Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Concordia News

Tree teams celebrate grove’s 10th

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees
It was early 2011 when members of the Concordia and Cully tree teams and the Ainsworth Street Collective helped plant more than 60 trees to create the International Grove. On the right is Dove Hotz. Know the identity of the person on the left? Contact CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org. Photo courtesy of Robert Pallesen

Reminding a community of its differences and similarities, creating a living laboratory to study trees, filtering pollutants and noise from nearby arterial roads, acting as a gateway for people traveling from the airport to northeast Portland neighborhoods.

All these and more were the aspirations for creating the International Grove 10 years ago at the corner of 42nd Avenue and Lombard Street.

Developing the grove was part of the Bureau of Environmental Services Grey to Green Canopy Initiative. That eightyear commitment began in 2008 to increase the health of local watersheds.

Efforts included construction and planting projects to divert stormwater from the sewer system, reduce flooding and erosion, filter pollutants, provide habitat and increase neighborhood green space.

The Concordia and Cully tree teams and the Ainsworth Street Collective were involved in planning and planting the grove. Maintenance over the years has mainly been performed by volunteers.

To reflect the many cultures represented in nearby neighborhoods, the grove includes trees from six continents. Those trees include the Chilean beech and the Moroccan snow gum. This diversity is in contrast to the maples, ornamental cherries/plums and crabapples found widespread in the city.

A similar combination of trees was not anywhere else in the city, apart from perhaps Hoyt Arboretum, according to Robert Pallesen. In 2011 he served on the Concordia Neighborhood Association Tree Team.

“We will now have a unique arborscape that will look distinctive and attractive year round,” he told The Oregonian in 2011.

Planting different types of trees in the grove also offers an opportunity to study, over time, which trees could offer shade, mitigate climate change effects and filter air pollution.

For example, current day tree team members found the cork oak tree did much better in a recent ice-storm than expected.

“The grove is important because as northeast 42nd becomes denser and more built up, urban heat island effects will become more pronounced,” said Jim Gersbach, Concordia Tree Team member.

“Expanses of tree-shaded land will become even more precious and lifesaving as cool-air refuges,” he added.

Jordana Leeb is a longtime Concordia resident who is passionate about the neighborhood, its people and trees. She lives with her partner and newly adopted special needs dog. You can see her recent film about Concordia at TinyURL.com/ DiaryOfAStreet.

Advocates rally to preserve grove

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Trees
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

The future of the International Grove hangs in the balance. There are many threats to this unique stand of more than 60 trees, including people driving and parking inside the grove.

The most pressing issue on the minds of local tree and community advocates is the possibility the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will use the grove for two years as construction staging or parking.

That would be during the $12 million reconstruction project beginning next year on the 42nd Avenue overpass across Lombard Street. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) owns most of the grove’s land.

“Using the grove as a staging area is a concern because parking heavy equipment and materials would cause soil compaction,” said Jim Gersbach, Concordia Tree Team member and 20-year Concordia resident. “That can be deadly to trees because it prevents water and oxygen from reaching their roots.”

Moreover, staging work could injure tree bark and limbs. Tree advocates have identified alternative sites for construction staging.

Staff members from the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), residents of Nesika Illahee across 42nd Avenue from the grove and members of the Cully and Concordia tree teams met during the summer to talk about what they would like to see happen in the grove instead.

Nesika Illahee opened in early 2020 and was developed by NAYA and tribal and nontribal partners as affordable housing for Native Americans in recovery.

“I would like to help the grove grow,” said Angelique Saxton, resident services manager at the 59-unit complex.

“I have heard from the resident community they would like the grove to be part of Nesika and become more inviting, more people friendly and have safer access. It could be used for meditation, drumming, picnics and recovery meetings.”

Eleven organizations signed a joint letter to PBOT and ODOT to ask them to not use the area for construction staging. The letter also asks the agencies to consider pedestrian safety and to include Native American art and culture in the new bridge design.

These organizations included: NAYA, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Verde, Hacienda Community Development Corporation, Our 42nd Ave, Cully Boulevard Alliance, Living Cully, Portland Clean Air, Cully Association of Neighbors, Concordia Neighborhood Association and Habitat for Humanity Portland Region.

Bob Granger, a member of the Cully Tree Team who helped plant the grove in 2011, is impressed with the efforts that led to that letter.

