This Friday, June 21st, BoneJax will host a free literary event featuring authors reading excerpts from their recently published short stories collected in the “Defining Moments” anthology. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. people can gather in the vintage home furnishings store at 8040 SE Stark Street to listen to stories from LGBTQ+ lives and ask questions of the authors. Attendees can bring copies of the book purchased online or from BoneJax to the event for signing.
Six of “Defining Moments: Essential queer stories'” 15 authors will attend the event. The collection highlights short stories from writers of various backgrounds navigating societal challenges as they work towards self-acceptance and empowerment. The narratives offer insight into the complexities of LGBTQ+ lives at defining moments overlooked by mainstream accounts of those experiences.
Image courtesy Our Bold Voices
Since Montavilla’s branch library closed in November 1981, local literary events have become increasingly infrequent. However, Montavilla businesses have made space for authors over the years, allowing residents convenient access to writers and their work. Consider starting your weekend on SE Stark Street with dinner or drinks before heading to BoneJax for this engaging evening event.
Defining Moments: Essential queer stories – Authors List (* indicates June 21st speakers)
Montavilla Pool will not open on June 20th alongside Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) other outdoor pools. The seasonal public swimming facility requires the fabrication and installation of a new pool drain cover to meet federal safety compliance for pools and spas. The pool has been closed to the public since August 25th, 2023, when a young swimmer was found unresponsive in the pool and later died. Aquatic maintenance staff could not complete upgrades earlier due to an ongoing independent safety review instigated by last summer’s tragedy. The incident was PP&R’s first fatal drowning in nearly 40 years.
Drain cover crews will replaced seen in lower right
Work at the site will require an excavator and other heavy machinery to open up the pool’s concrete base, exposing the plumbing to maintenance staff. The contractor expects to complete the work at Montavilla Pool on or before July 22nd, 2024. The 2024 pool season concludes on August 23rd for all outdoor swim facilities, so this delay truncates Montavilla Pool’s available class capacity. People who have already registered for a Summer Session 1 lesson from July 1st to 12th can participate in the East Portland Community Center (EPCC) programs. Registrants could also receive a full refund if EPCC is not a suitable alternative. Montavilla Pool staff will temporarily transfer to EPCC pool to assist customers who have signed up for swim lessons and summer swim team activities at Montavilla and have shifted locations during the construction closure.
PP&R will launch a new Safe Swim hub on June 17th, featuring swim safety resources for indoor and outdoor swimmers. Parks leadership expressed a commitment to making the future swimming season safer through equipment upgrades and education. If crews complete pool construction before July 22nd, Montavilla News will update this article.
When Portland Public Schools close for summer on June 14th, families will need a way to fill the gap left in their children’s daytime schedule. For many kids, school offers activities and services beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children 18 years old and younger weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 24th to August 16th, kids can show up at 22 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Montavilla Park at 8219 NE Glisan Street, Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street, and Lents Park at SE 92 Avenue and SE Steele Street will host Free Lunch + Play activities for Montavilla area residents. The Monday through Friday parks program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with meal service times shifting based on location. Parks employees will organize games and other group activities throughout the four-hour sessions. The program staff will take July 4th and 5th off in observance of the national holiday.
Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District will provide all the meal packs that adhere to the USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from noon to 1:30 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window of 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, open from June 20th through August 23rd. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to regularly scheduled swim lessons, open play swims, and water fitness offerings. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website. The programming celebrates Portland’s diverse cultures and local artists while providing fitness, food, and entertainment opportunities.
This Saturday, June 1st, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host a block party from noon to 5 p.m. at NE Glisan Street and NE 70th Avenue. The Montavilla’s Spring Fling Block Party follows a month of neighborhood activities sponsored by the organization, which included a donation drive and a district-wide street cleanup. Organizers will fill the Rocket Empire Machine‘s parking lot at 6935 NE Glisan Street and close NE 70th Avenue from NE Glisan Street to NE Hoyt Street for the activities.
The family-friendly community event will feature live music, vendors, and art alongside the selection of eateries inside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall. In addition to food, Gigantic Brewing’s tap room offers a selection of adult beverages for sale, allowing for a fun event with something for everyone. Vendors will showcase jewelry, gifts, pottery, games, kid activities, and services.
Image courtesy METBA
Visitors will find booths staffed by local businesses offering products and information. Stark Adornments will sell its wearable art, and Board Bard Games will bring a selection of the store’s tabletop entertainment supplies. Shane Reaney Studios and Xtina OnFire Ceramics will display and sell select handcrafted pottery. DolFUN Dynamics will have information about its youth-oriented swimming and gymnastics programs, and OnPoint Credit Union will tell people about its banking services. Tyrell Givens of 2025th Street will also host a video game inspired arts and crafts session during the event. Look for updates about times at METBA’s site (metba.org).
