November 2020 (Link Is External)
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THE NOVEMBER 11929 2 5 1925 MIM ILLWAL WWAA UKIEUKIEH HIGHHIIGGGH SCHOOL FEBRUARY 2017 THE MILWAUKIE HIGH SCHOOL CITYCITY COUNCILCOUNCIL Mayor Mark Gamba Lisa Batey Angel Falconer Kathy Hyzy Wilda Parks Photo by Hamid Shibata Bennett New Mural Unveiled Featuring Significant Figures in Milwaukie's History Celebrating two momentous—yet often overlooked—pieces of Milwaukie’s history, the city’s newest mural at the intersection of SE 40th Avenue and Harvey Street, kitty-corner from Water Tower Park, highlights Ah Bing alongside Dorothy and Hurtis Hadley. Ah Bing was a foreman who worked in Seth Lewelling’s orchards, managing more than 30 workers. While working on the Lewelling farm, Ah Bing cultivated the Bing cherry. As the story goes, one day Seth Lewelling and Ah Bing walked through the rows of cherry trees where each man maintained separate seedlings. In Ah Bing’s row, Seth found that he had developed a new type of cherry. Someone suggested to Seth that he name the cherry after himself, however, Lewelling declined. He said he would name it after Bing because “it’s a big cherry and Bing’s big, and it’s in his row, so that shall be its name.” By all accounts, Ah Bing stood more than six feet tall. Unfortunately, most of Ah Bing’s history has been lost, but much of what is known was recorded by Florence Ledding. While working in Milwaukie, Bing’s wife and children remained in China. In 1889 or 1890, Bing returned to China to see his family, however, he was never able to return to the United States due to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Hurtis and Dorothy Hadley operated the Milwaukie Pastry Kitchen in downtown Milwaukie in the 1970s and early 80s. This was the first Black-owned bakery, not only in Milwaukie, but in the entire state. Hurtis was the first Black person to be accepted into Oregon’s three-year baker’s technology and apprenticeship program, and after graduating—a full year early—he became the first Black state-certified journeyman baker as well. Hurtis later went on to become the bakery manager and trainer for the Oregon division of Albertsons. The mural was commissioned by the Milwaukie Arts Committee and created by Jeremy Okai Davis using funds allocated to the committee by City Council as part of the committee's goal to increase public art. A small dedication ceremony was held last month to officially unveil the mural. For more information, visit www.milwaukieoregon.gov. Council Corner: The Last Comprehensive Plan Neighborhood News 2 Four Years 3 Implementation Project 6 & Updates CITY OF MILWAUKIE CITY OF MILWAUKIE The Last Four Years By the time this edition of The Pilot reaches your mailbox, thousands of Milwaukians will have already cast their votes. When I saw that I would be up in the rotation for this month’s Council Corner, I thoughtTHE it would be a perfect opportunity to simply say thank you and to reflect on where we’ve been. Serving on this City Council for the last four years has been one of my life’s great honors. I have learned so much working alongside all of you—the residents, business owners, volunteers, service providers, faith leaders and community organizers, staff, and, of course, the Mayor and my fellow City Councilors. And a special thank you to my fellow candidates. No matter how this election turns out, thank you for stepping up and answering the call to serve our community. Running for office takes a great deal of courage and serving on City Council is not a commitment to take lightly. Council President Over the last four years, I’ve been proud to work alongside some of the most dedicated and caring people I Angel Falconer know. This community is tackling big, challenging issues and, together, we’re making significant progress. Climate change. Together, we created Milwaukie’s first ever Climate Action Plan (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/sustainability/ climateaction), which sets us on a path toward a completely sustainable future for the next generation. In addition to dozens of other city-led actions, we’re sourcing 100% of the city’s operations from renewable energy and we built a beautiful new library that uses just a fraction of the energy as the old one. Housing affordability.From our award-winning Community Vision project (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/planning/vision) through the Comprehensive Plan update (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/planning/comprehensive-plan-update), we’re working together to address the rapidly rising cost of housing and have already created programs and policies that will increase housing choice and affordability to make Milwaukie livable for all our families (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/housingaffordability). Safe affordable transportation.In response to community demands for Safe Routes to School, we created the SAFE program (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/engineering/safe), which