At the heart of the winter holiday spirit is the mitzvah of “outreach,” i.e., making that extra effort to think and act inclusively during Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas (the latter two, by the way, coinciding on the same week this year… so “Happy Chrismukah!” in advance.) But for neighborhood associations, “outreach” is a year-round essential, the key to sustainability, with newsletters like this one conveying a message that democracy-by-neighborhood is inclusive of all residents.
How ironic, then, that high on the list of criticisms leveled at neighborhood associations by Office of Community and Civic Life leadership (namely Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and Director Suk Rhee) is inattention to community outreach. Their mantra goes something like this: neighborhood association leaders will do whatever is expedient to protect turf and power, purposefully neglecting and marginalizing those with views and lifestyles differing from their own, particularly people of color, young renters, and residents from abroad who speak languages other than English. One major problem with these generalities: they’re untrue. Trust me, the very last thing neighborhood association leaders like me want to see is less participation by any resident! Encouraging neighbors to attend general meetings, fill board positions, and serve on committees is the norm, not an anomaly.
Can we do better? Absolutely. And to that end, it would have made sense for the Office of Community and Civic Life (formerly the Office of Neighborhood Involvement!) to work collaboratively with neighborhood association leaders on the development of outreach programs rather than slamming the door shut. But it is what it is, and doctrinaire attitudes at Civic Life don’t bode well for reconciliation unless there is an electoral regime change this spring.
Meanwhile, the BWNA board is moving forward on a program to reach out to one of our most underrepresented groups: apartment renters (Attention Chloe!). In the past, apartment buildings were almost non-existent in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood, but that changed with the construction of the Beaumont Village and Bridgetown apartment complexes on Fremont Street. BWNA’s plan, approved at the October general meeting, is to purchase additional copies of the newsletter for dissemination to apartment dwellers in hopes of sparking both interest and involvement. Another nascent BWNA outreach initiative is to partner with the Beaumont Business Association (BBA) to welcome new residents to the neighborhood via greetings and goodie gift bags from BBA. Stay tuned!
We’ve also reached out from time to time to the B-W artistic community, most recently with a story about Portland Open Studios in the last issue. In connection with that article, my apology goes out to gifted wood image artist Jennifer Foran for misspelling her last name. Thanks for the heads-up, Jennifer. Accuracy matters.
Happy Holidays to you all, and a warm BWNA welcome to our two newest advertisers—Bolt Fabric Boutique and Forever Strong. Great to have you aboard!