Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Start-up’s convenient delivery turns practical

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Nancy Varekamp | CNews Editor

Tanya Hartnett walks the talk of sustainability with her body care products. They’re all natural, have no packaging, and she delivers them by bicycle. Photo courtesy of Clean Body Care

When Tanya Hartnett launched her business plan in January to create and market body care products, she expected customers to appreciate the convenience of free home delivery. Little did she realize a pandemic would make it so practical.

Moreover, Tanya delivers by bicycle as part of her earth-friendly business that serves northeast, north and some southeast neighborhoods.

Circumventing fossil fuels for shipping is just part of the sustainability that’s the foundation of Clean Body Care. Only natural and organic ingredients – most vegan and sourced locally – go into the recipes she’s developed in her kitchen.

Don’t worry about animal testing. Everything has been tried out by Tanya, her husband and their two teenagers. Further, there’s no packaging involved for the bar shampoo, soap, deodorant and lotion.

Bars?

“When the deodorant and lotion touches you, it melts onto your skin,” she explained. “You’re not using excess.” One lotion alternative comes in a returnable/ refillable jar for a one-time nominal fee.

“Customers leave a container on their porch, I deposit their purchases, and there’s zero waste,” she explained. Payments are accepted online, or at the door. Specific products, prices and contact information are at CleanBodyCare4u. wixsite.com/website.

Tanya likens her business to a community supported agriculture (CSA), since customers can request regular deliveries.

“Unlike a CSA, though, you get only what you want to use,” she pointed out. “With a CSA, you might get 15 beets, whether you want them or not. The idea here is no waste.”

The native Oregonian and 15-year northeast Portlander learned to embrace sustainability as the youngest of nine children born to parents raised during the Great Depression. “Nothing was ever thrown away,” Tanya reported.

“I wear only natural fibers, sew all my own clothes, bake everything I can, and I avoid packaging.”

Working in the fashion industry most of her career, Tanya heard a lot of talk about respecting the environment. “But there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors about that kind of stuff.”

After learning a couple of years ago that 552 million plastic shampoo bottles go in the landfills every year, she Googled instructions to make a shampoo bar that can be used on the entire body. That was the beginning of many more recipes and experiments.

And Tanya hopes her business is the beginning of an additional form of community involvement here, like a local environmental club or even a homegrown produce sharing group.

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

Ask the Historian – Portland has more than 300 Heritage Trees

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, History

By Doug Decker | Historian

The Pearson pine was a
seedling when it survived an
1885 fire and was replanted at 29th Avenue and Fremont Street. It rates a visit while your child – and/or you – pursue Doug Decker’s Home History on trees. Photo by Doug Decker

Editor’s note: Historian-turned-teacher Doug Decker offers a new chapter each Monday in neighborhood history for students continuing their schooling at home. Visit Home History School at AlamedaHistory.org for archived and new lesson plans. One May Monday, he offered the history lesson below related to the area’s oldest living residents: trees.

Portland has more than 300 Heritage Trees, which have a special designation because of their unique size, age or historical significance. Northeast Portland neighborhoods have a great cluster of Heritage Trees north of Broadway Street, east of Interstate Avenue, south of Killingsworth Street and west of 33rd Avenue.

A bunch are probably within walking distance of you, so it’s time to meet some of them, especially one of our favorites, the Pearson Pine at 29th Avenue and Fremont Street.

Long ago, before neighborhoods existed on these lands, there were forests of Douglas-fir, hemlock, western red cedar, alder, maple and even pine that blanketed these lands. Gradually many of those trees were cut either for lumber or to make room for the farm fields and orchards that followed.

And then 100 years ago, when most of our neighborhoods were just taking shape, the people who built our streets and houses figured the new homeowners would want tree-lined streets. But they knew it would take a while, so they planted many different kinds. Some of those have gotten old and big.

One such tree is the big Ponderosa pine at the southwest corner of 29th Avenue and Alameda Street. A few years back, I nominated that tree to Portland’s heritage tree list after learning its story, which goes something like this:

Back in about 1885, there was a forest fire that burned through this area and killed many trees, young and old, but left some trees untouched. After the fire, a local farmer named Samuel Pearson – who used to run a dairy that stood about where Alameda School is today – found one of these young seedlings that survived the fire: a Ponderosa pine tree, which is much more common in eastern Oregon.

