
Events
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Mt. Tabor/N. Tabor Neighborhood Cleanup 2025
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Unity Spiritual Center of Portland Parking Lot, SE 47th and Stark
Hi Neighbors,
Just a reminder that our very popular annual North Tabor/Mt. Tabor neighborhood cleanup is this Saturday:
DATE: Saturday, May 17, 2025
TIME: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
PLACE: Unity Spiritual Center of Portland Parking Lot, SE 47th and Stark
COST: Donations will be accepted.
We can accept lots of different items to throw in the drop boxes and some yard debris as well. Rather than listing everything we will accept, it's easier to list the things we can't accept. (See below for a list of what we can't take.)
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Green Century will be at the event and will be recycling a wide range of electronics. (See below for a list of what they will take.)
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Community Warehouse will be at the cleanup and will accept household goods and furnishings. (https://www.communitywarehouse.org/)
We need more volunteers!
We need a lot of volunteers to make this event work. Bring a friend or family member with you. It’s fun! (Bring your own gloves and rain gear--it might rain.)
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Help unload junk from people's cars and trucks; and/or check people in who are waiting in line; and/or help with the electronics recycling or the "reuse area."
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Shifts: 8 to 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Bring your tools and help in our “deconstruction area” where we dismantle items that have metal we can recycle.
To sign up to volunteer, go to:
(If you already signed up to volunteer, please do so again! We had a problem with our Google form. We just found out it didn't save any of the information people entered up until today.)
Do you have a portable canopy we can borrow? It may rain on Saturday. We need some canopies to help the volunteers get out of the rain and to protect the electronics recycling. If you drop it off at the cleanup and share your contact info with us, we will get it back to you after the cleanup.
PLEASE NOTE a couple changes for this year's cleanup:
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No styrofoam recycling: We can take styrofoam--we just don't have a place to recycle it for free anymore. Styrofoam will go into the drop boxes with the other bulky waste. You can recycle styrofoam at Green Century in NW Portland for $10 for a 45-gallon bag. (Visit their website to see what else they recycle and their recycling fees.)
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No tires! In the past, we were able to accept car and truck tires off or on the rims. This year the transfer station will charge us $100 per tire if we let any into the drop boxes. You can recycle your tires at Liberty Tire Recycling (https://libertytire.com/) in North Portland ($3/tire off rim; $6/tire on rim).
(You can call the Metro Recycling Hotline at 503-234-3000 to find out how to get rid of or recycle almost anything!)
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CLEANUP?: Contact prleistner@gmail.com.
A big THANK YOU to Metro's Regional Refresh Fund and to SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition for their valuable support of this event.
We hope to see you at the cleanup!
Paul Leistner, president
Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association
2350 SE 57th Ave.
Portland, OR 97215
503-953-6536
(he/him)
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THINGS WE CAN'T TAKE AT THE CLEANUP:
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No household hazardous waste (e.g. NO paint, pesticides, solvents, asbestos, gasoline, chemicals, motor oil, tar, paint, batteries, animal waste, liquids, pool chemicals, wood stain, antifreeze, thinners, aerosol spray products, syringes, medications, poisons, toxic chemicals, herbicides, household cleaning products, fluorescent tubes and ballasts, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL))
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No large quantities of construction or landscape materials (concrete, asphalt, dirt, sod, brick, sand, gravel or composition roofing.)
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No roofing materials (e.g. asphalt shingles or rolled roofing)
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No materials that might have asbestos.
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No commercial or industrial garbage
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No freezers, refrigerators, compressors or other items containing Freon. (Green Century will accept air conditioners at our event. Metro Metals will actually pay you for appliances.)
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No regular household garbage or food waste (things that should go in your curbside pickup)
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No lightbulbs (no regular bulbs, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDS, etc.)
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No fluorescent light fixture ballasts.
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No batteries.
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No toner or ink cartridges.
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No electronic media (e.g. CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, VHS tapes, cassette tapes)
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No tires on or off the rim.
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No fire extinguishers.
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No devices that contain mercury (e.g. Thermometers, Thermostats, Ionization Smoke Detectors, etc.)
We retain the right to refuse any item.
Call the Metro Recycling Hotline at 503-234-3000 to find out how to dispose or recycle these items.
