The Concordia Neighborhood Association board is a group of 13 volunteers who all live in, work in or own property in Concordia. They are dedicated to helping the community and meet once a month to discuss neighborhood issues and plan events.

I caught up with John on a Saturday morning, while he was helping clean up from the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast.

How did you come to get involved with the CNA board?

I moved here from the gorge and bought my Concordia house in 2009. I’ve always been active in the communities I’ve lived in. In the gorge, I was on the Chamber of Commerce, the City Council, and the Business Association. I was involved with planning social events like music festivals, car shows and chili cook-off s.

My first exposure to CNA was a concert in the park in 2017. I went to one of their meetings and someone nominated me and next thing you know, I was on the board. I didn’t even know what was happening to me!

Over the years, what positions have you held / committees have you served on?

One of the first things I did was run an alley clean-up in the neighborhood. I’ve helped run the Egg Hunt and concerts in the park. I’ve also been the CNews liaison for a while. And last year, I was the vice chair.

Where do you live?

I live on 29th right off of Ainsworth, between Fernhill and Alberta Park.

How has the neighborhood changed since you moved here?

The biggest thing has been the switch from Concordia to U of O. When Concordia University closed in 2020, there was a big question John with his English cream retriever, Zoe. as to what would happen with that space but the change has been really good. We couldn’t have had a better outcome.

What is your favorite thing about Concordia?

My favorite thing is that it’s walkable and easy to get to all the coffee shops and bars, but what makes Concordia different from other Portland neighborhoods is its alleys. There are 13 miles of alleys in Concordia.

I really love walking in the alleys. They’re not crowded so there’s plenty of room to walk side by side with other people or with your dog. It’s fun to see peoples’ backyards – it’s sort of a diff erent side of the neighborhood. I’ve even been invited into peoples’ homes before!

What are your favorite hobbies / past times?

I play bass in an Americana band and we like to jam it out. We practice once a month and then do a gig once a month.

I also have a treat library for neighboring dogs at my house. I restock it once a week. Based on the attrition, I estimate that 18 dogs a day frequent the treat library. People also put dog treats in the library for my dog. One year I went from January to August without having to buy any dog treats. One time, someone left me some ravioli with a Thank You note!

By Caprice Lawless | Contributing Writer

Maybe you are recently retired, new to Portland, and don’t know anyone your age. (That was my situation two years ago, when I moved here from Colorado.) Maybe you are a senior, suddenly widowed, and feeling lonesome. Maybe you realize, for various reasons, you need an easy, instant way to meet neighboring peers, to join them for a morning coffee, to play an afternoon game of Scrabble, to drop in on an afternoon Happy Hour, or, one night, to take in a show or a concert. Perhaps you aren’t quite ready yet to hire a home healthcare worker on a regular basis but do anticipate needing just a bit more help around the house than you ever did before, plus rides to medical appointments.

If so, consider joining one of the neighborhood-based “Villages” in Portland. Concordia’s local Village is Northeast Village PDX, part of the Northeast Community Center. An adjacent Village (where Concordia News readers may have retired relatives or friends) is the North Star Village. These hyperlocal, northeast Portland groups are part of the gigantic network of Villages Northwest comprising thousands of Portlanders. All are part of a nationwide system of neighborhood-based Villages that help seniors remain independent, and to stay in their homes as they grow older.

With Villagers, you have instant friends. Every Sunday you receive an email roster of events organized by other Villagers in your neighborhood. Program diversity includes groups such as the “Women at the Well” gathering offered by Northeast Village PDX. “It’s an example of our program variety that provides solo agers and others who are seeking community ways to connect,” explained Teri McKenzie, Northeast Village PDX manager.

“One of the nice things about the Villages is how each one decides how big it wants to be,” said Liz Kennedy, Nor t h Star Village member. Membership fees vary among the Villages. For further information, visit the Village website for Concordia residents at nevillagepdx.org .

Caprice Lawless has written extensively on higher education, homesharing, technology, construction, and engineering. She moved to Oregon from Colorado in 2023, shortly after retiring from teaching college English and Journalism.I

By Matt Roberts | CNA Board Chair

Dear Neighbors and Board Members,

As someone who might be considered an “outsider,” I want to begin by sincerely thanking the board for the confidence you’ve placed in me by selecting me as Chair for the coming year. I use that term lightly, as while I don’t live in the neighborhood, I have been part of it since the summer of 2022, when the University of Oregon purchased the former Concordia University campus and established UO Portland as its newest campus.

