Dear Neighbors, Friends, and District 4 Residents:
This week I was re-elected to represent District 4 on the City Council. I am humbled by the ongoing trust that voters have placed in me, and I am optimistic about what’s ahead for Portland.
This new form of government is just getting started, and I am committed to delivering more results while being mindful of affordability. This next budget cycle will be challenging, but I will continue to make sure that public safety and other core services remain intact.
Stay tuned for many other updates in the weeks ahead. Thank you to everyone who engaged in this election, whether as a voter, an activist, or a candidate. It’s been a privilege to serve as your Councilor and to meet so many amazing people throughout our district and the city. Onward!
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I continue to hear from hundreds of constituents who are deeply concerned about the potential closures of Portland Public Schools and the significant impact they would have on students, families, faculty, and neighborhoods.
In my last newsletter, I explained my opposition to this “rightsizing” process. Here are actions that have been taken since then:
- On October 30, I joined all of my Council colleagues in sending a letter urging PPS to pause and revise its timeline for final school closure decisions until an adequate analysis has been shared with the community. PPS must provide clear, data-driven explanations for their proposed closures and demonstrate how these decisions will improve educational outcomes for students. Families and community members deserve transparency, accountability, and meaningful opportunities to be heard before such consequential decisions are made.
- On November 2, at the request of Councilor Ryan, the City was expected to release an infrastructure index indicating which schools have received City investments, including streets and right-of-way improvements, enhancements to facilities, and any park upgrades. This is important to provide background information around the investments we have made toward our schools and should be considered in these critical conversations.
- On November 30, I will join my District 4 colleagues at a summit where the community will have the opportunity to discuss the economic impacts of school closures. Full details will be in my November 20 newsletter, but please save the evening. The event will take place at Jackson Middle School, 10625 SW 35th Avenue.
 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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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 Tuesday, January 12th at Vermont Hills Church, 6053 SW 55th Avenue
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Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association: 7-9pm Thursday, January 21st at Reed College, Eliot Hall, Room 416, 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard
 Last month I had the pleasure of attending the 31st annual NW Examiner Awards. It was a privilege to be surrounded by so many folks who care for our community, and I was especially excited to celebrate neighborhood leaders for their steadfast dedication to Portland.
Congratulations to this year’s award winners, and thank you to everyone who continues to make the City of Roses such a special place! Clockwise from top left: Karen Whitman (Lifetime Achievement), Todd Zarnitz (Neighborhood Champion), NW Examiner editor Allan Classen, and Jim Rice (Community Builder).
 Last week I joined Congresswoman Bonamici, Councilor Zimmerman, and downtown business leaders for the grand opening of UrbanWork Portland, a coworking space located above Kelly’s Olympian, the city’s oldest dive bar, operating since 1902!
The area surrounding the historic Bullier Building has faced numerous challenges since the COVID pandemic, but Kelly’s co-owner Ben Stutz says he and other investors put $750,000 into bringing it “back from the dead.” Thank you for believing in Portland!
 Last week I met with the Far Southwest Neighborhood Association, which is located on the edge of Multnomah County and home to Portland Community College’s Sylvania Campus.
I provided updates from my office and fielded questions about public safety, Portland Water Bureau surplus properties, and more. It was great to hear that neighbors are in communication with Portland Parks & Recreation to restore Sylvania Area Natural Park, which was damaged in a 2024 winter storm!
I am encouraging the Parks bureau to work with volunteers across our District 4. Volunteers make the world go round!
 Last week my Public Works Committee passed an important ordinance that would allow Portlanders to paint their own driveway clearances sooner. The goal is to improve visibility and street safety while reducing costs and wait times.
Under current code, the Portland Bureau of Transportation allows people to paint their driveway “throat” (pictured above), provided they use the appropriate color. But if they want a full “clearance” (pictured below), it can take up to 20 weeks because of staff capacity and rainy weather.
This ordinance, if passed by the full Council, would create a more affordable self-serve process. As our city increases in density, painted driveway clearances support a well-functioning transportation system.
I’m interested in helping our neighborhood associations publicize this and perhaps do entire blocks. Next stop: striping crosswalks!
To learn more please email PBOTParkingControl@portlandoregon.gov.
 As Portland’s representative on the League of Oregon Cities board, I was in Salem last month with Councilor Smith for the league’s 101st annual conference.
I spoke at a breakout session called “What Do Cities Prioritize When Facing a Financial Cliff?” Monmouth City Manager Rochelle Anderson moderated a robust conversation with Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark, Gold Hill City Manager Lily Morgan, and Baker City Manager Barry Murphy.
 Last month my office attended an open house celebrating the major rehabilitation of Rose Schnitzer Tower, a 235-unit affordable senior housing community at Southwest 12th Avenue and Clay Street in downtown Portland.
The $9 million project will preserve long-term affordability and federal rental assistance for low-income seniors for at least the next 20 years, while bringing important improvements to building systems, accessibility, safety, and resident comfort.
