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ENA Board Meeting minutes Sept 16, 2019

Posted on by Maggie Gardner

St. Philip Deacon Episcopal Church

NE 120 Knott St.

Meeting called to order at 6:45pm. 

Introductions.

Motion to accept the minutes from June (Jere, Jonathan 2nds.) Board votes to approve.

NEW BUSINESS

  1. Presentation: Save Columbia Pool! Mary Margaret Wheeler-Weber, Portsmouth Neighborhood Association Chair, portsmouthchair@gmail.com
    1. No presentation. Jere to follow up with Mary.
  2. Civic Life code update: Jonathan has written a letter to voice the opinion of ENA that the best solution is for the city to work with neighborhoods, not to pretend they don’t exist/can’t add value.
    1. Jonathan will send the letter out to the board once again. He will incorporate feedback and send along to the city asap.
  3. Welcome Rules: Suggestion to start each meeting with Purpose Statement and Welcome Rules, to have all in attendance on the same page about why we are here and how we should act.
    1. Pat suggests maybe board members sign one at the beginning of each term
    2. Jimmy wants to resolve the details of the welcome rules and other verbiage in the executive committee before presenting again to the board.
  4. Boise Land border: resolution and agreement
    1. Jimmy wants to have the bylaws officially changed, not wait until Civic Life situation is resolved. Jonathan will email vocabulary to the board to suggest what the bylaw change will be. 
  5. Annual Meeting in October: Portland Clean Air presenting on air polution and dirty diesel. Also, we hold our general elections. 
    1. We should advertise! Thursday will make a tweet template for board members and others to share. Thursday and Shireen will walk and knock on doors (residential or business) to invite people to come, closer to the actual meeting date. Might make a handout, will save receipts for reimbursement if needed.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  1. From Thursday: NET (Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams) will be doing a lot of testing in the neighborhood this month. Heads-up
  2. From Sue: we received a neighbor email about trash from Popeyes. They would like to meet with management to have them help take responsibility, have ENA support. Jere will see if Livability committee has already reached out to them.
  3. From Darren – At meeting for Albina yards, an Eliot resident brought a letter from a different resident, regarding garbage trucks being loud in the middle of the night. These neighbors have been trying to contact the garbage company to get them to change their route, stop using Rodney as a through-street even when it’s not being serviced. Would like to see if ENA will write her a letter of support. Darren will follow up with resident to get more details.

OLD BUSINESS – Committee Reports

  1. LUTC – Jonathan
    1. they are meeting with developers for spot next to green drop garage on MLK. 
  2. Treasurer Report – Jim 
    1. We have an overall balance of $15,258.40.  $12,358.40 of that amount is the NLP Balance
  3. Newsletter – Susan
    1. Population has increased in our neighborhood. As of 9/16/19 it is 3382. Circulation of the newsletter is 3700, with bulk copies being placed at grocery stores and coffee shops, etc.
  4. Livability – Jere 
    1. Karla is leaving the neighborhood. As she is the chair, they need to re-org
  5. NECN – Jere 
    1. shared their calendar: Each month will have a guest speaker. Thursday will share calendar on website.
  6. Community Relations – Jimmy and Shireen
    1.  Domino tournament was a hit! 

Adjourn at 8:35

Board Attendance: Jere Fitterman,  Jimmy Wilson, Jonathan Konkol, Maggie Gardner, Pat Montgomery, Darren Holcomb, Sue Stringer, Shireen Hasan 
Guests: Thursday Graham, Joey (and Val) Fishman

LUTC Meeting Minutes 2019-11-11

Posted on by Allan Rudwick

DRAFT- not yet approved

submitted by Allan Rudwick

In attendance: All Committee members: Brad, Monique, Zach, Phil, Allan, Jonathan

Public: PSU student Andrea was observing. Judge showed up too

Developer for page and Vancouver NW corner – 2 representatives: Alicia and Casey

Ali Sadri- Legacy Health

706pm
2306 n Vancouver
Zoning: CM3d – plan to use community design standards. may submit before end of the calendar year.
Proposal: 43 units. 1 loading zone. Mostly studios and 1br. 3 2br
Concerns: Neighborhood feel, street appeal important. Main entrance not gloomy. We would like more larger units less studios. Also want the building to address the street better. If they get below 40 units they can get rid of the loading zone

Ali from Emanuel (7:40pm)

Emanuel IMP ends 2023, but rules aren’t changing much
New building still going up. Planning on 16 OR. Quicker turnaround.
Core and shell of the building are very flexible. This will allow them to build spaces in the new building and then when finished move units over from older spaces. One highlight is a modernized burn center

Evergreen topic: Land between Vancouver & Williams. Ali & Emanuel want to rezone land they hold and change the development rules on their campus (which we support) but can’t due to city or something. Setbacks are holding everything back. Allan proposed getting some meetings with the city to get things going forward. Ali said he would attend if the right meeting can get set up.

