Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Concordia News

Summer Concerts in Fernhill Park Needs Y-O-U

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Events

A Call to Business Owners, Families, and Individuals!

There’s no better way to spend a warm and breezy summer evening than gathering with friends and neighbors in Fernhill Park for music, dancing and family fun! For the last eleven summers, the Fernhill Concert Series has been a smashing success- offering the finest musical talents that Portland has to offer free of charge! This year it all happens on four Friday nights starting July 8th through July 29th and ends with a big shebang on Tuesday August 2nd for our Concordia Neighborhood National Night Out! The CNA Fernhill Concert Committee has begun the long, hard slog of fundraising for the Summer Concert Series, but we need your help to raise enough money to fund all five concerts! So, if you have the means, PLEASE DONATE! We are looking for local businesses and individuals to donate anything they can to help make the concerts happen! It doesn’t matter if you are a business owner, a family, or an individual, WE NEED YOU to help raise the money to produce another memorable concert season in Fernhill Park.

If you would like to help the CNA Fernhill Concert Committee fundraise for this year’s fabulous season, please contact Katie Ugolini at social@concordiapdx.org or 503-449-9690. HELP SUPPPORT THE POWER OF LIVE MUSIC TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER!

Furthermore, if you are a business, institution, or individual and want to be a Fernhill Concert Series Sponsor by contributing $300 or more, you will receive these awesome benefits of sponsorship:
​•​Opportunity to have promotional table at all 5 concerts to display, give or sell items.

​•​A chance to give to your neighborhood

​•​A tax deductible contribution staying “close to home”

​•​Your Business Name Recognized:

Here are the options:

Please join us at the concert sponsorship level that is comfortable for you!

Champion Sponsor: $3,000
Presenting sponsor status for one night of a concert series
Opportunity to emcee and welcome audience to the concert
Logo or name on the concert banner, select Summer Free for All movie screens, season brochure and neighborhood flyer
Listed as presenting sponsor in the season brochure and the neighborhood flyer
Listed on the PP&R Summer Free for All website
Recognized from the stage at all concerts
Thanked in Concordia News and on the CNA Website and recognition in the  SFFA final report
Listed in the newspaper guide distributed in seven languages
Invitation to sponsor night

Major Sponsor: $1,250 and up
Logo or name on concert banner, one Summer Free for Allmovie screen, season brochure and  neighborhood flyer
Listed on the PP&R Summer Free for All website
Recognized from the stage at all concerts
Thanked in Concordia News and on CNA Website
Name listed in the newspaper guide distributed in seven languages

Contributing Sponsor: $600 and up
Name in bold on the concert banner
Name in bold in the season brochure and on neighborhood flyer
Listed on the PP&R Summer Free for All website
Thanked in Concordia News and on the CNA Website

Good Neighbor Sponsor: $300 and up
Name listed on the neighborhood flyer
Listed on the PP&R Summer Free for All website
Thanked in the Concordia News and on the CNA Website

Any sponsor may have a promotional table at the concerts they are supporting.

Sponsorship commitments are needed by April 1 but payment is not due until June 1, 2016 to be included in promotional material.  If you are a business, please let us know how you would like to participate as a sponsor by contacting Lynn Shisler, Concert Production Manager at lynn.shisler@portlandoregon.gov.  If paying by check, make checks payable to Portland Parks & Recreation/Fernhill Concerts and mail to Portland Parks & Recreation,  ATTN: Lynn Shisler, Concerts: 6437 SE Division St.,  Portland, OR 97206. CREDIT CARDS ALSO ACCEPTED.

The Murals of The Black United Fund

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Local Businesses

When you walk by the Black United Fund’s building at 28th and NE Alberta you can’t miss noticing a recently completed 25 x 100 ft mural that swirls across its west side facing wall. The vibrant mural honors iconic women of the civil rights movement.

Vox Siren, a Creative Change Agency that focuses on promoting gender equity and ArtUprising, a non-profit that connects artists and non-profit organizations working to dismantle institutional oppression partnered with the Black United Fund of Oregon on the mural.

Black United Fund, Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon
Photos courtesy of Carl Jameson

The Black United Fund of Oregon is the only black-owned, community specific nonprofit that operates and owns its building and property on Alberta Street. The organization’s mission is to assist in the social and economic development of Oregon’s low-income communities and to contribute to a broader understanding of ethnic and culturally diverse groups.

Kimberlee Sheng, the Executive Director of Black United Fund provided leadership in the creative design said, “As a child growing up the women depicted on this mural were major inspirations in life; they embodied the vision I held for myself, and the determination that was required to create real and lasting change.”

Artists Eatcho and Jeremy Nichols collaborated on the mural that features historical figures of Coretta Scott King, Ruby Bridges, Ruby Dee, Angela Davis, and Maya Angelou. “These women, along with countless others- some who will never be named, opened many doors of opportunity for both women and men, and have had a tremendous impact on how communities of color navigate “systems” of inequity,” Sheng said.

