Community Forum Date for Sabin Boundary Change

New date for community forum (see blog post below):
Community Forum, January 13th from 6-8pm, at Beaumont

Also, the next BAC meeting is open to the public:

BAC Meeting, January 4th 6-9pm, at Sabin

Sabin School Boundary and Enrollment Change Process

Dear Sabin Neighbors,

I write to you as the Sabin Community representative on the Portland Public School District (PPS) Boundary Advisory Committee (BAC).  The purpose of this email is to inform you about the boundary change process currently underway for Sabin K-8, ACCESS 2-8 (TAG school housed at Sabin), Alameda K-5 and Beaumont 6-8. 

Understanding that the topic of public schools generally results in tremendous interest and opinions among residents, I want to share with you: 1) why boundary changes are under consideration, 2) what the changes under consideration are, 3) what the potential impact on Sabin School and residents is, 4) my role as the Sabin representative on the BAC, and 5) how you can plug into the process.

PPS has created a Boundary Advisory Committee to make a recommendation about the best way to resolve enrollment concerns among the four schools (Sabin, ACCESS, Alameda and Beaumont).  BAC members are tasked with understanding the complex issues and making a recommendation to the School Board by late January. 

BAC members include: two parents from each of the impacted schools, a Sabin neighborhood person (Clay Veka – Sabin Community Association member), an Alameda neighborhood person, and a Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods board member with a broader neighborhood view. Principals from all four schools attend the meetings to provide input when requested.
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Why boundary changes are under consideration?

·      Sabin K-8 has too few students, especially in grades 6-8 (54 students in the 2010/11 school year), making it challenging to offer them the range of courses the middle-grade students need, and requiring subsidized funding to support the 6-8 program, funding which will not likely be available in the years ahead. Sabin's attendance area contains relatively few students.

·       Next door, Alameda K-5 is overcrowded with 780 students, with many class sizes over 30 students. Alameda's attendance area contains many students.

·      Beaumont Middle School also has low enrollment as Alameda is its only feeder school. Beaumont relies on transfers to reach a student body of 455 when middle schools generally need 550 students to offer a robust program. However, students in the Sabin catchment area may chose to attend Beaumont without applying for a transfer, though that stipulation is set to sunset next year.

·      ACCESS Academy is a school for talented and gifted students that is housed in Sabin and, while the two schools share some resources, they operate independently.  ACCESS is included in the conversation and needs to be located in one (or more) of the three schools.

What are the changes under consideration?

Many different scenarios have been proposed to get numbers to equal out across the schools.  Instead of detailing each scenario because they are nuanced and complex, here I lay out the tenants encompassed in many of the scenarios.

·        Alameda remains a K-5.  (In all proposed scenarios.)

·       The Alameda school boundary shrinks and Sabin school boundary expands to include more Alameda families.  (In most proposed scenarios.)

·      The boundary change only affects incoming students, meaning that the year the change is instituted, only kindergartners in the affected area will go to Sabin.  Students in the affected area who currently attend Alameda will not move to Sabin.  Any younger siblings of current Alameda students will also continue to Alameda. (In all proposed scenarios)

·      Sabin remains a K-8, with more students from the current Alameda boundary.  Sabin School will be the default middle school option for all 6-8 students residing in the Sabin boundary (currently 6-8 graders residing in the Sabin boundary may chose to attend Sabin or Beaumont).  To attend Beaumont (or another PPS middle school), students will need to transfer. ACCESS moves elsewhere, potentially to Beaumont.  Or ACCESS is split so that 2-5 remains at Sabin and 6-8 moves to Beaumont. (In some proposed scenarios.)

·      Alternatively, Sabin becomes a K-5, with more students from the current Alameda boundary.  All Sabin students feed into Beaumont.  ACCESS remains at Sabin.  Or ACCESS is split so that 2-5 remains at Sabin and 6-8 moves to Beaumont.  Or all of ACCESS moves to Beaumont. (In some proposed scenarios.)

There have been many different scenarios that the BAC has been considering.  There is currently no consensus around any one scenario. 

Greatest potential impact on Sabin School and Residents.

The greatest impact to Sabin from this process is whether the school remains a K-8 or becomes a K-5. 

Because Sabin has too few 6-8 graders to make it economically viable to continue providing education to this low number of students, and because Beaumont has too few students to be able to provide a robust middle school curriculum, 6-8 graders residing in the Sabin boundary need to consolidate into one program to get closer to creating a sustainable program. 

At the January 4 BAC meeting, which is open to the public (see details below), the committee is aiming to develop a recommendation to take to the mid-January public forum (yet to be scheduled).   

My Role.

