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Introduction to NE Village
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Tuesday, March 26th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 NE 40th Ave.
Anyone interested in learning about the Village movement in general and NE Village PDX in particular is encouraged to attend. No reservations are necessary.
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NEV Program Committee Has a Busy Year
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2018 was another busy year for the NEV Program Committee. In total, the committee arranged
88 events between January 1 and December 31.
Educational presentations (such as "Gardening in Small Spaces," "Writing a Mini-Memoir," and an update on Medicare changes) and events involving food and beverage remained popular.
The range of Villagers' interests was represented in a variety of events such as the book group, garden visits, a tutorial on how to use Lyft and Uber, neighborhood walks, and ongoing meetings for members with low vision.
In 2018, we welcomed the addition of a
movie group and the start of the
Village Square to our roster of events. Thanks to all who organized events and to those who participated in the events. We look forward to seeing you throughout 2019.
The Program Committee consists of members and volunteers who facilitate events of interest to Villagers. If you'd like to be involved, please contact the NEV Office.
At this time, we have received expressions of interest in starting another section of the book group. If you would be willing to coordinate this activity, please do be in touch! 503-895-2750 or
info@nevillagepdx.org.
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Caregivers' Support Group Forming
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Caring for a loved one can be an exhausting, meaningful, sad, profound, tedious, transcendent, challenging, joyous experience ... maybe all in one day. The need to care for someone may creep up gradually or come as a sudden, unexpected life change for those involved. Whatever the particulars, it is not easy.
At this gathering, join fellow Villagers to plan how to support each other and find resources. Members and volunteers only
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Coordinated by: Vonnie Condon
Date and time: Saturday March 23, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place: Kathryn Hansman-Spice's studio
Reservation required: If you would like to attend, please contact the NEV Office at 503-895-2750 or
info@nevillagepdx.org
. You will receive the meeting address when you RSVP. If you need or can provide a ride to the gathering, or if there are barriers to your participation, please let us know when you RSVP.
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Many Thanks to Our Supporters
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NE Village could not exist without the time, money, talent, and various kinds of assistance its supporters provide. We gratefully acknowledge the generous financial contributions donors have made in 2018 from January 1 through December 31. Anniversary, subsidized membership, and general donations will help us continue to build community and provide services in 2019.
A very special thanks to Ron and Elyse Laster (PrintResults Inc.) for their ongoing support, substantial marketing advice, and materials production.
If your name is missing or inappropriately acknowledged, please contact the NE Village PDX office at 503-895-2750.
-- Joan Malling, Development Committee Chair
Visionaries ($250+)
Todd Arnold*
Susan Bach and Douglas Egan
Sue and Peter Carr
Vonnie and Joe Condon*
Patricia (Pam) Horan*
Irvington Community Association
Louesa Isett
Gretel and Andrew Miller**
Living Cully
Jean Robinson
Ila Roy
Richard Slawson
Villages NW - Metro
Sustainers ($100-$249)
Nancy Batchelor and Susan Gilson
Todd Coward
Sharon Dawson*
Joan and Neil Malling
Sharon Siegelbaum
Suzanne Silverstein
Sally and Ian Timm
Merri Souther Wyatt*
Benefactors ($50-$99)
Ann and Peter Anderson
Mary Kay and John August
Merlyn Jussila*
Anne and Craig Lindsay
Lyn Morrison
Erica Rubin
Jeffrey Walter*
Friends ($10-$49)
Amazon Smiles Foundation
Margaret and Frank Baldwin
Jacqueline (Carmen) Farmer
Dianne Fode
Jennifer Kinnich
Kroger, Inc. - Fred Meyer Rewards Program
Amber Roth
D. Scheel
In-kind Contributors
Ann Anderson
Nancy Donehower
Louisa Isett
Betsy Radigan
Pat Vivian, Wordsmith
PrintResults Inc.
* In memory of Edana Laine
** In honor of Maxyne Roy
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Credit Freeze is Now Free
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Have you taken advantage yet of the fact it costs nothing to place a freeze on your credit file? Thanks to a new federal law in response to massive data breaches from Equifax to Facebook, the three big credit reporting agencies --
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion -- are required to accept your request for a credit freeze free of charge.
Keep in mind that credit reporting agencies' customers aren't consumers like yourself but businesses and lenders who are deciding whether to extend you credit based on your payment history. If you make a credit freeze request, these prospective lenders will not be able to review your file until you lift the freeze.
The common belief that a freeze shuts down existing lines of credit is false. However, existing creditors, debt collectors, insurers, employers, and courts will still be able to access your data.
Who needs a credit freeze?
Consumers who have had data stolen often underestimate their risk of identity theft as a result. Recovering from identify theft is more problematic than prevention, especially if prevention costs nothing. Parents, guardians, and conservators can freeze credit for those under their care.
Placing a freeze at all three agencies won't stop all fraud, however. Social Security numbers can still be hacked to access medical care, unemployment, and Social Security benefits, as well as filing fraudulent tax returns.