“I’m blown away at how this organic process has evolved into such a robust, holistic advocacy effort,” he said. “The inclusive and collaborative involvement of key neighborhood stakeholders is wonderful to see.”

Jordana Leeb is a longtime Concordia resident who is passionate about the neighborhood, its people and trees. She lives with her partner and newly adopted special needs dog. You can see her recent film about Concordia at TinyURL.com/DiaryOfAStreet.

From the Board – Save the Trees

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Hey neighbors, this month’s CNews is all about trees, which is a topic near to my heart and likely most of yours. For the upcoming quarterly CNA General Membership meeting – Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. – we’ll continue the conversation with local tree experts. I hope you can join us. Virtually.

Which leads me to my next announcement. We’ll be meeting virtually in September for both the CNA board and general membership meetings. We were looking forward to meeting in person once again, but due to the uptick in Covid 19 cases we’ll have to wait a bit longer.

The board didn’t meet in August, but we accomplished a few things nonetheless. We joined 10 organizations in endorsing a letter to city and state agencies asking them to preserve the International Grove at 42nd Avenue and Lombard Streets during the planned construction of the new overpass. Portland Bureau of Transportation responded, and there is a planned meeting to discuss the issue.

In addition, the letter the CNA board wrote to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) regarding the sale of Concordia University resulted in an opportunity for CNA to meet with LCEF. We look forward to a productive conversation where we’ll express the neighborhood’s desires for the property. (See letter at ConcordiaPDX.org/cusale.)

Getting back to the topic of trees, this year’s extreme heat has likely been harder on our trees than any year on record. As I write, we’re in the midst of another heat wave…

It’s sad to experience this and it’s easy to feel powerless, but there are things we can do. For example, the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) offers a one-time water/sewer rebate for planting a tree, and another program will plant trees on your property at affordable, sliding scale prices. Visit PortlandOregon.gov/bes/63490 for details on those programs.

In a similar BES program, I signed up and received three ponderosa pines in 2014. These trees are now six years older and, because they are more drought tolerant, they were OK in the heat.

We need to do everything we can to preserve the trees we have and continue to plant more. Find sign-on information for the CNA General Membership Meeting at ConcordiaPDX.org/CNAMeetings. And join us Sept. 1 to hear from local experts about what you can do!

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs.

Urbanism – What placements might be best for ACUs?

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

Last month, I introduced the concept of accessory commer–cial units (ACUs) that redress the historical wrongs that created economic exclusion by enacting racial segregation.

ACUs create new destinations within our neighborhoods and enhance walkability.

What forms might accessory dwelling units (ADUs) take as infill within an existing neighborhood such as ours? A traditional building form sometimes found within the front setback in our neighborhood is a carriage house, with a residence above a garage on the ground floor.

A twist on an ACU could see one placed on the ground floor facing the sidewalk, with an ADU on the second floor. This arrangement could also work in an alley.

This sort of gentle infill could help to build neighborhood intensity without significantly changing neighborhood character. It could build the local demand for services, such as retail and transit, that do better when there are more customers within a short walking distance.

When considering where ACUs might be appropriate, there are at least four different potential regulatory paradigm concepts worth considering:

  1. Along all frontages facing bicycle boulevards/greenways
  2. Only at new village center nodes, such as selected intersections along family-safe bicycle facilities
  3. At intersections
  4. Everywhere, on any properties, for any reasons, as long as they face a sidewalk or internal courtyard accessible by pathways from the sidewalk that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Concept 1 would deliver on the original vision, to give bicyclists the option to choose local retail by bicycle, since it appears that our main streets aren’t going to be made family-bicycle-friendly, anytime soon.

However, by allowing ACUs on greenways everywhere, there would be potentially greater conflicts with neighbors interested in a strictly residential character for the street they bought into.

Concept 2 concentrates ACUs within smaller, more defined areas, minimizing the potential of conflict with neighbors. From an equity perspective, however, it would be the least equitable, as the least number of property owners would have the opportunity to provide and benefit from revenues of ACUs.

Concept 3 spreads the opportunity for revenue, lowers the barrier to opening a new business and increases access to the lowest rungs on the economic ladder to those who need it most. Those include populations victimized historically by racism, sexism and other forms of oppression. By allowing ACUs on any properties – or perhaps any served by ADA-compliant sidewalk networks – ACUs could come to areas where residents may have moved to find life in peaceful, quiet neighborhoods.

