By Caprice Lawless | Contributing Writer

By early October 2009, I had lost two siblings in 11 months. I had buried my younger sister and younger brother and sorted through all their belongings. My parents lived in a nearby city, were both terminally ill and frequently in the hospital. My only child was living on the other side of the country, enrolled in college. The economic crash of 2008 was just a year old. In it I had lost a good-paying job, along with my life savings in stocks. I could find work only as a part-time, lowly paid, adjunct English professor. My home offered me little sanctuary or privacy, as I had to rent out the spare bedrooms to strangers to make ends meet. To see Halloween candy at the store and to watch my neighbors put up outdoor decorations only underscored my grief. Halloween pumpkins were out of the question, as I was broke, lonely, and overwhelmingly sad.  

My solace during that dark time was to take long, contemplative walks on the dusty plains east of my home. It seemed odd to prefer bleak fields when familiar, forested mountain trails were so close by, yet the emptiness drew me to it. The challenge before me was to help my parents toward the ends of their lives while somehow rebuilding my own. With the lonely walks, I was taking steps, literally and figuratively, to heal. On each one, my only companions were my thoughts and the sun. 

Slowly, the age-old tonic of bright light, time, space, solitude, and nature began to work its power. Imperceptibly, the light began crawling toward me. On an impulse, I began collecting small, rounded stones on each walk. One by one, they found their way from trail, to pocket, then to my bedroom windowsill. I was unaware, though, of how the expansiveness of wide, treeless space had begun collecting me, as well.

The week before Halloween, from my broken heart came the idea of turning my round-rock collection into jack-o-lanterns. As unhurriedly as I had collected them, I painted them a few coats each day, using an old box of acrylics. First, I covered them in shades of orange. A few days later I added yellow stripes to signify ridges. Finally, I gave each a crown of green leaves where stems would have been, were they autumn pumpkins instead of ancient rubble.

At week’s end, as I dipped my thin brush into black paint to add faces, though, I stopped. It felt wrong to conjure happiness, to paint smiles. The next day, however, as I tried again, I felt hope blinking back at me from time spent in welcoming fields and warm sun. Cheery faces emerged from memories of my dear siblings, disguised as toothy grins for the season. They got me through that Halloween, and in each, ever-more-happy Halloween since that lonely and dark one. It was a project that cost nothing, while its value was – and remains – priceless. 

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.

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.

Tell me about your work with CNA.

I have an MBA from the University of Oregon and I have a consulting business. For 20 years, I worked in and managed custom fabrication shops (mostly woodworking and metal work) so now I help small business owners manage their manufacturing, and construction companies. I have 3 ongoing long-term clients though I do take short-term projects as well. At times, I play an advisory role and other times I directly manage aspects or projects of the business.

I first got involved with CNA in 2023. We always read the paper and I answered an ad in the paper for a treasurer.

Where do you live?

My wife Elsbeth and I have lived in our home on NE 27th and Alberta for 20 years. Elsbeth is a radiation therapist at OHSU and mostly treats cancer patients.

Our house was built in 1913. It was a 2 bedroom 1 bath and it was in pretty bad shape when we moved into it. We had two kids and so we added a dormer with a second bathroom upstairs. I did all the work myself except for the electrical and plumbing. I enjoy the work but I’m glad to see it come to a close. Our last project will be the floors, and putting in air conditioning.

What do you do in your free time?

My family and I enjoy camping, hiking and paddleboarding.

I love spending time with my 12-year old daughter, Ramona and my seven-year old son, Arlo. Ramona and I are both learning to play piano from an app. Sometimes we get in to music theory. Arlo loves Legos and building projects of any kind. We have a little workshop in our basement and are building a treehouse together. Both kids love rock climbing, swimming and we are avid bike commuters.

What do you like about living in Concordia?

We enjoy how walkable the neighborhood is. We love Salt and Straw, Alberta Park, and we’re members of the food coop.

We enjoy spending time with our neighbors. Marcia Cole, a retired hairdresser, who has lived in the house next door to us for 50 years is good friends with my son, Arlo. It’s very sweet. I play guitar and have lately been playing a lot of old time music with my other neighbor Boris who plays the banjo and the fiddle.