This weekend’s Block Party on NE Glisan Street starts the summer event season in Montavilla, which builds up to the big neighborhood celebration at the end of July. This year’s Montavilla Street Fair is on Sunday, July 28th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That event will close SE Stark Street between SE 76th and SE 82nd Avenues. METBA organizers hope to see people out at both events.
On Sunday, June 9th, HONK! Fest PDX will return to the Montavilla neighborhood for a free community festival of marching bands, drum lines, and other acoustic street bands. Last year’s celebration filled the streets with sounds, dancers, and neighbors from all over the area. Building on that success, the event organizers are back on SE Stark Street for its second day of sound celebration. Unlike last year’s HONK season-starter that occurred within Portland’s inner Eastside, the June 8th opening event will take place in East Portland at Lents Park. The proximity of the locations should allow more people to participate in both days.
Images courtesy HONK! PDX
HONK! bands draw inspiration from Klezmer, Balkan-Romani music, Brazilian Samba, Afrobeat and Highlife, Punk, Funk, Hip Hop, and the New Orleans second-line tradition. People attending the Saturday celebration should arrive at the south end of Lents Park on SE 92nd Ave and SE Steele Street between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Sunday, area residents and visitors to Montavilla Town can enjoy free music at the SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street plaza, Milwaukie Lumber parking lot, and a Beer Bunker-hosted stage from noon to 7 p.m. HONK! features Open Jam sessions each day where organizers encourage the audience to join the festival, playing their own instruments.
Honk! PDX 2024 Festival Bands
Analog Brass (Bellingham, WA)
Artesian Rumble Arkestra (Olympia, WA)
Beat Crunchers (Eugene, OR)
Brassless Chaps (Portland, OR)
Bug Complex (Portland, OR)
Chaotic Noise Marching Corps (Seattle, WA)
Cimarrona La Original Domingueña (Costa Rica)
Couch Brass (Portland, OR)
8-Bit Brass Band (Seattle, WA)
The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra (Eugene, OR)
Filthy FemCorps (Seattle, WA)
Jesters Brass Marching Band (Portland, OR)
Kef (Eugene, OR)
MADBand (Eugene, OR)
Neon Brass Party (Seattle, WA)
Portland Samba (Portland, OR)
Portland Taiko (Portland, OR)
The Power Pep Band (Portland, OR)
Tacomarama Community Street Band (Tacoma, WA)
Unpresidented Brass Band (Portland, OR)
Event organizers recommend people bring chairs, picnic blankets, water, snacks, sunscreen, hula hoops, flowtoys, bubble makers, and dancing shoes. Although well-behaved dogs are allowed on a leash, the HONK! team cautions that the loud noises and crowds can overwhelm some animals. This June 8th and 9th event suits all ages, with music spanning a wide range of tastes. People interested in attending should mark their calendars for one or both days and consider donating to the event to help keep it going for years to come.
On May 8th, Verizon, Hacienda CDC, and Portland Community College (PCC) hosted an open house for the Jade District Learning Center. It is one of three new centers intended to remove barriers between low-income Portlanders and tech resources. Elected officials, corporate sponsors, and community organization leaders spoke at the late afternoon event while letting people explore the tech-focused maker space. Community access to technological resources was the common theme of the event, with each speaker reinforcing the need for initiatives that create opportunities for workforce development, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial learning. Unlike similar resources in educational settings, program operators will not restrict this center to PCC students.
Verizon Community Forward partnered with Hacienda CDC to bring this updated Learning Center to the PCC campus at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue. The work on these centers ramped up in 2022 and built on Hacienda CDC’s technical access work. People can visit the two-room center on the second floor of the Student Commons building right off SE 82nd Avenue in the former PCC STEM Center location. Visitors can access free internet, 3D printers, laser cutters, virtual reality tools, and free programming centered around STEM education.
Speakers, Michael Dembrow (Oregon State Senator), May Yadanar Linn (Colorful Myanmar), Khanh Pham (Oregon State Representative) Dr. Adrien Bennings (President PCC), and Rudy Reyes (Verizon) among other project partners.
The Jade District Learning Center has open lab days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., with an additional day on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. The center’s primary goal is to bring cutting-edge technology to historically underserved communities. However, it is open to all those looking to expand their understanding of technology and keep up with a progressively digitally dependent world.
