Do your kiddos love to do arts and crafts, but never know what to make? Kids Craft Night is the fun way to go! On the first Wednesday of the month at 4PM, join Biscuits Co. each month for a themed craft. Parents have to accompany their children for the full hour and are encouraged to participate. (Kids Crafts is for all ages!) The event is free but a suggested donation of $5 will help cover the cover the cost of the materials. Please drop us an RSVP via email if you can for Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4pm at Brooklyn Park Shelter.
The Clinton Triangle / Gideon Temporary Alternative Shelter Site Working Group is meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6PM. The meetings will always have a virtual component and may also be in-person when the members arrange it ahead of time. See related news item below.
Please join your fellow Brooklyn business owners and representatives at the second Greater Brooklyn Business Association meeting since the pandemic hit and broke our momentum. The GBBA is just getting started building the organization back up and would love more participation from all types of businesses: home based, self-employed, retail, or commercial. Meetings are free to attend and offer a great opportunity to network with other local businesses and get involved in the local community happenings.
The GBBA will be hosting Happy Hours on the first Wednesdays of odd months, and Coffee Chats in the mornings on the first Fridays of even months. Check the GreaterBrooklynBA.com website for more info and email GreaterBrooklynba@gmail.com if you'd like to be added to our mailing list.
Drop in and have a beverage and a snack and meet some of your fellow businesses in the neighborhood.
On Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 Hosford Middle School 8th grade students will have the opportunity to take a walking field trip to Cleveland High School to help facilitate their transition to a new building next year. Even if your student does not plan to attend Cleveland, Hosford staff recommends they attend this field trip for the experience. More information is available via Hosford.
The Discotheque at the End of the Universe is Thursday, May 4, 2023, 7:30PM at The First Church of David Bowie, Phonomancer, 4033 SE Milwaukie Ave, Apt B. It's billed as "Portland's #1 Science Fictional Pop Shamanism Ritual Magic Jukebox Musical Dance Party!" See related story, below.
The Clinton Triangle / Gideon Temporary Alternative Shelter Site working group had three meetings last week, two with HAND and one with representatives of Mayor Wheeler, HAND, and CEIC.
We made good progress on the joint GNA with HAND. The Friday meeting seemed to reinforce the Mayor's view of this as a "lighthouse project".
If someone had told me 20 years ago that, as I approached my 60th year, I would become one of those old white guys who learn all about zoning regulations, I wonder what I would have done? Your humble editor and chair came out of Friday's meeting with the motivation to learn exactly what the camp limits might be. It's complicated, but you can read my analysis, along with a summary of last week's meetings and links to everything, in this week's Gideon Shelter blog post.
We currently need more representation from unhoused neighbors, folks with experience serving the unhoused, nonprofit staff in our neighborhood, neighborhood business owners and employees, and neighbors who rent or lease. Please contact us, if you'd like to work on this issue. And tell 40-year-old me that it's not that bad.
The next Brooklyn Action Corps Board Meeting is Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 7pm. The meeting will be held in-person at the Sacred Heart Villa, 3925 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, OR 97202, and virtually as a Zoom meeting.
Board elections are coming up at the General Meeting in May. If you'd like to run for BAC Board, the bylaws require that candidates must have attended either 2 board meetings or 1 board meeting and 2 general or committee meetings in the prior 4 months.
To get on the paper ballot for the General Meeting in May, candidates should submit their names by this meeting.
Come work with us!
The second annual volunteer appreciation party was held Saturday April 29th, 2023 at the 503 Distilling Company event space in the Iron Firehouse Collective Building.
In the center of the space, 503 served up complimentary cocktails from their mobile bar (imagine if a VW camper van and a tiki bar had a love child).
Volunteers received new volunteer ID cards, which allow them discounts at participating Brooklyn businesses, as well as a new "Love Your Neighborhood" button.
The second trivia night on Tuesday, April 25, at Mano Oculta resulted in a last-round upset by the team "Better Late Than Pregnant", narrowly edging "The Business Casualties" into second place. The winners got a $30 gift card for a future visit to Mano Oculta. "Biscuits and Gravy" and "Fired on a Monday" were in third and fourth place. Come join us in May!
NW Cyber Camp 2023 is a cybersecurity summer camp being held this year from July 24-28. It includes co-ed and girls-focused classes, scenario-based hands-on learning, and expert guest speakers from the cybersecurity industry. It's being held at multiple locations, Portland Community College—Sylvania, Mt. Hood Community College, or OSU. It's an opportunity for interested young people to explore cybersecurity concepts while building real-world skills. Thanks to their cybersecurity industry sponsors, the camp is FREE for all students this year. You can learn more and register at https://www.nwcyber.camp.
We're still waiting to hear back from Sen Taylor & PBOT on the enhanced crossing proposal for SE 26th and Powell at Cleveland High School.
Playforest is moving into the empty building at 3777 SE Milwaukie Ave at SE Bush St. Playforest bills itself as a "modern neighborhood children's museum, powered by the magical energy of play, inspired by the rhythm of nature, and on a mission to foster community amongst the young families in our rainy little neck of the woods."
Brazilian Top Team Jiu-jitsu is moving into the empty storefront at 4228 SE Milwaukie. According to their website, "Since 2009, Brazilian Top Team has been leading the way in Oregon’s martial arts community...This premier Jiu Jitsu center focuses on providing both a family-friendly structure that encourages all ages, as well as a professional competition element that drives the betterment of each student."
The Portland Buddhist Priory at 3642 SE Milwaukie Ave at SE Rhone Street is building a small addition on to the rear of the building to house a new meditation hall. Hat tip to Rev Leon Kackman for sharing their plans with us!
A permit was filed last year for a combined retail space and apartment building on the site at 4242 SE Milwaukie Ave between the Brazilian Top Team location (see article above) and Cora Apartments. A business called CORA ANNEX 4242 LLC has filed for the following:
RENOVATION OF EXISTING ONE-STORY BUILDING TO 3 STORY PLUS BASEMENT APARTMENT BUILDING. INCLUDES DEMO OF ALL INTERIOR PARTITION WALLS AND PORTION OF EXTERIOR WALLS, NEW 5-MULTILEVEL RESIDENTIAL UNIT WITH GARAGE, RETAIL SPACES AND 5 APARTMENTS AND ASSOCIATED SITEWORKS. PORTION OF RESIDENTIAL UNIT ON LEVEL 2 AND 3 ARE PREFAB STRUCTURE.
The First Church of David Bowie, Phonomancer is a science fictional role-playing game about a psychedelic religion of the future. We host entheotainments like our weekly Entheogenic Mass, karaoke nights, and kick-ass dance parties. Come hang out!
Your humble editor observed roof work on the closed Majhor-Murray shop on SE Milwaukie Ave and Haig St a few weeks back. If you have any information on what's going on there, please contact us.
If you are interested in joining a Brooklyn-based group that will make regular outings to paddle on the river and take action to restore the neighborhood's river access, please email us!
Have you reported an abandoned car, dumped trash, or other item to the city that hasn't been taken care of? That's what our Tuesday Problem Solvers sessions with the city are for. If there's a problem you've reported which hasn't been taken care of in a reasonably timely manner, please email us!
If you are interested in working on making the railroad crossing at SE Milwaukie Avenue and Gideon Street more functional for our neighborhood and can make the time commitment, currently an hour or two a week, please contact the board.
Did you know that you can add the Brooklyn Events Calendar to your own phone or desktop? Just go to the calendar and click the at the bottom of the page. Choose the calendar you use and you'll never miss an event!
at the bottom of the page. Choose the calendar you use and you'll never miss an event!