The boundary advisory committee task is as follows:

Priority is to resolve enrollment concerns among the four schools.  Any solution must allow adequate room for programs, and room for anticipated growth.  The focus is on all of the schools, not an individual school.  Limit the number of reassigned students/transitions.  Any boundary change will not affect any current student or sibling. The goal is to have the Board vote on recommendations on January 24, before “kindergarten round-up” and the beginning of the transfer cycle and staffing.

5 criteria and considerations for making a recommendation:

Top priority: Enrollment stability and access to quality educational opportunities – projected enrollment across the schools must allow for a robust core program.

Sustainable for multiple years allowing for growth.

Proximity – Students should be assigned whenever feasible to the closest school to their home.

Student impact – Minimize the total number of students reassigned and limit the

number of transitions.

Economic diversity – Strive to maintain relatively similar levels of students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals across schools in order to maintain a balanced population from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Recognizing these as the goals and criteria guiding the BAC, my responsibility is two-fold:

Participate as a BAC member to solve a student allocation challenge based on current enrollment numbers and projections at all 4 schools, with the above goal and criteria guiding the decision.

Advocate for the best resolution for Sabin residents, as the Sabin Community Association representative.

It is in the later capacity that my role gets obscured because there is not a clear resolution that is “best” for Sabin residents.  I feel strongly that we are able to increase enrollment rates at Sabin to create a robust school program.  And I feel strongly that 6-8 students living in the Sabin boundaries are provided with a robust middle school program. 

Numbers across the board are driving the process more than a discussion about K-5 vs. K-8 at Sabin.  Comments I have received from Sabin residents reveal that Sabinites are passionate and split in the K-5 / K-8 debate.  Some feel passionate about Beaumont continuing to be an option for Sabin residents without requiring a transfer and some feel passionate about building the Sabin K-8 program. 

In my role, I can share opinions of Sabin residents.  But without clear and overwhelming direction from the community, I cannot advocate for one system over the other. 

I would like to hear from you.  Please contact me with your comments, or contact the PPS project manager.  All contact information follows.

How you can plug into the process.

Contact me

Email me or call me, I would like to hear from.

Clay Veka

clayveka@yahoo.com

503-961-3702

Contact the PPS project manager

Amanda Whalen

503-916-3131

awhalen@pps.k12.or.us

Come to the next BAC meeting. 

You will not be allowed to comment from the audience, but you will learn a lot.  We can talk at the break and I can raise your ideas with the committee if appropriate.

3^rd BAC meeting

January 4

6-9pm

Sabin School

Community forum

Date TBD

I’ll keep you posted

Comment on this blog

At the bottom of this post, click “post a comment” to engage in a community discussion.

I will update the blog post periodically, as new information is available.

PPS Website

Visit the PPS website to learn more http://www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/system-planning-performance/5072.htm

Through the process PPS has provided the BAC members with data so that we can develop a clear understanding of the issues at hand.  Some of this information is available at the PPS web link above.  I am also happy to make it available at my home if you’d like to wade through the information. 

Please share this email with any Sabin resident who you think will be interested in the process.  In conjunction with PPS, it is our job to make sure that our friends and neighbors are aware of the Sabin/Alameda/Beaumont boundary process.

Sincerely,

Clay Veka

Sabin Community Association member

clayveka@yahoo.com

Does Sabin need a street tree inventory?

Walking around your neighborhood, do you see areas available for tree planting, street trees in need of maintenance, and neighbors who are concerned but don't know where to begin? Urban Forestry is helping Portlanders take action to improve their community's street trees by conducting tree inventories and creating Neighborhood Stewardship Plans.

Active community groups interested in the cause begin by gathering volunteers to help conduct a street tree inventory. Volunteers are guided by Urban Forestry staff, who provide training, tools, and event organization. Together, information is collected on tree species, size, health, site conditions, and available planting spaces. Data is analyzed by Urban Forestry staff, and findings are presented to neighborhood stakeholders. Achievable strategies are set by the collective body to improve existing trees, identify opportunities for an expanding tree canopy, and connect the neighborhood with city and nonprofit resources. The result is a Neighborhood Stewardship Plan. The plan identifies the current status and health of neighborhood street trees and provides recommendations for neighborhood action. This final product serves as a catalyst for neighborhood implementation.

Why inventory your street trees?
There are many reasons why a group should consider inventorying trees in their neighborhood. Each tree inventory is customized to capture the requested data and to meet the goals of the group. While your group may already have a few goals in mind, Urban Forestry will help solidify goals early in the process to ensure that the appropriate data is collected, propose a practical timeline, and staff appropriately.

