Opinion
Street Roots comment policy
As a community resource for ideas and dialogue, Street Roots encourages people to share thoughts and opinions on its social media sites. And as such, some guidelines are necessary to ensure an engaging conversation. Street Roots does not agree with or endorse every comment or post. Our goal is to share ideas and information with…
Editorial: Wapato a bad idea for people on the streets
When one advocate brought a petition to Street Roots and others in the community hoping to gather public support for the Wapato Jail, an empty facility in far out North Portland, to be turned into a 525-bed homeless shelter, honestly, we didn’t think that much about it. Months later that same petition has now been…
A tribute to Nisqually hero Billy Frank Jr.
“I don’t believe in magic. I believe in the sun and the stars, the water, the tides, the floods, the owls, the hawks flying, the river running, the wind talking. They’re measurements. They tell us how healthy things are. How healthy we are. Because we and they are the same. That’s what I believe in.”…
We’ve made progress on housing, thanks to ‘the Portland in us’
A week ago, the Portland Business Alliance came into my office with one of its members. This member had a building downtown that he would be selling in the coming months, but the business tenants were gone and the building lay dormant. Could we use it as a temporary shelter? Within a week, we had…
Director’s Desk: Support Street Roots by spreading the word
Street Roots is celebrating the first anniversary of being a weekly publication. Only the fourth street newspaper around the globe to be a weekly publication, we are proud of the work we have been able to accomplish. We couldn’t do it without you, Portland. We ask Portlanders to support Street Roots and vendors, and you…
News
Domestic workers: The invisible workforce
Domestic workers make up a sort of “shadow economy” in the United States. These people, who provide child care, senior care, house cleaning and many other services, often work in isolation and outside the view of most workers. Ai-Jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance in New York, has been organizing with domestic…
Paul Bettany on homelessness: ‘Who am I to judge’?
I didn’t start off wanting to make a film about homelessness. I wanted to direct a movie, and then thought I might rather like to make one about judgment. I have this worry that in a world full of increasing gray areas, we’re becoming more entrenched in black and white positions. I live in New…
Mike Houck: Preserve Portland’s access to nature
Nature is a part of Portland. The city has one of the densest urban canopies in the country. Nearly every neighborhood has at least one park. People can hit the trails and see wildlife after a 30-minute MAX or bike ride to Tryon Creek, Forest Park, Powell Butte or Oaks Bottom. The Audubon Society of…
What Oregon’s new criminal justice reforms mean for you
Several significant changes to Oregon’s criminal justice system were signed into law during the 2015 legislative session and become effective Jan. 1. A ban on police profiling and immunity from certain criminal charges when seeking help for someone experiencing a drug overdose are new protections extended to Oregonians. Also coming into effect are two criminal-history-forgiveness…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Krystal Jordan
Krystal Jordan has strong women in her life and is becoming a strong and wise woman herself. It has been a long journey. “I was born and raised in Portland,” Krystal said. “I didn’t exactly have a good childhood. There was a lot of abuse, so I pretty much left home when I was 16.”…
