August 2014
The Southwest Portland Post
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
Portland, OR 97206
Fax: (866) 727-5336
email: editor@multnomahpost.com
Trash, overgrowth and
camping rampant in
Multnomah Village park
This note is a follow up to our phone
conversation on June 24 concerning Tri-
angle Park. The concerns are as follows:
1. Extreme overgrowth of grass,
weeds, and bushes (especially the lau-
rel) and in particular noxious weeds
such as deadly Nightshade.
2. Dumping of trash and garbage on
a continuum.
3. People that sleep/live in the park
and defecate there.
4. Alcohol and drug paraphernalia
found on this property and the neigh-
Summer Reading Program
(Continued from Page 1)
grown tenfold since the Library Foun-
dation began supporting the program’s
expansion with private funds.
“Here at the (Hillsdale) library,” the
librarian continued, “we think that
reading is its own reward and incen-
tives add to the fun.”
This encourages both enthusiastic
and reluctant readers to enjoy reading
during the summer. One of the main
goals is to connect youth with their
public library.
“We want kids of all ages to enjoy the
game,” Head explained, “so you may
tailor the program to suit your child.”
Reading to babies and toddlers is a
big event; even they can win prizes such
as workbooks, puzzles, and coupons for
swimming.
All reading counts; players may count
the time someone reads to them. Time
requirements help make more than
one sitting if a child becomes restless.
Optional activities include attending
a library event, drawing a picture about
a book, or getting their first library card.
MAPLEWOOD NOTEBOOK
(Continued from Page 6)
exceed the original footprint and are out of
character with the surrounding area.
On larger lots, subdivisions are often
being permitted.
National Night Out: This year’s Na-
tional Night Out will a picnic held on
August 3 at April Hill Park between
5:00 and 7:30 p.m. Neighborhood
safety will be the primary topic ad-
dressed. For more information contact
Maplewood@swni.org.
Neighborhood History Project:
Anna Bell Neal has volunteered to
assume a detailed project. She will
update Maplewood history book writ-
ten in 1975. Anyone wanting to input
on the topic can email Anna Bell at
annabneal@yahoo.com.
There will be no meeting for the general
membership of the neighborhood asso-
ciation in August. The executive board,
however, will be meeting.
EDITORIAL/NEWS
boring apartment property, which also
has dead and dying trees.
5. Youth using the park for sex; used
condoms found.
In conclusion, this area is an embar-
rassment to Multnomah Village and
its neighbors. This is the worst I have
ever seen it.
We would hope that the city [of Port-
land] would clean up this area as they
are currently the owners of said park
and must be responsible for its upkeep.
We would hope that there would
be no use of pesticides as animals of
all types reside and travel through
the park, along with parents and their
small children on a daily basis.
However, something must be done to
ensure the safety of the community as
the area is an invitation to the criminal
element of society.
Thank you for your help and con-
cern.
Marsha Overton
Multnomah Village
Don Snedecor responds: Thank you
for your letter, Marsha, and your
willingness to speak out. Please stay
in touch and let us know of any new
developments.
For our readers’ information, the
property in question (referred to as
“Because of this,” Head said, “par-
ticipants must be present to select their
own prizes.”
Rewards include books, passes for
free activities, and food coupons for
local restaurants.
“There are lots and lots of events,”
Head exclaimed. “There is art with
recycled products, science teams study-
ing bugs or kiddy chemistry, and even
music.”
“The Ugandan Children’s Choir (on
the west coast for their world tour),”
Head announced, “will perform on
Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the
Hillsdale Library. All events are free.”
All players who finish the game en-
ter a grand prize drawing for a family
vacation for four to Great Wolf Lodge
Water Park.
“It’s not too late to still sign up,” Head
explained as she excused herself to a
tiny tots reading circle.
The 2014 program runs through
Aug. 31. For more information, visit
the library’s website: multcolib.org.
For more information on supporting
summer reading, contact information@
libraryfoundation.org.
Advertise in September
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Back to School...
Labor Day...
End of Summer
Mention this offer and save
25 percent off the open rate
of any color display ad,
1/8 page or larger.
Call Don at 503-244-6933
or Harry at 503-244-4442 today
to place your ad.
Deadline for space reservations is
August 20th. Artwork deadline
is August 25th.
The Southwest Portland Post • 3
John and Marianne Fitzgerald, along with Randy Bonella, take a break from work cleaning
up brush and blackberries at the Multnomah Village community park on July 12. More
help is needed. To volunteer, please contact Bonella at rmbonella@gmail.com.
(Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
Multnomah Village Park or Triangle
Park) is located along the south side
of Southwest Multnomah Boulevard
and the north side of Garden Home
Road with the center being at about
38th Avenue.
Diane Dulken, a spokesperson for
the Portland Bureau of Transportation,
spoke to The Post in late June. Dulken
said the property is right-of-way which
belongs to the bureau and that the
city would send an inspector out to
investigate.
Post reporter Erik Vidstrand went out
to the site at the same time and took
photos, but beyond overgrowth could
not find any evidence of the activities
you described in your letter.
Meanwhile, neighbor Randy Bonella
organized a volunteer cleanup and
work party of the site on July 12, as he
has periodically for a number of years.
According to Bonella, the city sent
two inspectors from different bureaus
to investigate your claims. “No evi-
dence of homeless camps observed and
very little litter. Nothing like what was
reported to the city,” said Bonella.
Bonella said the property was se-
verely overgrown. “I’m sure it had
rodent issues, though we didn’t see any.
Most of those weeds have now been cut
down. I am working on paperwork that
will get the city to come out and spray a
pre-emergent herbicide to help control
the weeds.”
“Our clean-up went well,” Bonella
explained. “We got about three-fourths
of the property cleared of heavy weed
growth. Still need a couple more hours
out there with a weed mower will get
the rest.”
“We had four people show up so
with more [volunteers] we could have
gotten more done. We still have several
areas that need cutting back to open up
the pathways and get the blackberry
under control,” Bonella concluded.