When should my credit file not be frozen? Delay placing the freeze if you're about to apply for a new mortgage, loan, or other line of credit until after you get approved for the loan. Similarly, once your credit has been frozen and you need to apply for credit again, contact the agency used by the prospective creditor to lift the freeze until approved.
What is a fraud alert?
Another request you can make is a "fraud alert." It adds a red flag to your credit report that lenders should verify your identity carefully. Under the new law, the alert lasts for one year instead of just 90 days. If you're a victim of identity theft, you can extend it for seven years.
How do I request a credit freeze?
Contact all three agencies using the website link or phone:
You'll need to provide your name, date of birth, address, Social Security Number, and other personal info. The new law requires the agencies to enact the freeze by the next business day after receiving your request. They are also required to lift the freeze within an hour at your request.
After receiving your request, each of the credit agencies sends you a confirmation containing a unique PIN or password you'll need to lift the freeze (by making the same contact as before) -- so keep it in a safe place.
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What Makes a Village Tick?
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Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at NE Village PDX? The short answer is "A lot" -- and starting with this issue, the newsletter will include an occasional column that describes what happens to keep things running smoothly and efficiently for all of us.
Starting with a bird's eye view...
NE Village PDX is one of 10 villages in the greater Portland metropolitan area. Each village serves a specific geographic region. Currently, seven villages are operational and three more are in the early stages of development.
Villages NW
serves as the "hub" for all 10 "spoke" villages. It secures our nonprofit status, makes general policy decisions that guide all villages, coordinates information sharing, and helps secure outside funding.
Village governance
NE Village PDX is managed by a 13-member Governing Council (GovCo) that is elected at the Village annual meeting in September. The current council includes Village members and volunteers and a representative from Villages NW. GovCo oversees all aspects of Village operations, guided by a set of bylaws approved by the membership.
GovCo members are elected for two-year terms, and approximately one-half of Council positions are on the ballot each year. This helps ensure continuity on the Council and offers new opportunities for individuals who want to have a voice in how the Village operates.
Several GovCo members chair a Village standing committee, all GovCo members serve on at least one other active Village committee, and many are also office and/or service volunteers. This is a dedicated and hard-working group!
Village operations at ground level
Five standing committees (Marketing and Outreach, Membership, Volunteer, Program, and Development) handle the day-to-day details of ongoing Village business.
Three ad hoc work groups (Services, Media, and Documentation) are focused on specific tasks to improve Village functions.
In addition, a Resource Committee meets periodically to review and update vendor recommendations, the Village Advisory Team (VAT) assists with member-specific questions, and a Transportation Coordinator ensures that volunteers meet all requirements for Village drivers (and vehicles).
Volunteers also manage the NE Village web site, write, edit and publish this bi-monthly newsletter and the monthly calendar of events, and staff the village office.
And to support our volunteer teams, NE Village PDX has one paid part-time staff member -- office manager Lindsey Oldani, who keeps the office on track and running efficiently.
In all, more than 40 volunteers donate their time and energy to committee and office work that keeps the Village running smoothly. More hands are always welcome. The next column will feature each of the standing committees and capture a bit of what they do to keep the Village humming along. Look for it in the May/June newsletter.
-- Susan Bach, Village Co-chair and GovCo member
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Enjoy Jazz at the March 13 General Meeting
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| The Three Larks |
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Plan to join fellow Northeast Villagers for food, conversation, and music at our annual spring gathering. We will meet at Rose City Park United Methodist Church, 5830 NE Alameda, in Youngson Hall (the lower hall across the street from the parking lot).
We will be treated to music by THE LARKS pdx, a local trio whose specialty is "joyful jazz." Maybe you've already heard them at one of the local venues where they perform. As a listener wrote, "I feel a lot better after taking in the sweet sounds of THE LARKS pdx...their music mellows my mood."
Please bring a dish to share. Beverages will be provided along with cutlery, plates, and napkins. We will gather at 6:00 pm March 13 and conclude by 7:45 pm. Help in setting up is always appreciated. Please contact the office if you can help: 503-895-2750 or info@nevillagepdx.org. Helpers should plan to arrive at the lower hall by 5:30.
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Neighbor Nonprofit Spotlight:
Rose City Neighborhood Preschool
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This is the first in a series of articles portraying our fellow nonprofit organizations that have office space at Rose City Park United Methodist Church.
If you've visited the NE Village office, you might have seen young kids and their parents heading to and from the Rose City Neighborhood Preschool (RCNP) on the left side of the first floor landing.
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The kids gather in a large sunny room that immediately invokes a sense of comfort and play. An inviting corner by a big window is stuffed with books, cozy pillows, and a comfy rug -- the perfect place to get lost in a story or daydream. There are tables and chairs, organized cubbies, and plenty of art supplies. The day I dropped by, a field trip on the bus to the Post Office was in the works.
