Tag: PP&R

Community, Government

Montavilla’s Best Off-leash Option to Avoid Fines

Many urban dogs and their humans do not have enough space at home to run free outdoors. For those Portland residents, city parks serve that recreational need. However, with only six out of Portland Park & Recreation’s 30 designated dog off-leash areas located east of 82nd Avenue, some area residents have ignored the rules requiring dogs to remain leashed in parks without off-leash areas. A new enforcement policy could curb that behavior by fining parkgoers $50 to $150 for bringing their off-leash dogs onto Portland Park property not designated for dog off-leash activity.

Map of Portland showing various designated dog off-leash areas marked by blue pins.
Portland Maps Image with six PP&R dog off-leash areas east of 82nd Ave and Mt. Tabor Park

Portland Park & Recreation (PP&R) Park Rangers received authorization to issue citations for dogs off-leash outside of designated areas in 2013. However, a policy requiring written warnings before issuing a citation complicated the enforcement process. In 2024, the City Council approved updates to the city code for park rules, which, in part, allow the park’s safety staff to issue fines for observed violations without written warning. A person receiving a citation must pay the fine within 30 calendar days or appeal the citation within 10 business days.

A fenced dog off-leash area in a forested park featuring several sections with grassy mounds, surrounded by trees.

PP&R says Park Rangers will work to educate visitors and gain voluntary compliance when confronted with park rule violations. However, they have the authority to require a person to leave a park for a set amount of time, along with issuing citations to visitors who violate dog-off-leash or scoop laws. Park Rangers patrol over 280 park properties across the City at all hours and respond to calls from park visitors and staff regarding concerns. PP&R first offered dog off-leash areas (DOLA) in 1995 as a way to support dog owners while maintaining parks as safe places for all users. Leashed dogs are allowed in nearly all of Portland’s parks and natural areas. The new citation policy is likely to encourage more people to follow the rules for bringing dogs into the park. However, those who have let their dogs run unleashed outside of designated park areas may now need to adjust what parks they use.

Entrance to a fenced dog off-leash area at Mt. Tabor Park, surrounded by trees and concrete blocks.
SE 68th Avenue DOLA entrance

For most Montavilla residents, the best off-leash dog recreation option is Mt. Tabor Park, which features a massive area with multiple entrance gates and diverse topography. PP&R recently completed a refresh of the Mt. Tabor DOLA, enhancing access and addressing concerns about erosion. Park users will still find fenced-off areas in the off-leash section, erected by maintenance staff, to allow plants to establish on the sloped hillside. However, these areas will offer people and pets a wide range of leash-free play options without the fear of receiving a fine. A new DOLA entrance, located at the end of SE 68th Avenue, off SE Division Street, is well placed for people with dogs arriving from east of Mt. Tabor Park.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Community, Food and Drink

Free Lunch + Play Returns June 23

On Monday, June 23rd, Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 23rd to August 22nd, kids can visit 22 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.

Portland Public Schools close for summer on June 12th, and over half the city’s school-age children qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, making PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program a critical tool in keeping young people fed during the summer break. However, the free lunches are available to anyone meeting the age requirements, regardless of enrollment in a school district’s free lunch program. Adults bringing 10 or more youth to a location to receive free lunch should contact 503-729-0332 at least five business days in advance so parks staff can accommodate the group. USDA Federal guidelines require recipients to eat their meals on-site in the designated area, and youth are limited to one serving per day. Locations will have a No Thank You Table offering unwanted items from lunches that youth can take to supplement their meal during the designated lunch hours.

A swimming pool area featuring a clean, blue pool with lane markers, a slide, and surrounding grass and trees under a clear sky.

Montavilla Park at 8219 NE Glisan Street, Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street, and Lents Park at SE 92 Avenue and SE Steele Street will host Free Lunch + Play activities for Montavilla area residents. Meal times shift based on location, but Parks employees will organize games and other group activities throughout the four-hour sessions. The program staff observe the July 4th national holiday and will take the day off.

Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide all the meal packs that adhere to the USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from noon to 1:30 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window of 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.

Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program, offering more than 40 events for all ages, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, and concerts across the city. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, opening on June 20th. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to its fee-based swim lessons, open play swims, and water fitness. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction

Gateway Discovery Park’s Month-long Playground Closure

Gateway Discovery Park’s playground will remain closed for a month-long repair of the rubber play surface installed around park equipment and in other areas where children are more likely to fall. The May 12th to June 12th closure allows crews time to replace the DuraSAFE SofTILE product at the vendor’s expense.

