Parkrose Life: Recent Episodes
Bryan Atkinson
Parkrose Life is your ticket to knowing and enjoying the neighborhood! I’m Bryan Atkinson, Realtor and community connector. On this show, I interview guests about their passion for the Parkrose area. Whether you’ve lived here for decades or just days, this show is for you. This is Parkrose Life.
JR Lilly is seemingly one of the most connected people in East Portland!
He is a cornerstone member of our community and a member of the Dineh (Navajo Nation). In this conversation, JR sets the tone by framing his identity by introducing himself from an indigenous worldview and how that framework of collectivism differs from individualism. He grew up in extreme poverty on the Navajo Reservation and wanted a way out of poverty. He studied business administration at Lee University in Tennessee. JR shares the many ways he’s sought healing from trauma and encourages others to seek healing.
JR came across the book One Church, Many Tribes by Richard Twiss, which was also an influential book for my faith when I read it (and later Rescuing The Gospel From The Cowboys: A Native American Expression Of The Jesus Way). JR worked with Twiss which brought him to the Northwest and was impacted by Twiss’s focus on being a good neighbor and being present in his community at the expense of his worldwide influence and income.
Because of JR’s humble desire to serve others coupled with his business background and experience with non-profit law, budgets, and fundraising at NAYA, he is often invited to be on non-profit boards. He currently serves on eight (8!) boards:
Portland Parks Foundation
Urban Forestry Commission
Historic Parkrose
Our Just Future (formerly Human Solutions)
National Christian Community Development Association
Redtail Woodworks
Mending Wings (Yakima)
Peace Center Academy (Hopi)
in addition to committee work with:
East Portland Action Plan, economic subcommittee cochair
Thrive East PDX
East Portland Tax Increment Finance Exploration Committee
East Portland Parks Coalition
These are all volunteer positions on top of his job as Director of the Office of Community Involvement for Multnomah County.
JR recently worked with the Trail Blazers for Native American Heritage Month.
He talks about being guided by a higher power and his journey of healing that led him to measure his impact differently as he matured. We go deeper from there and circle back to JR’s work in Parkrose, so if you’ve read this far without listening, give the podcast a listen and let me know what you think, or get in touch with JR!
Rich Waggoner has been writing songs since he was a teenager in Parkrose. He shares his nostalgia for the Parkrose he knew, and we preview four of his original songs about growing up in Parkrose.
For more info about Rich Waggoner and Parkrose Life, check out the show notes for this episode at parkroselife.com/nostalgia-rich-waggoner-podcast
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com, and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
I met Officer Eric Zajac sipping coffee at the Rossi Farms barn. I expected police might be a bit guarded in this season of being heavily criticized yet undersupported to meet our community's high expectations. Eric struck me as open and down to earth, so it was an honor to interview him.
He shares about growing up in a nomadic military family, studying at New Mexico State, Portland intriguing him because of its community policing model, what it's like policing Portland in this era of distrust and increased homelessness, how these trends have affected him personally, and what it's like working in the Parkrose area specifically.
You can write Eric at eric.zajac@portlandoregon.gov.
In the episode outro, I reference a clash between the Proud Boys and Antifa that happened in August 2021. You can read these articles (linked to in the website show notes) to remember "yes, that actually did happen." It was scary and upsetting, and it could have gone even worse.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com, and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Since so many people in Parkrose know of Annette Stanhope and have benefited from her work in the community but don’t necessarily know her well, I wanted to ask Annette about her life and interests before and outside her life in Parkrose. She grew up in a musical family in Issaquah but spent a lot of time at her grandmother’s house in… Parkrose! Her grandma was part of St. Rita Catholic Church that connected with the neighborhood through spaghetti dinners.
Annette studied literature at Seattle University, and that’s where she met her would-be husband Mark. It turns out dating long distance while he was in veterinary school years later allowed her to work for National Civilian Community Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC). Those varied experiences sparked her initial interest in community involvement, so she was ready to jump into community when she bought her grandmother’s Parkrose house. As a young mom, she wanted to meet more neighbors, so she joined the Parkrose Neighborhood Association and began meeting people. She also got involved with the Prescott Elementary parent group, and for the past few years, she’s worked for Historic Parkrose as well.
We discuss some history of the neighborhood and the effect that city planning and development have on our daily lives. Annette also shared that being so heavily involved can cause burnout and encouraged others to get involved. She’s got so much going on, so tune in and learn about Annette and some of the great projects she and others are working on in Parkrose!
You can email Annette at parkroseneighbors@gmail.com or outreach@historicparkrose.com for things specific to Historic Parkrose or message Annette on Facebook.