A tree inventory can help your group meet the following goals:

• Determine the location, species, size, and health of trees
• Identify locations to plant new trees
• Increase awareness of the important role trees play in making urban environments more livable
• Engage residents to help care for and protect existing trees
• Develop a Neighborhood Stewardship Plan
• Forge a partnership with Urban Forestry

Following a tree inventory, each requesting group receives the following:

• Custom site maps and excel sheets illustrating the findings
• Detailed analysis addressing the goals and recommended next steps
• Urban Forestry pledges to continue working with your group to meet their tree goals through the creation of a Neighborhood Stewardship Plan

Expectations
Tree inventories are designed to be fun and educational community events. Requesting groups are expected to recruit volunteers to help on the day(s) of the inventory. Most neighborhood tree inventories take place on Saturdays from 8:30 AM-noon. No experience is necessary. Volunteers are paired with a staff member, experienced tree inventory volunteer or Neighborhood Tree Steward.

How can I conduct an inventory in my neighborhood?
Interested in an inventory and Neighborhood Stewardship Plan? Urban Forestry is currently seeking communities interested in conducting their own project. In 2011, four communities will be selected to conduct an inventory. To apply, submit a short application by January 7, 2011. Find the application at Portland Tree Inventory Project.

Funding
This project is supported by a grant from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and PP&R Urban Forestry.

Questions?
Contact Angie DiSalvo at angie.disalvo@portlandoregon.gov

October 2010 General Meeting - What Style is My House?

Minutes of the Sabin General Meeting, Monday 18 October, Sabin Elementary School.

Social hour, 6-7:00. Sabinites ate cookies and enjoyed Trailhead Coffee and hot cider, during which they had the opportunity to peruse the Betty Walker files organized by Rachel Studer and Bill Youngren, our Sabin historian. In addition, we saw plans for the Irvington Historical District, explained by Mary Piper. The Architectural Heritage Center had a table supportive of the program What Style Is My House? Resolutions Northwest was well represented by Naomi Pusch.

The opening lecture by Robert Jordan was supplemented by photographs and commentary by Bill Youngren showing Sabin houses representative of the various styles. This contribution was greatly appreciated. In closing, Bill made the point that we have every reason to be as proud of the architectural integrity of our homes as anyone else.

The business meeting contained updates on the Green Streets projects on Fremont, on the Sabin Identity Project for designing a new logo and motto, and plans to beef up community-business engagement.

Future projects include a yard sale to accompany the cleanup, a guided home tour, plant exchanges, and a Betty Walker Memorial Bench in Irving Park.

Discussion from the floor concerned a troubling burned out house at 3954 NE 18th and welcome baskets for new people in the neighborhood.

Austin delivered a Call for Volunteers for all the wonderful projects ahead and for service on the SCA committees.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30.

Fall General Meeting: Tomorrow night @ Sabin School!

Sabin Community Association Fall General Meeting
What Style Is My House?

When: This Monday evening! Monday, October 18th
6pm – 7pm: Social Hour (refreshments, local coffee roaster, cider)
7pm – 8pm: Special Presentation: Sabin Architecture
8pm: Sabin Community Association Business Meeting (all welcome)

What:

• Social Hour: Special exhibit of Sabin’s rich history of diversity and community service from the archives of Betty Walker; Architectural Heritage Center table, with experts on weatherizing your home, researching your house, and more; Irvington Historic District table.
• Special Presentation: 7-7:30. What Style Is my House? by Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center board member Robert Jordan. If you’ve ever wondered what style to call your home, you will find the answer in this perfect program. 7:30-8. Sabin historian William Youngren presents particular houses representative of the great integrity of Sabin design.
• Business Meeting: Bring your community business. All residents, community organizations and businesses welcome.

Where: Sabin Elementary School Auditorium 4013 NE 18th Ave. Portland, 97212

Note: Free Babysitting Available, no RSVP necessary!

FREE Lunch at Sabin School this Summer!

Sabin SUN program is offering FREE lunch for any person 0-18 years and their parents!

Lunch is served anytime between 11am and 1pm, now through the end of July.   Don't miss out and please spread the word within Sabin!

In addition, there are books, games, and gym equipment for students to use.

Oregon Tradeswomen Empowers Women

Hello Friends,

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. empowers women to enter into high skill, high wage careers in construction through our FREE, seven-week Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class.

Please help us spread the word about our free program so even more women can get started into satisfying, living wage careers.  Here are the basics:

• Class meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m. and includes classroom training (including 5 hours of green job training), hands-on construction work, field trips, valuable industry certifications, strength/fitness training, construction math and measurement, and career counseling.

• Our next class starts on August 10, 2010. Information Sessions about what to expect from the class are held at the PCC Metro One Stop and attending is thefirst step to entering our class.  Info sessions are held twice a month.

