Artist Focus

Muralist takes it bigger

By Margaret Davis

One of Sam's recent murals

When Sam Lensen-Callas got laid off as a forklift operator in a cosmetics warehouse about two months ago, it was the best thing that ever happened to him as an artist. “I want to stick to what I want to do,” he says, referring to his fledgling full-time career as an airbrush painter.

Lensen-Callas, 25, credits Brian Barber, a teacher he had while growing up in Oregon City, with introducing him to the airbrush in art class about 15 years ago. Since then, Lensen-Callas has tackled canvases ranging from Volkswagen buses to restaurant walls and skin to wine cellars, painting all manner of creatures and things. For the wine cellar, for instance, he perfected a trompe l’oeil scene that featured a dungeon and old casks, all arranged in perspective to make the room loom wider and more otherworldly.

Most recently, Lensen-Callas has hung two huge murals, one 20 by 10 feet, above the bar and dance floor at Ohm, an Old Town nightclub. The paintings incorporate the ohm electrical symbol within scenes that mix fantasy and realism. In one, a human hand reaches toward a golden orb, and in the other a figure’s arms stretch and twist into infinity against a background of heaven and the natural and spirit worlds.

“If I’m having a bad day, it’s nice to go home and draw,” Lensen-Callas says, for whom airbrush painting is an outlet and an inspiration. At first Lensen-Callas painted with oils but quickly gave them up once he discovered airbrush. “It was too slow,” he said of the oils, preferring the speed, ease, and efficiency of the airbrush. With an airbrush and a compressor, the paint goes a lot further, and spraying paint means the work goes a lot faster. One of the Ohm murals, for example, took just two days to complete.

Lensen-Callas lets his creativity flow on such murals and at his mother’s house, 4325 N.E. Failing Street. The garage is decorated with two large works, including one of sunflowers and another Lensen-Callas calls “Barnyard Dance.” It’s also where he keeps his studio.
However, he points out that customers often commission him to do more representational paintings, including tropical fish on the side of a van, a view of pool tables on the wall of a basement room, and outdoor landscapes for jewelry stores and cafes.

To view examples of Lensen-Callas’s work, visit his website at www.sybsink.com. To reach Lensen-Callas, call 503-993-1932 or email sybzer@hotmail.com.

Neighbor Focus Neighbors Deliver By Jeanne Federovich

Bill, Helen and Aubrey

Every two months, you are fortunate to open your door and find the Beaumont Wilshire Newsletter waiting for you. It is full of information about the goings-on in the neighborhood and stories about our neighbors and businesses.

Have you ever wondered how your newsletter made it to your front porch? It does not appear magically or deliver itself. No one is paid to bring it to you. It is in fact your own neighbors who volunteer to deliver the newsletter to you every other month!

This month, we would like to thank one of our volunteers—Bill Abernathy. Bill has been delivering the newsletters to residents on NE 42nd and 43rd between Fremont and Siskiyou since 1990, that is 12 years! He has the honor of being our longest career delivery person. Bill and his wife Helen have lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. When Bill retired in 1989 from his career as a letter carrier, the editor of the newsletter was looking for help. Bill volunteered and has been walking his beat ever since. He says he enjoys the exercise, the opportunity to see neighbors and watch houses being remodeled and improved. His nine year-old granddaughter Aubrey Evans often joins him, giving them some special time together.

Bill considers volunteering as a way to give something back to the neighborhood he and his wife Helen have enjoyed for so long, and he encourages others to take on a route. What is Bill’s preferred delivery method? “I am a firm believer in rubber bands, but I usually use mats if the weather is good.” Thanks Bill! Without your efforts, forty-nine households would miss out on their moment of newsletter bliss!

President's Message The board wants to hear from you by Debra Kennedy BWNA President

Enclosed in this issue of your newsletter is a questionnaire. Those of us volunteering to serve on the BWNA board would like to work on projects and issues that are important to you, the neighbors we represent. Your input will provide direction and help us focus our energies on the priorities you identify.

We also want to create a variety of opportunities for you to become involved in our community and our neighborhood association. We appreciate your time and thoughts.

