Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

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They save history from the wrecking balls

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Dan Werle | CNA Media Team

Brian (left) and Mike McMenamin grew up in neighboring Alameda with a respect for history. That’s what led to restoring buildings like Kennedy School and filling them with vintage decor like this Dutch puppet theater. Photo by Dan Werle

Mike and Brian McMenamin grew up in neighboring Alameda, attended The Madeleine School in Irvington and Jesuit High School in Beaverton before graduating from Oregon State University with degrees in political science.

Since then, they have helped establish or re-invigorate more than 55 pubs, restaurants, hotels and concert venues throughout Oregon and Washington – including the iconic Kennedy School in Concordia.

During their Alameda days, their mom, Pat, stayed home taking care of them and sisters Maureen and Nancy. Their dad, Robert, was an attorney, and he wrote a column for The Oregonian. As kids, their parents and grandparents exposed them to a variety of music, art and history.

Mike, the elder of the two, won a football scholarship but, in his second year, left the football program and began working at Togo’s sandwich shop. There he enjoyed the work better than football.

In 1974, Mike purchased Produce Row Café on southeast Oak Street and their dad purchased the building. Brian later worked at Produce Row before 1978 when they sold it to the employees. In 1983, The Barley Mill on Southeast Hawthorne Street opened its doors and became the brothers’ first joint venture.

Since then, the business has expanded to include such popular venues as the Crystal Ballroom downtown, Edgefield in Troutdale and, of course, Kennedy School.

Students had begun attending classes there in a one-room building in 1913. Two years later the full school opened and, in 1975, the building was shuttered due to decreasing student enrollment and a crumbling infrastructure.

Thanks to former students, local community members and the Portland Development Commission (now Prosper Portland), the building was spared the wrecking ball.

In 1980 Portland Public Schools abandoned the building, and it remained vacant until 1995 when Mike and Brian proposed renovation. The original bell of the school principal rang Oct. 22, 1997, at 7 a.m. to mark McMenamins Kennedy School’s first day “in session.”

Four of the brothers’ children are involved in McMenamins Inc., and Mike’s 12-year-old granddaughter is already providing advice for potential future pursuits.

Brian admits he and Mike began buying and restoring old taverns because, “They were cheap to start out with.” Both confess a penchant for older, high-quality structures, and they enjoy sharing information with the communities in which their businesses operate.

“We like to leave the property in better shape than we found it,” Mike explained.

Brian agreed, “We like to try to do the right thing and hopefully become a positive force in the community.”

Dan Werle lives in Concordia with his wife, Anna, and their dogs.

Ask the historian – University shares name, history, future locally

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, History

Provided by Concordia University

The high school that became Concordia University moved to this campus in 104 years ago, and it has grown immensely since this mid1940s photo. Founded originally as a high school, the site now boasts a diverse student body with undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on campus and online. Photo courtesy of Concordia University

Responding to a need for teachers and ministers in the Pacific Northwest, Concordia University-Portland (CU) was founded in 1905 as a high school. It opened with $800 and 16 students in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Congregation.

By 1907 the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod purchased land and constructed a school building at the current site, 2811 N.E. Holman St.

Under the direction of its first president, F.W.J. Sylwester, the school overcame obstacles to survival. At the time, unpaved roads proved a challenge and the Great Depression significantly reduced student enrollment and employee compensation.

In 1946 the second president, Thomas Coates, added critical faculty members, began a building campaign and, in the 1950s, instituted two years of junior college. The name became Concordia College.

In 1954 it opened its doors to women to prepare teachers for parochial schools and partnered with Emanuel Hospital to prepare nurses. In 1958 president E.P. Weber spun off the high school program as Concordia High School under the direction of Art Wahlers, Ph.D., who also helped found the Concordia Neighborhood Association.

In 1977 CU became a four-year college. The president oversaw residence hall construction to support more students, including international students. The high school moved off campus.

When Charles “Chuck” Schlimpert, Ph.D., was named the fourth president in 1983, Concordia College was firmly rooted in what had become known as the Concordia neighborhood.

He served as president for 35 years during unprecedented growth for CU. Four colleges were distinguished, and the university grew from 800 students to more than 6,000 nationwide.

In 1995, the Concordia University System was formed and linked 10 Concordias across the U.S. At the same time, CU reaffirmed and updated its mission and vision to prepare leaders for the transformation of society.