Monique asked about air quality concerns with I-5. Hospital doesn’t care about air quality, they filter everything a ton already

Parking summary: car dealership wants to build a big building. Neighborhood not excited about it. Will continue letter-writing and staying on top of things.

Safer 7th: need to reach out to Nick Falbo and see what is going on and when we can start construction

Another devleopment proposal- we want them to come in for a future meeting – N Flint and Hancock.

6-0 passed: Motion to approve minutes
6-0 passed: Motion to keep land use committee

LUTC Meeting Minutes 2019-10-14

Posted on by Allan Rudwick

submitted by Allan Rudwick

In attendance: Almost all Committee members: Brad, Monique, Zach, Phil, and Allan

Steve gemmel (EarthquakeTech)

7:05pm: EarthquakeTech street vacation.
In general memebers mentioned that they would want to see more community benefits from street vacation, however the location of this request makes us think that no one is actually using the street anyhow. The committee generally supportive of the street vacation due to the location.

We were invited to an open house November 14. The will be a talk (by a speaker who has previously done a TED talk). At 2310 n Kerby

7:45 Other topics:

Toyota expansion

motion 5-0 to oppose the parking garage dealership expansion & write letter (even though it is just a pre-app conference)

Residential Infill Program(RIP)/better housing by design (BHBD)
RIP is taking forever, BHBD about to go to council for a vote.

Motion 5-0 to write a letter to supporting BHBD and anti-Displacement effort

Lloyd to Woodlawn greenway. Members going

Topic for Next month
2306 n Vancouver

Open Signal Explores Immersive Media with Four New Media Fellows

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Yousef Hatlani

Four local artists join Open Signal Portland Community Media Center for the third year of its New Media Fellowship, a residency program that supports artists exploring the social implications of immersive technologies.

Clockwise from upper left: Jessica Mehta, Laura Medina, Sam
Mendoza and Myles de Bastion.
Photo credit Sam Gehrke/Open Signal

Artists Myles de Bastion, Laura Medina, Jessica Mehta and Sam Mendoza will each work in residence for four months to create new projects that incorporate virtual reality (VR), mixed reality, 360 video and immersive media art installations. Their work will use immersive media to address science fiction, poetry, decolonization and immigrant experiences. The residencies begin September 2019.

The fellowship is the only program of its kind in the state of Oregon, and a unique opportunity for Portland-based experimental media artists to receive professional support and to create new work. Each artist will receive a $2,000 stipend, a $500 material budget and studio production training with 3D and VR software and equipment from Open Signal’s new media inventory.

Artists will also have a one-on-one mentorship with Matt Henderson of Portland Immersive Media Group and 360 Labs, a Portland-based company specializing in 360-degree media. Each artist will present a final exhibition of their work on site at Open Signal.

With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the fellows will also travel to New Mexico to exhibit their work at the CURRENTS Santa Fe International New Media Festival in June 2020. At the festival, they will show their work at the 360-degree Digital Dome at the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA).

“It is really exciting to be able to bring our fellows out-of-state for the first time,” said Taylor Neitzke, Director of Programs at Open Signal. “It is a huge honor to present the work of these artists at an international media festival in a truly one-of-akind space at the IAIA. We are excited about how this trip will help these artists take their careers to the next level and incite conversations with artists in other states.”

Past and current New Media Fellows have received grants, exhibitions, fellowships and residencies at locations around the country. Most recently, Fellow Sharita Towne received a 2019 Creative Capital award, Manuel Arturo Abreu was selected for a 2019 Emerging Artist Residency at the Centrum Foundation and May Cat for a 2020 residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute.

2019-20 New Media Fellows applied to the program through an open call for submissions. They were selected by a panel of local and national arts organizers.

The New Media Fellowship program is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jackson Foundation.

Fellowship Bios
September – December 2019 Fellows

Jessica Mehta is a multi-award-winning poet and artist who works at the intersections of mixed and digital media. She is currently a poetry editor at Bending Genres literary review, Airlie Press, and the peer-reviewed Exclamat!on journal. Jessica is also the founder of the Jessica Tyner Scholarship Fund, the only scholarship exclusively for Native Americans pursuing an advanced degree in writing.

Jessica’s exhibition opens at Open Signal March 10,2020.

Laura Camila Medina is an interdisciplinary artist born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Orlando, Florida. She bases her practice around memory and identity as a response to personal, cultural and historical research. Her work has shown at the Center for Contemporary Art & Culture, PLANETA New York, Blackfish Gallery and with the Nat Turner Project. She earned her BFA at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Laura’s exhibition opens at Open Signal May 12, 2020.

