by Kim Lomax

How fun it would be to have a series of Sabin block parties this summer!  What a great way to get to know our immediate neighbors better and meet those living a block or two away.  While the weather is chilly and damp, now is the time to start organizing.  Information is available on the City of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement's website.  Some things to note:

You and your neighbors can opt to have the party in a neighbor's yard, close down the street for the party, or reserve space in a park.  
 
If you would like to close the street for the block party, you need to poll your neighbors, fill out an application, and get a party permit, as well as follow the City's instructions for safely redirecting traffic away from your street.  The instructions from the City state that any neighbor affected by the street closure (which is any resident whose property or driveway abut the section of the street you want to close) needs to agree to close the street for the block party.  If your street is on a bus route, you're out of luck.

Park permits are free on the first Tuesday in August (this year, that's Tuesday, August 7th) for a block party that coincides with the National Night Out. 

If you and your neighbors want to have amplified music (live or a boom box), you're required to get a noise permit for $58, or hold your block party on the National Night Out (Tuesday, August 7th) when the permit fee is waived.

The process is pretty straightforward, but getting buy-in on a date from other residents on your street could take some time.  Once you and your neighbors have selected a date, we can post the event here on Sabin website and in the neighborhood association newsletter.  Happy planning!
 

In the future, Sabin residents can look forward to taking a self-guided front garden tour using information posted on the Garden Tour tab of this website.  We'll provide a map, photos and other information to make your tour of your neighborhood delightful.  The tour will feature a variety of Sabin front yards, with a special focus on bee-friendly gardens.  

Did you know that bees pollinate crops as diverse as blueberries, pumpkins and onions?  They're also essential for pollinating alfalfa and other crops that farm animals eat.  Creating a bee-friendly garden is easy and fun for the whole family.  Simple steps you can take in your own yard: provide a range of flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season, avoid using pesticides and create nest sites for native bees.

We're also considering organizing a bee-friendly event in the summer or fall of 2012.  Bee fans, let us know if you have ideas or would like to get involved. Whether your front garden is particularly bee-friendly or not, we hope you'll participate in the tour. You can put your front garden on the tour for the enjoyment of your neighbors, or you can help to plan the tour. To participate, please contact Diane Benson at [email protected] or Barb Conable at [email protected].