 I’m dedicating time to meet with District 4 constituents both virtually and in their own neighborhoods — to hear what’s on your mind and to provide information on a variety of issues. Please save these dates:
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Far Southwest Neighborhood Association: 7-8:30pm Tuesday, October 27th on Zoom.
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South Burlingame Neighborhood Association: 6:30-7:30pm Thursday, November 19th on Google Meet.
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Old Town Community Association: Noon-2pm Wednesday, December 2nd at District 4 Coalition Office, 434 NW Sixth Avenue #202
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Hayhurst Neighborhood Association: 7-8:30pm Monday, December 14th at Vermont Hills Church, 6053 SW 55th Avenue
 Last month City Council held a work session to discuss changes to the City’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan to support public health and reduce the risk of natural hazards at the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub.
These changes are in response to long-standing community and tribal concerns about the storage of fuel in natural hazard areas near the Willamette River and the related threats to human health, cultural heritage, and environmental quality. According to a 2022 risk assessment report, the CEI Hub contains 600+ fuel tanks of varying sizes “holding a combined active storage tank capacity of at least 350.6 million gallons” — many sitting on soils that will liquefy in the event of an earthquake.
 Last month SWTrails celebrated the opening of the Hillsdale to Lake Oswego (HI-LO) Trail, a dedicated connection between these communities. I attended the ceremony at Ida B. Wells High School with Congresswoman Salinas, Mayor Wilson, Councilor Zimmerman, Lake Oswego Councilor Ali Afghan, Senate President Rob Wagner, and dozens of happy walkers.
Along this 6.3-mile trail, you’ll encounter forests, restored wetlands, a waterfall, spectacular views, and some cafes and eateries. Shout-out to Debbie Small, who guided us on a 4-mile loop to Marshall Park!
For an interactive map visit HiLoTrail.org.
 Last week Sellwood Community House celebrated the reactivation of the historic Laurelhurst Studio!
Sellwood Community House invested private funds and in-kind support to restore the century-old studio, assume operations, and maintain the space for community use through a long-term lease with Portland Parks & Recreation. Its all-ages programming includes dance, fitness, and arts education.
Since 2019, Sellwood Community House has operated and rehabilitated the former Sellwood Community Center as an intergenerational hub. I introduced an ordinance to allow the City to sell them the building for $1, and my office invested $25,000 to sponsor summer activations and mentorship programs. Last year they partnered with the City to reactivate the Shack in Sellwood Park as a community-funded drop-in recreation site. I hope this entrepreneurial spirit can be used to activate other boarded-up facilities across the city!
 Last week my office sponsored The Street Trust’s Alice Awards, an annual benefit to celebrate champions for the future of transportation! I had fun in the photo booth with Ryan Hashagan of Better Block PDX, one of the community partners who recently worked with me on a safe route to school investment in South Portland.
This year’s honorees included Megan Ramey, whose years of advocacy have made active transportation safer and more accessible for families across Oregon. She’s also part of the Oregon Micromobility Network’s efforts to safely expand access to e-bikes and other low-carbon transportation options.
 Last month my staff went on a 19-mile “Policy Makers Ride” through Tigard, Tualatin, and Durham organized by the Oregon Trails Coalition.
We rode community trail segments including new sections of the Tigard Heritage Trail, Tualatin River Greenway, and Fanno Creek Trail while learning about major gaps in the network that still need to be addressed. Smart investments in active transportation and green infrastructure lead to lower emissions, less traffic congestion, safer routes to school, and more connected communities!
 This week Oregon Walks wrapped up their monthlong walking series, STEPtember, with the first-ever Portland Promenade!
The 11-mile route hit all four City Council districts — from Luuwit View Park in East Portland to Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown — with entertainers and speakers along the way. There was even a “walking town hall” offshoot with Sam Baraso talking about how the Portland Clean Energy Fund is benefiting an affordable housing complex in Hollywood.
Last year I championed the Sidewalk Improvement and Paving Program, which will bring more sidewalks to the parts of Portland that need them most: Southwest and East Portland.
 Last month my staff participated in AIDS Walk Northwest alongside Cascade AIDS Project Executive Director Kevin Bumatay, Governor Tina Kotek, and drag performer Poison Waters!
For more than 40 years, Cascade AIDS Project has brought our community together to fight stigma, honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS, and raise funds for services like housing, behavioral health, and gender-affirming care. While I was unable to attend this year’s walk, I’m proud to support an organization doing such important work in our community.
 Last month our office went on a walking tour with the Architectural Heritage Center of the Halprin Open Space Sequence, a famous series of modernist plazas designed in the 1960s as abstracted representations of the nearby Cascade Range and Columbia River. New York Times architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable dubbed it “one of the most important urban spaces since the Renaissance.”
The Architectural Heritage Center offers guided tours of historic neighborhoods from March through November; upcoming District 4 events will explore downtown, Lair Hill, and Skidmore-Old Town, Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. They also have a museum at 701 SE Grand Avenue; current exhibits highlight Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, historic preservation movement, and vintage stained glass.
 Last week I went to the Portland Fire’s season closer, where they overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Golden State Valkyries 82-90 in a thrilling overtime!
It was also Fan Appreciation Night — and it was great to see the community that has reignited after all these years between the team and their loyal fan base. An average of 14,000 people attend each home game — with a full house of 20,000 at some of them. As a season ticketholder, I’m proud to support the second coming of women’s basketball in Portland!
 Last week the City of Portland recognized Dolly Parton Day by mayoral proclamation. September 25 was 9/25, making it the perfect day to honor the singer/songwriter who gave the world “9 to 5.”
Nicole Onoscopi celebrated Parton at a pregavel ceremony in City Hall. We also heard about the local impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has distributed 300+ million free books to children since 1995.
Parton’s connections to Oregon run deep: In 1985 she played Portland with Kenny Rogers, engaging in some playful banter about the Trail Blazers: “Oh, you can’t score either?” In 1990 she donated $40,000 to Willamette University in Salem. And in 1972 she performed at Lane County Fairgrounds while feeling homesick yet received a warm reception anyway, as immortalized in the song “Eugene, Oregon.”
 ► “I believe we are at the beginning of the rebirth of Portland,” Top Chef finalist Brian Malarkey writes in Fortune about why he returned to his hometown to open the Pearl District restaurant The Malarkey. “Crime has dropped significantly in recent years and continues to fall…. Residents’ positive impression of their downtown surged 19 points in two years…. RAJ Sports brought the WNBA back to town, [and] the Fire saw the largest debut crowd in league history…. Portland has heart. It has creativity, weirdness, grit, and an enormous amount of pride. People want great restaurants, vibrant neighborhoods and an active downtown, and they want to support people willing to take a chance on their city.”
► Willamette Week reports promising numbers on downtown’s recovery! Monthly visitors and office workers hit 3 million people for the first time since 2019, marking 5 consecutive years of growth. Summer hotel stays increased for the fourth consecutive year. Community events and festivals consistently drive foot traffic. As Mayor Wilson says: “There remains work to be done, but this sustained positive momentum shows that we’ve made major progress together…. The pulse of the central city is beating stronger every day.”
► As downtown is evolving, so is Waterfront Park! Three finalists — two from New York, one from London — have advanced in an open international design competition to reimagine one of Portland’s most recognizable public spaces. These teams are developing concept designs for the entire 30-acre park, with special emphasis on the bowl area, and the winner will be announced next spring. “We’re a river city, but it really doesn’t feel that way downtown,” Interim Parks Director Art Pearce told KOIN-TV. “They want places to bring picnics with their family. They want a world-class playground. They want more opportunities for informal music and events to happen.”
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