State Sen. Christine Drazan to Speak at HNA Meeting April 1

[March 17, 2026]

The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 1, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. The agenda includes State Senator Christine Drazan (R-Canby) as well as an update on upcoming volunteer opportunities related to construction of Habitat for Humanity development Gooseberry Trails.

Senator Drazan serves in the Oregon State Senate and works on issues that affect communities across the state. She is Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce and General Government and also serves on the Senate Committee on Labor and Business, the Senate Committee on Human Services, and the Joint Committee on Information Management and Technology.

Senator Drazan will provide an update on the recently completed legislative session and speak on what the legislature can do to help Portland’s recovery, followed by a question-and-answer session.

HNA Updates

On the March Agenda

Former Multnomah County Commissioner and Hillsale resident Sharon Meieran presented her plan for "fixing" the county at the March meeting. A rooomful of attendees listened as she outlined the structural challenges impacting the county's effectiveness and her proposals to improve county systems—in particular the area of homeless services but also in overall operations.

Ida B. Wells Campus Rebuild

Members of the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association Board (HNA) continue to follow developments related to the Wells redesign. Key concerns include mitigating traffic and parking impacts on Hillsdale residents and businesses during construction, as well as long-term plans for community access to the athletic fields.

Association President Don Baack has been working with city transportation staff to develop expanded student drop-off sites during construction. These efforts aim to address likely increases in traffic congestion and ensure there are safe locations for cars to pull over and deliver students. Construction is expected to block the north entrance to the campus, causing significant disruption to neighborhood traffic patterns.

—Valeurie Friedman

[Disclosure: Your friendly newsletter editor also serves as secretary of the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association]

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