Annette shared a great way to participate in April 2022 is the Parkrose Community Plan open house! There are two options to be part of the same presentation and conversation: Saturday, April 9, 3:00 – 4:30 pm and Thursday, April 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com, and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
As the Life Skills Lead Teacher at Parkrose High School, Jake Dorr helps students with a range of challenges such as autism, Down syndrome, and other learning disabilities. He uniquely designs learning opportunities for his students based on their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). He also works alongside other Parkrose faculty so students with certain challenges can excel in the general education courses and graduate. He works with students in a classroom setting, and at other times he works as a "manager of an airport" since people are always coming and going and he has several responsibilities. He oversees schedules and works with educational assistants to keep everything going while maintaining flexibility with students' needs.
He shared several success stories of ways he has helped students and also gives kudos to the teachers and educational assistants and the collaboration and communication among Parkrose schools serving different ages of students and also the Life Education for Adults of Parkrose (LEAP) students.
Jake grew up in Philomath, and fun fact, he and I both met our wives while working as counselors at Camp Tadmor in Lebanon, OR.
As an artist, Jake incorporates a lot of icons and graphics in his teaching. You can check out his art or contact him at his website jakedorr.com, @whatjakesees on Instagram, and Jake of All Trades on YouTube.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Sara Edmond looks for every opportunity she can to serve others, particularly people experiencing homelessness and women in the residential program she completed herself, Shepherd's Door, which is in the Russell neighborhood where she now lives.
I met Sara while volunteering at a Compassion Connect health clinic hosted by Gateway Church (also in Russell, and fun fact: where I went to preschool and was taught by Mrs. Rydman whom I discovered I now live 4 blocks from). Sara welcomed each clinic guest with care, and I noticed how even as a volunteer, she made sure to do everything at a high standard. Compassion Connect even asked me to film her demonstrating her role for a volunteer training video. In addition to speaking to women with Portland Rescue Mission, Sara is part of a Search and Rescue team from Union Gospel Mission that brings resources, food, and love to homeless camps in the Gateway and Parkrose area.
Sara is passionate about her involvement with Gateway Church and works as a caterer for Holiday Inn.
If you'd like to talk with Sara, you're welcome to message her on Facebook or email her at carmenandian1@gmail.com.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Andrew Speer has been a resident of the Russell and Argay Terrace neighborhoods for many years, and he was elected to the Mt. Hood Community College District Board of Education in 2019 to a four-year term representing Zone 3. We chat about the possibilities for the Maywood Park MHCC campus. He also was selected to a 20-person commission to review the City of Portland’s charter, our constitution, which is a two-year process.
This review process may yield the most significant changes to our city government structure in a century, and there are several opportunities for input before the ballot items are written and selected.
To learn more, read “Everything You Wanted to Know about Portland Charter Review But Were Afraid to Ask.”
You can write Andrew at Andrew.speer@mhcc.edu or Andrew.speer@portlandoregon.gov depending on what you want to discuss.
As of January 2022, there are currently two related short-term surveys, one for MHCC, and another for the charter review.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this with a neighbor!
Amy Driscoll is the Program Manager at David's Harp connected to Parkrose United Methodist Church in the Parkrose Heights neighborhood. She's a board-certified music therapist with a Bachelor’s in Music Therapy from Marylhurst University. We chat about the sad history and sad current state of affairs in mental health care in the state of Oregon and how David's Harp fills in gaps in service. Many of the people David's Harp live nearby on their own, in adult foster care, or in residential care facilities. They're our neighbors, and Amy shares how we can engage adults with mental illness and addresses common misconceptions as well as volunteer opportunities at David's Harp. She also shares about the Parkrose Heights Community Garden and how neighbors can be part of it!
You can contact Amy with questions or about volunteering or joining the David's Harp board: amy.driscoll@cascadiabhc.org
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Masha Egorenko works at Parkrose Middle School through IRCO as a Slavic Community Coordinator & Youth Advocate. She shares about Slavic culture and community, the history of immigration from the former USSR, ethnic identity, and faith-based values. She talks about what the Slavic community's strengths are and her advocacy efforts to improve school services for Slavic families.
For show notes, more background information, and useful resources related to this conversation, check out this episode post at parkroselife.com/masha-egorenko/.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Several years ago I attended a talk at the Midland library about the indigenous history of Portland given by Tracy J. Prince who's a Research Professor at Portland State University in their American Indian Teacher Program. I learned so much from that talk and still have my hand-written notes stored away for reference. I've followed her online since then, and she was gracious enough to reconnect with me and join the podcast to share rare insights about the indigenous people of what's now Parkrose, east Portland, and also Oregon more broadly.
Tracy answers questions about the name of the band of Chinookan people who lived in this area (Watlala aka Cascades) and whether people likely had homes in Parkrose and surrounding neighborhoods. She reads from an article revealing that Rocky Butte was called "Mowitch Illihee," which means "home of the deer." As far as I know, that last sentence is the first time that information has ever been published online! She says people likely had plank houses in the Parkrose area, but there is no record of that. She shares about the culture, languages, and lifestyle people had and the mostly-ignored history of indigenous people living alongside settlers in Portland. Tracy also talks about her work with Portland Public Schools to create a new indigenous history curriculum for third graders.
