East Deering Maine Neighborhood Association

05/09/2026

Payson Park Traffic Calming Project - Zoom Sustainability & Transportation Committee Meeting on 5-13-26 at 5pm. For link to Zoom and copy of full report, go to www.portlandmaine.gov/602/Agendas-Minutes

05/02/2026

Community clean-up of the Grand Trunk Cemetery behind Presumpscot School is rescheduled to May 9th from 1-3pm.

04/27/2026

Sundays on the Boulevard is back!!

Sundays on the Boulevard is back! Starting Sunday, May 3, Baxter Boulevard will be closed to car traffic on Sundays only, from 9AM to 4PM, and OPEN for walkers, bikers, pedestrians, and play! 🤸

This year Sundays on the Boulevard runs through Sunday, September 27, 2026.⁠

Street Details:
Baxter Boulevard from Vannah Ave. to Catafalque Drive (Payson Park east entrance), and the Payson Park west entrance road from the tip of the grass triangle to Baxter Boulevard shall be closed to traffic from 9 AM to 4 PM every Sunday.

Read the City Council Proclamation: https://bit.ly/4u9IBX7.

04/21/2026

Great opportunities to get involved with your city.

Ready to help ? Volunteer positions on City boards and committees are an important part of our local government! Here's an updated list of open positions, apply by Thursday, May 14.
⁠
Visit portlandmaine.gov/Boards to read the full descriptions and learn how to apply.

- Board of Assessment Review: 1 seat
- Clean Elections Review Board: 2 seats
- Ethics Commission: 2 seats
- Historic Preservation: 1 seat
- Land Bank Commission: 3 seats (Districts 2, 3, 4)
- Parks Commission: 4 seats
- Portland Fish Pier Authority: 1 seat
- Portland Public Art Committee: 4 seats
- Rent Board: 1 seat (District 5)
- Zoning Board of Appeals: 2 seats

04/13/2026

Plenty of opportunity to participate - great event! East Deering is invited from 1-3pm on May 3 for the clean-up of the Grand Trunk Cemetery (located behind Presumpscot School)

04/04/2026

PORTLAND, Maine – The City of Portland is seeking community input on the future of four City-owned parcels in the Bayside neighborhood, collectively known as the "Midtown properties." Before these sites are marketed for potential sale, officials are inviting the public to share their vision through an online survey and upcoming public meetings.

Residents are encouraged to take a brief, anonymous online survey to share feedback and rank preferences for land use and attend upcoming public meetings. Visit portlandmaine.gov/Midtown

03/31/2026

Sign of Spring - MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Happy ! Annual leaf and yard waste curbside collection will begin Monday, April 27 and continue through Friday, May 8. ⁠Leaves must be in large, paper biodegradable leaf bags. ⁠Please do not place bags curbside until the collection period begins to avoid interfering with winter cleanup operations.

- Once collection begins, bags can remain curbside regardless of the weather or your trash collection day. Please do not block sidewalks.⁠

- Bags with mulched leaves, sticks, rocks or old potting soil will NOT be collected. Please take them to Riverside Recycling for disposal (910 Riverside Street), fees may apply. ⁠

- Yard waste curbside collection MAY NOT coincide with your weekly trash collection day.

- Public Works cannot accurately predict when collection crews will be on your street as it depends on the volume of yard waste they collect each day as they work their way through the city.⁠

⁠Please direct additional questions to [email protected].⁠ ⁠Visit portlandmaine.gov/YardWaste to learn more. ℹ️

If you have a mulching lawnmower, consider using it to recycle leaves and their nutrients into your lawn instead! Visit portlandmaine.gov/LandcareTips to learn more.⁠ ♻️

03/18/2026

Survey results are very interesting! Residents indicated satisfaction with city services, neighborhood quality of life and shopping/dining. However, expressed concerns about continuing trend of expensive housing, cost of living and rising taxes. Also, a top priority indicated need for maintenance of our infrastructure and addressing the flow of traffic. Nearly 50% expressed dissatisfaction with the value received for city taxes and fees. Plus, nearly 60% have a low or somewhat low level of trust in Portland's local government.

Thank you for all the feedback you shared with us during our community survey in late 2025—the results are now available for you to review! City staff worked with ETC Institute, a nationally recognized survey research firm specializing in municipal level resident surveys, on this effort. ETC compiled and analyzed the results and will present them to the City Council in a workshop on Monday, March 23, 2026. Please join us in-person or via livestream!

📍Find the meeting details and read the survey results in full: https://bit.ly/475MG5G.

📊 According to the survey results, Portland residents are generally more satisfied with City services and programs than residents in other cities, including the quality of public safety and solid waste services, and the quality of customer service from City employees. However, compared to peer cities, Portland residents gave lower marks to the maintenance of streets, sidewalks and infrastructure as well as to the ease of traveling around the city.

One part of the survey asked about residents’ perceptions of Portland as a community. Respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction with many of these items, including the quality of life in neighborhoods and the city overall. However, 75% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the affordability of living in Portland and the availability of affordable housing, and nearly 50% expressed dissatisfaction with the value received for City taxes and fees.

Now that the results are available, one question many may ask is: What happens next?
👉 As discussed during the FY26 budget process and subsequent conversations with councilors, the goal of this effort is to support an approach to decision-making that reflects residents’ collective input, helping ensure that future investments reflect community needs and priorities.

03/12/2026

Mark your calendar !

Get Ready to SCRAMBLE, Portland!
Spring is in the air, and so are the eggs! Join Portland Parks, Recreation & Facilities for our 4th Annual Egg Scramble at Payson Park. Whether you have a tiny tot or a seasoned egg-hunter, it’s going to be a morning full of music, games, and golden surprises.

The Details
When: March 28th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Where: Payson Park (Check-in at the Payson Hill entrance)

Who: Open to all! Age groups: 0–5 and 6+

Morning Schedule
10:00 AM: Check-in begins. Every child gets a reusable bag!

10:30 AM: The Scramble starts! (Limit: 20 eggs per child).

All Morning: Photos with Blossom the Bunny, music, and games.

Hunt for the Gold
Keep your eyes peeled for one of 100 Golden Eggs! If you find one, head over to the Recreation table to redeem your special prize. (Limit 1 per child).

Know Before You Go
Footwear: Wear sneakers or boots—the grass can be tricky!

Parking: Limited parking available. Arboretum Rd. will be closed to the public from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Safety First: No dogs, no pushing, and plenty of smiles! Our volunteers will be there to help make sure everyone has a blast.

Tag your hunt buddies below!
REGISTRATION link: http://portlandmaine.gov/EggScramble

03/12/2026

Invitation to Community Open House. Great opportunity for the public.

01/10/2026

Perfect timing of this Podcast as we continue into winter...

Don't miss this recent podcast with City staff! "Unpacking How Communities Prepare for Winter Storms"

Hear from Mike Murray, our Director of Public Works, and Caity Hager, our Emergency Management Coordinator to learn how plowing decisions are made, why parking bans matter, how roads are treated, what causes delays, and how communities plan for emergencies before a storm even hits.

Listen ▶️ https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/lets-connect/

Produced by Greater Portland Council of Governments and recorded at WMPG FM.