We Meet Every First Tuesday at Classic Foods 7:00 pm (except in August)

Minutes for January 2025 WNA General Meeting

2025-01-17

Minutes for January 2025 WNA General Meeting

Woodlawn Neighborhood Association General Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 7:00 pm

Please make every effort to join us In Person at Classic Foods: 817 NE Madrona 

 Or join the meeting online via Zoom (now with improved audio): https://zoom.us/j/3014662210?pwd=d3VKbXkzVldqYzNWU2RwVm9OUkZyZz09  Meeting ID: 301 466 2210 , Passcode: WNA

Streamed/recorded on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@woodlawnneighborhoodassoci5818

Welcome and Vision: “In the future, Woodlawn will be a place where people live harmoniously, respectfully, and in support of one another.  The neighborhood will be a clean and thriving community… All Woodlawn residents will share and pursue the common values of health, efficiency, beauty, equity, and justice.”

7:00 – 7:15 Introductions

  • Please share name, pronouns, & what brought you to tonight’s meeting
  • Quick share:  “Share a New Year’s resolution.”
  • Reminder—On most issues, everyone in the room can vote. If it’s a financial manner, only the board members can vote.

7:15 – 8:00 General Business

  • Approve December meeting notes.

Keith Baich makes a motion to approve the December minutes. Melissa Jura seconds. All in favor. Minutes approved.

  • Guest Speaker—Eric Fair-Layman spoke about working with Anjala apply for a Small Community Grant to stage a Storyteller Event – Tales of Neighborhood Transformation. These small grants are trying to establish a sense of neighborhood history so this event would be a good fit. Below are some suggestions for who might participate and topics:
  • Oregon National Poetry Slam Winner – Michaela Jackson
  • Poet & Musician – Emmet Wheatfall
  • Neighborhood historian – Anjala E
  • Emmanual Displacement – Byrd
  • Myth Teller Dude
  • Kent Ford (walking tour of PDX Black Panthers history, Vanport Mosaic project)
  • MC – Eric (Guest Speaker who came to meeting)
  • Venue would hopefully be the Dekum Street Theatre around the spring equinox. Grant would cover the cost to rent the space and pay story tellers and video (Eric has a connection for this) and recording (Shady Pines Radio). Anjala asks the board to approve that we apply for this grant. As part of this, we would also reach out to Shady Pines Radio to see if they might want to be involved as they sponsor a monthly music/poetry monthly at High Water Mark. Linde makes a motion to do what Anjala proposed. Erin seconded. All are in favor. Motion passes. The grant application period opens on January 10, 2025, and is due by February 10, 2025.
  • Possible guest speakers for future WNA meetings – still in the works.

Invitations have gone out to our new District #2 council members but no responses yet.  Three invitations have gone out, but no response as yet.

At the February 2025 WNA meeting, Lauren Funk of the “future” Oregon Public House occupants, Pivot, will make a presentation.

  • Encourage additional volunteers to become part of our Board – 3 available positions

Barbara makes a pitch for new attendees to consider being on the board. Get in touch with us via info@woodlawn on our Go Woodlawn website.

  • Next neighborhood social & reports on other projects

It was decided to meet at High Water Mark for a January neighborhood social. In addition, future options:  Café Eleven just bought the space next door to them and it should be open in February or March. Also Dekum Street Theater is now open for dance and spoken word events and activities.

  • Volunteers to coordinate Easter Egg Hunt and Neighborhood Night Out

Dave is willing to coordinate the Easter Egg Hunt for 2025. Barbara has a to-do list for each month including getting permits for the park. The event has these basic elements: (1) Procure the candy (2) Stuff the eggs (3) Hide the eggs and (4) Find the eggs. David could also have an understudy for this if anyone is interested in learning how to run this event. Barbara and Keith will connect re: getting the permit.

Still need to find someone to coordinate the August Neighborhood night out.

  • Presentation and discussion of survey results—on hold until next month. Perhaps Linde will put a special newsletter re: soliciting more survey responses and the social and we can review what we learn at our February 2025 meeting.
  • NECN Grant available for $1000 for communications—due by March 30th

Melissa did research re: getting items to make our meetings go more smoothly along with an estimate of what each item might cost. Recommendations: (1) Purchase the external mike for the Owl. $249  (2) Invest in a projector. For guests, for meeting agenda, historical info, the by-laws, etc. $300. Melissa might be able to get one at cost via her For Good and Company sources. (3) A portable screen. Kodak. $100. (4) We need more microphones and stands. Having a stationary mike rather than passing around can be more efficient. 2 wireless microphones at $55 and stands at $20-40 each. Melissa’s company also might have gently used items that we can purchase from them more cheap. She talked to the AV techs at For Good & Company and they agreed on her recommendations.

Another suggestion is to use any remaining communication funds for our ongoing printing costs.

We also have an invoice from Shelly to pay for domain name and her services that could also be covered by this communications/outreach grant if there are available leftover funds.

Melody mentioned that it might be useful for us to “subscribe” to a group text service specific to non-profits. This would be used to announce meetings and solicit donations. Clearstream and EZ Text are completely free for non-profits up to 500 messages a month. Melody would be happy to train someone in how to do this. Melissa will look into the feasibility of this. Nancy will check with Shelly re: whether posting to our WordPress calendar can integrate with such a text messaging system.

Erin recommended that we apply for the NECN communications grant for items that make the meetings run more smoothly. And to experiment with the “free” text message services for a year and then, when we learn if it’s viable, we could apply for the text message service for the 2026 NECN communications  Free option as a pilot.