Women can call us to sign up for the next info session at 503-335-8200 x 21 OR sign up online at: http://www.tradeswomen.net/tacc-info-session-signup.php

• We do require a GED and prioritize participants that have a driver’s license.  However, interested women should contact us as we often counsel people about what goals to work toward to be more successful in the industry.

Again, thanks for your help in spreading the word and please contact me if you have any questions about the class.

Warmly,

Dawn Jones

Available only Monday and Thursdays for emails and phone calls.

Lead Instructor/Construction Manager

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.

1714 NE Alberta St.

Portland, OR 97211

dawn@tradeswomen.net

phone: 503-335-8200 x31

fax: 503-249-0445

Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc:  dedicated to promoting the success

of women in the trades through education, leadership and mentorship.

Check out our FREE women-only pre-apprenticeship class

and other programs at www.tradeswomen.net.

How do I know where to start saving energy?

You could be wasting as much as 60 percent of the energy used to heat and cool your home. Leaky ducts, inefficient equipment, poor insulation and air leaks may be inflating your energy costs. To find out what is causing the energy loss, use an online Home Energy Analyzer or schedule a Home Energy Review with Energy Trust of Oregon. An energy advisor will come to your home when it’s convenient, spend an hour walking with you through your home and visually assessing typical areas of energy loss. After the review, you’ll get customized recommendations on where to start, plus information on cash incentives available when you improve the energy efficiency of your home. Sign-up online at www.energytrust.org/her for your Home Energy Review.  Or call 1.866.368.7878 for homeowners to set-up an appointment.

Sabin's Pre-kindergarten program

By Andrew Dauch, Sabin School Principal

For the 2010-11 school year, Sabin will be offering a fee-based  pre-kindergarten program. The program will run from 8:30 - 11:15 am, Monday through Friday. The cost of the program is $340 per month, September through May. We will have four tuition reduction slots for families qualifying for Free and Reduced-Priced Meals. The early registration deadline is June 1st, but we will continue to accept applications on a first come, first serve basis until all 20 slots have been taken.

To pick up an application, please go to the school or go online to:www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/kindergarten and go to the pre-k link.

Questions? Please contact the school at 503-916-6482.

  

Thanks to all of you for your support of our students and school. I look forward to working with all of you next year!

Build-a-Burger to Fight Hunger

by David Sweet

The King Portland Farmers Market is in full swing Sundays from 10 am until 2 pm at the King neighborhood facility, NE 7th & Wygant.

Foodshare Fund Northeast, a project of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), is also in full swing.  For our second year we are providing a matching funds for our neighbors using food stamps to buy fresh, local food at the market. This year, in response to a growing and urgent need, we've expanded the program.  Nearly one in five Oregonians are now receiving food stamps, 39% of them children.  Foodshare Fund NE provides funds from our community -- businesses, community groups, neighbors -- to match food stamps spent at King dollar for dollar, up to $10 per week.   Last year, the average match was $234 per Sunday. This year it has been $896 per Sunday. 

Foodshare Fund NE is privileged to be able to support our neighbors  during this time with fresh, local food and to support our local farmers and food system. If you'd like the opportunity to help, contact us at traci17@comcast.net or through our Facebook page "Foodshare Fund NE". If you'd like to donate, you can do so at the market every week at the NECN info booth, on-line through PayPal at portland.necoalition.org (specify "Foodshare Fund" in comments), or by mail, 4815 NE 7th Avenue, Portland, OR 97211-3939. More information is also available on the Portland Farmers Market site, portlandfarmersmarket.org "Healthy Food for All".

Join us! at King Portland Farmers Market Sunday, the 4th of July for Build-a-Burger! Get a $5 meat or vegie burger fresh grilled at the market from 11 am - 1 pm. 100% of proceeds benefit Foodshare Fund NE.

Sabin Community Orchard Work Party Report 6/6/10

Report from 6/6/10: It was a soggy day and a slim crew, but we did some good weeding, expanded the tree cages and had FUN doing it!  

Come join us:

First Sunday each month, June 6-Oct 3, 1-2:30 p.m.

Meet at the Sabin Community Orchard (NE 18^th at Mason)

Help keep the newly planted fruit trees looking good and staying weed-free. Please consider volunteering to join our monthly adopt-our-orchard group! We will have basic tools, but feel free to bring your favorite weeder or other garden tool.

Please contact Gwenn Baldwin  at 503-281-5959  or gwennbaldwin1@comcast.net if you want to get involved—your support for the Sabin community orchard is needed and appreciated! We also want to give a shout out to our friends at the Portland Fruit Tree Project, who have pruned up the older cherry trees. Thank you!!