Paddling the Slough

By Keith Daellenbach | Contributing Writer

In April, my wife, Amy, and I made a one-day voyage down the entire 19-mile length of the Columbia Slough’s primary waterway in our 14-foot Old Town brand polyethylene canoe. We started at quarter past eight in the morning on a Saturday, launching from Lakeshore Park at the east end of the shallow, 110-acre Fairview Lake. After paddling one mile across the lake, we portaged across NE Fairview Lake Way above the lake’s discharge at an approximately 2.5-foot impoundment dam and started down the Columbia Slough itself.

The Columbia River at Vancouver gauge level was 7.5 feet. This early in the year, the water level is adequately high and there is less aquatic vegetation and floating macrophytes and algae mats than exist July through early fall, which can slow progress considerably. It reached mid 70-degree Fahrenheit, was mostly sunny, and, for the most part, we had a light east wind at our backs.

Up to the NE 17th Ave. levee, the upper and middle slough is narrower and typically tree-lined with lots of natural habitat and wildlife. Along the three-mile stretch between the second levee and North Portland Road, the north shore of the waterway astride the levee lacks trees and riparian habitat; however, the five-mile stretch below North Portland Road to its confluence with the Willamette River has a rural, serene feel-. It’s a beautiful, wide waterway lined with black cottonwood and Oregon ash.

Planning Your Trip
Before you go, you must obtain a waterway access permit from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A permit is required for all non-motorized watercrafts regardless of watercraft length. This permit funds waterway access improvement and aquatic invasive species prevention efforts.

Getting a watercraft can be a challenge but there are local options to rent a canoe or kayak from Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe (Jantzen Beach), Oregon River Rentals (Happy Valley), or eNRG Kayaking (Oregon City). Notably, the Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s (CSWC) offers multiple free outings each year including in bimarans which are two canoes strapped together for maximum stability.

Navigation Tips and Resources
The Bureau of Environmental Services’ “A Paddler’s Access Guide, Columbia Slough” (2015) is an excellent overview to navigate the slough. It contains a map showing nine formal launch sites, like Whitaker Ponds Nature Park (26-acres, 7040 NE 47th Ave.) near Concordia, locations of two levee portages, the first at NE 143rd Ave. and the second at the northern extension of NE 17th Ave. at 1880 NE Elrod Drive, one water-level sewer pipe portage just below NE 122nd Ave. (there are five other above-ground pipe crossings but they are well above the water surface and require no portage), and two under-road culverts, one at NE 122nd Ave. and the other at NE 82nd Ave. (we paddled through both while remaining in our canoe).

Additional informal launch points can be viewed from the 32 bridges that cross the slough. Five rail tracks also cross the slough (two MAX light rail and three railroad). One strategy for a point-to-point transect through the slough is to place a locked bicycle at a takeout location and drive to the “top” with a watercraft, park, and put in for a bike return later (the locked watercraft remains at “bottom” for pickup later).

Do not miss the tremendous paddling opportunity in Smith and Bybee Lakes, one of the country’s largest urban freshwater wetlands (2,000-acres), which can also link, with a portage at the outlet of Bybee Lake, to the lower slough and Kelley Point Park, across the Willamette River from Sauvie Island. Kelley Point Park is a 90-acre, free-parking scenic wonderland that is culturally and spiritually significant to local indigenous tribes but do not swim here as it is at the confluence of two powerful rivers.

Safety Considerations
With your watercraft, wear a life jacket and carry an emergency whistle and headlamp as well as a bow and stern rope. A lightweight, two-wheeled canoe or kayak cart with ratchet strap is very helpful for portages as is a map, compass, and GPS with route waypoints to navigate the many waterway confluences in the slough. Leave a float plan that includes the route, vehicle description, participant contact information, and expected time duration with someone at home.

Check the weather and predictive tide chart at the Columbia at Vancouver gauge (USGS 14144700) on the slough as downstream speed slows, below the second levee at NE 17th Ave., for the final 8.5 miles to the Willamette River during two flood tides each day. While a second gauge (Columbia Slough at Portland, USGS 14211820) does not provide a prediction of slough levels, it does show current, past ebb and flood of tidal flow pattern, and current gauge height in the Smith and Bybee Lakes wetland.

Another excellent resource is the Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s (CSWC) “Nature in the City Columbia Slough” (ca. 2023) which offers an excellent informative map with over three dozen natural history and geographic references.

