Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Volunteer Opportunities

2nd Annual Spring Alley Cleanup April 16th!

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation, Volunteer Opportunities

By Garlynn Woodsong Chair, CNA Land Use & Transportation Committee (LUTC)

For the second year in a row, the Concordia neighborhood is partnering with Concordia University, Metro, and SOLVE to host an alley cleanup event from 10a.m. to 4p.m. on Sat., April 16.

We learned last year that it would be particularly helpful for neighbors who own trucks and live on an alley to show up and help to transport the debris collected in the alleys to the Metro Central Transfer Station. The costs are “comped” by the event sponsors, so we just need the volunteers with trucks to show up! Last year, we did not have enough trucks or drivers, and some volunteers had to continue making the dump runs with too few trucks on into Sunday. We would like to avoid asking that of our volunteers this year.

Neighbors, students performing a day of service, and others will gather between 9:45a.m.and 10a.m. at the intersection of the 28th/29th alley and Emerson street to receive supplies and instructions, then split off to clean up various alleys around the neighborhood.

The cleanup is the first step in a long-term process of building community momentum towards alley improvement efforts. Alleys are a public right-of-way, but, like sidewalks, their maintenance is the responsibility of adjacent private property owners. Historically, alleys were used to provide automobile access to homes. There is now a growing community consensus that these spaces can be enhanced to not only serve this original function better, but also be community spaces that provide many opportunities for residents that enhance the quality of life. The specifics of the vision for the future of each alley must be developed and owned by the neighbors on each block.

There are over 120 alley blocks in the Concordia neighborhood. Of these, alleys will be prioritized for cleanup on April 16th where adjacent neighbors have reached out in advance, and/or show up on the day of the event.

Please contact Garlynn if you would like to be involved in the cleanup, if you can offer the use of a truck for the day of the event, and to learn more about how your alley could be improved to become a better community resource.

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 7p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month, in the Community Room in the SE corner of McMenamins Kennedy School. Click here to join the LUTC mailing list.

Alberta Main Street seeks performers, sponsors & vendors for annual street fair

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

The 19th Annual Alberta Street Fair is Saturday August 13, 2016. Alberta Main Street is currently seeking performers, sponsors and vendors for the event. The Alberta Street Fair is a daylong celebration of community, art and music that brings over 25,000 people to Alberta Street. Hosted by Alberta Main Street, the street fair includes three stages of entertainment and over 300 vendor spaces between NE 10th Ave and NE 30th Ave.

Call for Performers: Alberta Main Street seeks a diverse array of performers appropriate for a family-friendly event. The non-profit seeks performers of all kinds: musicians, dancers, children’s performers and other acts that appreciate and represent the cultural diversity of our neighborhood. Performers are invited to learn more and apply online. All acts must perform original material or works that are clearly in the public domain. The application deadline is April 17, 2016.

Sponsorship Opportunities: The eclectic mix of entertainment and craft at The Alberta Street Fair epitomizes the Portland draw and is a fantastic opportunity for exposure for your business. By sponsoring Alberta Street Fair, you can: directly connect with an active and engaged audience, showcase products, bolster your brand by partnering with a respected event and support your consumer’s community. For more information available online.

Vendor Registration: Local artists, crafters, makers, organizations and food vendors are invited to participate in this popular event. Vendor registration fees vary by the type of vendor and size of booth. More information and registration is now available online. Register before June 15, 2016 for early bird pricing! For additional information about Alberta Main Street contact Sara Wittenberg at  or visit albertamainst.org.

Challenges & opportunities face our neighborhood – you CAN make a difference!

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Concordia News, Volunteer Opportunities

Hello Neighbor,
It’s been a busy month for your Board so let me take a moment to get you caught up with what your Directors have been up to.

Homelessness & Toxic Air
At the General Membership Meeting on March 8th, speakers addressed the latest events connected with the Mayor’s Homeless Plan and provided an update on Toxic Air issues. Adam Lyons, Associate Director- Neighborhoods Program and Manager- Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, spoke to both issues. Officer Anthony Zoeller with the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct (and a regular attendee) gave additional perspective to the Homeless Issue.

In order to address some immediate needs , the Mayor has been active in coming up with solutions for the Homeless issue with little input from the community. However, Lyons has been very active in championing alternative solutions with a focus on neighborhood input. We expect to be hearing more from Adam regarding strategies for ensuring that the neighborhood is represented. As of this writing, no final decision has been made regarding locations of City-owned property selected for “camps”or for final policies to manage these sites. If you have a desire to get involved with this process, please let me know. I will make sure you are connected to the appropriate party.

What I know for sure is that communication within City Hall is inadequate.You can make the request, but you never know if anyone is really listening at the other end.Importantly, there appears to be a lack of understanding priorities.

