Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086 * The ST. JOHNS REVIEW * #2-Jan. 29, 2016 * Page 3
COMMUNITY NEWS
St. Johns Main Street:
Current Mission
and Projects
By Barbara Quinn
(This is Part II of my two part series
on the origins and current mission of
the St. Johns Main Street program.
Part I can be found at: www.stjohn-
sreview.com. Click on “Archives,” the
“2015” folder and then “1-Jan 15,
2016 issue. The article is on Page 3.)
Part II:
A major goal among local grass-
roots activists organizing the St.
Johns Main Street program in
2008 was that the neighborhood’s
historic roots and blue-collar per-
sona should be preserved during
inevitable growth. The organiza-
tion, still young, remains a vol-
unteer driven non profit whose
headquarters continues to be the
brick building at 8250 N. Lombard
generously lent by McMenamins.
New community growth and needs
have spurred an updated mission:
besides traditional small business
support and beautification of main
street, its boundaries have expand-
ed to include all of St. Johns. It has
added the goals of local job devel-
opment, affordable housing advo-
cacy and support for community
groups.
That translates to on-the-ground
activities such as support of local
businesses with training and re-
sources, encouraging local hiring
through a job board and paid youth
internships, acting as a clearing
house for affordable housing in-
formation and lending space for
community gatherings.
With not only a full-time Ex-
ecutive Director, Lindsay Jensen
MBA, but two part time employ-
ees, Sydney Leonard, Communi-
ty Programs Manager, and Maria
Rojas, St. Johns Farmer’s Market
Manager, SJMS has provided a
much needed reliable presence in
the town center. The Board of Di-
rectors is dominated by volunteers
who are local small business own-
ers, property owners and residents.
Main Street has contributed to
the enhanced appearance of the
town center through physical im-
provements like new trash recep-
tacles, refurbished benches, street
sign toppers and by organizing
clean up and planting events. It
also supports sales promotions
and events throughout the year to
champion businesses.
One of the major ways SJMS
helped improve the appearance
of the business district is through
its role as liaison with the Port-
land Development Commission
(PDC) on storefront improvement
matching grants. Over the last 2
years the program has distributed
$40,000 in mini matching funds
for storefront enhancements. The
one-to-one match has fostered a
total of $80,000 in building reno-
vations in St. Johns’ core over the
last 2 years. It is a benefit that has
helped address the dark, dingy, de-
crepit phase leftover from the 80s.
Starting in January 2016, $30,000
more in match is being made
available to business and proper-
ty owners with building projects.
Applications can be found on the
FREE L ocaL o ppoRtunitiEs & E vEnts
St. Johns Main Street to
host event celebrating St.
Johns history
St. Johns Main Street is happy to
announce, “St. Johns Speaks: Our
Hearts, Our History,” a storytelling
event celebrating the rich history of St.
Johns. The event will take place from
2-4pm on Saturday, February 20th
at the site of the original, historic St.
Johns Post Office, now the St. Johns
Baha’i Center at 8720 N. Ivanhoe
Street. Historians and local residents
will speak to the history of St. Johns
and their love for this unique com-
munity along with involvement from
Roosevelt High School’s exciting new
journalism program. Attendants will
be invited to leave their own stories as
well. More details to come.
For more information contact Syd-
ney Leonard at sydney@stjohnsmain-
street.org, 503-841-5522.
==========================
SwapNPLay offers annu-
al Preschool, Kinder &
Camp Fair
Sat., January 30: 10 am to 12
8427 N. Central
In 2010, Amy Potthast and Doug
Geier, residents of St. Johns neighbor-
hood, were looking for a preschool for
their three-year-old son. By participat-
ing in a preschool fair— and getting
to know dozens of preschools — they
found the school of their dreams,
Aprende con Amigos Preschool Acad-
emy on N. Interstate.
Families like Amy and Doug’s can
explore schools at the Preschool,
Kinder and Camp Fair, on Saturday,
January 30, 2016, from 10 am to 12
noon, in the St. Johns Community
Center, 8427 N. Central, Portland, OR.
The Preschool, Kinder, and Camp
Fair gives families the opportunity to
explore up to 36 local schools, camps,
and enrichment programs. The Fair is
free and open to the public (tabling
schools pay a small fee to participate).
For a list of schools, directions to the
venue, and to pre register, go to:
https://2016nopopreschoolandkinder-
fair.eventbrite.com.
========================
Enjoy Chamber Music
A weekly chamber music series will
start in the St. Johns-Cathedral Park
area February 2016. These concerts
will be free to the public, specifics be-
low. The Johns-Cathedral Park Tues-
day Noon Chamber Music is spon-
sored jointly by Aszemar Glenn and
St. Johns Christian Church. St. Johns
Christian Church has opened their
doors for the music series by provid-
ing the space for the weekly concerts.
Composer-Concert Pianist Aszemar
Glenn came up with the series idea and
is the managing director. This reflects
his intention of having classical music
in the SJ-CP neighborhood. Mr. Glenn
noticed that no one is doing classical
music performances on a weekly basis
in that area, his hope is that in time the
SJ-CP neighborhood will appreciate
having a noon music series.
Place: St. Johns Christian Church
Address: 8044 N. Richmond Ave.
Date(s): every Tuesday starting Feb-
ruary 2, 2016
Time: 12 noon to 1:00 pm
Cost: Free
The first four concerts will be solo pi-
ano recitals featuring Aszemar Glenn.
Other performing groups and musi-
cians will be added into the music
series.
Here is Mr. Glenn’s first planned pro-
gram pieces for the February 2nd per-
formance.
1. Prelude No. 2 by Gershwin
2. Metamorphosis No. 2 by Glass
3. Prelude No. 1 w.t.c. by Bach
4. Spanish Dance by Granados
5. Evening in the Meadow by Re-
bikoff
6. Tippin’ My Hat by Glenn
7. The Entertainer by Joplin
8. First Arabesque by Debussy
9. May-Night by Palmgren
10. Prelude in G major by Chopin
11. In Elegant Style by Glenn
12. Pathe’tique Sonata by Beethoven
===========================
Main Street website.
Another vital but overlooked
role Main Street plays is to foster
better communication within the
community with monthly meet-
ings between representatives of
various groups to share updates.
They also act as liaison with city
leaders and between the neighbor-
hoods and developers since they
often are the first ones developers
contact.
Other Main Street projects in-
clude:
• Monthly business mixers at dif-
ferent locations to foster network-
ing among store owners
• An Annual St. Johns Volunteer
Fair, which this year is on Feb. 4,
6-8pm at Los Prados at 10105 N.
Lombard
• the St. Johns Farmer’s Market
• A new monthly plaza clean up
day, Revive the Plaza!, at 1pm ev-
ery third Sunday of the month. All
tools are provided. The next one is
Feb. 21
• Fiscally sponsoring like-minded
groups such as the St. Johns Bi-
zarre
St. Johns Main Street has brought
a great deal of dedicated energy to
enhancement of the town center
as well as general livability in St.
Johns. They welcome visitors and
questions. Stop in any time Tues-
day-Friday, 9-5pm.
If you would like to learn more
about SJMS events, ]volunteer
opportunities or how you can be-
come involved, go to the St. Johns
Main Street website at stjohns-
mainstreet.org.