Sellwood Moreland Improvement League

February 2020 SMILE Newsletter

SMILE -- "The Neighbor"

Two Board seats to fill at Feb. 5 meeting! Consider running!

SMILE President Tyler Janzen, at the December General Meeting, announced two Board vacancies – former SMILE President Joel Leib earlier in the month resigned because he’d sold his local property and had moved to a smaller home elsewhere in the city, thus being no longer qualified to be a Board Member; and then earlier the same day, December 4, Justin Dick had announced in an e-mail to the Board that his personal schedule now precluded adequate participation in the SMILE Board, and submitted his own resignation, effective immediately. Consequently there are two seats to fill on our Board to complete those terms; Joel’s term expires in May of 2021, and Justin’s expires in May of 2020. Per the SMILE ByLaws, Janzen was giving public notice of a special Board election, and inviting anyone who lives in Sellwood or Westmoreland – or works there, or owns property there – to consider becoming a candidate to join the Board and complete those two terms. The composition of the neighborhood is changing, with the rapid growth of the population from all the new apartment house construction, and SMILE wants to include a cross section of all the residents on its Board. The election will be held from among all nominations, including nominations submitted by interested parties attending the election, at the February General Meeting – which will be at 7:30 p.m. at SMILE Station on February 5.  Attend the meeting!

President Janzen shares news

Meantime, SMILE President Tyler Janzen, a Sellwood apartment dweller with his wife Ithica, announced on January 17, “Good news: Ithaca and I had an offer accepted and a successful inspection on what will be our first home! Bad news: After we close on the place in Oregon City on February 7, I’ll no longer be a Sellwood resident, and [under the SMILE Bylaws] will have to step down as SMILE President. Our February General Meeting will be my last. I can’t tell you all how much I’ve enjoyed living and volunteering in our community. I’ve already followed up with our wonderful Vice President Simon Fulford who will be happy to step up as Acting President until the May General Meeting election. Thanks for working to make our neighborhood a better place.”

Rose City Rollers appear at SMILE

The December 18 SMILE General Meeting featured Addy Quit, of the Rose City Rollers Roller Derby team based at “the Hanger” at Oaks Amusement Park – present at the request of SMILE President Tyler Janzen – to tell SMILE more about this World Champion team in our midst. After she did so, he commented that he was looking for ways in which SMILE could partner with the team – perhaps, he suggested, with an Open House for the team at SMILE Station, maybe co-hosted by the Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance. Details of the team and its impact on the neighborhood were discussed, amid positive comments from the Board.

SMILE “inclusivity” discussed

Recently-resigned SMILE Board Member Justin Dick was present by invitation at the December SMILE Board Meeting to discuss “inclusivity”: He feels SMILE is perceived in the neighborhood as not being inclusive. He acknowledged that he does know that the neighborhood association does seek inclusivity and diversity, but if there are other perceptions about that in the community, what do we need to do to address this? President Janzen suggested re-examining SMILE’s bylaws – conceding that despite all our efforts, many residents here remain unclear about what SMILE is and what it does. Tim DuBois, a former SMILE Board Member and current candidate for the Portland City Council, who was attending the meeting, contributed that he had read the SMILE bylaws, and “they really are inclusive”; he advised SMILE consider targeted outreaches. Board Member Elaine O’Keefe suggested SMILE sometimes hold its meetings at various other public places in the community, to meet and reach new people. She also said that SMILE may need a “Diversity Committee”.

Attend a SMILE meeting!

You’re invited to attend SMILE meetings every month at SMILE Station, an historic fire station now owned by the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League neighborhood association. The February General Meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5th – and the regular monthly February Board meeting will take place – as always, also open to the public – at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19th. SMILE Station is on the southeast corner of S.E. 13th at Tenino, a block south of Tacoma Street, at 8210 S.E. 13th in Sellwood. The meeting agendas beforehand, and draft meeting minutes afterward, are posted online at – www.SMILErecords.org

Rent SMILE Station – or the historic church!

SMILE is the renting agent for the historic and picturesque Oaks Pioneer Church, on S.E. Spokane Street at Grand, just north of the Sellwood Bridge – overlooking the Willamette River. The church, nondenominational and operated entirely as a venue, is available at very attractive rates for weddings, memorials, christenings, and other events. View more online at – www.OaksPioneerChurch.org

In addition, SMILE owns its own building – SMILE Station, S.E. 13th and Tenino, at 8210 S.E. 13th – which is also for rent at very attractive rates for business meetings, parties, wedding receptions, and other special events; it will seat up to 100, and has tables, chairs, and an industrial kitchen facility. For information on renting either building for your event, call 503/234-3570, and leave a message for Lori Fyre; she will return your call.

Community volunteers serve on SMILE committees, too!

SMILE is also looking for neighbors to serve on one or more of SMILE’s committees, including:

• Transportation Committee
• Land-Use Committee
• Stewardship of Natural Amenities Committee (“SNAC”)
• Sundae in the Park Committee
• History Committee
• Emergency Preparedness Committee
• Crime Prevention Committee
• Historic Pioneer Church Committee
• SMILE Station Committee
• Finance Committee
• Communications Committee
• Various ad-hoc committees, as needed

Attend a SMILE meeting, and find out more about what we do!

Websites for Sellwood-Westmoreland

SMILE offers two complementary websites as a resource for the neighborhood. One is the neighborhood’s blog – www.SellwoodMoreland.org – posting neighborhood news, and regularly updated. A second website contains SMILE’s agendas, minutes, announcements, documents, resources, and much ongoing and regularly-updated neighborhood reference information at – www.SMILErecords.org. In addition, SMILE maintains an informational website for the Oaks Pioneer Church on Spokane Street at the east end of the Sellwood Bridge, for which it is the renting agent – www.OaksPioneerChurch.org. For information on the Sellwood Community House on the corner of S.E. 15th and Spokane Street in Sellwood, now operated as its own separate community nonprofit, “Friends of Sellwood Community House”, go online to: www.sellwoodcommunityhouse.net

Who SMILE members are

SMILE members are EVERYONE living in, working in, or owning property in, Sellwood and/or Westmoreland – unless they specifically exempt themselves. All SMILE members are welcome to volunteer for any of the SMILE committees of particular interest to them.

SMILE is a 501c3 nonprofit

Of the 95 recognized neighborhood associations in Portland, SMILE is one of the few to be authorized by the IRS as a nonprofit “501c3” organization. This means that donations made to SMILE are tax-deductible – and are very welcome!

At-Large Board Seats (2-year terms):

TERM EXPIRES 2020

Elaine O'Keefe

Elizabeth Milner

Julie Currin

Eriks Berzins  (elected in Feb 2020 to complete Justin Dick's term)

TERM EXPIRES 2021

Bob Burkholder

Gail Hoffnagle

Priyesh Krishnan  (elected in Feb 2020 to complete Joel Leib's term)

Rhea Smith