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St. Charles Church – Catholic parish welcomes pastoral administrator

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Father Tony Galati. Contributed photo

St. Charles Catholic Church, 5310 NE 42nd Ave., welcomed a new Pastoral Administrator, Father Tony Galati, this summer.

Galati officially took his position in July and is no stranger to the Concordia neighborhood. He grew up in the Piedmont neighborhood and attended Holy Redeemer Grade School, Central Catholic High School and the University of Portland.

When he was a child, his family would occasionally attend Mass at St. Charles, something he remembers fondly as well as the friendships he made with St. Charles parishioners through the years.

Following graduation from college, he began a 28-year career in international shipping and then served as executive director of Portland’s Catholic Radio station, KBVM, now Mater Dei Radio. Galati noted he became interested in the radio station during his commutes. “I would time my drive so I could pick up certain programs during my workday,” he said.

He eventually joined the station’s board in 2002 and was hired as director in 2005, a position he held till 2014. During his tenure at KBVM, he helped to solidify its financial support and expanded its reach in Oregon, extending the station’s broadcast reach by purchasing two transmitters in the Eugene area.

Previously married, Father Galati has two grown sons and three grandchildren. His marriage was annulled, a Catholic process by which a marriage is considered invalid because it lacks at least one essential element to make it a binding union. Because of this, Galati was able to become an ordained minister in the church.

About a decade ago, he said he felt God’s call to the priesthood and was encouraged by others, including a priest friend, to consider joining the clergy.

“It took me a while to discern, and I did, and I haven’t looked back since,” he said. Galati decided to enter Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict and was accepted in 2016 and ordained in 2021.

Now at age 65, he is new to the priesthood but grateful for his life experiences, which he feels will help him to better do the things a priest is consecrated to do. He noted his age and life story enabled him to give spiritual counsel grounded in the practical challenges all people face.

“Had I not been married and had kids, I could not do this job,” he said. “I come with an instinctive desire to be a spiritual father to people.”

His priorities will be administering the sacraments, serving as celebrant for weekend and daily Masses, visiting the sick and homebound and presiding at funerals and weddings.

“I love it all,” he said when asked what he enjoys about being a priest. “Whether it’s celebrating Mass or anointing the sick or hearing confession or baptisms, for me it’s been wonderful. I feel duty-bound in being generous in offering the sacraments.”

In his first Sunday homily, he told the congregation: “It’s a privilege and blessing for me to be here with you. May God bless you and let’s pray for each other that we may be Christ to one another.”

This story contains additional reporting by Rob Cullivan.

Concordia Tree – Team Tree Team helps keep Concordia green

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees

By Jim Gersbach and Ric Vetter | Concordia Tree Team

Jim Gersbach leading a tree walk along Ainsworth arboretum. Photo by Ric Vette

Did you enjoy the shade and coolness of neighborhood trees this summer? Many of those street and school trees in Concordia have been cared for by a dedicated group of neighbors who make up the Concordia Tree Team.

Our activities include pruning small street trees in the spring and fall, watering through the summer and occasionally working with other organizations such as Trees for Life Oregon, distributing watering buckets in various neighborhoods, and Portland Parks and Recreation, which works on tree planting.

Each autumn, we select a different area of Concordia to prune small street trees with the permission of the homeowner. Residents can consent to our services by following guidance on hangtags we leave on doors or by signing consent forms when our volunteers canvas the streets that will be covered this year.

If we prune your trees, please feel welcome to watch us work, ask questions and provide comments. The Concordia Tree Team has been involved in creating each of the neighborhood’s three arboretums, or tree museums.

The Ainsworth Linear Arboretum was established in 2005 at the request of Concordia neighborhood Tree Steward Jim Gersbach with support from volunteers from the Vernon and Woodlawn neighborhoods. The arboretum consists of the median and planting strip rows on 31 blocks of Ainsworth Street, from Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. to 37th Avenue.

You can learn more about the arboretum at AinsworthLinearArboretum.org.

Sixty years ago, the median was strongly dominated by Norway Maples, a tree that is now considered a nuisance species and can no longer be planted on city property. For the past 17 years, Gersbach has worked with Portland Parks and Recreation to select trees that are relatively rare in Portland to diversify the genetic mix along Ainsworth, as well as species that may thrive here as the climate changes. As old trees die, the maple monoculture is gradually giving way to a much more diverse treescape representing dozens of species and different genera.