February – May 2020 Fellows

Sam Mendoza is an educator at Portland Community College, as well as the Manager of the Virtual Reality Development Center at PCC’s Cascade Campus. They work as an independent artist and activist focusing largely on technology, indigenous futurism, decolonization, immigrant rights, trans rights, equity and environmentalism.

Sam’s exhibition opens at Open Signal August11, 2020.

Myles de Bastion is an artistic director, musician and creative-altruist who develops technology and art installations that enables sound to be experienced as light and vibration. A strong advocate for disability rights, Myles’ work centers upon themes of inclusion, diversity, equity and access for Deaf and disabled people. He is the founder of CymaSpace, a nonprofit that facilitates arts and cultural events that are inclusive of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.

Myles’ exhibition opens at Open Signal October 13, 2020

Beer, Tamales, and Coffee: A Perfect Recipe of Collaboration

Posted on by Sue Stringer

By Sue Stringer

Creative collaboration is the name of
the game for Labrewatory and Tamale
Boy with the newest addition, Dawn
Patrol Coffee. Photo credit Rachel
Wilson

“This town is about collaboration,” says Thad Fisco, owner of Portland Kettle Works and Portland’s craft beer lab, Labrewatory. In 2015, Labrewatory opened in Lower Albina with Thad purchasing the building at 670 N Russell Street, a few blocks north of Interstate, and it has been the definition of collaboration in every sense of the word. Brewers from around the city come together to create beers which are creative and delicious. For the first couple of years, beer was the headliner at this storage facility turned brewery. That is changing now.

In 2011, Portland Kettle Works designed a new brew system and brewers immediately started placing orders. Craft beer, it turns out, was the one part of the economy that was doing well during the recession. Sales have continued and their brewing systems are now in over 250 breweries worldwide and going strong. Now Portland Kettle Works was off and running and they had a building to house equipment. Thad says that “we decided to open a brewery of our own because we were very active in putting breweries into business but hadn’t started our own yet and so we kind of looked at it as a challenge and a learning experience so we could be more informed about what we were selling to people. What an experience it has been!”

“Now we get to start doing some new things down here!” says Rachel Wilson, owner of Dawn Patrol Coffee and brewery manager. “At the beginning of the year, we added the coffee shop and extended our hours.” Dawn Patrol operates at Labrewatory in the morning hours from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Tamale Boy started providing burritos in the morning starting at 8:30 am and beer can be sold any time of day. “We also have different beer and coffee cocktails and growlers to go,”

Rachel adds. Rachel has also taken on distribution selling kegs of Labrewatory’s beer to different restaurants and bars like Loyal Legion. Rachel continues, “We really started focusing on community events. We’re trying to bring in a different crowd of people and having the neighborhood have a place to meet. There are many different events and groups that meet at Labrewatory such as a moms club and the NoPo running club. There is even a $1 neighborhood discount for those customers who live or work in the neighborhood.”

“On Tuesdays, there is a new beer release. At 5:00 people come in and we’ll put a new beer on tap and Nick, our brewer, will take those (who have purchased a tour ticket) around and then they get their t-shirt. And there’s live music between 6 pm and 8 pm,” Rachel explains.

Labrewatory hosted a Smash festival celebrating the 100th brewed beer and tied in a nonprofit to work with, which was Special Olympics. In July they hosted a “Go Fund Me” for a friend of Rachel’s who had a climbing accident. On August 17th, there was an S’mores event, called Mighty Clementine, designed by a customer’s daughter, Clementine, who recently has recovered from an aneurysm. She chose the nonprofit, Randall Children’s Hospital Pediatric Development and Rehabilitation Fund, and also chose the flavors of the s’mores.

In addition, there are the classes that both Labrewatory and Tamale Boy offer. Classes are offered to all of the Portland Kettle Works clients. They get all of Labrewatory’s operating procedures for the front of the house, operating procedures for the brewery and get to see financial analysis. It gives the new brewery owners an idea on how to operate their business.

Jaime Soltero, Jr., owner of Tamale Boy, says, “Our philosophy is to always be training and always be evolving and getting people situated, getting their brains right and their work ethic right and let them go and explore themselves. We work with a couple of organizations that come and prep and train here so that they can get them back into the workforce. We have a person that actually went blind that used to work in the kitchen and we have gotten him back in the kitchen. That helps us also really think about what we’re doing and how we go about things. It’s a humbling experience for sure. That’s just one of the programs. We also support our community with gift certificates, fundraisers, and whatever we can do.”

The collaboration has been good for all three businesses. Thad says, “When Jaime came in with Tamale Boy our beer sales increased 30% when they opened their doors. That’s one thing we teach people. If you don’t have food you’re basically cutting yourself off at the knees. So you have to have some way to serve food and the better the food the better. So it’s been a great partnership.”