Neighbor concerns could be addressed through regulations that use ambient standards to deal with noise, odors, traffic and other potentially-noxious impacts – or by addressing the impacts rather than by establishing use regulations.

It’s up to each community to engage in dialogue over these three paradigms and choose the one that resonates most with community members participating in the public process.

Editor’s note: Garlynn’s first install–ment about ACUs was published in July at ConcordiaPDX.org/2021/07/urbanism-acus-could-make-shopping-by-bike-more-safe. In a future CNews, he’ll dive deeper into questions of commercial space affordability and a discussion of the potential benefits to neighbors from ACUs.

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.

Concordia Art Works – Colorful wings embellish Alberta bike corridor

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News
Truece Reeverts-Gann is a fan of Stefan Senna’s art project on residential streets. His wings decorate front yards on the Alberta Street bike corridor to add to the fun and enjoyment of passersby. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

After seeing friends share photos of themselves standing in front of wings painted on walls, artist Stefan Senna was inspired to direct his talent toward a public purpose.

Stefan lives on the section of Alberta Street designated as a bike corridor. “After the last year and a half being so challenging on everyone, and me having my own experiences, I decided to focus on things that would be fun – things that make me feel good.”

The artist got to work painting wings cut from wood, with each set in support of or to acknowledge an aspect of local culture. The first set in the Freedom Wings Project are dedicated to equality and freedom for all people of all back–grounds, race, gender and identity.

The second set, the Butterfly Wings Project, is dedicated to all of the teachers who helped students traverse the challenges of the pandemic. Stefan is currently working on the Flying Fish Wings Project, in honor of beautiful oceans.

The Phoenix Wings Project comes next. “I asked my teenager which set of wings would be a good symbol for all of the challenges that our kids have faced during the pandemic,” he explained. “His response was the Phoenix. It seemed fitting.”

Stefan intends to install the wings from 70th to Mississippi avenues, and a map of the wings is part of his final plan.

The artist is seeking residents on the south side of the bike corridor streets to host sets of wings. To participate, contact him at StefanSenna@gmail.com, or help fund the project GoFundMe.com/f/cku8w4-wings-of-freedom.

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

From the Board – See you in person ,come September

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Now that the COVID-19 restrictions have mostly been lifted and we’ve endured a once-in-millennia heat wave, the CNA board voted to take the month of August off. In practice, this just means we won’t meet in August. I’m hoping the rest of our summer is less eventful and crossing my fingers that fire season isn’t as bad as recent years.

The great news is that the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room will re-open Aug. 1. On Sept. 1, the board will meet in person there, barring any changes to state or city regulations. Out of respect for neighbors and regular board meeting attendees, we’ll adhere to the following rules:

Those who’ve been vaccinated may attend meetings without masks but must offer proof of vaccination.
Those who’ve not been vaccinated must wear masks at all times during the meetings and must socially distance.
We’ll continue to offer video/phone dial-in options so attendees can join remotely.

To earn our time off in August, we had a very productive meeting in July. We discussed the recent sale of Concordia University to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF). The fate of the property is still unknown, as it may be in legal limbo for some time. However, now that there is a new owner, the CNA board will lobby LCEF with the neighborhood’s desires as expressed in our recent poll results.

We heard from the Concordia Tree Team’s Jim Gersbach and others who are asking for our assistance to help preserve the International Grove of trees that were planted 10 years ago at the intersection of 42nd and Lombard.

The grove is in danger of being damaged or removed during planned reconstruction of the Lombard overpass. The CNA board will lobby Portland Bureau of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation representatives to preserve the grove from harm during construction.

We also made progress on the staffing front. I’m excited to announce that Javier Puga-Phillips was appointed by the CNA board to the position for At Large 4, recently vacated by Sonia Fornoni. In addition, Javier will serve as CNA Social Committee chair and manage McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room. Go Javier!

In addition, Micah McNelly has volunteered for the CNA IT position. Thank you Micah! We are very happy to have you aboard.

Finally, I want to announce that we are hiring for the paid position of recording secretary. Please see the ad below for this position and reach out to me directly to apply.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer!

CNA Seeks Recording SecretaryThe Concordia Neighborhood Association is hiring a recording secretary to record and transcribe minutes of board, general and land use meetings held at McMenamins Kennedy School or virtually.

