Category Archives: Concordia News
Toys Gone Wild: Inside Ron Beideck’s Quirky Yard
Words and Photos by Dascha Orlova
Ron Beideck has called the house on the corner of NE Alberta Court and NE 36th Avenue home since 1994. Though the neighborhood has evolved, one constant remains: Ron’s creative spirit. As a retired typography editor, Ron’s eye has found new expression in an unexpected medium—stuffed animals and toys. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Ron began collecting whimsical items and slowly transformed his yard into a colorful and playful space that incites curiosity from passersby. The windows are adorned with themed collages made from pages of magazines and recycled books that change with the seasons—or rather, the bleaching of the sun. The current theme? Animals. The toys in his yard aren’t just for show—Ron encourages visitors to explore the yard, find a toy they love and give it a new home. It’s his way of spreading joy and fostering a sense of community, one saved toy at a time.
Portland Open Studios Event Offers the Chance to See Local Artists at Work
By Kepper Petzing | Contributing Writer
“So much of our world is curated and often what we see is the beautiful, finished product – whether it is art in a gallery, or a posting on social media. This event offers the opportunity to come and see what’s behind all of it – a lot of messiness – a lot of failures,” says artist Juli Rae Vignola.
What she’s talking about is Portland Open Studios, an annual event where 100 Portland artists open their studios to the public for tours. Portland Open Studios is also the name of the nonprofit that has put on the event for the past 26 years. Tours will run October 12th-13th and 19th-20th and six of the featured artists are in Concordia.
“There is a range from polished studios to people who are just painting on their kitchen table.Your neighbors are creating stellar work with just what they got”, says participating artist Carson Abbert. Inspiring ideas don’t come solely from the art; artists often have creative homes or yards.
Many works are also for sale. Concordia resident Lowen Berman says. “Just go on the tour. You’ll learn a lot, meet interesting neighbors, and you’ll have a good time.”
More Info
portlandopenstudios.com
October 12th & 13th and October 19th & 20th from 10 am – 4 pm
The tour guide is on the website, which includes information on each artist along with samples of their work. You can search by neighborhood, artist’s name, or medium. Tour is indicated by black and yellow posted signs.
A Powerful Cultural Experience
On September 7th, the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) based in NE Portland hosted its 12th annual Neerchokikoo powwow. Neerchokikoo is a revitalized Native American village; an ancient gathering site near the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in what is today the Cully neighborhood. Since 2010 (with breaks during COVID) the powwow has welcomed thousands of community members from over 380 tribes to gather and celebrate Native culture through dance, music, art and food.
Set up in the center’s gymnasium, a vendor market showcased more than 30 artisans offering jewelry, clothing, and traditional medicines. Delicious fry bread and Indian tacos were also available for purchase. When I first entered the covered area I was greeted with rhythmic traditional drumming accompanied by Native singers. Taking their turns on the dance floor, community members of all ages dressed in beautiful regalia danced in a swirl of color throughout the day.
The Neerchokikoo Powwow honors partners, volunteers and donors whose contributions to NAYA’s work have enhanced the lives of youth, families and elders. This year, NAYA is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the theme of the event was “reclaiming our past, cultivating our future.” The honoring ceremony was not only a tribute to the tribal councils but also a recognition of the enduring connection between the land and the Native American communities that have long called this site home.
“As an ancient Native encampment and gathering site, NAYA’s campus at Neerchokikoo has historic and cultural significance. For many centuries, Native Americans from tribes throughout the area came to this land to gather, trade, and build community,” says Ann Takamoto, Naya’s Director of Development.
The Neerchokikoo Powwow brought together hundreds from the Native American community. As a guest, I was overwhelmed by the power of celebration. It’s hard to translate into words the beauty and love I felt in the room. The care put into each beautiful regalia, some with hard earned eagle feathers, and dresses covered in tingly metal bells were inspiring and I was mesmerized by the power of the drums.
Around dinner time someone came over to me and offered me food. I enjoyed a delicious plate of salmon, wild rice, greens, and berries, all examples of Native first food. Then the dancing continued into the evening.
The whole day was a powerful tribute to pride, love and honoring cultural history. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
Concordia-themed Art Exhibition at Allery
By Marsha Sandman | Contributing Writer
On a quiet alley off of NE Killingsworth St. and behind 5516 NE 27th Ave., you will find a world of wonder. As a painter, writer, poet and educator, Anne Jennings Paris has graced the outside wall behind curator Jennifer Jones’s home with her writing and painting in an art exhibition titled “Memories of the Kingdom”. The exhibition incorporates poetry and acrylic paintings in four future “retellings” of the Concordia neighborhood’s recent past.
