Exploring Brentwood-Darlington:  Carrie Carlson, Potter

Carrie Carlson produces beautiful ceramic bowls, cups, dishes, and more at her home in Brentwood-Darlington.  She has been creating ceramics for 25 years, and shares her studio with her husband, a high-school arts teacher.  And she’s mom to two-year-old twins!  

Please visit Carrie’s website to see her stunning pieces, many of them glazed in contrasting colors.  Interested in Carrie’s idea for a kids’ summer ceramics camp?  Get in touch with Carrie at her website. Purchase a lovely bowl or platter while you’re there!  You may also view Carrie’s slideshow on YouTube (it begins at 15:03 of the March 3rd virtual board meeting).

Back again with “Trees in the Street” in Brentwood-Darlington

PBOT Project Manager Gena Gastaldi described a looming pilot project that, if successful, will launch similar projects across Portland.  The idea is to place trees on treeless streets that are too hot in the summer but don’t have room for trees between sidewalk and curb.   The trees will be planted in bulb-outs that extend into a street’s parking zone.  

The pilot project targets the north side of SE Duke Street between SE 72^nd and 92^ndavenues. Construction is scheduled to begin late in 2023.  Questions raised included the traffic-calming effects of bulb-outs (not much) and the possibility of installing fruit and nut trees to provide food for local residents (the current list of street trees does not include “food trees”).  For more information, visit the project website.

Update:  Brentwood-Darlington Community Center

Impact NW and BDNA have a plan in place for recasting the BDCC as a meet-up and gathering site, a resource center (especially for averting homelessness), and a refuge during climate-driven extreme weather events.  

Impact NW is seeking bids for building rehabilitation, and we have launched the early stages of our effort to secure endorsements and spread the word.  It is very exciting to have reached this point! 

Electronics and Bicycle Recycling, Plant and Seed Swap – April 1^st at BDCC

Start collecting the tech discards you accumulated during Covid seclusion.  On April 1^st, bring them to the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center (7211 SE 62^nd Avenue) between 9:30am-12:30pm, and hand them over to Green Century Recycling

Stay to swap seeds and plants, donate or repair your old bicycle, and learn how recycling works.  

Update:  Sidewalk infill (Duke and Flavel streets) and Ogden-Knapp bicycle greenway

These projects are still underway.  Design is near completion; and PBOT has been acquiring rights-of-way.  Construction is slated to begin in late summer or early fall of THIS YEAR!

The BDNA will hold a general-membership and board meeting from 6:30 to 8:30pm on Thursday, March 2, 2023. The first hour of the monthly meetings is devoted to matters of public interest, the second to board business such as planning and evaluating financial matters. All who join the meeting are welcome to attend both portions.

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84474843955. The password is bdna22.

At this meeting, we’ll introduce local ceramics artist Carrie Carlson, and learn about PBOT’s “Trees in the Curb Zone” project aimed at SE Duke Street between SE 72nd and 92nd avenues.

Also on the agenda:

• TriMet Line 10’s re-revised routing to serve Mt. Scott Community Center.
• An update on the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center.
• An update on B-D’s sidewalk-infill and greenway projects.
• A reminder of our April 1st event at the BDCC: electronics recycling and much more.

Find the March 2023 meeting agenda here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CnvgB8q9x_cB0U0qvpxlOdJHECrPafBu/view?usp=share_l

Winter, Brentwood-Darlington

Introducing Brianna Tarnower

The first presenter in our “Exploring Brentwood-Darlington” series, Brianna Tarnower is a local artist, scholar, and activist.  With bachelor’s degrees in biology and environmental studies, and a master’s (and more) from UCLA in environmental health science, Brianna can follow any path she chooses – and she’s following them all!  

Her goals: Making more ceramic art, creating a maker-to-market business (to enable ceramics artists to produce small-batch ceramics for a local market), and developing a non-profit (“MakeBreatheLive”) devoted to researching the connection between heavy-metals air pollution and autoimmune disorders in our area. (The latter is of special interest to us because of Precision Castparts).  Brianna invites interested individuals to join her on any of her paths.   You may contact Brianna and view her unique ceramic art at https://www.thinkerceramicarts.com

Trees in the Street

With summer temperatures rising to record levels in recent years, the lack of tree canopy in BD has made a noticeable difference in how residents in our neighborhood experience heat waves.

