By Dan Werle | CNA Media Team

Tucked away in a cozy, smartly organized, annexed building off 30th Avenue on t he south side of Killingsworth Street sits Gnome’s Home, one of Concordia’s best kept secret surpluses of enrichment, energy and promise.

The building has historically been used as a learning center for young children, who are able to discover – or fine tune – their learning (and playing) skills. However, over the past year, Gnome’s Home’s reach has expanded beyond the hands of kids alone, and is now providing a space for non-kids to learn different skills, too.

Over the past year, Yvonne de Maat has been working to expand Gnome’s Home’s use. “I’d like more community engagement,” she said. Plant-dyeing, feltmaking, and discussions on essential oils are all some of the classes that have been taught for adults in the space.

Yvonne hopes it can be used for even more small classes, covering an even broader scope of topics, in the coming year.

She started Heart in Hand Preschool in 2002, across the street from McMenamins Kennedy School. In 2005, after moving to a home on 30th Avenue, the annex that currently houses Gnome’s Home was built, and used as the preschool.

In 2015, Heart in Hand moved into the main building, and, soon after, Gnome’s Home was opened in the former Heart in Hand building. Yvonne is formally trained, and she practices as a Waldorf early education instructor, focusing on creative play, and practical, hands-on activities. She’s also a children’s yoga teacher, Simplicity Parenting group leader, and top-rung handmade doll creator.

Simplicity Parenting works synergistically with Waldorf teaching to help reduce unnecessary distractions in kids’ lives, and help children and their parents develop calmness, independence and improved critical thinking skills.

Waldorf education principles and Simplicity Parenting ideas radiate throughout Gnome’s Home. The building’s ceiling is fitted with skylights, allowing natural sunlight to bathe much of the area. Tucked in one corner of the room are a few dolls that Yvonne has made.

The space has a quiet, peaceful presence. Also, a window on the south side of the building provides a tantalizing view of the yard, which doubles as a capitalA awesome play area, where chickens, squirrels and birds frolic about and forage for food, while children’s play equipment waits anxiously to be put into action.

If you would like to teach a class on homemaking or parenting at Gnome’s Home, contact Yvonne at MsYvonne@heartinhandpreschool.com.

Dan lives in Concordia with his wife, Anna, and their dogs.

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

Three days per week Helen Hor ton, a delightful senior citizen, leaves the easy comfort of retirement to volunteer at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center’s two gift shops.

For the past 28 years, Helen has worked behind the scenes pricing and stocking the two shops that together gross about $1 million annually.

Helen is a longtime resident of the Concordia neighborhood. That’s a long way from the small coal mining town in Wyoming where she met her husband. Three kids and seven grandchildren later, she finds joy in service.

You’ll find one gift shop in the hospital lobby. Greeted by Geoffrey, a 5-foot-tall stuffed giraffe, visitors will discover a delightful variety of gifts, cards, magazines, floral arrangements, toys and many items for newborns.

The East Pavilion lobby shop has gifts for every occasion, including seasonal home decor, clothing, jewelry, health and beauty items, creative options for babies and pets, and unique items for kids and adults.

After working 35 years in her church office Helen decided to volunteer. A four- to five-month stay at St. Vincent motivated her to “pay back” all the care and kindness she received at that time.

She started volunteering in the nutrition department and eventually transferred to the gift shops. With the exception of the manager, all staff members are volunteers.

Helen claims she was a shy person and volunteering at the gift shop has helped her a great deal. Shy no more, she was eager to discuss the gift shops and how they benefit the hospital.

All profits benefit the Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the hospital. The foundation helps fund leading-edge research, acquire the latest technology and help those less fortunate.

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha’s home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@gmail.com.

By Rachel Richards | CNA Media Team

Mary Tompkins has lived in Concordia for 27 years. She has worked within the criminal justice system for 30 years, and has been in her current role of crime prevention coordinator for inner northeast Portland with the city’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement for the past 12.

Her position involves collaborating with many agencies to respond to citizen concerns about crime and their fears about crime.

Providing public safety community trainings, coordinating Neighborhood Watch and organizing National Night Out events are all a part of what Portland’s nine crime prevention coordinators do.

Responding to concerns from residents is a large part of the job, and Mary said the three biggest issues she hears about are the same citywide: car prowls, property crimes and homelessness. The concerns increase as Portland’s population grows.

Mary and her husband raised their now 21-year-old son here and she loves the neighborhood’s diversity, great parks and proximity to the airport.

She likes seeing young families move into the neighborhood to attend the new state-of-the-art K-8 program developed by Concordia and Portland Public Schools at Faubion.

“Concordia is unique, and I like seeing residents brought together frequently through the neighborhood association, and having the Kennedy School host events for the community, including Race Talks,” she pointed out.

