Page A3
luly 16. 2008
Neighborhood Advocate Takes Charge
Northeast
Coalition has
new interim
director
by L ee P eri m as
T he P ortland O bserver
Paige Colem an wants to m ake
the N ortheast C oalition o f N eigh­
borhoods a stable and strong re­
source for com m unity members and
organizations. Forgive people for
saying they've heard this before.
The new interim director o f the
neighborhood group is the latest
leader o f an organization that has
been in transition for m ore than two
years. NECN provides services to
inner north and northeast residents
and neig h b o rh o o d asso cia tio n s
under contract with the Portland
O ffice o f N eighborhood A ssocia­
tions.
John C anda left the coalition’s
executive jo b in 2< XXS to work in the
office o f M ayor Tom Potter (who
later fired him ). Former board direc­
tor W illie Brown stepped in as act­
ing director o f the group for 10
m onths - and then rejected the
perm anent jo b w hen it was offered
to him. A fteracom plex process, the
board finally hired Joseph Santos-
Lyons, then fired him abruptly, with­
out explanation, six m onths later.
Paul Lipscom b served a two-m onth
term as trouble-shooter and then
last month, Colem an was hired for
a six-m onth term.
A sked if she was interested in
the jo b perm anently, she told the
Portland O bserver, “ It’s way too
early to discuss that.”
T he gro u p 's history has been
stormy in other ways as well. NECN
created four program s that ad ­
dressed problem s in its com m u­
nity: The G raffiti A batem ent Pro­
gram , the N ortheast W orkforce
Center, the Youth G ang O utreach
Program , and the TriM et Rider
A dvocates.
T he city w ound up transferring
the funding for the Graffiti program
to the O ffice o f N eighborhood In­
volvem ent. Funding cuts at one
point reduced the Youth G ang p ro­
gram from seven staffers to one,
and seem ed to set it on the road to
extinction. W orkforce Centerdirec-
tor Jennie Portis rem oved her pro­
gram from the coalition. T he P ied­
Paige Coleman is the new interim director of the Northeast
Coalition o f Neighborhoods
mont N eighborhood A ssociation ordinary citizens are welcome, "W e
follow ed suit, switching its alle­ share inform ation and figure out
giance to the North Portland N eigh­ w a y s to r e s p o n d to is s u e s ,”
borhood O ffice in a move based at C olem an says.
least in part on frustration with
The coalition’s Public Safety and
Land Use & Transportation com ­
NECN.
Right now, Colem an told the mittees meet monthly, and are “very
Portland O bserver, “W e’re identi­ active and the place for not just
fying what w orks and w hat needs n eig h b o rh o o d asso c ia tio n s but
to be changed. W hat’s w orking ordinary citizens to find out w hat’s
well now is the staff. W e’re getting happening and bring their issues
better at putting the right people in and concerns,” she says.
C olem an has som e first-hand
the right job, so people succeed at
w ha, they do. We have a good level e x p e rie n c e w ith th e issu e o f
o f satisfaction, with people com ing gentrification. Born in Boston, she
to w ork earlier. M ore and more, m oved to Portland in 1994, and at
w e’re increasing accessibility to first settled in Southeast Portland.
program s and services. W e’re d e­ She moved to the Boise neighbor­
veloping a team approach, and not hood in 1996 to be near her jo b as
having each em ployee w orking the new ow ner o f the Rexall Rose
alone in a silo. If som eone com es in Cafe and Theater (now Starry Rose),
when a particular staff person is on N ortheast Alberta Street, which
has becom e the poster child for
gone, they can still get help.”
Colem an is also trying to make gentrification and change.
Although she has an MBA d e­
her office at 4 8 15 N.E. Seventh Ave.
in the King N eighborhood Facility, gree in Sustainable Business D e­
"m ore w elcom ing, and more o f a velopm ent from the Bainbridge
G raduate Institute, she says, "I re­
resource space."
U n d e r th e d ire c tio n o f th e ceived M BAs in sociology and
coalition’sCrossCultural Organizer, business m anagem ent at Rexall
Sylvia Evans, and its N eighbor­ Rose." At the same tim e, there was
hood O utreach Coordi nator, Lauren also rapid ch an g e going on in
M cCartney, the staff is visiting each B oise's North M ississippi Avenue.
o f the neighborhood associations. "Som e o f it was positive,” she says,
Since A pril, the coalition has with the advent o f M ississippi Pizza
been canvassing door to door in a and the ReBuilding Center, “but
d if f e r e n t n e ig h b o rh o o d e a c h there was also a dow n side, with
month, asking people about their people being priced out of the neigh­
needs and spreading word o f the b o rh o o d .”
co alitio n 's services. At a m onthly
She joined the Boise N eighbor­
organizers' luncheon, w hereevery- hood Association in the year 2(XX),
one from public agency leaders to and becam e its chair and NECN
Surviving Abuse and Neglect
Children await
adoption
Crystol is a beautiful girl with
m edium brown skin, dark eyes and
a lovely smile. Kerry is a very active
boy who enjoys playing gam es,
basketball bring his passion.