St. Johns shelter challenges
 Take for instance the red tape and bureaucratic morass the St. Johns Neighborhood Shelter has been experiencing. It is apparent that City Staff is looking only at codes and regulations, not the human condition. Why else would the City not allow a variance for a 5- foot-wide sidewalk but insists on a 6-foot-wide sidewalk at the rear of the property that is rarely used. Why is the City imposing permitting fees and other charges that make shelters too expensive to build when homeless mothers and children remain on the street? Get your priorities straight, Planning Department and those Commissioners who have their hands on the steering wheel!What we should remember is that many of these “Homeless”people had homes in our neighborhood but were not as fortunate as the rest of us who survived the economic meltdown created by Wall Street.

Toxic air potential in Concordia
Toxic air in Southeast and North Portland should not be seen as some other neighborhood’s issues when the likelihood of the Concordia Neighborhood hearing about its own bad air is pretty high. Given our proximity to the Columbia Industrial Corridor, we should not be surprised to learn that we face a similar situation. Adam Lyons identified straight answers and real transparency with the Department of Environmental Quality as being the biggest obstacles in confronting the issues. He believes that once there is some real communication from DEQ and related agencies, we will learn how deep this problem really is. We will be providing additional information as it is uncovered and will keep you posted. Please keep an eye open for news; and, if you are growing your own veggies, make sure you are cleaning them thoroughly before putting them on a plate.

Use it or lose it: Other items of importance
 While this newspaper has gone through a major upgrade in professional journalism, it sits on very brittle ground. We now have a temporary volunteer Editor through June of this year. If we do not find a replacement, we will see the end of our neighborhood newspaper, i.e., the lights go out. Same can be said for our Board of Directors. Many are now in the last 6 months of their tenure with no new volunteers in sight. We need to hear from those of you who are willing to step up to the plate for all of us. We did get a Board Member to volunteer as Vice-Chair (Chris Lopez). Chris has been extremely active in our community, and we welcome his assistance in moving us forward. We are still down two Board Members, and I certainly see an under-representation of women. Use it or lose it, isn’t that the way the saying goes and never so true as today. We need to keep this paper going to make your wishes known. The alternative is to let someone in an office downtown or an unknown in government position make our decisions for us.

Thanks for listening in; let’s make this neighborhood great by YOU becoming a force of one.

Happy Spring!
Isaac Quintero, Chairman CNA

Ambassadors & Street Ops Volunteers sought for Last Thursdays

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Events, Local Businesses, Volunteer Opportunities

Ambassadors: A pair of Ambassadors are assigned a 2 block area during the street closure (6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.) to help in the education of vendors, musicians, and participants. They keep doorways free and clear and aid in moving vendors along at the close of the event, among other tasks. They are a link to city agencies if needed or they can step in to help mediate. duties include: check food vendors for licenses, address public safety concerns/wheelchair access/clear sidewalks, communicate LT expectations, mediate disputes, put friendly reminder notes on cars for parking problems, encourage break down at 9:45 and at 10:00 join in walking the street to re-open

Ambassador Training is May 25, 6:00-7:30, St. Francis Community Center, 806 NE Alberta St.

Street Operations: the group that places/removes bins for trash/recycling, trash and recycling, bathrooms, and looks at the basic infrastructure of our temporary fair. duties include: set and take down street barriers, placement of port-a-potties, placement of trash/recycling, disposal of trash, assist in clearing the streets at 10:00p.m. Street Ops meets at the Fuel Cafe, 1452 NE Alberta St., at 4:00 on Last Thursdays.

SHIFTS:
2-5 pm Help direct and assist vendors with how to set up
4-6 pm Street Ops set out garbage and recycling cans
6-8 pm Event begins, general education to attendees to keep the peace & respect neighborhoods
8-10 pm Ditto
9:30-11 pm Help vendors break down, Street Ops collect bins

Help make Last Thursday great!

Buy Trees for only $35-$75

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Trees, Volunteer Opportunities

Sign up at www.FriendsofTrees.org/BuyTrees.

The $35 to $75 cost per tree includes:

  • assistance in filing a city-required street tree permit
  • the wholesale price of the tree and delivery
  • hole digging, planting assistance, stakes, and follow-up maintenance checks

Friends of Trees offers a wide selection of trees specifically approved for your home’s planting strip:

  • Feb. 12 planting in Boise, Eliot, Humboldt, and King
  • Feb. 19 planting in Kenton and Portsmouth
  • Feb. 19 planting in Cathedral Park, St. Johns, and University Park
  • March 12 planting in Alameda, Irvington, Sabin, and Grant Park
  • March 19 planting in Madison South and Rose City Park
  • March 19 planting in Beaumont-Wilshire, Cully, and Roseway
  • March 26 planting in Concordia and Vernon

What good things grow on trees?

Conservation: Tree shade can cut your energy costs by 35% during the summer. Health: Trees clean our air, water, and soil. A new U.S. Forest Service study in Portland even links tree-lined neighborhoods with healthy newborns.

Community: Tree-lined streets calm and slow traffic. This creates safer neighborhoods and happier people. And money even grows on trees! Planting trees on your property can add $7,000 to the value of your home.

