The deadline for the 2010 Woodlawn Friends of Trees planting is now Monday January 4th. Sign up to get trees for your parking strip, or your yard. Tell your Woodlawn neighbors about this wonderful event!

Go to friendsoftrees.org to register. It only takes a couple of minutes.

More information from Gregg Lavender… Read the rest of this entry »

Laura at Believe Movement Studio wants the neighborhood to know about all the FREE stuff going on this month!

FREE Body Composition Analysis; Saturday, December 5th  from 12PM – 4PM

An incredibly informative session that will determine lean muscle mass. Great baseline information to start your new year goals off right. No appointment necessary. Should take around 20 minutes.

FREE Teacher Training Yoga Class;  Saturdays, December 5th, 12th, and 19th from 5PM – 6:30PM

This is an ALL-LEVELS class that is taught by the current Prananda Yoga Teacher Trainees. It is supervised by Joy Wolfe (director). Tell your friends. This is part of the training so you are helping the trainees too! First come, first serve basis.

FREE Yoga Classes for Seniors; Mondays at 1 PM (ongoing)
On a personal note, I’ve been going to yoga classes at Believe Movement Studio for the past few weeks and I highly recommend them!  The space is lovely and welcoming and you get personal attention and instruction from the teachers.  Make sure you check out their calendar, rates and events at www.believemovementstudio.com.

<i>From Sophia St. James:</i>

You are invited to a community meeting regarding the current management and operation of the building space at 700 NE Dekum, which encompasses: Rumpspankers and the (just opened) Cannabis Café, The Second Time Around Boutique, and the (upstairs) Village Ballroom.

This is an OPEN FORUM for community leaders/members, those that have done business with the establishment, and the local press, to come and discuss the business practices of the venue management and the potential harm it can do to the community.

When: Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 1:00p-3:00p.

Where: In Other Words Bookstore, 8 NE Killingsworth St. (just West of MLK).

In Other Words is a non-profit books store and is donating their space for this meeting, so we are asking for a small donation ($1-$5). This is a child friendly event, so feel free to bring your entire family. If you cannot attend but have questions, comments, or concerns about this matter, please contact me at SavoryPink //at// Gmail.com.

Sincerely, Sophia St. James

[P.S. I grew up in Woodlawn and still own a house in the neighborhood. I am a mother, a nurse, and an event promoter, and I have had recent less-than-pleasant dealings with the current managers of this building.]

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Additionally you are encouraged to post your comments on this article and to attend the neighborhood association meetings, where such conversations take place.  Meetings are monthly on the third Wednesday at 7:15 pm, in the Woodlawn Community Resource Center on the 2nd floor of the Woodlawn Methodist Church, 15th and Dekum.

WNA General meeting Wednesday, 11/18 at 7:15. Meetings take place in the Woodlawn Community Resource Center, 1465 NE Dekum St. – 2nd floor of Woodlawn Methodist Church (enter on the west side of the building and go up the stairs).

Highlights
* Election of Officers
* Guest speaker Shoshonna Cohen about Columbia River Crossing
* Neighbor with a request: Katrina’s McGann’s People to People Trip
* An opportunity to meet neighbors, celebrate Woodlawn, share concerns, get more information and stay connected to your neighborhood

Also, there is now a collection point at the meetings for the Backpack Lunch Program.

Tonight is the neighborhood association board meeting at 7:15pm. The meeting takes place in the Woodlawn Community Resource Center on the second floor of Woodlawn Methodist Church (15th and Dekum). Enter on the WEST side of the building and head up the stairs.

This month’s board meeting will feature a discussion of future plans for the use of the space currently occupied by Rumpspankers.  Space is limited but the meeting is open to the public. The board will be discussing taking an official stance on the use of that space. Future information will be presented at the general meeting.

Board meetings cover board planning, the budget, future planning and large projects. They are open to all neighborhood residents and people who work in the neighborhood.  General meetings take place on the third Wednesdays, same location, at 7:00pm.

Huge thanks goes to our neighborhood board, elected neighbors who give of their time to offer guidance and direction to our neighborhood.  Elections happen annually, so if you have an interest in joining the board, talk to the current board members.

Heart of Healing is presenting Village Dance Convergence, a benefit for the Physicians for a National Health Program.  Below is more info from their press release.

When: Friday, November 6, 2009 7:30 pm
Where: Village Ballroom 700 NE Dekum St Portland, OR
Admission: Open to the public at a sliding scale of $10 to $25
Contact info: Mike Meyer, mmeyer //at// efn.org 503-680-6576
Website: http://www.pnhp.org/

Come join your community for a free-form dance, food, conversation, live music, and many more healthy activities to benefit community health care solutions. This celebrational evening will feature Portland’s famed ecstatic dance in a beautifully decorated hardwood space and will intertwine live music into your dance. Read the rest of this entry »

You’re invited to a public hearing addressing access to homeownership education, assistance and foreclosure prevention for households in Multnomah County as part of the process of developing the 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan.

Where:  New Columbia Education Center—4625 N. Trenton
Date:   Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time:   6:00-8:00 pm
Trimet: Bus Line # 4 (www.trimet.org)
Read the rest of this entry »

This article is being re-printed with permission from the latest Safe Routes to Schools newsletter put out by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

- By Dr. Jennifer Rupert, MD

What do walking and biking to school have to do with obesity, mental health, and asthma? — A lot! Children who walk and bike to school have higher physical activity levels throughout the day, helping them meet the recommended 60 minutes of activity daily. This level of activity helps prevent childhood obesity and supports healthy bones.

Walking and biking to school is also a great way for kids to get the physical activity needed for healthy minds. Kids who are more physically active have better academic performance. Studies are also beginning to show that exposure to nature and free outdoor play can reduce stress and relieve ADHD symptoms.

If that isn’t enough to get you out of your car, think about the air quality around a school when dozens of parents sit in idling cars while their children jump out. Air pollution has contributed to childhood asthma rates doubling between 1980 and the mid-1990s. Asthma rates remain at historically high levels and cause 14 million missed school days every year.

Walking and biking to school is healthy for kids, healthy for communities, and healthy for the planet.

Dr. Jennifer Rupert is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing at Kaiser Permanente in North Portland. Dr. Rupert was one of six dignitaries to address James John Elementary students on Walk+Bike to School Day.

We post a lot of important community involvement info here on GoWoodlawn, but there is plenty of room for additional topics, too. Would you like to share a favorite recipe? Gardening tip? Share a story? Voice your opinion on a hot topic? Thank someone for a good deed? We have room for all that, and more!

Send your ready-to-go articles to News // at// GoWoodlawn.com. Articles may receive a slight bit if tweaking for clarity’s sake. Please read this information before sending any articles. Contributions may be submitted at any time.

We look forward to reading what you have to say – and sharing it with neighbors.

My dad was the king of scaring the neighborhood kids on Halloween, and scary music was key. I made this Halloween music mix and thought I’d share it with the Woodlawn neighbors, in the spirit of a really great holiday. You can download it from this site where I’m hosting it.  It sounds pretty spooky coming out of your front door area, even if you don’t have any decorations up.  I keep mine running through a vent in the garage that pipes it to the outside, without having to hear it constantly inside (all that much). That way my equipment is also secure. The mash-up is 15 minutes long.

http://yeabikes.net/uploads/Halloween.m4a
If you’re having a hard time grabbing it directly, try getting it from this list.

Enjoy!