Jaime agrees, “It actually it worked out perfectly because at that time I was looking to expand to a commissary kitchen because where I started
off at Dekum (first location of Tamale Boy) it was super small and we were already saturated. Summers we were packed to the gills and we needed more space. Thad got wind of me and we got started and it’s the perfect marriage. We don’t have to worry about anything in the dining room.”

“It’s really interesting,” Thad says, “that’s the part of overhead that a restaurant hates, is the dining room, but that’s the part that we want – for people to hang out and drink beer. We tell a lot of clients if you can lease the kitchen out and keep the people in the dining area drinking beer as long as you can…”

“And coffee!” Rachel chimes in. “It IS the perfect marriage!”

Rachel says, “The fun thing is that with this space we can have all these people that want to have an event and Labrewatory can offer the beer, Tamale Boy supplies the food and then there is a different kind of profit without having to rent an event space so more of the proceeds can go to the business holding the event.”

With any business and especially with this unique collaboration there are going to challenges and surprises. Jaime says, “We’re always adjusting we’re learning together. Everybody’s strengths we pull in together and learn from each other.” Thad says, thinking about the challenges, the important thing is, “Keeping Rachel! Plus, without this (Labrewatory) I wouldn’t have been able to grow my business and without Jaime, I wouldn’t have had food to offer. We push the edge to find new revenue streams and are backed by Portland Kettle Works so we can take risk.”

Lastly, Rachel says, “It’s fun!” She is learning about the financial side of a business, managing skills, and is challenged to find new businesses with items that are needing distribution to offer at the taproom, as well as trying to scale cold brew coffee which will be on one of the taps at the brewery.

The classes that are offered by Thad and Jaime help pop-ups which in turn are helping our community become stronger and offer diverse food and beverages to all of the Portland metro. So if you have an inkling to start a brewery or restaurant, check in with this successful team on North Russell. Collaboration is the name of the game and to sum it up, referring to the old television sit-com, Jaime says, “We’re very tight here. We’re very three’s
company.”

For more information:

Labrewatory/Dawn Patrol Coffee

670 N Russell St
971-271-8151
http://www.labrewatory.com
Hours:
Monday –Thursday 7 am—10 pm
Friday 7 am—11 pm
Saturday 9 am—11 pm
Sunday 9 am– 9 pm

Tamale Boy

668 N Russell St
503-477-6706
http://www.tamaleboy.com
Hours
Monday –Thursday 11 am—9 pm
Friday –Saturday 11 am—10 pm
Sunday 11 am– 8 pm

Land Use and Transportation Committee Agenda

Posted on by Brad Baker

November 11th, 2019 7:00-8:30 pm

Location: 120 NE Knott St

  1. 7:00 Open meeting, Welcome guests, Introductions (5 mins)
  2. 7:05 Discuss agenda and accept any additions (5)
  3. 7:10 2306 N Vancouver Proposed Development (35)
  4. 7:45 Emanuel updates (35)
  5. 8:20 Discuss upcoming projects and if we want to get involved (5)
    1. Residential Infill Project, Better Housing by Design, and Anti-Displacement measures
    2. Lloyd-to-Woodlawn greenway and Safer 7th improvements.
    3. Broadway Toyota’s proposed parking structure
  6. 8:25 Approve Minutes (5)

With Micromobility, Tech Sparks Nimble Innovations in Transportation

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Jeff Mapes

It’s evening in Portland’s South Waterfront District, and Annie Rudwick is getting her kids loaded for the trip home from work and daycare. Many parents would see this as a job for something like a minivan. But Rudwick is helping her daughters – aged 1, 3 and 5 – onto the back of her electric-assist cargo bike. The e-boost gives her the power to easily carry a hundred pounds of kid. And because of Portland’s rush-hour congestion, she says her four mile trip each way is often quicker by bike.

Annie Rudwick bikes to work with her daughters.
Photo credit Cheyenne Thorpe/OPB

“I didn’t want to have to bike and take a shower. I wanted something I could just commute in and get to work,” said Rudwick, the associate dean for finance and administration at Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Dentistry. “The electric bike allows me to not have to exercise as much,” she added. “It really is just a mode oftransportation.”

Rudwick’s 12-foot-long bike-and-trailer combination is not the only vehicle that turns heads in the bike lanes. She’s part of a new trend that transportation experts are calling micromobility. It’s the idea that new technology – including smartphones and more efficient batteries – is sparking a big jump in small, nimble vehicles suited for increasingly crowded city streets.

“We’re seeing a lot more users in bike lanes – bicycles, electric scooters, electric bikes. I see people on kind of skateboard sort of conveyances,” said Jillian Detweiler, executive director of The Street Trust, formerly known as the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Most notable are those rental scooters that have been sprouting up in cities around the world. About 2,600 are now on the streets of Portland.

