Author Archives: Ken Brown

Mysterious Noise from Wetlands by Ken

Sep 21, 2020 Uncategorized
Mysterious Noise from Wetlands by Ken

10:00 Saturday morning and 3 of us are working on the CH patio. There comes a loud noise from McDonalds. It was clear and loud enough we thought it was a car hitting a dumpster in the parking lot. We couldn’t see anything so we went back to work.

In a few minutes some folks come over the bridge and say “there is a car in the wetlands”. We went to look and there was a car 12-15 feet down the slope from fast food heaven.

The driver was a fully clothed elderly man who was able to get back up the hill with his cane. As we approached the police warned us the car was on a slippery slope. And the second officer quipped, “it’s in neutral too.”

The tow truck driver attached two lines to the back of the car while he and the officers had a good laugh. Several of us watched the operation from the back of our newest members 3 bedroom. And away the car went.

But there might have been a mystery involved in this incident. One of our families said they had seen that same car turn around in the north side parking lot not minutes before the accident. What had convinced him that whatever he was looking for was just over the hill from McDonalds parking lot.

BLM Vigil

Jul 3, 2020 Advocacy

Not sure who started this but I really want to state my appreciation. We have been out there on Beaverton-Hillsdale every night (as far as I know) at 7:00-7:30 for almost 5 weeks. That is starting to seem like a long time but I compare it to how long blacks have been considered second class citizens. Then it doesn’t seem to bad.

It feels like a smaller accomplishment than marching and maybe being injured downtown. But I hope that if we keep reminding people like us every day then more white Americans will accept it as a new normal. We get honks, waves. thumbs up and black power fists. We also get catcalls, middle fingers and blank stares. We even had one man pull into the left turn lane and lecture us for 4-5 minutes. It feels good having neighbors from outside Cascadia join us, sometimes to continue with us and occasionally to see what it feels like and go back to their neighborhoods.

The time holding signs and waving is also a good bonding feeling for me. Since I connect more with people by doing things than talking I particularly enjoy this time. So if anyone wants to join us we have extra signs and congregate at the CH about 6:45.