The city has taken notice and has selected BD to pilot a tree planting program.This program aims to add trees to streets where there isn’t sufficient space behind the curb by installing bulb-outs into the parking zone.In working through issues and coming up with design standards, this project will help the city and PBOT replicate tree planting efforts elsewhere in the city. As we plan for hotter summers to come, planting trees now will create a more livable and enjoyable neighborhood and city.  

Stolen Vehicles

Officers at Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct have devised a strategy for recognizing stolen vehicles with much greater accuracy and fewer resources.  They are using a science-based technique called “Evidence-Based Practice.”

For stolen vehicles, the officers assembled all of the clues a vehicle can radiate to say “I’m stolen!”  Once the officers had collected their data, they received help in refining their strategy from OHSU experts, including statisticians, who evaluate medical outcomes in the wake of various treatments.  A welcome result of the new East Precinct strategy is that police officers stop many fewer vehicles for low-level infractions (such as failed tail lights), which translates into less harassment of the general public.  The Portland public should soon hear from KGW, which East Precinct invited to investigate and report on its new strategy.

BDNA board members will meet to brainstorm hot fundraising ideas. Goal is to form “idea library” to call on from time to time as the neighborhood association needs funding for special projects such as the annual “Movies in the Park” during the summer. 6:30-7:30pm via Zoom. Members of the public are welcome.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87086627089?pwd=eGpWeHJpdE0xSi83UzZpTFBCMWhpdz09

Meeting ID: 870 8662 7089
Passcode: bdna

After many years of use, the playground at Harney Park is showing signs of wear. A new playground will be installed in Summer 2023. The update will expand the play area with a new swing set and will improve accessibility by using play tiles instead of bark chips as the surface. 

The community has an opportunity to help select the color scheme and certain play elements to be featured at the new playground at an upcoming open house. Please join us! Kids are welcome!   Possible design shown below.  Stay up to date at https://www.portland.gov/parks/harney-park

OPEN HOUSE:

Monday, Jan 30th

5:30-7:30pm

Lane Middle School Library

7200 SE 60th Avenue

Portland, OR 97206

The BDNA will hold a general-membership and board meeting from 6:30 to 8:30pm on Thursday, February 2, 2023. The first hour of the monthly meetings is devoted to matters of public interest, the second to board business such as planning and evaluating financial matters. All who join the meeting are welcome to attend both portions.

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84474843955. The password is bdna22.

At this meeting, we’ll introduce local artist Brianna Tarnower, and learn about East Precinct’s new, science-based strategy for apprehending stolen vehicles and those who took them.

Also on the agenda:

• A tree-planting project to be piloted in Brentwood-Darlington.
• A change in the recent re-routing of Line 10
• An update on the city’s local TGM planning effort.

Find the February 2023 meeting agenda here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F8SVFxXw-AM2f9Rnm9APOuXV2UulBZvA/view?usp=share_link

Winter, Brentwood-Darlington.

BDNA is sponsoring OPEN CRAFT CIRCLE from 6-9pm on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursdays of each month.  This community event for Brentwood-Darlington residents will take place at the Brentwood Darlington Community Center (7211 SE 62^nd Ave).   

Please bring your projects, snacks, beverages of choice, and a joyful spirit. Sit down, set up, and connect with your neighbors! There’s no cost, although a donation container is available to help fund future community opportunities. Please be respectful of all, and remember, this is a time for crafting and connecting with neighbors – please, no sales at these circles.

The first Open Craft Circle is coming right up – on January 26th! See you at the BDCC!

A Vision for Brentwood-Darlington Community Center

Impact NW and BDNA are working together on an exciting vision for our community center.  Andy Nelson, executive director of Impact NW (which manages the building), presented the three-faceted vision to the BDNA board:  

The BDCC will act as a social gathering place for neighbors, a resilience hub that provides emergency information and cooling-warming during extreme weather, and a service that connects neighbors to resources, in particular assistance that keeps people from being displaced from their homes by rising rents.  Impact NW will continue to offer its early childhood development programming from the building – a wonderful resource for Brentwood-Darlington families. 