Years ago, following a bimaran outing with CSWC with our then very young son, Micah, we found and purchased our used canoe (named “The Spy” by a young Micah) from a family no longer needing it for a low price off Craigslist. That started nearly twenty years of exploring over 25 waterways and lakes throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. I hope the slough will inspire you too.

Keith Daellenbach is a mechanical engineer and outdoor enthusiast who loves mountain climbing, skiing, biking, canoeing, and beekeeping with his wife Amy and son Micah.

By Leo Newman | Contributing Writer

On September 16th, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to initiate foreclosure on 2734-2738 NE Alberta, colloquially known as the ‘Alberta Pit.’ The site on the corner of NE 28th and Alberta, inundated by a mound of untouched rubble of the historic Cowley Building, has accrued $105,627.81 in delinquent city liens since its demolition in December 2024. The vote possibly brings a close to a years-long battle between the city and its proprietor, Erzsabet Eppley, over the troubled property which stood dilapidated and vacant for several years prior to its demolition. 

“Neighbors are beyond ready to say goodbye to what has been, for a while now, a hazardous property,” Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (D2) said in a statement to Concordia News.

The property returned to the public’s attention after the Housing and Permitting Committee referred the matter of foreclosure to the City Council in early August. A couple weeks later, a satirical advertisement for the “Pittman Apartments” appeared on the property’s surrounding fencing. The sign featured an AI-generated image of a luxury apartment complex engulfed in debris and tennis shoes. A QR code next to the building linked to the city government’s webpage for reporting property code violations. 

The stunt drew the attention of local residents and business owners, several of whom submitted written testimony in favor of foreclosing the property ahead of the council’s vote. Several testimonies pointed to dangers posed to pedestrians by the blocked off sidewalk in front of the property on Alberta Street. 

“Portland talks constantly about revitalization, housing, economic development, and bringing life back to our commercial corridors,” wrote Brad Trost. “Meanwhile, a highly visible piece of property in the middle of one of our most successful neighborhoods has been allowed to remain a fenced-off symbol of dysfunction. 

Eppley does not necessarily disagree. The proprietor had challenged the penalty liens that encumbered the property, claiming that the city never explained their cause. In an 11-page affidavit submitted as public testimony to the council, Eppley requested that the council forgive the liens, which she claimed made the property unattractive to buyers. The affidavit also argued that the city’s move to initiate foreclosure negates Eppley’s continued effort to remain compliant with city audits. 

Background

Eppley serves as proprietor for a relative, a minor who inherited the property from Eppley’s father after his death. Eppley’s father, Joseph Bozcki, fled Hungary during the 1956 Revolution and settled in Portland, whose surrounding hillsides reminded him of Budapest. By 1964, he had acquired the historic Cowley Building, where he lived and operated an appliance shop. The two-story brick structure had a colorful history once boasted a maple dancefloor spanning the entire second storey and, according to Eppley, a basement speakeasy outwardly advertised as a revolving door of revivalist churches. Bozcki and his wife Erzsabet would go on to acquire a portfolio of about twenty properties in the Portland area. When he died in 2010, he left his first property to his grandson, and Eppley oversees it. 

By then, the Cowley Building had fallen into considerable disrepair. Its apartments upstairs were reportedly prone to leaks. Its anchor tenant, Stephen Ferruzza, owner of Al Forno Ferruzza, a Sicilian-style pizzeria and music venue on the ground floor, told Willamette Week that he vacated the building in 2014 after the owners failed to react to a burst pipe in time, which led to an unsafe mold build-up. Ferruzza also rented his home on NE Tillamook Street from Eppley, who evicted him in June 2014, according to court records.

After Ferruzza’s departure, the Cowley building stood vacant. Eppley came under fire in October 2022 when several unreinforced bricks from the building’s east face fell onto the sidewalk. In response, the Portland Bureau of Development Services opened a “dangerous building case,” the first of a long series of public inquiries into the structural integrity of the building and its unreinforced masonry, and erected fencing around the property.

In the affidavit submitted to the City Council ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Eppley claimed that she reacted promptly to the failing bricks in compliance with city orders. The affidavit also reports that Eppley retained a forensic engineer to audit the building around this time. The audit found that the bricks up to the ground floor were compromised from water damage, possibly stemming from severe flooding after a water main break down the street that flooded Alberta Street for several blocks. 

