News
The Portland Trail Blazers: #MyHomePDX
Street Roots recently spent some time with the Portland Trail Blazers, asking players what they would say to people struggling with poverty and why people should care about those in need in the community. The project was inspired by the #MyHomePDX campaign recently launched by Street Roots and allies to talk about homelessness and poverty…
Mayor pledges Right 2 Dream Too won’t stay in Old Town longterm
Mayor Charlie Hales has sent a letter to the The Old Town Chinatown Community Association outlining his intentions with the future of Right 2 Dream Too, after proposing in a media blitz a 15-month deal for a warehouse in the Old Town neighborhood. In the letter, addressed to OTCTCA chairman Howard Weiner, Hales says he…
John Waters for the holidays!
Whatever you know about John Waters, what you might not expect is that he is one of the funniest people to have a conversation with. He is open, honest, compassionate and full of effervescent enthusiasm and curiosity toward understanding the human condition. He was born in and continues to maintain a residence in Baltimore, Md.…
New voices, new stations converge on rare FM license offering
New low-power FM stations will soon become part of Portland’s media landscape, representing a different set of voices from commercial and public radio. Among the applicants are student-run radio stations from Portland State University and Reed College. The Portland Radio Project, which recently launched online, now seeks its own low-power FM license as well.The range…
The artist formerly known as Johnny No Bueno
Poet Sean Aaron Bowers, 33, known to many as Johnny No Bueno, writes with the grittiest of voices. Reading his poetry is like jumping into the moshpit at a punk rock show. The brash language spins around to hit you in the jaw while bringing up the nostalgia for cheap booze. Bowers vigorously, and with…
Veering from the learning cliff: the unpopularity of STEM
Nobody’s quite sure why, but toward the end of middle school students lose interest in science and math. Researchers at one Portland school want to learn why. By solving the mystery, they hope to reverse the trend. Northeast Portland’s culturally diverse, working-class Parkrose Middle School is the subject of an investigation by Oregon State University…
For the Record November 22-December 5, 2013
-Number of hospitals that are part of the CareOregon Health Plan Provider Network: 51 -Percentage of members of CareOregon Health Plan that are 19 and younger: 59% -Percentage of members of CareOregon Health Plan that do not speak English as their first language: 26% -Number of playgrounds that are part of Portland Parks and Recreation:…
‘The answer is housing’
In 1978, downtown Portland had 5,183 apartments affordable to the city’s poorest citizens. Susan Emmons says it was enough. There were no homeless shelters and no need for public funds dedicated to subsidized housing.Today, Portland has 3,290 units available. But the need has grown exponentially and the city of Portland is short by 20,000 rental…
Oliver Lecture – November 17, 2013
Charles was homeless and looking rough. He was pushing a shopping cart and living under the Burnside Bridge when he was referred to Northwest Pilot Project. He was 56 years old. He had been an unofficial apartment building manager for fifteen years. He lived in the building, was the handyman and did repairs to the…
Poetry & Art
Soup Can Sam: December 5-December 19, 2013
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You’re life will take a turn for the better as soon as you stop insisting that Nikki Minaj lyrics are advice. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Move over Hazelnut! Oregon has a new state nut and it’s you, Capricorn. But don’t fight the temporary insanity — embrace it this holiday season. Forget…
Soup Can Sam Nov 22-Dec 5, 2013
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Words of wisdom from a Street Roots vendor: “It ain’t the spot it’s the repertoire, most of the time. You can have the worst spot and still do good.” Be polite this holiday season and good things will come to you. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don’t let other people’s hang-ups become…
Opinion
The new addition to the family isn’t what was expected
In August, Ramona and I drove to Salem to meet Regis, a fluffy little puppy whose picture we’d spied on a rescue society’s website. He would be the yin to our Newfoundland-mix Vera’s yang, when we brought her near-toxic level cuteness home eight years ago. I’d been cruising websites looking for a love match for…
Will Oregon’s counties make the right choices?
Last June, the Legislature passed House Bill 3194, a public safety reform package that made some changes to Oregon’s criminal justice system. The goal of the bill was to reduce the size and cost of the state prison system and invest some of the money saved in local programs that reduce crime and violence. The…
Imagine for a moment you were homeless
Imagine for a moment that you were faced with the experience of being homeless and had nowhere else to turn. Where should I go? You find a local shelter, but a woman half your age at the counter lets you know that the shelter tonight is full. She takes your name and says to check…