The arboretum at Alliance High School at Meek Campus, 4039 NE Alberta Ct., was established in 2010 to form a learning landscape where students could learn about trees and biodiversity. Trees were selected from the currently successful and diverse oak genus and other genera that contain few members—or only one.

The Cully-Concordia International Grove, our third arboretum, is a collaborative project with the Cully neighborhood. Planted in March 2011, it is our youngest arboretum. The Bureau of Environmental Services funded the original planting after securing permission from the Oregon Department of Transportation, which owns the land. The goal was to slow stormwater runoff into the Columbia Slough, and to trial diverse species, including those that might be more climate resilient.

Trees were selected to represent every continent where they grow. Among them are Oregon myrtle; Mediterranean cork and holly oaks; a Mexican pine; an evergreen silverleaf oak from the U.S. Southwest; North African Atlas cedar; Chinese Pistache; Australian snow gums; giant sequoia and two Portland natives, Oregon white oak and Willamette Valley ponderosa pine.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood has learned that the Portland Bureau of Transportation intends to remove 14 of the 60-plus trees of the International Grove during construction to replace the bridge over Lombard at 42nd Avenue.

The young trees in all these tree museums require summer watering by our tree-team volunteers, who can be seen working on various nights and weekends at Meek and along Ainsworth.

The Concordia Tree Team was instrumental in securing Concordia’s first heritage tree, an American persimmon, as well as getting heritage status for one of the natural-form European hornbeams in Fernhill Park. We also provide water for park trees that appear to be struggling during our increasingly hot and dry summers.

The Tree Team was honored with a citation from Portland Parks and Recreation for meritorious work in organizing and executing the Fernhill Park tree inventory in 2018. This spring, with the help of many helpful Concordians, we pruned many small trees along Alberta Street in concert with other Earth Day volunteer activities.

Concordia was the first neighborhood in Portland to have its street trees inventoried in 2010. Tree Team members participated in that census. This summer, Concordia was again first in the city to have its street trees re-inventoried with help from the Tree Team. We look forward to sharing the results once they are tabulated by the City’s Urban Forestry staff.

If you’d like to be part of a fun, active group of Concordians and aren’t afraid of rolling up your sleeves to better the neighborhood, consider joining the Concordia Tree Team. We can be reached through the “Talk To Us” page on the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum Website, AinsworthLinearArboretum.org/talkto-us.

 

Social Column – Yard sales a success, Halloween bash set

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events, Volunteer Opportunities
Concordia residents shopped at several homes Sept. 2 to 4 during the neighborhood’s annual yard sales event. Photos by Javier Puga-Phillips

Thank you very much for all your support and help bringing events back to Concordia. I am happy to report that the annual yard sales event, Sept. 2 to 4, was a success. We had 34 official addresses on the roster this year, plus a few neighbors who decided to jump in and hold their yard sales lastminute.

During the yard sales, I had the opportunity to meet many neighbors who happily shared different businesses in Concordia and adjacent neighborhoods in Northeast Portland that they feel are worth giving a shout out here.

Mis Tacones, 1670 NE Killingsworth St., was brought up several times as a great option for vegan food. Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St., was also mentioned a few times as a great option for our younger readers. Thank you to those businesses for being an important part of our neighborhood, and thank you to the residents who took time to talk to me and share their experiences and feedback.

I’d also like to thank Jessica Chace and Michelle Fitzgerald who helped me put this event together. Thank you to Andrea Boyd, a graphic designer who came up with the map and made it easier for us to locate the participants’ homes and, of course, thank you to all the participants and/or residents and shoppers who were key to the success of this event.

A special thank you to Madeleine Chace, who shared her art work with our neighbors and elevated our yard sales to a walk of art.

Up Next

Moving on with our agenda, our next neighborhood Litter Pickup is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. We are meeting at Alberta Park, at the corner of Northeast Ainsworth and Northeast 22nd Avenue.

These events are in coordination with SOLVE as well as our neighbors. At this point, we have picked up over 12 tons of trash from the streets of Concordia. Thank you to Gina Levine, our neighbor who has helped with this project for a year.

