Author: Chris Waldmann

September 10, 2025 SNA General Meeting

Join the SNA tomorrow, Wednesday September 10th, at 7 PM for our first meeting of the fall! We will hear from Lutheran Family Services about dispute resolution and mediation services they can provide to help neighborhoods live together in community. We will also have time for open discussion, so if you have issues affecting Sunnyside you’d like the SNA to help out with, bring them and let us know!

Meeting will be held at SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main St., and online at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85776168096?pwd=dTU3V0wycWZxTmhSVGNjNjJxdjNldz09

The full agenda is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ovh1Ssobmbu9PMPcBszLxt-IOCAXIv4PZ7fofPF70Iw/view?tab=t.0#heading=h.7nze0dyg5b25

News from the President

Hi Friends. Thanks for taking the time to read the SNA newsletter, despite what I’m sure (using my magic predictive powers) is a beautiful July day! In the spirit of the long summer evenings with the kids out of school and perfect weather for picnicking in the park, I thought I’d use this space to share some free, fun summer events happening in and around the neighborhood. These are just a handful of all that is going on around town. Check out portland.gov/parks/arts-culture/summer-free-all/cultural-events for more events.

Lights! Camera! It’s Movie in the Park!

The Buckman Community Association will have a viewing of Galaxy Quest on July 17th at 7:30 p.m. at Colonel Summers Park. Truly one of the great sci-fi comedies of all time!

The SNA, in partnership with the Richmond and the Hosford-Abernathy NAs, will host an Oregon classic with The Goonies on August 16th at 7:30 p.m. in Sewallcrest Park.

Music to Fill the Night!

Get your dancing shoes on for an evening of salsa, cumbia, merengue and more with Sons de Cuba at the Mt. Tabor Amphitheater on July 10th at 6:30 p.m.

In the mood for roots and a bit of country to while away the dog days? Hear Rogue Moon perform the acoustic, folk and bluegrass sounds of the Pacific Northwest at Hoyt Arboretum Stevens Pavilion on August 28th at 6:30 p.m..

Theater and Comedy to Beat the Heat!

Last summer I stumbled upon the Original Practice Shakespeare Company. They bring the Bard’s words to new life in riotous performances that mix the original plays with a dose of comic improv that helps you understand everything that’s happening. The result is magical. They have three performances in Laurelhurst Park. On July 11th is Hamlet at 7 p.m. The next day, July 12th, they perform two additional plays — Twelfth Night at 2 p.m. and Love’s Labour’s Lost at 7 p.m. Find the full calendar at opsfest.org.

Kickstand Comedy is back for another hilarious season of stand up comedy in Laurelhurst Park. Shows start at 6:30 p.m. on Fridays all summer, except July 11th and 25th.

Street Fairs!

The beloved Portland tradition of closing our commercial corridors to traffic in the name of family fun returns with the Hawthorne Street Fair on August 24th from 12-5 p.m. and the Belmont Street Fair on September 13th from 12-5 p.m. The SNA will be at both, so come say Hi!

One more event to share with you and we will need YOUR help to make it happen! We’ll be repainting the Sunnyside Piazza at 33rd and Yamhill on August 16th. We’ll have more details on the event and how you can volunteer to make it a success coming soon, so keep an eye on the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association’s Facebook group (Sunnyside Neighborhood Association) and our Instagram feed
(@sunnysidepdxna), for ongoing updates!

That’s it for now. Get out there and enjoy the summer!

News from the President

Hi neighbors. Welcome to June! In May, the SNA wrapped up our General meeting season with the annual review and Board elections. I’d like to welcome two new Board members to the SNA team – Sophia Babb and Connor Lirot. Sophia and Connor are recent arrivals to our neighborhood; Sophia comes to Portland from Fort Collins, CO, and Connor via Dallas, TX. We’re excited they’re driven to be involved in their new community and the passion they bring to improving this already great neighborhood. Remember, even if you aren’t serving on the Board, the SNA depends on you, its members, to volunteer at events, work on our committees, participate in meetings and bring issues to light. Together, we can build an even better Sunnyside.

This past year, the Board focused on Portland’s new form of government, including learning how to cast ranked-choice ballots and getting to know the councilors we elected. We also helped usher in the new pedestrian plaza at 37th and Hawthorne, and continued to serve our unhoused neighbors through the Sunnyside Shower Project. We’ll build on these efforts even as we seek ways to engage the neighborhood in new endeavors, such as programming for the Hawthorne plaza, repainting the Sunnyside Piazza and helping you work with your neighbors, local businesses and your government when you need us. For the full Annual Review presentation, please visit tinyurl.com/yzdj49we.

The new Board will meet in June to get ourselves organized. Our next General meeting isn’t until September, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of opportunities to stay involved, including volunteering at our local street fairs, bringing your family out to movie night in Sewallcrest Park, and helping out with all of the upcoming street painting projects! So, we’ll be seeing you!

SNA Annual Meeting & Board Elections – THIS WEDNESDAY!

The SNA  will hold its annual meeting and elections for the board of directors this Wednesday, May 14th at 7 PM at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main St.). As our bylaws require voting by paper ballot, this will be an in-person only meeting.  We will be electing 4 board members during this election for 2 year terms. Nominees need not be present in order to run, but we hope you can join us.

This is a wonderful opportunity to serve  your neighborhood while meeting new people and having some fun too! If you would like to learn more, please reach out to me at [email protected]

Light refreshments will be provided and it should be a beautiful evening for a stroll over to SE Uplift. The meeting will last about an hour. Find a draft agenda at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1awIGjySpeicmy8KAm-uu4XDj_HYMFm45kiAX8h8kax0/view.