News
Toxic soldiers: A Portland woman among thousands of Army vets who say they were poisoned by chemicals at Ft. McClellan
It was the 1970s in Southern California, and a teenage Laynie Roland could be seen most days surfing and boogie boarding along Newport Beach, about 40 miles west of her home in Ontario. With her long, feathered, bleached-blonde hair and wave-riding ways, Roland embodied the typical image of the Southern California girl. She was active…
Amanda f**king Palmer! The singer reflects on life, marriage, and her favorite street paper vendor
When the music industry finally gets its act together, finishes going through its painful digital rebirth and settles on a formula that works for the future, you can bet there’ll be a chapter in the text book on Amanda “Fucking” Palmer. The former Dresden Dolls singer, purveyor of insatiably emotional ‘Brechtian punk cabaret’ and owner…
Portland filmmaker Brian Lindstrom goes behind bars
Watch Brian Lindstrom’s recent films and it’s clear the importance the filmmaker places on compassion. “Finding Normal” is about recovering addicts who reach out to help others through recovery. “Alien Boy” explores issues of police accountability in the case of James Chasse, a man with schizophrenia who was brutally killed by members of the Portland…
Musician, actor, activist — Belafonte followed his own beat
One singer you won’t likely hear on a ’50s oldies station is Harry Belafonte, yet he was one of the most popular singers of that decade. He made a name for himself in the emerging folk music genre, with five gold albums between 1955 and 1963. For a time, he was outselling Elvis Presley. His…
Opinion
Clackamas Co. lawsuit alleges misuse of funds intended for disabled caregivers
A lawsuit alleging widespread corruption in its social service programs has been filed against Clackamas County. Filed Nov. 17 by Galina Burley, a former human services manager with the county, the lawsuit states that Clackamas County’s Social Services Division improperly made payments from a fund meant to help people caring for disabled family members to…
An open letter to PSU on armed campus police officers
Portland State University administration is currently forwarding a proposal to create a sworn police force on the PSU campus. Faculty and staff of Portland State University’s School of Social Work, School of Gender, Race and Nations, and many other faculty, students, and staff strongly oppose this proposal to create an armed police force on our…
Setting sail every week with your support
This is an incredible time at Street Roots. The dream we laid out five years ago to become a weekly publication is about to come true. Last year at this time Street Roots went public with the idea and the hope that the community would support the transition from a biweekly to a weekly publication…
Governor’s budget promising first step in affordable housing
One hundred million dollars: It’s an impressive number. Indeed, Gov. John Kitzhaber’s proposed budget is in some ways a milestone of public commitment to funding affordable housing for the state’s impoverished families. For the first time, the state is considering dedicating general obligation bonds toward the housing crisis. Compared to the $7 million or even…
Vendor Profiles
Home is where the kitty is
Paulette Bade started selling Street Roots in Portland to fill the days in between her nights at the shelter. She experienced homelessness for the first time this year. But her reason for continuing — at least one of them — is a little different now that she’s housed. It’s black, white and fuzzy all over,…