Halloween Treats

Our next party event is our Halloween Party, Monday, Oct. 31. We’d like to extend a special thank you to Bar Cala, 2703 NE Alberta St., which is hosting our festivities.

This year’s theme is “Masquerade,” and we will be at Bar Cala passing candy out to the neighborhood kids and will have prizes for the children. The party will be held from 5–8 p.m. Stop by to celebrate with us and wear your best costume. We will be having a costume contest.

Room for Rent

We also like to remind everyone that Concordia Neighborhood Association is funded mainly by the rentals of the community room at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave.

The room is available to be rented by the hour with special rates for nonprofit organizations. All proceeds from the room are used to keep funding more events, Concordia News and other important projects for Concordia.

We currently need volunteers. Please reach out to me at 503.343.5561 or Social@ConcordiaPDX.org for volunteer opportunities.

Follow us in Instagram @CNAPDX and use #SocialConcordiaPDX for shoutouts. We also have a Facebook page @ConcordiaPDX for updates.

Javier Puga-Phillips holds the At Large 4 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.

Concordia Conversations – Area gardener ‘paints with plants’

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Gardening
Garden designer Wesley Younie notes many clients are looking to replace their lawns with more interesting landscapes. Photo by Michael French

Wesley Younie is a painter and trendsetting garden designer leaving his mark all over Portland. Through his business, Wesley Younie Creative, his calendar is packed with eager clients seeking drought-tolerant and aesthetically pleasing flower-filled landscapes.

Past clients include Sequitur Wine in Newburg, Union Wine in Tualatin and dozens of private residences, including many here in Concordia.

Ready to take the plunge and pull out your lawn? Younie recommends starting with the parking strip. “You want it to be low maintenance,” he said. “Why not fill it with plants and shrubs that thrive in the Pacific Northwest?”

Visit WesleyYounie.com to see more of his work or get in touch.

The following interview took place in late summer, in Younie’s stunning home garden in Concordia.

Shelton: Looking at your paintings, I’m noticing an interest in nature. Also, a lot of small details. How does your painting interact with your garden design?

Wesley Younie is an accomplished painter,
whose art is inspired by his gardening. This
work is titled “Dark Garden.” Contributed
photo

Younie: “Well, it’s all the same elements. I say, ‘I’m painting with plants.’ Kind of cheesy to say, but true. It’s the same formula if you’re painting a landscape, except you’re doing it in 3D. And color is huge in my gardens. There are colors I don’t like using. There are colors that are favorites, and those that are really easy to blend together—purple, blue, pink, white, dark red. If I like a bright color, it’s usually orange.”

Your personal garden is packed full of plants. And when I walk down the long sidewalk in front of your house, nestled between the parking strip and the rock retaining wall that lines your lot, I instantly feel transported. Not sure I can pinpoint what that feeling is though. What is it about for you?

“To me, it’s the same thing as art. It’s all about creating a feeling. I once wrote in an artist statement, ‘I want my work to transport you to another world.’ It’s the same in gardens. I like different themes and playing with mixing themes. Parts of my garden are Japanese, parts are tropical and other parts are really arid, natural California desert–looking. It’s so important to have the big picture, then the details. I think that’s what a lot of homeowners can’t figure out. What’s the big picture of my garden or landscape?”

When you set out to design a garden for a client, what are your priorities?

“I really want the client to love the garden. And making sure they are set up for success. Like, don’t let them put a vegetable garden in the shade.”

What’s going on in our gardens in October? What should we be doing?

“Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs because it’s starting to rain and you can have them watered for free. You can start planting fall edible plants too, as well as bulbs.”

Can we plant flowers for spring?

“Perennials, yes, because then they go dormant, then they come back and they look great. It’s a great time to add color to your garden.”

Where do you buy plants?

“My favorite nursery in town, Xera Plants at 1114 SE Clay St. I like to promote them because they’re local, they have good prices and all their plants do great in our climate.”

Wesley Younie works in his home garden. Photo by Michael French

Speaking of climate, how do we plant for a warming one?