In the two years that followed, Eppley incurred upwards of $60,000 in code violations Eppley says she consulted with multiple architects to renovate the property while honoring its historical significance. In 2023, she applied for a permit to demolish the second story. However, the city would only grant a permit to demolish the entire structure, Eppley says. 

She is also the proprietor of the boarded-up house behind the property as well as the Cruz Room on NE 23rd, another Alberta business that stood vacant for several years. A new tenant has leased the former bar since April and is making renovations, Eppley says. 

Next Steps

Demolition on the Cowley Building began in December 2024. Eppley says that the minor owner’s trust was effectively drained after spending half a million dollars financing the demolition, including asbestos removal and lead abatement, not to mention mounting zoning violations, and attorney fees. She says the trust did not have enough remaining money to clear the mound debris, which has tormented Alberta residents for nearly two years.

Now that the council has voted to initiate foreclosure, the city will be able to take the property, zoned for mixed-commercial use, to foreclosure sale. A representative of Councilor Sameer Kanal (D2) told Concordia News that the councilor expressed interest in purchasing the property for the city in the event of foreclosure.

“This was expected but it is still unfortunate” Eppley said of the decision. She says she is currently looking into ways to best respond to the Council’s vote. Eppley is now more than ever interested in preserving the legacy of the Cowley building, and has plans to write a book on the history of the Cowley Building. 

“Tonight’s move to initiate the foreclosure of 2734-2738 NE Alberta Street is a concrete step toward remedying this long-blighted property along one of the most vibrant commercial corridors in District 2” wrote Councilor Dan Ryan (D2) in a statement to Concordia News.

Leo Newman is a freelance reporter and paralegal based in NE Portland. He covers housing and development, immigration policy and the environment.

Wood Ducks and Muskrats and Salmon… Oh My!

By Keith Daellenbach, Contributing Writer

Even today, the Columbia slough is teeming with abundant wildlife. 

It is home to 175 species of birds including mallards, wood ducks, green wing teals, American widgeons, and mergansers, as well as Canada geese. Great blue herons, castle egrets, belted kingfishers, ospreys (Oregon’s state raptor), double-crested cormorants, killdeer, and songbirds of great variety and sound are present including the red-winged blackbird which makes an earnest “Uncle Wee-Bull” call.  Binoculars help. There are beavers, river otters, muskrats, invasive nutria, cottontail rabbits, dragonflies and reptiles like the native northwestern pond turtle which has an estimated lifespan of 50 to 70 years.  Bald eagles, black tailed deer, Western painted turtles, raccoons and coyotes, are also in abundance. 

There are 28 species of fish including anadromous migrating Chinook and Coho salmon as well as steelhead, the juveniles of which shelter in 35 engineered logjams which were installed by the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) in 2015 along the lower six miles of the slough starting at Moore Island below the North Interstate Avenue bridge.  These logjams provide habitat that is impacted by levees which altered this lower Columbia River estuary and dramatically scaled back the impact of spring flooding to aid juvenile salmon migration along with access to cold water and nutrients.  

In 2025, 1,082,000 salmon crossed Bonneville Dam heading upriver which is only about 10 percent the 10 million (or more) salmon that migrated upriver in the 1870’s.  Along the lower slough, young families often bank fish including those with young families. Because fish in the slough may contain PCB, PFAS, and pesticides, it is important to follow Oregon Health Authority advisories and limit consumption to no more than one fillet each month for all resident fish (e.g., carp, bluegill, bass, sturgeon). 

It is incredible how much we can see right in our backyard.

By Alessia Respect, Contributing Writer

The stars aligned that September was the month to launch CNews Horoscopes, and we’re thrilled to bring forward some of the otherworldly wisdom that runs deep in Concordia.

Horoscopes are a look into the stars, the sun, planets, moon and us. Sun sign dates are listed below, and if you know your moon and rising signs check those out too! We hope the special “C-Tips” help you discover things that make Concordia and its people unique. 

