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Words and Photos by Dascha Orlova

Ron Beideck has called the house on the corner of NE Alberta Court and NE 36th Avenue home since 1994. Though the neighborhood has evolved, one constant remains: Ron’s creative spirit. As a retired typography editor, Ron’s eye has found new expression in an unexpected medium—stuffed animals and toys. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Ron began collecting whimsical items and slowly transformed his yard into a colorful and playful space that incites curiosity from passersby. The windows are adorned with themed collages made from pages of magazines and recycled books that change with the seasons—or rather, the bleaching of the sun. The current theme? Animals. The toys in his yard aren’t just for show—Ron encourages visitors to explore the yard, find a toy they love and give it a new home. It’s his way of spreading joy and fostering a sense of community, one saved toy at a time.

By Kepper Petzing | Contributing Writer

Every spring and fall, billions of birds  migrate through North America. Most make this remarkable and perilous  journey at night, sensing the magnetic  pull of the earth and using the moon and stars to set their course. From mid-September through mid October, on any given night, a million birds might be flying over your home. Turning off lights in our homes during this time reduces skyglow over our cities, and can help birds make it to their destinations safely. Lights Out is a national and international campaign every September 19th – October 19th and repeating April 15th – May 19th for spring  migration. 

Why is light pollution dangerous? 

Light from cities drowns out the stars  and other natural cues birds use,  disorienting them. The lights lure  birds into the city, where they are at risk of colliding with windows. They  may end up circling lighted areas until  exhausted, often leading to death. Skyglow is the result of both too  many lights and poorly designed fixtures that throw light up into the  sky. Growing evidence links the loss  of darkness at night to negative effects on wildlife and ecosystems, as  well as crime and safety (yes, lights can increase crime and decrease  safety.) 

https://darksky.org/resources/what-is light-pollution/effects/safety/ 

Humans need the dark too! Multiple  studies suggest that exposure to  artificial light at night may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,  diabetes, depression, sleep disorders, obesity and breast cancer.  

Follow the migrators.  

Track our feathered friends with  maps showing actual bird  migration from sunset to sunrise,  as detected by the US weather  surveillance radar network.

https://birdcast.info/ 

Take the pledge.  

You can make decreasing night light  an all year plan. Turning off  unnecessary lights helps us save  energy, reduces our carbon footprint,  saves money, improves health, and  lets us see the stars. 

The Bird Alliance of Oregon has a  pledge program which many  corporations, small businesses,  homeowners and renters have taken.  Take the Pledge to go Lights Out  today by visiting birdallianceoregon.org. 

For the lights you want to keep, make  sure they are well chosen and  properly installed. Select warm LED  bulbs that are under a 3,000 Kelvin  rating. Looking for good lighting?  The International Dark-sky  Association has a Fixture Seal of  Approval program! Learn more here: darksky.org/what-we-do/darksky-approved/

Go Lights Out September 19th– October 19th 

During peak migration weeks,  from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.: 

• Be sure outside lights are  aimed down and well shielded  from the sky.
• Turn off non-essential lights –  especially outside lights. 
• Reprogram automatic lights to be off from 11 pm to 6 am. 
• Have needed lights on motion   sensors, when appropriate, so   they are on only when needed. 
• Turn off interior lights in  unoccupied areas. 
• Close blinds or curtains in rooms where lights are in use  to prevent light escaping. 
• Share the news about the  “Lights Out” campaign. 

Each light matters, and your  commitment makes a difference.

Kepper Petzing has lived in  Concordia for 42 years and  has sadly seen the decrease in  the number of birds in our  neighborhood. Kepper is  nonbinary. They love community and are grateful  for Concordia News.

By Barbara de la Torre | Contributing Writer

You can’t run on a broken foot.

I once saw a patient whose mental health depended on daily exercise. I’m talking about someone who ran every day without ever missing a workout for two years. Three weeks before seeing me, she noticed pain in the middle of her left foot. The pain would get a little better and then worse after running. She finally checked into urgent care after the pain became suddenly worse.

I ordered an x-ray of her foot, which showed a stress fracture. It’s a tiny hairline crack in the bone that doesn’t cause a full break but is vulnerable to more injury or delayed healing. When I shared the results with my patient, she said anxiously, “I can’t stop running. That’s the only thing that helps my stress.” 

I studied both Western and Chinese medicine to gain the best tools from each system. Western healthcare is good at rescuing and dealing with emergencies, but it’s bad at  preventing chronic diseases and cultivating mental wellness. Chinese medicine is a culmination of thousands of years of observation of patterns and rhythms of the natural world. According to Chinese medicine, many chronic mental and physical diseases come from negative emotions—not from having them but from how long we hold on to them. It doesn’t matter how much we exercise or pay attention to healthy food trends if these emotions still linger. 

I have a Master’s certification in a movement-based therapy called qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”). Qigong is a branch of Chinese medicine that focuses on movement, breathing, stretching, and mindfulness. The word qigong means “the cultivation of Qi (chee),” which is the energy that sustains life. Qigong started 5,000 years ago in China and evolved into thousands of forms to address several health conditions. It’s a way of being, living, and seeing the world. 

One form of qigong is called Xi Xi Hu (“she she who”) or “walking qigong.” It consists of five easy routines to balance and release the five negative emotions of sadness, worry, overexcitement, fear, and anger.

Even though my patient’s mind wanted to continue to run on a broken foot, her body had to stop. We are a mind/body ecosystem where all the parts depend on one another for survival and vitality. The mind and body communicate with us every day if we’re listening.

 Qigong, when combined with proper breathing, good sleep, and eating and living with the seasons, helps us listen a little better. Superior medicine doesn’t come from the doctor. It comes from the right to repair yourself.

