Our River, Our Future by the Northeast Coalition of by Mischa Webley, Neighborhoods (NECN) NECN Staff Writer
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This issue brought to you in partnership with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services ISSUE 2/VOLUME 3 SPRING 2019 A free publication from Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) HEY NEIGHBOR! This newspaper is a free publication brought to you Our River, Our Future by the Northeast Coalition of By Mischa Webley, Neighborhoods (NECN) NECN Staff Writer he same year that MISSION STATEMENT: the Environmental Northeast Coalition of T Protection Agency designated an 11-mile Neighborhoods (NECN) section of the Willamette increases neighborhood River a toxic Superfund livability through highly site, Donovan Smith inclusive civic engagement was a grade schooler in and grassroots community Northeast Portland. He building. NECN believes didn’t know much about in creating healthy the river other than the neighborhoods by engaging basic rule that most young Portlanders heed: people to become directly don’t swim in it. It was involved in determining how only some years later their neighborhood evolves. after he chanced into an MISCHA WEBLEY BY PHOTO encounter with the Port- Portland Harbor runs along both sides of the Willamette River, from the Broadway Bridge (pictured) land Harbor Community to Sauvie Island CONTACT NECN: stretches north along it a priority Superfund day and fight for the fu- 4815 NE 7th Ave “Those both sides of the Wil- site, the designation for ture of Portland’s central Portland, OR 97211 industries, lamette, from the Broad- extremely polluted areas. river. It’s the recognition way Bridge on up to Nineteen years later, that caring for the well- 503.388.5004 however, Sauvie Island. It is the with cleanup planning being of the Willamette [email protected] haven’t always past and present home accelerating but yet to is not just about being an www.necoalition.org to a wide range of in- begin, the federal gov- environmentalist. Rather, been friendly dustries, many of which ernment’s definition of it’s a matter of seeing facebook.com/NECoalition to the river” helped give birth to the “priority” is, clearly, fluid. the environment itself as city in the early 20th cen- The thing that clicked the chessboard that the Coalition (PHCC) that tury. Those industries, that day for Donovan, hot-button issues which something clicked, and however, haven’t always now the Media and Out- define our society such he began to see the river been friendly to the river, reach Coordinator for as race, class, homeless- in a new light. and in 2000 the Envi- PHCC, is the same thing ness and gentrification, What’s known today ronmental Protection that drives his colleagues play out on. See OUR RIVER pg 3 as the Portland Harbor Agency (EPA) declared there to show up every PPS Prepares for the ‘Big One’ to buildings and teaching earth- quake response to students. Drills are held twice each year in each school. Called “drop, cover and hold,” PAID students shelter themselves under US Postage Portland OR Portland Permit 2235 Permit their desks – or tables or against Non-Profit Org interior walls – to be shielded from falling objects. “Part of the issue is whether you’re better off to leave,” said Ver- non School principal Ben Keefer. “A lot of that’s going to be based on situational awareness, espe- cially with our building. The brick fascia and glass windows hold See PPS pg 3 PHOTO BY NANCY VAREKAMP NANCY BY PHOTO IN THIS ISSUE Portland Public School students practice earthquake drop, cover and hold precautions twice each year. Demonstrating how they would take cover under tables in the Vernon Resident Profile .................... 2 School library are students (left to right) Mabel Graham, Diaminique Barker, Harley SHAPED BY WATER, Rose Almeter and Elijah Pitre. DRAWN BY HAND ........ 5 Things to Do .......................... 6 By Nancy Varekamp an earthquake with a magnitude Concordia News Editor as severe as 9.0 – to hit within the Community Clean-Ups ........7 s various local groups and next 50 years, so does Portland Water Storage ......................7 individuals continue to Public Schools (PPS). Crossword .............................8 Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods Coalition Northeast 4815 NE 7th Ave OR 97211 Portland A prepare for the “big one” – The focus is on adding safety MY NE PORTLAND RESIDENT PROFILE: Bob Boyer By Mischa Webley, NECN Staff Writer ob Boyer never thought he’d be here. A former boxer Bfrom West Philadelphia, he was a young man in the Air PHOTO BY MISCHA WEBLEY BY PHOTO Force, just past 20 years old, Bob Boyer RUDY SPEERSCHNEIDER RUDY when he was transferred to the vehicle maintenance division at grandkids); linchpin of the com- As he moved up the ranks of the NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD