<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.
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i live a block away from this building, but besides the noise, what are everyone’s concerns? is there something to be concerned about?
Let me preface that my wife and I (neighbors for a year and a half) are not against the use of marijuana as a medical drug. We are close to people who depend on it as such and certainly would not want to take that a way from them.
When we moved into the neighborhood, we excitedly awaited the opening of Rumpspankers and continue to hold high hopes for the neighboring businesses. The small business district was part of the reason we moved to this neighborhood.
The Ballroom is a beautiful large historic building we’ve now watched change from inviting restaurant to nightly blanketed windows to painted windows and back to curtains and blankets. That’s not inviting, it makes for a seedy and questionable atmosphere.
Needless to say, we’re not happy about that part. There are many arguments going for and against the existence of the café that point out whether it’s hurting the businesses around it, whether this is about discrimination (which is a classic red herring argument), whether the café is going to stay respectful of it’s neighborhood, or whether it will abide by the rules established for this type of business etc. All arguments appear to be well stated by many.
What I haven’t seen mentioned is this…How a Cannabis Café affects the perception of marijuana as a legitimate and legal medication.
There are all these security measures put in place to make sure only “members” are entering the club and without other drugs etc. Does any clinic or hospital need to go through these types of precautions? No. Why? Because no other medical treatments are administered in CAFÉS.
Some may argue that a café is intended as a social therapy environment. But here again, are there Oxycotin cafés? Are there Morphine cafés? Even medications for social disorders aren’t administered in cafés.
Market these private clubs as cafés only adds to the mistrust people have. There’s an implication that this is a “fun” thing to do rather than a “helpful” thing with a medicinal purpose. If this is treatment, why is it being marketed as a euphemistic bar?
Finally, we’re mostly upset about this space not being available to businesses that cater to a wider audience. This is a large building in a small district that could go to a few different businesses that would better serve much of the neighborhood. Instead, that large building’s use is inadvertently shutting out most of the community…quite disappointing.
I couldn’t agree more with “lovewoodlawn’s” comment on every count. It’s very disappointing. I only recently found out that Rumpspankers was holding “safe-touch” meetings and showing pornography in the Ballroom. I know businesses can’t be discriminated against, but I have to question whether or not this is the neighborhood I will continue to raise my family in.
As a parent, it concerns me that, unless every cardholder is arriving on a bus or in cab, they will be getting into their cars after getting high. Or will the cafe be supplying designated drivers or shuttle buses for every member? It concerns me that this cafe will attract undesirables into the neighborhood and nearby park – you’d have to be an idiot to think this COULDN’T happen.
As a homeowner, I am concerned with the value of my home plummeting further than it has in the last year. I’m all for those who need help with pain management, but shouldn’t something like this be more centrally located in the city? And NOT in such a largely residential area? Or is it because it’s more affordable to move an establishment like this into one of the poorer neighborhoods of the city? Honestly, it’s not helping this area to change the existing perception of it being a drug/crime-ridden area.
These are my concerns.
Woodlawner: What is the difference between pornography being shown in the privacy of the ballroom vs pornography being watched at your neighbor’s house next door? It is not as if there are gigantic signs or any signs at all advertising this fact in public view. For your family (meaning your kids) to be affected, someone would have to go out of their way to tell them what is going on inside. As someone who has attended sex-positive events, including ones @ VB, I can tell you that the people attending said events are as far from perverts and child-molesters as you can get and these events are all about promoting extreme boundary setting and communication around sexuality and touch.
If the owners were to make the establishment look nicer from the outside, would this be as much of an issue?
Woodlawner writes: “it concerns me that, unless every cardholder is arriving on a bus or in cab, they will be getting into their cars after getting high.”
You could say the same about folks getting into their car after drinking wine at the Firehouse, or beer at Good Neighbor Pizzeria. I think that drivers licenses should be very expensive and difficult to get, and if anyone gets caught with ANY alcohol on their breath, they lose their license for life.
As far as the ballroom, I do wish that there were more events happening at the Village Ballroom that I was interested in, and more events that were family friendly, as well.
I’ve gone to a bunch of the square dances at the Village ballroom and had a blast – there was actually a square dance there last night, open to all, (I couldn’t make it.) The square dances are fun, cheap (Sliding scale) with all monies going to a different charity every month, and they are family friendly. It is really fun to swing around 100 of my neighbors while a live band plays, and afterwards, I walk home four blocks!
Unfortunately too much talk has dominated Woodlawn about the Cannibus Cafe. Instead, I’d love to hear about the wonderful Buffalo Gardens, or Believe Movement Studio, Good Neighbor Pizzeria, Elizabeth the naturopath above the Firehouse, or even the brew pub that is coming- along with the coffee/ pie/ bakery coming soon.
oops! I almost forgot second hand goods! (Where I got my halloween costume)
Woodlawn Resident: I don’t have a problem with sex-positive groups. I have a problem with ADULT-ONLY businesses taking up what little space we have in our business district. As a homeowner, this does affect the value of my property. As a parent, I’m sorry, but you’re living in a dream world if you think the children of our neighborhood don’t already know about what’s going on. My 7 year old knew more than I did, and I sure as hell didn’t tell him.
Gregg Woodlawn: I figured it was common sense that I wouldn’t have to mention people drinking and driving. But since marijuana is still considered a controlled substance…
Instead of complaining why is no one looking into the newly renovated space next to Good Neighbor Pizza??? It looks like a beautiful large open mixed use space that has NOTHING in it. If you all want a family oriented space in our hood go ahead and lease the space and do it. You cannot rely on one set of owners to make the neighborhood what you’d like it to look like. We all have varying opinions on what we’d like to see in each building. If I had the means I’d lease the space and open a breakfast/lunch cafe or something like that. Quit whining and be proactive.
I’m disappointed at the route the managers of this business have taken with the space. All the other businesses in the The Triangle are very community oriented, this one seems to be closing the community out as much as possible. I hope the owner(s) of the building do something to return the storefront and the ballroom to everyone.
Melissa: I believe the space right next to Good Neighbor Pizza is lined up to be a coffee shop. It was supposed to be open by now. Not sure what’s going on. And the corner building – the large, renovated space, is supposed to be a brew-pub. I think GreggWoodlawn mentioned that.
I don’t think anyone is complaining for complaining sake. We all have strong feelings about what goes on in our neighborhood, and regardless of where we land, I’m glad that people CARE at all. This neighborhood has been neglected for far too long, and it deserves as much thoughtful debate as any other PDX neighborhood. I too, wish I could afford to lease a space in The Triangle. But until then, I’m going to voice my opinion. I pay enough in real estate taxes to do so.