Neighborhood Newsletter Archives - Page 11 of 55 - Sunnyside Neighborhood Association

Let’s Get Moving

Spring is here and it’s a great time to get moving and head outdoors. Having good cardiovascular health and being fit and strong are two of the main pillars of good health. In fact, lack of physical activity is now considered the fourth global cause of death just after high blood pressure, smoking and high blood sugar. A recent study from Kaiser Permanente’s Family Foundation has found that today’s youth spends an average of seven-and-a-half hours of screen time a day and only seven minutes outside moving. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that not exercising may be worse for your health than smoking.

If that doesn’t persuade you, exercise also has amazing health benefits. Number one is brain health. Two of my favorite brain and Alzheimer doctors, Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, authors of The Alzheimer’s Solution, argue that exercise is even more important for brain health than heart health. It is amazing for learning, memory, focus, anxiety and mood. It does this by greatly increasing blood flow to the brain and increasing endorphins and neurotransmitters such as dopamine. It is also fantastic for the immune system. Even just 10 minutes of movement can increase infection-fighting immune cells by up to 50%. Weight bearing exercise is awesome for bone health and keeping our muscles strong, specifically leg and core muscles, which helps prevent falls as we age.

Exercise can also increase energy. Think of the law of physics. An object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest. If you are feeling exhausted and unmotivated, just get up and try a little movement for five minutes, a walk around the block or do a few stretches. See if you can get that object (yourself) in motion.

It’s important to find the exercise that works for you and that brings you joy. Walking is great. As I write this, spring and its beauty are bursting forth—trees are blooming, daffodils, trilliums and tulips are blossoming. I love smelling jasmine trees and hearing the songbirds on my walks with the dog.

Maybe for you, it’s grabbing a friend and going for a hike in Forest Park or hopping on a bike to take the Laurelhurst Park loop or the Springwater Corridor. Find what works for you. So put that screen down, boost your energy (and your mood), and let’s get moving!

Sunnyside Neighborhood: Getting to Know Your Neighbors

Q&A with Sam Rosenthal

Sam Rosenthal is musician and label producer — his band Black Tape for a Blue Girl has been producing its signature ethereal darkwave and goth rock sound since 1986, and his associated record label Projekt Records turns 40 this year. The label has produced over 300 releases, and Rosenthal himself continues to produce his own music year after year. 2023 also marks 10 years of Rosenthal living in Portland after spending most of his life in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Brooklyn—almost all of his time in Portland has been in the Sunnyside neighborhood, just off of Hawthorne Boulevard.

How long have you lived in Sunnyside?

Sam: I’ll have lived in Portland for 10 years at the end of July. Brooklyn, NY was the last place I lived. When I moved to Portland, I moved into a month-to-month apartment downtown. I moved myself and my business, so there was a lot to move. I was fortunate enough to buy a house when things were still “reasonable,” especially compared to Brooklyn at the time.

What was the draw? Why did you settle on Portland?

Sam: The number one thing was to move out of Brooklyn. I was on tour and had friends in Portland who suggested moving here. It’s a very small town compared to Brooklyn or L.A., but it’s got the cool parts of Brooklyn.

Do you think you’re going to stay in Portland for the foreseeable future?

Sam: My partner lives here; I’m staying here. I really like living in—for lack of a better term—“blue bubbles” and Portland is a nice one. People were moving to Austin or Portland ten years ago but I never thought of living in a “red state” for any reason. Portland feels like a really good spot to be.

What do you love about Sunnyside? Do you normally stay in the neighborhood or do you venture out much?

Sam: When I was living in Brooklyn, my son was in elementary school. Each day I would walk, pick him up and walk back home…. It was a very small neighborhood. I love that [Sunnyside] is a walkable neighborhood…. You really don’t have to drive that much here. Bars, food, and whatever convenience you need is right around here. I work from home, and I can stay at home all day, but it’s nice that there are these places right there. After ten years, I ended up in my little one mile square area.

When you do go out, where do you like to go?

Sam: Reel M Inn. Hat Yai on Belmont. Tov Coffee. I used to host a film series called Movies in the Dark at the Hollywood Theatre and at Clinton Street Theater, but not since the pandemic. I’m COVID-cautious, as my partner’s mom is immunocompromised; I’ve eaten in one restaurant since February 2020, and haven’t been to any clubs or bars. So I’m not the most aware of what’s new in the restaurant or bar scene here. But I have gotten much better at baking bread!

Are you involved in the local music scene much?

Sam: The music I produce isn’t related to Portland—the artists are from around the world. There are a lot of Italians and Australians on the label right now. Ash Sain’s band Trance To The Sun and Soriah are my friends; they were the people I knew in Portland who I visited before deciding to move here. Because of COVID-cautiousness, I don’t see any shows, local or national. The last show I saw was Projekt artist Aurelio Voltaire at the Star Theater in February of 2020.

