CONCORDIA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PO BOX 11194 PORTLAND, OR 97211 A free publication of the Concordia Neighborhood Association visit the website: concordiapdx.org July 2012 A Lifetime of Neighborhood Medical Care Had a ‘Country Doctor’ Feel Dr. David Gale Duncan, who lived in exam at Dr. Brown’s the Concordia Neighborhood for over and knew him half his lifetime, died quietly at home, as well. With the May 18, 2012. Rexall pharmacy Born February 1, 1910 in Litchfield, across the street North Dakota, he was 102 years and a street-car Yard Sale pg. 3 old. He and his family moved to the line running along Summer concerts pg.7 Alberta, it was a Concordia neighborhood in the day Bernie’s Southern Bistro when the Portland city limit was NE prime location pg.10 42nd Avenue. for a busy family practice. Dr. Brown Neighbors have admired his told him that he impeccable yard and its long- could pay for the blooming flowers, which he practice as he saw generously shared with neighbors In 1946 the Duncan family moved to this house in fit and the deal was and visitors alike during the summer Concordia, as seen in this recent view from NE Alberta done. The Duncans St., taking over Dr. Vernon Brown’s medical practice. months. Many longtime residents moved into the home, were brought into the world and much as it is today, received all their medical care at his Soon after, he enlisted in the army. They sent him in January 1946. office during his forty-plus years of practice at NE to the Philippines where he was in a fifty bed ward For almost fifty Alberta Street and 24th Avenue. serving as a medic. During that time they heard on years, Dr. Duncan the radio the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor Dr. Duncan graduated from the University of saw as many as and they were in a war. Minnesota then attended medical school at thirty or forty Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally, he Dr. Duncan ended up at Guadalcanal where he patients a day in his had intended to become a dentist; Creighton assisted in removing shrapnel from soldiers’ brains. office – many paid offered medical and dental degrees. The cost of That was Dr. Duncan’s only foray into brain only what they could the instruments for the dental school was too Dr. David G. Duncan, surgery, but he would go on to deliver a broad – then he would load at Ft. Lewis, in a expensive however, so he “crossed the street” spectrum of medical care as a family doctor. his medical bag in 1941 photograph. and signed up for medical school. He moved to After more than three years of army service, he the car and make Portland for his internship at Emanuel Hospital in returned home to his wife Miriam and sons house calls. 1936. It was at Emanuel that he met his future wife, Douglas and Donald. They were living in a nurse named Miriam Piispanen. His residency He is survived by Miriam, his wife of 73 years; Concordia at NE 28th and Ainsworth with her ended during the Depression, and initially he sons, Douglas (Marilyn) and Dean (Colette); four sister. wasn’t able to find work as a doctor. He joined the grandchildren, Scott (Perry), Jeffrey (Magalie), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) until he was He heard that a former colleague, Dr. Vernon Bryan and Heidi; and two great-grandchildren. He offered a job with Union Pacific. He set up his first Brown was quitting his practice and selling his was preceded in death by his son, Donald Angus practice for the railroad in Huntington, Oregon in a house and office. Dr. Brown had built the house (1988). hotel room with a sheet as a partition. and office in 1922 at NE Alberta and 24th and still Based on an article by Rebecca Wetherby, updated by had all the plans. Miriam had taken her nursing CNews staff. Used with her permission. Connecting Food With No Home to Homes With No Food: A Neighborhood Forum by Dove Hotz We all need to eat every day! Unfortunately, too many everyone, we need to streamline the process, to have as few people in our community still have trouble getting access steps as possible from farm to table. to enough fresh, nutritious food on a daily basis. In Rising to these challenges, there are lots of impressive order to explore the situation in more depth, last month's activities taking place to get fresh healthy food to all our Concordia Neighborhood Association general meeting neighbors. Many groups are working to promote residential focused on food security. Representatives from over a vegetable gardens, harvest fruit from neighbors' yards, and dozen groups involved in the local food scene were invited educate people on what resources are available. to share their activities and ideas. Participants discussed the challenges, ongoing successes, and opportunities for Not surprising with such a diverse, creative group, many the future of food security in Concordia. What it really useful suggestions and