Check out her Facebook page and Instagram and her books!
A few more links you might find interesting are:
Luuwit View Park - name info
Chinook Indian Nation - bands of Chinook still seeking federal recognition (centered around Chinook, WA and Astoria, OR)
Cathlapotle Plank House in Ridgefield, WA
Artists Greg Robinson and Greg Archuleta
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Producer Andru Morgan talks music, coffee, real estate, Trail Blazers, and Parkrose Life with host Bryan Atkinson!
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Donell Morgan is the director of Elevate Oregon whose mentors build relationships with Parkrose students to promote education and help them develop leadership, life skills, and character. He is a former professional basketball player with college coaching experience who now coaches the Parkrose boys basketball team. Donell shares how all of his life experiences and values of mentorship culminated in his role with Elevate.
I first met Donell when we were both on the Parkrose-Argay Development Study committee advocating for our community. He's a neighbor of mine in Argay Terrace, and I've enjoyed getting to know him. He's such a valuable member of our community through his work at the school and his mentorship to students and now to other mentors.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Ashley Brassea and I first met because she was running for Parkrose School Board, and she was one of my first interviews for the Parkrose Life blog!
She's a caring friend who lives in Maywood Park and is now Vice-Chair of the Parkrose School Board. She is also a pastor of Fremont United Methodist Church and a student at Portland Seminary. She deeply cares about racial justice as well as equity and inclusion for all people in our community.
We talk about the great relational community here in Parkrose, especially through our schools. Ashley shares how she's personally grown in her role as a school board member and the challenges involved in working in a bureaucratic structure when you aren't a "rule follower." She also shares wisdom about being willing to be corrected and learn but also to keep working in humility.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
James Helms founded Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters and Rocky Butte Espresso Bar. He connects people in his neighborhood together and sparks his neighbors to dream about flourishing in their community. A self-described “instigator,” he is a leader of the Parish Collective in Portland.
This was the first podcast interview we recorded, so I'm thankful for James for being my test subject. We talked about simple neighboring, allowing our relationships with neighbors to flow out from who we are without feeling pressure to act a certain way or accomplish an ulterior motive.
James didn't originally intend to stay in his neighborhood of Madison South long-term. The real estate market dived and he began taking the message of "love your neighbor as yourself" literally. He wanted to get to know his neighbors and invited them to a barbecue.
To some of us, this kind of thing is perfectly natural. For others, it might seem weird, or it might sound nice but daunting to socially interact with strangers who also live next door. I grilled him on the best approach for community relationships, and he consistently answers by saying not to overthink it!
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
If there is one family most closely associated with Parkrose, it's gotta be the Rossis. Joe represents the fourth generation of his family to farm in Parkrose, and their iconic barn on NE 122nd south of Shaver St is probably the most distinctive sight in the whole Parkrose area. Rossi Farms is an active farm that hosts plenty of community events, weddings, and private parties.
Joe is a treasure trove of stories about the last 100+ years in Parkrose and the people who've made this place home. His family began farming in the area in 1910, and Joe worked with his dad Aldo near-daily for 38 years from the age of 8. Joe tells the history of Parkrose and its transition from forest to farmland and begins to look ahead after completing the Parkrose-Argay Development Study he invited me to participate in.
Joe has always been a community connector, and he's taken on many roles in the neighborhood including football coach, philanthropist, board member, and great party host. He remains deeply involved in supporting after-school programs and projects that improve and support the community of Parkrose. His family history in the area (and how well he's remembered it from photos and stories passed down) and his personal involvement, as a continuation of his father Aldo's legacy, give Joe a truly unique perspective of Parkrose: past, present, and future.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!
Welcome to the Parkrose Life podcast!
I start this episode with a short introduction to myself, Bryan Atkinson, before we meet our first guest and show producer Andru Morgan.
Early this year, Andru Morgan floated the idea of working on a podcast together to me, and we started brainstorming and scheduling our first guest. Then Covid came, and I naively thought, "let's postpone a week." Several months later and we made it happen with an awesome list of guests for our first episodes!
I met Andru because he helped us make a promotional video for Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters, and we got closer talking about the neighborhood. When his family moved to Portland, he was working on his business Seeing God's Beauty Media and then connected with Leroy Barber (who went on to start Grinds and Vines in Gateway). That relationship led to Andru and his wife Regina pastoring Parkrose United Methodist Church in Parkrose Heights, and they have already connected with a lot of community members relationally. Regina operates the Naturally Beautiful Project from a renovated room in the church space, offering free African American natural hair care through teaching and experiencing braiding and natural hair styling.
Andru shares what it's been like relating to people as an African American in a predominately white congregation and neighborhood. His experiences as a homeless youth and serving homeless people give him a unique perspective in our community and have helped him to recognize the real needs and provide creative solutions. We end the show by discussing how we're better together than isolating ourselves in our default groups.
You can check out more community stories and get real estate insights at parkroselife.com and please share this podcast with a neighbor!