I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered I don’t have a friend who feels at ease I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered Or driven to its knees
But it’s alright, it’s alright For we lived so well so long Still, when I think of the road we’re traveling on I wonder what’s gone wrong I can’t help it, I wonder what has gone wrong
(excerpted from “An American Tune” by Paul Simon, 1973)
As New Year’s pendulum swings, unrest and uncertainty are in the air. And so it was amid the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War more than a half century ago when “An American Tune” was composed. Our nation was politically divided back then — pretty much 50-50 on the war — and the same applies now with respect to the 2024 presidential election. But on the neighborhood level, it’s a different vibe.
What is it that unites us more than divides us in Beaumont-Wilshire? For starters, our neighborhood is relatively homogeneous in terms of political ideology, though B-W residents have been anything but lockstep when it comes to opinions on local issues, from traffic calming to leash laws for dogs. Other uniting factors are gardening, fitness (walkers, joggers, and strollers galore), and a vibrant business district. But perhaps what unites us most is a sense of community — caring for one another and taking pride in the neighborhood.
That same communal positivity was on full display in October at the annual BWNA board retreat, held this year in the banquet room of The Mule Bar (previously Stanich’s) at 49th and Fremont. With 13 of 15 board members in attendance, we discussed priorities for 2025, based in part on the survey results discussed in this newsletter, which indicate particularly strong support for all-neighborhood events, and in part on collaborative brainstorming among retreat attendees. The resulting sum was greater than the parts in generating fresh ideas and novel approaches for the upcoming months.
In a divided nation, community stability and solidarity on the local level is as practical as it is therapeutic. On behalf of BWNA, all the best to you in 2025.
Thank You to Sylvan Learning
About six months ago, the BWNA board was looking for a (free) place to hold its monthly meetings. Mary Myers, Sylvan Learning’s center director, stepped in, offering us space in their facility at 4300 NE Fremont St. Both parties agreed to give it a shot, and both parties now agree it’s working out just fine.
A big THANK YOU to Mary Myers and Sylvan Learning for the generosity extended to the Beaumont-Wilshire community!