East Portland ‘SOLV Day’ focuses on neighborhood streets

Take a look, and see the folks who spread out along main Powellhurst-Gilbert streets to spiff up their community …

Division Midway Alliance leaders Lori Boisen, Tammi Hawkins, and Lorelei Young, check to see where their volunteers are heading on Oregon SOLV Day.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
One of many events taking place in outer East Portland to celebrate Oregon SOLV Day on April 20 was held in the area served by the Division Midway Alliance (DMA) “Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative (NPI)” district.

“More than twenty volunteers came out today to help clean up the district,” said MDA Director Lori Boisen.

“The volunteers are out picking up trash, and removing graffiti from the district – working in six teams – from SE 117^th Avenue up to 148th, along SE Division Street.”

Connie Legers and Dawn Craig of the Mid-County Foot Patrol come out – as they do pretty much every week they say – to help with the special cleanup effort.

The effort is important, Boisen said, “Because having a clean district helps people here take pride in their neighborhood. When we take pride in it, others will follow.”

The cleanup was held in conjunction with SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter & Vandalism). “We are grateful to SOLV, and also to their local partner, Portland General Electric. We’re proud to be one of the 200 cleanups going on today, statewide.”

She mentioned that other outer East Portland NPI districts were also holding cleanups in the Jade District along SE 82^nd Avenue, and in the Historic Parkrose District.

After it was over, Boisen told East Portland News that volunteers had removed about 1,000 pounds of refuse from the district, and cleaned “innumerable graffiti sites” – several of which have not been retagged.

Franklin High School students Enen Chen, Rosemary Wong, and Singling Guan come east to help out with the SOLV/DMA Clean Up.

“We owe a huge thank-you to the Mid-County Foot Patrol for their commitment to the effort. And, the lunch was awesome – thanks to Papa Johns Pizza, Happy Garden, Grocery Outlet, Starbucks, UC Market, USA Market, and to 7-Eleven stores.

“DMA also owes a big ‘thanks’ to Firestone, Les Schwab, and Sears, for donating the use of their dumpsters. And, a big thank-you also to the Rossi Family, for donating the space for us all to meet,” Boisen concluded.

> On our front page: Franklin High student Jenny Duong cleans a telephone booth of graffiti on SE Division Street at 124^th Avenue.

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