Thank you very much for all your support and help bringing events back to Concordia. I am happy to report that the annual yard sales event, Sept. 2 to 4, was a success. We had 34 official addresses on the roster this year, plus a few neighbors who decided to jump in and hold their yard sales lastminute.
During the yard sales, I had the opportunity to meet many neighbors who happily shared different businesses in Concordia and adjacent neighborhoods in Northeast Portland that they feel are worth giving a shout out here.
Mis Tacones, 1670 NE Killingsworth St., was brought up several times as a great option for vegan food. Green Bean Books, 1600 NE Alberta St., was also mentioned a few times as a great option for our younger readers. Thank you to those businesses for being an important part of our neighborhood, and thank you to the residents who took time to talk to me and share their experiences and feedback.
I’d also like to thank Jessica Chace and Michelle Fitzgerald who helped me put this event together. Thank you to Andrea Boyd, a graphic designer who came up with the map and made it easier for us to locate the participants’ homes and, of course, thank you to all the participants and/or residents and shoppers who were key to the success of this event.
A special thank you to Madeleine Chace, who shared her art work with our neighbors and elevated our yard sales to a walk of art.
Up Next
Moving on with our agenda, our next neighborhood Litter Pickup is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. We are meeting at Alberta Park, at the corner of Northeast Ainsworth and Northeast 22nd Avenue.
These events are in coordination with SOLVE as well as our neighbors. At this point, we have picked up over 12 tons of trash from the streets of Concordia. Thank you to Gina Levine, our neighbor who has helped with this project for a year.
Halloween Treats
Our next party event is our Halloween Party, Monday, Oct. 31. We’d like to extend a special thank you to Bar Cala, 2703 NE Alberta St., which is hosting our festivities.
This year’s theme is “Masquerade,” and we will be at Bar Cala passing candy out to the neighborhood kids and will have prizes for the children. The party will be held from 5–8 p.m. Stop by to celebrate with us and wear your best costume. We will be having a costume contest.
Room for Rent
We also like to remind everyone that Concordia Neighborhood Association is funded mainly by the rentals of the community room at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave.
The room is available to be rented by the hour with special rates for nonprofit organizations. All proceeds from the room are used to keep funding more events, Concordia News and other important projects for Concordia.
We currently need volunteers. Please reach out to me at 503.343.5561 or Social@ConcordiaPDX.org for volunteer opportunities.
Follow us in Instagram @CNAPDX and use #SocialConcordiaPDX for shoutouts. We also have a Facebook page @ConcordiaPDX for updates.
Javier Puga-Phillips holds the At Large 4 position on the Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors, manages rentals of the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room and chairs the CNA Social Committee. He is a real estate professional locally, and he is a published author and motivational speaker in Latin America and Spain.
