Community

This is part of a neighborhood memorial for a young man, Matt Schekel, who was killed on a bicycle here in 1998. I didn't know him, but he was apparently well loved. This memorial started spontaneously on the corner of SE 37th and Taylor, the site of the accident. It's grown over the years until it takes up the whole corner and a good part of the yard. It's composed of bicycle parts, a stone bench and a cob tower (called the Memorial Lifehouse), mosaic walls and a story wheel (from a bike wheel of course) that tells about Matt and about the creation of the memorial. As the sign says, "It has become a community place for all who pass by."

Portland is big on bicycles, and on communal spaces; many neighborhoods have corners like this with benches and kiosks, created by a variety of organizations, city agencies and businesses. This one was sponsored and/or built by the local food co-op, Builders without Borders, the Village Building Convergence and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, among others. It's one of the many things I love about Portland - our neighborhoods have a sense of community and of identity.

The last panel of the story wheel holds this sentiment: May we travel from this moment forward with an awareness of our communities wherever they may be. Including Blip!