Upcoming Meeting – Cesar Chavez and Rob Nosse

In the aftermath of Jeanie Diaz’s tragic death on Cesar Chavez, across from the library, a member of the board of the Mount Tabor NA drafted a letter to PBOT demanding action to extend a soon to be installed Rose Lane from it’s planned terminus at Cesar Chavez and Stark through Sunnyside all the way to Division or Powell. Rose Lanes are those red-painted lanes that permit only busses, bikes and cars that are turning right to use them. The new Rose Lane on Cesar Chavez is planned to run from I-84 down to Stark. The MTNA board member reached out to the SNA and Richmond NA boards seeking support so that we could all sign on and present a united front to the city planners. The SNA board, in August, voted to sign on to this letter, believing that the extension of the already planned Rose Lane further south could help calm speeding traffic, provide a much needed buffer for pedestrians and ultimately save lives for minimal cost. Unfortunately, the RNA board decided against supporting this measure, instead wanting to do further engagement with the community and explore any potential unintended consequences of the lanes. Without the support of all 3 of the neighborhoods, the MTNA board decided to withdraw the letter, allowing us the option to continue to send it to PBOT from Sunnyside alone. In light of this, the SNA board wants to hear from all of you. What do you think is appropriate action to take on Cesar Chavez to protect pedestrians, bikers, transit users and car travellers? As part of our September meeting, we will be having an open discussion, so bring your ideas. What improvements do you want to see? What are your ideas on the best ways to advocate for these changes?

In addition to this discussion, we will have a special guest, State Representative Rob Nosse, who will provide updates on public safety and other issues that the legislature tackled this past session.

We look forward to seeing you on September 14th at 7 pm at SE Uplift and online.

News from the Vice President

Hi neighbors!  I’m writing the column for Chris this month, as he is visiting family. As I write this in mid-August, we’re going through another mini-heat wave. I hope you all manage(d) to stay cool during this oppressively hot weather. And I hope you had a restful summer—maybe with some fun travel thrown in—and are ready to get back to school/work/community with renewed energy. 

At our August Board meeting, we discussed a letter to PBOT written by Rob Galanakis. Rob is a father of two on the board of the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association who bikes everywhere. Like many of us, Rob was horrified to learn of the senseless death of librarian Jeanie Diaz, caused by a drunk driver who struck her as she was waiting for a bus on Cesar Chavez Blvd. Jeanie’s death was the seventh traffic death in eight days, in the most deadly month for traffic in our city’s history. And it was totally avoidable. 

With four lanes of traffic, vehicles traveling at a high speed (despite a posted speed limit of 30 mph), and narrow sidewalks, this area of Cesar Chavez is extremely dangerous. It was just a matter of time before someone was hurt or killed. In his research, Galanakis learned that PBOT has already identified a stretch of Cesar Chavez (from I-84 to Stark) to receive a Rose Lane—a dedicated bus lane—in each direction. Rose Lanes not only reduce delays for bus routes, they keep cars and trucks from driving continuously on the outer two lanes of the road. (Cars and trucks can enter the Rose Lane only when turning right onto a neighborhood street.) In his letter to PBOT director Millicent Williams, Galanakis asks PBOT to immediately extend the Rose Lane south to Division or Powell. (Galanakis will also send copies to everyone on the City Council.) Rose Lanes are quick and cheap projects. “Rose Lanes require no hard infrastructure, and are some of the cheapest projects to implement, with a per-mile cost of about $200,000. It may be convenient to point to PBOT’s ongoing financial woes as a reason to do nothing, but such an attitude is the reason we have dual crises in budget and human safety in the first place. These sorts of low-cost, high-benefit projects are absolutely essential to pursue and prioritize,” he writes in the letter. The letter can be read in full on Sunnysideportland.org.  

After discussing the letter and knowing that there are additional safety measures PBOT should, and could take, the SNA Board decided to sign onto this letter. However, the week after our meeting the Richmond Neighborhood Association opted not to sign it and are taking time to do more research and get community input. The SNA (and the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association) believe it’s important that all the neighborhoods surrounding Cesar Chavez agree on one unified message. So, at our Sept. 14th General Meeting we hope to get your feedback on the specific traffic calming and safety measures PBOT should implement along Cesar Chavez.  

We have a lot planned for our Sept. 14th General Meeting. Continuing the theme of pedestrian safety and traffic calming, both State Rep. Rob Nosse and (hopefully) Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland will share their ideas (and listen to ours) on how we can advocate for, and get, safer streets — particularly along Cesar Chavez and other busy Portland arterial roads. Rep. Nosse will also give us an overall update on his work in the Legislature, touching on housing, homelessness, addiction treatment and behavioral health issues. Come and bring your input and ideas! 

The SNA will staff a table at the Belmont Street Fair. Stop by Saturday, September 9th and introduce yourself and consider getting involved in one of our many Sunnyside projects! 

Sunnyside Mennonite Montessori School Welcomes You

In 1978, Portland Mennonite Church dreamed of a way to serve the Sunnyside neighborhood in their effort to “bring peace to the city” (referencing a verse from Jeremiah) and thus Sunnyside Mennonite Montessori School (SMMS) was born. For 45 years, it has provided high-quality, half-day Montessori preschool for children ages 3-6. With the financial support of the church, SMMS is able to offer a sliding scale for tuition making the preschool experience affordable for all families. 

SMMS is a single-classroom school with approximately 20 students each year. Using the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori, teachers provide a safe, loving, nurturing environment, facilitating learning opportunities for the children to grow in their independence. Lead Teacher Denée Longan has close to 20 years of teaching experience and enjoys the challenge of meeting each child’s unique needs. Assistant Teacher Eric Zimmerman brings his passion for children’s theater to SMMS and is inspired by the creativity and energy in the classroom. Check out their website at smmspdx.com or email [email protected] to set up a tour in the coming weeks. They’d love to show you around and welcome your family into the SMMS community. 

Help Start A New Children’s Museum!

The Board of The FLIP Museum is looking for volunteers. FLIP is a 501(c)(3) that seeks to open one or more multicultural children’s museum(s) in the Portland area. Its Board formed to give local children a place to learn through play, with a special emphasis on accessibility, inclusivity, and fostering connections between children and their caregivers. FLIP seeks to create a place where children of all backgrounds, abilities, and identities can learn and connect with their communities through play. FLIP is a young organization, but it has begun this project by creating a mobile exhibit (a play food cart) which it brings to community events in the Metro area, free of charge. FLIP intends to create more mobile exhibits in the future, and has just secured funding to hire its first Executive Director. To learn more about FLIP, check out its website: flipmuseum.org.

FLIP is currently looking for new members of its Board and Advisory Board, as well as volunteers who are interested in helping staff events. The time commitment is variable depending on how large of a role an individual wishes to take on, but FLIP is hoping to build a team of people willing to volunteer long-term. FLIP is particularly interested in people with backgrounds in fundraising, grant writing, event planning, early childhood education, marketing, or nonprofit development. If you are interested in helping bring a new children’s museum to Portland, please email [email protected]. FLIP welcomes donations of any size. To donate, please visit flipmuseum.org and click on the Donate Now button.