As a lifelong resident myself, I’ve seen the neighborhood change a lot. But it’s probably changed the most in the decade you’ve been here. Is there anything about these changes you don’t like?

Sam: The things that have changed in Sunnyside are the things that I might be missing soon. The amount of small, weird businesses that are being replaced by condos are kind of a drag.

If you could change something about the neighborhood, then, what would it be?

Sam: A lot of the problem is capitalism; the thing that gets the most complaints is the homeless problem, but the problem is capitalism. I don’t have an answer for that, but I do think it’s part of the problem. We are more than our labor. It’s not a “Sunnyside issue.” How do you fix the issue within the system that is the cause of the issue?

Finally, cats or dogs?

Sam: I’m a cat person! My current cat, Nova, is 18. I adopted her when she was 14. Our new album is coming out soon.

A collaboration album with your cat?

Sam: Yeah, I record her purrs and extend it and add ambient music to it. It’s our second [album]. Most of what I release is digital, so it’s easy to make an album with a cat. The new one is more music and not just purring.

To hear Rosenthal’s cat albums, go here: tinyurl.com/SamCatAlbum

His most recent Black Tape for a Blue Girl Album, The Cleft Serpent, is also on Spotify: tinyurl.com/TheCleftSerpent

Annual Meeting and Board Elections May 11th

We hope you will join us for our annual election and consider running for one of our open board positions. The meeting is going to be on May 11th at 7 p.m. at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main Street). No experience is required, and our fun and friendly board will help you figure things out right from the beginning. It’s a great way to get involved in your community and have a voice.

All residents within the Sunnyside neighborhood boundaries are eligible to run and vote (whether you rent or own is not relevant), as well as non-resident property owners. You can also run (and vote) if you are the sole designated representative of any businesses, nonprofit organization, school, or church in Sunnyside. This year we are looking to fill four two-year terms. Meetings are on the second Thursday of each month. Commitments vary depending on your interests and passions.

Serving on the neighborhood association board can be rewarding and very educational. You will be among the first to know when things are changing in the neighborhood. If you would like to send in a brief candidate’s statement to post to our website and be made available at the election, please email us at [email protected].

Candidates’ Statements

Ignacio Simon
I moved to Portland from Boston in early 2022. My partner Eleanor and I initially picked Sunnyside because of its excellent location and accessibility to transit. We like to move around by foot, bike or bus and the neighborhood certainly makes this easy. The more time I spend here, the more I realize that I made the right choice. Sunnyside is friendly, safe, and, most importantly, filled with people that understand the need for all of us to work together to support and improve our neighborhood.

Though I love living in Sunnyside, I also recognize that the neighborhood, like the city at-large, has its share of problems. As a renter, I am keenly aware of the housing/renting affordability crisis within our city. Many of us in Sunnyside feel precarious about our living situation and that’s more than the cause of a lot of stress; it threatens the very qualities that make Sunnyside a great place to live. The neighborhood’s sense of safety and community cannot survive if people are constantly priced out of settling down and building their lives here. Fundamentally, this is what the Sunnyside Land Use and Transportation Committee (which I now co-chair) believes and advocates for, and it is this message that I wish to amplify within the SNA as a board member.

Daniel Mandel
My family and I have been in the Sunnyside neighborhood for about 7 years. There were no lack of draws. The neighborhood’s quirky sense of individuality, architecture, lush gardens, a diverse array of restaurants, bars, shopping, art and very friendly neighbors all cemented our love for the neighborhood and will likely keep us here for many years to come. Advocating for a community that is safe, resilient and welcoming to current and future residents is at the heart of what I do as Co-Chair of the Land Use & Transportation Committee. I intend to build on Sunnyside’s inclusive and independent spirit by encouraging more of our neighbors to have their voices heard so we can all get involved with the future of our awesome neighborhood.

Mike Thelin
I fell in love with Sunnyside in the early 2000s when some friends and I rented a large flat across the street from the Triple Nickel, where we hosted open mics and music shows in our living room. That spirit of fun, creativity and collaboration has always been alive and well in this wonderful neighborhood, and I have always loved the diverse mix of people who call Sunnyside home—families, working artists, activists, and so many independent business owners. After living in North and Downtown Portland (and places further afield), my wife Winslett and I bought a house on SE 34th Avenue in 2018. Through my role as founder of Feast Portland, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with many individuals in Portland’s food, beverage, and cultural communities. I believe that its unique spirit of individualism, heartfelt small businesses and nonprofits are what make Portland such a gem, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Sunnyside.