Because it was different than most of the other trees around here, Samuel knew it would always stand out, so he planted it in a special place to mark the corner of his property. Today, it’s a giant, visible from all around.

His dairy and cows are long gone, but Samuel was right: that tree sure stands out. So do all of the other Heritage Trees in the neighborhood.

For additional research sources on Heritage Trees, click here.

Heritage Trees activity suggestions & novelties

  1. Have a look at the trees around your house. Can you tell which one is the tallest or the oldest? Ask around your family or your neighbors to see if you can learn when your trees were planted. (One family who lived in our house planted a live Christmas tree in front of our house back in the 1970s and it grew tall before it had to be removed).
  2. How about your neighborhood? Can you tell which trees are the tallest or the oldest? Have they been trimmed to make way for the power lines? Can you see old scars where branches may have broken off in the snow, ice or wind?
  3. Here’s something that might be fun. See if you can identify the species of trees you have around your house or on your block. There are many clues to look at when you identify your tree: the shape of its leaves (or needles), the texture of its bark, its shape and size, its flowers, cones, seeds or fruit. Check out this helpful tree identification tool.
  4. Which is your favorite tree in your neighborhood? Why? How have you seen it change? Draw a picture of your favorite tree.
  5. Draw a map that shows the different trees around your house or on your block and what kind they are.
  6. Go visit the Pearson Pine and stand underneath its branches. Did you know this is one of the oldest living things in our area? What stories do you think it could tell?
  7. Did you know trees all have different sounds as the winds blow through? Next windy day, listen carefully.
  8. Here’s a link to the map of some local Heritage Trees. Choose a few to visit and find your favorite.

Doug Decker initiated his blog AlamedaHistory.org in 2007 to collect and share knowledge about the life of old houses, buildings and neighborhoods in northeast Portland. His basic notion is that insight to the past adds new meaning to the present.

Concordia alleys are a neighborhood asset

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

By Garlynn Woodsong | CNA Board Member, SW1 CNA LUTC Chair

Alleys are helping Concordia neighbors engage in active transportation while socially distancing during this time of quarantine in the age of COVID-19.

For the section of the neighborhood west of 33rd Avenue, alleys double the number of north-south pedestrian connections on each block.

For neighbors – with dogs, other family members and/or cohabitants, or out walking solo – a new social custom has developed to look down a block for oncoming pedestrians and consider entering if seeing none, or to continue on otherwise.

When walking along east-west streets to the west of 33rd in Concordia, however, continuing on only means walking the depth of a standard lot in the neighborhood, or roughly 100 feet, before an alley is encountered.

At alleys, the diagnosis is a bit more complex. It’s not just a matter of oncoming traffic, there are also passability/blockage assessments that must be performed quickly.

Some of these assessments can be conducted visually, from the alley entrance. Others require entering the alley to continue the assessment beyond visual barriers, most likely overgrown vegetation.

There are certain pattern areas within the neighborhood as a whole, where there are clusters of alleys that share a certain look and type.

In general, there are three classes of alleys in Concordia:

  • Paved alleys with concrete or sometimes asphalt providing a driving surface that doubles as a vegetation barrier, physically preventing the alley from becoming quickly overgrown each spring
  • Gravel alleys that were, at one point, cleared, graded, graveled and that continue to be used to provide vehicle access to the rear of – at least some of – the properties they serve
  • Overgrown alleys – maybe at some point in the distant past, were gravel alleys – that, over the years, neglect has allowed the vegetation to take over, with enormous expanses of thorny blackberry patches, impassable to all but the most intrepid, machete-armed pedestrian

I believe our challenge should be to turn all of the overgrown alleys in Concordia into gravel alleys – at least to the width of a pedestrian path – to strengthen the resilience of our neighborhood in providing a diversity of options for folks to walk and maintain social distancing whenever the need arises.

For all of us who live on alley frontages, however, let us please plant food for pollinators: wild flower mixes where appropriate, flowering vines to grow along fence-lines, flowering shrubs in the little nooks that are formed along the edges of the alleys from place to place.