To make it easy for you to respond, we have created a variety of methods for you to get your surveys back to us. It is not necessary to include your name and address. However if there is a committee or other opportunity for you to become involved, we would appreciate your name and phone number.

You may drop off your survey at one of the following merchants:
Beaumont Market, 4130 NE Fremont; Delphina’s Bakery, 4636 NE 42nd; or Alameda Baking Company at 4727 NE Fremont. Look for the box marked “BWNA Survey”. We will also have copies available at the Fremont Fest and the annual Night Out picnic. The picnic on August 6 is the deadline for your responses.

For convenience, we have made the survey available on our website, www.bwna.org. Look for the “Neighbor Input Questionnaire”.
If you prefer, you may mail your survey to Debra Kennedy, President BWNA, 3323 NE 47th Ave. Portland, OR 97213.

We will be reporting the results of the survey in our October/November Newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!

—Debra Kennedy, BWNA President

Gardening and bylaws changes

June 2002 BWNA General Meeting

All Beaumont Wilshire residents welcome
Monday, June 10th at 7:30 PM
Bethany Lutheran, NE 37 & Skidmore

Glen Andresen from METRO will be speaking on their “Natural Gardening Program”. He will present useful and timely tips for all BW gardeners out there.
The Board will also present proposed changes to the bylaws of the association to be voted on. See below:

Proposed changes to bylaws

The board is presenting these proposed changes to the BWNA bylaws to be voted on at the general meeting on June 10:
Article 5, section 2, F. Change the number of At-Large Members from 10 to 12.
Article 5. Add a clause: Section 4 Indemnification. The personal liability of a director for monetary damages for conduct as a director is hereby eliminated to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Article 10, Section 1 and 2: change “Office of Neighborhood Associations” to “Office of Neighborhood Involvement.”
You may view the complete text of the current bylaws on the Beaumont Wilshire website at www.bwna.org.

Welcome new president and board members! by Melissa Ritter and Willie Nolan

Patrick Sweeney and David Whitaker, new board members

We want to offer our congratulations to Debra Kennedy, the new president of the Beaumont Wilshire Neighborhood Association! She has lived in this neighborhood her whole life (her mom lives here too!) and she has an impressive record of social service to our neighborhood and to the greater Portland community. She is a tireless worker who constantly volunteers her time and energy for projects. She has good ideas about how we can reach out to more people, meet the needs of our neighbors, and help those around us. We are pleased to be working with her and thrilled that she will be leading our Board.

We also welcome the following new Board Members: Ted Perkins, David Whitaker, and Patrick Sweeney. Each possesses talents and experience that will be an asset to our neighborhood. Thanks to these four neighbors for committing their time and energy to making Beaumont Wilshire the best neighborhood it can be.

Join the Tree Team By Heidi Blischke

We planted 128 trees in our neighborhood in March. Now we need volunteers to join the ‘Tree Team’ and help make sure that the trees are properly cared for. Training will be held Saturday, June 15th from noon to 5pm. If you would like to attend, contact Morgan Will, Volunteer Program Manager, Friends of Trees, at 503-282-8846 ext. 12. He will sign you up and contact you about a week before the event with location, directions and other important information.

Tree Team is how we monitor recently planted street trees. Local experts and educators teach volunteers how to inspect the trees to see if they are receiving enough water, are properly weeded and mulched, are free of diseases and pests, and haven’t been scarred by lawnmowers or car doors. Volunteers leave door-hangers for homeowners, congratulating them for taking good care of their new trees and identifying ways to improve the trees’ health. The commitment is to walk a route through a neighborhood to look at the trees on a given list once in late June and again in August. Thanks for helping out.

Test your home for radon? by Melissa Ritter and Dave Whitaker

The soil north of the Alameda ridge has been found to contain high levels of a naturally occurring radioactive gas called radon. If you breathe air containing radon, which is odorless and tasteless, you increase the risk of getting lung cancer. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.

Radon gas released from soil can enter homes through uncovered soil in basements or unsealed pipes. Outdoors radon poses no threat, but levels can be concentrated in people’s homes making it a health hazard. Many homes in our neighborhood exhibit high levels of radon. One of the factors that led to the closing of Whitaker Middle School at 5700 NE 39 Avenue was the presence of radon.

