President’s Message
In previous articles I’ve cited numerous small and large acts of neighborhood volunteerism that have contributed to the beautification of our neighborhood. To name a few: protection of the mural at Wilshire Park pavilion, graffiti control teams roaming the streets, local groups working on the Beaumont Middle School grounds, the recent cleaning and planting along one of the Alameda Ridge public stairs, and BWNA’s informal Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Volunteer Group, assisting needy neighbors with yard and house chores.
Adding to that list, I invite you to take a walk past the traffic triangle at Wistaria and 41st Avenue and enjoy the visual treat. Last year Ryan Mealy, in keeping with the underlying “service” attitude instilled in him while a student at University of Portland, decided to tackle the neglected traffic triangle across from his house. He quickly enlisted other members of the family, in particular his father, Chris. The initial weeding project expanded into some tree removal and mulch spreading, with minimal assistance from the city maintenance workers. But the city did supply the water to make the garden grow, and slowly but surely, sunflowers, other perennials, squash and pumpkins began appearing last fall and this spring. Chris’s connections at Orchard Supply Hardware facilitated the process, as well as offerings from neighbors, and even some transplants from the Mealy yard itself. Having resided in their present house about five years, this is the Mealy family’s second tour of duty in Portland, previously living in the Irvington area during the late 1980s and early 1990s before returning to their Midwest roots and then back again to Portland. (Another fact that supports my conspiracy theory that the Midwest is slowly and covertly taking over Portland—sans politics, of course.)
One of the unique features of the traffic island is the hanging basket on the west side of the site, specifically set there to provide a home for picked squash and, hopefully, future blueberries for sharing with neighborhood walkers. If my notes are correct, 600 dahlias and tulips have found their way into this flora-oasis-surrounded-by-pavement, with the sunflowers serving as observant sentries.
This leads me to the “broken window” analogy brought up by Chris during our discussion about his efforts at neighborhood beautification. I’m sure many of you remember the 80s criminal policy that put the focus on first taking care of the small items such as graffiti and broken windows—preemptive measures that would hopefully curtail more serious criminal acts. Here’s my theory: The more a neighborhood sees these unselfish acts of beautification, the more residents are motivated to keep the ball rolling, whether trimming those branches overhanging sidewalks, picking up the odd piece of trash while walking, fixing the heaved sidewalk, or plucking that weed in a public space. Make those “broken windows” yours, and we all come out ahead.