BWNA has put on events for many years, but only last year did it create an official Events Committee to take charge of — and grow — the number of them.
Pre-Covid, BWNA hosted A Taste of Beaumont and a National Night Out picnic, says John Sandie, who heads the new committee. Then the pandemic hit, giving BWNA an opportunity (and a budget reserve) to consider other options.
Inspired by the success of the first Art & Garden Tour and Fremont Street Art Project in mid-2023, John, Susan Trabucco, Laurie Webber, Kate Krider, and Patti Koehler volunteered to create a committee to replace earlier efforts, which relied on individual champions to drive ideas forward.
Since starting up in January last year, the group has built on the success of several recent projects, including the summer ‘Free for All’ movies at Wilshire Park, the first BWNA-sponsored neighborhood block party last year, a recycling event, and a speakers’ forum, which thus far has featured local historian Doug Decker and habitat gardening expert Amy Campion.
Anyone can suggest a potential event and lead it to help bring a stronger sense of community to our neighborhood.
“The committee has streamlined the process for organizing BWNA-sponsored events by fielding suggestions, assessing feasibility and efficacy, working out logistics and cost, and then submitting recommendations to the board for approval. The results have been impressive,” says Al Ellis, BWNA’s president.
Ideas for new events are often the result of brainstorming by its regular committee members who, in addition to those mentioned earlier, include Beverly Yashar, Ayumi Angel, Ann Angulo, Ande Reisman, and Angela Frome.
But anyone can suggest a potential event and lead it to help bring a stronger sense of community to our neighborhood — and ideally have a bit of fun in the process. Email John at SandieFam@gmail.com to inquire about getting involved.
Chris Rauber and his wife moved to Portland and B-W in mid-2022 after many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He wrote for the San Francisco Business Times and other publications. He was born in Oregon.