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ELECTRONIC RECYCLING THAT GREEN CENTURY WILL TAKE AT THE CLEANUP:
ALL MATERIAL IS ACCEPTED IN WORKING OR NON-WORKING CONDITION
● Computers
● Laptops
● TV & Monitors (All types)
● Hard drives (Secure Data Destruction Provided)
● Misc. Computer Components (Floppy drives, Printed Circuit Boards (PCB), etc.)
● Cords/Wires/Chargers/Power strips
● Servers/Switches
● Routers/Hubs/Modems
● Networking Devices
● Communications Equipment
● POS (Point of Sale equip)
● Printers/Scanners
● Fax/Copiers
● Keyboards/Mice
● Misc. Office Machines
● Misc. Electronics
● VCRs, DVD Players
● Cable & Satellite Equipment
● Testing Equipment
● Stereo/Audio Components
● Cell Phones (with or without batteries)
● PDAs, Handheld Games
● Cameras
● Telephones
● Returned or Unwanted Products
● Gaming Consoles/Systems
● UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and other Lead Acid Batteries
● Small/Large Appliances (which includes microwaves, toasters, blenders, etc.)
● Electric Power Tools
● Laptop Batteries, Cell Phone Batteries, Li-on batteries
● Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals
● Air Conditioners
● Bare Tube CRT
Free Community Open House at Historical Mills Open Air School Building at SE 60th and Stark
Saturday, December 7, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon
You have an opportunity to tour the inside of the historical 1919 Mills Open Air School/Mt. Tabor Annex building on the southwest corner of SE 60th and Stark. No registration required--just show up!
The MTNA and the City of Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) are co-hosting this open house. Our previous three community tours of the building were so popular that we've added this open house event.
Local neighborhood history expert Doug Decker will provide background information on the building and the origins of the "Open Air School" movement. Doug also will describe a day in the life of the students who were served by the Mills School in the past.
PHB owns the property and, at some point, plans to deconstruct the school building and redevelop the site for affordable housing
Limited parking will be available on site. We suggest you plan to park in the neighborhood or walk/bike to the site. NOTE: Please wear sturdy shoes. While there will be no stairs on the tour, the walking surface is uneven. Also wear warm clothes--the building is not heated.
Come and find about about the history of the site in relation to the broader history of the Mt. Tabor neighborhood, Portland Housing Bureau plans for the property, and the history of the building and its different uses over the years. Walk through the building, hear stories, ask questions, and share your memories.
Download the event flyer here.
You can read a fascinating report on the history of the property here.
If you would like more information, please contact the MTNA at: contact.MTNA@gmail.com.

Tabor Neighbors District 3 City Council Candidate Forum
Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 6:00 p.m.
IN-PERSON--Mt. Tabor Middle School, SE 57th and Ash
Many of us are trying to figure out who to vote for for the three District 3 city council positions. Thirty people filed to run in District 3!
Help is on the way!
The Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association (MTNA) has joined with the North Tabor Neighborhood Association (NTNA) to host a candidate forum to help community members in the neighborhoods around Mt. Tabor to meet candidates running to be our city council representatives.
The Tabor Neighbors District 3 Candidate Forum will be on:
DATE: Tues, Oct. 22, 2024
TIME: 6 p.m.
PLACE: Mt. Tabor Middle School, SE 57th and Ash
This is an in-person event.
Pizza will be provided.
To RSVP for the forum and get more information go to: northtabor.org/2024-forum
You also can try out our rank choice voting opportunity to cast your vote for the pizza toppings.
We hope to see you there!
Free Neighborhood Personal Safety Training
Wednesday, June 26, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
IN-PERSON--Taborspace, SE 55th and Belmont, Muir Hall
You are invited to participate in a free training hosted by the Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association (MTNA) ,and presented by staff from the City of Portland Safe Blocks Program. The training will be on:
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
TIME: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
PLACE: Taborspace, SE 55th and Belmont, Muir Room
This in-person training is intended to help us all learn tools to help keep ourselves and others safe as we move through the community. This training includes key elements like being aware of our surroundings, tapping into our intuition, de-escalation strategies, learning about intervention and assertiveness options and, when needed, how to get away.
This is a popular training. You can learn more about the City’s Safe Blocks Program at: https://www.portland.gov/community-safety/ovp/safe-blocks#:~:text=The%20goal%20of%20the%20Safe,activities%2C%20and%20resources%20and%20referrals.
Thank you to MTNA Board Member Midge Pierce for organizing this for us!
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Paul Leistner at prleistner@gmail.com.