Northeast Village membership has grown over the past month with four new members.

This month, meet Valerie Gogoleski, a retired teacher and gardener. Meet John and Marina Bear, who moved to Portland to spend more time with their daughters and grandchildren. Ruth Saunders, artist and gardener, will be introduced in our next newsletter. It is exciting to get to know them and welcome them to the Village.

We spent a lovely hour with Valerie, who lives in the Madison South neighborhood. Valerie is a Michigan transplant since 1986. She has lived in her lovely NE Portland home for 30 years, hoping to age in place.

Since retiring from 34 years of teaching secondary Art and Special Education at Portland’s Madison High School, she started her online crafty business (valsfestivefood). It keeps her busy on ETSY. She shared some of her food art with us and it was amazing.

Valerie also enjoys gardening, walking, reading, good coffee, and lively political discussions (in small doses!). She has much to share about Portland and her neighborhood. She is looking forward to meeting NE Village members and volunteers.

Marina and John Bear 

Marina and John moved to Portland recently, after half a century in northern California, and a trio of two-year “escapes” to the Big Island of Hawaii, the British Isle of Wight, and Nashville, where Marina completed her PhD in philosophy at Vanderbilt University.

Together, or separately, the Bears have had 30 books published by major publishers on topics including meditation (Marina has been involved in meditation practices since the 1960s), cooking (their book “How to Repair Food” has been in print with Random House for 40 years), how to complain effectively (the topic of John’s PhD studies), and distance and online learning.

Marina taught for many years at Berkeley City College (philosophy, ethics, bioethics, and world religion). John taught journalism and marketing at the University of Iowa. For 35 years, the Bears’ joint passion has been circle dancing, a form of folk dancing done holding hands in a circle, sadly not possible during the pandemic. They have also been involved in the design and marketing of toys and games for gifted children and in real estate ventures.

The Bears are the parents of three daughters, including twins who have lived in Portland with their husbands for many years, and all five grandchildren live and work in the Portland area.

The Bears have traveled extensively, including month-long trips to Tibet, South Africa, New Zealand, and Sweden, plus shorter trips to dozens of other places from Tuva to Brazil to Siberia. Their "bucket list" is standing by, if and when simple travel happens again. Meanwhile they are enjoying time with family and getting to know more of Portland by gliding around in their pure electric “Leaf” car. They really look forward to meeting Village members online, and they hope and wish, one day in person.

Now that it’s harder for everyone to maintain community during social distancing, the Village volunteers are using the phone and messages to keep in touch with each member.

We want you to know we care and think about each of you. When our calls and messages are not answered for long periods, we get concerned to know you’re OK.

Please stay in touch, and let us know if you plan to be out of reach for a long time.

Some of our Villagers are finding ways to continue socializing safely as the weather turns colder. They are extending some living room amenities and deck features to spaces open to the air, “outdoor living rooms.”

The photo above shows how Jane and John Braunger outfitted their open garage with coupled pairs of cushioned chairs six feet apart (with a limit of six people), tables for drinks & snacks (and bringing your own box lunch), multiple space heaters, a rug, twinkly lights around the ceiling (installed as a member service by a Village volunteer), and even a picture on the wall. The photo below shows Villagers Peter Anderson and John Braunger behind their masks.

In the photo below you can see how Vonnie and Joe Condon use a strong large canopy to shelter the space on their attached deck. They also have a heater and fun lights. Guests wear masks (unless eating) and there’s room to distance at least six feet. Shared food is served separately, or guests bring their own. Occasionally one guest at a time has used the indoor restroom while masked, and it is then wiped down. Vonnie says, “This effort to be with others safely has worked very well for us and has allowed us the companionship we need.”

We keep hearing of more members setting up warmer open-air spaces under shelter, so you may get more offers of small get-togethers.

We are also researching occasional Village use of a community cafe for small groups -- with a large screen for video presentations -- so use this link to give Todd Coward notice of your possible use for such a group venue.

This has been a harsh, difficult year for everyone. In March, Northeast Village PDX had to stop sending volunteers into members’ homes in order to help halt the spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, Village volunteers are still delivering groceries and prescriptions, driving members to medical appointments, doing yard work, and providing other essential services to our members.

More importantly than ever, the Northeast Village community meets regularly online to help one another cope with our collective isolation. Pandemic or no, Northeast Village continues to give members and volunteers opportunities to connect socially and spend meaningful time together.

The Village needs financial support now more than ever. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to donate, your gift will help keep the Village on solid financial footing in these pandemic times. You can make your gift by check or credit card, and you can do this on our web page at this link: DONATE TO NE VILLAGE.

If you are a member, please first use the “Member Login” button to log in so Village bookkeepers will know who made the donation. 

Your gift, whatever you can afford, will help keep the Village strong. If you have made a gift already, the Village thanks you for your generous support. Together, we can keep reminding each other that we are not alone.