Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Concordia News

Simple concept aids food insecure

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities
Portland Food Project volunteers collect donations from their neighbors. In four of this year’s six planned events, they gathered more than 95,000 pounds of items for local food pantries. The next pick up is Dec. 11. Left to right are local volunteers Peggy Concillo; Nick, Alice and Rebecca O’Neil; and Erin Cooper. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

It started as a handful of people collecting 237 pounds of supplies for food-insecure Portlanders from 14 donors in 2012. In 2019, Portland Food Project volunteers collected donations from about 1,500 households that totaled nearly 114,000 pounds of food.

Donors buy one extra grocery item a week, save those for an every-other month collection, then put them in supplied green project bags outside for pick up.

Last year, the pandemic caused a reduction in pick ups that resulted in a drop to nearly 82,500 pounds. But donors increased their financial contributions. And just the first four collections – of six – this year have resulted in more than 95,000 pounds of food.

Peggy Concillo joined the citywide, all-volunteer project five years ago. The Alameda resident and other local neighborhood coordinators collect food from Concordians and residents across the city the second Saturday of each even-numbered month.

The food is divided between 19 Portland area food pantries. Among them are nearby Northeast Emergency Food Pantry, Sharon Community Services and Home Forward at Dekum Court.

The nonprofit organization’s success lies in the neighborhood coordinators, according to Peggy. “They are an amazing bunch of people. They keep the project going.”

They come from all walks of life Peggy joined soon after her retirement as an educator.

“I wanted to do some volunteering, and I knew I wanted to do something different than being in schools. It sounded like a great concept, and it sounded easy,” she said.

“This is a local thing, building your own community and your neighborhood. People feel like they’re having a direct connection, a direct impact in their own community.”

To become a donor or neighborhood coordinator, visit PortlandFoodProject.org. At the same website, financial donations are accepted. In fact, enough money was donated late last year to enable the project to purchase groceries for an extra distribution to pantries in January.

Most coordinators start out as donors, then form their own routes of nearby households, then grow their routes to 15-30 donors.

According to project estimates, coordinators spend four to five hours every other month. That includes reminding their donors when to expect them, picking up the filled green bags from donors’ porches, leaving bags for the next pick up and delivering donations to a drop-off site.

At latest count, 42 other towns across the country have initiated programs modeled after Portland’s. Some of those are in the new hometowns of former Portland Food Project volunteers.

“Our motto serves other areas just as well as Portland,” Peggy explained. “Sharing food, building community.”

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

Catalytic converter thefts plague Concordians

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Catalytic converter thefts aren’t unusual these days in Concordia. But Michael French’s experience was. Thieves towed his car a few blocks away, removed the converter and left the car otherwise untouched. Photo by Edana French

By Mac Larsen | CNA Media Team

When you search “catalytic converter theft” on Concordia Nextdoor.com, you’ll see countless posts of desperate neighbors dismayed that they, too, have been victims of the crime.

This form of petty theft is so common in the Portland metro area that many car owners see catalytic converter theft as almost inevitable, leaving many wondering, “Why does this seem to always happen?” and “What can be done?”

Michael French awoke in his home in southwest Concordia to discover his car was missing from the spot he’d parallel parked it the evening before.

“Generally thieves will cut the converter out of a car without taking the entire car,” he said. His experience was the opposite. Three days later police found his car not far from home. The catalytic converter was the only thing that appeared to be missing or damaged.

“The car, otherwise, was in good condition, and nobody had ever gotten inside it,” Michael said. “It was still locked.”

Auto mechanics are on the front lines of dealing with this problem. Ron Johnson, a local mechanic, has observed a steep increase in catalytic converter theft over the past few years. He said the shop is replacing the catalytic converters of about 50 Priuses a year.

According to Ron, for the Gen 2 Prius like Michael’s, it takes only three minutes to remove the catalytic converter if the thieves have the proper equipment and a makeshift tow jack. A neighbor who saw Michael’s Prius stolen noticed the thieves used the back of a pick-up truck to move the car away from the neighborhood.

Generally, thieves are stealing the converters for the rare metals they contain – palladium and rhodium – and a Prius converter can sell for about $1,200 as scrap metal.