BEAUMONT BUSINESS ASSOCATION SPONSORS ANNUAL FREMONT FESTIVAL

AUGUST 7, 2010

Annual Event has new features planned to attract Portland neighbors

Beaumont Village, NE Fremont, Portland – Beaumont Business Association and local businesses on NE Upper Fremont present the annual Fremont Festival to be held on August 7, 2010 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Plans to close the street from NE 42^nd to NE 50^th are underway. The BBA is working on some new events that should attract families in and around surrounding neighborhoods. The event kicks off at 10:00 am with a Bike Parade/Pet Parade starting at Beaumont Middle School. Parents, kids and pets are encouraged to decorate their bikes, don their costumes for themselves and their pets and meet at the school at 9:30. There will be prizes awarded for Best Bike Decoration, Best Kids Costume, Best Parent Costume and Best Pet Costume. Dance Groups, Scouts, and others are encouraged to participate. The BBA is looking for bands to play music and march in the parade. Interested parties can contact Christine Mallar at Green Dog Pet Supply at 503-528-1800.

After the parade the street will be closed and set up with vendors and games for all the neighbors to enjoy. The BBA has vendor space for artisans, crafters, food vendors for the day. This year they are especially looking for non-profit groups to get a vendor spot and set up game booths or food booth to raise money for their organization. Non-profit groups looking for ideas or to share their idea should contact Rebecca Lehman at 949-395-3305. Vendor applications can be obtained from Jackie Safko at Albina Bank 4020 NE Fremont. Email Jackie to receive more information at jsafko@albinabank.com

“We are envisioning games like a dunk tank or a simple home-made ring toss for organizations hoping to raise money for their non-profit groups. For the more organized groups, food is always popular. This is a family event. In the spirit of giving back the BBA wants to offer our local non-profit groups a chance to promote their cause and raise some needed money for their organization,” said Rebecca Lehman, President of the BBA.

            Date: August 7, 2010

            Time: 10:00 am – Parade

                       10:30 – 5:00 – Street Festival

            Location:  NE Fremont between 42^nd & 50^th

Some of the scheduled Events

• Soluna Grill to sponsor Salsa Challenge at Fremont Festival.  Executive Chef Dan Straub would like to invite all neighbors in and around Portland to come and share your best Salsa. “By August we should be seeing some great tomato’s and if you think you have a “killer” salsa we encourage you to enter our Salsa Challenge at this year’s Fremont Festival”, says owner/executive chef Dan Straub. The Salsa Challenge will be held in the Soluna Grill Parking Lot. Each contestant must make a gallon of their best salsa for the community to taste and judge. Awards will be presented for BEST SALSA and BEST DECORATED BOOTH. The two Award Categories will be PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD and JUDGES AWARD. The community will taste and vote for their favorite Salsa for the PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD. Official Judges will be chosen from among local restaurants for the JUDGE’S AWARD.  Individuals will receive 3 Tastes for $5 – 100% of proceeds go to BBA for the Main Street Program. To enter the Salsa Challenge call Dan Straub at 971-222-3433 or Becky Lehman at 949-395-3305.

Time: 11:00 – 1:00 – Tasting 2:00 - Awards

Location:  Soluna Grill Parking Lot

For more information, contact:

Rebecca Lehman – 949-395-3305

Rebeccalehman90@gmail.com

2010 Spring Clean-up — More Awesome Than Ever!

By Austin Peterson & Jerry Channell

Clean-up Committee Co-Chairs

The Sabin Community Association Clean-up Committee is delighted to report that the 2010 Spring Clean-up held at the Marantha Church parking lot was another unprecedented success. Volunteers facilitated over 80 individual drop-offs during the 4 hour event. We completed 6 “personal pick-ups” for elders and residents in need during the event as well.

Allied Waste Services hauled away 8.25 tons of rubbish and 3.3 tons of wood/yard debris. Anfield and Sons hauled away over 3 tons of metal. We disposed of 27 TVs/monitors, 18 mattresses, 27 tires, 12 couches and 6 appliances.

Over 10 Sabinites volunteered to help expedite debris unloading during the event.

The Sabin Clean-up Committee are thankful for the support that the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Metro provided both before and during the clean-up.

Lastly, after organizing the Spring Clean-up for 30 years, Betty Walker could not participate this year. We're sure Betty used her intrepid manner to lobby the forces of nature to guarantee the sunny day that we enjoyed. The Sabin Spring Clean-up is Betty's legacy. And the fact that Sabinites, from all sorts of places, backgrounds and ideals can get together and make Sabin a better place by simply participating is the stuff Betty loved. Thanks Betty for establishing that sort of social bedrock in our community; its a terrific foundation for each of us to continue building our neighborhood upon!

