President’s Message
As summer kicks into full gear, so does the neighborhood. From community festivals and sporting activities to picnic gatherings and cafe dining outings—not to mention the abundant baby buggy pushers, dog walkers, joggers, and bicyclists on every sidewalk and street—there’s a healthy vibrancy throughout Beaumont-Wilshire. Fact is, ours is one of the more desirable neighborhoods in all of Portland in which to reside and raise a family. No surprise then that as the national economy continues to reel from the effects of the Great Recession, Beaumont-Wilshire is already on the upswing, with real estate values on the rise and homes sometimes selling within days of going on the market—a sign of hope, for sure.
At the core of this success are hundreds of dedicated resident volunteers giving their time and energy (and sometimes money) to preserve and enhance the positives while eliminating, or at least mitigating, the negatives—with the neighborhood association serving as organizing agent. This is especially true for activities that foster a sense of community identity and pride. Take for instance our neighborhood’s seminal summer events, all three of which take place within a span of ten days: Movie in the Park (Saturday, July 28th), Fremont Fest (Saturday, August 4th), and National Night Out Picnic (Tuesday, August 7th). Crowds range from the hundreds for Movie in the Park and the Picnic (both in Wilshire Park) to thousands for the Fest (on a closed-to-traffic Fremont Street). And while Fremont Fest is organized by the Beaumont Business Association (BBA) and not BWNA, our neighborhood association collaborates closely with BBA President Dan Johnson and his members in the areas of publicity and recruitment of volunteers. Similarly, this year’s Movie in the Park event is being sponsored and organized collaboratively with Alameda Neighborhood Association. And of course, collaboration is the name of the game for the National Night Out Picnic, when BWNA joins ranks with residents, businesses, police officers, fire fighters, politicians, and various local service institutions in an all-neighborhood potluck celebration.
Community networking has also been evident in BWNA’s response to neighbors’ concerns this summer about a proposed 4-story apartment complex to be located on Fremont St. in the heart of the Beaumont Village business district. Collaborating with BBA and interested neighborhood associations, a community meeting was organized on short order. That meeting enabled an overflow crowd to confront the project’s developer and architect, followed a few days later by creation of an action committee with the hope of resolution.
I close with a personal story of hope. Recently Dan Johnson informed me that I was chosen by the BBA membership to be Grand Marshall of this summer’s Fremont Fest, which I was honored to accept—but with a caveat. When Hollywood Star reporter Lee Perlman asked if I had heard about my selection, I replied: “Yes, Dan told me. I hope I can do it.” Lee replied, “Of course you can!” He didn’t know the whole story then, and I wasn’t prepared to go public with it at that time. But I am now. Several months ago my prostate started giving me trouble, and it got progressively worse. To my relief, and the relief of my family and friends, a biopsy indicated that cancer wasn’t the culprit; but a complex surgical procedure would be necessary to correct the problem. The surgery is scheduled for mid-July, with convalescence taking up to three weeks. I’m hopeful that a timely recovery will allow me to make the ride down Fremont St. as Grand Marshall on the morning of August 4th. But regardless, I plan to be one thankful Beaumont-Wilshire resident.