the airbase here in 1961. At the munity; a keeper of local history union to become shop steward ASSOCIATIONS time, the state of Oregon wasn’t that we can all learn a thing or and then president, it gave him Alameda a welcoming place for African- two from. a taste for politics that he never 2620 NE Fremont St. Americans, having only then He’s grateful for the opportu- lost. It suited him well for the [email protected] begun to finally upend the many nities that he’s been afforded, troubles facing the neighborhood www.alamedaportland.com segregationist laws here. But a and cites the saying, ‘when one at the time. Boise tight-knit black community had door closes, another opens,’ as a In the 1970’s, 80’s, and even 4115 N Mississippi Ave. formed nonetheless in Northeast, slogan of sorts for his life, while through the 1990’s, it was hard [email protected] and after he was discharged Mr. www.bnapdx.com adding that you really have to to get the city government to pay Boyer quickly found work in an look for those openings. As a attention to the needs of North- Concordia autoshop on Union Avenue and east Portland, but it wasn’t for 5736 N.E. 33rd Ave. made himself at home. He’s been lack of trying. As a member of Kennedy School Community Room “Mr. Boyer and [email protected] here ever since. the Planning Board for the Model www.concordiapdx.org At his age, Mr. Boyer doesn’t others helped Cities Initiative, an outgrowth of need a resume, but if he did, it Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty Eliot organize the first 120 NE Knott St. would read more like a short program, Mr. Boyer and others [email protected] novel: boxer, Airman, auto me- neighborhood helped organize the first neigh- www.eliotneighborhood.org/association chanic, railyard worker, shipyard associations in borhood associations in North- Humboldt foreman, union boss, car sales- east, which together created the 804 N Alberta man, community organizer, Northeast” Northeast Coalition of Neigh- [email protected] property manager, small business borhoods (NECN). Through the www.humboldtneighborhood.org owner, president of his neighbor- property manager who knows a power of this unity, the Northeast Irvington hood association, vice-president thing or two about construction, community found a way to speak 1320 NE Brazee St. of the region’s NAACP, and state it seems he may have also built a as one to demand positive change [email protected] senator, to name just a few of few of them himself. One thing is from the city, and they started www.irvingtonpdx.com the titles he’s held. But to get to certain: when Mr. Boyer comes racking up wins quickly. One King know Mr. Boyer is to understand in the door, he steps all the way of their most enduring efforts 4815 NE 7th Ave. that some things don’t fit very through. But he also makes sure was the successful campaign to [email protected] easily on a resume, even one as to leave it open for those coming change Union Avenue to Martin www.kingneighborhood.org impressive as his. After nearly 60 behind him. Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Lloyd years spent living and working in While pounding spikes in the It seems that few things have Visit www.lloyddistrict.org for Northeast, it’s the other things, railyards, working the docks as happened in recent Northeast meeting schedule and location the intangibles, that matter more: a longshoreman, and starting a history that Bob Boyer wasn’t Sabin husband and father of 8 (and 18 family in the 1960’s, he found somehow involved with. People 3535 NE 15th Ave. time to get such as him, and so many others, [email protected] his associ- paid their dues to this area by www.sabinpdx.org ALBERTA ABBEY ate’s degree always putting the needs of the Sullivan’s Gulch AN AFFORDABLE HOME FOR THE ARTS from Cascade larger community first and find- 1548 NE 15th Ave. 126 NE ALBERTA STREET Christian Col- ing common ground with a wide [email protected] lege (whose variety of people and embracing www.sullivansgulch.org WWW.ALBERTAABBEY.ORG name, by the unlikely allies. In all of his work, Vernon way, he and it was this eagerness to build 5431 NE 20th Ave. others later relationships with just about any- [email protected] HOURLY www.vernonpdx.org successfully one that led him to work closely MEETING STARTING AT $15/HR lobbied to with many notable names and Woodlawn *50% OFF YOUR 1ST AIRPOT have changed community members that helped 817 NE Madrona St. SPACE (10 CUPS OF COFFEE/TEA FOR $20 $10!) [email protected] to Portland shape Northeast and the city at www.gowoodlawn.com Commu- large: Avel Gordly, Dick Bogle, nity College). Charles Moose, Bud Clark. The Northeast Coalition of Never missing way he sees it, if you want things Neighborhoods (NECN), founded in a day of work, to be different, you have no VISIT OUR CAFE 1975, is an independent nonprofit he would choice but to dive right in.