THOUGHTS ON SABIN

By Rachel Studer, retiring president, SCA

I joined SCA in 2002, wrote about Sabin gardens for the newsletter and put on the first Sabin Summer Celebration to honor volunteers.  At that time, the state of the world and nation was so bad that many of us were searching for an ideal small community.  Hooray for Portland for nurturing its neighborhoods!   

I dropped out for a while but returned to SCA in 2007 because young people were moving into leadership roles.  I have served as co-president, then president for two and a half years and will step down this month.  In the last couple of years the board has had an influx of folk, some with impressive professional experience, all dedicated to making Sabin a great neighborhood.  I counted two dozen major projects that the board has accomplished in the last years.  Amazing!

What I wish for Sabin is that it will strive to find its identity.  The response to saying where I live is, “What’s Sabin?”  I stand in the Sabin schoolyard after school lets out and think I see who we are:  We are devoted to our families; we are diverse and want to keep it that way; we are creative, conscientious and informal; we love our trees, our gardens replete with food and critters; we believe in being good neighbors.  Longtime residents give us continuity of values and history.  Sabin is small , and small is beautiful.  

We are one of the best kept secrets in Portland.

Our Awesome Annual Sabin Neighborhood Event: The 2010 Sabin Spring Clean-Up!

On Saturday, May 15, from 10 am -to 2 pm the Sabin Clean-up Committee cordially invites the Sabin community to load-up unwanted debris and bring it to the annual Spring Clean-Up for disposal. The drop location is the same as most years; the Maranatha Church Parking Lot, NE 12th & Skidmore. We are readily accepting yard debris, household junk, furniture, mattresses, scrap metal, appliances, microwaves & tires. However, there will be a disposal fee for TVs and computer monitors that have "CRT picture tubes." The fees are $10 for each computer monitor, $10 for each TV and $20 for each large console television. There is no charge for e-waste such as stereos, tape players, printers or CPUs.

The Sabin Clean-up will not accept kitchen garbage, construction debris, commercial by-products, batteries, paint, hazardous or chemical wastes. Additionally, the clean-up crew will not accept materials that are classified as compostable material or curbside recyclables; recyclable glass, newspapers, motor oil or cardboard should be put out for pick-up with your regular household garbage for pick-up by your normal rubbish pick-up service. See the Metro website for details at www.metro-region.org.

The Sabin Clean-up Committee offers a limited curbside pick-up service to individuals, seniors and folks that are "in-need." These folks typically have disabilities that limit their ability to efficiently dispose of debris. Please do not use this service unless you are severely limited by physical ability and have no means what-so-ever to dispose of debris. Please donate generously when using this service; Fred and Rick are the Sabin Clean-up A-Team; their commitment to this service is absolutely amazing. Contact Jerry Channell at 503-282-7584 to schedule a pick-up time and place for May 15th only.

To dispose of debris, just clip, fill out and bring the sanctioned coupon that is at the bottom of this newsletter or located at numerous neighborhood businesses and institutions. Please donate generously, this is a neighborhood fund-raising effort; we don’t charge flat fees like most neighborhoods. The Sabin Clean-up Committee is readily soliciting volunteers to expedite this endeavor; call Jerry at the aforementioned phone number to pitch-in and celebrate "community" by contributing to the clean-up effort. Sorry contiguous neighbors, the Sabin Spring Clean-up is available to Sabin residents only.

May 8 -- Sabin Neighborhood Encounter: Our Common Spaces

Want to know about the common spaces we share in our neighborhood, so we can take better care of them? Want to know where boundaries are and rules concerning public property such as parks, planting strips and rights of way? Then join us at Sabin Hydropark, NE Skidmore at 19^th Ave., on

May 8, from 10am-noon. We’ll get a general orientation and talk about the facilities at the Hydropark, such as the play area and Community Garden, walk down 19^th Ave. to Mason St. and the Sabin Community Orchard, cross the street to Sabin School and Sabin Gardens, head over to 15^th to point out the triangle at Prescott, walk down 15^th to Klickitat, stroll down the Klickitat Mall to Irving Park, and end at the Green Streets project on Fremont. From there, we can check out Ariadne Garden, a non-profit land trust project, just north of Fremont on 11^th, before an optional lunch at Whole Foods.

        Stay tuned to your neighborhood newsletter

for more announcements as

we get closer to May. For

more information, contact

Jeff Strang at 503-752-9494

or jeffstrang@comcast.net.

Board Candidates' Statements: Vision for Sabin

President
Austin Peterson: Maintaining the character of sabin while imroving the lifestyle of the residents is the paramount goal of my tenure as president.  I plan to focus on quality recruitment to the board and subcommitees so that we can utilize the diverse character and expertise of our residents in our work as the community representatives.