In 2010 Washington Monthly ranked CU No. 1 nationally for student participation in community service among U.S. universities with masters programs.

In collaboration with neighbors, the city, and the broader community, campus expansion continued.

In 2009, CU opened the George R. White Library and Learning Center, which serves the Concordia neighborhood as a local community library, hosts arts and culture events, and includes the Jody Thurston Northwest Center for Children’s Literature.

In 2011 the Hilken Community Stadium opened. It’s an athletic complex on northeast Dekum Street, also dedicated 50 percent to community groups.

In 2017, Faubion School + CU, a 3 to PhD community, opened with collaborators including Portland Public Schools, Kaiser Permanente, Trillium Family Services and basics market.

CU continues as a nonprofit, private Lutheran university preparing leaders for the transformation of society, serving the community, and providing a diverse student body with undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on campus and online.

Learn more at CU-Portland.edu.

PBOT tackles traffic death risks

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation

By Garlynn Woodsong | CNA Board Member, SW1 CNA LUTC Chair

“On Tuesday, June 25, just before 6 p.m., police officers responded to a rollover crash near northeast Lombard Street and northeast 42nd Avenue,” reported the Willamette Week last June. “The unidentified driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is the 28th traffic-related fatality so far this year.”

“Smith was driving a blue 2000 Ford Crown Victoria eastbound on northeast Lombard Street, just west of 42nd Avenue, when it appears he struck the rear tire and wheel of a bicyclist, the affidavit said,” reported The Oregonian in December 2015. “Smith said he had veered to the right to avoid another vehicle that had swerved toward him, the affidavit said.”

“A busy road in northeast Portland has reopened now after a man was hit and killed by a taxi cab this morning,” KXL Radio reported in April. “Police got the call just before 1 a.m. to the intersection of northeast 64th and Columbia Boulevard, saying a pedestrian was hit. Crews tried to save him, but he died at the scene. Police say the victim was a delivery driver, who just pulled his truck out into the road, hopped out to close a gate and was hit by the taxi cab.”

Between 2008 and 2017, there were 23 fatalities and 85 severe injuries on Columbia Boulevard and Lombard Street between I-5 and I-205.

We’re tired of hearing of deaths on North Portland Highway / Lombard Street, and on Columbia Boulevard.

People are dying needlessly on Lombard, both on bicycles and within automobiles, because the Oregon Department of Transportation does not maintain the bicycle facilities there to any acceptable standard of safety. And both high-speed streets have local street and driveway intersections that offer many opportunities for car-on-car crashes as well.

The Concordia Neighborhood Association has been concerned with the Columbia / Lombard Corridor for many years now. We are unable to safely walk from our neighborhood to the Columbia River, even though we can see it from some of our houses, and its distance would certainly be within a pleasant walking distance of our neighborhood – if only safe facilities existing to connect us with it.

Emissions – not only from the roadway facilities themselves, but also from the industrial land uses nearby – drift into our neighborhood and foul our air when the wind blows from a generally northerly direction, as well as when it doesn’t blow much at all.

It is in this context that the Portland Bureau of Transportation has kicked off the Columbia / Lombard Mobility Corridor planning process, which focuses on the corridor between I-5 to I-205, with a buffer area to include parallel routes.

The process is expected to last through next July, resulting in a plan to guide a strategy for making implementation investments.

Stay tuned to this page in CNews. Better yet, attend the LUTC meetings the third Wednesday each month at 7 p.m. in the McMenamins Kennedy School Community room.

Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Parkways wheels through Concordia Sept. 22

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events

By Nancy Varekamp | CNews Editor

Again this year, riders of all sizes are expected to wheel their way on all types of non-motorized wheels in NE Sunday Parkways. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

Every September thousands of Portlanders arrive on wheels to ride the 7.6-mile loop of city streets that connect four Concordia-area parks in NE Sunday Parkways.

They return Sunday, Sept. 22. Neighbors move their cars to where they can access them on other streets, or they simply plan to be part of the annual event between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Rebecca and Nick O’Neil on Ainsworth Street, and Nell Westerlund and Bryce Tolene on 37th Avenue didn’t realize they’d be on the route when they bought their homes five and four years ago, respectively.

“We’d lived in Portland 20 years and participated in some of the Sunday Parkways around town,” Rebecca said. “But being on the route came as a surprise, a welcome one.”

