WNA December 2019 minutes
WOODLAWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
December 4, 2019 Meeting Minutes (draft until approved at next meeting)
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 7:00 – 8:30 pm
at Classic Foods, 817 NE Madrona St, Portland, OR 97211
7:00-7:10 Welcome and Introductions:
Board members present: Melody Randolph, Maija Spencer, Dennis Kennedy, Keith Baich, Anjala Ehelebe, Shirley Minor, Nancy Flynn (taking minutes). Not in attendance: Andree Culpepper, Thelma Diggs, Beth Heins (excused absence)
7:05-7:10 Approvals
Approve agenda for this meeting. Anjala moves, Keith seconds, all in favor.
Approve November meeting minutes. Nancy moves, Dennis seconds, all in favor.
7:10-7:45 New Business
- Oregon Public House January and February Winter for Woodlawn Events
Presentation and discussion led by Lauren Kawa Funk, Director of Partnerships for Oregon Public House. OPR Winter for Woodlawn – seeking events to host in January and February.
E-mail: partnerships@oregonpublichouse.com. Phone 503-313-1354.
OPH is trying to re-orient the public house to be a resource center after some reorganization of the past year. The new community room is where the swap and play used to be. ADA accessible. The recently closed Lagunitas Public House told folks to reach out to the OPH Community Room for events and as a venue.
In January and February, the pub would like to host events specifically for Woodlawn. Woodlawn-located charities, programs or Woodlawn-serving organizations. Anything that supports Woodlawn in any way, shape, or form. For example, already scheduled: Breakside Brewery brewmaster for beer trivia along with Friends of Trees on February 15th. Friends of Trees will be seeking volunteers for upcoming Woodlawn tree planting at the event, too.
The partnership is offering the following as days for events: Monday Charity of the Day = % of the day’s profits; Tuesday Pints for Purpose = $1 from Aletruism beers & Thursday Outreach Program. But there are other possible option to reach out to Lauren: Nancy reports that she and John met with Lauren and that the Woodlawn Community Garden is already scheduled for a happy hour on February 2, 2020 (Groundhog Day) from 2 pm to 6 pm. With raffles and free music thanks to Woodlawn neighbor, Carl Solomon: https://www.carlsolomonmusic.com/
Ideas for Woodlawn Events that came up tonight: Woodlawn History Pub night with Anjala. Woodlawn Farmers’ Market will learn of this new opportunity at an upcoming meeting and Keith will report back. Maija mentioned that we should definitely do the charity of the day, too. And maybe also have another event for NET training.
- North Star Village Update – Anjala.
It’s a virtual village. $495 a year for many, many services and offerings. Territory is Woodlawn and other neighborhoods including up toward Sauvie Island! Anjala passed around the map showing the extensive service area.
Folks get together and help other neighbors to do tasks like change light bulbs, smoke alarm battery, flip mattress, retrieve Xmas items from attic, etc. Offer social activities. Newsletter of 13 pages with low-cost activities put on by the village and other groups. Anjala passed around a copy. They host book, craft, etc. groups for many of the folks who are participating. To be a volunteer is an honor – background check, training, reference checks to assure members that folks are safe. Prospective members are also interviewed to be sure volunteers are safe, too. To be a member you have to be able to get yourself to your car; no medical services are offered however. By 2030, this nation will be majority % over the age of 50. Available to over 20 and over the age of 18 if have a disability. More volunteers are needed particularly in the summer months. Favorite service needed so far = transportation!
North Star Village Day to be held at Oregon Public House on February 17th. Also every 3rd Monday of the month, North Star will be having an “open house” at OPH so folks can just meet one another and the North Star Village handwork group will be working in the community room on the 3rd Friday afternoon.
- December events in Woodlawn:
Woodlawn Yoga’s Community Craft Fair – Sat, December 7, 3-9pm, 728 NE Dekum
Woodlawn Farmer’s Market – Holiday Market, Sun, December 15, 2:30pm – 6:30pm, Village Ballroom, 704 NE Dekum
Lift Ev’ry Voice Screening at Alberta Abbey, December 6, 6:30 pm. We are listed as a sponsor even though Nancy told them we would not be contributing this time around.
North Star Village Handwork Sale, December 6, 2 pm to 6 pm. at Classic Foods
Holiday Healthy Pet Food Drive and Giving Tree at Lombard Pet Hospital all month.
Toy Donation drive at Classic Foods, too.
7:40-8:00 Old Business
Motion to move the January meeting from 1st to 2nd Wednesday so it will now be on January 8th Dennis makes a motion. Maija seconded. All in favor. FYI – Nancy let Michael/Classic Foods know about date and time change before tonight’s meeting and he was fine with it.