Our city provides a wealth of biodiversity to support pollinators. Yet they still face threats, from the application on plants of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to plants death by highway.

Our alleys provide an opportunity to provide more food for pollinators and habitat for humans. Let’s celebrate them!

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.

Local wellness therapist broadens her reach

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Lori Reising is transitioning her one-on-one massage and hypnotherapy practice to reaching and supporting more people through podcasts. Photo courtesy of The Raw and Wild Hearts Podcast

Sleuthing out life, health and self-affirming news these days is more challenging than simply flipping on the television or visiting your favorite online news aggregator.

These familiar places are, predictably, where you’ll find more of the same, often anxiety-provoking and fear-based reporting that many have come to regard as the new normal.

That, combined with social distancing, has many people hungry for community, connection and a heaping helping of positive news – but unsure how or where to find it.

Happily, Concordia resident and longtime healing arts practitioner Lori Reising is offering an easy and cost-free way to tap into and top up on that very stuff.

A health educator, retreat leader, the owner of Beginning Within massage therapy and hypnotherapy, Lori is a newly minted podcast host. She has expanded her primarily one-on-one therapy practice with the intent of reaching and supporting more people.

Her newest offering, The Raw and Wild Hearts Podcast, launched in November and is her way of serving up content that is inspiring, actionable, empowering and accessible to all.

The podcast offers a virtual place to talk, laugh, lean on and learn from each other.

“Humans are made to connect and thrive together, it’s how we operate,” she asserted. And right now finding the positive means making intentional – and intentionally – different choices. That said, it’s not all unicorns and cupcakes at The Raw and Wild Hearts.

“Acknowledging the places where we struggle is a big part of what helps us transform ourselves,” Lori said.

The most recent episode is “Empower Your Health During Coronavirus and Always” with Peter Borten, doctor of acupuncture & oriental medicine. It showcases a powerful conversation on breaking down fear and providing practical information to support immunity and long-term health.

“When we are offered concrete suggestions such as choosing meditation, nourishing foods, and fresh air and movement, we are given ways to lessen fear and increase self-actualization,” Lori pointed out. “This can help diminish stress and anxiety. Everything we do is a choice.

“Community is much more powerful than currency,” she enthused. The free podcast offers topics that can help you find strength in yourself, connect you to a larger community, and give you the tools and support to assist yourself spiritually, emotionally and physically – today and well into the future.

To tune in to this ongoing twice-monthly show and learn more about Lori, visit TheRawAndWildHearts.com.

Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

The story of Floyd N. Booker Sr. is now visual

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Artist Campo preserves the spirit and contributions of Floyd N. Booker Sr. on Alberta Street’s newest mural. Photo by Maquette Reeverts

Hard work, dedication, perseverance and integrity. The story of Floyd N. Booker Sr. is now in visual form on the northeast corner of 17th Avenue and Alberta Street.

After being discharged from the U.S. Army, Floyd came to Portland in 1943. He worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 18 years and became union shop steward before starting his own business.

Floyd came to own the building on 17th and Alberta that houses his business. Courtesy Janitorial Services is one of the oldest African American owned businesses in Portland.

Campo is an artist who has lived in the neighborhood for over four years. “The side wall on 17th Avenue was getting hit with graffiti regularly so last September I introduced myself to Ron [Booker, Floyd’s son and Courtesy Janitorial owner] and Marnella [Mosley, office manager] and offered them some relief with a mural,” he reported.

Originally from Ohio, Campo runs the small business Hand Brand Book Company, specializing in marbled notebooks and wallets, among other goods.

Provided with a couple of black and white photos, Campo used his favorite medium, spray paint, to create the portrait of Booker with an image of a photo of him with three other men in Vanport.

Symbolism tells the rest of Floyd’s story. A lantern shining through the night highlights his commitment to keeping the light on at home for his six children, represented by six beads below.

A lighted candle burns to signify Floyd’s work ethic of toiling into the night. A scale shows the balance he kept between his work and family commitments, especially as his family grew.

Campo is now turning his attention to another of Alberta Street’s walls. The northeast corner of 18th Avenue will soon have a new mural to cover the consistent tagging on the old Solae’s brick wall.

As a nod to the bar, the subject will be a jazz trumpeter amid a swirling background resonate of the artist’s marbling work.

