Dear Neighbor,

I was elected president of the Shearer Hills/Ridgeview Neighborhood Association last Thursday. I am hoping to pick up the good work where Jeph Duarte left off. He has done a great job shepherding us through some tough times. I look forward to working with him and many other excellent folks on our executive committee. 

There are many things we can do to improve quality of life in our neighborhood. The simplest is to stay involved—come to meetings, make sure your government representatives understand your priorities. Make sure that SHRNA understands your concerns. 

Our Association is all voluntary. We have no homeowners rules or mandatory fees like a “homeowners association.” But we do have considerable influence on policies that directly affect our neighborhood. Our advocacy has achieved the walking trail improvements, the new sidewalks down McCullough, and the lighting and trails alongside the Barbara Street flood canal. Without our collective pressure Barbara Street would merely be a big ditch. Without our influence the walking trail would not have a solid permanent surface and would not have lighting. It would not have a drinking fountain.

Our dues are minimal: $20/year. Because of the pandemic, we haven’t really collected much in the way of dues in quite some time. So, please pay your dues as a voting member immediately, and consider donating an extra amount if you are able. We use the entirety of this money on operating costs, neighborhood social gatherings, local charities and neighborhood improvements. The money enables us to continue to thrive.

Finally, the city has have some very important public meetings that I want to encourage us to show up for. There are several bond committee meetings that our presence could make a huge difference. I encourage any neighbors that live in the vicinity of Dellwood that have experienced flood problems to go to the Citizens to Be Heard meetings (#2 and #3) for the Drainage and Flood Committee Nov 10 and Dec 1. Get there early and sign up to speak. We need to ensure that the Barbara Flood Project is funded all the way up Dellwood Street.

Some neighbors have expressed interest in street repairs for our neighborhood. I encourage you to show up to those meetings, as well, to try to get bond money for repairs and improvements to streets and sidewalks in our area. At the Parks/Rec meetings we could advocate for a Portland Loo bathroom at the walking trail. A high quality bathroom would greatly improve our only neighborhood park. All the pertinent info about how/when to get to these meetings can be found in this linked PDF. 

Thank you and I look forward to working together,

Erik Sanden

Shearer Hills-Ridgeview Neighborhood Association

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