1st Vice President


2nd Vice President


Secretary 
Barbara Conable: I envision Sabin residents fostering its unique character, cherishing the special nature of its homes and gardens, supporting its school, arts organizations and parks, helping all its businesses to thrive, and cooperating with each other with the help of the SCA and NECN and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement to be a place everybody loves to live and visit. 


Treasurer


Positions at Large

Sabin History - Part I: Origins

SABIN HISTORY - PART I

by Bill Youngren

Sabin as a neighborhood came about in 1968 and evolved into one of the most economically and ethnically diverse areas in Portland. The neighborhood moniker arose from the area grade school, which was dubbed Sabin Elementary in 1920. F.L. Sabin was a school board member in the early 1920’s.  I have been unable to find out much about him.

Sabin has a rich but checkered history. At the end of the 19th  century a group of investors bought a large land claim from John Irving’s widow. Captain Irving was a steam boat captain that held a large land claim on the east side of Portland.  Captain Irving died in 1872 and  had moved to Victoria, BC years earlier to lay claim there. His widow returned to Portland and lived the rest of her life here. This group of Investors had familiar  names like Thompson, Failing and others. They developed the Irvington area first as it was already platted and cleared. Sales were slow at first, and lots were expensive for the time.  When the streetcars arrived at the turn of the 20th century, interest in the area finally blossomed but the areas above Fremont remained farmland and a horse racetrack into the teens and early 20’s. After a fire destroyed the Irvington dairy in 1912 at the corner of 15th and Fremont, Dixon Place was formed east of 14th ave and Lincoln Park was formed west of 14th.  Dixon was Mrs. Irving’s maiden name.  The homes in the Dixon Place development were similar to housing stock in the Irvington area, but Lincoln Park was not as exclusive  and the housing stock could vary greatly in size and quality.

The principal developments that comprise Sabin are Irvington East, Irvington West, North Irvington and Irvington Heights, Dixon Place and Alameda Park, Lincoln Park (roughly 7th to 14th, Fremont to Prescott), and the area north of Prescott, which was not a designated development.  

The Irvington, Dixon Place and Alameda Park parcels were covenant neighborhoods and had racial and economic restrictions which remained legal into the late 1960s and which were still sometimes, though less so, adhered to into the 1990’s.

The area north of Prescott had fewer restrictions.  Though a more diverse citizenry could reside in these areas, all were of European origin. These people were of Slavic, German or Jewish descent. In the convenant areas, the vast majority were of Northern European ancestry.  African Americans  and Asians would have been unwelcome in either area and did not arrive in the neighborhood until after the 1948 Vanport floods and the bulldozing of South Albina for the Memorial Coliseum project in the 1960’s.  They were allowed only in covertly designated areas that were above Fremont or west of 15th Ave.   Housing was priced higher in the all-white zones, and mortgages and insurance would not be granted to African Americans who tried to move out of the these designated or what are known as “redlined” zones.  Historians and social scientists have documented that these egregious and illegal practices occurred into the 1990’s.  A map of African American population concentrations and migrations concurs to this day with the redlined zones. 

Sabin, though, as a neighborhood can take pride in our present.  We are still a diverse neighborhood with a strong central school. We have an history of citizen activism which has helped us weather upturns and downturns and often rapid transformations. When Sabin was combined into a neighborhood in the late 1960’s the area the area had, for at least a decade, become more economically and ethnically diverse than any time in the history of the area.  Due to the aging of the original residents and the common and pernicious phenomenon called white flight  (Caucasian people selling and moving away as African American residents appeared),  the Sabin area began to suffer from city government neglect, financial disinvestment and blight as property values plummeted and poorer residents replaced middle class ones.  

Sabin’s boundaries were created to encompass parts of the wealthy and all-white areas of Alameda Park and East Irvington with the poorer parts of Lincoln Park and upper Dixon Place. They created a neighborhood with a school that could draw from diverse racial and economic backgrounds and thus be more fully integrated and stronger for it. Though in the last twenty years middle class and Caucasian residents have returned to this beautiful, historic and convenient neighborhood, we remain a diverse and vital neighborhood.

Next: History Part II: Housing Issues of the Last Two Decades

Your Sabin Front Yard

In his remarkably rich first book, Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education, Michael Pollan offers the image that the plurality of grass lawns planted by the tens of millions across America in the last century congealed into the singular and became one vast lawn stretching coast to coast, with the concrete hardscape of our highways the heavily travelled paths in the awful sameness of it all. Well, that was then, and this is now: look around the Sabin community of beautiful Portland, Oregon, and you will see a wonderful variety emerging out of that sameness, with some front yards full of flowering plants and others sporting vegetables, tall grasses, herbs, impressive stones, sculpture, street trees, and native shrubs. In Sabin, you see people using mulch to control weeds and save water. You see gardens attracting bees and butterflies. Some front gardens are fenced for pets and children while others have the open character of Oregon beaches. Some are blank slates. Some bespeak neglect, in other words: opportunity, adventure.