“What I’ve been into, and I’m seeing with clients, is a huge push for pollinating flowers that help the ecosystem by attracting bees and other insects. I went to a big nursery conference, and they said pollinators are the number one thing people are asking for. That makes me happy that people are thinking about this.

“And with the fires and climate change— Oregon is getting hotter—there are so many plants that are going to look green, are drought tolerant and are going to look way better than a dead lawn. I love taking out a lawn. And a lot of the gardens in the neighborhood that I’ve done are that. How much better for the ecosystem is a pollinator garden that’s creating habitat than a dead lawn?”

Leigh Shelton is the new lead ad representative for CNews. She loves raising her three children in Concordia and doing yoga nidra. For advertisement inquiries, contact Leigh at CNewsBusiness@ ConcordiaPDX.org.

Stumptown Scholar – Jefferson High valedictorian wins scholarship

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Rob Cullivan | CNews Editor

A fan of anthropology and history, Rowan Dodero is a valedictorian of the Class of 2022 and says she’s fascinated by how folks lived in the past.

Rowan Dodero, 18, a graduate of Faubion Elementary School as well as Jefferson High, can speak Spanish, paint murals and talk fashion—Roman fashion, from back when the Caesars were emperors, not salads.

A fan of anthropology and history, Dodero is a valedictorian of the Class of 2022 and says she’s fascinated by how folks lived in the past. “I’m interested in the people,” she says. “I really like looking at what they wore and learning about what they believed and why and what they did.”

In addition to the aforementioned subjects, Dodero has also learned about biotechnology as an intern at her high school’s OHSU program, and she enjoys writing as well. The stellar student earned 40 college credits while in high school by attending Portland Community College classes through its Cascadia campus, graduated with a 4.2 weighted GPA and is enrolled at the University of Oregon.

She earned a Pathways Scholarship to the home of the Ducks, which she says will cover her tuition, and plans to pay her housing bill with the help of a $1,000 Stumptown Scholarship. Dodero was one of 16 East Portland high school graduates who won such a grant. Stumptown Scholars are primarily funded by retailer Mattress Lot and local donors. Scholarship awards are based on an essay, academic performance, community leadership and financial need.

For her Stumptown essay, Dodero was asked how she would teach young people 20 years from now about what it was like to be a student during the Covid lockdowns.

“I would start by delving into the effects that quarantine, masking and social distancing had on people,” she wrote. “I would focus on youth because I have first-hand experience being a high schooler during the pandemic, and I could relate it to my students. I would look into the long-term effects this had on my generation, how school etiquette and social skills were hindered.”

“Our scholarship committee was super impressed by Rowan’s essay,” Michael Hanna, a Stumptown spokesperson, said. “Rowan is a creative and thoughtful writer. She writes clearly, in an organized manner. We liked her description of life during the pandemic for high school students and her description of how the pandemic changed our culture and society for years to come.”

Dodero credited her parents, Calley Dodero and Stephen Phillips, for supporting her academic journey, and added that her interests are varied, ranging from volunteering on behalf of the Oregon Food Bank to serving as a Portland Parks and Recreation camp counselor this summer, as well as an art camp counselor the previous three years.

Although she would love to study Spanish abroad, Dodero said she has not yet made up her mind what she wants to pursue as a career after university. “I’m just trying to learn a bunch of stuff and see what I like.”

CNews Editor Rob Cullivan is a veteran journalist, publicist and grant writer who has written about everything from rock ‘n’ roll to religion. He possesses a deep affection for writers and photographers who hit deadline.

News from the NET – How to Start Preparing For Potential Disasters

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

If you haven’t started setting aside supplies for a disaster, or done any other kind of planning, where is the best place to start? This is a common question, and while there’s no one right answer, I’ll give you my priorities to use as a guideline in case you need it.

Remember that you don’t have to tackle everything at once, and I highly advise taking it in small doses. A small amount of planning is better than no planning.

It is important to make sure that everyone in your family knows what your reunification plan is. To learn how to make a plan, visit ConcordiaPDX.org, click on “Concordia News” and read the NET columns in the Oct. and Nov. 2021 editions. A reunification plan doesn’t require any supplies, just thinking and talking things through with your family.

For supplies, I suggest starting with a three-day go-bag for each member of the family, including children, and I’ll cover what you should put in it in next month’s NET column. These are supplies you can use in your home or take with you, depending on the situation.