Radon is measured in Pico curies or pCi per liter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an annual average below 4 pCi/liter in a living area is an acceptable level and does not present a significant health hazard.

You can test for radon yourself with a kit that you can purchase ($10-$25 price range) at hardware stores, Fred Meyer or on the Internet. Radon can be mitigated by sealing soil and pipes, and by installing specially designed venting fans. If you discover high levels of radon, contact an EPA-certified radon mitigator. Call the Oregon Health Division, 503-731-4014, for a list of contractors and answers to your questions.

When Melissa and Tripp bought their 1926 home on NE 45th Ave., they were fortunate their realtor suggested they have it tested for radon. Tests showed levels of 5-7 pCi/liter, above what EPA considers safe. They installed a radon-mitigation system which included plastic sheeting to seal off open dirt and drains, and a fan to push the radon outside where it dissipates in the air. The fan is very quiet and only uses as much energy as one light bulb. Now their radon levels are down to between 1-2 pCi/liter, and they (and their baby) are resting much easier!

Neighbor Focus Pianist Weiers performs by Bill Markwart

Matt Weiers

Matt Weiers loves working in the Beaumont Wilshire neighborhood. Matt moved to Portland two years ago from Michigan and serves as the Contemporary Music director at Bethany Lutheran Church.

He began his study of classical piano at seven, but by the time elementary school was over, the sounds of jazz were calling to him. “I asked my piano teacher if we could do less Brahms and more boogie woogie. The teacher finally gave in.” Matt studied music at the University of Michigan, which was just beginning to teach jazz and improvisation. “I took every jazz class possible and also explored the philosophies of art and music.” After college, he worked as a pianist in churches and nightclubs while continuing to study composition. Later he traveled to India to study improvisation. “I was really affected by how important music is to rural communities there, and I liked the slow pace of life. After I got back to the states, the West Coast seemed like the right place for me.”

Matt teaches percussion and piano privately and composes pieces for small and large ensembles. He is a member of the Oregon Music Teachers’ Association and chair of Portland’s Composition Celebration. His projects and recordings are detailed on his website, www.aboutpiano.com. “Working on music is interesting, but the real excitement comes when I can envision how a project will impact the community even in a small way.”

BW neighbors can sample Matt’s work at a June 22nd concert, “OpenSecret!” at Bethany Lutheran Church (4330 NE 37th), at 7pm. Admission is free, donations benefit the Albertina Kerr Centers. Matt has written a one-hour piece for piano and chamber orchestra, in three movements, on the subjects of self, community, and cosmos. Growling saxophones, sweet strings, and thumping bass are accompanied by digital video projection and recorded voices. Matt invites Beaumont Wilshire neighbors to come and enjoy his music.

BW Homes and Gardens Tour postponed

by Melissa Ritter

The proposed BWNA Homes and Gardens Tour has been postponed until next year. The committee received over 40 nominations, but most people were in the midst of remodeling or vacations and said they would rather participate next year. We felt that we didn’t have enough participants for a full tour this year and will continue to organize for next year. So please consider nominating your own or a neighbor’s home or yard. We will be including larger sized homes as well, so size is not a limit. New volunteers are also welcome on the committee!

Our plans are to donate proceeds from the tour for a neighborhood improvement project. We are researching the cost of a traffic abatement device on Fremont near 47th Avenue, and also considering donating directly to Beaumont Middle School.

This summer, visit the Garden Conservancy’s tour described in this newsletter on page 8. One of the gardens in the tour is in our neighborhood. If you do have nominations, questions, or suggestions for next year’s tour, contact Melissa Ritter at 503-493-1922/ rittermg@attbi.com. You may also fill out the Home & Garden Tour form at www.bwna.org.

Beamont School Anniversary 75th draws hundreds by Helen Koba

1930's alumni

Over 500 people attended the 75th anniversary celebration at Beaumont Middle School in May. Graduates from the 1930’s to the 2000’s mingled and reminisced about their school days at Beaumont. I overheard a mother telling her daughter, ‘this was my 3rd grade classroom; this was my 6th!’ The musical program had people clapping and dancing in the aisles.