The Allery, a play on the words “gallery” and “alley,” is the brainchild of artist Jones, one of the owners of the residence. Combining her love of public art and engaging her neighbors and friends, she decided to start The Allery. Exhibiting large scale framed paintings, it has become a popular summer locale in the Concordia neighborhood.
Paris is also a Concordia resident and makes art in her backyard studio. She is the third artist to grace the outside wall behind Jones’ home and is a two-time recipient of an Academy of American Poets Prize. Paris has created works for the Portland Japanese Garden, Cedarwood Waldorf School, and the University of Portland. Originally from Florida, she is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received her MFA in Creative Writing from San Jose State University.
“Traveling around the world is inspirational. I treat the world around me as an art school. Places tell stories,” says Paris. Paris’ current project will be joining the team at Tyler FuQua Creations to build a large metal sculpture at Burning Man, a weeklong large-scale festival where extreme creatives gather in a remote desert in Nevada. This October, she will be offering a poetry workshop at The Omega Institute in upstate New York, as well as teaching how to use AI ethically in writing and art.
To enjoy the artwork and writing of Anne Jennings Paris visit the Allery and to learn more about her go to her Instagram page @PDXPOET.
“Alleys are special places,” Jones says. “They are public right-of-ways, but they feel private. I wanted to create a place where magic can happen through surprise encounters with art.” Most of the exhibit will be open through November and two 4’x 8’ large-scale panels are up all year.
After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@ gmail.com.
‘Lights Out’ Program Urges Dimming the Lights for Birds at Night
By Kepper Petzing | Contributing Writer
Every spring and fall, billions of birds migrate through North America. Most make this remarkable and perilous journey at night, sensing the magnetic pull of the earth and using the moon and stars to set their course. From mid-September through mid October, on any given night, a million birds might be flying over your home. Turning off lights in our homes during this time reduces skyglow over our cities, and can help birds make it to their destinations safely. Lights Out is a national and international campaign every September 19th – October 19th and repeating April 15th – May 19th for spring migration.
Why is light pollution dangerous?
Light from cities drowns out the stars and other natural cues birds use, disorienting them. The lights lure birds into the city, where they are at risk of colliding with windows. They may end up circling lighted areas until exhausted, often leading to death. Skyglow is the result of both too many lights and poorly designed fixtures that throw light up into the sky. Growing evidence links the loss of darkness at night to negative effects on wildlife and ecosystems, as well as crime and safety (yes, lights can increase crime and decrease safety.)
https://darksky.org/resources/what-is light-pollution/effects/safety/
Humans need the dark too! Multiple studies suggest that exposure to artificial light at night may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, sleep disorders, obesity and breast cancer.
Follow the migrators.
Track our feathered friends with maps showing actual bird migration from sunset to sunrise, as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network.
Take the pledge.
You can make decreasing night light an all year plan. Turning off unnecessary lights helps us save energy, reduces our carbon footprint, saves money, improves health, and lets us see the stars.
The Bird Alliance of Oregon has a pledge program which many corporations, small businesses, homeowners and renters have taken. Take the Pledge to go Lights Out today by visiting birdallianceoregon.org.
For the lights you want to keep, make sure they are well chosen and properly installed. Select warm LED bulbs that are under a 3,000 Kelvin rating. Looking for good lighting? The International Dark-sky Association has a Fixture Seal of Approval program! Learn more here: darksky.org/what-we-do/darksky-approved/
Go Lights Out September 19th– October 19th
During peak migration weeks, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.:
- Be sure outside lights are aimed down and well shielded from the sky.
- Turn off non-essential lights – especially outside lights.
- Reprogram automatic lights to be off from 11 pm to 6 am.
- Have needed lights on motion sensors, when appropriate, so they are on only when needed.
- Turn off interior lights in unoccupied areas.
- Close blinds or curtains in rooms where lights are in use to prevent light escaping.
- Share the news about the “Lights Out” campaign.
Each light matters, and your commitment makes a difference.
Kepper Petzing has lived in Concordia for 42 years and has sadly seen the decrease in the number of birds in our neighborhood. Kepper is nonbinary. They love community and are grateful for Concordia News.
The Right to Repair Yourself
By Barbara de la Torre | Contributing Writer
You can’t run on a broken foot.
I once saw a patient whose mental health depended on daily exercise. I’m talking about someone who ran every day without ever missing a workout for two years. Three weeks before seeing me, she noticed pain in the middle of her left foot. The pain would get a little better and then worse after running. She finally checked into urgent care after the pain became suddenly worse.
I ordered an x-ray of her foot, which showed a stress fracture. It’s a tiny hairline crack in the bone that doesn’t cause a full break but is vulnerable to more injury or delayed healing. When I shared the results with my patient, she said anxiously, “I can’t stop running. That’s the only thing that helps my stress.”