In my professional role, I serve as the Associate Vice President of Community Relations for the University of Oregon. My work focuses on neighborhood relations, partnerships with city, county, and public agencies across the state, and managing a portfolio of university sponsorships. At its core, my role is about building trust, listening, and finding ways institutions and communities can work better together.

The university is genuinely happy to be part of this neighborhood. We want our campus to be seen as a resource, a welcoming space, and most importantly, a good neighbor. This past year, we enjoyed hosting the Woodlawn Farmers Market, Neighbors Night Out, and the Winter Celebration, and we hope to continue opening our campus for events that bring people together and strengthen community connections.

Over the coming months, you’ll also see some physical changes on campus. We are removing outdated buildings and preparing the northeast corner of campus for a new home for the Ballmer and Prevention Science Institutes. This will be our first mass timber building, designed to complement surrounding structures and help frame the university’s central quad. As this work progresses, we remain committed to communicating and listening as our campus evolves alongside the neighborhood.

Since arriving, one of the most frequent questions we’ve received has been about the recreation fi elds and how organizations can reserve them. With a small staff and limited expertise in athletic facility management, we knew early on that partnering with an experienced organization would best serve the community. After an extensive procurement process, we’re pleased to share that Central Catholic High School has been selected to manage the fields on our behalf. They plan to invest in new turf and facility enhancements, use the space for their baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse teams, and develop a process to make the fi elds available to community groups and Portland Public Schools. We see this as an opportunity to strengthen access while improving a valued neighborhood asset.

As I step into the Chair role, I’m excited to work alongside the board to continue the good work already underway. Looking ahead, one of our shared goals is to engage more neighbors in what we do. Our association thrives when people participate. If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d love your help with events and activities that neighbors enjoy. Please consider reaching out to our social committee leaders if you have a few hours to contribute.

Finally, I want to extend sincere thanks to our past chair, John Fitzgerald. John very graciously—and somewhat reluctantly— extended his service an extra year. His commitment and leadership have meant a great deal to this board and to the neighborhood, and we are all grateful for his dedication.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, ideas, or suggestions about how our board and association can better serve the neighborhood. I look forward to working together in the year ahead.

Warm regards,

Matt Roberts
Chair, Concordia Neighborhood Association

Matt has been with UO since 1997. He represents the university interests with public agencies, school districts, community colleges and the Eugene, Springfi eld and Portland Chambers of Commerce. Before that, he did telemarketing research, and marketing and development for the Oregon Festival of Music.

By Caprice Lawless | Contributing Writer

Modern life, so dominated by screens, tends to make our otherwise well-oiled friend-making skills a little rusty. Throw in a Covid epidemic and you get the loneliness epidemic currently in full swing. The good news is that simple, easy-to-learn needlework takes both hands but only partial concentration as the needleworker slowly transforms soft yarns or threads into a new creation. It’s a pastime that lends itself to conversation, because hands busy sewing absorb the nervous energy that tends to impede the ability to make the casual, personal connections we are designed to make and to maintain, as social creatures.

As I observe myself and others in the Loose Threads sessions, I’m reminded of the way my son, as a toddler, enjoyed what child development researchers call “parallel play.” Each of his peers was content to dabble in their own corner of the sandbox yet were comforted by the presence of other toddlers nearby. Maybe it’s because needleworking in groups doesn’t require as much eye-to-eye contact as conversations would otherwise. Maybe it’s all these factors combined that make the bubbly chatter feel so comforting and familiar during each Friday afternoon Loose Threads Funshop.

Sponsored by both the Concordia Neighborhood Association and the North Star Village (a senior’s social club), Loose Threads has been growing since it began last fall. It’s an adult needle crafting “funshop” (because “workshop” sounds like work) each Friday afternoon, from 1 to 4 in the Community Room at McMenamins Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave.) We off er free instructions in knitting, crochet, and embroidery for adults only.

You can bring your own insulated mug of coffee or tea from home or pick one up at the coffee shop near the front entrance of the school. We have to keep our hands clean for our sewing projects, so we eat before the sessions. We do, however, always offer Vitamin O (Oreos) to participants. There is no registration, fee, form to sign, call to make, etc. Just come down, write your first name on our 100-year-old classroom chalkboard, pull up a chair, and start needle crafting with us. If you already have an ongoing needlework project at home, you can bring it to work on whilst in the company of kindred spirits.