Murals of the Black United Fund, Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon

There is another important person represented in the mural: a young girl stands below the image of Maya Angelou and reflects on her predecessors. She represents a generation boldly ready to continue the legacy of powerful leadership. Sheng said, “In our more than 30-years of operation, the organization has always been lead by women therefore it is fitting that this mural would pay tribute to a few of the iconic black women of the civil rights movement. Upholding a beacon of hope for all, these historical women stood alongside our brothers and numerous communities involved in the struggle, just as we still do today.”

The mural was supported by the Public Arts Murals Program, administered by Regional Arts and Culture Council. Watch a video “A Voice to be Thankful For” created by Vox Siren about the mural.

There’s more murals to come for the building. Alberta Art Works, an organization that supports the neighborhood’s art, artists, performers and creatives, commissioned six 8 x 8 foot murals for the building’s Alberta Street side.

Murals of the Black United Fund, Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon
The murals will tell the story of Alberta Street’s history, economic growth and diversity. Two murals are complete, two are in progress and the rest are scheduled to be completed in Spring 2016.

Red Sauce Pizza a standout addition to Concordia’s food scene

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Opening her own pizza restaurant is the culmination of a dream for Red Sauce Pizza owner Shardell Dues. The restaurant opened on the western edge of the Concordia neighborhood at 4935 NE 42nd Ave. in late October last year. Photo: Susan Trabucco.

From the moment you pull up to Red Sauce Pizza, Concordia neighborhood’s recently-opened pizzeria, it’s evident that something good has happened. With a newly painted exterior, crisp, white curtains in the windows, and a brightly-lit, purposefully-upside down sign announcing “PIZZA” – it’s apparent that a new business is in operation at this location that has long been home to pizza-making operations. It also announces the owner has made an investment in the neighborhood.

Located at Concordia’s eastern edge on the west side of 42nd Avenue near Old Salt Marketplace, Red Sauce is the brainchild of Shardell “Shar” Dues. Dues has called Portland home for 20 years, and is comfortable in this ‘hood – her most recent employer was New Seasons Concordia, where she worked in the meat department. With Red Sauce, Dues combines her knowledge and love of meat with her passion for pizza to bring soul-satisfying pies to this emerging urban district and its surrounding neighborhood.

Dues is no amateur when it comes to pizza-making – she earned her chef stripes at Apizza Scholls – one of Portland’s most revered pizza eateries. At Apizza Scholls, Dues learned the fine art of pre-fermenting and hand-tossing pizza dough, which makes for a sublime crust that’s crispy and chewy all at once, and perfectly moist inside. Customers often mistake her crust as wood-fired for its texture, but it’s not, Dues says.

“We bake our pies with a 1971 General Electric oven that I bought off of Slabtown bar in NW Portland a year ago. It was completely overhauled by my electrician and best friend Nancy Boyce of Power Tech. It works like a dream and gets hot, hot,hot,” Dues exclaims.

That blistering oven cranks out pie after perfect pie; from plain cheese to creative combos such as pepperoni with pineapple and jalapeno, or pepperoni and house-made chorizo; salami, chili flake, grana and “arooogula,” and another with spinach, goat cheese and red onion. Dues makes her own sausage, too.

The only white sauce pizza offered at Red Sauce is for mushroom aficionados, who will find a piping pie generously loaded with fresh fungi and a slight drizzle of truffle oil that serves to tantalize your taste buds and provides a little aroma-therapy at the same time.

Build-your-own pizza options include toppings such as capicola ham, anchovies, mushrooms and various cheese choices including a jersey cow ricotta.

The names of each pizza were inspired by the loyalty of friends and family who helped Dues get the restaurant ready for business. For example, the “It’s Me, Nummy” is a nod to her Mom, Elaine, who goes by the nickname Nummy.

Since opening, Red Sauce has added lunch on the weekends, and also serves “Ruthless” sandwiches with intriguing names and ingredients, such as the Tony Soprano, with capicola, pepperoni, finnochiona salami, provolone picante, black olives, mama lil’s, pepperoncinis, romaine, oil and vinegar, oregano; and the Uncle Paul, with arooooogula, pommodoracio tomatoes, goat cheese, herbs and kalamata olives.

With a few months under her entrepreneurial belt, Dues is encourage and pleased with the reception.

“It’s been great – busy, busy, busy,” she says. She is appreciative of comments from folks in the neighborhood, too. “They tell us to just keep doing what we’re doing; we get nothing but great feedback from the community.”

Red Sauce is located at 4935 NE 42nd Ave. Hours of operation are Wed. through Sun. from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. , and Fri. through Sun. for lunch from Noon to 3:30 p.m. The restaurant also serves beer and wine. To encourage neighborhood walk-ins, Red Sauce does not take reservations. For more information visit www.redsaucepizza.com or call (503) 288-4899.

A New Year and New Look for Concordia News!

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Happy New Year Neighbor,

Welcome to 2016 and a new start at making the world a better place for all of us.

The board met on January 12th for its regularly scheduled board meeting with a full plate of action items that include submitting a request to delay the demolition of an existing home (reportedly to be very habitable and recently remodeled). Neighbors requested that the board submit a request for delay on their behalf while they attempt to convince the developer to reconsider the demolition and work with them to come up with a mutually satisfactory compromise. More about this later as we get feedback.