I studied both Western and Chinese medicine to gain the best tools from each system. Western healthcare is good at rescuing and dealing with emergencies, but it’s bad at preventing chronic diseases and cultivating mental wellness. Chinese medicine is a culmination of thousands of years of observation of patterns and rhythms of the natural world. According to Chinese medicine, many chronic mental and physical diseases come from negative emotions—not from having them but from how long we hold on to them. It doesn’t matter how much we exercise or pay attention to healthy food trends if these emotions still linger.
I have a Master’s certification in a movement-based therapy called qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”). Qigong is a branch of Chinese medicine that focuses on movement, breathing, stretching, and mindfulness. The word qigong means “the cultivation of Qi (chee),” which is the energy that sustains life. Qigong started 5,000 years ago in China and evolved into thousands of forms to address several health conditions. It’s a way of being, living, and seeing the world.
One form of qigong is called Xi Xi Hu (“she she who”) or “walking qigong.” It consists of five easy routines to balance and release the five negative emotions of sadness, worry, overexcitement, fear, and anger.
Even though my patient’s mind wanted to continue to run on a broken foot, her body had to stop. We are a mind/body ecosystem where all the parts depend on one another for survival and vitality. The mind and body communicate with us every day if we’re listening.
Qigong, when combined with proper breathing, good sleep, and eating and living with the seasons, helps us listen a little better. Superior medicine doesn’t come from the doctor. It comes from the right to repair yourself.
Join Barbara at Concordia Commons (NE 30th and Killingsworth) for a free group qigong lesson on Sunday, September 15, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Barbara de la Torre is a Concordia resident, artist, and physician. She founded ThirdOpinionMD.org to cultivate healthy individuals and communities.
Woodlawn Farmers Market Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
By Joshua Lickteig | Contributing Writer
“Shop, volunteer, donate!” says Woodlawn Farmers Market (WFM) Manager PZ with a smile, in a refreshing patch of shade at a nearby park. The independent outdoor market will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Saturday, September 7th, from 10 am – 2 pm. Anjala Ehelebe, local historian and author of the Images of America Series book about the Woodlawn neighborhood, will be speaking.
The location of WFM is convenient for those in Woodlawn, Concordia, and Piedmont neighborhoods who don’t have a market within walking distance. Additionally, WFM is open beyond Cully Farmers Market (which closed at the end of August) and like other Portland farmers markets, accepts SNAP food stamps.
“Fundamentally I believe everyone should have access to fresh produce. This wouldn’t be the case without the market,” says Erin Cooper, a WFM board member.
The event will have 20 vendors, two live bands, face-painting artists, and offer balloons, raffles and prizes. Barn Owl Jazz and Beacon Rock Family Band will play music. Nonprofits Kindness Farm and Care Oregon will host the community tables. Vendors for the celebration include Mexican restaurant Xocalo PDX, Pink Goose Bakery, Flipturn Cellars Urban Winery, GEMMM Soaps, ZK Flowers, and three local farms.
One of WFM’s goals is to support start-ups by charting pathways from pop-ups and booths onward to brick-and-mortar establishments. Once a vendor, Rangoon Bistro now has two locations and other businesses such as HiFi Baking Company and For My Ancestors Tinctures started at Woodlawn Farmers Market. And unlike most grocery stores, the market is not subsidized. Surrounding businesses pitch in with refreshments for volunteers, power, trash handling, and supply storage.
What’s next beyond the 10th year? WFM is looking to add tents, sustain permits, create scholarship opportunities, recruit two more board members, and find a more durable supply shed. The board is also writing a proposal for a grant from the Oregon Farmers Markets Association. The grant would help protect from environmental impacts like disruptive heat, high winds and ensure high air quality, by, for example, funding local indoor space and cooling stations.
PZ adds, “A highly valuable direct impact you can make in your neighborhood is to commit to buying local produce, which supports vendors and also pays booth fees.” Further, it reinforces the cultural, economic, and social significance of a neighborhood joining together. This takes a committed group of volunteers and donors to keep the work moving each week. “[It] truly is a community event.” See you around the markets!
More Info
Woodlawn Farmers Market is open every Saturday through October 26th, from 10am-2pm on NE Durham Ave. between NE Dekum and NE Madrona streets. You can learn more at woodlawnfarmersmarket.org and on Instagram, Facebook, and Nextdoor at @woodlawnfarmersmarket.
Joshua Lickteig is an artist and engineer. He was born near the other Milwaukee and has been in Portland for six years. His latest book of poems is called Half Moon Day Sun.
Small Changes to Domestic Tasks that Make a Big Difference
By Esther Lerman Freeman | Contributing Writer
Here are some environmentally friendly ideas that also make you happy while you’re doing them. I love anything that’s a win/win and these ideas qualify.
