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!