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.

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.

Bookstore innovates new business plan

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses
Green Bean Books launched online, curbside and delivery services to keep in business and keep local children reading during the pandemic. (Left to right) Local authors and illustrators Emily Arrow, Alison Farrell plus her son, and Zoey Abbott make merry to call attention to the bookstore’s curbside service. Photo courtesy of Green Bean Books

By Sharon Kelly | CNA Media Team

The bookshop in the little red house at 1600 N.E. Alberta St. is finding new ways to stay in business during Oregon’s COVID-19 “stay home, save lives” order by offering online sales, delivery and pick up.

Green Bean Books – which its website calls “a wild and whimsical community-based, independent children’s bookstore” – celebrated its 10th anniversary recently as a traditional, brick and mortar bookstore.

Customers enjoyed perusing the shelves and colorful displays for the latest award-winning books and unique gifts for human “beans” from babies to grown-ups. But owners Jennifer Green and Maggie Yuan are not the type to sit behind the counter.

Since opening, they’ve shared their love of books and community with a calendar chock-full of fun book-related experiences and events.

On a typical, pre-COVID-19 week at Green Bean, you’d find multiple read-aloud story times, author events, sing-a-longs, monthly opportunities for new readers to read to Buddy the therapy dog, and crafts and puppetry, sometimes with unicorn or dragon themes.

When Portlanders began staying home in March, Green Bean’s regular activities came to a halt. Jennifer and Maggie were faced with either closing the doors or finding innovative ways of connecting with customers.

“We’re working about five times harder per sale, but we have so many kind and encouraging customers,” shared owner Jennifer Green.

First they offered customers online ordering and shipping for audio and traditional books through GreenBeanBooksPDX.com. Now, customers may also call 503. 954.2354 or email Info@GreenBeanBookspdx.com for delivery within two miles – it’s free with a nominal minimum purchase. Like many other stores on Alberta Street, curbside or no-contact-pick-up from the porch is also offered.

Green Bean Books has been able to continue to employ two staff members to help with orders and deliveries. They’re available 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. to place your order or ask for book or toy recommendations. As always, they can special order almost any book, for any age, or mail a gift certificate. They’ll even wrap your gift and deliver it to your friend’s or loved one’s porch.

Not long after the “stay home, save lives” order, they resumed their events schedule, now online, including virtual story-times, author activities and drawing classes. Check Facebook.com/pg/greenbeanbooks/events or follow @GreenBeanBooks for details.

“We feel lucky that the community loves books and loves to read,” Jennifer said, as she recounted customers calling to thank her for being open and bringing flowers.

One even created a chalk sign for outside the door, artfully inscribed, “We love Green Bean Books!”

Green Bean fosters numerous partnerships throughout the year, including bringing books to life onstage with Oregon Children’s Theater, and creating fun, interactive bookraisers for the Rigler School Library and the Children’s Book Bank.

If you’re looking for ways to support local families less fortunate during the COVID-19 crisis, call Green Bean Books and ask about purchasing a book bundle to donate to the Children’s Book Bank. Store employees will deliver your bundle to the book bank to be distributed to children in need in the Portland area.

Generally at this time of year, Green Bean is also busy coordinating spring school visits with author and illustrator presentations at numerous area schools. “School closures will account for a large amount of lost revenue in book pre-orders and sales from those visits.” Jennifer reported.

She looks forward to reopening the store soon so customers can enjoy the big, sunny, flower-filled garden and deck; explore the magical umbrella tree; peruse the theme sections like earth science, bedtime, poetry or fairy/princess; sign up for summer cartoon camp; and/or curl up with a book and a friend on the comfy green couch.

Sharon Kelly

Sharon Kelly uses her outreach and coordination skills to support trees, farmers, small businesses and engage her neighbors and all of Portland to create more healthy, equitable, sustainable communities. A farmer at heart, she’s happiest in her wild gardens with towering herbs. She’s best known locally as market manager for Cully and Woodlawn farmers markets and as web manager for Trees for Life Oregon. Contact her at NaturalFarmerPDX@gmail.com

Pandemic suspends Cully market

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Tamara Fowler | CNA Media Team

“Farmer Ted” Snider will miss his weekly involvement – 12 years running – at Cully Farmers Market. This summer’s events are canceled due to COVID-19 social distancing, but he’s looking forward to the market
resuming next summer.