A damaged playground surface showing cracks and uneven patches on the left side, and a colorful play area with worn-out sections and a few small round structures on the right side.
Playground surface condition before replacement. Courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland, Oregon.

This newer East Portland recreation area officially opened in August 2018 and features universally accessible play equipment and a modern rubberized surface that boasts a ten-year warranty. The product showed signs of failure within seven years and required replacement to restore its active use. Park staff understand this closure is a disruption for the community, which relies on its outdoor playspace, but they ask for patience as this work will deliver a restored park experience with little financial impact on Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) already constrained budget.

Workers installing new playground surfacing at Gateway Discovery Park, with a pile of DuraSAFE Softile materials and playground equipment in the background.
Playground surface tiles removed. Courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland, Oregon.

PP&R built Gateway Discovery Park on land first acquired by the City of Portland in 2008 when the Parks department and Prosper Portland, which was known as the Portland Development Commission at the time of acquisition, jointly secured three adjacent properties. Based on community input, the 4.2-acre parcel was split into a 3.03-acre park with the remaining space supporting The Nick Fish mixed-use, regulated affordable housing, and ground-floor storefront development. Harper’s Playgrounds assisted in the inclusive playground’s design process and contributed funding to the project.

Fence surrounding a closed playground at Gateway Discovery Park with signs indicating maintenance and upcoming improvements.
Playground closed for surfacing work at Gateway Discovery Park (Jacob Loeb)

Parks planners anticipate crews will complete work in June, with most of the summer remaining for kids to enjoy the refreshed playground surface. Crews have no other park changes planned for this project, and the construction fence will come down as soon as the work concludes.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Construction, Infrastructure

Improved Berrydale Park Takes Shape

Construction is well underway at Berrydale Park, where crews have installed the majority of new skatepark elements and made substantial progress on installing the park’s adjacent sidewalks. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) anticipates completion in Fall 2025.

Behind the construction fencing closing the park to visitors, people will now see the telltale shapes of purpose-built skateboard amenities, including a prominent clover bowl, mini-ramp, railings/rails, and other skills-building elements. Crews have created the outlines of three new play zones north of the skatepark. However, only the surrounding park benches are visible, as the selected play equipment will arrive later in the construction schedule.

Pedestrians will soon gain some new sidewalk sections on SE 89th Avenue and SE Taylor Street. However, the new sidewalk sections are not continuous and only surround the park at 9004 SE Taylor Street and the frontage of one private residence. Planners working on the project did not include connected sidewalks around the park’s block and across SE 89th Avenue from Berrydale Park as first planned because most property owners did not want to participate in a Local Improvement District (LID) that would have required those participants share in the construction costs. The expense to each participant would have been less than if each homeowner conducted the work individually, but the $24,000 share was more than some residents wanted to pay.

Graphic showing sidewalk addition. Courtesy PBOT

Without the larger LID, the City only improved a little over 200 feet SE 89th Avenue with a standard curb and sidewalk segment built on the east side. The west side received a small concrete lip to mitigate gravel spilling from the unpaved shoulder onto the asphalt. They also created asphalt driveway connectors or stubs over the gravel parking strip to minimize wear and further contain gravel spillage. The resulting street appears narrow and unfinished, with the new infrastructure stranded mid-block. However, as property in the area redevelops over the coming decades, those property owners will need to build sidewalks and complete the road along their frontage.

  • SE 89th Ave looking north
  • SE 89th Ave looking south
  • South sidewalk on SE Taylor St looking east
  • South sidewalk on SE Taylor St looking west

Crews will work to complete the new skatepark facility, new pathways, new lighting, and a new playground this spring and summer leading up to a grand opening. Until then, onlookers will continue to see the once-sleepy park grow, offering enticing amenities for parkgoers of all ages.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Entertainment, Government

Budget Cuts Could Impact Montavilla Community Center

On Tuesday, March 18th, Portland residents will have an opportunity to participate in a District 3 budget listening session and express their community funding priorities to City leaders. Portland is facing a substantial budget shortfall for its fiscal year starting July 1st, and cuts are needed across City operations to balance spending against revenue. Within $16 million of recommended reductions to Portland Parks & Recreation’s budget are possible solutions that would impact Montavilla residents, including the loss of summer programs and the potential closure of the Community Center at 8219 NE Glisan Street.