“I think people are just looking for different ways to get around,” said Chris Warner, director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. He added that the popularity of the scooters show that riders are finding them a fun and affordable way to make short trips. Those scooters themselves are evolving. Since June, two scooter companies have offered vehicles with seats and larger wheels. Warner said he tried one out and liked it. “You know, I found the seated one a little steadier,” he said, noting that it could attract riders who find the standing scooters intimidating.

A recent report from Deloitte, the international consulting firm, said the rapid growth of the scooter industry – at a pace faster than the early years of ride-hailing companies like Uber – has boosted business interest in micromobility. These vehicles “have the potential to better connect people with public transit, reduce reliance on private cars, and make the most of existing space by ‘right-sizing’ the vehicle, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” the Deloitte reportsaid.

Nobody’s quite sure how far all this will go. For example, China is pumping out hundreds of thousands of low-speed electric cars that are typically about the size of golf carts. The Street Trust’s Detweiler said something like that could someday end up in Portland. “What we want to promote is using the right mode for the trip that you’re trying to take,” she said. Her trip to work, Detweiler added, is something she could readily make by bicycle. But maybe the “trip to the grocery store where I’m trying to get the 20% discount on a case of wine could be made a little two-seater electric car with a small cargo space in back.”

Sam Schwartz, a former New York City transportation commissioner, has long argued for reducing the use of single occupancy autos in dense cities. In his new book, “No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future,” Schwartz argues that the advent of autonomous vehicles could be either a boon or a bane for micromobility.

“Something’s got to give,” Schwartz said in a recent telephone interview. “You can’t have so many modes that move at different speeds.” Schwartz said he wants to see self-driving vehicles regulated, in order to spur the use of transit and low-speed autonomous vehicles in cities. What he doesn’t want to see are large, single-occupant autonomous vehicles that wind up pushing other users off the street. That’s something that could happen, he said, predicting that the tech-heavy automakers of the future “will be the most powerful industry on earth.”

Of course, there’s plenty to argue about besides the future of robot cars. Today, the proliferation of scooters is riling plenty of people who complain that riders are too apt to use them on sidewalks – or to park them in ways that interfere with pedestrians or cars. Cyclists using their own energy to pedal are also having to contend with a lot of vehicles in bike lanes that move in different ways and speeds.

Joe Kurmaskie, a longtime writer on bikes in Portland and executive director of the Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition, started to say that the increasing diversity in the bike lanes has its good and bad points. “Well, bad is maybe not the right word,” he quickly added. “[It’s] more learning to share the limited space we’re given as cyclists.”

Warner, the Portland transportation director, said Portland still has a lot of capacity in its bike lanes and is well-positioned to be on the front lines of micromobility. The city has nearly 400 miles of bike routes and may expand its bike-share network next year to include electric bikes. That could attract potential riders who want the ease of e-bikes but don’t want to shell out the $1,500 to $4,000 cost of one. “We’re really open and hoping to encourage innovation and finding ways to get people around safely and sustainably,” Warner said.

Rudwick, who uses the electronic-assist cargo bike, said her daily commute gives her a glimpse of a city built around micromobility. “For me,” she said, “the system is so great.” Almost her entire ride is either in bike lanes or off-street paths. She gets free valet parking at the base of the tram up to OHSU, which means she doesn’t even have to lock her bike. In addition, OHSU gives Rudwick a $1.50-aday subsidy for cycling to work. More importantly, she avoids car parking fees that run at least $13 a day.

Annie Rudwick adjusts her daughter’s helmet as they prepare for
a bike ride. Photo credit Cheyenne Thorpe/OPB

“You can buy a lot of e-bike with the cost savings there,” said her husband, Allan Rudwick, who has long been avid about the potential of electric bikes. “I’m really excited to see where this goes,” he said of the emerging micromobility revolution.

Annie Rudwick said she now finds that the days when she has to drive to work are the most hassle. But she conceded that her daughters sometime complain about cycling in the rain.

Adopt-a-Block Update: Some Pointers for Keeping your Block Clean this Fall

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Jody Guth

Alas, the dog days of summer are behind us, and the cool, refreshing showers of autumn will soon be upon us. Along with that change comes the shedding of mature Linden, Maple, and Oak trees lining our streets, plus the many more, newly planted trees. A big shout out to Friends of Trees and the great work they do to improve Eliot’s green spaces!

