musings and reminders from BWNA immediate past president John Sandie
Since I am no longer President of BWNA, I don’t have an official soapbox within the newsletter; however, I will from time to time post thoughts under the above header—with a nod to Mr. O’Reilly and with enabling by the newsletter editor (so please direct all criticism towards him).
Over the holidays and into the New Year I had the pleasure of attending two open houses within our local neighborhood block, hosting one at my home. These experiences reinforced my strong conviction that simple acts of reaching out and engaging others are beneficial on many levels, as well as my theory that a person’s relationship with adjacent neighbors can significantly set the tone for broader attitudes about the neighborhood at large. Hosting an open house for neighbors is not only a great way to catch up with neighbors you don’t see that often, but also to meet folks new to your neighborhood. My hope is that other neighbors on our block will join in to expand open houses to a periodic, roving event.
Neighborhood glue can be strengthened even further through block parties. Step-by-step instructions on how to get the ball rolling on block parties is on the BWNA website (www.bwna.us). Simply click on Links at the top of the home page and then on Block Party Tool Kit (a collaborative effort by yours truly and a group of veteran block party neighbors).
Attendees at the February BWNA general meeting gained an extra appreciation of the value of next door neighbors when they learned about weathering a major disaster. A sobering but inspirational presentation by Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) representatives from Alameda and Beaumont-Wilshire demonstrated how a key part of emergency preparedness is the coming together of local group resources to offer aid.
Moving to another topic, Beaumont-Wilshire is well represented in the civic, grassroots group United Neighborhoods for Reform (UNR), which lobbies for thoughtful development and responsible demolition of residential structures. UNR continues to work through city bureaus and the Ombudsman’s Office (under the City Auditor) to promote effective demolition practices and broadening use of deconstruction (dismantling with recycling in mind). In addition, UNR advocates are working with Oregon senators and representatives to enact laws regarding effective and responsible handling of all hazardous materials during demolition. This year, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be reviewing all its policies on asbestos, with a UNR representative part of a planned advisory group supporting the project. While there is surely disappointment in the lack of progress over last couple of years, efforts in the struggle to adequately protect public health during residential demolitions have not diminished, and I remain cautiously optimistic that positive steps will be made during this year.
In closing, when contacting O’Reilly about using his trademark bloviating phrase, I offered an idea for another book—Killing Portlandia; last I heard he’s taking it under advisement.