities to support the play and education of these different age groups. He has helped the school create a landscape improvement plan for the entire schoolgrounds to support its aesthetics, outdoor curricula, safety, and maintenance. Jordan created two design options, which he showed to us. He plans to present them to the PTA and at the school auction. Both design options for the north playground, which would be primarily used by younger students, include safety measures such as open views, lighting, and motion detectors. It also includes play structures, a basketball court, outdoor classroom spaces, and a vegetable garden. Additionally, there are plans to resurface the basketball courts in the south play area, and to install new goal posts, backstops, and new benches. Discussion Depicting shade lines in the design plans would help to inform the placement of the vegetable gardens. Perhaps students and local artists could contribute art—murals and garden art, for example—to the playground to enhance color and interest. Dog owners should be invited to comment on plans, particularly for the south play area, to help devise strategies for dogs and children to share the grounds safely. Jordan said that Portland Parks and Recreation is responsible for maintaining the grass field in the south play area where dog owners take their dogs. A new maintenance plan will be undertaken and that should address the issue of dogs.
Sabin Hydropark project (Kamberly Wilbourne, Rosemarie Cordello) Commissioner Randy Leonard and Tom Klutz of the Water Bureau attended the latest public meeting of the Hydropark subcommittee. People for and against the improvement plans expressed their views. A professional facilitator will be hired and a seven-member committee was formed comprising three people who are in favor of the improvement plans, three who have expressed concerns, and an employee of the Water Bureau. This committee will meet weekly to incorporate public input into the improvement plans and to submit finalized plans to the full subcommittee. The park will be called the Sabin Hydropark. The community gardens expansion will get underway next spring, but the playground improvements should begin this summer. Discussion For future joint projects, Lucrecia Choto suggested that the SCA board take the lead in devising effective decision making processes by drawing on the professional skills and expertise of its own members, rather than following the lead of another organization. Conclusion The next public meeting of the Hydropark subcommittee is set for April 12.
Art on Alberta (Elise Scholnick) Elise is a member of the Art on Alberta board. Organizers of the Alberta Street Fair have invited the SCA to be involved in planning. The Alberta Street Safety Project is addressing the impact of pedestrian and automobile traffic congestion that occurs during Last Thursdays art walks through a public involvement process. At present, TriMet redirects buses from Alberta Street to side streets so that pedestrians can walk freely on Alberta Street during the art walks. But this impacts residents who live on those side streets. Discussion Rosemarie Cordello proposed partnerships between the Hydropark and Art on Alberta community, such as local artists contributing public art to the Hydropark playground and gardens. Conclusion Elise will bring drawings of proposed traffic redirections to the next SCA meeting.
Summer Music in Irving Park (Lucrecia Choto) Lucrecia has talked with Kristin Knapp of Portland Parks and Recreation about presenting summer concerts near the basketball courts at Irving Park (the courts have the necessary electrical outlets). We would need to raise $10,000 to have four artists perform during a weekend in late August or September of next year, and Lucrecia suggested inviting neighboring Irvington and King community associations to cohost the event and to share costs. A smaller concert could be presented this summer for $2,500 to present one night of music. Discussion Elise Scholnick suggested seeking a grant from the Regional Arts Commission. Conclusion It was decided to move ahead on this project.
The next SCA board meeting is set for Monday, April 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wild Oats cooking school area.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
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