News
Oregon’s new voice
By Joanne Zuhl, Staff Writer To mark her swearing in as the state’s newest House Speaker, Oregon Rep. Tina Kotek presented lawmakers with a gift, the book “Toward One Oregon.” It’s a collection of writings intended to bridge the state’s cultural and geographical diversities, and symbolic of the interconnectivity Kotek has emphasized from the moment…
Sweet shots
By Rosette Royale, Contributing Writer Our concept of contemporary history is forever married to the storytelling powers of photography. Consider the Apollo 11 splashdown. On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, gliding out from lunar-landing module Apollo 11 onto the Sea of Tranquility. Three days later, Apollo…
Irvine Welsh and the kids from ‘Trainspotting’ before the drugs
By Billy Briggs, Contributing Writer Speaking to a street paper reporter during a recent outing in Edinburgh, Scotland, author Irvine Welsh described the street paper concept as “one of the great social achievements of the last 20 years.” High praise from this acclaimed and often controversial author of sometimes unsavory realities. His novel “Trainspotting,” about…
City, county gear up for one-night count of homeless
Staff reports Outreach workers from organizations throughout Portland and Multnomah County will be out at the end of January trying to determine exactly how many people are homeless in this area. The work is in partnership with Portland and Multnomah County to compile both the numbers and demographics of people experiencing homelessness, from the Columbia…
Playwright takes the stories of the streets to the stage
By Alex Zielinski, Staff Writer Bruce Hostetler wants to tell stories that aren’t being told. After moving to Portland a few years ago and volunteering at JOIN — a local nonprofit helping homeless individuals transition into housing — Hostetler became aware of an untapped pocket of society with an abundance of stories to tell: Portland’s…
Vendor Profiles
Vendor Profile: Finding inspiration among new friends
By Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Contributing Writer It is not hard to find Johnny Williams and Paula Ramirez at their spot across the street from City Hall. Johnny joyfully calls out greetings and jokes to passersby beside his partner Paula. We sit inside the Starbucks just off of Southwest Fifth Avenue and Main Street, across from City…
Poetry & Art
Soup Can Sam: Jan 18-31, 2013
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) They say life doesn’t come with an instruction booklet. Well, it also doesn’t come with a map, compass or a protractor. So not only do we not know what’s going on, we also don’t know where we are, where we’re going, or how we’re supposed to get there. Go with the…
Opinion
Housing issues draw spotlight in next legislative session
Alison McIntosh, Contributing Columnist In a few weeks, the Oregon Legislature will convene for the 2013 Legislative Session. The Housing Alliance and our members see an Oregon where everyone has the safety, security and opportunity that having a stable home provides. We know that having a home that’s affordable and stable means parents and adults…
Director’s Desk: Real relief is still worth pursuing
By Israel Bayer, Staff Writer Homelessness in our community and cities throughout the country has become the new normal. That’s a problem. Three decades ago, the federal government began slashing housing and mental health programs. The bleeding has never stopped. The rise of modern-day homelessness in the 1980s came with a response of anger and…
Lawmakers have opportunity to flatline prison growth
By David Rogers, Contributing Columnist On Nov. 30, Gov. John Kitzhaber released his proposed budget for 2013-15. The budget included no money for prison expansion — despite the fact that the state projects it will need more than 2,000 new prison beds at an estimated cost of $600 million over the next decade. The governor…
Veterans learn to express themselves through the arts
By Robert Britt, Staff Writer Every military veteran who’s served since the Reagan years is familiar with the MRE, the pre-packaged Meal, Ready-to-Eat. Inside the nearly indestructible brown bag, among the packets of crackers, jalapeno cheese and entrées as savory as chunked-and-formed chicken patties, is the lynchpin item: a green bag containing a mixture of…