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On April 27th, the 18th Annual 82nd Avenue Parade entrants marched down SE 82nd Avenue. Elected officials, community groups, and organizations started the precession from Eastport Plaza Shopping Center, heading north towards SE Yamhill Street. Hundreds of community members lined the streets to watch the 90-minute event, cheering and clapping. Portland Police and event organizers cleared barricades by 11 a.m., reopening the busy street to cars. However, attendees lingered on the sidewalk for a while longer, filling the pedestrian realm on 82nd Avenue to a degree not seen since last year’s parade.
Event organizer Nancy Chapin remarked that it has never rained on this parade. Drops only started to fall after the precession moved off 82nd Avenue, securing another dry year of community celebration. Organizers hope to increase parade fundraising efforts to bring back the event’s live stream for those unable to make it in person.
List of registered parade participants (in order of appearance)
City of Portland Police Bureau – East Precinct – Commander Jake Jensen
Parade Banner presenters
Troop 24 (BSA boy troop) and 5024 (BSA girls troop)
Grand Marshals
The Royal Rosarians
Portland Rose Society
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
Portland Rose Festival Foundation
Ascension Catholic Church
TenBridge Partners/ The BlackPearl Friesian Dance Troupe
Montavilla Farmers Market
56th Army Band
Mysti Krewe of Nimbus
Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio
PageantsNW Miss Oregon USA | Miss Oregon Teen USA
Past Queen & Princess
Saint Anthony Catholic Church
Beneficial State Bank
White Lotus Dragon & Lion Dance
Portland Commissioner Mingus Mapps
Portland Winterhawks Booster Club
Madison South NA
SEI King SUN School Drill Team
Chelsea McManus with MORE Realty and Aidan Keller with Guild Mortgage
East Portland Rotary Clubs
Portland Raging Grannies
Rip City Scooter Collective
Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers
Portland Skyliners Tall club
Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez
KC Cars Inc.
Military Vehicle Collectors Club of Oregon
PCC Gateway to College & Yes to College
Kim’s Taekwon-Do
Squares of Warmth
SEI Kalros PDX Sun School Drill Team
State Representative Thuy Tran and Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards
On April 13th and 14th, Personal Beast Pet Supply invites people to shop at the store to help fund significant storefront repairs after a person smashed most of their windows. Since January 2024, staff have had to progressively cover the storefront in plywood at 8119 SE Stark Street, replacing broken glass from the acts of a vandal. Artistic pet images decorate the wood panels, while a handwritten sign assures people that the boarded-up shop is open. The store’s owner, Sara Philbrook, is now working to restore the glass and protect it with expensive polycarbonate coverings. This project is more than the shop’s budget can cover, even with support from the building’s owner. So, they worked with local supporters and vendors to develop a fundraiser with multiple ways to participate.
Personal Beast works with family-owned pet food companies and other vendors who regularly support the independent stores selling their products. Some of those brands will donate to the storefront repair for each pound of food sold on April 13th and 14th. Other vendors and supporters have donated goods for baskets that people can try to win in a raffle. Those without a pet can buy pet food to donate to a charity partner or contribute through the GoFundMe campaign.
Many Montavilla businesses have suffered broken windows. Sometimes criminals smash glass during a burglary, but this recent string of damage comes from vandalism, and its frequency is a dramatic change from what the Personal Beast has endured during its fourteen years. “This is the first time we’ve felt the financial burden of vandalism. Specifically, our door was broken the first time last summer,” recalled Philbrook. Other businesses had the same experience in June 2023. Glazers came out and replaced the door glass, and business returned to normal. However, in January 2024, a person was seen on camera breaking the windows next to the door. Then, over the next few months, the person smashed two more windows and the door. Philbrook says the video shows what looks to be the same person throwing rocks. Not all the rocks break the windows on each attempt, and the person never enters the building after breaking the glass.
Personal Beast owner Sara Philbrook sitting in front of plywood covered windows
Although these attacks span months and seem focused, this is not the only store facing similar vandalism. “Unfortunately, I think it’s location. I don’t think that we’re being targeted. I don’t feel like there’s anything that we’ve specifically done that makes us more likely to get hit than another business. I think it’s just that we are in proximity to a major artery,” explained Philbrook. The store is one of the closest storefronts to SE 82nd Avenue and next to the McDonald’s parking lot. Philbrook said they have witnessed several drug-related crimes around the block and feel that their proximity to that behavior may contribute to the recent string of trouble.