Ashley Golokow, one of our board members had taken over the responsibility of the community meeting room at the Kennedy School and made great progress in getting the reservation system sorted out with additional improvements as well including a commitment from the Kennedy School to spruce the place up, Good work Ashley!

In addition to securing yet another year of Concerts in the Park, the board has secured one night of “Movie in the Park”. We may not be showing the new Star Wars film but promises to be an event where families and friends can enjoy a movie and picnic with ones you love to add to a list of favorite memories. Keep an eye out for schedules to appear later this spring. The funding is being provided by the City of Portland General Funds, Concordia Neighborhood Association and one of our own board members, Robert Bowles (thanks Robert!)

Two new Board of Directors were installed on the Board, Please welcome Donn Dennis and Joe Culhane and extend our gratitude for their stepping up to the occasion to serve the community.

Joe Culhane, has a history of volunteerism with both community and church the offering his artistic talent whenever needed. Joes latest art project was the intersection painting at NE 28th and Jarrett, bringing
the community together. Other interests are Ally beautification and developing emergency preparedness scenarios for our neighborhood.

Donn Dennis, prior to retirement Donn had made a career in human resources administration as well as a history in both higher education as well as corporate business management and development. Donn also added…that he lives with his” …wife and their two rescued-but-totally-untrained dogs”.

Concordia News Just Getting Better! Keep your eyes open for some real change coming soon to the newspaper and website. We are fortunate to have had Susan Trabucco, a Business Communications and former newspaper owner, volunteer to take our paper into the future with an emphasis on our community reporting the news and events of interest the Newspaper industry has abandoned in favor of national news provided by Wire Service or social media. Susan and volunteers on the Media Committee are
committed to bringing you a newspaper catering to local news and local interest. Look for these developments in future issues, and please don’t hesitate to contribute your stories for publication as well. We are looking for you to be our eyes on our local world.

Please consider coming to our February board meeting as we will be discussing and finalizing our goals and objectives for 2016. We will also be formulating working committees to focus on those projects you see
as priorities.

Lastly, I want to invite those of you who would like to have a one on one conversation with me, Chair for the Association, to discuss your specific questions and suggestions. There are some of us who are not always comfortable in large venues and reluctant to pursue your interests and this will be an opportunity to make your wishes know without the formality of a board meeting and no required agenda. I will be in the community room at 6:00 pm, an hour before the start of our board meeting to focus on you alone. Hope to see you there.

Isaac Quintero
Chair, Concordia Neighborhood Associates

Lower Speed Limits on Alberta & Killingsworth?

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

Neighbors have requested that the Concordia Neighborhood Association take a look at lowering the speed limits on Alberta and Killingsworth within the neighborhood.

There have been complaints that, for Alberta Street, 25 mph is a bit too fast in a situation where cars are parked right up to every corner, every intersection has two crosswalks, there are mid-block alley crossings, bicyclists are sharing the lane with cars, buses, and larger vehicles, and parallel parking maneuvers are a routine fact of life.

Similarly, Killingsworth at 30 mph represents a dangerous barrier, preventing easy crossings from the south to the north side of the Concordia neighborhood. One neighbors’ family had their car totaled when pulling out on to Killingsworth, where vehicles parked right up to the intersection along the curb block the view
of fast-moving oncoming traffic. Bicyclists have been hit while trying to cross from one side to the other of Killingsworth, and it represents a scary crossing for pedestrians as well, especially with signed and marked crosswalks few and far between.

In December, the LUTC recommended, and in January, the CNA Board unanimously adopted, a proposal to ask the City to lower the speed limit through the neighborhood on Alberta from 25 to 20 mph; and on Killingsworth from 30 to 25 mph. The 20 mph on Alberta would thus match the 20 mph on Fremont through Beaumont Village, in keeping with state law that requires 20 mph through commercial districts. The 25 mph on Killingsworth would more closely reflect its status as a mixed use pedestrian and bicycle corridor.

Concordia residents interested in discussing this or any other issue related to land use and transportation are invited to attend the Concordia Neighborhood Association Land Use and Transportation Committee (CNA LUTC) meetings at 7pm on the third Wednesday of the month, in the Community Room in the SE corner of McMenamins Kennedy School. To join the LUTC mailing list, send an email to: pdx_ cna_lu_and_t_committee@googlegroups.com

Wanted: Business Manager for the Concordia News

Posted on by Posted in Archive, CNA, Concordia News

We are looking for a community member to fill the position of Business Manager at Concordia News. This publication is delivered to over 6,000 households and businesses monthly, and is the main method of communication used by our neighborhood association. This volunteer position works closely with our Editor/layout designer, and handles all the ad coordination with local businesses and revenue for the paper.

If you like working with people and building relationships in the community, while increasing your skills, this could be the place for you! If you would like more information or to apply, please submit a letter of interest to: Concordianews[at] yahoo[dot] com. Please list “Business Manager opening” in the subject line of your email.