Peter Keller in south central Concordia had his own experience with would-be thieves when he was awakened at 5 a.m. to what he said sounded like a train derailing. Using two hacksaws, the thieves were halfway through removing the converter when Peter made a commotion and scared them off.

The tide may turn Jan. 1 when Oregon Senate Bill 803 takes effect. It prohibits scrap metal businesses from purchasing or receiving catalytic converters, and it passed by a majority in both the Senate and House.

Mac Larsen is a graduate student at the University of Oregon, pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. He grew up in Concordia neighborhood and can be found frequently on Alberta Street, complaining about all the construction.

Concordia Art Works – Sticker bombing abounds on Alberta Street

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News
Slap tagging, sticker bombing, unsightly nuisance, chaotic and free human expression. Call it what you will. The Alberta Street is one of two local areas that make Portland the sticker graffiti capital. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

If you want to get your art, political message, logo or just your name out there, stickers are the media of choice to reach the masses. Slap tagging – or sticker bombing – has been a viral art medium since before the internet even existed.

Spray paint or a marker takes time and increases the chance of being caught. Stickers can be slapped up quickly. It is mostly an urban art form that focuses on walking, public transit and public spaces where people wait and look at their surroundings.

Stickers are easy, cheap and can be made at home in bulk or printed at the local print shop. Priority Mail stickers can be obtained for free from the post office and make a great surface for drawings or tags. Sticker artists often trade their work with each other to expand their distribution.

Some slap their stickers next to friends’ stickers to say hello, or they place stickers next to better-known artists to get noticed. This is called spot jockeying or side busting.

Portland is a hub for slap tagging and, over the course of the past decade, has elevated Portland to be the sticker capital with Alberta and Mississippi districts having high concentrations. That’s because both have specific walls that are popular with local and national sticker artists.

Like other forms of graffiti, slap tagging can be seen as an unsightly nuisance that contributes to the negative impact on livability. Others see it as a form of chaotic and free human expression – an attempt to reclaim boring environments or public space.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation spends an average $42,000 a year on cleaning street signs and helps coordinate community volunteers to clean graffiti.

There are also individuals who take the task upon themselves – which can end up stripping the reflective surfaces off street signs and rendering them illegible at night.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette, holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org

NAYA Gala turns to virtual fundraiser again

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
The 2020 annual NAYA Gala went virtual, and this year’s gala follows suit. Live streaming of the fundraiser begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. Attendance and raffle tickets, and auction bidding begins earlier. Photos courtesy of NAYA

By Brittany van der Salm | CNA Board Member, AL6

COVID-19 doesn’t deter the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) from continuing to host NAYA Gala. The 18th annual gala and fundraiser is virtual for the second consecutive year.

The livestream event begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. Prior to this, bidding on auction items was scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 29, and ticket sales for a raffle on Monday, Oct 25.

Registration for the event, raffle and auction is at NAYAgala.org. The page will be updated with more information as the event gets closer.

Despite the format change, events manager Vawn Borges reported the organization still recorded over 800 unique viewers and 250 registered auction bidders last year. They generated similar donations to what the organization normally sees at in-person events.

The 2020 move to the virtual format allowed attendees from as far as Australia and Germany to tune into the livestream, bid in the auction and make donations, Vawn said.

This year, NAYA will again offer guests the option of ordering a traditional Native-inspired dinner catered by ChefStable and delivered to their homes. They may also bid on an array of auction items, including a blue glass vase made by Lillian Pitt, Northwest Native artist and former Alberta Arts District gallery owner. Add to that a selection of jewelry from the Southwest, several travel packages and more.

Although planning for the event is still underway, some changes to the program of the livestream event are expected, including several live performances.

Vawn said he wants the gala to feature more entertainment by Native performers. “We hope our virtual attendees will find our program more engaging overall.”

Longtime gala emcee and NAYA board member Zeke Smith will again host the event, and he will be joined by Johnna Wells to run the auction.

The annual gala is NAYA’s largest source of unrestricted funding. Money raised through the event is used to fill budget shortfalls or gaps. That ensures programs not fully funded through government contracts or foundation grants can continue to run.

NAYA is located on Columbia Boulevard and 52nd Avenue. It provides educational, housing, community building, foster care, elder and other services each year to over 10,000 self-identified Native Americans across the Portland metropolitan area.