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The preschool has a play-based philosophy with an emphasis on learning social skills. RCNP teachers Emma and Laurie are the only paid employees. Each day they are assisted by two classroom helpers, who are usually parents. Emma teaches seventeen 3-4 year olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Laurie oversees seventeen 4-5 year olds on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
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The rate is intentionally affordable at $195 per month for three half-days a week. The philosophy of RCNP is that people who need preschool services should have access to excellent facilities that are also affordable. Another way RCNP supports parents is by recognizing that parenting can be glorious and full of wonder but also exhausting and at times isolating. The school's approach includes opportunities for parents to learn helpful tools that encourage good developmental practices. The goal is to foster an environment of compassion and awareness. For example, the school's
motto this year is,
"Does this grow kindness or break kindness?"
Like NE Village, the preschool thrives on volunteer energy. If any NE Villager is interested in reading to a small group of children, let RCNP know so a suitable time can be arranged. It's a great way to enjoy a multi-generational environment, with young kids on the first floor and seniors on the second.
-- Susan Hodge
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Open House for the Organizations at the Rose City Church on March 17
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Elsa Johnson, Building & Facilities Manager for Rose City Park United Methodist Church, invites all NE Village members and volunteers to tour and connect with each others' organizations all housed at 5830 NE Alameda St on Sunday March 17th from 1-
3 pm. Our NEV office will be part of the open house. (Facilities office 503-208-3547)
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On the Night Stand:
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal
Photographs of Edward Curtis
by Timothy Egan
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"It would be a verifiable calamity if a vivid and truthful record of these conditions were not kept," said President Teddy Roosevelt in the introduction to Volume I of Edward Curtis's sublime twenty-volume photo and anthropological history,
The North American Indian.
Curtis, uneducated by formal academic standards, became the world's foremost expert on Native North American traditions starting with his 1896 picture of Princess Angeline, daughter of Chief Sealth. That picture -- capturing the defiant energy lurking in old Angeline's eyes long after her ancestors had been ruthlessly pushed from the new Seattle -- changed the course of Curtis's life.
Until then, he had been a successful portrait photographer. However, he was a committed artist with an unshakeable vision of documenting all aspects of North American Indian culture. He did this by taking 40,000 photos, recording languages, music, rituals, and everyday life. For 20 years this odyssey took him to every corner of Indian Country from Oklahoma to the Bering Sea.
In this romantic-but-true biography, a large part of the Curtis story boils down to money -- or the lack of it. Many early 20th century barons loved his work and could have supported him by underwriting it or buying a subscription to the proposed twenty volumes. Instead, Curtis became the hustler. J.P. Morgan, an avid art collector, agreed to fund the initial volume without paying Curtis a salary. Eventually, Curtis became so desperate for money to complete the project that he gave the rights to the Morgan company.
As is too often the case with this kind of story, his marriage disintegrated and he lost the friends and support he had, although his children lovingly stood by him. In 1952, Curtis died in a tiny smog-ridden LA apartment, the antithesis of the open spaces he roamed for most of his life.
During the 1970's, thanks to the rise of Native American consciousness and several benefactors including the Flury Gallery in Seattle, the true monumental value of his life's work was celebrated. Today The North American Indian is viewed as anthropological masterpiece, providing a pictorial history and a guide to the old languages, customs, and rituals of many tribes.
The main branch of the library has several volumes that can be viewed by arrangement.
-- Susan Hodge
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Indoor Gardening for Health and Beauty
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Many visitors to our home have commented on the number of houseplants we have. Some marvel at how much work must be involved. Others say an indoor garden is a beautiful addition to the home environment.
But beauty alone isn't what motivates me as an indoor gardener. Living inside a box, we consume oxygen while creating a lot of dust, basically polluting the air we breathe. One of the most polluted environments we experience could be the interior of our own homes. Plants are a balancing element - they pull carbon dioxide out of the air and free up oxygen. And they collect dust, which cleans the air.
The biggest challenge to any gardener is that the needs of plants vary. Some can handle full sun for hours at a time, others cannot. Some need a great deal of water, others very little. I've found that controlling the medium for each plant can make specific watering regimes unnecessary.
In my indoor garden, I arrange sun-tolerant plants so they practically shade the less tolerant ones. Once a week, I water them all with a small amount of broad-spectrum fertilizer added, pouring until water begins to pool in the tray below. This flushing is good for plant health as it removes possibly toxic compounds from the planting medium and pulls oxygen down to the roots. The planting medium should have a good deal of pore space for this to work. Light mediums with mixed-grade materials are best.
If you grow orchids,I have a couple of tips. First, use strait bark as a medium. Most orchids grow on trees, getting most of their nutrients from the water that runs down the trunk and over their leaves. Orchids take in nourishment through the leaves as well as roots. Therefore I recommend using a regular fertilizer in water to wet the bark and spray the leaves. My orchids love this and have been growing and flowering at a healthy rate.
Note that I do not believe in commercial fertilizers, especially those with soluble nitrogen. It leaches the soil, often bypassing the plant and becoming a pollutant. When planting outdoors, we use organic compounds and add bacteria to the soil mix to break it down. However, I have not been able to accomplish this indoors with much success. My potting soil mix claims to be organic, but if so, I have to wonder what is breaking it down. Maybe next year I'll become a purist.
-- Kehrnan Shaw
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