Robison Jewish Home, the longstanding steward of Rose Schnitzer Tower, helped lead this important rehabilitation. This building now will be preserved while strengthening its ability to provide safe, welcoming, and affordable homes for seniors.
 Last week I attended the annual gala for Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC), which provides education, workforce development, community violence prevention, and family health and wellness services to 3,000+ disadvantaged students, trainees, and families every year.
We heard from President and CEO Joe McFerrin as well as Kevin Arredondo and Za’niya Andrew-Thompson, who attend POIC’s alternative high school, Rosemary Anderson Prep. It was an inspiring evening celebrating nearly 60 years of nurturing future generations!
 Last week I joined Elizabeth Leach, Pearl District gallery owner, and Andrew Hoan, Portland Metro Chamber President and CEO, to celebrate the second printing of Cultural Corridor and Beyond: Portland’s Art Map!
Last year the Oregon Alliance of the National Museum of Women in the Arts distributed 30,000 copies across the city, and this year’s edition will be expanded to 70,000. The new map spotlights 73 venues — 14 more spaces than last year — demonstrating the vitality of the visual arts in Portland.
It was 40 years ago when Portland galleries coordinated openings on the first Thursday of every month. This became “First Thursday,” which has gone from art collectors and dealers to a vibrant street gallery with 150+ artists and 10,000+ attendees.
Save the date for the second annual Portland Arts Week from June 22-27, 2027, which will focus on the connections between art and food!
 Last month I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the annual gala for the Asian Health & Service Center. The evening’s theme was “Stronger Together Through Love and Kindness,” and since its founding in 1983, the center has exemplified this every day with its incredible service to the community.
I felt the love and kindness the first time I entered the building: seeing the beautiful cultural celebrations, the hum of activity, all the volunteers, the people being fed at the senior lunch program. It was a joy to see our elders feeling respected, loved, and seen.
Despite a challenging landscape — including threats to services coming from the federal level — founder Dr. Erik Szeto, CEO Holden Leung, and their teams are persevering. Congratulations on a successful community gathering!
 The City of Portland recently celebrated Filipino American History Month with lunch and a dance performance by two student organizations, PSU Kaibigan and Lewis & Clark Kapamilya. The event was organized by Filipino American City Employees (FACE), an Employee Resource Group.
The first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States dates back to 1587, when “Luzones Indios” landed at what is now Morro Bay, California. Today Filipino Americans are the nation’s second-largest Asian American group and an integral part of Portland’s vibrant community.
 Portland City Hall recently held a community program in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This is an annual opportunity to spread important messages of prevention; to recognize health disparities among underserved communities that are disproportionately affected; and to honor those lives lost to this disease, which is a leading cause of death in women around the world. Early detection through regular screenings, including mammograms, significantly increases survival rates, with early-stage breast cancer having a 99% survival rate.
 Darcelle XV Plaza was filled with the Halloween spirit for Wildwood: Follow the Crows Farewell Weekend!
For those who missed seeing any of these 30 crow sculptures, the entire “flock” was gathered in one place before getting auctioned off for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. I met artist Olivia Mount, whose “Emergence” crow was perched at Salmon Street Springs.
There also was a costume parade, with creative entries from folks of all ages. The crow and the orca pictured here took home well-deserved prizes!
Wildwood, based on the popular book series written by Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis, is now in theaters. They recently spoke with Outside (along with Laika production designer Nelson Lowry, who lives in Linnton) about how they drew inspiration from right here in District 4: the Wildwood Trail, the nation’s longest urban forest trail.
 ► The Davis Street Night Market is bringing foot traffic and cultural activation into Old Town — with $20,000 of support from my office — in response to security concerns from neighborhood businesses. The market just debuted on Halloween, with the second one scheduled for December 5th. The funding from my office will support 10 markets next year, covering security, sanitation, lighting, barricades, project delivery, and coordination. As my Communications Director Jimmy Radosta told The Oregonian, “A lit, staffed, occupied street on an evening when it would otherwise be dark and empty is itself a safety intervention.”
► Did you know that Southwest 31st, 32nd, and 35th avenues in Multnomah Village were named after the Hawaiian islands of Hilo, Oahu, and Maui until the 1930s? Or that Marco’s Café and Espresso Bar was once the location of a grocery store, a post office, a Masonic Lodge, and a dance hall? Those are just some of the fascinating facts that The Oregonian turned up in this neighborhood love letter. Great tips on where to shop and eat!
► The Southwest Hills are home to Piggott’s Castle, Portland’s “most distinctive home meant to look like a medieval castle,” the Architectural Heritage Center’s Norman Gholston told OPB. “It is the only home that convincingly looks like you might see it on a Scottish Moor.” You can also learn about rumors of ghostly moans, basement seances, and Prohibition-era liquor trafficking!
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