Please remember to do your part and help to keep those leaves from clogging the sewers when the rain starts falling more heavily in the coming months. It also really helps those hard-working adopt-a-block folks who volunteer to keep the blocks you live on free of trash. When mixed with wet leaves, retrieving that debris and the tossed cigarette butts can be a particular challenge. In fact, the challenge is so great I hereby personally invite everyone reading this, now, to put down the paper, go to your phone and call me, Jody, at 503-331-1511 (ok, finish your coffee, first…) I’ll get you set up with all the bags, gloves, and info you need. I know, I know….it doesn’t really seem like the best way to spend a few minutes of your day, but trust me, you’ll feel great when people pass you by and thank you for your efforts. You’ll swoon when looking down the block you just toiled over and, in your own little corner of Eliot, along with 23 other toilers, you’ve managed to improve the appearance and sustainability of this one little street. Also, you’ll be thrilled to know that you are then entered into a drawing (1 out of 24 chances is pretty sweet) for a $100.00 gift certificate to New Seasons. Our next drawing is coming up shortly, and your name will be entered if you claim your block soon.

Of course it’s great to win prizes, but hopefully, your decision to join with other adopters is also one of simply caring for your community and a desire to give a little back. Our last two adopters, Cindy, who has adopted Cook Street between Rodney and MLK, and Laura, who decided to give some attention to Williams between Tillamook and San Rafael have gladdened those areas with their trusty Solve bags in tow. You might also be a hero like Brian who discovered some lost papers on his clean-up and is trying to connect them to their owners. Nice save, Brian.

I look forward to adding your name to our fine roster of dedicated Eliot Adopt-ablockers. So finish that coffee and call,
already, ‘k?

Surprise Geyser and Amazing Volunteers Rush to Save the Day

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Andrine de la Rocha

Who expected that weaving 72 native willow saplings into a dome in the middle of Boise Eliot Native Grove might invoke such magic? But in early August a geyser gushed forth from the center of the Willow Dome, flooded the Fremont Bridge ramp and created a sinkhole that appeared beneath the leafy structure.

City crews were called to investigate and immediately opened nearby hydrants to stem the tide. Turns out it was a broken water main under the Grove. Crews isolated the pipe under the Willow Dome and stopped the flow. The sinkhole that formed inside the Dome was cordoned off with warning tape. Pipe repair was scheduled but threatened to destroy some of the plantings.

Fortunately, Grove volunteers from Bureau of Environmental Services, Xerces Society, Ivy School, and friends of the Boise Eliot Native Grove leaped into action, digging up dozens of Willow and Ninebark plantings to preserve them from the backhoe. Plants were stored in 20 buckets until the repair was completed, and another crew of hearty volunteers worked to replant them at the end of the month. Hurrah for Community! Also, a huge thank you to all our Watering Heroes and Willow Guardians this summer for keeping the Grove enchanting.

Volunteers Cynthia Plank, Jack
Lazerek, and Jenni & Katie from
Xerxes Society. Photo credit Colleen Mitchell, BES

Stay tuned at the Boise Eliot Native Grove website, Facebook, and Instagram about upcoming willow weaving and other marvelous events! http://www.nativegrovepdx.org

Eliot Sewer and Stormwater Project Update

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Matthew Gough

Environmental Services has completed replacing or repairing approximately 10,000 feet of public sewer pipes in the southern part of the Eliot Neighborhood. These pipes were deteriorating due to age or were undersized for the sewer and stormwater flows in this area.

The project also constructed eight green street planters on public streets in key locations. These green street planters will divert 1.9 million gallons of stormwater annually from the sewer system, helping reduce the possibility of overflows into the river, basement backups, and street flooding during periods of heavy rain.

These improvements will help protect public health, property and our environment by reducing the possibility of sewage releases into streets, homes and businesses.

This was a major sewer and stormwater management project and we thank you for your cooperation and patience during construction. To learn more about the project visit http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/Eliot. If you have any questions or comments about the project you may also contact Matt Gough, Community Outreach for City of Portland Environmental Services at (503) 823-5352 or Matthew.Gough@portlandoregon.gov.

Letter from the LUTC ViceChair: City’s New Code Change Could Be a Game Changer for Neighborhood Associations

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Jonathan Konkol

The city of Portland is divided into 94 neighborhoods. Each, including Eliot, is represented by a volunteer board made up of people who live and/or work in the neighborhood. While neighbors have always organized with each other to gain strength in numbers when dealing with city government and supporting each other, City Hall created an official bureau to provide a mechanism for enfranchising communities. This was the result of a mandate for community involvement in the implementation of the Great Society programs for urban renewal, created in the late 1960s under LBJ. Among other things, these boards have played a key role in shaping local land use policy and implementation of City code.

Fast forward five decades to today and tensions have emerged between the leadership of some of the neighborhood associations and the City’s policy goals. Commissioner Chloe Eudaly’s office, which currently oversees the Office of Civic Life (formerly the Office of Neighborhood Involvement) has asserted that neighborhoods, in general, have become an obstacle to new development, and their boards are insufficiently diverse. Rather than working to improve the situation, they have proposed changes to city code to simply erase neighborhood associations from any official recognition.