Mary discussed the idea of crime prevention through environmental design – something she is able to work on with local homes, businesses, churches, schools, and for parks and public spaces. In 2016 she was part of a team that received an award for helping transform Holladay Park in the Lloyd District into a safe place via instituting activities to engage youth and families.

What can residents do to help in crime prevention? The Neighborhood Watch program is a great way to get involved in the community, she explained.

Call Mary at 503-823-4764 to get help with organizing, and to receive training for Neighborhood Watch. That includes information on how to report both criminal and noncriminal issues and how to look out for your neighbors.

Mary enjoys making positive changes in local neighborhoods, using creative ideas and knowledge of systems along with an understanding of what it means to be live in northeast Portland.

She helps define what it means to be not just a resident, but a community member.

Rachel is a 16-year Concordia resident who loves her community. She has a background in counseling/education and uses her passion for helping others in her work as a real estate broker. Contact Rachel or learn more about her at RachelRichardsRealtor.com.

By Karen Wells | CNA Media Team

Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) selected Alberta Park to be the first in a series of 10 parks to receive facelifts via the inclusion of nature trails. Three ma i n goals will direct the project located adjacent to Alberta Park’s playground area:

• Reduce water, fertilizer, herbicide use and labor costs
• Create diverse park landscapes and habitat
• Build collaboration between PP&R, neighborhood associations and community members

Eric Rosewall is program coordinator and point person for PP&R’s Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Program. He is originally from the Midwest and former executive director of Depave, a Portland nonprofit that promotes the transformation of over-paved places.

Alberta Park’s nature trail boundaries will be a combination of split rail fencing and nurse logs. Those are dead trees that have been cut down to provide micro habitat for small animals, birds and beneficial pollinating insects.

The trail will be ADA accessible, five feet wide and covered with finely crushed basalt.

Common Oregon natives such as sword fern (Polystichum munitum), vine maple (Acer circinatum), salal (Gaultheria shallon), Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) and red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) will be seasonal show stoppers along the trail.

Boulders will be scattered throughout for climbing or relaxing. The nature trail will use about 4,800 square yards of park space.

Eric has already seen progress on the project. Six dead trees have been cut and put in place, along with several boulders. Plantings begin this month.

He is actively reaching out to Vernon School; Concordia, Vernon and Woodlawn neighborhood associations; and Native American Youth and Family Center to build upon established partner relationships for volunteers. He expects the path will be in place by the end of the month, with it fully in use by spring.

Stay tuned: a nature trail will bloom in Alberta Park.

Karen is a retired early childhood community educator, health and safety trainer. Reach her at 619.244.7892.

By Joel Dippold | CNA Media Team

Walk out the front door of McMenamins Kennedy School and, in a few blocks, you’ll come to the intersection of 28th Avenue and Jarrett Street. All around you are the tall firs and Tudor bungalows so common here.

But you probably won’t notice them. You’ll be staring at the ground, at a circular mandala with pine trunks pointing to the four corners of the globe. The painting is known to neighbors as Jarrett Grove.

This Flower of Life design – 19 overlapping circles bounded by a larger circle – has captivated humanity for centuries. The earliest examples are found in an Egyptian temple and Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook. Ten smaller circles form a “Tree of Life,” from the Jewish mystic tradition of the Kabbalah.

But most passersby don’t know anything about this symbolism, any more than they know what this round plaza means to the families who live in its orbit.

“We have a stronger bond because of this,” said Joe Culhane, who helped with the installation two years ago and the repainting in August. “This is a way to get together, and to work, and to produce an awesome result.”

The work component was considerable. “It was a long day, getting all that paint down,” said Katie Allen. The work was done by a volunteer army of four dozen neighbors, Village Building Convergence volunteers, and people who were out walking their dogs and just jumped in.

Katie led the fundraising effort that resulted in $1,000 to rent barricades and buy many, many gallons of special traffic paint. She and other neighbors got donations from a dozen local businesses for a silent auction at Wilder Bar Café, and kids set up a stand and charged for nail painting and temporary tattoos.

“The best part of it was later that night,” Katie said, after the paint had dried and the sun had gone down. “There were about 20 of us, all ages, and we just had the best dance party ever.”

Editor’s note: Joel had more to tell about this community building effort and a time-lapse photograph of the effort. For the rest of the story, visit ConcordiaPDX.org/jarrett-grove.

By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

When her brother took his wedding vows in the Willamette Valley in July, Allison Bansen took the opportunity to move back from Washington, D.C., to her beloved Oregon. Two weeks later, she started work at the Oregon Food Bank (OFB).

“It was the perfect transition time,” she said.