Board member celebrated for more than 20 years of service

Gail Kiely has been serving Brentwood-Darlington as a member of the BDNA board since early in 1990.  She is the person who orders up our movies or concerts in Brentwood Park every year (Covid years excepted).  

Over the years Gail has played many other roles, including publication of a BDNA newsletter.  The board awarded Gail a framed certificate of appreciation, a red ribbon, and gift card.  Thank you, Gail Kiely.  

Crafting circle planned for BDCC in 2023

The BDNA board approved the launch of a crafting circle to be held on two Thursday evenings each month through 2023.  The circle will be open to everyone who wants to knit, crochet, assemble scrap books, make greeting cards – anything and everything that can be construed as crafting.  Details about opening night and hours will be shared when finalized.  

The BDNA will meet from 6:30 – 8:30 on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

The meeting will be held via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84474843955 The password is bdna22.

Brentwood-Darlington Community Center. Please join us for a presentation about the future of the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center by Andy Nelson, executive director of Impact NW. Envisioned is a center that serves as a gathering and meet-up place for B-D neighbors, a well-stocked resource and information center, and an emergency services hub that offers cooling or heating during extreme weather events.

Other BDNA board business:

Action required:  Approval of proposal to conduct an electronics recycling effort on April 1, 2023 at the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center.  Approval to apply for funding from Metro’s Refresh Fund, which is available to Equity Focus Areas.

Action required:  Approval of proposal to hold crafting class at the community center two or more Thursday evenings per month during 2023; class open to the community.

Find January 2023 meeting agenda here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wkwdF7sj2Zp3llchEFpBld88fR725Ehm/view?usp=share_link

Winter, Brentwood-Darlington.

Black Futures Farm has wound up a 2022 growing season bountiful in produce, culture, solidarity, and influence.  As a project of the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, BFF occupies 5.5 acres in Brentwood-Darlington’s Green Thumb complex.  The farmers identify as Black- Diasporic and Continental African people who “work together to grow food and community.”  In 2022, their big harvest baskets overflowed with vegetables, flowers, berries, grapes, and fruit. For more information, see https://blackfutures.farm.

Electronics Recycling.  On April 1, 2023, recycle your old devices, chargers, cables, computer, printers, and more at the Brentwood-Darlington Community Center.  Stay for a hands-on workshop on bicycle maintenance and repair, a seed exchange, and game-playing directed by Master Recyclers. The address is 7211 SE 62^ndAvenue (9:30am-12:30pm).  Mark your calendar.  April 1^st – THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

Master Gardeners.  The Multnomah County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden has also wrapped up a productive year.  The garden donated 1,576 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to local food pantries, received 345 visitors, and held an “Open Garden” in August. The Demo Garden is a teaching space open to anyone who wants to learn from or work with Master Gardener volunteers.  They’re closed for the season now, but will be welcoming learners, volunteers, and visitors again on March 6, 2023.  Email inquiries here. 

Brentwood-Darlington Community Center.  Are you aware of the community center near Lane Middle School?  Impact NW and BDNA are working on a plan for BDCC’s future. Along with rehabbing the building and working out legal issues, we are envisioning a space where friends can meet up, residents can connect with resources, and people can take refuge during extreme climate-driven weather events.  As planning evolves, we will be reaching out to the residents of B-D to join us in shaping BDCC’s future.

Zoning changes proposed for Brentwood-Darlington.  Many Brentwood-Darlington residents desire more shops and services closer to home.  However, we have seen little commercial development in B-D to date because we are low density and low income compared with other parts of Portland. City planners working on the Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan have suggested zoning changes for stretches of 52^nd and 72^nd avenues north and south of Flavel Street that might attract developers.

The changes would allow for taller buildings than now allowed. The buildings could contain commercial or residential space, or a mix of the two.  Zoning allows land owners to build new buildings, but only if they want to.  

The Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan is also concerned with transportation and displacement issues.  For detail on the entire plan, consult the draft Preferred Framework Report; see especially p. 25 for the zoning map, which also proposes zoning changes along Flavel Street east of 72^nd Avenue.