From 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the 18th, members of the Portland City Council, Mayor Wilson, and representatives from the Budget Office will gather on the University of Western States campus at 8100 NE Tillamook Street to gauge community priorities regarding proposed budget cuts. People can also attend online via the Zoom conferencing app or passively watch on the City’s YouTube channel. Participants attending from the campus or via Zoom can provide two minutes of testimony. In-person speakers will register upon arrival, starting at 5:30 p.m. City staff will post virtual testimony instructions on the City’s website by Sunday, March 16th. Residents who will not attend the event or do not want to speak can submit written comments online via the City’s budget page.

Proposed budget cuts could impact a wide-ranging assortment of city services people have grown accustomed to receiving. In the recently posted Vibrant Communities – Decision Packages v2 budget document, two possible reduction proposals could impact Montavilla Park. One recommended reduction would close a community center, eliminating all current programs and services. The document does not identify which center would close, but the Montavilla Community Center is one of three examples given.

“This package would close a neighborhood community center, eliminating all programs and services currently provided to the community through this facility. Staff reductions will accompany this center closure, and recreation programs, including educational preschool and afterschool programs will no longer be offered. Events, rentals, and other recreational programming will also be eliminated at this location. Examples include, St Johns Community Center, Montavilla Community Center and Peninsula Park Community Center.” – Vibrant Communities – Decision Packages v2

In addition to the possible closure of Montavilla’s Community Center, the document includes recommendations for eliminating youth summer camp programs at ten locations in summer 2026. These reductions would include programs at Montavilla Community Center and the East Portland Community Center at 740 SE 106th Avenue, which is the next nearest parks resource center for people in the neighborhood.

“This budget package would result in the elimination of the youth summer camp program, currently provided at ten locations through five regional community centers (Southwest CC; East Portland CC; Charles Jordan CC; Matt Dishman CC; Mt Scott CC) and five neighborhood/specialty centers (St Johns CC; Peninsula Park CC; Woodstock CC; Montavilla CC; Multnomah Arts Center). Summer
2024 provided camps to 6,949 registered participants.” – Vibrant Communities – Decision Packages v2

These possible Parks department reductions are just two examples of proposed cuts to the City’s budget. People should review the proposed budget for more examples ahead of the listening session. Residents should note that these plans can adjust with community input, and no action is inevitable outside the need to close the City’s funding gap. Montavilla Community Center will close from March 17th to March 22nd for annual building maintenance. This short closure is unrelated to the budget deficit but previews how a possible Montavilla Community Center closure would impact the neighborhood. Organizers have three other listening sessions scheduled throughout Portland, including District 1 on March 20th, District 4 on April 1st, and District 2 on April 3rd.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Event

Montavilla Heritage Tree Tour Nov 23rd

On November 23rd, Sam Wolf, the Portland Heritage Tree Program Manager with Portland Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forestry division, will host a free Heritage Tree tour in the Montavilla Neighborhood. The Saturday event will begin in the Berrydale Parking Area on SE 89th Avenue, and participants will travel several blocks to visit four Heritage Trees, with one tree nominated for consideration. Five passengers can ride in a provided van to each site, but event organizers encourage participants to drive, carpool, or bike between locations if possible.

The City Council formally recognizes Heritage Trees for their unique size, age, historical, or horticultural significance. Once designated, these trees receive a small plaque and are listed in the Heritage Tree database. The tour will cover important aspects of the Heritage Trees in Montavilla, including locating future Heritage Trees and nominating them.

Google Map with Heritage Tree Program notations

The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, November 23rd. Participants must register to attend and should plan to dress for potentially rainy and cold weather. Participants can preview the route or tour the trees independently using the linked map. This event is a unique opportunity to learn about the importance of Heritage Trees in East Portland and help bolster urban forestry through canopy preservation.

By

Jacob Loeb

Update: A previous version of this article had extraneous information included at the end of the article. Montavilla News regrets this publishing error.

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Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Berrydale Park Closed for Renovations

Recently, crews with Faison Construction fenced off Berrydale Park at 9004 SE Taylor Street for a nearly year-long renovation. On October 24th, workers disassembled old play equipment so heavy equipment could regrade the site’s ground to prepare it for a new playground design and the installation of a skatepark at the southeast corner of the 1956-era park. Work will continue through Summer 2025, when Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) intends to unveil the new facilities, bordered by enhanced sidewalks and illuminated by new lighting.

