A bilingual community forum, scheduled for June 28, will be a part of the outreach for the East Metro Connections Plan, which is working on developing a strategy that supports the prosperity and livability of the eastern part of the region.

Did you know your city government is working to prioritize how it will spend its share of state and federal dollars over the next 20 years? This process is called the East Metro Connections Plan, and it will result in agreement on near- and long-term investments. In your neighborhood, these improvements should help you and your neighbors better meet your daily needs. Read on to find out how and how to get involved.

Neighbors in Northeast Portland are taking on an invasive weed that may be relatively new to the Portland metropolitan area but has wreaked havoc in California, other parts of the United States and France. The Metro Council, on May 19, awarded more than $572,000 in Nature in Neighborhoods grants to seven community projects in Multnomah County. One of the projects received a capital grant funded by the natural areas bond measure approved by voters in 2006. The six other projects will get restoration and enhancement grants that come out of Metro's general fund.

Envision standing underneath a magnificent old oak and looking down into the Willamette River to see salmon and trout making their way into the mouth of Johnson Creek. Now imagine watching an invasive weed new to the Portland metropolitan area clog ponds at the Blue Heron Wetlands and make its way to nearby waterways including Smith and Bybee lakes. Efforts to protect, restore, promote and celebrate nature throughout the Portland metropolitan region received a nearly $1.6 million boost from Metro on Thursday. The Metro Council awarded 17 Nature in Neighborhood grants to a variety of worthwhile projects.

One of my goals as a Metro Councilor is to do what I can to ensure that our aspirations for our cities and communities come to fruition. I believe that developing a community investment strategy will better help us reach those aspirations and make sure that our communities are great places to live. Furthermore, the east part of the Metro region needs more jobs; good jobs that can support a family. Identifying the most important public investment projects and strategies to implement those projects will take us one step closer to being more prosperous.  

Fisher has guided open space network efforts in the Twin Cities and St. Louis. He's been in the Portland region all week talking about strategies for linking trail and parks networks in both Oregon and southwest Washington. One key message - "The parks are not the system. The region is the system."

Advocates for the east side of the Portland metropolitan region agreed that economic vitality, livability, safety and environmental quality should be enhanced by the East Metro Connections Plan - a community investment strategy that will identify specific transportation, community and economic development projects in Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village and Multnomah County.

The Building Tomorrow’s Jobs forum held Feb. 1 featured many ways the Portland metropolitan region can better position itself to be an attractive and competitive job market. Tuesday’s speakers, experts in developing economically and ecologically sustainable employment, highlighted clear opportunities for local employers to improve their triple bottom line, as well as tips for cities and counties that want to attract and retain business. Bert Gregory, an expert in developing resource-efficient structures and communities, noted that communities with ambitious objectives are doing great work in the region. "Employers are looking to locate in areas that are hip, urban and green," he said. 

Metro Council President Tom Hughes talks about using Portland's natural assets as a tool to lure companies to the Portland region. He says he'll begin recruiting potential employers next month. Councilors Carlotta Collette, Shirley Craddick and Kathryn Harrington and Auditor Suzanne Flynn also take oath of office.