This harvest festival featured a safety theme – but see why it still proved to be good fun …

Dressed in costume for the season, Erica Ferguson and Kendra Martin make friends with McGruff, and learn how to “take a bite out of crime” at the Lents Harvest Safety Festival.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While this event, on October 28, featured food and children’s activities, the theme of the festival was “Building a Safer Community in Lents”.

See why these volunteers work so hard to help keep their neighborhood clean …

John and Judy Welch, coordinators for the Lents Neighborhood Clean Up take a break from helping the metal-recycling dumpster.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
For years, Lents residents John and Judy Welch have worked to make their neighborhood a better place in which to live. So, heading the neighborhood “clean up” on October 14 wasn’t anything new to them.

See how the hard work of neighborhood volunteers leveraged the city’s investment of $20,000 to make Portland’s newest city park worth at nearly $500,000 ‚Ķ

City and county dignitaries, parks bureau officials and neighbors gather as the ribbon dedicating Hazeltine Park is cut.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The project started as a “clean-up” of a vacant lot on SE Flavel Drive at Nehalem Street. The effort ended up producing a Portland’s newest city park.

“This is a special project,” explained Jeff Milkes, SE Services Manager for Portland Parks & Recreation, “because it was built as a coordinated effort between the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Association (BDNA) and Portland Parks and Recreation.”

See the tree-planting ceremony that signaled the opening of once-fenced land, as the former Hazelwood Water District wellfield is transformed into a lush, public park …

The Portland city commissioner in charge of the city’s Water Bureau, Randy Leonard, welcomes folks to a tree planting ceremony, at the opening of the Hazelwood Hydro Park.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Not long ago, the city block-sized parcel in the Hazelwood neighborhood was secured by a dingy, foreboding chain-link fence. Warning signs commanded that neighbors stay out.

Thanks to help from the Portland Water Bureau, the East Portland Neighborhood Office is now meets in the Hazelwood Water District building …

Now, these chairs and committee leaders of east Portland neighborhoods can meet in their own space.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
For years, the low concrete block building at 1017 NE 117th Avenue was used primarily for storage by the Portland Water Bureau.

“I was looking at some of the Portland Water Bureau properties last year,” Commissioner Randy Leonard tells us, “and thought this building might make a good location for EPNO.”

1,500 hot dogs later, another great Lents Founder’s Day celebration comes to a close. See our exclusive story, told in photographs ‚Ķ

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
One of the great things about Portland is all the different ways neighborhoods celebrate. The big party in Lents takes place in mid-August every year.

See for yourself what goes into making a great Lents Founder’s Day celebration:

Lents Softball Challenge

When the dust settled, at the August 19 Lents Softball Challenge, the final score was 16 points for the City Stickers vs. 20 points for the Lents Rebels (pictured here), after six innings of regulation play.

As promised, here are more photos of this great annual celebration than you’ll find anywhere else ‚Äì including a pix of Portland Police Bureau Chief Rosie Sizer’s ONLY visit to outer East Portland ‚Ķ

This chalk art welcomed neighbors to a Russell Neighborhood celebration on National Night Out.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
By all measures, the National Night Out for Safety was the best-attended outer East Portland event of its kind since its inception.

Participating groups held street parties, barbecues, parties-in-the-parks, and back yard gatherings.

Cop coverage gets stretched very thin in outer East Portland:
Read crime prevention tips … and learn how to get a booklet that will reduce your chances of being a crime victim …

Crime Prevention Coordinator Rosanne Lee gives valuable tips on home and vehicle safety to Russell Neighborhood Association members, co-chaired by Bonny McKnight.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
More than likely, you – or someone you know – has been a victim of crime.

What? You haven’t seen the OTHER parade in outer East Portland?  It isn’t too late! Plan now to enjoy the Lents Founder’s Day events on August 19-20 ‚Ķ

At a Sunday in Lents Park concert, Owen Lingley, is taking an invitation to Lents Founder’s Day from former Lents Neighborhood chair, Judy Welch, at Sunday Concert in Lents Park.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
August is the month for family fun in the Lents neighborhood! The Sunday “Concerts in Lents Park” lead up to the annual Founder’s Day celebration.

See why even Portland’s Mayor Tom Potter took time to be part of “A block party to end all block parties” ‚Ķ

The unofficial “Mayor of Montavilla”, Errol Carlson, is credited for being the spark plug who has turned up the excitement for this neighborhood event.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
This year marks the 100th year Montavilla has been incorporated as a part of Portland. As many as a thousand folks turned out for one of the largest ‚Äì and most lively ‚Äì block parties we’ve ever seen.

See how a church teamed up with community organizations to put on a fun fair for their neighbors …

The Flood family – Paul, Julie, Kelly, Katie and Timothy – say they came to the Pilgrim Community Festival in Lents because they only live a block away. They were busy making crafts.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
People looked like they were enjoying one of our nice June Saturdays at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church Third-annual Summer Festival.

“This year, we’re calling a Community Festival,” explains the church’s pastor, Jeanamarie Fiumefreddo. “We’ve added two sponsors: Rose Community Development and Active Living by Design, to help put on this festival.

See how groups are working together to turn renters into homeowners – and why …

Mary Taylor, Bank of America, teaches prospective homeowners how to arrange their finances so they’ll qualify for a loan.

Story and photo by David F. Ashton
One way to improve a neighborhood is to turn renters into homeowners, says Amie Diffenauer, of the Lents Homeownership Initiative in the Lents neighborhood.

To this end, the organization has developed a coalition of governmental and commercial interests to increase home ownership. Banks, mortgage companies, utilities, and a church are showing families how they can start putting their lodging budget into owning a home, instead of just paying rent.