Is Your 2012 New Year’s Resolution to Learn Spanish?

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From TierraCenter:

Learning a new language is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, perhaps because achieving this particular goal makes it possible to meet so many other goals in life. Whether you want to travel abroad with greater ease and understanding, advance your career, or enrich and expand your universe, learning a new language can also be one of the easier goals to attain.

With the increasing need for Spanish in today’s society, there exist many methods and opportunities to help you reach this goal. Popular at-home methods such as online programs can be useful tools to introduce and reinforce vocabulary and basic grammar, but they don’t offer opportunities to practice speaking and to receive feedback or ask questions. The numerous Spanish conversation clubs or language exchanges around town provide speaking practice, but again, do not offer feedback from knowledgeable teachers who are trained to explain why you should use “ser” instead of “estar,” for example.

We have found that the most effective and efficient way to really learn a new language is through professionally guided instruction and practice within a small group of language learners who are near the same level.
This is precisely what makes Tierra Educational Center in NE Portland an excellent choice for your Spanish study goals; Tierra provides a safe and encouraging environment for students to use Spanish to interact with their peers while being thoughtfully corrected by highly skilled teachers.

So if you really want to meet your New Year’s resolution to learn Spanish in 2012, enrolling in one of Tierra’s small group classes is the best way to start the year off on the right track. And, it’s always easier to keep your resolution if you have a resolution-buddy, so consider asking a friend to join you in your pursuit to learn Spanish.
Visit www.tierracenter.com for details, or call 503-213-3677.

Feliz Año Nuevo y buena suerte!

ABC’s of Land Use Workshop Returns

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Are you interested in learning more about Portland’s land use and development process?  Neighborhood associations and leaders often are asked to respond to land use notices or to help neighbors who are struggling with a land use issue. Many neighborhoods have a land use chair or other volunteer who is the point person for responding to these requests.  It can really help to learn more about how the land use system works and how to advocate for the community’s interests most effectively. Also, it’s often comforting and helpful to share experiences with other neighborhood activists facing the same challenges. 

The ABCs of Land Use workshops were designed to meet this need. The neighborhood coalitions, the Planning Bureau, and ONI have teamed up to host ABCs of Land Use workshop in different parts of the city a few times each year.  The next ABCs workshop is being hosted by Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition on Sat. January 28, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southeast Uplift office.

You can register for the workshop on line at:

http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?&c=57317
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NECN’s next Community Economic Development forum, at St. Andrew on February 1st

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The Community Economic Development Council
of the
Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods
presents
.
.
A Framework for Community Economic Development
in N/NE Portland

Learn how current state, regional and city policies shape neighborhood-level community economic development. Panelists will address how high-level policies translate into community benefits. Speakers will include representatives from state, regional, city and community perspectives. Q&A will follow panel presentations.

Wednesday, February 1st, from 7 – 9pm (6:30 schmooze & snacks)
St. Andrews Church, 806 NE Alberta, Portland, OR

This event is part of an ongoing speaker series. The series kicked-off November 1st with a highly successful event where over 100 people heard about the history of economic development in inner N/NE Portland.  Upcoming on April 3rd, we will bring together representatives from a variety of organizations addressing current resources for housing, food, transportation and all of the other components of an economically healthy community.   We will also be holding a workshop style event to gather information directly from community members about each of our own contributions and how we can share all share resources and strengthen our communities. For more information about the series, visit necoalition.org or call 503.823.4575.

Summary of KNA’s January Meeting

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January 12, 2012

Hi all,

Here’s what we decided to do, and not to do, and maybe to do, last night:

KNA voted to appeal any denial of Portland Playhouse’s permit, with the cooperation of the Playhouse and its legal representation.

KNA decided not to oppose a liquor license for Jackson’s mart on MLK. Instead, we will pursue a good neighbor agreement. Jeff has agreed to shepherd this process.

We decided informally to apply for a neighborhood tree inventory project, without committing ourselves to definitely doing it if approved. Alan and Katy will tackle that application.

We’re doing the Movie in the Park application, based on movie suggestions from last night. We’ve got our eye on one movie in particular: The Wiz! Again, we’re not committed to doing the Movie in the Park if approved. However, the Portland Playhouse has offered to help with various aspects of it, we can apply for ‘financial aid,’ and it seems like we can get this done much more inexpensively than last year.

KNA voted to formally request that NECN invite all candidates for mayor and city council to its upcoming candidate forums, regardless of the perceived popularity of the individual candidacies. Alan will write a letter.

We agreed, informally, to go ahead with a neighborhood clean-up this year. Brian of the Playhouse has agreed to take the lead on the paperwork, with an assist from Irek.

We will schedule a food security meeting quite soon! Katy Kanfer and I will figure that out.

We will schedule a land use/economic development (and transportation?) meeting soon – Irek will help us settle on a date for that.

KNA voted to request that NECN invite all candidates for city council and mayor to its upcoming candidate forums, regardless of ‘status’ or publicity their individual campaigns may be receiving. Alan will write a letter to NECN.

Thanks all,

Alan Silver
Chair, King Neighborhood Association