“We were excited when we realized it,” Nell recalled. “We have always participated in Sunday Parkways in some form, changing every year as the kids’ abilities grow.”

Last year her children drew bike art in the driveway. This year they plan to sell vegetables from their garden after they finish their own circuit of the loop.

Rebecca’s and Nick’s daughter was born shortly after they moved here, and each year pictures record her maturing – from a bike trailer, to training wheels and last year to just two wheels.

Friends participating in the event – and even ones who don’t – gather in the O’Neils’ front yard to watch and to interact with passersby.

Before and after their own ride around the loop, the O’Neils’ daughter sells lemonade, or gives away flowers and fruit from their garden.

The story’s much the same for the Westerlund/Tolene family.

“We embrace the event by having a party in our front yard,” Nell explained.

“It’s become like a holiday tradition. We let our friends know we’ll be out front if they want to stop for a drink or a snack and, as a bonus, we always get to see people we didn’t know would be out biking. We flag them down, and they join the party.”

This section of Concordia also gets plenty of traffic in the spring and summer since Fernhill Park – with its egg hunt and concert series – is only a stone’s throw.

“We see those as more opportunities to take the event and expand on it since we live so close,” Nell reported.

Rebecca agreed. She and Nick invite friends from outside Concordia to the park events.

“It’s a statement of how the neighborhood is so desirable, since our friends like to come and experience it with us.”

Editor’s note: Click here for details about NE Sunday Parkways and the route.

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, public relations and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

KISS proffers simple pleasures

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Sarah and Trae Pearson keep it sweet and simple at their new enterprise on 30th Avenue, KISS Coffee. In less than two months, they’ve earned a local following. Photo by Carrie Wenninger

Couple Trae and Sarah Pearson have a playful, long-standing habit of bantering around small business ideas. They came up with the concept for KISS Coffee three years ago.

However, when Trae’s mother brought to their attention the businessfor-sale listing she had seen online, the conversation shifted quickly from dream to possibility. On June 9, the cafe door at 3016 N.E. Ainsworth St. opened and KISS Coffee became a reality.

This tiny yet inviting retail space was formerly the Cottage Pantry, and had previous incarnations as a massage studio, a flower shop and another coffee shop.

Executive chef and sous chef respectively, Trae and Sarah worked together previously at Westwind, a nonprofit camp for kids on the Oregon coast.

There they enjoyed the challenge of crafting the ingredients on hand into innovative and delicious fare while using seasonal variety and avoiding waste.

They bring the same philosophy and creativity to their coffee business.

For those deeply involved in a relationship with caffeine, the name conjures up warm, desirous feelings for that dark and brewing elixir.

Turns out it’s less about romance and more about straight-up good stuff without the fuss.

“KISS, the way we’ve envisioned it, stands for ‘keep it sweet and simple,’” Trae said. “You start with a solid base, which means using good beans. We source ours from Seven Virtues, another small, local business.

“Then offer simple but interesting food options.”

Their flavoring syrups are made from scratch, and there are plans for a small kitchen. “We’d like to have grab-n-go salads, standard and reliable options, and a few seasonal and rotating items to keep things engaging,” Sarah added.

Both have years of coffee industry experience, and Sarah also works as office manager at Icicle Tricycles.

Their home brewing method of choice? “French press,” they said in perfect unison.

Opening at 7:30 a.m. weekdays has brought in early rising Concordia University students. And neighbors have been welcoming, enjoying outdoor cafe tables when weather allows since there’s no indoor seating option. Hours are 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekends.

“The connections that coffee makes are a big part of the enjoyment for us,” Sarah shared. “We are very excited to become part of the community and to be good neighbors.”

KISS Coffee hosts a Concordia Neighborhood Association mixer Sept. 21, but you’re welcome to stop by sooner to sample the sweet and simple selections.

Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

CNA Voices – Dog treats create community

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By John McSherry CNA Board, AL3 | CNA Media Team

Each day, neighbors walking their dogs down 29th Avenue between Ainsworth and Holman streets stop in the middle of the block, open a little glass door, take dog treats from a jar and make happy dogs.

We stock this Little Free Library box in the front of our house. Instead of books, it’s full of dog treats, poop bags and a little guest book.

Since my wife Theresa and I love dogs and the dog culture in Concordia, we thought giving cookies to our furry friends would be a fun way to interact with our neighbors and add to our community.