Brittany is a board member of the CNA, and has lived in the neighborhood since 2019. She works as a Medicaid disability policy consultant with a national nonprofit firm. Brittany loves to bake and bird watch.

Meet the Board – CNA is just one passion that attracts Brittany

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Concordia isn’t the only community in which Brittany van der Salm gets involved. She is pictured here during a monthly virtual meeting that connects her with fellow The Dinner Party participants, each of whom has lost someone significant in their life. Photo by Paul van der Salm

By Brittany van der Salm | CNA Board Member, AL6

Hi Neighbors! I’m Brittany van der Salm, a board member of Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA). I moved here in November 2019 with my husband Paul and our critters.

You can spot us at Alberta Park with our pups, Etta and Dobby, and grabbing cones at Salt & Straw. Or find us gardening in our yard with the help of our outdoor guard cats, Red and Fats Domino – in fact, you may have already met them. They love to greet people walking by.

Professionally, I work as a policy analyst, and I focus primarily on services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Outside of work – when I’m not planning my Halloween decorations – I like to read and bake. I love to bird watch, whether at my yard feeders, around the neighborhood or outside the city.

Several times a month I participate in and host virtual dinner tables through an organization called The Dinner Party. It provides community and support for people ages 20-40 who have lost someone significant in their lives.

On the last Tuesday of every month, I host a table for people all over the country who, like myself, have lost both parents. I love having this opportunity to connect with people who just “get it.’”

For me, showing up for the communities I’m a part of makes me feel more connected. That’s why I decided to run for election to join the CNA Board of Directors – to join others in my neighborhood and to help others to feel like a part of our community.

I’ve learned so much about the issues impacting our neighborhood by being on the board and attending meetings. On Nov. 3, we’ll have elections for next year. Board chair Peter Keller offers more details about that here.

If you’re interested in taking on a bigger role in our community, I urge you to consider running!

Dogwood is a marriage of wine and flowers

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Newlyweds Gabby Terraciano and Brant Ozanich share their love for wine and flowers in their new shop, Dogwood at 4932 N.E. 30th Ave. They’ll mask up and uncork a few bottles at the Oct. 31 CNA Social Mixer. See RSVP information below. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

By Javier Puga-Phillips | CNA Board Member, AL4 CNA Social Committee Chair

A new concept arrived in Concordia when certified sommelier Brant Ozanich and expert florist Gabby Terraciano opened the doors of Dogwood in April.

Dogwood is a wine and flower shop. “Wine and flowers are the perfect marriage,” Brant declared. In fact, he and Gabby are newlyweds and have taken the pandemic to relocate from San Francisco to start a new chapter in their lives.

“We always wanted to open our own business, and the pandemic gave us the extra time we were needing to do so,” Brant shared. They got married and opened their dream shop one month apart last spring.

Dogwood has an extensive selection of wines and flower arrangements ready for any occasion. As for the selection process, Brant noted, “We made a list of the wines we wanted to see in our shop and started selecting based on that list.

“We prefer wines grown on the West Coast from independent family-owned wineries and European wines.”

The flowers, on the other hand, are locally sourced, and Gabby and Brant are big believers in supporting women-owned businesses.

The couple met in San Francisco, but both have always had a soft spot for Portland. “Portland has always been a great city for us. We love the people, weather and vibe of the city,” Brant reported. When they came to Portland, they made a reservation in a popular restaurant on Alberta Street.

When they were ready to take the leap of faith and open Dogwood, they went back to Alberta and walked the street over and over again, realizing the need of a wine or flower shop.

They came across 4932 N.E. 30th Ave., where the shop is now located. “As soon as we walked into the space, we knew this was it,” Brant pointed out. They knew immediately that the Concordia neighborhood was home for them.

The decision on the shop’s name was almost as easy: Brant’s and Gabby’s love story began with dogwoods. “They were one of the first flowers I picked up for Gabby,” he explained.

Dogwood features a wine club that explores different regions of the wine world. Its focus is on enjoyment and education. The owners are also planning a combination of classes to get the community involved. Visit DogwoodPDX.com or Instagram.com/DogwoodPDX for details.

