By Steve Elder | CNA Media Team

Glen Andresen shares his house and yard on Alberta Court with his cats Boo and Rio. And about 300,000 honeybees.

In addition to beehives, the land around the house he’s owned for 30 years has native fruit trees and organic garden beds. Glen has been keeping bees in his back yard since 1992, and in other people’s back yards since 2002.

Glen has a degree in economics and has studied classical music, but said he’d rather play with bees and dig in the dirt.

In addition to keeping bees, Andresen is a master gardener. He’s the host of the long running hour-long edible gardening show, “The Dirt Bag,” heard the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. on community radio station KBOO.

He also teaches backyard organic beekeeping through Portland Community College, and the gardening supply store Garden Fever. Glen was named the Oregon recycler of the year in 2009 by the Association of Oregon Recyclers.

In 2013 Glen cofounded Bridgetown Bees, a project whose goal is to breed selectively and raise a Portland strain of honey bee queens here that can survive local winters without treatment of any kind.

“It’s not just the cold that’s hard on bees, its the cold and damp,” he said.

Helping reduce the decline of honeybees in the region is an integral goal of the Bridgetown Bees mission. Since 2006, honeybees have been dying off at an unsustainable rate with billions of bees disappearing in the U.S.

Losses are estimated at greater than 40 percent a year. Today there are half as many beekeepers as there were in the 1980s, Glen said.

“The collapse of honeybee populations also threatens the security of our food supply,” he added.

“Honey bee pollination is critical to the cultivation of over a third of our food supply.” Glen sells honey and organic produce from his porch self-serve stand, but most honey is sold through a neighborhood co-op grocery and a local donut shop which is known for its honey-coated offerings.

He usually runs out of honey each year, retailing close to 5,000 pounds in most seasons.

Glen restocks colonies and starts new ones with swarm captures and colony cutouts. He does some 10 building removals each year, some for a fee.

In a normal season he may capture 50 swarms. Anyone who is host of an unwelcome swarm can contact Glen at 503.333.9271 or Glen@bridgetownbees.com.

By Tamara Anne Fowler  | CNA Media Team

“The Fix-It Fairs are a great resource for neighbors who want to learn how to save money, keep their families healthy and improve their homes,” Arianne Sperry reported.

She should know. Arianne is a city employee and nearby neighbor – just four blocks into Woodlawn neighborhood – who has volunteered for more than five years at the events. You may see her at the Saturday, Feb. 24, fair between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Madison High School.

“There are exhibitors who can answer questions and point you in the right direction on a number of topics from pesticide-free gardening, to recycling, to how to get around by bike,” she said. “You can even pick up free helpful tools like a faucet aerator or a lead paint test kit.”

The Fix-It Fairs occur three times a year during the winter months, when people are thinking the most about utility savings, keeping healthy and budgeting household finances. The fairs have been held continuously for 31 years.

Sponsors are the Portland bureaus of Planning & Sustainability and Water, Energy Trust of Oregon and Pacific Power, with KUNP Univision and KBOO Community Radio as media sponsors.

The sites change from year to year. Fairs are usually held at middle or high schools which have the room needed to host upwards of 70 community program info tables and the classrooms for dozens of workshops. The Madison event is the closest of the 2018 Fix-It Fairs to Concordia neighborhood.

“You can bring in things that need repair, like clothes or small appliances, and that alone makes a visit worthwhile,” Arianne explained. “But my favorite part of the fairs are the classes. As a new homeowner, a lot of home improvements feel really daunting.

“A lot of people come with a specific class in mind or an item that needs repair. I direct them to the classroom or the repair café. And then, when they’re heading out, I love to hear their excitement at a mission accomplished. They’re waving their now-working lamp or they’ve got a look of determination in their eyes – and an armful of supplies – as they head home to disconnect their downspouts.”

“Everything is free, including lunch, and even childcare is provided.”

Each fair is different, and every season of fairs is different, according to Arianne. But the core offerings remain the same: community programs that provide free or low-cost resources that encourage healthful and sustainable choices.

By Joel Dippold | CNA Media Team

Perfectly timed for Black History Month, February brings multiple screenings of the new film “Priced Out: 15 Years of Gentrification in Portland, Oregon.”

The documentary is part time capsule, part breaking news. It offers glimpses of street scenes that have either been demolished or remodeled beyond recognition, and might leave you wondering what parts of the neighborhood will be the next to go.

Director Cornelius Swart touches on urban planning and macroeconomics, but his focus is on the very personal toll gentrification has taken on members of the African-American community.

The story is told through the personal history of Nikki Williams, who lived what seems like several lifetimes in the Albina area. That historical designation includes Concordia.

Like many African-Americans her age, she had a happy childhood in a vibrant community, but saw that community eviscerated by years of governmental neglect and later by drugs and gangs.

Then, as crime diminished and the neighborhood began to turn around economically, Nikki and her friends and family were priced out of their homes.

They became internally displaced persons, living with the pain of losing the only home they’d known and being displaced by a more affluent white population that seemed not even to care.

The concept of community was central to the film’s production. The director, a professional journalist who also launched and ran community newspaper The Portland Sentinel and managed content for GoLocalPDX.com, assembled an all-volunteer team to document the social and economic upheaval of gentrification.

The team’s first product was the 2002 documentary “Northeast Passage: The Inner City and the American Dream.” In it, viewers meet young Nikki in her new Habitat for Humanity home. In “Priced Out” you see her make the difficult decision to sell and start a new life in another city. (Spoiler alert: it’s Dallas, and she loves it.)

There are several screenings this month. Visit PricedOutMovie.com/new-events. The two closest are: Thursday, Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m., Portsmouth Union Church, 4775 N. Lombard St., and Friday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., Self-Enhancement Inc., 3920 N. Kerby Ave.

People who have already seen the film recommend staying for the community discussion afterward. To schedule a screening visit PricedOutMovie.com.

You can watch a 2017 remastering of “Northeast Passage” on YouTube. Another documentary the director recommends is “Losing Alberta: Gentrification in Northeast Portland,” put together by a team of Grant High School students, also available on YouTube. Visit ConcordiaPDX.org/cnews-updates for links to these two videos.

Joel is a freelance writer and editor who has lived in Concordia since 2000.

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.