Virgo (August 23rd – September 22nd) Feliz cumpleaños my fellow Virgos. This time of year feels like an opportunity for fresh starts. It’s also a time when we feel as though we are expected to be everything everywhere all at once. Our Virgo planner brain wants to do it all, but should we? Remember, based on the sun it is still summer and your birthday season so soak it in! Play a little more than usual, loosen your grip on expectations, slow down, and savor the moment. C-Tip: Treat yourself to the magic of Javelina Restaurant on 42nd Ave. Carefully select a birthday tea from their extensive menu; it will be an herb that will guide you into your next circle around the sun. 

Libra (September 23rd – October 23rd) Happy birthday to my September Librans! Your mellow mood and love of harmony and justice will be needed in full force this fall. Before things get even more stirred up, tend deeply to your heart and gather up your energetic resources. All the signs will thank you for it. C-Tip: Nourish yourself at one of Concordia’s beautiful parks. Sit by a tree, find a comfy rock and let the power of nature become a part of you. 

Scorpio (October 24th – November 21st) People always think Scorpio is a fire sign, but we know the truth that Scorpios are watery AF. You lead with a hard exterior, but this month try to let your friends and loved ones see the watery side of you that you keep so well hidden. We’re counting on you, Scorpio, to help us soothe and calm the fires of summer. We all need a good cry like the cedar trees need a September rain. C-Tip: Lead a fellow Concordian to water at the soaking pool at Kennedy School. It’s totally free for Concordia residents, and its salt waters have healing properties. Bring your ID and show your address for a free soak. 

Sagittarius (November 22nd – December 21st) Sagittarians, the moon will be in your sign on September 16th, 17th and 18th. The nighttime and moon energy can help you know where to set your sights. The September moon reminds you this isn’t about reaching an earthly goal, but about setting your wild heart more wild. C-Tip: When the moon is in Sagittarius, invite your neighbors and friends for a “feral” themed hangout. See what kind of healthy wildness you can bring forward.

Capricorn (December 22nd – January 19th) Capricorns, you’ve been on a personal, multi-year journey that at times has felt murky, but in 2026 is starting to take a more clear form. With the sun now in your fellow earth sign, let Virgo energy help you walk into your next chapter with sweetness and hope. C-Tip: It’s time to celebrate the path you’ve been on, Capricorn. Gather loved ones close and walk down Happy Alley together (on NE 29th in between Alberta and Wygant). Bonus points if you stop at Callejon 29 for a celebratory meal or dance in some good vibes during a DJ set at Bar Cala. 

Aquarius (January 20th – February 18th) Dreamy Aquarius, you can see the new dawn before the rest of us. As the summer wanes, it’s a great time to tap back into your dream life and creative magic. Help those around you step outside of “what is” and imagine “what if…” C-Tip: Visit Parallel Worlds Bookshop on NE Alberta and 27th to get inspired by dreamy fantasy novels, afrofuturistic visionaries and writers creating utopian futures to counter our dystopia. 

Pisces (February 19th – March 20th) On the wheel of the year, Pisces sits directly opposite our current astro sign of Virgo. Your strong emotional side and intuition are on high feels these days. As Virgo rings in your half birthday, let this practical sign help you share with others what you are sensing and feeling. C-Tip: Of all the signs, you, Pisces, know that emotion is a gift. Invite someone over for a one-on-one hang out this September and help break out of the day-to-day convo by being vulnerable with your emotions. You’ll both be better for it.  

Aries (March 21st – April 19th) We know that you, Aries, are bold and confident, but you are also hella funny. Your laughter creates a buoyant energy that attracts others. While September can bring a more serious vibe, be the one to help lighten the mood. C-Tip: On a cooler September night, tell a few people to come over with a blanket. Get cozy outside, maybe enjoy some Oregon grown fruits or herbs, tell stories and sprinkle the night with the special sound of laughter.

Taurus (April 20th – May 20th) Taurans, you are feeling very curious these days. Your love of honesty and facts has your brain seeking something that feels truly true. Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive this month. Ask questions, examine something from all angles, and keep your playful mind on while you do it. C-Tip: While Concordia doesn’t have a county library in our bounds, we do have the University of Oregon library accessible to us! Go wander through the stacks and talk to a librarian. In your quest you will learn something valuable this fall. 