CNA Social Mixer

Concordia Neighborhood Association partners with Dogwood for a Halloween mixer from 7 to 10 p.m. in the new store. Dogwood plans to serve appetizers at the free wine tasting. Space is limited, so RSVPs are due at Social@ConcordiaPDX. org, and proof of COVID-19 vaccination is accepted at the door.

Nota del editor: Artículo disponible en Español, visita ConcordiaPDX.org/Dogwood.

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.

Urbanism – Affordability is vital to develop ACUs here

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

In August, this column continued its series on accessory commercial units (ACUs), and it focused on placement.

Affordability is also vital.

Affordable commercial space is not necessarily easy to come by in this neighborhood.

This is largely due to city zoning rules, under which most commercial uses are not allowed outside commercial/mixeduse zones. That’s where the price of land is higher on a per-square-foot basis than for land with residential zoning – even if just on the other side of a lot line from commercially-zoned parcels.

This is partly a function of the potential residual land value of developing to the highest and best use allowable on a property.

Seller expectations also play a role, with an expectation of a seven-figure sales price for commercially-zoned land in a hot corridor, even if it isn’t currently producing income of any sort. Even vacant lots can command a price premium, if they are commercially zoned.

Even if commercially-zoned lots were the same price as residentially-zoned lots, a lot in Concordia with a viable building on it of 2,000 square feet or more will likely cost more than $650,000. A smaller building might fetch as little as $250,000, if not in great condition.

That is a lot of cash.

Many people can afford to buy a home for those prices, because they’re able to save for down payments and can obtain federally-backed low-interest mortgages.

Yet purchasing a commercial property for a similar price to start a new, unproven small business is not really within the realm of possibility for these same people.

Therein lies a conundrum. To start a new business, a budding entrepreneur needs space within which to operate. Often, the entrepreneur-to-be may have access to a single-family home, perhaps with a garage or basement that provides the extra space within which to set up specialized equipment and create a product to offer.

The incremental price to build a new commercial structure as an accessory to a home is just the cost of the structure. The land has already been paid for by the primary use.

The incremental price of a new business could thus be reduced by an order of magnitude. It could be as little as the cost of bringing in a shipping container, trailer, camper, prefab shed or other space sufficient to house a small new business. That expense could be small enough to put on a credit card or saved within a reasonable amount of time on a middle income.

Bringing down the cost of entry can reduce the barriers of entry into affordable commercial space. This can ease attainment to the first rungs on the ladder of economic opportunity and make business creation more accessible to folks without subsidy.

The only requirement is to change zoning codes to allow for the legal concept of accessory commercial space.

Editor’s note: The first two installments of this Urbanism series about ACUs were published in July and August. 

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.

Innovation is Mimosa hallmark for 20 years

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
For 20 years, Austin Raglione’s Mimosa Studios at 1718 N.E. Alberta St. has operated as a family business. Recently, several family members gathered to paint their own ceramic items. (Left to right) They are son and grandson Kyle and Cameron Chown, Austin, daughter Gabriella Raglione, and daughter-in-law and grandson Allison and Kingston Chown. Photo courtesy of Mimosa Studios

Like many businesses in the Alberta Arts District, Mimosa Studios pivoted its business strategy in the early days of the pandemic and supplied offerings to-go. Other businesses packaged meals. Mimosa boxes contained fired ceramic pieces, paints, glazes, pallets, brushes and instructions.

That strategy appealed to longtime customers, and it attracted new ones who sought activities to pursue at home. It also helped keep the paint-your-own pottery shop stay afloat so owner Austin Raglione could usher in its 21st year this month.

The beginnings of the business were also innovative. “In 2001, this was the emerging arts district, and I just wanted to be part of that community.” She offered space for different activities.

“This was a place for people to come in and talk about art, bring in their own crafting things – knitting, sewing, painting. By customer demand, it quickly became a paint-your-own studio,” Austin explained.

Her creative genes were nurtured as a child under her grandmother’s mimosa tree in Texas – hence the studio name. Just as Austin followed in her grandmother’s love of arts, so did her children. Her daughter, son and daughter-in-law have all helped operate the studio while it has grown across the years. “My grandson is 6 so he probably won’t start working there until he’s about 15,” she said with a laugh.

