Several hard-hatted Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) members from Hayhurst, Maplewood, Multnomah and Ash Creek worked together to enact responses to a staged earthquake emergency on Saturday, May 30th. Along with the local NETs, community emergency team observers from Lane County, plus dozens of young Scouts joined the exercise. The local exercise, which was part of a citywide deployment exercise operated by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management and volunteers, took place on the grounds around Vermont Hills Me
The improvised “command post” volunteers received and responded to the make-believe emergency scenarios, sending out a search and rescue team of volunteers to assess, plan and respond to each emergency. Each of the scenarios involved “survivors” who sustained various levels of injury following the quake and aftershocks.
Stop by the Hayhurst NA table there to chat with neighbors and grab a snack as you walk or roll, plus you can sign up to volunteer for a morning or afternoon shift here.
by Becky Bard, SMART Reading Site Coordinator at Hayhurst Elementary School
On Thursday, March 12, SMART Reading celebrated a major milestone: the 5,000,000th book given away to a child in Oregon! The celebration took place at Hayhurst Elementary School. SMART Reading staff and Hayhurst Principal DC Re-Bloom organized the celebration.
Noteworthy presenters included Oregon’s First Lady Amy Kotek Wilson, who read the humorous picture book The Smart Cookie aloud, and Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong, Superintendent of Schools for Portland Public Schools, who helped hand out copies of the book to the kids.
Amy Kotek Wilson, First Lady of Oregon, reads to students at Hayhurst
An adult who is a former SMART student, Stephen Phan, shared his story, which was interesting and engaging for the kids. SMART’s Executive Director, Jessica Bowersox (a former Hayhurst SMART reader) led the event. Portland Public School Board members Christy Splitt (a Hayhurst neighbor) and Rashelle Chase-Miller also attended.
Hayhurst principal DC Re-Bloom with SMART coordinators Becky Bard and Suzi Haywood
Neighbors met on February 4, 2026 for the monthly update with the Raleigh Crest Construction Manager (AKS Engineering) and Holt Homes. This month they are completing the sewer pipe installation, followed by the stormwater pipe installation and then water. The City of Portland approved public works plan is now at 90 percent.
The fourth quarter 2025 wildlife camera footage was just completed and sent to the Bureau of Environmental Services. There will be another series of camera deployments after construction of the retaining wall on SW Shattuck Road. Neighbors requested an eDNA water sampling in Vermont Creek early this Spring, but that was denied by the developer due to safety and insurance concerns. The easements for Bureau of Environmental Services access cannot be recorded until all of the utilities are set in place.
There are no renderings for the home designs yet, and no price points have been established. The home pictured on the sign on the site is not what will be built on the site.
Beaverton Traffic Management Plan
Hemstreet Heights neighbors asked about the packet they received in early February from the City of Beaverton traffic engineer. It included a survey about installation of four speed cushions using markups of AKS Engineering drawings with responses due by February 11. AKS was not aware of the proposed plan or the preparation of the packet.
The information in the packet did not follow the Raleigh Crest Land Use decision, which required that Beaverton coordinate with neighbors according to Beaverton’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. The Program calls for meetings with the neighbors and a 21-day response timeline, not 14 as provided. Approval of the Traffic Management Plan is required before the Stage 2 plat is recorded, which will be several months out. Construction of the new Dover Terrace will be part of Stage 2.
Neighbors are following up with the City of Beaverton to schedule the required meetings. There are concerns about the location of the speed cushions, lack of bike lane striping on SW Dover St. for the Red Electric Trail, and other safety options that should be considered.
Red Electric Trail
Neighbors asked why the western trail access at SW Dover St. was moved from where it was initially proposed, which followed the long established walking path on the south side of the fence. The City of Portland said that installing the 12-foot wide trail there would impact the roots of the large trees along Dover St. so access was moved to the east. If the city should approve changing it back, it would require new permits which could likely cause a delay. AKS will install whatever the city requires.
The Hayhurst Neighborhood Association’s Parks & Watershed Committee is partnering with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, Westside Watershed Resource Center and West Multnomah Soil & Water District to host a free event on Saturday, February 28: Meet Your Neighbors – Love Our Creek.
This event runs during 9 am to 12 noon at the SW 55th Drive right-of-way above Vermont Creek between SW Idaho Street and SW Vermont Street.
This FREE event includes opportunities to:
Improve habitat and beautify the SW 55th right-of-way near Vermont Creek by removing English ivy. Tools and gloves will be provided!
See photos and learn about wildlife that live in and near Vermont Creek in our Hayhurst neighborhood, including beavers, minks, bobcats, deer, coyotes, river otters and fish (sculpin, redside shiner and western brook lamprey)
Learn about what you can do to support restoration and conservation efforts in your own yard and Vermont Creek
Talk to and gather info from local environmental and nature groups, and celebrate with crafts and refreshments
Make a meaningful and positive impact in the community and our local environment.
Everyone in the community is invited to participate!
Learn how to leverage Census data to support neighborhood initiatives, grant opportunities and other data-mining activities with three free online workshops led by Brian Berman, Data Dissemination Specialist with the Census Bureau. The informative and useful workshops are free and use the latest US Census data for our area and neighborhoods.
The Hayhurst and Hillsdale neighborhood associations are co-sponsoring the four-workshop series beginning on Wednesday, January 21, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and continuing the third Wednesday of the month through April.
Advance registration is required, click here to register. The free workshops are open to all neighborhoods.
The classes are somewhat focused on the data for the sponsoring neighborhoods, but the basic information and tools apply to any neighborhood.
Topics to be covered in each one-hour workshop are:
January 21 at 6:30 pm: Census Tools for Grant Writing and Fundraising Learn how to quickly create tables, graphs, and maps from census data from dozens of topics that can be pasted into grant and fundraising documents.
February 18 at 6:30 pm: Population and Migration Data Tools How to most easily find the most recent population estimates as of July 2024, along with four data sources to view migration data.
March 18 at 6:30 pm: Census Tools for Emergency Planning and Response Demonstrates how to access data on OnTheMap for Emergency Management, OnTheMap and maps on data.census.gov to help with response and planning.
These tools can be used not only for emergency planning, but to better understand commuting patterns and demographics.
April 15th: Census Business Builder A training showing small businesses how to leverage the Census Bureau’s first cloud-based data tool combining economic, business, demographic and consumer spending data from nine different censuses and surveys. Learn how to build 2-variable maps and comprehensive reports showing job/wage/revenue data by industry.