Once you’ve got that in place, it’s time to start thinking about larger quantities of water, a subject I covered in the July and Aug. 2022 NET columns. You will also need food supplies for a longer period of time. It’s a good idea to have at least two weeks of food and water supplies on hand. If it’s too much to buy all of that at once, add to your supplies gradually—it’s not an all-or-nothing rule. Some is always better than none!

If you feel like you have enough supplies for your family for a couple of weeks or more after a disaster, it’s time to get involved in your community if you haven’t already. Find out about joining your Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) at Portland.gov/pbem/ neighborhood-emergency-teams, or your BEECN (Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node) team at Portland.gov/pbem/about-beecn (and see Concordia News August 2021). Or connect with neighbors to share preparedness duties and develop a disaster response plan for the block on which you live.

A community that plans together survives better and recovers faster from disasters!

Erin E. Cooper is a marine biologist living in Woodlawn. She spends a lot of time thinking about disasters and has been a NET member for many years. Contact her at OceanListener@gmail. com.

Back to School – Preschool, afterschool to open in Concordia

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools, Uncategorized
Delorie Finch, left, greets her preschool students each morning. Here she greets Londyn Brown, who high fives her father, Neal Brown. Photo by Leigh Shelton

For Delorie Finch, the dream of opening her own preschool began in 1998, while sitting in the balcony of the Maranatha Church in Northeast Portland.

“The pastor said, ‘God has blessed many of you with talents, and many of you are sitting on those talents,’” Finch said. “And I heard God say to me, ‘Delorie, you need to start the school. Start the school and the people will come.’”

Twenty-four years later, she started the school, and thanks to funding from Preschool for All, a 2020 Multnomah County voter-supported ballot initiative, the students have come.

In its first year of implementation, Preschool for All has enrolled 677 students across the county, 10 of whom will attend Finch Academy, located in Maranatha Church, 4222 NE 12th Ave.

“They’ve been wonderful,” Finch said, referring to the Preschool for All counselors who’ve helped her. “They’re doing everything they possibly can to make sure we’re successful.”

Preschool for All has provided Finch Academy grant money to help cover infrastructure expenses, training and mentorship. The academy has also received tuition aid to cover 10 threeand four-year-olds.

Funded by a tax on high-income earners that Multnomah County started collecting in January 2021, Preschool for All makes full-time preschool free for families in the county.

Finch long dreamt of opening her own school and spent 27 years running the preschool program at Matt Dishman Community Center in Northeast Portland’s Eliot neighborhood. She retired in September of 2021. “When I started [at Dishman], it was all Black children,” she said. “By the time I retired it was all white except for one. This is a result of gentrification.”

Finch said she loved her experience at Dishman. But she still felt a yearning to lead something of her own making and fulfill a deep need she saw for children to attend preschool.

“It’s not fair for children to be left out just because their parents can’t pay,” Finch said. “Parents shouldn’t choose between paying the bills and rent and preschool, yet they do. These kids are so smart. They are like a sponge. We need to fill their little minds with as many good things as we can.”

For Preschool for All, Finch Academy is considered a “Pilot Site.” That means it’s one of the first contracted preschools in the program and, akin to user testing, will influence the overall shape of the county’s preschool program as its details are worked out.

Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson was a key leader of the 2020 Preschool for All campaign conducted by a coalition of parents, teachers, unions, preschool providers and community groups. Pederson said she feels proud of reaching this milestone in the Preschool for All journey, and is still active on the team.

“Families are dropping off their little ones at preschool and are free from the significant financial burden of childcare,” Vega Pederson said, adding: “This program was recognized as a potential national model, and we’re going to make sure it’s a success.”

Applications are currently open for existing or would-be preschool providers interested in joining for the 2023–24 school year. Cash assistance and free training are available. For more information, visit Multco.us/preschool/ providers.

And although Finch Academy’s Preschool for All funded slots are filled for this school year, she still has room for more students, and Finch said she will not turn away families. For more information, call Finch at 971.544.7291.

“We Play” After School

Concordia neighborhood leader and former CNews Advertising Representative Gina Levine’s We Play Portland, an after school childcare program for Faubion School students ages five through 10, has found a new home in St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 6700 NE 29th Ave., starting this month.

