News briefs: July 31, 2010

The Gresham Outlook, Jul 30, 2010, Updated Jul 30, 2010

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Crime prevention events in Rockwood, Fairview, Corbett

Gresham, Fairview and Corbett will host National Night Out events from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, to promote police and community partnerships while taking a stand against crime and drugs.

Residents are encouraged to attend these events and learn about getting involved in the community through simple efforts such as joining a neighborhood watch and staying informed.

The Gresham event will be held in Rockwood’s Vance Park, 1300 S.E. 182nd Ave., and will feature free barbecue and ice cream, games and raffle drawings, live music and safety-oriented prizes such as bicycle helmets and flashlights. Representatives from service providers and organizations, such as the Gresham police and Rockwood Community Health Center, will be in attendance to provide information.

The Fairview event will be held in Fairview Community Park on Northeast Village Street. Special agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI will explain the role their organizations play in crime prevention, and the DEA will have a special demonstration. Children can also check out emergency vehicles on display.

In addition, there will be free food and beverages, a blood drive, a dunk tank and a watermelon-eating contest among local officials. Call 503-674-6202 for additional information.

The Corbett event will be at the Corbett School’s campus, 35800 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. Local businesses and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Rocky “Joe” Graziano are scheduled to attend, and there will be food and activities.

Weekend road closures planned

Several Multnomah County roads will close this weekend during community events.

• Northeast Marine Drive between 33rd and 223rd avenues will be closed Saturday and Sunday, July 31-Aug. 1, from 7:30 to 11 a.m. during two triathlon events. Through traffic should use alternate routes such as Sandy Boulevard. Access will be maintained for local residents and emergency vehicles.

• The Historic Columbia River Highway will be closed in downtown Troutdale between Buxton Avenue and Kibling Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, during the Troutdale Cruise-In. Detour signs will direct through traffic around the closure.

Metro expanding Marine Drive Trail

Metro has paved the way for an expansion of the Marine Drive Trail on four properties near the Portland and Gresham border.

Metro has secured rights to build more than 1,000 feet of trail — nearly the equivalent of one lap around a track — on an expanse of land flanking Northeast 185th Avenue. The investment is funded by the region’s voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure.

Metro’s four new trail easements will help close a one-mile gap, one of several in the paved pathway tracing Marine Drive and the Columbia River. Eventually, the Marine Drive Trail will stretch 20 miles from the St. Johns neighborhood in North Portland eastward to Troutdale.

Metro invests the region’s $227 million bond measure in 27 key areas across the region, including several trails. Closing gaps in pedestrian and cycling paths requires cooperation from numerous private landowners and public agencies.

In this case, Metro’s natural areas team negotiated agreements to extend the Marine Drive Trail onto four landowners’ properties. The city of Gresham will manage the easements on the three parcels east of 185th Avenue, with trail construction scheduled for three to six years if funding is secured as anticipated. The city of Portland expects to extend the trail on the western parcel within approximately two years. For more information, visit oregonmetro.gov/naturalareas.