I made the box from a small cabinet drawer I found on the side of the road. I added a slanted roof, some siding from my house and a glass door on the front. I painted the whole thing to match our house and set it on a post in our sidewalk garden.

It’s named after our own dog, Scotty.

Inside there is a shelf separating the cookie jar and guest book on top from the poop bags below. The cookies are Costco chicken and rice premium dog biscuits, broken into smaller pieces. The jar holds about 130 cookies and lasts about a week, which results in about 18 happy dogs a day.

Sometimes the dogs will do tricks for cookies. Some people leave dog-related trinkets, prepaid coffee cards, and several times boxes of cookies have been left on our porch.

The poop bag supply is a collective effort, with neighbors adding bags as they can.

People write in the guest book, leaving their names, names of their pups and anecdotes about the garden. When I’m outside, people stop to thank me for the cookies, and I put faces and tails to the names in the guest book.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the guest book:

  • “Thank you for bringing a smile and a tail wag to our day!”
  • “Burt now thinks every Little Lending Library has treats!”
  • “Kodi knows this house from down the street.”
  • “Edan and Otis are delighted by the unexpected treat! Woof!”
  • “I ate so many of your treats (they are delicious!) I refilled your treat box. Love Huey”

Occasionally, haikus are attached to the front of the box or added to the guest book and signed by Haiku Scotty. More photos and stories are on his Instagram account, @HaikuScotty

What fun it is! We’re so grateful to meet so many of our wonderful neighbors, human and canine alike.

John McSherry lives on 29th Avenue and serves on the CNA board and Media Team. When not spending time with his family, John loves playing music, recreating on the water and volunteering. He can be reached at AL3@Concordiapdx.org

Editor’s note: CNA respects the views and beliefs of all cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Primrose recommends flower essence energy

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Felicia Howe is a self-described botanical counselor who deals in the subtle art of flower essence energy medicine from her suite on Alberta Street. Photo by Carrie Wenninger

Petite and dark haired with a quick, warm smile, Felicia Howe perched like a wood sprite in a chair in her studio, Primrose Organics Apothecary.

She sipped raspberry leaf and nettle tea from a vintage floral teacup with one hand while the other danced emphatically in the air and gestured toward a busy looking workbench and wall shelving full of mysterious, amber colored, liquid-filled bottles.

Her cozy healing suite in the Alberta Studios building at 1627 N.E. Alberta St., No. 4, opened in June.

“The opportunity presented itself and I just threw myself into the space. It’s slowly revealing to me how I’m going to work here. It’s an evolving process!” she laughed.

A self-described botanical counselor, Felicia deals in the subtle art of flower essence energy medicine. It’s a vocation that, although somewhat hard to explain, seems perfectly at home here in Portland, the City of Roses.

Flower essences, as she described them, can encapsulate the experience of being in nature in much the same way a day at the beach or hiking in the woods can leave you feeling deeply nourished, grounded and peaceful.

Taking the tinctures by mouth – neat or diluted in water – can offer assistance to those undergoing life transitions and can also address feelings of stress and anxiety in a supportive way.

“It’s not herbalism, and it’s not aromatherapy. Flower essences don’t have a scent,” she explained. “They’re liquid extracts that work in a way that’s similar to acupuncture, along the lines of the body’s meridians, on an energetic and vibrational level, to support emotional well-being and mind-body balance.

“I also love that it’s an environmentally-friendly, non-invasive modality. A single flower can infuse a large quantity of water; whereas, a drop of essential oil takes a considerable amount of plant matter to produce.”

An artist, empath and intuitive alchemist, Felicia’s background also includes experience as a stylist, life coach, Reiki practitioner, herbalist and aromatherapist.

“You don’t have to completely understand it to experience it, but you do have to be open and curious,” she pointed out. “There’s an intentional aspect that’s essential to working with flower essences, and it’s a wonderfully effective and gentle way to engage in self-care.”

Primrose Organics Apothecary is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, by appointment only. Call 971.258.8022 to schedule a consultation, or visit FeliciaHowe.com for more information.

Primrose Organics Apothecary

Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

Milagros helps change how families connect

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

Erica Matteson’s Milagros Boutique has evolved in 15 years from selling necessities to new families to also offering support groups, classes, new parent education and personal services. Photo by Marsha Sandman

Welcome to parenthood… then get ready for the ride of your life. There will be so many questions and challenges but mostly pure joy.