When Ted Snider first moved to Portland by way of Portland, Maine, farmers markets served the communities of Beaverton, Gresham and Hillsboro. It was 1975, and there were none within Portland city limits.

Ted got a few friends together to start Portland Farmers Market, and he managed that downtown event for its first five years.

That effort – and the farm store he opened in Cully neighborhood four years ago – earned him the title “Farmer Ted.”

In 2008, a scrappy little fruit and vegetable market popped up in the Hacienda Community Development Corporation (CDC) parking lot. It was an early predecessor of Cully Farmers Market.

The following spring, the space behind Trinity Lutheran Church became available and a tiny farmers market, full of earnest community spirit, replaced the one at the CDC.

“Everything came from the neighborhood farms and backyard gardens,” Ted recalled. “My favorite memory is when three young Somali girls wheeled in a red wagon filled with cabbages they grew at the Rigler garden. They sold out quickly, and the girls were beaming with pride.”

When Old Salt opened on 42nd Avenue in 2013, the owners started a small farmers market on Thursdays to highlight their farm-to-table connection. The next year the two markets merged. The social and entertainment aspects really started growing with the newly dubbed Cully Farmers Market (CFM).

It connects the diverse populations of the Cully, Concordia and Beaumont neighborhoods. And it brings people together to embrace the common need for eating food that is fresh, vibrant and organic.

Ted sees this as his mission in life.

However, staging a weekly melting pot in the community is just too risky in these unknown times of pandemic. With all the quarantining and social distancing of today, CFM is closed for this season.

“I have not missed a single market in 12 years, and now I’m going to miss them all season,” he lamented. So he’s looking forward to the market returning next summer.

In the meantime?

“Each of us can be a mini farmers market for our block and build those connections with each other,” Ted remarked. “The joy of growing food and feeding other people is contagious.

“So I expect that when we are able to return to our farmers market – whether for a one-time harvest festival this September or a full season next year – many people who have learned this joy of growing and sharing will have a supportive place to build connections with our wonderful community.”

Ted added, with an encouraging smile, “Keep on growing.”

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

Chair’s Corner – Pandemic can’t slow CNA

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Astrid Furstner | CNA Chair

The Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) Board of Directors continues to overcome the challenges the pandemic has thrown on us. We met May 6 for our second virtual meeting, and we accomplished plenty of business.

Four letters were approved and sent to:

  • Oregon Cultural Trust in support of Alberta Main Street’s request for a grant to develop a district guidelines and streetscape design plan
  • Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) to request open dialogue regarding the sale of the Concordia University property
  • City of Portland in support of the Slow Streets Plan to slow or stop traffic temporarily on some city streets to allow for more physical distancing by pedestrians and bicyclists
  • City of Portland in support of growing out our urban forest in the form of a revision to the Portland Tree Code

We also discussed a few ideas for the social committee to consider, such as a potential neighborhood scavenger hunt to bring us together, yet distanced. If you have ideas, let us know. Send them to my email address below for ways to keep socializing and getting to know each other, albeit while respecting physical distance.

Additionally we considered a few requests from businesses and organizations for our support regarding their proposed use of Concordia University property and facilities. We determined CNA is not the proper venue for individuals to request use of the land. The university property is privately owned. Any specific requests regarding leasing the buildings or use of the facilities should go directly to the owner of the property, LCMS.

What CNA can do, however, is present our neighbors’ concerns in a unified fashion to university representatives. If you have any concerns you wish to have addressed, please send them to me, again at the email address below, so we can continue to provide that input to LCMS.

The quarantine has not reduced our workload. We can always use assistance. Join us at our next board meeting – details are to the right. If you are interested in what goes on with the Land Use Transportation Committee, that information is in the same column. If you are interested in writing for the paper, contact CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.

If you are interested in helping lead or participate in social functions – even physically distanced ones – contact SoniaGF419@gmail.com. If you have ideas for something new or any concerns, send them to me at Chair@ConcordiaPDX.org.

We are listening and we are here for our neighborhood!