The ostensible goal of the changes – increasing the representation of citizens of marginalized communities in civic life – is laudable. It is also true that some neighborhood boards have struggled with a lack of proportional representation. We have struggled with this problem in Eliot. We have also made efforts to diversify our board to truly represent our community and we have committed to an ongoing effort to build and maintain a board that looks like our community.

At this point in our history, our government should require neighborhood association boards to be representative; we wish to continue to have a codified voice in public decision-making, so some quid pro quo is appropriate. Rather than removing the entire system, City Hall can be a partner for change and improvement of neighborhood boards. Official recognition, staff time and funding should be tied to the adoption of standards for inclusivity of neighborhood boards. Boards should look like the communities they serve, and codifying this would achieve the City’s stated goals of inclusion. We can build on what we already have. Grassroots civic involvement has made our city stronger and can continue to do so, provided we work together with a common goal.

In an increasingly alienated and divided society, the antidote to alienation and basis of a healthy society is face-to-face interaction with those around us. This means strengthening and reforming the systems of governance that unite neighbors around the city. Working together with our neighbors, we form bonds that transcend race and class and help us form networks of trust and mutual support. We will need these networks when we face inevitable challenges such as the predicted 9.0+ mega quake by developing teams to organize and implement disaster training and also continue to maintain consistent committees for this and other ongoing issues.

The proposed code changes, which were slated to go before city council in August, have been pushed back to sometime in November. What can you do? Write to the Mayor, Commissioners and the Office of Civic Life to express support for an alternative that improves neighborhoods and strengthens us to do the work of community building.

Perseverance Results in Bright Future and Prestigious Clerkship for Woman of Color Attorney

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood
Lewis & Clark Law School graduate, Vera Warren. Photo Courtesy
Vera Warren

By Shireen Hasan

Vera Warren, an uprising young woman of color, has entered the Portland legal scene in pursuit of becoming an attorney, and it looks like she’s taking the legal profession by storm! Vera grew up in Beaverton, Oregon, and traveled between two homes, with her father living in NE Portland. Vera attended South Ridge High School, and then continued onto Willamette University College, in Salem (undergrad), accomplishing her Psychology major, and Environmental Science minor in four years. She then lived in New York for two years with her aunt. Vera says it was a good experience overall, and she misses it.

After returning to Portland, Vera worked at Portland General Electric (PGE). Fulfillment was not readily achieved in Vera’s life around this time, because clearly, she had another calling; she felt the urgency for social justice and wanted to be educated in areas to ‘make change’. Once consciously awakened to this idea and to bring it into manifestation, Vera decided to pursue the profession in law, to speak out and do something about the injustices that so many people are continually victimized by today. Hence, Vera began school at Lewis & Clark College to study law for four years, and eventually left her job at PGE.

In addition to school, Vera was blessed with, and had the privilege to intern alongside her father, Ernest Warren — a powerful, hotshot attorney (and handsome, I might add), who took his daughter under his wing, teaching her the ropes and exposing her to real-life hands on training, experiences, and opportunities working with clients, cases, judges, other attorneys, and in court-rooms of law that other law students could only dream of! Ernest owns and operates his own practice, located in downtown Portland, Oregon, and has practiced law since 1988. Vera describes working with her father as the best experience. Because he wanted better for her, he pushed her, gave her opportunities, and challenged her. They have a solid foundational relationship built on communication and a good understanding with each other. She admits there were times when Vera felt overwhelmed with school, study, the hands on training, and her dad’s expectations: there were a few snippy moments working together, but all out of love.

Ernest is a leader and has helped pave the way for his daughter, and certainly for other people of color, as well. Vera mentions that her father pulled things out of her that she was not aware that she had the ability to do. In addition, she also feels that she has learned some things about herself and discovering new things that she can do. This is powerful on so many levels, and it sounds like Vera has tapped into her own innate potential.

Recently, in preparation for the Oregon State Bar exam, Vera has stopped working. She studied for four to six hours a day, and took another smaller course to practice. Vera mentioned staying in isolation so that she could put in the time that she needed. Folks wanted Vera to take the time to go out and participate in activities, but she had no time to spend hanging out with family and friends. She found that she had to be really disciplined, and she says that if you do not pass the bar exam the first time, there is a really long wait period for the next opportunity to try it again. Vera has taken the bar exam and is expecting the results from it in the fall of 2019.