Levine has long provided before- and after-school care for friends and neighbors out of her house. But this year she has taken her business to the next level, finding a convenient location in the church’s Fellowship Hall next door to Faubion.

“I’ve been somewhat unofficially watching other people’s kids since my nine-year-old was a newborn,” Levine said. “But it was never a business. It’s really exciting to be taking the next step. I can help more families, and I see it as a longer-term career.”

Levine said she named her care program “We Play” because that’s what she wants to give the kids, a chance for unstructured time to just play and be themselves. “I don’t think kids get to play enough during the school year,” she said. “To me, play is building relationships, building community and figuring out who you are when you’re a kid.”

And for Faubion families, it’s a vital service for those parents who are working and can’t pick up their kids at 3:15 p.m. when school dismisses students, she said. We Play Portland is offering care Monday to Thursday for two hours after school.

One such parent is Christine Sullivan, a single mom and full-time teacher in Portland Public Schools. When her daughter started in-person classes at Faubion last school year, she was stressed and scrambled to find before- and afterschool care.

“I think the [school] district needs to do a better job of offering more options,” Sullivan said. “I’m so thankful for Gina. She provides such an amazing service for the community by watching all these kiddos.”

Levine said a few spots remain open in this year’s program, so contact her at WePlayPortland@gmail.com to enroll. If all goes well at Faubion, she hopes to open a Vernon School location for the 2023–24 school year.

Faubion Welcomes Staff

Faubion School welcomes two new assistant principals this fall: Cynthia Kieffer and Celina Garrido.

Kieffer was a middle school teacher in Beaverton before entering administration in Portland Public Schools. She lives in the Sabin neighborhood and said she already feels connected to the community.

Kieffer, who is Latina and speaks fluent Spanish, comes to Faubion from James John Elementary, a K–5 school. She requested to be moved to a school that served older children.

“I found I was missing that middle school component,” Kieffer said. “Grades six through eight are a discovery period. Kids are forming their hopes and dreams. To watch that identity grow and blossom is just so invigorating.

Leigh Shelton is the new lead ad representative for CNews. She loves raising her three children in Concordia and doing yoga nidra. For advertisement inquiries, contact Leigh at CNewsBusiness@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Black United Fund – African American foundation helps to make dreams come true

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Rob Cullivan | CNews Editor

Christine Bynum, a pre-dental student at Spelman College in Atlanta, credits Black United Fund for financially assisting her while she attends the prestigious institution. Contributed photo

Kenyahta Sikes, co-owner of PDX SuiteSpot, an event space in Chinatown, says Black United Fund of Oregon (BUF-OR), 2828 N.E. Alberta St., is a valuable resource for her and other African American business owners in Portland.

She noted the Concordia-based organization helped her host 40 other Black businesswomen for a workshop titled “Boss Talks: Entrepreneurship for the Black Woman.” Attendees learned about how to use digital marketing and social media as well as access capital, she said.

“I wondered how many other Black business women were struggling with the same things,” she said, adding that a challenge for many Black business women is finding the resources and funding they need to make their companies succeed. “Nine times out of 10, that’s the greatest struggle,” she said.

Sikes’ company can host photo shoots, music videos, house parties with live music, baby showers, exercise classes, birthday parties, small banquets, launch parties and meeting space. She adds that she plans on taking advantage of any business assistance she can find through BUF-OR. “Black United Fund has been influential in my business journey.”

That’s exactly the kind of words Emmanuel Williams, the foundation’s community-justice and equity coordinator, wants to hear. Black United Fund is designed to help folks like Sikes turn their dreams into reality, he said, to help African American entrepreneurs stake their place in the nation’s business landscape. “A lot of the problems we deal with are economic,” he said. “We’re engaging in acts to drive economics in our favor.”

Legacy of uplift

Saeeda Wright, left, coordinator of post-secondary options at Black United Fund, talks to Emmanuel Williams, the organization’s community-justice and equity coordinator. Photo by Javier Puga-Phillips

Founded in 1983, Black United Fund of Oregon works to increase post-secondary opportunities for young people, support BIPOC as well as female-led nonprofits through its leadership program as well as by providing them grants, and aims to foster “a broader understanding of ethnic and culturally diverse groups,” its mission statement reads.