Astrid Furstner is a mother, a wife, an immigrant, a local artist and an artisan. She lives with her luthier husband, Brent, and her artist-in-the-making daughter, Luciana. Together, they call Concordia their home.

Alberta scheduled for repaving this summer

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

By Garlynn Woodsong | CNA Board Member, SW CNA LUTC Chair

The largest project in Concordia funded by the 2016 Fixing Our Streets gas tax is scheduled to break ground this summer, as Alberta Street is repaved from 15th to 33rd avenues.

The project will take place a few blocks at a time, with the street periodically closed as needed to facilitate this. In addition to repaving, the project involves the rebuilding of many of the sidewalk ramps to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The city settled a lawsuit in 2018 with the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center. It requires the city’s pedestrian network to be brought into ADA compliance within 12 years of that date.

Approximately $10 million of work each year is needed to meet this goal.

One of the common improvements coming to Alberta Street is the replacement of a single diagonal ramp pointed into the center of the intersection from the sidewalk at the corner, with two ramps, one each facing the sidewalk on the other side of a single street.

All corners on Alberta Street were surveyed, resulting in a list of upgrades that also includes decreasing the grade of slopes, adding flat surfaces for landing areas and adding yellow bumpy pads where missing.

When asked if the project is expected to lead to increased speeding on Alberta Street, the response from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) was that recent traffic counts from last July showed an “85th percentile speed of 24 mph.”

This means 85% of drivers were traveling at or below 24 mph. The only planned response is to measure speeds again after repaving. PBOT is not planning to install speed table crosswalks on Alberta Street – such as those found on 41st and 42nd avenues between Fremont and Knott streets – or install any other physical measures to slow traffic.

PBOT reported its plan is simply, “If speeds increase after paving, we can take new speed counts to see what the speed differential is before and after the paving work.”

Finally, the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 and the Portland’s Transportation System Plan both call for a separated, in-street facility on this exact stretch of Alberta Street, classified as a bikeway.

Without consulting with the community, PBOT staff made the decision, however, to ignore these classifications and instead simply repave the existing street cross section. For better or for worse, PBOT currently plans to finish the repaving of Alberta Street by the end of the year.

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.

Chair’s Corner – We will come together again

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Astrid Furstner | CNA Chair

Changes can be difficult and stressful. Concordia is not alone in going through changes. We are all facing the new challenges and changes that come with dealing with COVID-19.

On April 1, the CNA Board of Directors conducted its first remote meeting. By now, I’m sure we have all held a meeting – work, neighborhood or family – using a social platform. It’s been an interesting experience.

The board was able to address a few things, while others items were postponed. We discussed the cancellation of our neighborhood’s beloved Spring Egg Hunt. We were sad to cancel the event – so was my daughter – and I understand the frustration you may have felt too. Given the circumstances, we felt it was the safest action for our community.

Unfortunately, the city has advised us it has canceled this summer’s concerts and movies in Fernhill Park. It also canceled the annual neighborhood cleanup event planned for May 30.

While all of this is frustrating and sad – and provided that next year we are pandemic free – we are planning on continuing with these popular events.

A few other items that have been postponed for now are three suggestions submitted to me:

  • Potential summer block party
  • Potential summer cookout
  • Formation of a committee to assist our senior residents in need.

As much as we would like to move forward with these, we are unable currently to do so with respect to social distancing. However, we will not be restricted forever. When the time comes again to be able to gather, I think a block party would be a great beginning to reconnecting.

Then we can also move forward putting together a group of volunteers to help neighbors who need assistance. Feel free to email me at Chair@ ConcordiaPDX.org with ideas about the events and/or your interest in volunteering.

Finally, the board discussed working with The Street Trust to host a free legal clinic regarding the rules of the road. When we are able to all be in a room together, we hope to be able to provide something like that to all of you.

Again, if you have ideas, topics, discussions or questions for CNA to address, please email me – or join the board at our May 6 meeting. Information is in the right column of this page for you to learn how to join in.

Stay safe and healthy. Wishing you all well.

Astrid Furstner is a mother, a wife, an immigrant, a local artist and an artisan. She lives with her luthier husband, Brent, and her artist-in-the-making daughter, Luciana. Together, they call Concordia their home