Allison is one of five volunteer coordinators working full time on the OFB team. Coordinating volunteers isn’t new to her. She’d been at it for five years in Washington before moving to Concordia.

“I live right off Alberta. It’s less than a two-mile, six-minute commute.”

Her passion is food and food access, which makes sense as Allison’s favorite part of her job is the food repack. Produce arrives at the warehouse in 48-by-48- inch bins. Volunteers then repack the food down into family-sized portions.

The items that are repacked mirror the season. “Right now we are repacking potatoes, pears, apples, turnips and radishes,” she reported on a recent Thursday. “Tonight we are doing cauliflower.”

The focus is on providing fresh food. Allison sees engaging the community – in addition to raising hunger awareness – as the most important part of the job.

“I like to share and develop relationships focusing on what we do here and making a difference.”

Of course, she loves coordinating all the volunteers. “Our volunteer registration is strictly online. After you sign up for a shift, you’ll receive a confirmation of the date and time you’ve signed up for and you’re all set.

“Our main volunteer opportunities are in our food repack shifts that run Monday through Saturday,” she added. “We also have a garden – it just wrapped up for the season – and administrative work that people can volunteer in as well.”

Volunteer opportunities at the Portland and Beaverton locations also include leading nutrition education classes, maintaining learning gardens and lending a hand at events.

Most volunteer opportunities are two to three hours in length and do not require a regular commitment.

“We are currently holding Our Season of Giving campaign,” Allison added. “That helps us raise money to enable us to get more food throughout year.”

To donate, you can mail a check, drop off cash or a check, or donate online at OregonFoodBank.org, the same website where you can register for a volunteer shift.

OFB’s goal is $20,000 and the Season of Giving goes through the first week of January. Within the first day, on Nov. 1, OFB had already raised $2,000.

Tamara is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a softer, 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.

Editor’s note: A partner of the Oregon Food Bank, Northeast Emergency Food Program – with its food pantry and clothes closet – was chosen this year to benefit from the CNA Holiday Party. See Pages 1 and 3 for details about how you can help.

Ask the historian

By Doug Decker | Historian

The question:
What can you tell me about the building at 20th Avenue and Going Street that used to house the Tifereth Israel
Synagogue? – Alessandra Novak

The historian reports:

I’m so glad you’ve asked: it’s a fascinating and rich story. This long, narrow white clapboardsided building was built in 1907 and purchased in 1914 by Congregation Tifereth Israel, a Jewish community with roots in Russia and the Ukraine.

Originally the center of Jewish life for a small handful of families on Portland’s eastside – many of whom lived within walking distance – the congregation expanded over the years to include up to 100 families.

Known during those early years as the Alberta Shul – a Yiddish word meaning a place of study and prayer – the building drew the eastside Jewish community together. By the early 1950s, Tifereth Israel had outgrown the building, so the congregation purchased and moved into the former Redeemer Lutheran Church at 15th Avenue and Wygant Street.

From 1952 until the early 1980s, the building was home to several African American congregations, including the Mt. Sinai Community Church.

In 1980, when it was sold to its current owner, the building was rented out for various purposes including religious gatherings and then eventually as storage space. In 2010 it became home to Xhurch, its current occupants, as a gathering and workspace for resident artists and musicians.

When the property was placed on the market in 2016, members of Portland’s Jewish community began to organize an effort to purchase and restore the building. The group’s proposal was in competition with developers interested in tearing down the building. But the current owner was intrigued with the restoration project and has since entered into a contract with the coalition for purchase.

Today, the Alberta Shul Coalition is raising funds and support to transform the building back to its earlier role as a place for meeting, learning, community and prayer for the eastside Portland Jewish community.

Eleyna Fugman is one of the founders of the growing coalition. Her vision is for a special, simple gathering place for local Jewish residents to connect through a variety of community-driven programming, as well as a space that northeast neighbors could rent and use for meetings, classes and events.

“The fact that we could work, play and practice in a building that our ancestors built and made into a Jewish home is very important,” Eleyna said. “There are many young Jews who are looking for a place to be Jewish, who are yearning for Jewish community in some format.”

The coalition’s vision is that Alberta Shul can be a cultural venue for Jewish art, music, learning and gathering, as well as a place for traditional and alternative religious services and prayer.

The coalition raised about $40,000 during the summer and early autumn, and is hoping to raise $136,000 by March 2018 to complete the purchase. Further fundraising of another $250,000 is planned the following year to enable the restoration.

To learn more, visit the Alberta Shul Coalition Facebook page.

Editor’s note: If you have a question for the neighborhood historian, send it to NewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org, and we’ll ask Doug Decker to do some digging. Check out Doug’s blog for more on local history at AlamedaHistory.org.