Liz suggested we could use a portable/better sound system to help folks hear better during events like National Night Out. Keith mentioned that it is likely that WNA could borrow the the Farmers Market speaker set-up when needed. Tom Karwaki of the University Park NA, attending online, mentioned that they have an outdoor sound system and that the Kenton Firehouse has one as well. Several other NAs also have them Perhaps we could all share them as needed.

Erin makes a motion that Barbara and Melissa will put together the NECN communication proposal and bring back to the WNA meeting in February for approval. Linde seconded. All in favor. Motion passed.

  • Time for neighbor open comments

Several Adopt-a-Stop trash cans at bus stops throughout Woodlawn are sponsored by the WNA. Nancy will temporarily take over emptying the one at 6th and Dekum while continuing to do the one just down from Electric Lettuce as well. Anjala noted that the concrete cans next to Tri-Met stops are the responsibility of Tri-Met and are in desperate need of cleaning now. She will reach out to her contact there to let them know. Anjala will also maintain the list of who is responsible for emptying our WNA-sponsored cans. Reminder: the folks at High Water Mark allow us to put the trash from 6th and Dekum into their receptacles. Anjala will take over maintaining the list.

A goal for 2025 is to connect more with neighboring NE neighborhood associations. How to do this? We need to make arrangements for someone to attend upcoming Piedmont and Overlook meetings. Linde will go to Vernon. Nancy will go to Concordia. Melissa will go to Piedmont. Melissa and Nancy will also reach out to folks at these NAs about the summer Movie in the Parking Lot and collaborating with their organizations this year.

Barbara’s WNA “annual report” is in the works. A few highlights include: More WNA tabling at Farmers Market. Our first ever Movie in the Parking Lot. Hosting ten neighborhood socials. Pedalpalooza with Woodlawn history event. Hosting a table at the Woodlawn neighborhood yard sale. Participation with other NE NAs in Sunday Parkways in Cully. The ongoing t-shirt fundraiser. Neighborhood cleanup and Dumpster Day. A dozen newsletters sent out. And folks volunteered at and helped as a sponsor to the Woodlawn Elementary PTA Jazz Night.

Melissa noted that March 24 is this year’s Dumpster Day to be held again at the For Good and Company parking lot. Once again, it will be free to come through with your stuff and it will be sorted and also recycled/donated for re-use as much as possible. We will put yard signs out from the city to advertise the event. .

Linde shared that neighbors in Concordia have created very cool Rosa Park street sign toppers (analogous to the ones that say Woodlawn Triangle) and are donating some to surrounding neighborhoods along Rosa Park Way for our use/installation.

Linde proposed that we consider a group event attending the Rip City Remix basketball games held N/NE Portland. What about a Woodlawn Field Trip to a game? It’s $5 a person to attend. Linde and others are willing to buy a batch of tickets so a group could easily attend.

In addition, we need to renew our  WNA website domain name.

Linde is working with Dan Bernard the marketing lead from Alberta Street Gallery who is interested in getting neighborhood artists to be part of exhibits there.

Neighbor Matthew Horn brought up concerns about houseless folks living in/around the neighborhood of NE 6th off Dekum near Rosa Parks. Discussion about the best way to handle this situation when it arises. Unless obvious crime being committed, Portland Street Response is a better choice for outreach.

8:00 – 8:20 Board Business

  • Treasurer’s Report –  Melissa

Melissa is not on the bank account yet. Soon!

Bank balance is $3080.94. Melissa has ideas about fundraising that she will present at our February meeting.  We are going to try to get Venmo and PayPal to let us take monthly donations from neighbors who can afford to do that. Businesses are struggling now so we will work together to come up with strategies so we can do neighborhood events and outreach. Mike asked if as a non-profit we would be able invest funds that we have and thus keep a reserve. And yes, funds permitting, we could have an endowment fund even though we are a non-profit.

  • NECN Report – Anjala

Now known as District 2 NECN and the group is all about building a new organization. The board has expanded from 12 to 28 members representing NAs, district coalition offices, and non-profit groups like Dignity Village and so this is a period of great transition. Anjala was elected co-chair of this new board. They are meeting our 3 new councilors, one each month. Mutual goals—to do the small grants, to educate on various voting issues, to greatly improve the NECOALITION.ORG website.

Traditionally the City of Portland has been the source for funding for NECN. It is expected that funds from the city will be roughly 10% less than in previous years. The new board is looking into ways to develop different revenue streams as a result. District 2 NECN meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month. Meetings are hybrid (in person and Zoom) and open to everyone.

  • Secretary Report – Nancy

No report this month.

  • Outreach and Community Engagement Report – Linde

Goal for 2025 is to try and grow the number of subscribers to our newsletter.

  • Land Use and Transportation Report – Anjala

Keith and Anjala are to work with Piedmont and Concordia NAs about the dangerous intersection issues at NE Lombard/NE 15th.  This is still on the to-do list. No progress made yet.

  • Farmers Market Update and New Winter Markets – Keith

Summer Market, Annual Holiday Market, and this year a trial—2nd Saturday of each month, January through May, a winter market in the Classic Food Outlet store. This week, 15 vendors participated on Saturday 11 am to 2 pm. The Balloon Dude! Is there. Need people to shop to keep the market going. All the money spent at the farmers goes to these local vendors and businesses. Currently, the Farmers Market has $31K in its bank account. A huge amount of this is from a grant for a specific purpose.

8:20 – 8:30 Additional agenda items and announcements

Shirley noted that there was another shooting in the Park on Saturday. She also noted the good news that Café Eleven were featured on KPTV. Nancy noted that Campana made Best Pasta eatery in PDX. And Anjala shouted out Campana’s 10% discount for the month of January.

 

 

 

 

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