More tables were added – with pre-pandemic seating for 25 – and paintable shapes inventory increasing from 25 to 300. To accommodate social distancing, painters are limited currently to 15.

Customers continue to order the to-go kits online at Mimosa-Studios.com or visit the studio to select their supplies. “To-go kits will continue to be a cornerstone of our business,” Austin reported.

When she opened the shop, Austin began a tradition of building community partnerships. First she invited neighborhood children to paint tiles that still decorate Mimosa’s facade. That effort has been followed by donating hundreds of items to auctions to support nonprofits and more to local schools and incarcerated women.

To celebrate 20 years of community service, beginning Oct. 1, customers may select from 25 items hand-painted by Mimosa staff and designate from among three charities to receive the proceeds. On the anniversary of the shop – Saturday, Oct. 23 – 20% all sales proceeds will go to the Northeast Emergency Food Program.

For the holidays, Austin and her staff will continue their more recent tradition, “Paint a Tree, Give a Gift.” Through that project, $10 is donated from the sale of each Christmas tree and menorah to Raphael House to purchase gifts for children.

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

LCEF seeks ‘like-minded’ buyer

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, CU Sale
The land, the buildings and everything inside them are part of the Concordia University property sale – including the George R. White Library & Learning Center. Current owners reported to CNA they want to sell the campus as one piece for “highest and best use” to a “like-minded” buyer. Photo by Gordon Riggs

The owner of the Concordia University campus wants to sell it to “like minded” owners for “the highest and best use.”

Those terms peppered a Sept. 2 video conversation between Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) representatives and two Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) officials.

LCEF took ownership of the property in the June foreclosure after Concordia University had defaulted on nearly $38 million in loans. Since the college closed in April 2020, neighbors have asked what will become of the property. Answers to several questions posed by CNA were answered by Bart Day, LCEF president and CEO, and Rick Lauer, LCEF Real Estate Solutions senior vice president.

Can a buyer make a totally different use of the property? “The highest and best use is the easiest transition,” pointed out the LCEF president.

The property is zoned campus/institutional. “When new owners want to change the zoning, there’s usually a lot of pressure from the surrounding areas, and we’ve seen that take years in some cases,” Rick explained. “We’re not interested in pushing this out for years.”

The LCEF leaders also said they want to sell the campus as one unit. That includes not only the property and buildings, but also the fixtures, furniture and all other contents in the buildings. They pointed to that strategy in Boise when “like minded” University of Idaho College of Law leaders purchased the Concordia University Law School campus.

What Bart again called “like-minded people” have expressed interest in purchasing the Portland property, although he declined to name them or the price being discussed.

“We’re not looking to windfall some huge cash off of this sale,” he said. The goal is to cover the debt.

Another Concordia University creditor, Hotchalk, has attempted to delay the sale until its lawsuit is settled for the $302 million it claims Concordia University owes for an online education system. Hotchalk filed a similar suit to delay the property sale in Boise, but the Idaho court dismissed it.

Judgment on the Hotchalk suit for the Portland property from the Multnomah County Circuit Court didn’t arrive before press time. Visit ConcordiaPDX.org/CUSale for the judge’s order.

Meantime LCEF has a full-time maintenance person on the Portland property. “We are trying to keep a presence of people working on that campus to show that we’re actively engaged in it,” Rick said.

The LCEF representatives said they cannot, however, allow local groups to use the property. For insurance reasons, they continue to decline requests from organizations that used the grounds and facilities previous to when the university closed.

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

CNews Update – Grove info, tour are on tap

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News
Eleven local organizations are asking builders to avoid harming the International Grove while reconstructing the 42nd Avenue Lombard overpass. Representing three of those organizations are (left to right) Angelique Saxton, Native American Youth and Family Center; Bruce Nelson, Cully Tree Team; and Barbara Wharton, Concordia Tree Team. Photo by Chris Baker

Local tree advocates met recently with city representatives to discuss how to protect and preserve the International Grove. A report on that meeting is at ConcordiaPDX.org/pbot-grove-trees. To learn more about the challenges to the 10-year-old grove and to tour it, meet Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m. at Holman Street and 41st Avenue.

Note the date change from what was announced in CNews at ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/09/tree-teams-celebrate-groves-10th and ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/09/advocates-rally-to-preserve-grove.