Located in a one-story building, the nonprofit foundation plans to literally enlarge its presence in Concordia over the next few years, aiming to erect a multi-story structure by 2024 that will replace its current building and that will host not just BUF-OR but multiple other nonprofits as well.

The new building will be called the Building United Futures Complex. Anchored by Black United Fund, it will be a consortium of organizations, programs and businesses centered on “equipping, empowering, encouraging and engaging Black and other BIPOC communities to enhance their educational advancement, economic mobility and social liberation,” reads a statement from Adre, the realestate development company overseeing the project.

Dr. LM Alaiyo Foster, BUF-OR president and CEO, says the new building will be designed to be welcoming to all people, with open spaces and lots of windows, and may even feature showers where houseless folks can get off the streets for a moment and take care of their hygiene. “It will be a neighborhood hub and unapologetically Black,” she says.

Scholarship students

Among the foundation’s best-known programs is its Post-Secondary Options, coordinated by Saeeda Wright, which provides educational and financial assistance to young people. Wright has mentored Christine Bynum, a junior at Atlanta’s Spelman College, the nation’s oldest college for African American women. Bynum said she wants to inspire other African Americans because she is planning to become an orthodontist.

“As a future Black dentist, I know there are not that many Black dentists out there,” she said. “I want to be a role model to other students.”

Bynum is also studying Spanish and hopes to work with Spanish speakers as well as folks of any race who are unable to access dental care due to financial challenges. As someone who’s worn braces herself, she said it’s important for people to feel welcome and supported as they get their teeth fixed.

“You are trying to help them smile better, and they never forget their orthodontists.”

She credited Black United Fund for helping her to defray the considerable costs of her college education. “The financial support means that I am able to continue my time at Spellman,” she said. “I am able to reduce the amount of loans that I may need to take out for school.”

For more information on Black United Fund, visit BUFor.org.

For more information on PDX SuiteSpot, visit PDXSuiteSpot.com.

CNews Editor Rob Cullivan is a veteran journalist, publicist and grant writer who has written about everything from rock ‘n’ roll to religion. He possesses a deep affection for writers and photographers who hit deadline.

NE Village PDX – Volunteer enjoys bonding through walking

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

By Jon Dickman | CNA Media Team

Tricia Jett, left, and her dog, Stella, enjoy sharing walks with Jean Robinson, a retired high school teacher. Photo by Jon Dickman

After Tricia Jett moved to Northeast Portland in 2017, she started taking a seniors’ exercise class at Portland Community College, where some of her classmates frequently talked about the volunteering they did for Northeast Village.

Seeing an announcement about an upcoming event that gave an introduction to Northeast Village PDX, she went to the meeting, was impressed by what she heard and signed up.

The first time Jett volunteered for the group, she did some shopping at a grocery store for a man who was confined to his home. Tentative about volunteering at first, she was relieved by how well it all went and how good she felt afterward. “I’ve had a very fortunate life,” she said, “and now that I’m at a point where I have time, I like the feeling of giving back.”

Her most regular experience as a volunteer these past four years has been as a walking buddy with Village member Jean Robinson, a retired high school business teacher living in the Alameda neighborhood. Jett describes her as someone who cares greatly about all her neighbors, often chatting with them along their walks. Apparently, Robinson cares about Jett as well. “Tricia is delightful company,” Robinson said. “We share an interest in reading, politics and her darling golden retriever Stella.”

When naming her dog, Jett tried to think of what might be fun when calling her. Then, what she describes as the “iconic name for yelling” came to her as she thought of Marlon Brando shouting “STELLA!” in the movie A Street Car Named Desire.

One thing both women share is gratitude. “I am so grateful for the volunteers who have walked with me for years,” Robinson said. “They have kept my spirits up, especially during the pandemic.”

As for Jett, she likes to hear the stories of all the people she has met through volunteering. “It’s amazing to me the diversity of people with such interesting histories, and how much they have each accomplished in their lives,” she said. “It’s reaffirming.”