will connect our most vulnerable road users through a network of sidewalks, paths and ADA-compliant ramps. Dedicated funding for this new program allows us to expand the Street Surface Maintenance Program to repave even more of our streets in need of repair. Equity, inclusion and justice. I am proud to be part of a team on City Council that values working together and is committed to robust engagement. Together we are addressing the community’s greatest needs, including building a more equitable, just, and inclusive city. Listening to the community, we’ve updated our council goals and committed to immediate actions and long-term planning to begin the work of dismantling centuries of systemic oppression and exclusion (www. milwaukieoregon.gov/citycouncil/goals). Disaster preparedness. In response to the pandemic, staff and council worked creatively to help fill the gaps in federal resources and prioritized funding for small business relief and rent assistance to our community members hardest hit by COVID-19 (www.milwaukieoregon.gov/covid). In addition to the pandemic, we faced unprecedented wildfires. Under this council’s leadership, the city was prepared to face that challenge, and we worked alongside first responders, churches and other community groups to literally put out fires, and also care for evacuees with emergency shelter and services. No matter the outcome on Election Day, I will reflect on these last four years with gratitude for having had the privilege of serving this incredible community. Together, we’ve accomplished a lot (too much to detail here!) and I have every confidence we’ll continue progressing toward an even better future. The city is currently looking for volunteers to serve on the Audit Committee, Citizens Utility Advisory Board and the Kellogg Good Neighbor Committee. The city VOLUNTEERS is also searching for youth volunteers (14-18 years old) to join a variety of boards and committees. If you're interested in these unique volunteer opportunities, or NEEDED! volunteering in general, visit www.milwaukieoregon.gov/volunteering or www. milwaukieoregon.gov/bc. 2 NOVEMBER milwaukieoregon.gov CITY OF MILWAUKIE Comprehensive Plan Implementation: Housing Affordability and Choice Creating and supporting a variety of housing opportunities in Milwaukie’s neighborhoods has been a goal for City Council, as well as many community members. Both the Community Vision and Comprehensive Plan policies call for expanded housing opportunities throughout the city. Additionally, Oregon House Bill 2001 (HB 2001), passed by the state legislature in July 2019, requires the expansion of middle housing options in all residential areas. Based on these ongoing efforts, it’s time to begin realizing the priorities laid out in both the Community Vision and Comprehensive Plan through the Comprehensive Plan implementation project. The Comprehensive Plan implementation project is about creating choice. Today, people typically pick housing based on price and the needs of their household. There may not be many choices, however, as different types of housing are not available throughout the entire city. Sometimes, even if the right type of housing can be found, it may not have adequate access to schools, stores, parks or other important amenities that residents in different neighborhoods enjoy. Through this project, the city will look at how to increase the types of housing available in neighborhoods throughout Milwaukie to create as much choice as possible. In early 2020, the city conducted a survey about a variety of topics. When asked what the single most important issue for the city to address in the next year, residents named homelessness and affordable housing as the top priority. In fact, there was a 13-point increase from when the community was surveyed in 2017. Demographics are shifting. Household sizes are shrinking and changing in composition. Households also evolve as their members pass through different phases of life. Housing should be adaptable. For example, many older Americans would like to stay in their neighborhood as long as they can, yet they can only find one type of housing in their neighborhood, which may not meet their needs. Historically, neighborhoods throughout the United States were made up of many different types of housing mixed together. This meant both renters and owners from a variety of ages and family compositions were able to live near the services they needed. Based on the Community Vision, by 2040, this will be true in Milwaukie. This project looks at expanding housing options in Milwaukie and subsequently expanding what the definition is of housing can be for everyone. This is especially important during this unique moment in time when homes now serve as workplaces, schools, and places to care for families and friends. How can you get involved? Participate in these upcoming events and meetings: • Virtual open house - goes live on Nov. 12 at www.engage.milwaukieoregon.gov • Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee monthly meeting on Nov.