Commentary:
When vision
ignores
the present
Visionaries, by definition, look beyond the present to the future. That's a valuable exercise and often the first step to change.
The problem arises when visionaries, infatuated with their visions, ignore the present. Achieving any vision requires starting with what we have and fully understanding its value as is.
Recently in Hillsdale, some of us who see ourselves as visionaries utterly failed to recognize that our vision of a civic plaza/amphitheater behind Rieke was in direct conflict with an entire community of baseball teams, aspiring major leaguers, coaches, assistant coaches parents and fans.
Even worse, the vision of the place as amphitheater had no constituency of its own - no choirs, orchestras, community theater troupes all demanding an outdoor place to perform.
To the baseball community visions of anything other than a ball park were threatening. Nor were its members in any mood to talk about "multiple use" with a bunch of visionary intruders. Even if there had been a clamor of musicians and impresarios, the baseball community wasn't about to give ground. In fact they argued that any other activity on a baseball field would destroy the field.
To drive home their resolve, they fenced off the field to protect their turf, literally.
Nor was this the first time a vision conflicted with reality in Rieke's backyard. Visions of a weather-protected, covered farmers' market vaporized when the Hillsdale Farmers' Market board, citing logistical issues, decided it didn't want to be covered, thank you very much.
The reality of the present and visions of the future are certain to conflict again - here and elsewhere. The hope is that our experiences at Rieke have taught us a few lessons about change.
Here are just three.
· Make sure to have an established need - and constituency - to go with your vision for change.
· Anticipate how your vision, as exciting as it may be, collides with the excitement of the present (Think of a diving catch or a grand-slam home run!)
· Look for opportunities that address everyone's concerns and interests. It's that holy grail of win/win.
Finally, for those who feel threatened by the visions of others, by all means object, but don't be objectionable. After all, you owe the existence of a ball park here or an amphithheater somewhere else to someone's past vision.
Rick Seifert
Editor
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Behind-the-Scenes Hillsdale leader
John Braidwood, 69, dies
John Braidwood, who played an essential role in the formation of the Hillsdale Town Center and the Hillsdale Farmers Market, died May 19 of heart failure. He was 69 years old. He had been fighting cancer for nearly two years.
Braidwood became actively engaged in Hillsdale not long after retiring as president of Molded Container Corporation. His wife, Ardys Wardin Braidwood and her two brothers, Albert and John Wardin, own the Hillsdale Shopping Center and several other commercial properties in the town center.
John supported his wife's work managing the properties, and, on his own, he bought the former Poncho's building (now Casa Colima) as well as the fenced parking lot adjacent to it.
In early 2002, as owner of the restaurant property, which then housed Mucho Grande restaurant, Braidwood offered the free use of the restaurant's parking lot on Sundays to those who wanted to start a farmers market.
Farmers' market manager Eamon Molloy said, "We wouldn't have a market without John. It's that plain and simple. We did it with a handshake."
Mike Roach, co-owner of Paloma Clothing and president of the Hillsdale Business and Professional Association, said that Braidwood's efforts can be credited with the survival of Rieke Elementary School, which was threatened with closure two years ago.
The school district backed off its closure plans because Hillsdale is a Metro-designated town center, Roach said. Working behind the scenes, Braidwood was essential to the formation of the town center and the creation of its plan.
"Without the town center designation and the plan, Rieke would have been a goner," Roach said. "No other commercial property owner was taking an interest in the plan at all, until John got them to come together to back it."
At Braidwood's initiative, the owners agreed to be assesssed to pay for a local improvement district that included a mid-block crossing, new sidewalks, street trees, and a street realignment of Sunset Boulevard at Capitol.
"He really cared deeply about the success of the business district and its commercial tenants. He spent a lot of energy making sure that success happened," said Roach.
John Craig Braidwood was born August 6, 1938, in Birmingham, Michigan, the third of three children, and died May 19, 2008, in Waldport, Oregon. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of science degree in forestry. After working in Colorado, Washington and Virginia, he came to Oregon in 1960 to work in the state Forestry Department. In 1962 he joined Omark Industries where he helped develop the "Chip It" machine. In 1972, he left Omark to become president of Molded Container Corporation.
He and Ardys Wardin married in 1969, and in 1970 he adopted Ardys' three previously adopted children, Chris, Julianne and Matthew. "Family was the single most important part of his life," Chris said.
The Braidwood couple traveled extensively after John's retirement. Among their many foreign destinations were China and Africa, which they visited three times.
Survivors include Braidwood's wife, Ardys; brother, Ken, of Naples Florida;
sister Barbara Blaisus, of Clawson, Michigan, the three Braidwood children, Chris Braidwood-Reid, Julianne Braidwood-Ringsmuth, and Matthew Braidwood; and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the Burlingame Church,125 SW Miles, across from Fulton Park at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 28, to be followed by a reception at The Chart House Restaurant, 5700 SW Terwilliger Parkway.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be made by donation to the Oregon Zoo Foundation or Neighborhood House.
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Food Front General Manager Holly Jarvis and Marketing and Outreach Director Tom Mattox are spending more time in the vacant Hillsdale store, which now under renovation.