Northeast Village PDX is a member-led, volunteer-based and self-governing nonprofit that supports older people to stay in their homes while maintaining active, purposeful lives in Concordia and other neighborhoods in the central northeast Portland area. Call 503.895.2750 for more information or check out their video on their Northeast Village PDX YouTube channel or at NEVillagePDX.org.

Jon Dickman, lover of classical jazz vocals and longtime Concordia resident, is an enthusiastic volunteer for Northeast Village PDX.

Portland City Charter – Board hosts talk on proposed charter Sept. 7

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Rob Cullivan | CNews Editor

The proposed city charter would offer voters proportional ranked-choice voting. Graphic provided by city charter commission.

Residents of Concordia and other Portland neighborhoods may have a greater voice in their city government if a proposed city charter is approved by voters this November, the charter’s proponents say.

The proposed charter would change the city council’s makeup from its current one of four at-large members and the mayor to one made up of 12 members who will represent four districts, each with three council members representing it.

Furthermore, council members will no longer run city bureaus and voters will be able to use proportional ranked-choice voting to choose their council members. Proponents claim ranked-choice voting is more inclusive of underrepresented voters than the current simple majority system by which councilors are chosen.

The Concordia Neighborhood Association Board will host a discussion on the proposed Portland City Charter, at 7 pm Wednesday, Sept. 7, at McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room, 5736 N.E. 33rd Ave.

Three Big Changes
The independent 20-member City Charter Review Commission has been at work for more than 18 months gathering citizen input on the proposed charter. The proposed charter contains three key changes that affect how Portlanders vote, how they are represented and the scope of their leaders’ formal responsibilities.

Proportional Ranked-Choice Voting
Under the proposed charter, voters can rank their choices for city council members instead of simply voting for one person for each seat. You can choose any number of candidates, from the one you most want on down to the one you may not support strongly but can accept.

To win a seat in one of the four districts, candidates must reach a threshold of one vote more than 25% of all votes cast. Votes are then counted in rounds until all three seats representing a district are filled. Under a process called “Single Transferable Vote,” votes can be transferred in two ways to ensure voters are getting more use of their ballots.

First, if a candidate has surplus votes that put their total over the threshold, the surplus votes are transferred to whomever those voters marked as their next choice. The transferred votes are then added to the corresponding candidates.

Second, if no other candidate meets the threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes get transferred to whomever those voters marked as their next choice. This process repeats until the three winners have enough votes to win a seat, giving voters more say in who their preferences are.

The theory behind this system is that such voting will give underrepresented constituencies a better shot at being represented than they are under the current system. Instead of just one representative, for example, getting in because they won a mere 51 percent of the voters, proponents said, you can have three representatives winning office with varying percentages of the overall vote.

Becca Uherbelau, a city charter commission member, said proportional ranked-choice voting would open up the city’s government to a greater range of voices.

“It actually results in better representation for folks who haven’t seen their interests represented,” she said. “Voters hate choosing between the lesser of two evils, and this way the voter has a better experience.”

Multi-member districts
Currently the at-large members of city council each represents the entire city of Portland, but under the proposed charter, the city would be divided into four districts with three council members representing each district. Charter proponents say this will allow voters to be able to more easily work with their council members to advocate for specific concerns. One such advocate is Concordia resident and political activist Mont Chris Hubbard, who testified before the charter commission.

“I think that city council will better represent the opinions of Portlanders when we have 12 of them elected with proportional representation,” Hubbard said.

Responsibilities Shift
Currently the mayor and city council members directly administer various departments, but under the new charter, the mayor would appoint a city administrator who in turn would then appoint administrators of such city departments as the police or the housing bureau.

Charter proponents contend this would free up the city’s political leadership to focus on their most important job, which is addressing constituent concerns, not managing bureaus. The current arrangement can lead to a “politicization of service delivery,” Uherbelau said, and replacing it means constituents can voice a concern to a council member, who can then take that concern to the mayor and/or city administrator who would then direct the bureau in charge of a service to address a concern. “You have a straighter line to both answer and solution,” she said.

Learn more about the proposed Portland city charter here.

CNews Editor Rob Cullivan is a veteran journalist, publicist and grant writer who has written about everything from rock ‘n’ roll to religion. He possesses a deep affection for writers and photographers who hit deadline.