To begin with, Vera plans to work in public defense and criminal justice, and says she wants to advocate for the groups who are severely underrepresented. For example, prison inmates, folks with mental health and addiction issues, and people of color, specifically black people because of their higher representation in the inmate population. She wants to make small changes wherever she can as she moves through her journey, not allowing herself to become overwhelmed because the issues are so entrenched and expansive. Her goals are to be able to go into policy to make change, and says that she has to start with smaller goals in steps to help bring them about; maybe becoming a judge later on down the road.

In August 2020, she will start a clerkship in the Court of Appeals, working under a judge to explain laws. She’ll focus on clear communication, with some technical writing, which she enjoys. But working as a public defender before that time is at the top of her agenda.

Her continuing education is inevitable because it is required in order to continue practicing law. Vera feels that being ahead of the competition is amazing — she can share information with other attorneys, and furthermore learn from others.

Vera encourages youth who may be interested in professional law to ‘Go for It’! However, she cautions to be ready to feel uncomfortable because being in this field there may not be a lot of support for people of color, and you would need to find folks who are involved where you can receive the support that you need. This is a community, so even if you do not understand the work, just go for it anyway.

Vera encourages adults who are interested in pursuing a law profession to check out Lewis & Clark College’s evening program, because it even has allowed parents with kids to go through law classes . It’s possible if you can fit it in and can figure it out.

Vera was exposed to many aspects of law, for example, she learned taxes, mortgages, and other topics that she wished that she could spend more time on. Vera adds that you learn how to defend yourself and how to properly do things when you learn about the law, and this information is useful to her through her life.

After all of Vera’s hard work, time, energy, and determination that she has put into her education and doing her best to be the best, she is now able to take some time off and reconnect with friends and especially with family. Very says that spending time with family is very important to her. She is happy to see members of the family that she has not seen in a while. Vera is also happy to be back out in the community and connecting with everyone.

It is very exciting to see this strong, beautiful, intelligent, and down-to-earth young woman of color blazing in the direction of leadership and power. It will be interesting to follow how this unfolds for Vera. We need more young women of color taking their rightful place in society, working for the next generation of leaders at the forefront of justice, fighting for justice, and guiding our youth to do the same. We are cheering for you, Vera. You Go Girl!

LUTC Minutes for August 12

Posted on by Brad Baker

Attendees:
Mark, Brad, Monique, Zach, Phil, Jonathan

Welcomes
Want to add discussion of Rodney letter to meeting

3019 NE MLK. Design hasn’t changed since we last chatted. They applied for Land Use Adjustment. Completed application July 28th and will hear back within 120 days. Then will adjust designs or scrap the project based on results. If all goes well, they hope to break ground Q1 2020.

Rodney letter. Folks were happy with result from the city. With traffic engineer coming to the neighborhood, folks also wanted to let them look into:
1. Rodney greenway. There’s a lot of car traffic and it seems like cars are speeding. Still folks might not feel like biking on it. Is there an opportunity to reassess how well it’s working?
2.The turn lane on NE MLK when driving northbound and turning left onto Morris. The sensor doesn’t seem to work all the time. Noted that multiple folks have noticed having to wait through multiple cycles for it to turn.

Didn’t get to approve the minutes from last time since we didn’t have them.

“That’s No Lady!” It’s a Celebration of Darcelle

Posted on by Sue Stringer

Our long time neighbor, Walter Cole, who is also the world’s longest performing drag queen know as Darcelle XV, is being honored two different ways this fall.

Triangle Productions is producing a musical called, “Darcelle: That’s No Lady” performed by Kevin Loomis (as seen at OSF, on Broadway, Frasier, and The Practice) at PSU’s Lincoln Hall through October 5. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at trianglepro.org.

Oregon Historical Society (OHS) has an exhibit of some of Darcelle’s costumes which Walter made and embellished as well as some interesting information about each of them. The exhibit runs through November 3. OHS is located at 1200 SW Park and entry is free to Multnomah County residents with ID. Also, check out a partial 1979 interview between Margie Boulé and Walter Cole/ Darcelle on You Tube. Plus, for information on Walter Cole’s life check out the past Eliot News article, “Just Call Me Darcelle”

Reminder: General Meeting and Board Elections Tonight

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

Monday, October 21 6:30 PM

St. Philip the Deacon Church

120 NE Knott St

Meet your neighbors, learn about local issues, have input into decisions that may affect you, and vote for board members. At the meeting, you can also learn more about joining the board or a neighborhood committee.

Agenda

  1. 6:30 Greet neighbors (15 min)
  2. 6:45 Approve minutes (5 min)
  3. 6:50 Clean Air Presentation, questions and invitation to our Clean Air Committee (40 min)
  4. 7:30 Annual report from the Chair (5 min)
  5. 7:35 Election intro by both Co-chairs (20 min)
  6. 7:55 Election-Anjala Ehelebe from NECN to conduct the election with paper ballots.
  7. Eat while ballots are counted