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EPNO selects grant recipients
The East Portland Neighborhood Office has announced the grant recipients for the fall 2006 cycle of the Neighborhood Small Grants. These grants are intended to expand the capacity of the neighborhood system, to establish partnerships among neighborhood associations and other community-based organizations, and to provide opportunities for under-represented communities to become engaged in the neighborhood system. A total of $19,594 was awarded to nine recipients.
The following proposals have been selected for funding:
Renter Neighborhood Involvement Outreach. Argay Neighborhood Association was awarded $3,500 to provide positive interaction between renters and homeowners in the area and to invite participation of local businesses and churches.
East Portland Neighborhood Trees. Friends of Trees was awarded $3,500 to support the planting of trees in targeted neighborhoods with the lowest canopy cover and the most need.
Neighborhood Signage. Russell Neighborhood Association was awarded $1,200 to provide signage for neighborhood activities and signs at the school and park with school and park rules in multiple languages.
Strengthening the Business Connection. East Portland Neighbors was awarded $2,000 to expand the size and distribution of the East Portland Neighborhood News and accommodate feature articles about the local business associations.
Natural Environment Outreach Partnership for English Second Language Residents. Jane’s Park Group was awarded $2,200 to develop a virtual Web tour of Midland Park with environmental information. This Web-based display will be translated into other languages.
English as a Learned Language, or ELL, Adult Outreach. Russell Academy was awarded $2,750 to support contacts and activities for Russian- and Spanish-speaking parents at Russell Academy. Neighborhood association information will be provided along with school information at these activities.
Outdoor Holiday Display Contest. Wilkes Community Group was awarded $1,250 to support a winter holiday display contest in Wilkes. The invitation to participate will include information about Wilkes Community Group.
The East Portland Neighborhood Office will be accepting additional applications for Neighborhood Small Grants between Jan. 2 and Feb. 5, 2007. A total of $14,400 will be available for this second cycle of the grants.
Application packets will be available by Dec. 15 on the Web at www.epno.org or by contacting EPNO at 503-823-4550.
Ride Airport MAX to holiday flights
Start your December holiday flight right by riding TriMet’s Airport MAX red line to Portland International Airport (PDX). The December holidays are typically the red line’s second busiest time of year after Thanksgiving.
The red line is convenient, taking less than 40 minutes from downtown and stopping at the terminal near baggage claim. Red line trains run every 15 minutes, every day, between Beaverton Transit Center and PDX, from 5 a.m. until 11:57 p.m. On Sundays the last train leaves PDX at 11:37 p.m. You can ride the red line directly to PDX or transfer from Blue or Yellow line trains. It costs $2.
Remember to head to the airport early to get through security and catch your plane. The typical recommendation is to arrive two hours prior to your scheduled departure.
For trip planning assistance, visit trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Nature in Neighborhoods grants offered
The Metro Council has opened its second round of Nature in Neighborhoods grants for nature-friendly community projects. Pre-applications, due Jan. 18, 2007, are available for nearly $370,000 in funding for work focusing on restoration, conservation education and other innovative ways to encourage residents to protect the nature of our region.
The grant program is part of Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods initiative, the Metro Council’s commitment to protecting fish and wildlife habitat in the region.
Citizen groups, businesses, nonprofit organizations, school groups, neighborhoods, government agencies and service groups are eligible to apply. Projects must be located within the Metro jurisdictional boundary.
“This grant program has proved to be very successful and is making a significant difference on the ground,” said Metro Councilor Rod Park. “Projects such as SOLV’s work on Osborne and Beaver Creeks in the eastern part of the region, where stream corridors have been restored, are having positive effects on the environment and the people and animals that use it,” he added
In its first round of grants, announced in May, the Metro Council awarded $560,000 to 28 local organizations for 32 projects throughout the region. More than 80 applications were received for projects focusing on conservation or those that would restore, enhance or create wildlife habitat. Projects chosen for funding linked participants and citizens to their watershed through education and active restoration and focused on neighborhood- and larger-scale, multi-partner education and active restoration projects.
“We’ve already had interest in the next round of funding from more than 75 groups, showing that this program has been successful in reaching a wide range of individuals for projects throughout the region,” Park said. “Because some grants required matching funds, the original $560,000 in grants from Metro leveraged $3.1 million in funding, meaning that the total $1 million that Metro will fund could leverage as much as $5.5 million.”
Two categories of grant packages are awarded. The category Building Community — Your Neighborhood, Your Watershed, is for grants in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 that can show a one-to-one match in either financial or in-kind contributions from other organizations. These grants will fund community-level projects that link participants and citizens to their watershed through education and active restoration, including removal of invasive plant species, site restoration, cleanup of existing illegal dump sites and planting to enhance watersheds.
Grants of more than $25,000 will be awarded to projects in the category Creeks to Rivers Regional Challenge that can show a one-to-two match in either financial or in-kind contributions from other organizations. Projects in this category should engage residents and participants in watershed protection, education and active restoration. Funding is targeted for projects that improve and sustain existing restoration sites while expanding these areas, or on projects that can become anchor sites for future restoration efforts.
Funding for the grant program was provided by Metro excise taxes collected on solid waste disposal during the last several years.
Grant applications can be found on the Metro Web site at www.metro-region.org/nature or by contacting Janelle Geddes at 503-797-1550 or through e-mail at geddesj@metro.dst.or.us.
Applicants best meeting the grant criteria will be invited to submit a final application that will be due in mid-April. Grants will be announced in May.
TriMet free on New Year’s Eve
Beginning at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, all rides on TriMet’s MAX and buses will be free. TriMet will provide extra service on MAX blue and yellow light rail lines, which will run more often and later into the night. Buses will run on regular Sunday schedules.
The blue and yellow lines will feature 15-minute service until 1 a.m., 30-minute service between 1 and 2 a.m., and final westbound and eastbound blue line trains and a yellow line train will leave Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland about 3 a.m.
Airport MAX red line will run on Sunday schedules every 15 minutes, with the last train to the airport leaving downtown Portland about 10:40 p.m. The last MAX leaves the airport at 11:37 p.m.
On New Year’s Day all MAX lines and buses will run on Sunday schedules. Regular fares apply.
For complete schedules and trip planning, visit trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
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