Regardless of the issues, this pet store has served the community since 2008, and its owner is committed to remaining in Montavilla. “We’re really happy to be here regardless of what’s going on. As frustrating as it is, knowing that it’s just one person, it’s not like it’s something that we have to look forward to forever, and hopefully she can get some help,” said Philbrook. “Obviously, we’ll be pressing charges, but I understand that mental illness is a real crisis here, and my parents struggled with drug addiction. So, I have a lot of empathy for people who are in active addiction and can’t get services. I hope we can find a way to get her some help and move on from this situation.”
For Personal Beast, the first step in moving forward is replacing the glass panels. However, to protect the windows, they will install Riot Glass® on the outside of existing frames, creating a flexible barrier designed to take the impact of rocks without breaking. Other Portland stores have used this product, and it offers other benefits over cheaper solutions. “It’s one of the only polycarbonates that doesn’t yellow with direct sun exposure, which is why we chose it,” explained Philbrook. “We have this lovely southern exposure here, and any other polycarbonate would discolor so quickly that it wouldn’t be worth it.”
Sara Philbrook and the staff at Personal Beast have maintained a good attitude about the situation and hope the community’s support will help them restore the shop they love. People able to support the storefront improvements should shop there on April 13th and 14th, buy a raffle ticket, or contribute to the GoFundMe campaign. Personal Beast’s renowned shop cat will appreciate any help repairing the windows so they can return to watching over Stark Street again.
Correction: An earlier version of this article had an incorrect event date.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
On April 6th, Jade District organizers will host a series of interactive workshops focusing on greenspaces in East Portland. The two-part workshop takes place from noon to 3 p.m. on April 6th and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 20th. People should sign up online for the free in-person events held inside the APANO Community Space at 8188 SE Division Street. In May 2024, teams will distribute the mosaic planters designed at the workshops and invite local businesses and community members to help fill their planters with new plants.
The Jade District Planters project allows community members and small businesses to learn about inequities in green infrastructure and join efforts to address this issue in East Portland. Attendees will learn how green spaces impact health for all residents, particularly those near busy roads like 82nd Avenue, SE Division Street, and the Interstate-205 freeway. This community art project will create unique mosaics placed on planters around the Jade District. Planters alone will not address higher temperatures seen during heat events. However, this initiative will spotlight the positive effects of adding greenery to the streetscape and possibly encourage more investment in future green spaces in the area.
The first workshop focuses on plants’ role in keeping neighborhoods happy and healthy. Groups will get an introduction to mosaic creation and meet to create their unique mosaic designs. The second workshop provides open studio time for community members to meet and work on making their mosaics. Participants can come to work on the project at any time during those hours. People are encouraged to learn about how communities benefit from access to trees, parks, and gardens. Attendees will hear about the work planned that addresses missing greenspace and discover how they can get involved in community efforts.
Zwickelmania® is an annual celebration of Oregon craft beer during Oregon Craft Beer Month organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Member breweries open their production facility to the public for a behind-the-scenes view of their operation and to offer unique sampling opportunities. The event’s name stems from the word Zwickel, describing the valve or sample port mounted outside a cask or tank. Brewers use those ports to test the product during fermentation, and this annual event allows people 21 years or older to taste beer from a producer’s perspective.
New cask beer engine at Montavilla Brew Works. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works
Montavilla Brew Works will offer brewery tours with free Zwickel samples from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can meet the brewers and purchase special beer releases throughout the day. The brewery owners will unveil their new cask beer engine and pass out special giveaway items to mark the occasion.
From 1 to 4 p.m., Threshold Brewing & Blending will invite attendees behind their roll-up door into the production area with hourly tours and Zwickel pours. Cousins Maine Lobster food truck will sell its crowd-pleasing food from noon to 8 p.m. on the 17th in partnership with Threshold, allowing people to make a day of Zwickelmania® in Montavilla.
Threshold Brewing & Blending owners Jarek and Sara Szymanski. Image courtesy Threshold
This weekend’s Zwickelmania® is taking place outside of Montavilla as well. More than 50 breweries across Oregon are participating, including beer producers StormBreaker Brewing and Gigantic Brewing Company, which have sales locations in Montavilla. However, the event focuses on beer production at the brewing location. Consequentially, those brands will greet Zwickel-seeking guests at their primary locations. A complete list of participating locations is available online at the official Zwickelmania® site.
Zwickel sample. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works
For people who miss this beer-rich opportunity on the 17th, Threshold Brewing & Blending will hold its 5th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, February 24th. That event will offer five beer releases served in exclusive and limited glassware. A line-up of DJs will provide entertainment, and wood-fired pizza from guest food truck Hearth and Soul will feed the hungry guests. February is a good month for exploring Montavilla’s brewing community, and walking to the potentially inebriating events is easy.
By
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
Neighborhood news site focused on buildings and changing businesses