This essay is written for those Sabin homeowners who don’t yet know what they want to do with their front yards. Whereas in the dismal past folks just planted grass and mowed it, now your options seem limitless and bewildering. How do you figure out what to do?

Solarize Northeast -- Enroll by April 15

Solarize Northeast, a volunteer-driven, community-based volume purchasing project for solar electric panels organized by Portland's Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), expects to create over 20 new green jobs in the Portland area in the coming months. The project is designed to simplify the process of going solar as well as bring significant cost reductions through volume purchasing. Enrollment for the group purchase program is now open at http://solarize.necoalition.org and closes April 15.

The program is structured so that the price of solar panel installation goes down for everybody as more neighbors join the effort. Group purchasing creates a 25 to 35 percent savings below current prices, depending on how many sign up. This group discount, in addition to current available tax credits and cash incentives, gives Solarize Northeast participants a significant cost savings. These are the lowest prices ever seen in Portland for solar installations. Information is available at http://solarize.necoalition.org.

-- By David Sweet, SCA Land Use and Transportation chair and key Solarize NE organizer

The Sabin Housing Market Revival

Urban living continues to be a coveted lifestyle across the US and Europe, and Sabin is no exception. We remain a destination neighborhood because of affordability when compared with Irvington & Alameda, and yet still enjoy the same proximity to the city. Residents and potential home buyers are also attracted by our diversity, the walkability, and of course our outstanding elementary school rating. Adding to all of this, there is a continuous low supply of homes on the market here, creating a healthy supply and demand balance which has helped our property values weather the housing bust remarkably well. The Sabin neighborhood’s average home sale price in 2009 was $381k. Comparing that with an average sales price of $377k in 2008, and $419k in 2007, home owners here are well placed. (Note: The Sabin values above were defined by single family homes served by Sabin School.) -- by Suzanne Clark, Sabin resident and realtor

Do Fences Really Make Good Neighbors?

Ever wished you had another way of communicating with your neighbor about their unwanted pet traffic on your property besides glaring at each other from over the fence? Ever had a roommate, landlord or tenant that you just couldn’t communicate with in a civil manner? If you’ve ever wished for a better way to handle conflict situations, I’m here to help. Recently I attended a volunteer training for community mediation with Resolutions Northwest. It opened my eyes to a whole realm of possibility – solving conflicts by talking them out and learning how to communicate better in the process.

But you don’t have to be trained to enjoy the benefits of mediation. A group located in the nearby Hollywood district, called Resolutions Northwest (RNW), might be your answer to enjoying the benefits of mediation.

PDX: App City?

Been noticing something in your neighborhood deserving of the City’s attention, that pothole that still hasn’t been fixed or the streetlight that’s gone out? Well, if you are an iPhone user (or know someone who is), this just might be your lucky day. In an effort to increase the City of Portland’s interactions with its citizens, and hopefully expedite the City of Portland’s awareness and resolution of various issues, a new iPhone application has been developed. The City of Portland Citizen Reports can be downloaded for free by a quick trip to the “App Store” (also available for download from iTunes).

Using the new iPhone App, you can select the type of issue to report, take a photo (or upload one from your camera roll), and even give the City the location of the issue using your phone’s GPS or interactive map capabilities. You submit this information along with any comments you have and it is reported to the appropriate bureau for resolution. The application keeps a history of issues you have submitted so that you can check the status or resolution of the issue.

For more detailed instructions, visit the City’s website: http://www.portlandonline.com/bts/index.cfm?c=51917

I have not yet personally attempted to report an issue, but I hope those of you that do will use the comments section to let us know how it works!

Perhaps now we can truly say “there’s an app for everything!”

Mayor Adams Breaks Soil for Sabin Community Orchard

Saturday, February 13th, Mayor Adams, Commissioner Fritz and The Fruit Tree Project joined the Sabin community to plant fruit trees at Sabin's new Community Orchard. Supported by a grant from the city’s Neighborhood Small Grants Program, we planted pear, Asian pear, apple, persimmon, fig, plum and cherry trees in the stretch of land between NE 18^th and 19th. Sabin stewards will maintain and pick the fruit, in part to benefit local charitable organizations’ food pantries. Thank you to Jeff Strang, Rosemarie Cordello and Katy Kolker for your leadership that made this project such a success. Thank you to all of our community members who came out to participate in the event!