Join Barbara at Concordia Commons (NE 30th and Killingsworth) for a free group qigong lesson on Sunday, September 15, from 9 to 11 a.m. 

Barbara de la Torre is a Concordia resident, artist, and physician. She founded ThirdOpinionMD.org to cultivate healthy individuals and communities.

By Joshua Lickteig | Contributing Writer

“Shop, volunteer, donate!” says Woodlawn Farmers Market (WFM) Manager PZ with a smile, in a refreshing patch of shade at a nearby park. The independent outdoor market will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Saturday, September 7th, from 10 am – 2 pm. Anjala Ehelebe, local historian and author of the Images of America Series book about the Woodlawn neighborhood, will be speaking.

The location of WFM is convenient for those in Woodlawn, Concordia, and Piedmont neighborhoods who don’t have a market within walking distance. Additionally, WFM is open beyond Cully Farmers Market (which closed at the end of August) and like other Portland farmers markets, accepts SNAP food stamps.

“Fundamentally I believe everyone should have access to fresh produce. This wouldn’t be the case without the market,” says Erin Cooper, a WFM board member.

The event will have 20 vendors, two live bands, face-painting artists, and offer balloons, raffles and prizes. Barn Owl Jazz and Beacon Rock Family Band will play music. Nonprofits Kindness Farm and Care Oregon will host the community tables. Vendors for the celebration include Mexican restaurant Xocalo PDX, Pink Goose Bakery, Flipturn Cellars Urban Winery, GEMMM Soaps, ZK Flowers, and three local farms. 

One of WFM’s goals is to support start-ups by charting pathways from pop-ups and booths onward to brick-and-mortar establishments. Once a vendor, Rangoon Bistro now has two locations and other businesses such as HiFi Baking Company and For My Ancestors Tinctures started at Woodlawn Farmers Market. And unlike most grocery stores, the market is not subsidized. Surrounding businesses pitch in with refreshments for volunteers, power, trash handling, and supply storage. 

What’s next beyond the 10th year? WFM is looking to add tents, sustain permits, create scholarship opportunities, recruit two more board members, and find a more durable supply shed. The board is also writing a proposal for a grant from the Oregon Farmers Markets Association. The grant would help protect from environmental impacts like disruptive heat, high winds and ensure high air quality, by, for example, funding local indoor space and cooling stations. 

PZ adds, “A highly valuable direct impact you can make in your neighborhood is  to commit to buying local produce, which supports vendors and also pays booth fees.” Further, it reinforces  the cultural, economic, and social significance of a neighborhood joining together. This takes a committed  group of volunteers and donors to keep the work moving each week. “[It] truly is a community event.”  See you around the markets!

More Info

Woodlawn Farmers Market is open every Saturday through October 26th, from 10am-2pm on NE Durham Ave. between NE Dekum and NE Madrona streets. You can learn more at woodlawnfarmersmarket.org and on Instagram, Facebook, and Nextdoor at  @woodlawnfarmersmarket.

Joshua Lickteig is an artist and engineer. He was born near the other Milwaukee and has been in Portland for six years. His latest book of poems is called Half Moon Day Sun.

By Esther Lerman Freeman | Contributing Writer

Here are some environmentally friendly ideas that also make you happy while you’re doing them. I love anything that’s a win/win and these ideas qualify.

1. Make your Own Bean Sprouts
Making one’s own sprouts is waste free, really fun to watch, requires minimal time and provides fresh and delicious sprouts while saving you money. All you need is a one quart wide mouth jar and a straining lid. (Straining lids are infinitely reusable.) You soak the seeds overnight, drain them in the morning and then rinse them three times a day. In three or four days you’ll have a packed jar of yummy sprouts. Any kids at home will love being part of the growing process.

2. Switch Out Leaf Blowers for Good Old-Fashioned Rakes
Leaf blowers cause noise pollution for you and your neighbors, use energy and are unhealthy for ears and lungs. Old fashioned raking can be a lovely meditative experience since it is repetitive, requires little skill or thought and is done in the beautiful outdoors. I think of it as moving meditation. Additionally if you “leave the leaves” you are getting free mulch for your soil.

3. Shop at the Farmers Markets from May to November
Buying directly from farmers gives you access to the freshest and most beautiful produce and is definitely more fun than being at a supermarket. You can bring your own bags and reuse them, which decreases packaging as well as the energy used to ship vegetables from large farms to stores since you’re buying from local producers. There is frequently lovely music at the markets, interesting new produce to learn about and the farmers are making a better living selling without a middleman.

4. Make Broth from Veggie Scraps
Making broth is a money saver and a vitamin boost. Any time you devein kale or remove the stems of mushrooms, the ends of onions and garlic or the tops of carrots and radishes, just put them in a bag in your freezer until you have a full bag. Then boil everything in a pot of water for an hour or so, adding any salt or spices you like. Scoop the mushy veggies out and compost them and then let the broth cool. You can use it as a base for your soup, stew, or even to cook your rice or other grains. You have paid zero for the broth and there was no container to recycle.

5. Make Your Own Body Scrub
You can make your own body scrub with household ingredients. Combine 1/4 cup of sugar with 1/8 cup of olive or grape seed oil and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Next time you come in from gardening and your hands are dirty and feel dry, use this scrub.

6. Mend Your Own Clothes
If your favorite shirt has a hole in it, don’t despair! Visible mending is a new trend that turns a plain garment into a creative crafty expression. Either stitch around the hole with some embroidery thread so the hole becomes a decoration or find a scrap of lovely fabric to cover it and sew around it. The sewing is super easy and only requires a needle, thread and some creativity.

Try one of these environmentally friendly projects at home soon!

Esther Lerman Freeman is a certified Master Recycler and Concordia resident.