1. Make your Own Bean Sprouts
Making one’s own sprouts is waste free, really fun to watch, requires minimal time and provides fresh and delicious sprouts while saving you money. All you need is a one quart wide mouth jar and a straining lid. (Straining lids are infinitely reusable.) You soak the seeds overnight, drain them in the morning and then rinse them three times a day. In three or four days you’ll have a packed jar of yummy sprouts. Any kids at home will love being part of the growing process.
2. Switch Out Leaf Blowers for Good Old-Fashioned Rakes
Leaf blowers cause noise pollution for you and your neighbors, use energy and are unhealthy for ears and lungs. Old fashioned raking can be a lovely meditative experience since it is repetitive, requires little skill or thought and is done in the beautiful outdoors. I think of it as moving meditation. Additionally if you “leave the leaves” you are getting free mulch for your soil.
3. Shop at the Farmers Markets from May to November
Buying directly from farmers gives you access to the freshest and most beautiful produce and is definitely more fun than being at a supermarket. You can bring your own bags and reuse them, which decreases packaging as well as the energy used to ship vegetables from large farms to stores since you’re buying from local producers. There is frequently lovely music at the markets, interesting new produce to learn about and the farmers are making a better living selling without a middleman.
4. Make Broth from Veggie Scraps
Making broth is a money saver and a vitamin boost. Any time you devein kale or remove the stems of mushrooms, the ends of onions and garlic or the tops of carrots and radishes, just put them in a bag in your freezer until you have a full bag. Then boil everything in a pot of water for an hour or so, adding any salt or spices you like. Scoop the mushy veggies out and compost them and then let the broth cool. You can use it as a base for your soup, stew, or even to cook your rice or other grains. You have paid zero for the broth and there was no container to recycle.
5. Make Your Own Body Scrub
You can make your own body scrub with household ingredients. Combine 1/4 cup of sugar with 1/8 cup of olive or grape seed oil and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Next time you come in from gardening and your hands are dirty and feel dry, use this scrub.
6. Mend Your Own Clothes
If your favorite shirt has a hole in it, don’t despair! Visible mending is a new trend that turns a plain garment into a creative crafty expression. Either stitch around the hole with some embroidery thread so the hole becomes a decoration or find a scrap of lovely fabric to cover it and sew around it. The sewing is super easy and only requires a needle, thread and some creativity.
Try one of these environmentally friendly projects at home soon!
Esther Lerman Freeman is a certified Master Recycler and Concordia resident.
Go By Bike!
By Lauren Falkner | Contributing Writer
Summer is biking season in Portland and with good reason. The weather is beautiful, infrastructure supports it, and it’s fun. For those who bike, it’s a virtuous cycle: reduce your carbon footprint, get in a low-impact workout, and never get stuck in traffic, whether you’re heading to work, meeting up with friends, or simply looking to explore. That said, there are some rules and best practices that cyclists should know about.
Did you know that there are designated bike routes all over Portland? Neighborhood Greenways are low-traffic, low-speed streets that give priority to pedestrians and bikers and they run parallel to many car routes. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) provides free bike maps on its website, and both bike shops and the library hand out free information pamphlets.
Newer cyclists often bike the route they usually drive. This can be dangerous for the cyclist, and scary for drivers. Cyclists cannot always avoid major streets, but using bike routes reduces the need to bike on traffic-heavy streets except at intersections. Knowing bike routes or mapping out your ride ahead of time will make for a more safe and fun ride. Remember to bike on the right side of the road and observe traffic laws. It’s also good to know how to communicate when you’re on a bike. Learning the signals for turning and passing are important. Here are some basics of signaling:
Left turn: Fully extend your left arm out to the side.
Right turn: Bend your left arm up at a right angle and hold your hand flat, pointed up.
Passing: Pass cyclists and pedestrians on the left if possible. Practice saying “On your left” in a clear voice. Alternatively, you can ring a bell. It’s not rude! Not announcing your intention to pass can lead to accidents, so let folks know you’re coming!
Finally, invest in good gear. Wear a helmet that covers the whole of your head, and leave the AirPods in your bag. Being able to hear and see are good biking practices, for yourself and others. Have functional lights on the front and back of your bike. It’s easy to forget during these long summer days, but bikes are invisible in the dark. Make sure you are covered if you need to get home after dark. High visibility, reflective accessories are great too.
Portland is full of organizations and communities who want to help you enjoy riding safely. Take a look at the resources below, and happy riding!
Lauren Falkner is proud to be a Concordia resident and serves on the Concordia Neighborhood Association Board. When not biking around town she’s often puttering in her garden.