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A late East Portland Christmas wish list Mid-County leaders reveal what they’d like to see in 2005

LEE PERLMAN
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

Well, by the time you’ve read this, we all have finished wishing each other a happy New Year - but exactly what is that? What would make 2005 a good year? The Mid-county Memo asked that question of a few of Mid-County’s community leaders. Here are their answers.

DUKE SHEPARD, chairman of the Opportunity Gateway Program Advisory Committee:
The redevelopment of the Gateway Transit Center well under way, and congressional approval of transportation funding for Northeast 102nd Avenue improvements.

RICHARD BIXBY, director, East Portland Neighborhood Office:
Full and active boards for all our neighborhoods.

WAYNE STOLL, president, Parkrose Business Association:
Oh, make tons of money. Seriously, peace and happiness for Parkrose and the city. Go forward and carry out the goals Gordon (Boorse, past president) set for us. We need a theme for Parkrose so that people will recognize this area, maybe an Italian theme. Maybe a landmark like the wrought iron arches that used to be in downtown Portland, but something unique. I don’t want another Sandy Boulevard Project; I want my term to be less contentious. I want to continue the involvement of people in Parkrose. At our Cruise-In celebration, people who weren’t even members participated. That’s what impresses me about the area - everyone’s pulling together.

ARLENE KIMURA, chairwoman, Hazelwood Neighborhood Association:
Oh that’s a hard one. I’d like to see better transportation infrastructure, and I’d like to see (the city pay) more attention to businesses that aren’t part of an urban renewal or study area, and aren’t national chains. This is a city of small businesses. We produce 30 percent of the city’s system development charges (for new development), but do we see 30 percent of the funds spent here? I don’t think so.

BONNY MCKNIGHT, chairwoman, Russell Neighborhood Association:
City Council would find a way to bring relevance back to neighborhood associations by giving them a role that would attract residents back. Right now the only people involved are those with personal agendas. We need to broaden the base. If you can give the focus back, the animosity would go away.

ED DAHM, president, Gateway Area Business Association:
If it was status quo, I’m following Fred Sanchez, who was a very dynamic person. If we further our relationships with the city and the community in general. If we strengthen our ties with the community. If we’re able to do more with schools and charities. If we can make the parade grow.

PETE SCHMIDT, chairman, Argay Neighborhood Association:
The first would be: If 900 people in this neighborhood would each plant a tree in their parking strip. Second: I don’t know what the crime rate is here, but if we could keep it under control. The third would be to stabilize school funding.

CAROL WILLIAMS, chairwoman, Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors:
Regarding the neighborhood, if the city was providing liability insurance for board members and directors and more money for outreach.

JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon representative for House District 47:
Essentially we must create stability for k-12 schools, which would be a huge gift to the state, so we don’t have the uncertainty facing children, parents and corporations, who won’t come to a state that has these kinds of problems. We need a rainy day fund - the absence of one puts us in perpetual crisis. We need to do better in government accountability and creating jobs - there’s nothing more important to a family than a good-paying job. We have to operate smarter, because resources are in short supply. We’re starting with a $1 billion deficit in our current budget, and we cut our last budget by 10 percent. We need to get rid of the vicious partisanship that has become a huge problem. Once the leadership starts running the Legislature for the sake of the majority, and ignores the minority, you lose the magic in the middle. We have to start having collective discussions and find that magic middle.

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