Gemini (May 21st – June 21st) – This year, the twin aspects of your personality are loving the balance and equality that September brings. On the September 23rd equinox, or sometime during that week, let yourself focus on inviting more balance between the many sides of your sweet, savory and spicy personality. If you’ve been leaning heavy on a few aspects, see if you can call in some of the parts of yourself that haven’t been front and center lately. C-Tip: Shake up your routine by walking to a part of Concordia you usually don’t venture to. Notice things along the way like plants, stickers, posters, and people. What is this side of yourself drawn to?

Cancer (June 22nd – July 22nd) Everyone’s favorite crab! Your loyalty is admirable beyond belief. Cancer, your steady presence turns our 6´s to 9´s! But sometimes your crab claws can loyally cling too tightly to a belief that no longer serves. This month offers a chance for you to loosen your grip, and explore. C-Tip: Take your shoes off and walk on the earth as much as you can this month, especially potent from September 10th (the new moon) to September 18th (the half moon).

Leo (July 23rd – August 22nd) – Last month’s Leo season went by fast, but we hope you got moments to luxuriate in it. There’s no reason to not keep the positive celebrations coming, Leo! Keep seeking out the day’s sweet little moments and take pause to truly enjoy the simple things. C-Tip: There’s no better place to appreciate and reflect than at Queer Plants Cafe on NE 42nd Ave. It’s coffee! It’s plants! It’s ripe for you, Leo.

About the Astrologer: The stars are better when they carry a little bit of mystery. Allessia Respect is a fellow neighbor and is happy to be circling the sun with you.

By Amy Daileda, Contributing Writer

Join us at Concordia Commons (NE 30th and Killingsworth St.) on Saturday, September 12th from 3-7pm for the second Concordia Artist Collective Art Show. A group of artists from the Concordia neighborhood will be exhibiting and selling original art. This year’s event will feature eight artists.

Last year’s event “had its own heart  beat. It had such good vibes,” says Liz Borowski, one of the artists exhibiting this year along with Anne Jennings Paris, Lisa Laser, Andrea Morris, Carol Armstrong Ioanovici, James Hook, Gesine Kratzner and myself. 

Nature is a common theme among some of the artists. Liz works in mixed media and her pieces combine watercolor and embroidery. She teaches watercolor classes in her home studio.  Anne Jennings Paris enjoys talking to the attendees about her encaustic paintings. Her recent works are inspired by the flowers and colors of summer gardens.  Carol Armstrong Ioanovici enjoys painting on discarded wood. She will be sharing art that is  inspired by nature and her patterns. My works are detailed acrylic paintings of Pacific Northwest native plants. My home studio has a view of the yard, which provides much inspiration.

Lisa Laser will be exhibiting small acrylic paintings of snarky creatures on upcycled wood as well as oil paintings of landscapes, birds, and figures. Andrea Morris is a linocut artist with an affinity for bold colors, strong patterns, and imperfection. She will be showing a line of paper goods as well as hand printed originals.  James Hook is a self taught artist who started painting during lockdown. Hook’s works are figurative and explore themes of relationships and everyday life. Gesine Kratzner is a sculptor who works in clay. She creates creatures that embody emotions, with themes that are light hearted and humorous, spreading some much needed happiness.  

Lisa Laser says “I’m looking forward to being in such a welcoming space with a group of artists  who all share a love of the Concordia neighborhood. This is our second event together, and I  hope people will enjoy coming out and seeing us and take the time to connect with their  neighbors and city.” 

The Concordia Neighborhood Association is sponsoring the event and it is free. Hope to see you there!

Amy Daileda has lived in the Concordia neighborhood since 2000. She is an artist and gardener. You can often find her walking in our neighborhood taking macro photos of plants and insects for future paintings.

By Garlynn Woodsong | Contributing Writer

August has a different rhythm. School is out. Evenings linger. Porches fill. Food carts stay open a little later. A guitarist appears in the park. Neighbors who spent all winter waving from behind windshields suddenly find themselves talking for half an hour on the sidewalk.

None of this happens because a city ordinance requires it. It happens because people are given places where gat hering feels natural.

Urban planners spend a great deal of time thinking about physical infrastructure. We debate street widths, housing types, bike lanes, transit, stormwater, and zoning. Those conversations matter because they shape the framework within which daily life unfolds.