Stephanie Magee teaches knitting and crochet, and wears, each Friday, yet another beautiful sweater she has made. Thia Triggs teaches crochet now as well, and, like Stephanie, she often wears or brings to the sessions one of her creations. I teach free-form embroidery on felt; no embroidery hoop required. I design each week a few ready-to-complete kits for beginners (sunglass cases, mug coasters, palm-sized stuff ed animals, etc.). You are welcome to make one of those (one per participant per session).

This year, Loose Threads is coordinating with the Concordia Commons Garden Fair on Saturday, March 14th and will be offering four Concordia Creatures Plant-Pick Kits ($5 ea.) for visitors to purchase, with all proceeds going to purchase supplies for Loose Threads Funshops. The kit lineup includes four whimsical garden creatures: Sherm the Worm, Doug the Bug, Dale the Snail, and Guy the Dragonfly.

Caprice Lawless has written extensively on higher education, homesharing, technology, construction, and engineering. She moved to Oregon from Colorado in 2023, shortly after retiring from teaching college English and Journalism.

By Sam Cordes

Click here to download PDF

Sam Cordes is a Concordia resident, software developer, and freelance crossword constructor. When he’s not struggling to perfect at-home latte art, he can be found running around Alberta Park.

By Garlynn Woodsong | Contributing Writer

Hi folks, it’s Garlynn. After a few quiet years, I’m glad to be returning to this column. The need for us to talk about urbanism hasn’t been on pause, but life has been unfolding rapidly, sometimes uncomfortably, both inside and outside our front doors.

Since 2021, Portland has been through a lot. We’ve lived through extreme heat, wildfire smoke, ice storms, a lingering pandemic hangover, and a deepening housing crisis. Many civic systems feel tired, and many people feel worn down by processes that seem distant from daily life. Concordia has changed too. New neighbors have arrived, familiar faces have moved on, and the rhythms of the neighborhood have subtly shifted. And yet, some fundamentals remain remarkably steady. People still care deeply about their block, their street, their walk to the store, café, park, or school, and whether their neighborhood feels safe, welcoming, and alive.

That’s why neighborhood scale urbanism still matters. Cities aren’t only shaped by comprehensive plans and capital budgets, they’re shaped by what happens close to home. When we talk about housing, climate resilience, transportation, and public space at the neighborhood level, these issues become tangible rather than abstract. They show up as shade on a sidewalk, a place for a grandparent to live nearby, or whether kids can safely bike to a friend’s house.

Despite plenty of national and global uncertainty, there are reasons to feel cautiously hopeful about local action. Portland’s new City Council structure opens the door to more district based, locally grounded politics. Over time, this could create a clearer pathway for neighborhoods to have real authority, not just advisory roles.

One example of what that might look like is how we pay for and manage our streets. Imagine a system where residential parking permits and commercial parking meters generate revenue that is reinvested directly into neighborhood improvements. Half could support locally chosen projects through neighborhood associations, while the other half funds citywide street repair and transportation needs. There could even be a role for district level coordination, such as through Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN). With that level of responsibility, neighborhood boards would need stronger democratic legitimacy, potentially including elections administered through Multnomah County, clearer relationships to district offices, and tighter feedback loops with district based councilors.

This kind of evolution wouldn’t happen overnight. It would require care, transparency, and trust. But it points toward a future where neighborhoods aren’t just consulted, they’re empowered.

As I pick this column back up, my goal is simple- to keep asking how Concordia can remain a place of care, resilience, and shared responsibility in uncertain times. Urbanism, at its heart, is about how we choose to live together. That conversation belongs right here.

If you have ideas, questions, or stories you think are worth exploring, I hope you’ll share them. This column works best when it reflects the lived experience of the neighbors it serves.

The views expressed in this article are not affiliated with and do not necessarily represent the CNA board.

Garlynn Woodsong is a Concordia neighbor, planner, and dad who cares deeply about the city his son will inherit. His work centers on housing, climate action, and the everyday design of walkable, people focused communities. He welcomes ideas and questions from readers at garlynn42 @ gmail.com.