Both children are am ong the
approxim ately 300 O regon kids
available for adoption through the
with processing inform ation.
He needs a family that can be
patient with his processing skills
and be w illing to advocate for him
if issues arise due to the losses he
has had in his life.
He responds well to rew ards and
consequences that are consistent,
a structured routine and an active
lifestyle w here he can use his en ­
ergy in a positive manner.
Kerry has endured many o b ­
stacles in his short life but has
continued to prevail with his o u t­
going personality and good heart.
For more inform ation on the
availability o f these children, or on
how to becom e a foster or adoptive
delegate in 2(XXi. "W e tried to get
both old tim ers and new com ers
together to decide what we wanted
to see happen, and how to m ake it
inclusive o f all people," she said. In
the process the association was
notably tough on some would-be
developers. M ore recently they
have asked sim ilar critical ques­
tions o f city planners charting fu­
ture streetcar routes.
Colem an hopes to soon gain
money for the Youth G ang program
that will m ake it "a lot stronger.”
Regarding the neighborhood as­
sociations she says, “T heir great­
est com m onality is that th ey 're all
experiencing a degree o f change.
We need to be able to meet their
needs, w hether they are housing
issues, land use and transporta­
tion, or drug houses.” Because
these issues keepchanging, "W e’re
becoming nim ble and resourceful"
in finding w ays to meet them, she
says.
R egarding the neighborhood
asso ciatio n s, she says, “ W e 're
building a very specific strategy to
connect to (them ). W e 're trying to
specify the services that they can
rely on a m onth to month basis."
As to the defection o f Piedmont,
and other signs o f alienation, she
says, “The coal ition has heard loud
and c lea r the w ak eu p call for
change. W e’ll need ev e ry o n e’s
help. W hat I'v e seen is a deep, rich
history here, and a lot o f pride in it.
We want to continue the vision the
original founders had. W e’ll be sure
we keep up the traditions.”
10th Annual Instructional
Sports Camps Football Camp
FREE!
G irls & Boys
Ages 8-17
July 17-19
Columbia Park Annex
N. Lombard and Woolsey
July 21-23
Glenhaven Park
SE 82 Ave. and Siskiyou
Check-in: 8 :3 0 a.m. - 9:0 0 a.m.
Camp Hours: 9 :0 0 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
5 0 3 -6 8 5 -6 1 4 8
Campers should wear T-shirts, gym shoes (preferably cleats)
and athletic shorts. No helmets, No pads, No jewelry.
J
FredMeyer
W ELLS
FARGO
Catherine Russell
Wednesday, July 16, $10
Jazz and blues belter
The B roth erh ood Tour fe a tu rin g
Los Lonely Boys
.Los Lobos
Friday, July 18, $24
Emmylou Harris
parent, contact the Special Needs
Adoption Coalition at 503-542-2392
or the Oregon D epartm ent o f Hu­
man Services at I -800-331 -0503.
J im m y G audreau
amiMoondi K lein
1 ’ “
Tuesday, July 22, $24
L4 «ai
with
W ednesday, .July 23, $1«
Sharon Jones a n d the
Dap-Kings w ith Marc Broussard
BI ueg rass a m hassadors
Friday, J u ly 25, $17
Blue Highway
Kerry
Teen Cardiac Screening Event
Saturday, August 23, 2008
8 a.m. Noon
Crystal
state, generally because o f abuse
and neglect.
Crystol attends a sm all-tow n e l­
em entary school and receives spe­
cial education services. She enjoys
school and proudly show s o ff the
aw ard she won for self-m anage­
ment skills.
She does well in science and art,
and especially enjoys w orking with
clay. She also has a beautiful sing­
ing voice. She is a good sw im m er
and likes to spend tim e with her
foster fam ily cam ping at the lake.
She is an affectionate girl who
wants to please the adults in her
life. She will need a good deal of
parental tim e and attention.
Kerry is doing well in sch«x,l
despite having som e challenges
A Focus on Student Athlete Health
Does your family have a history of cardiac
problems? Is your teen athlete at risk? Join us
at l egacy Emanuel Children's I lospital on
August 23, 2008, to find out.
A team of physicians, nurses and EKC'.
technicians will be on site to perform teen car
diac screenings You must pre-register for this
event by August 13.
This screening does not take the place of
a school-mandated physical.
This family-friendly event includes sponsor
giveaways and refreshments. The following
screening will be offered for a $10 fee:
• Cardiac Screening: A full cardiac health
exam, (blood pressure, height and
weight); an electrocardiogram (EK(.),
which detects abnormal heart rhythms;
and a detailed family history.
Please allow 30 minutes for screening tests.
PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST
BE PRESENT.
i
Lorenzen Conference Center '
Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital
2801 N. Gantenbein Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
Cost for screenings: $10 due upon
registration (fee assistance available)
Appointments ore required for the
screening tests! Call 503 335-3500
to make your appointment and
to register.
www.em.inuelchildrens.org
Legacy Emanuel
Children's 1 lospital