At the recent Wilkes Community Group open house held to answer questions about the city’s newly acquired future hybrid park — Wilkes Creek Headwaters Natural Area — angry neighbors vented frustrations to a panel of city representatives about stabilization work the city did on it in August.

At last month’s Wilkes Community Group open house, Steve Lynch, right, expresses his frustrations to a panel of Portland Parks & Recreation and Environmental Services bureau representatives about stabilization work at the 20-acre Roughton farmstead property the city acquired in February to someday build a hybrid park.

A news release from Portland Parks & Recreation about its acquisition of the 20-acre Roughton property in the Wilkes neighborhood. The property runs from I-84 on the north to Fremont on the south and between 152nd and 154th Avenues.

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) announced today the acquisition of a 20-acre property located in the northeast Portland neighborhoods of Argay and Wilkes. The site, known as the Wilkes Headwaters Property, is an invaluable addition to natural area  preservation and watershed protection, and will be managed by PP&R in the future as a hybrid park, one which features both a 4-acre developed neighborhood park and a 16-acre natural area.

Rivercrest Community Church, in the Wilkes neighborhood of outer east Portland, holds their 64th annual German Sausage Dinner tomorrow, Sat., Oct. 2 at the church, 3201 N.E. 148th Ave.

Dinner is served from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $10 for adults; youth, ages 6-12: $5; children 5 and under are free.
Tickets are available at the door, or call 503-254-4400.

Here is a link from the November 2007  Mid-county Memo front page story on the  on the annual sausage fest.

http://www.midcountymemo.com/nov07_rivercrest.html

A note from the Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s newsletter by Rebecca Geisen about the dock-less canoe launch at Northeast 165th and Airport Way in the Wilkes neighborhood of outer east Portland.

165th and Airport Way dockless canoe launch

On August 9, the Portland Water Bureau removed the boat launch at 16650 NE Airport Way due to safety concerns. The dock has been deteriorating over the years and despite regular maintenance, it is beyond repair. Regrettably, this also means that the Water Bureau’s signature event, Aquifer Adventure, will not have pirate guided canoe rides this year. The canoe dock, gazebo and signage has also fallen victim to heavy vandalism in recent months. The Portland Water Bureau is currently reviewing different options for the launch.

The Portland Water Bureau also owns and maintains a boat launch at 11198 NE Simpson. This little-known launch has also been subject to vandalism and is undergoing some repairs. If you see anything suspicious at or near either of these boat launches, please do not hesitate to call Portland Water Bureau security at 503-823-6084.

The Wilkes Community Group holds its general membership meeting Tuesday, March 2 in the Margaret Scott Elementary School Library, 14700 N.E. Sacramento St. at 7 p.m.

Agenda items include: presentations from Portland Parks & Recreation representatives about a potential bond measure addressing neighborhood park needs and from Ride Connection, the non-profit transportation service organization. Planning for the showing of movies in Wilkes Park on Saturday, July 24 and Friday, August 20 will also be discussed.

In outer east Portland, the Wilkes neighborhood is bordered  on the north by the Columbia River, on the east by the City limits, the south by Northeast Glisan St., and the eastern borders are 148th and 142th Avenues. For more information about the Wilkes Park Commnuity Group call Alice Blatt, 503-253-6247 or e-mail her at aliceb@pacifier.com.

The Wilkes Community Group meets tomorrow, from 7-9 p.m. in the Margaret Scott Elementary School library, 14700 N.E. Sacramento St.

Rod Park, Metro Councilor, District #1 is the guest speaker at tomorrow night’s meeting. You’re invited to join them and share ideas or suggestions. For information, contact Alice Blatt at 503-253-6247 or aliceb@pacifier.com.
Wilkes neighborhood boundaries are, roughly, from Northeast 148th Avenue to the City limits and from the Columbia River to Halsey St.

Links and a recap of feature articles from the online editon of the November 2009  Mid-county Memo follow:

Latest photos and full story about the transformation of the former Children’s Receiving Center into the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services in east Portland.

Latest photos and full story about how former elementary schools within Parkrose School District — Thompson School and Knott Elementary — are being used these days.

A story about developers, for all intents and purposes, killing a proposed amendment to control the way garages are built on smaller parcels

A recap of and links to feature articles and departments from the October 2009  Mid-county Memo follow:

Terry Robb, Parkrose High School grad and featured performer at the Parkrose Educational Foundation’s inaugural homecoming dance, is one of this month’s front page stories.
Terry Robb: page one, Terry Robb: page two, Terry Robb: page three, Terry Robb: page four and Terry Robb: page 5.

The MAX Green Line opening ceremonies share this month’s front page. The new line opened to fanfare, speeches, bands, free rides and vows to build more light rail farther south and north.

Argay Neighborhood Association chair Valerie Curry intends to resign.  Curry, who has served on the ANA board for six years and as chair for two — and has done yeoman’s work — told the Memo if a current Argay board member, or someone doesn’t get on the board, get up to speed and take over, November 2009 will be her last meeting as chair.

“We need a president and secretary, there’s no vp (vice-president), I go to too many meetings the city wants me to go to, I have to take meeting minutes, I have to do articles for that EPNO (East Portland Neighborhood Office) paper, answer phone calls; my interest is in crime and livability, that’s where my real interest lies,” Curry said.

Mel Sears, President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon, presented the Academy for Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Academy with a donation of $2,500 recently.

The gift was made possible through the collaboration of local firms and ACEC Oregon. Participating firms included Parametrix, CH2M HILL, David Evans and Associates, and Petersen Structural Engineers.
 
“We are a part of the community and pleased to financially and professionally support young adults interested in pursuing engineering as a career,” said Mel Sears, Parametrix Executive Vice President, and ACEC Oregon President.