President’s Message
At our June 10 general membership meeting, we were fortunate to have neighborhood resident Glen Andresen of Bridgetown Bees (www.bridgetownbees.com) share many of his insights from working with bees for more than 40 years. Glen’s interest in beekeeping and understanding of the importance of pollinators in our food supply—and in propagating the flowers we all enjoy—led to the founding of Bridgetown Bees. The mission of the organization is to selectively breed and raise queen bees that can survive year-round in the Pacific Northwest. Glen shared planting suggestions and tips, such as having water available on hot days that can encourage pollinators. Interestingly, the vast majority of honey produced by Bridgetown Bees stays in the neighborhood and sweetens Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai!
Rounding out our June general membership meeting were updates on issues important to the neighborhood, including the City of Portland Office of Community and Civic Life’s code change process, which may reshape how the city supports and interacts with neighborhood associations and other community groups, as Al Ellis describes in this issue. As we have for the last several years, the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association (BWNA) continues to follow the Residential Infill Project process and the proposal that will soon go before the City Council for a vote. It remains uncertain whether the Residential Infill Project, with its many flaws, will be made moot by Oregon House Bill 2001, which would outlaw single-family zoning in the state and prohibit cities from exercising local control over zoning.
I want to extend my thanks to neighbors Kati Babinec, Laurie Holtz, and Rich Woyma for stepping up at our May meeting to serve on the BWNA Board of Directors, filling some open positions and bringing new energy and perspectives to our board. (Read about Laurie in this issue.) I look forward to working with them and appreciate their willingness to dedicate time and energy to the board to improve our neighborhood. We still have two open board positions, so please let me or another board member know if you are interested in joining.
With summer here, a number of fun neighborhood events are planned for August (see article on page 1), with the Beaumont Business Association’s Fremont Fest kicking off on Saturday, August 3. Just a few days later, on Tuesday August 6, BWNA will sponsor the National Night Out picnic/potluck in Wilshire Park. Finally, in partnership with the Alameda Neighborhood Association, BWNA is sponsoring this year’s Movie in the Park on Sunday, August 11, which will feature “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” with music beforehand by the band 5 Grand. It will be a busy stretch in August, and we hope to see you there.