Funding for the plantings comes from Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services and the following sponsors: Jan. 29 in Arbor Lodge and Overlook—Adidas and Portland General Electric; Feb. 12 in Boise, Eliot, Humboldt, and King—Safeway; Feb. 19 in Cathedral Park, St. Johns, and University Park—The Oregonian; March 12 in Alameda, Irvington, Sabin, and Grant Park—Backyard Bird Shop; and March 19 in Beaumont-Wilshire, Cully, and Roseway—Port of Portland. Since 1989, Friends of Trees has planted more than 400,000 trees and native plants in the Portland-metro area. Find your tree at www.FriendsofTrees.org.

CNA February General Meeting

Posted on by Posted in Archive, CNA, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

Please join us for the February CNA General Meeting

Tuesday, February 1, 7 p.m.
McMenamin’s Kennedy School, Community Room

  • Port of Portland – will discuss this summer’s runway closure and the impacts on our neighborhood.
  • Mary Peveto – from the Portland Air Toxic Solutions Advisory Committee will discuss air quality in our neighborhood.
  • Safety and Liveability Team (SALT) will report on this newly formed committee of the NE Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN).

  • Please join us to learn more about your neighborhood and how you can get involved.

Concordia Street Tree Inventory Saturday, September 11th

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Trees, Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, September 11 from 8:30 am to noon
Concordia University, George R. White Library
Corner of NE Liberty and NE 29th

Can you identify common street trees? Do you want to improve your tree id skills? Or simply learn more more about trees? Join Urban Forestry staff and volunteers and help collect important tree inventory data. Those with more advanced tree identification skills (that’s you, Tree Stewards!) will be paired with volunteers in small groups to measure and identify street trees on a few city blocks.

This tree inventory work day is part of the Concordia neighborhood’s effort to examine the count, type, size, and health of the local street trees. Once completed, the inventory will help create the Concordia Neighborhood Stewardship Plan, which will include findings of current conditions and recommendations for achieving neighborhood street tree goals. All Tree Stewards are encouraged to take part in the inventory and consider their neighborhood’s interest in a future street tree inventory and Neighborhood Stewardship Plan.

Register on line now

To register by phone or email contact Angie DiSalvo at 503-823-4484 or angie.disalvo@portlandoregon.gov.

For more information on the Street Tree Inventory project visit www.portlandonline.com/parks/treeinventory

Portland Plan to be discussed at February CNA general meeting

Posted on by Posted in Archive, CNA, Concordia News, Events, Land Use & Transportation, Volunteer Opportunities

Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00pm at the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room

Deborah Stein from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will be presenting the Portland Plan at the CNA general meeting on Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00pm at the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room.

Building on the visionPDX process the Portland Plan will identify how to ensure Portland is a thriving and sustainable city for the future, with opportunity for all.

The Portland Plan is taking a variety of issues such as education, human health, civic engagement, housing, transportation and the environment. The City is also partnering with a wide range of public agencies to ensure alignment of actions and investments.

The Portland Plan will be developed over the next 12 months. The current phase of the process is looking at baseline conditions – where are we now? To view the work plan for the Portland Plan and the other phases of the project, please visit www.pdxplan.com. You can also review the draft Portland Plan Handbook and background reports as well as take a survey online.

The City will be accepting public testimony on the background reports at three upcoming Planning Commission hearings on January 26, February 9 and March 9. However, comments on the background reports will be accepted until late 2010. The public is welcome to submit comments by mail, FAX, e-mail or online. Please visit www.pdxplan.com for more information.

For more information download the latest Portland Plan brochure.

Service updates for the Bureau of Development Services

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Concordia News, Land Use & Transportation, Volunteer Opportunities

December 14, 2009

Dear Community Partner,

As you may already be aware, over the last year the Bureau of Development Services has experienced its most drastic workload and revenue decline in recent history due to a steep and sustained decline in construction activity. In response to the revenue and workload decline, the Bureau has laid off 150 employees over the last 5 months. Bureau management and staff have been implementing service level and organizational changes focused on maximizing our ability to provide customers an acceptable level of service despite reduced resources.

In order to keep our customers up to date with these changes, we have developed a communication plan to regularly communicate any significant bureau organizational and service level changes to our customers, industry stakeholders, community organizations and citizens. This communication plan includes summarizing changes into Service Level Update documents that are provided to affected customer groups. All of the Service Level Update documents are posted on the BDS web site at http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=51292. The Service Level Update PDF summarizes our communication plan.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this or our Service Level Update communication plan. I am also very interested in ideas you may have on getting this information out to our customers.

Thank you,

Ross Caron, Manager/PIO
Bureau of Development Services
City of Portland, Oregon
(503) 823-4268
ross.caron@ci.portland.or.us
www.portlandonline.com/bds

Join us for the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum Tree Walk Sunday, October 11th

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Concordia News, Events, Family, Land Use & Transportation, Trees, Volunteer Opportunities

Portland Parks & Recreation started the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum four years ago with the idea of showcasing unique varieties of trees in an urban setting. This is a great way to learn about our neighborhood and decide on what tree you may want to order from Friends of Trees. To register for this free walk or to get a map, call (503)823-1650.

Sunday, October 11th, 12:30 – 2 P.M.
United Church of Christ,
2927 NE Ainsworth