Sunnyside Neighborhood Association

Chris Waldmann, President

My wife, Erika, and I moved to Portland a bit unexpectedly in 2017 when her father needed some help after a health crisis. We first rented a house on SE Washington and 36th as a transitional space, and we quickly learned that this was the absolute perfect neighborhood for us to resettle in after years on the east coast. My vision is pretty bad, so I don’t drive or bike (much), so I’ve always lived in very walkable neighborhoods with good transit options, but Sunnyside really takes it to a new level! I love living in a true 15-minute neighborhood with tons of locally-owned retail and restaurants as well as access to local parks. I joined the SNA Board during the pandemic not only to help the community I love, but also to create new friendships and connections. It’s been a great experience and I am proud to serve my third year as president. I live and work out of our graceful 1901 fixer-upper with Erika, our dog Mojie, and my father-in-law in our basement apartment.

Hannah Wallace, Vice President

I moved to Portland (and Sunnyside) in 2010 from Brooklyn, NY, and have chosen to stay in Sunnyside ever since. As someone who has never owned a car, the walkability of the neighborhood appealed to me and I loved—love!—its proximity to parks, buses, and restaurants, all of which reminded me of my Brooklyn neighborhood in Williamsburg. I got involved in the SNA in early 2021 when the Sunnyside Shower Project took off and then-president Ash Hester asked if I’d write a column for the newsletter (“Getting to Know your Neighbors.”) That May I ran for, and was elected to, the Board because, I figured, “I’m already doing the work!” Three years later, I’m still on the Board and have so enjoyed getting to know all my neighbors. I’m a freelance journalist—I write about regenerative agriculture, climate, wine, and social justice issues. I live with my husband, Don, who is also a journalist (and editor of the Northwest Labor Press) and who is sadly allergic to cats. (Which is why I befriend all the cats of Sunnyside.) 

Eric Miller, Treasurer

Sunnyside has been my home for about two years. I love the architecture, people and convenience of the neighborhood. I enjoy the access to the coast for beach strolls and mountains for hiking. I love the mix of homes and stores, new and old houses and apartment buildings, and ability to spend most of my day without using a car. I also like all the interactions I have when just going for a walk – that’s rare in many American neighborhoods. After living in Dallas (Texas) for many years, I look forward to the short days and rainy weather. I’ve spent most of my career in communications, writing sentences and reorganizing words, keeping people on the same page and promoting everything from real estate to vintage markets. I live with my husband, Lin, mother-in-law, Zhen, three cats and a dog. You might find me at a coffee shop, at Laurelhurst Park, working on our old house, at a concert or one of the many art openings around Portland.

Crystal Bauer Feldman, Secretary

I relocated to Portland from Los Angeles where I worked with celebrities including Julian Marley, Mariah Carey, and Bobby Brown Jr.  I have a background in marketing and public relations, but after the birth of my son, I decided to pursue a career in education. Today I work in Special Education at Lincoln High School and also write for Oregon Kid magazine. I have experience serving on several Boards. I also serve on the Design Team for the Center for Black Student Excellence. I directed a film shown at the Portland Film Festival—The Strangest Bridge in Portland—created with, and starring, students at Rosa Parks Elementary. I have a passion for social justice, racial equity, and for amplifying voices that can often be overlooked by traditional success stories. I hope to continue my work across the communities I live in, work in, and dutifully serve.

Dresden de Vera, Director-at-Large

I’ve lived in Sunnyside for four years and have been bouncing around Portland for nine. I make my income befriending travelers over good food, stiff drinks, and cool sights. I started Throw Snakes Tours as a means of signal boosting the heavenliness of this city to the larger world. I’m joining the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association to create more reasons to Love Portland! Specifically, I want to work on having a more intimate understanding of the businesses on Hawthorne and I want to be involved in creating community events. I’m envious of what the Overlook Neighborhood Association has accomplished with Porchfest, and I love the idea of Sunnyside having its own signature event!

Andru Morgan, Director-at-Large

I’m husband to Regina Morgan and father to our four young adult children and a fur kid named Seven. Regina and I are the founders of the Naturally Beautiful Project, a non-profit organization located in the heart of the Sunnyside community. I’m passionate about community service, teaching children media, and making documentaries. Aside from serving as a member of this Board, I also serve on the FLIP Children’s Museum and the NW Museum of Cartoon Arts Boards.
Note: we did a Q&A with Andru in the January 2024 issue of this newsletter.

