Arbor Lodge Newsletter – July 2026

July 2026

Message from the Chair

There’s never been a better time to get involved and help make Arbor Lodge even better. I’m already planning for the fall. Every October is our annual membership meeting with elections for the board. I’ve enjoyed my time as Chair, but will be stepping down this October. Stepping down, not away. I plan to continue as an At-Large board member and bring you this newsletter every month. 

Please see the “For a Better Arbor Lodge” section below. I know from speaking with neighbors that there is a desire for more events and activities. All it takes is one person to put things in motion. Please consider volunteering. Even if you’re not on the board, you can still help us make magic happen for Arbor Lodge.

Thanks!

Kevin Micalizzi, Chair, Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association

Neighborhood Meeting

July Meeting

There is no meeting for July 2026. Our next meeting will be August 20, 2026.

May Meeting Summary

The June 18, 2026 ALNA meeting covered a city budget update from Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (including restored St. John’s fire service and preserved after-school programs), a shelter operations report at 90% occupancy, and neighborhood concerns about vacant properties on North Montana and near the North Lombard Transit Center. [See the minutes]

For a Better Arbor Lodge

Get Involved: Board Elections Are Coming in October

The Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association (ALNA) is one of Portland’s officially recognized neighborhood associations, an all-volunteer nonprofit that exists to promote Arbor Lodge’s livability by sharing information, encouraging communication, and organizing activities among neighbors. In practice, that means representing your interests to the city, hosting the general meetings where neighbors weigh in on what’s happening locally, and putting on the events that bring the neighborhood together. Membership is free and open to anyone who lives, works, or worships in Arbor Lodge.

You’ve probably run into ALNA’s work already: the annual tree giveaway, Jazz in Arbor Lodge Park, the neighborhood yard sale, park and shelter cleanups, tree walks, and this newsletter. All of it runs on volunteer time from neighbors who decided to show up.

That’s where the October elections come in. Every October, ALNA members elect a new Board of Directors at the October general meeting. Any member can be nominated ahead of time or from the floor that night, and any member present can vote, membership just requires living, working, or worshiping in Arbor Lodge. Board terms run one year, October to October, with no limit on how many terms someone can serve.

Board roles, per ALNA’s bylaws:

  • Chair — Sets the agenda, runs Board and membership meetings, and signs off on ALNA’s official business and correspondence.
  • Vice-Chair — Steps in for the Chair when needed and takes on additional duties by request.
  • Secretary — Keeps meeting minutes, tracks Board attendance, and posts records to the ALNA website.
  • Treasurer — Handles deposits and payments, keeps ALNA’s financial records, and manages required filings.
  • At-Large Board Members (up to eight) — Chair committees, lead events, recruit neighbors, and represent ALNA on City and regional committees.

If you’ve got a few hours a month and opinions about your neighborhood, this is how you put them to work. Come to the October meeting, ask a current Board member what the role actually involves, or reach out to board@arborldogepdx.org if you’re thinking about running.

Arbor Lodge Tree Team

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar:

  • Aug 2: Kelly Point Park Tree Walk (9am)

And the Sparrowhawk Natives Plant sale pick up is coming up and extra volunteers needed:

  • Oct 8: afternoon
  • Oct 9 & 10: all day

Want to share your love of trees?

The Tree Team meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7pm to talk about trees and tree policies, and to plan events like tree walks and bike rides. We would love to have you join us! We meet at  Arbor Beer Lodge, 6550 N. Interstate. Please check arborlodgetrees.org for more information.

Arbor Lodge Shelter

Shelter Updates

  • Combatting heat illness by seeking warm-weather donations (small fans, summer clothing, etc). 
  • We had a 4th of July BBQ, and it was great! 
  • We’re still partnering with TPI to get folks from shelter closures re-sheltered here at Arbor. 
  • Resource for mail? Our North Portland drop-in center is closing, and we’ve been referring folks downtown. However, we’re looking for a free mail service closer to the shelter. 
  • Community Advisory Committee met last month. We are collaborating with neighbors (always) to see how we can better support their needs. It sounds like fencing will be going up around the 7/11’s side of the building area to discourage folks from hanging out over there. 
  • Huge thanks to our neighbors for the donations in June! The cooling towels and water bottles are a huge help. 
  • Arbor’s meal support plan for the Thayer Motel Shelter has been amping up and going well! We continue to serve their community as well as ours.

Arbor Lodge Shelter Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Updates

Around the Neighborhood

Events

Remember, there are even more events on our North Portland Events Calendar.

[See the North Portland Events Calendar]

Highlighted Events

Other Neighborhood Calendars

Neighborhood Areas of Concern

As neighbors reach out to us we’ve been tracking parts of the neighborhood where there are persistent challenges. If you know of any areas not yet on the list, please click reply and let us know. We have brought this list to the attention of our city councilors and others who may be able to influence finding a resolution: 

  • N Colfax abandoned development property
  • Abandoned houses on N Maryland (see the KGW article)
  • Issues in parking lot behind 7-Eleven and Heavenly Donuts – PEMO involved
  • Drug issues at N. Portland Dental parking lot (N Lombard & N Fenwick)
  • Behind Fred Meyer (N Buffalo)
  • Transit center (N Interstate, N Lombard)
  • Next to Aarons (N Concord) – Neighbors calling Aaron’s corporate to report issues
  • N Boston-N Omaha Alleyway drug issues
  • Drug use at old barn lot, concrete wall by the Laundromat

Support ALNA

Money


The Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association is an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit. Donations are always welcome to help us continue our work for Arbor Lodge. Delivering neighborhood & park cleanups, the porta potty in Arbor Lodge park, and concerts like Jazz in Arbor Lodge Park.   https://arborlodgepdx.org/donations

Volunteer

Love keeping up with everything that’s going on around Arbor Lodge? We need someone to help us build the events list for the newsletter each month. Just reply and let us know if you’re interested. Thanks!

Share Your Ideas

If you have an idea for a future newsletter topic or neighborhood project, please let us know using the Arbor Lodge Ideas form. 

Resources

Thank you to everyone who has suggested resources. We’ve updated the pages on our site to give you access to even more.