Portland Sunday Parkways is a festival that brings the entire community together along traffic-free streets. Over 125,000 people will walk, jog, bike and stroll together on routes in NE, N, SE, E and NW Portland. The first event for this summer is on Sunday, May 16 in NE Portland and it’s coming through Woodlawn!

The support of the entire community is needed to make Sunday Parkways possible. Over 300 volunteers assist with project such as park set up and roving bike mechanics at each event. The greatest need is for Intersection Superheros: the essential volunteers who staff every intersection along the course for safety reasons.

There are two cool ways to get involved. If you’re thinking of just yourself or you plus friends, you may volunteer by yourself or with friends and family to throw an intersection party, decorate it, make it your own, have fun.

The other option is to bring your group (organization, cause, riding club, etc) together to host an intersection and promote your organization. You get to “own” the intersection, decorate it, promote your cause, and have fun. With 25,000 people coming right past your station, this is a great opportunity to get the word out.

Check out the schedule and plan for a summer full of fun, traffic-free Sunday Parkways events!

PortlandSundayParkways.org

Saturday, March 20th from 1:00PM – 5PM

Believe Movement Studio invites you to join them, along with neighbors Buffalo Gardens, The Purple Garden and Good Neighbor Pizza to a celebration of the Vernal Equinox. You can take advantage of a spring sale on class cards, session packages and retail items. These businesses also have contests for April. There will be food, live music, and festivities for the entire family. Rae Minten will offer a free session of sun salutations to honor the return of the sun at 1:30PM and 3:30PM.

Saturday, March 20th
10a-3p – free
1158 NE Morton Street (map >>)

WHAT UP?
A bunch of friends (some of whom are gear reps) are getting together to sell off gear at great prices.  We dug through our basements and garages and found bins upon bins of stuff that has to go.

* Bikes * Bike parts * Wheels * Product samples * Accessories * Bags and panniers * New and used * Snowshoes * Snowboards * Climbing shoes * Boots * Life jackets + more

More info >>

<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.