SAN E-Newsletter
November 2025

Greetings Denizens of Sumner. The year is over 80% complete! Fall brought us many fun events. Below is a recap, plus some information about future events and developments in the neighborhood, written mostly by SAN Secretary Nic Lu.

As a reminder, the Event Calendar is on our website at https://sumnerpdx.org/events/

Event Recaps

Dumpster Day

Our September 6th Dumpster Day was a huge success. We filled five dumpsters and welcomed 106 carloads from neighbors, raising an incredible $2,125 to support future community projects! A huge thank you goes out to our sponsors D1EC, the Metro Refresh Fund, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Junk It, Howliday Inn, Trash for Peace, Community Warehouse and our many local donors, as well as every volunteer who pitched in with business outreach, flyer distribution, and day of support. Events like this only happen through teamwork and community spirit. Thank you for helping keep Sumner clean and connected!

Links to our sponsors & volunteer support:

Elevate Oregon’s Trunk or Treat

Members of the SAN Board handed out candy on Saturday, October 18th, for two and a half hours as part of Trunk or Treat 2025, hosted by Elevate Oregon at Parkrose Middle School. The event featured free hot dogs, cotton candy, and costumes for children to ensure that no one would be unable to participate for financial reasons and, of course, a great deal of candy. The SAN donated approximately $250 worth of candy, decked out a trunk, and our volunteer members passed out all that candy and more! We also used this opportunity to invite folks to the Sumner Pumpkin Carving event the next weekend. Sumner is in the Parkrose School District, and we saw a good number of our Sumner neighbors trunk-or-treating with their kiddos. There were tons of fantastic costumes, and there was hardly a lull in handing out candy at the SAN trunk the entire time!

Check out more of what Elevate Oregon offers: https://www.elevateoregon.org/

Text Link

Pumpkin Carving Event

On October 25th, our Pumpkin Carving Event at Helensview School kicked off with blustery weather and high winds, but we persevered! A total of 56 pumpkins were handed out or carved by neighbors, adults, and children alike. Some chose to decorate their pumpkins with paint and craft materials, while others carved fun and spooky faces!

We also hosted a Halloween themed snack table featuring delicious treats made by Julie, along with hot apple cider and goody bags for the kids to take home. This was the first time the Sumner Neighborhood hosted this event, and we’re excited to bring it back as an annual spooky tradition.

A big shout out to Grant, Nic, Hannah, Julie, Denell, Jeanne, Dylan, and everyone who joined in to decorate or carve a pumpkin. And to Helensview School for use of their space. Thank you for making it such a fun and festive day despite unruly weather!

News and More

An Update on the SAN Lot

The SAN reached out to ODOT for clarifying information regarding the SAN Lot located along I-205 after mentions of its potential sale/listing for surplus during a PEMO meeting. According to ODOT, the property remains part of the interstate right-of-way and is not currently open for public use. While a 2013 study found that portions of the land may be needed for future highway improvements, about 2.5 to 3 acres could eventually qualify as surplus if approved by state and federal agencies.

In a recent update, ODOT shared that there are currently no active proposals or interested parties for the site, and the process of declaring any portion surplus could take two to three years. They recognize that the community makes informal use of the area and noted that it could benefit from some type of future community use, possibly if the City of Portland expresses interest down the line.

To keep this conversation moving forward, the SAN Board will discuss forming a SAN Lot Committee at our next meeting, to help guide next steps, build community vision, and engage with city officials and local leaders as opportunities develop.

Copper Theft Arrests

The Portland Police Bureau recently announced multiple arrests connected to a large copper theft investigation based out of a property in the Sumner neighborhood. The thefts caused major service disruptions and more than $2 million in damages to utilities and communication lines across East Portland. PPB, working with partner agencies, recovered evidence of large-scale copper stripping and burning operations at the site. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are pending.

Anyone with information is asked to contact crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 25-244858. Read the full press release here: portland.gov/police/news/2025/11/5/ppb-makes-numerous-arrests-connected-copper-theft-investigation

SAN Board Meetings

The SAN Board is currently meeting monthly, working on a long list of topics.

Upcoming meetings:

11/20 SAN Board Meeting (6:30 - 8pm, basement of Calvary Presbyterian on 71st)
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89820259122
12/18 Meeting

Sumner Association of Neighbors (SAN) Board

Tim Batog..................................................................................................................... Chair

Meg Cotner............................................................................................................Vice Chair

Nic Lu......................................................................................................................Secretary

Sue Ellen Behnke...................................................................................................Treasurer

Special Positions:

Hannah Lewis................................................................................................Crime & Safety

Virginia Petersen.............................................................................................CNN Delegate

David Wiens..............................................................................................................Publicity

Will Pyper............................................................................................Parks & Open Spaces

Members at Large:

Dave Owen, Rowan Steele, Denell Graham, Dylan Evanston, Julie Rosequist, Patrick Mounts, Rachael Gaffney, Grant Westrum