ideas for the future were discussed boils down to is the effort to “connect food that has no at the food forum. Ways for neighbors to get involved home, to a home that has no food.” include participating in local food drives, growing at least some of your own food, supporting a local harvest Challenges include the limited number of nearby or gleaners' organization, or joining a CSA (community grocery stores, relatively few local farms, and the lack of supported agriculture) group or bulk food-buying club. coordination among resources. Also, although farmers' markets are becoming more common in Northeast Portland is a national leader in all things food-related, Portland, their prices can be a barrier for some folks. and food security is no exception. Tackling this issue is an opportunity for us all to connect with our neighbors, The perishable nature of fresh food is why food banks and support local institutions, and get healthier. For more distributors focus primarily on canned and dry goods. In resources, check out the CNA web site at www. order to obtain the benefits of fresh healthy produce for concordiapdx.org. Page 2 CONCORDIA NEWS July 2012 CONCORDIA NEWS Get the latest updates at concordiapdx.org Concordia News is a free monthly publication of the Concordia Neighborhood Association. Newspapers are delivered residences and community locations in the July’s Neighborhood Meetings Concordia Neighborhood. Submissions General Meeting Land Use, Livability The deadline for submissions is the 15th of These committees can the month prior to publication. Concordia T and Transportation News may edit for form and length. N N O, have direct results on Committee Contact the Editors A F P the livability of our [email protected] neighborhood with your T. J , .. Board Meeting participation. Advertising T. J , .. Kennedy School, Community Room Please send advertising inquiries to hear about and try to solve to: Kennedy Schoo, Community Room. issues affecting quality of life in [email protected] 503 688-3290 Next Board mtg: August 14, 7 p.m. • Concordia that are brought to us by Tree Team Meeting individuals. Wellness to identify changes and develop- Concordia Neighborhood J , .. Association W . J , .. ments related to land use and trans- PO Box 11194 Next Tree Team mtg • portation that could improve life for Caffé Vita, 2909 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 large numbers of residents. August 2, 6 p.m. Next Wellness mtg.: Contact the CNA Board August 8, 7 p.m. New Seasons dining area Next Land Use mtg.: [email protected] August 21, 7 p.m. Community Room Rental [email protected] by Robin Johnson, CNA Chair CNA Chair Land Use Chair A s I we do neighbor to neighbor to better New maps show Portland’s natural Robin Johnson George sit here prepare – what resources are out there hazards by neighborhood 503 477-6807 Bruender 503 287-4787 looking for us, how can we organize? What’s the earthquake risk in your Transportation out at a sunny See you in October for this important neighborhood? Is your home or Chair Livability Chair landscape, with meeting, but in the mean time reread business located on a flood plain? To Jean Keady vacant birds chirping in the Signe Todd’s article on block parties in find out the answers to these questions 503 477-5575 and more, check out the new maps MISSION STATEMENT Chair’sbackground Corner and people the NECN June Newsletter. Knowing merrily on their way to created by the Portland Bureau of To connect Concordia residents your neighbors is certainly an Emergency Management (PBEM). and businesses — inform, educate, Fernhill Park, I think about important step to being better prepared. and report on activities, issues, and what we would all do, how we They offer a neighborhood coalition opportunities of the neighborhood. by neighborhood coalition account would all react and who we would Should you have any particular of known earthquake faults, flood Editor Contributors turn to, if in the middle of a beautiful concerns or suggestions on the content plains and other dangers, including Jeff Hilber Bernadette Janét day like today, we experienced a of the October meeting – let us know at [email protected]. hazardous material sites, steep slopes George catastrophic emergency event such as a and forested areas at risk of fire. The Layout Bruender major earthquake. It somehow doesn’t maps also show community resources Designer Donna Carrier seem like something like that could – such as evacuation routes and key Jeff Hilber Clifford Dimoff Incidentally, we received the following Jill Muhm- even be real as I look out on a tranquil communication from the Disability transportation corridors used during emergencies, hospitals, county clinics, Photo Editor Glover street full of sun, but it could be much Coordinator at the City of Portland schools, fire stations and police Bob Pallesen Robin Johnson too real for all of us in just seconds.