6 • The Southwest Portland Post
25th Avenue Restoration
(Continued from Page 1)
She found 85 neighborhood
volunteers and volunteers through
SOLVE to work during five work
parties, and together they put in 318
native plants in a 116 foot x 10 foot
cleared section of ground alongside
the trail.
“When I saw the diverse group
of people who use the trail become
involved with its restoration, an
Orthodox Jewish family planting
alongside Muslim teenagers, a
Reed College professor planting
alongside a 6-year-old living at
Stephens Creek Crossing, I realized
that we all had a common goal,”
said Wall.
“When the project is complete,
we will have a safe nature trail for
students living south of Capitol
Highway to walk to Robert Gray
Middle School and others to walk.
[It will be] a neighborhood asset
rather than a weed-choked trail
whose last 500 feet to Beaverton-
Hillsdale Highway is a steep ravine,
unsafe to walk,” said Wall.
Don Baack from Southwest Trails
has been Wall’s mentor and has
been trying for 11 years to get the
last 500 feet outfitted with stairs
and handrails so it will be safe to
walk for people of all ages.
Wall and her team have received
some funding through the “Safe
Routes to School” program, but
need more funding along with
permits from the city to finish the
northern section of the trail.
Southwest Portland lacks the
system of sidewalks that are present
in other sections of Portland so Wall
and others rely on trails such as this
one to get around the area.
Wall is retired so she has more
time than many for this project. The
project takes about 20-30 hours per
week especially when applying for
grants.
Wall spends time coordinating
volunteers, speaking with
contractors, fundraising, weeding,
watering, studying native plants,
storm water management, and
dealing with the politics involved
with managing and establishing
support for a community project.
The volunteers are recruited
NEWS
v i a S O LV E , t r a i l s i g n s , t h e
Mittleman Jewish Community
Center newsletter, Stephens’ Creek
Crossing housing and word of
mouth.
A 4 t h g r a d e c l a s s f ro m t h e
Portland Jewish Academy has
helped plant native strawberries
along the trail and learned about
the importance of native plants in
creating habitat for wildlife.
Wall is encouraging volunteers to
work hard, and also be aware that
they are part of something bigger
and are making a difference.
She said she tries to be sure that
the volunteers know why she is
asking them to perform a particular
task and hopes they come away with
some new knowledge about native
plants, storm water management
and creating wildlife habitat.
Wall is hopeful that when the
trail project is complete it will help
students living at Stephens’ Creek
Crossing housing, the south side
of Capitol Highway and others
who walk the area and others have
a safe way to walk to school, bus
stops and the dog park that will
also help them get some exercise
and relieve stress by getting them
out into nature.
The trail has a Western Red Cedar
on the northern stretch that Wall
hopes will be named a Portland
Heritage Tree. It is close to the
headwaters of Fanno Creek.
“This is a magical place that
needs to be restored and protected
into perpetuity,” said Wall.
Wall will be holding a raffle
to help raise money for this trail
project and educate people about
it. There will be three items: an
Audubon-approved sedum roofed
bird house, a growler carrier made
from sustainable semi-precious
wood and an Emergency Kit.
Each item is valued at about $75.
The tickets will be sold on July 23
at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market
and on July 30 at the Hillsdale Book
Sale at the Watershed Building.
Both events run from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. The raffle ticket proceeds
will benefit the Southwest 25th Ave
Right of Way Restoration Project
and the Hillsdale Neighborhood
Association.
June 2017
advisory members:
a person of color and a
business representative on
Barbur Boulevard.
“I have been walking
door-to-door on Barbur
recruiting,” Kehe said.
“We’re also going to be
at a variety of farmer ’s
markets and other venues
this summer conducting
Pedestrians walk along a section of Southwest Barbur additional outreach for the
Boulevard without sidewalks. The light rail project project.”
What wasn’t talked about
will be addressing gaps in safe pedestrian routes along
was a new transportation
the busy corridor. (Photo courtesy of Metro)
funding bill that is being
debated
in
Salem. The bill includes
SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR PLAN
potential funds for the light rail
(Continued from Page 5)
project. The legislature has yet to
approve the bill.
Naito Parkway.
Additionally, both TriMet and
Equitable housing and development
Metro must approve the route and
were also brought up. Some sites have
propose partial funding to the federal
already been identified for affordable
government.
housing near light rail stations.
“Two billion dollars are still
“The goal is to provide a corridor-
required to complete this project,”
wide strategy to generate a range of
Grumm said. “A measure could go
housing and job types for all people,”
to the voters by November 2018,”
said Ford.
Grumm said, “but the measure could
Eryn Kehe, the Metro
be problematic for voters outside of
communications specialist, provided
the corridor that includes Portland,
an update on the community advisory
Tigard, and Tualatin if it only helps
committee which has been meeting
fund that one project.”
monthly since January.
The next community advisory
“The committee toured the
committee meeting will be on Monday,
alignment area in April and learned
June 5 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at
about land use issues,” Kehe said.
the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW
Kehe asked the committee to support
Capitol Highway. The public is welcome.
the appointment of two additional
Legislative Town Hall
(Continued from Page 1)
amendment, provides that accessory
dwelling units and duplexes can’t be
prohibited in single-family zones.
According to Claire Coleman-
Evans, a leading opponent of
increased density, “This (bill)
encourages demolitions of
smaller, less expensive houses,
prohibits design review for livable
cities and will demolish historic
neighborhoods. It’s also an attack
on local control.”
Leslie Hammond, vice-chair of
the Multnomah Neighborhood
Association, said, “The bad news is
that Speaker Kotek is sponsoring it
and she can apply a lot of leverage to
get it passed out of the House and to
the Senate, so it is important to send
your thoughts to your senatorial
representatives as well.”
The three representatives listened
and mentioned that they were not
aware of the latest drafts of the bill.
The three were supportive of the
transportation bill that allocates
$2 million for Southwest Capitol
Highway improvements.
Questions continued on ways
to stabilize the state economy. “It
seems like we go through this
(lack of funding) every two years,”
Williamson said. “We are 50th in the
nation when it comes to taxes for
corporations.”
The legislature remains in session
until July.
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Excellent SW Portland references