But there is another kind of infrastructure that deserves equal attention: cultural infrastructure. Not museums or concert halls, although those certainly have their place. I mean the everyday spaces where community comes alive: an alley dinner, a porch concert, a park where strangers become dancers. These moments may seem temporary, but they create something remarkably durable. They build trust between neighbors and become part of a neighborhood’s identity.

Ask someone why they love a particular place, and they rarely beg in by describing setback requirements. They remember the block party, the neighborhood café, the summer concert, or the conversation that lasted until sunset. Those experiences become part of the civic memory of a place.

The best public spaces don’t need to be elaborate. They need shade, places to sit, good lighting, trees, art, and room for people to bring their own creativity.

Great public spaces don’t manufacture culture. They make it easier for culture to emerge. That distinction matters. The strongest neighborhood traditions rarely come from City Hall. They grow when people have room to experiment: a movie night, local music, shared meals, a weekly gathering that slowly becomes a tradition.

And planning can either encourage those moments or unintentionally make them harder. Rules that discourage outdoor dining, temporary performances, or flexible use of public space don’t just regulate activity. They reduce opportunities for neighbors to create community. Cities that invest in welcoming public spaces and make it easier to host small events often discover that residents do the rest. Joy, it turns out, is remarkably self-organizing.

That matters for reasons beyond entertainment, because communities where people regularly gather become more resilient. Neighbors who have shared meals, music, and celebrations are more likely to recognize one another, lend a hand after a storm, or check on someone during a heat wave. The healthiest cities are not simply efficient. They are places where people genuinely enjoy being together.

As another Portland summer w inds dow n, I hope we take advantage of these long evenings. Walk instead of drive when you can. Stop at the food cart or the taqueria with the line of regulars. Listen when you hear music drifting across the park. Stay for the conversation after the event ends. Host a potluck block party with your neighbors. Cities are built over decades Community is built one gathering at a time.

Place Stories

A question for readers: What place in or around Concordia makes you feel most connected to your neighborhood? Maybe it’s a park, a food cart, a café, a front porch, a community garden, or someplace entirely unexpected. Please share your story by emailing it to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org, with the subject line “Place Stories.” Your letter may be published in a future issue of Concordia News.

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.

By Dina Sage | Concordia New Editor

Last year, Javier Puga-Phillips approached the Portland Pride Association (PPA) with a fresh idea – hosting an official Portland Pride event right here in Concordia. PPA, who has been running the waterfront event since 1975 and who hosts satellite events in other neighborhoods, was amenable. “I told them that pride is about making people welcome right where they live,” says Javier, a realtor who moved to Concordia from West Hollywood, California in 2020 with his husband.

After getting permission, Javier began planning the party and connected with Take Two General Manager Dennis Lindsey to reestablish the Concordia Neighborhood Pride Association, an organization that hasn’t been active since two years ago when Javier was the Chair of the CNA Social Committee.

The event is slated for Sunday July 19th and will take place at Concordia Commons after the Portland Pride Parade Downtown. The city of Portland has also agreed to shut down traffic on the adjacent block between NE Emerson and Killingsworth for the event. Drag performers, DJs and dancers will be performing at the party and Javier himself will be emceeing alongside cohost Meesha Peru. Ms. Peru is one of Portland’s most celebrated drag queens, a former Miss International and the city’s first Miss Gay Latino. There will be drinks from Take Two who recently announced its upcoming closure, and food from both Gabiano’s and Gabi’s. There will also be booths representing LGBTQ+ organizations and other community resources.

One such resource is Educate Ya, a Portland-based non-profit organization geared towards helping Hispanics and Latinos with cultural integration through bilingual health, leadership and education programs. In organizing the event, it is important to Javier to be able to support both gay and Latino communities. “I know a little something about those things,” says Javier, who was born in Mexico. Javier sits on the board of Educate Ya and 5% of the money that the event makes will be going to support it.

Why should you attend? Javier says, “Pride celebration should be about connecting with community and raising our voices. We are not a community that is going to step down; we’re going to step up, be loud and we want to be seen. Concordia’s 2026 Pride celebration is a way to support queer Latinos in the community who are in need of help. It is at the heart of Concordia. NE Pride started right here.” Learn more at tinyurl.com/2599h8ts.

Dina Sage loves engaging in the arts and being outdoors. She has been in Portland since 2011 and lives with her husband, daughter and their pets.