Food Front Co-op seeks
new owner/members
in Hillsdale
To help pay for refurbishing the Hillsdale Food Front store, slated to open at the end of the summer, the cooperative's management has set a goal of signing up 400 new owner/members from the community.
The drive is off to a fast start. More than 65 have signed up at a Food Front booth inside the Hillsdale Farm Market and at a May 12 celebration of the lease signing at the old Wild Oats site where the new Food Front will be.
Owner/members pay a one-time $150 fee, either as a lump sum or in $5 monthly installments. The memberships serve for both individuals and families and are fully refundable.
Tom Mattox, Food Front marketing and community outreach director, and Holly Jarvis, Food Front general manager, speaking at the May Hillsdale Business and Professional Association meeting, emphasized that it isn't necessary to be an owner/member to shop at the store.
The new owner/members will join the more than 3000 who already own shares in the co-op, which has a store on NW Thurman Street.
Food Front will spend $1.17 million to stock the store and make improvements, which include new floors, lighting, shelving, check stands and refrigeration units. Work on the store began May 19.
In the next few weeks, Food Front owner/members will be invited to make loans to the cooperative. The loans will pay interest comparable to certificates of deposits, said Jarvis. The money, combined with bank loans and Food Front reserves, will pay for opening costs.
Food Front also will begin hiring soon for the Hillsdale store. Jarvis said that the co-op wants to hire those who live nearby. She said the store will need checkers and stockers. Qualifications include "people skills" and a good work ethic, Jarvis said.
A position that may be hard to fill is that of meat cutter because cutters are in short supply, she said.
The two managers also seek suggestions from visitors to the farmers' market booth. While the Thurman Street and Hillsdale stores will have many products in common, clientele tastes and preferences also will differ, they said. The suggestions will tell the managers exactly how to make the Hillsdale store meet local desires.
Eamon Molloy, the Hillsdale Farmers Market manager, said that Food Front's presence in the market is already telling its managers what market patrons like. "I know conversations are happening between the vendors and Food Front," he said.
Molloy said that the market and the cooperative complement each other. "We both support community and community businesses. We believe in building a stronger 'buy local' presence in Hillsdale."
Jarvis said she has been moved by the warm response Food Front has received from the Hillsdale community. "We've been in Northwest Portland for so long that we've been taken for granted. It's nice not to be taken for granted," Jarvis said.
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Multnomah Farmers' Market needs volunteers
 The new Multnomah Village Farmers' Market, slated to open Thursday, June 5th, is looking for a few good volunteers.
Well, not a few. A lot, says Eamon Molloy, the market's manager.
"Community efforts don't happen without volunteers - whether it's a food co-op or farmers' market," Molloy said.
Those interested in pitching in can call Molloy at (503) 475-6555 or e-mail info@multnomahvillagefm.org
The new market, whose logo is above, will be on Thursday evenings from 3:30 to 7:30 through September at the covered basketball court next to the Multnomah Arts Center.
Molloy said that the market could use a pool of 30 to 40 volunteers working two hour-shifts. "But I'll take what I can get," he added.
Tasks include helping unload and pack up vendor vehicles, counting and greeting patrons and taking down and putting up booths.
He urged high school students desirous of special community service diplomas to consider volunteering as a way to fulfill the diploma's requirements.
"We need friendly people," he said. "I hate to use the Wal-Mart and Costco greeters as an example, but it works for them."
He added that the new market, which is sponsored by the Multnomah Village Business Association, plans to have music but needs a volunteer to schedule it.
Molloy, who also manages the Sunday Hillsdale Farmers' Market, said that some volunteers might want to work in both markets. A few Hillsdale market volunteers live in Multnomah and have shown an interest in helping out at the new market.
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Portland firm to generate plan for Hillsdale
Sera, a well-known Portland design, architecture and planning firm, has been awarded a $30,000, city-funded project to develop a strategy for future development in Hillsdale.
Tim Smith, who will be oversee the project for Sera, said the firm will seek broad community support for the proposal through meetings and public workshops.
The work calls for Sera to come up with three alternatives to present to the community. A "preferred Town Center Urban Design Concept and Development Scenario" will be identified after public comment and discussion.
The final product, to be completed this fall, will include recommended actions for implementation.
Paul Pawlowski, who lives in southwest Portland, will be Sera's project manager and senior urban designer on the project.
Sera will also work closely with commercial property owners, the neighborhood association and the Hillsdale Working Group. The working group includes a school parent representative and representatives from the Farmers' Market, the neighborhood association and the business and professional association.
Brian Sheehan, the City of Portland planner for the area, will also work on the project.
Smith said the Sera has worked on similar projects in the Kenton and Lents neighborhoods and in the Gateway district.
He said that Sera team members are "impressed with the Hillsdale neighborhood's involvement and knowledge of itself."
"It's a wonderful little community and a wonderful opportunity," he said.
In its proposal, Sera said that it would "develop urban design alternatives, identify potential catalyst projects, and define possible development scenarios that balance current market needs with community desires."
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Rick Seifert
Editor, Hillsdale News
(503) 245-7821
editor@hillsdalenews.org
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