Tim Quayle, Director-at-Large

My family and I relocated from California to Portland in 2019, and we lucked out in finding a home in Sunnyside within our price range. From Day One we were enamored with everything about our new community—the eclectic blend of housing (including beautiful early 20th century homes), the shaded, tree-lined streets, the close proximity to amenities, and the warm, welcoming nature of our neighbors. I love that the neighborhood provides a mix of rental and owner-occupied homes, as I feel strongly that stellar communities like Sunnyside should be available to folks at all income levels. I’ve spent much of my career working in public transportation, and one of things that drew my family to Sunnyside was its walk/bike-ability and excellent transit service. My goal in joining the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Board is to enhance these aspects even further. While Sunnyside offers a variety of fantastic travel options, there is still much to be done to improve safety for all road users. I am eager to collaborate with fellow residents to promote traffic safety, particularly on high-risk routes like Cesar Chavez, and make our community even better for everyone.

Hello neighbors! This is the first in a series of columns that will report on news and events from your friendly neighborhood school, Sunnyside Environmental.

Located on SE Salmon St. between SE 34th and 35th, SES is a K-8 “focus option” neighborhood school. We guarantee admission to all elementary and middle school-aged children within the school boundary, and also welcome many students from other neighborhoods who gain admission through the district lottery. As a “focus option” school we provide a plethora of place-based learning experiences both on and off the school grounds, in addition to traditional academics. This includes visits to parks, rivers, and forests throughout the metro area, as well as to places such as OMSI, SCRAP, the Bird Alliance of Oregon, and a variety of art museums.

On campus, students are able to learn in the garden, cook in the community kitchen, and have weekly art, physical education, and library classes. Our teachers use the Scottish Storyline method in their curriculum, which uses a child’s natural enthusiasm for imagination and story-making to teach anything from science to socio-emotional skills. For example, my elementary-aged children have learned about animal habitats by helping (imaginary) lost baby squirrels decide where to live, and learned about emotional regulation by creating superhero personas with strengths such as “grit” and “mindfulness” who combat villains such as “Glass Man” (who gets disproportionately upset) and “Rock Brain” (who doesn’t like to listen to other people’s ideas).  In other words, the Storyline method provides an opportunity for active learning. SES is a lovely learning community. 

We welcomed students back on August 27th and it’s exciting to have the hallways full again. We have (slightly) different hours this year; school still begins at 8:45 am, but K-5 releases at 3:15 p.m., while the middle school gets out at 3:30 p.m., so be prepared for a little bit of traffic in the vicinity of the school around those times. Our school is closed to the public during school hours, but after 3:30 p.m. the yard becomes a public park, so feel free to stop by, walk your dog, have your kids play on the playground, and enjoy the space after that time. 

If you see a group of school-aged kids with adults biking through the neighborhood in the direction of SES on a Wednesday morning, it’s probably Bike Bus! SES’s Bike Bus is led by SES parents, who organize groups of kids to ride bikes together to school on a weekly basis. This fosters a sense of camaraderie, helps reduce carbon emissions, and encourages kids to embrace cycling as a fun and social activity. SES’s Bike Bus meets at 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday mornings at four different intersections in the neighborhood, and then cycles to school. Each route is led by an experienced adult and SES students of all ages participate. Some SES students join on their own, while others bring one or more of their adults with them.

We will be having our first fundraising event of the year, Run Walk Move, at the SES campus on Friday, October 4th from 9 – 11:30 am. This is a super fun event that many students look forward to every year. Kids are grouped by age, then run, walk, or move in laps around the school yard. For those who would prefer to dance, we play energizing music while instructors lead dance routines on a separate part of the blacktop. Many teachers and family members stand on the side of the run/walk/move route cheering students on, waving streamers, and providing water and snacks, while others join in the running, walking, moving, and dancing. If you know a SES student and would like to sponsor their participation in this event, they would be very happy to receive your donation. Money raised through Run Walk Move is used to support our garden and field study programs.

As a public school, our unfortunate reality is that we are always fundraising. If you are interested in supporting your neighborhood’s place-based public K-8 learning community, we would be beyond grateful.

Donations to either the Run Walk Move event or the Back to School Ask fundraiser can be made at sesptsa.square.site.  Thank you for helping us educate local children and for being a larger part of our wonderful school community.

Have questions about SES? Email [email protected] and maybe I’ll answer them in a future column!