Photos of the event, like this one of 1930’s alumni, can be found on the website at www.bwna.org. Click on it to get to the photo album. Thanks again to Peggy Concillo, Lynne Smith, Judith Rizzo and the other committee members for putting on a great community event. See you all for the 100th in 2027!

July 21 Garden Tour

by Nancy Goldman

This summer a Beaumont-Wilshire garden is featured in the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program on Sunday, July 21. Nancy Goldman’s garden, at 4527 NE Skidmore, is open for touring along with four other NE Portland gardens. The fee to tour each garden is $5, the Garden Conservancy is offering all five gardens for $20; stop by first at the Goldman garden and purchase your daylong ticket.

Goldman garden -- 4527 NE Skidmore, 10am–4pm Whimsical, urban garden filled with plants and unusual “art” elements, such as bicycles, tea-kettle fountain, fence made of old pickets, trellises, arbors, chairs, and doors.

Jeffrey Bale garden -- 1222 NE Failing St.,  10am–4pm. Fabulous garden with many pebble mosaic art pieces— plus superb plantings and water features. Well worth a visit.
Catswalk Cottage -- JoAnn & Roger Thomas -- 2804 NE 46th Ave, 2–6pm. Lovely cottage garden featuring a periwinkle blue fence and arbors. Unique painted signs to designations around the world.

Goodman-Schultz garden -- 7228 North Hurst Ave., 10am–4pm. A must-see garden with a “tropical”-like walled courtyard. Front garden has been transformed into a colorful foliage garden unlike any other on the street.

Hogan-Sanderson garden -- 2822 NE 11th Ave., 10am–4pm. This garden contains plants that are not normally grown in the Portland area. As horticulturists, Hogan and Sanderson use their garden as a trial ground for new plants.

So enjoy the day touring gardens and also benefit local charities—a portion of each admission goes to a charity of the gardener’s choice. The Goldman garden supports Friends of the PSU Library. Questions: call or email Nancy Goldman at (503) 282-1150; brokenpots@yahoo.com.

Neighborhood Announcements

Mark your calendars

FREMONT FEST
Saturday, Aug 3rd
Join your neighbors for the bicycle parade, sidewalk sales, food, music, art and craft booths, and more fun in the heart of Beaumont Village.

ANNUAL PICNIC
Tuesday, Aug 6th
Meet new neighbors or renew friendships at Wilshire Park. Good eats, treats and fun!

Call for artists

We are planning to create an online art space at www.bwna.org. Artists who live or work in Beaumont Wilshire are welcome to submit 5–10 digital images (jpeg files) of their work. Include title, media, dimensions and date. Each image must be less than one megabyte. A bio of exhibitions, education, awards, etc. is optional. This is a free service. Sales transactions are between artist and buyer—include contact information. Email to webmaster@bwna.org, 288-2568. —Mario

Beaumont Garden Club?

All the wonderful gardens in our neighborhood prompted a few of us to think about a Beaumont Garden Club. We could have garden tours, trade plants in the fall when we divide our perennials, collect and exchange seeds, etc. If you are interested in this idea, please give me a call at 503-288-3441 (evenings only please) or email me at janbak@pacifier.com. —Janet Baker

You are welcome!

If you recently moved into the Beaumont Wilshire neighborhood either as a renter or homeowner, and have not received a welcome packet, we would like to provide you with one to say ‘welcome’ to our neighborhood. Call Liz Johnston at 503-281-8385, leave your name, address and phone number with her. Welcome packets are delivered to new residents quarterly and you will get one in her next delivery. —Liz Johnston

Concert series continues

The third concert in the series June 22, 7pm features Matthew Weiers, (see story above). The final concert in this series, on Saturday, July 20 at 4pm, features the Bethany Lutheran Praise Team, singing upbeat contemporary music. Last year’s outdoor concert at Bethany tells us that this will prove to be a fun and exciting event for people of all ages—especially kids who may enjoy popsicles or ice cream in the July heat! For more information about this concert or the concert series, please visit www.bethanyportland.org. —Bill Markwart

Farmer’s Market @ Alberta

Every Thursday 2-7pm at the Alberta Coop, NE 15th and Alberta. Here is another opportunity to purchase your food directly from local growers.