Crews taking apart slide in Berrydale Park’s playground

During 2021 and 2022, PP&R staff worked with the community to select Berrydale Park’s new design. Parks department leaders identified this park as an ideal location for expanding skateboard facilities and designated funds collected from System Development Charges (SDC) for the park’s upgrade. This money is not part of the city’s general fund or the park’s operating budget. Developers pay into the fund when building new structures to support the creation or enhancement of public resources. It is a way to ensure that increased density does not come at the detriment of existing neighborhood infrastructure. During planning, the proposed budget doubled, with the then Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio increasing allocated funds to $3.0 million from an original $1.5 million budget. This increased funding allowed for a significant playground update, with pathway and lighting enhancements throughout the park.

City staff used the proposed Berrydale Park project to investigate constructing adjacent sidewalks on SE Taylor Street and 89th Avenue. However, neighbor opposition to their required financial contribution to the project caused the city to focus sidewalk work on park frontages. In December 2022, the Portland City Council amended the SE 89th Ave and Taylor St Local Improvement District (LID) proposal, removing all but one private residence and significantly reducing the scope of infrastructure upgrades. The original LID included the construction of new curbs and sidewalks on both sides of SE 89th Avenue adjacent to Berrydale Park. The LID would have also added sidewalks on the south side of SE Taylor Street from 92nd Avenue to 89th Avenue.

The Berrydale Park Improvement Project’s progress can be followed at the PP&R website. Most construction activity will occur along SE 92nd Avenue, but work extends across most of the park. By next summer, the new park should reopen with modern and desirable amenities to meet community needs.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account for monthly support or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Event

Gateway Green Bike Park Fully Reopens

On Saturday, October 5th, invited speakers, project staff, and cycling enthusiast gathered at the Gateway Green Park to celebrate the full reopening of the outdoor recreation area for bikes. The southern portion of the hilly and wooded park situated between two freeways was closed for years as crews constructed a second track for the MAX Red Line expansion. The restoration of this Portland Parks & Recreation facility was one of the final steps in the light rail service enhancement project called A Better Red, and today’s ribbon cutting marked that milestone.

Linda Robinson and Ted Gilbert (center) with others cutting ribbon

In early April, construction crews began working on the southern portion of the off-road cycling and outdoor recreation area. The newly completed TriMet transit bridge and track placement required significant earth-moving work, creating the opportunity to completely rebuild this section of the park while adding a universally accessible entrance that should attract new park users. Now, people can cross a bridge adjacent to MAX tracks that take visitors to the park’s high point right from the Gateway Transit Center. While parkgoers could always use the Interstate-205 Multiuse Path to access the park’s center and north entrances, this new southern approach is more direct and separates bike commuter traffic from park users.

Bridge leading from Gateway Transit Center to the Gateway Green Park’s southern enterance

Wilde foliage and newly planted trees in the southern section will take several years to approach the natural maturity seen in other areas of the park. However, this section of the track still offers mountain bike riders the winding gravel-based paths that make this a popular destination. Pedestrians will also enjoy Gateway Green Park, which has several benches and natural scenery. Despite wooded views, visitors are always aware of Interstate-84 and I-205 traffic surrounding the park. This land was once just unused space leftover from freeway construction, explained Ted Gilbert from Friends of Gateway Green. Efforts to transform this area into something other than scenery for motorists began in 2005. Gilbert and Linda Robinson, among many other community members, worked for years to create this park, securing funding and support. This ceremony commemorates the completion of the park’s third phase of development and delivers on its founders’ goals for this public resource.

Several vendors were onsite with loaner bikes and other transportation information as part of both the celebration and the Take Your Kid Mountain Biking Day, presented by NW Trail Alliance. Gateway Green Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and features a Portland Loo restroom, bike trail, pump tracks, and skills areas. Access to the park is easier than ever when entering from the Gateway Transit Center on NE 99th Avenue.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Event

Tree Giveaway Registration Opens

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will give away 3,000 trees to residents this fall. The annual event now offers 1,000 more trees than the previous year, allowing more people to reserve a free tree to plant in their yard. Registrants can select from 22 tree types, and Montavilla residents will receive free delivery this year. Tree availability is limited, and participants have care responsibilities that come along with participation in the program. This work is part of Portland’s efforts to increase the urban tree canopy and make tree ownership more accessible.

Residents must pick up reserved trees at one of four collection events throughout the City. Montavilla residents can have the tree and supplies delivered this year with registration code “AHMP” or choose the September 22nd date hosted near the Mt Tabor Community Garden on SE 64th Avenue and SE Lincoln Street. That option offers collection times between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Outside the free delivery zone, PP&R Urban Forestry staff can provide yard tree delivery and planting for Portlanders with limited mobility or who need additional accommodations to participate. People who can not plant the tree as anticipated must agree to return it to Urban Forestry so people on a waiting list can have a chance to participate in the program. During the pickup or delivery, Parks staff will provide planting instructions and a watering bucket filled with mulch to assist with a successful planting.