Erica Matteson, Milagros Boutique owner, has created a cozy little spot where Concordia parents can find answers, help, connections and some of those cute little baby necessities.

The store celebrated its 15th anniversary recently. Erica, who has been a birth and postpartum doula for 20 years, purchased the store from the original owner about six years ago.

She recognized the necessity to make changes due to internet competition, so the retail portion of the store was downsized to add more services. Milagros Boutique now includes support groups, classes, new parent education and personal services.

“My desire with Milagros is to provide families in our community a customizable launching ground,” Erica said. “My goal is to walk alongside each family, one on one, on how they come to the information. It is easy to blaze your own trail if you are connected to others who are also learning.”

Erica’s goal is to include her store as a community service. Milagros invites parents with newborns to a welcoming daily retreat from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. where they can relax, connect to other parents and get support.

She said she got a little teary eyed recently when five parents showed up for the daily group gathering.

Milagros stocks infant carriers, cloth diapers, breastfeeding supplies and locally-made artisan items. “These items connect to the classes taught by either our staff or providers in our local area,” Erica explained.

“Our goal is to have items on hand that lessen that overwhelmed feeling that new parents have when walking into a large baby store. In carriers, we want everyone safe and comfortable. Our cloth diaper rental kits allow families to find a system that works for them and fits the budget.

Newborn feeding takes care and time to become “easy,” and sometimes having that one little product makes the difference.

Milagros offers baby photography, group sessions and individual customizable consultations by appointment through MilagrosBoutique.com.

Erica invites parents to visit Milagros Boutique for a quiet moment from the festivities Sunday, Sept. 8, at the 3-9 p.m. block party on 30th Avenue.

Milagros Boutique is at 5429 N.E. 30th Ave., and the phone number is 503.493.4141. Information about classes, workshops and happenings are on the store’s website.

Milagros Boutique

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@gmail.com.

Ready, Set, Grow offers services to families

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

Movement classes for new moms, along with educational series for parents top the offerings of new 30th Avenue business Ready, Set, Grow. Photo courtesy of Kimmi Burk Photography

Ready Set Grow (RSG) is a new movement, art, education and wellness studio dedicated to families.

Classes are offered for new parents, ones well past postpartum, for parents who didn’t give birth to their children and for kids, including those with sensory and learning differences.

Opened in February, RSG is the creative brainchild of Daniele Strawmyre, a professional dancer, choreographer, yoga instructor and installation artist.

After growing up in Philadelphia, she moved to Portland with partner Mike four years ago. The family – including children Colin and Donavyn, 6 and 3 respectively – purchased a home in north Portland.

Daniele created RSG as a program before she rented space for clients to come to her. After giving birth, she was shocked at how long it took to recover and feel strong again. She wanted to help other mothers recuperate in healthy, nurturing ways.

Those ways include yoga, dance and Pilates-based classes, including some fun ones for parents like “Ballet & Babies,” “Ma-ma Modern Dance,” and “Core Baby Bounce.”

Not only are there movement classes, there are educational series for parents as well as childbirth education, baby sign language and baby sleep classes. For class lists, schedules and events, visit AndReadySetGrow.com or call Danielle at 503.505.6989.

Often, in other schools’ classes, once the child reaches a certain age or ability, it’s difficult to find anything for the parents with kids still present or allowed. RSG’s offerings include classes that are for parents of kids of all ages.

As for children’s classes, they range from “Kids Contemporary” to “StoryTime Ballet” and “Wild Force Kids Yoga” in this cozy space at 5433 N.E. 30th Ave. That’s next door to Milagros, one of RSG’s several collaborators in serving local young families. See the CNews story about Milagros’ 15th anniversary on Page 8.

Art events are also hosted at RSG. One is the art gathering from 6 to 8 p.m. the last Thursday of every month. That’s when the art on the walls is changed out.

“It’s really important for me to support artists as well as parents and families,” Daniele said.

In fact, she’s looking forward to the opportunity to host dance, theater and music events, and she would like to rent the space to dancers in need of rehearsal space.

Ready Set Grow

Tamara Anne Fowler is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a sof ter, gentler approach to editing and coaching. Her personal editors — Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D — are also her cats. Visit her at EditKitten.com or contact her at Tamara@EditKitten. com.