The contract position pays $35/hour for meetings and time spent preparing and publishing minutes online. Hours are about 5-7 per month.

  • Directors meetings: usually 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday each month
  • General meetings: quarterly, 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday of the month
  • Land use meetings: 7 p.m. 3rd Wednesday each month

The position requires good writing, transcription and document preparation skills. Availability and dependability are a must! Residence in Concordia is not mandatory.

Interested? Contact the Chair@ConcordiaPDX.org with a resume, references and writing sample.

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs. He is the current CNA Chair.

De La Salle settles into new digs in Cully

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools
De La Salle North Catholic High School opens its new doors next month on the St. Charles Church property near 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street. Construction began in July 2020 and is scheduled for completion before school opens Sept. 7. Photo courtesy of De La Salle North Catholic High School

De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC) opens its new doors next month. The school relocates from its north Fenwick Avenue location – its home since 2006 – to St. Charles Church, located near the intersection of 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street.

DLSNC, established in 2001, is a private, four-year, college preparatory school that provides education for under–served students. According to school officials, it is Oregon’s most diverse private school.

Ninety percent of the students receive financial aid, and in 2020, 100% of its graduating seniors were accepted to colleges. All DLSNC students participate in a corporate work-study program, which offsets 75% of their tuition fees.

School officials began searching for a new home in 2016, and 40 different potential locations were evaluated prior to the move. In March 2019, a letter of intent agreement was reached with St. Charles for the school to use the church grounds for the next 50 years, with assurances for two 25-year extensions.

Last summer construction began for the new $20 million facility. A variety of private and public donors funded the school’s development with $25 million.

“We are really excited about the coming together of the De La Salle, St. Charles and Cully communities,” said Oscar Leong, DLSNC president. “It’s a true partnership, in harmony with the community.”

The new campus features state-of-the art science laboratories, a visual arts center and a new gymnasium. DLSNC’s girls and boys volleyball and basketball teams have traveled off campus historically for practices and games. Since 2018, all three teams have been very competitive, and the boys team won the 3A State Championship in 2018 and 2019.

The new facility will also allow for increased enrollment, from 280 to 350 students when autumn term begins Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Applications for the coming school year are still being accepted. For details, call 503.285.9385.

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

McDaniel welcomes new, returning students

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools
Clementine Wykhuis, incoming McDaniel High School freshman, practiced soccer on the former Madison field when she was a Faubion School student. Now she’ll attend high school at the modernized, renamed high school. Photo by Nancy Varekamp

A few months after students left the 61-year-old Madison High School in June 2019, they began commuting to the former Marshall High School four miles south. Then, 6½ months later, the pandemic forced them from brick-and-mortar learning to online studies for the remainder of that school year and much of the next.

But now returning students – and new ones – are back on track. When classes begin later this month, the north–east 82nd Avenue campus re-opens with an all-new look, modernized facilities and a new name: Leodis V. McDaniel.

One incoming freshman said she’s excited about beginning high school, and enthusiastic about the new facilities and new name.

“It’s a little harder to get used to the new name because I’m so used the old one,” reported Concordian Clementine Wykhuis. “I’m glad they changed it to something important. I’m glad they changed it to what they did.”

In February, the Portland Public Schools board dropped the name of former president and documented slave owner James Madison. The school’s name now honors its popular former teacher and principal who was, according to Willamette Week, also a Madison alumnus.

Leodis McDaniel served as vice principal and then principal during the 1970s and 1980s, and he is credited for steering the school through desegregation.

Madison High School’s teams, the Senators, are taking on a new name that’s not as local as Leodis McDaniel, but rooted in the region: Mountain Lions.

This won’t be Clementine’s first move into a modernized school. She was in 5th grade when Faubion re-opened after a major remodel that included state-of-the-art facilities.

“Faubion used to be an old, run down building, and I got to see that trans–form into a very nice new school like McDaniel.”

Like other Concordia students, she had the choice between McDaniel and Jefferson. A video conference introduction to McDaniel clinched the deal. “I was amazed and impressed by all the exciting things McDaniel has to offer.”

The more than 290,000-square-foot school includes 170,000 square feet of new construction to serve a student body of 1,700. It was financed through the 2017 $790 million bond approved by voters planned originally to modernize four schools.