Watering buckets filled with mulch that will accompany trees

This free tree giveaway is the eighth year PP&R will provide Portland residents with free trees. The Tree Planting and Preservation Fund, which gathers money from tree removal payments, supports this program. “When trees come down and aren’t replaced, that typically happens in development, developers put money into the tree fund, and then that money has to be used for tree planting or preservation,” explained Molly Wilson, a Community Tree Planting Specialist at PP&R Urban Forestry. However, additional funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund, now augmenting the budget, allowed the program to expand service to more Portlanders.

City staff are working to grow the Portland tree canopy, which has declined in recent years as housing density and other factors reduce urban trees. Programs like this annual giveaway are predominately successful at adding more trees to the urban tree canopy. “We monitor our trees to see how many trees planted are still in the ground. The first year when we go back, we find that 70 percent are alive and in the ground. Then we find, based on weather, about 94 to 95 percent [of the previous 70 percent] survive the second year.” explained Wilson. Beyond that, tree species selected by the program tend to make it to maturity after those early years. “It’s a low-cost way to get high-quality trees providing shade, cooling, and other environmental and health benefits,” said Wilson.

Residents can only plant trees at a location inside Portland city limits, and they must exist on the person’s property or planted with permission of the property owner. This program is different from the street tree program, with these trees needing to live within the ground in a private yard, not between the curb and sidewalk. After the tree is in its new home, participants must provide the tree with 15 gallons of water per week from May through October for at least the first three years. “Certainly, not all the trees make it, but generally, I think people are doing a nice job of getting their trees in the ground in good locations and being really thoughtful about the trees they pick out. When they register or pick up their trees, we provide them with a planting and care booklet that talks about proper planting,” said Wilson.

Example of street tree location not acceptable for this free tree program

Program designers shaped the initiative for all Portland residents with space to plant a tree. “We want to reach renters more and make sure that trees are accessible for renters,” said Wilson. “We find that about five to eight percent of the trees go to rental properties each year, which is great, but we would love that number to be even higher.” Gathering permission to plant can be a barrier for some people. PP&R recommends renters share their passion for tree canopy expansion with property owners and explain their commitment to care for the tree over its first three years. Not all yards are suitable for planting trees, but if it can take root at least ten feet from a building, there should be enough room for it to thrive. When completing a tree reservation, people can request a consultation about selection and placement before pickup or delivery. Urban Forestry staff will answer tree questions post-planting to help owners take care of the young trees. People will also be on an email list with watering season reminders and other helpful instructions.

Molly Wilson recommends people reserve trees early, as there is a set number of trees, and the type an applicant is interested in may run out. If the form is no longer available, Portlanders should look for a wait list opportunity on the program’s web page.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction

Mt. Tabor Dog Off-Leash Area Repairs

On Tuesday, September 3rd, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will begin repairs to the Mt. Tabor Dog Off-Leash Area to address erosion concerns. This approximately three-week project requires crews to temporarily close portions of the canine recreation area as they install erosion control measures near the SE 68th Avenue entrance. PP&R anticipates crews can maintain visitor access to the eastern portion of the dog off-leash area during construction but encourages people to follow posted signs regarding access.

SE 68th Avenue entrance

The September project will address ongoing erosion and instability issues and revegetate the center portion of the off-leash area. Crews must remove debris that slid down the hillside, piling up against the southern fence and impacting the SE 68th Avenue entrance accessed by the public street in the center of Warner Pacific University’s campus. New fencing will protect the dog off-leash area and preserve the hillside by improving stormwater handling while maintaining the health and stability of the park’s ecosystem.

Eastern Off-Leash Area entrance

PP&R timed this work ahead of the rainy season in hopes it will prevent further erosion and improve conditions for the dogs and people using this park resource through the winter. At the end of the project, parkgoers should see enhanced access to the Mt. Tabor Dog Off-Leash Area and enjoy improved conditions within its fenced boundary. People with dogs can access the eastern Off-Leash Area entrance from SE 70th Avenue. A pathway through the park guides visitors to the gated entryway. City staff ask for the public’s assistance during construction to keep people and pets safe. They instruct visitors to follow directions on all posted closure notices, keep pets under their control, and stay clear of construction areas.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the eastern entrance

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.