Plan for January Woodlawn Neighborhood Social is to start at 6:30 and mingle and share food.
We have most of the paper supplies for the event leftover from the summer events including plates and napkins and leftover Skittles. 🙂 We still need cups.
We will provide pizza and tamales as starter food. Attendees should bring potluck items. Pat will take care of ordering the food for the event. Pat will pick up Tamale Boy. Nancy can pick up pizzas from Good Neighbor. Nancy mentioned that Bella on NE Alberta can make gluten-free as well as a vegan pizza so we can order one of each of those from there to offer those options. (Good Neighbor does NOT offer either option. Nancy called to clarify.) Rick and Shirley can also pick up food as needed.
Maija makes a motion to approve a budget that is equal to what we spent last year on this event including food. Keith seconded. All approve.
Flyer and invitation to new neighbors – Liz will help hand out flyers to new neighbors, new homeowners, and renters. Need to distribute the last week of December by first week end of January.
Nancy will add a note about the January 8th social to the Holiday Decorations Thank You flyer that she will be dropping off at houses with holiday displays later in December.
Andree Culpepper was elected in absentia to the board; we need to confirm her status.
Re: January agenda items:
John Laurence would like to be on the January 2020 WNA agenda to give a report/update on the Woodlawn Community Garden. Approved for January 2020.
NECN folks are working as volunteers at an early evening dinner for the folks who stay at the Walnut Shelter warming shelter. Would the WNA board be interested in doing this between January and March 2020?
- Other Announcements
Dr. Jenny of Lombard Animal Hospital shared the availability of two chihuahuas for adoption if anyone needs them.[Inset cute dog emoji here.] The hospital is also doing a holiday pet food drive that benefits many great local organizations if you feel like contributing.
Nancy noted that they are creating a Habitat Corridor on NE Ainsworth between NE 22nd and 25th just on the edge of Woodlawn neighborhood. On December 3, the Barkdusters arrives and blew bark dust as part of getting ready for the Columbia Slough folks to start their habitat-creating work.
8:00-8:20 Board Business
Treasurer’s Report—Dennis
Tamale Boy donated a % of their sales to our Woodlawn summer event. It was over $200 and we need to recognize and thank them.
Land Use & Transportation Committee—Anjala.
- Meets 2nd Tuesday of the month in the part of Grand Army that is Castagna restaurant on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Meeting is December 9th.
- This month, a notice a hearing on November 13th. City changing the code about cutting large trees. Pat sent an email to JoAnn Hardesty’s office and the policy. City council is discussing this tomorrow/December 5th but JoAnn is out of town until December 10th. So Pat said that the vote date might be changed. 2016 City Council adopted amendments to preserve large trees. Sunset day of December 31, 2019 for the amendments. Recommended regulations should be extended for two more years. Folks might to research/look this up.
- We got a notification that 822 NE Liberty will be offering a rental of two rooms in home via Air BnB.
- Folks have been dumping trash behind Lombard Animal Hospital in a ravine behind the hospital as well as in their parking lot. Toxic waste was found. Fire department had to come out to remove it. Homeless people camping and leaving items (including drug paraphernalia) as well. There has been some cleanup by the folks owning the property, too. Anjala mentioned that Metro has a task team to do this kind of illegal dumping cleanup which Dr. Jenny will look into. Keith suggested an inexpensive surveillance camera.
Farmers’ Market— Keith
A slower time for the Farmers’ Market. Holiday Market is the big event. Financials are the same as no purchases over the last 30 days.
NECN — Dennis in WNA representative. NECN spending lots of time on the code change stuff. Liz and Dennis went to the code change last month. Additional information about this “controversial” set of changes is available on the NECN website. The goal is more inclusivity but folks have issues about that. We are invited to respond to the City Council now about these issues. They are seeking greater diversity – for example, refugee groups – but the city has a limited financial pie for all of this. Right now funding has to go to NAs but if they change the code then the funding would have to be divided among more entities. Information about this has been covered by area news organizations. Mayor and council are still accepting testimony so you can write to them. And there will be another in-person meeting coming up so folks who were unable to offer testimony at the last meeting will have another chance to do that.
NECN folks are working as volunteers at a dinner for the Walnut Shelter warming shelter folks. Would the WNA board be interested in doing this in early 2020. We will put this on the agenda for January 2020.
NET – Erin. No report as she wasn’t present.
8:25-8:30 Final Thoughts and Adjourn
