Hi Sunnyside! Winter is almost over, the flowers are starting to bloom and, if you are like my father-in-law, it’s time to get out into your gardens to start planting those peas! The change in weather also means it’s time to start planning some summer fun around the neighborhood. There are a couple of great opportunities to help beautify our little neighborhood in the coming months. In May, the pedestrian plaza at 37th and Hawthorne will open and we are going to need help making it a beautiful place to hang out, including street painting, set up, and working on programming. We are also, belatedly, going to repaint the Piazza at 32nd & Yamhill, probably in June. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to me at [email protected].
Please join us on Wednesday, March 12th for a special meeting of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. For the first time, we will have all three of our district councillors with us to talk about the budget process and their priorities for the new city council. There will be plenty of time to answer neighbors’ questions and interact with our elected representatives. Join us at 7 p.m. at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main St) or online!
I’d like to extend a couple of welcomes to new participants in our community. First, welcome to Dennis Behrens as our newest Board member and treasurer. Dennis recently moved back to Portland after years in northern California, where he worked in finance for numerous organizations – private, public and nonprofit. We’re excited to have Dennis’ experience as we revamp our processes into a more sustainable form. Second, welcome to Ritual Beauty Collective as a new newsletter sponsor. Thank you RBC for supporting your local neighborhood! If you are interested in promoting your business or event to all of Sunnyside through a tax-deductible newsletter sponsorship, please contact me!
Finally, the SNA will be holding its annual Board elections at our May General meeting. It is a wonderful way to get involved, meet new neighbors and make a difference where you live and/or work. I can testify as to how enriched I have felt from my involvement with the SNA and I hope to remain involved for years to come.
That’s it for now. Hopefully we will see you on March 12th for our discussion with Councillors Koyama Lane, Morillo and Novick.