Highlights include a new cafeteria, commons and atrium, along with a science wing, performing arts theater, athletics facilities, and community and career technical education resources.

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

Teacher named among top three

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Schools
It’s casual days of summer for Woodlawn School teacher Lionel Clegg. He’s still celebrating his recent selection as one of three Oregon teachers of the year. He was nominated by a former student. Photo by Chris Baker

“People may call me strict. But, I always say I am ‘firm but fair,’” said Woodlawn School 1st grade teacher Lionel Clegg.

He was selected by OnPoint Community Credit Union as Educator of the Year for elementary school teachers. Along with bragging rights, the honor pays his mortgage for an entire year. “

In class, I ham around. The kids know when we can joke and have fun, but they also know when I am serious and need them to be more attentive.”

But it goes much deeper than that.

“I believe that we, as adults, often hinder our kids’ potential because we fail to see all that they are capable of doing,” Lionel explained. “As an educator, I take that task to heart and strive to get my kids to recognize their true potential.

“I have always been in the primary grades because I pride myself in starting the kids off with a strong foundation,” Lionel said.

Fiona, now a 5th grader, nominated Lionel with the help of her parents. She was his student four years ago. “I think he was good as my teacher for 1st grade because he really set me up for success,” Fiona said.

Lionel has spent 23 years as a teacher at Woodlawn. He’s actually an alumnus of the school and, while he was an undergrad at Portland State University, he volunteered at Woodlawn in his nephew’s classes.

As soon as Lionel received his masters’ degree, Woodlawn principal at the time, Linda Harris, advised him to apply for a third grade position there.

Mrs. Manyongai-Jones, his fourth grade teacher, is one of the chief reasons he became an educator, according to Lionel. “She was the first teacher of color I had, and she really taught me to have a sense of pride about being an African American.

“My sixth grade teacher at Whitaker Middle School, Mr. Williams, gave me that first conversation about having to go above and beyond since I was a young African American man,” he added.

“One of my favorite books to share with my students is an old classic by Shel Silverstein called ‘The Giving Tree.’”

The story is simple, but drives home the act of giving one’s self to another in a relationship.

“This book is about unconditional love,” Lionel pointed out. “After reading the book, I always have a conversation with my students about who this tree reminds them of in their lives.

“It really is a great talk every time I share this with the kids.”

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

Reader’s Opinion- What’s in a name? There’s a lot packed into ‘Concordia’

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Opinion

By Nolan R. Bremer | Concordia neighbor

What’s in a name? is a question that has arisen with respect to the Concordia neighborhood.

After a series of names in the early years, the neighborhood has carried the name of the most prominent neighbor, Concordia University, for almost 50 years. With the closing of Concordia University, does the current name of the neighborhood need to be dropped also, or can the name Concordia stand on its own as a relevant name for the neighborhood?

I think it can, and here is why:

First, by definition, the Latin word “concordia” means harmony, well-being and peace. Literally, it means “with one heart.” While the neighborhood perhaps does not experience perfect “concordia,” the concept is worth setting as a goal toward which the community is always striving.

Every small business in the community works for the well-being not only of the family of the business owner but also toward the well-being of the entire community. All of those who work to be a positive force in solving racial, social and economic challenges – including the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) board members, committee members and many concerned individuals – are promoting “concordia” in the community.

Even the word “connected” in the CNA mission statement assumes an outcome of “concordia.” On the one hand, we honor and promote diversity. On the other hand, we value having everyone aiming for the same goals.

Second, the gender of the Latin word “concordia” is feminine. The pages of this neighborhood newspaper often include the photos and stories of women who are making a difference in this community. The name Concordia honors and encourages such women. By extension, “concordia” also invites inclusion and provides a home for all of those who feel marginalized by the circumstances of their lives.

Finally, the name has served the neighborhood well for a long time. Of course, changing it will require only a few dollars and someone’s time, barring any unintended consequences.

Perhaps the name has been tainted by its association with Concordia University. For various reasons, some people will be disappointed if the name Concordia continues to define the neighborhood. But the name is well-established in the Portland area.

All of the other neighborhoods are named after people or places. Retaining the name Concordia, disassociated from Concordia University, will mean that this neighborhood alone carries a name that reflects a value which we regard as important: “concordia.”

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA. For details about submitting a Reader’s Opinion piece for publication, visit ConcordiaPDX.org/CNewsSubmissions.