Opinion
Sheeptoast: Editorial cartoon gallery
Elizabeth Considine — the creator of Street Roots' editorial cartoon, Sheeptoast — was born in Portland and has been drawing since she could hold a pen. She loves theater, poetry and chickens; growing food; and walking her three dogs in the park. “I find inspiration in the strangeness of life and the character of human…
SR editorial: Destructive immigration policies call for action, caution
It’s heartbreaking to watch. A young man, taking his 13-year-old daughter to school, is handcuffed and taken away by immigration officers, all while his daughter – still in the car – films it on her phone. Her wails are audible on the recording. It’s a scene of great sorrow and anguish, brought to you by…
Editorial cartoon: March 10, 2017
Street Roots welcomes Elizabeth Considine to our pages with her new cartoon, Sheeptoast. (Click or tap the image to enlarge it.) Elizabeth was born in Portland and has been drawing since she could hold a pen. She loves theater, poetry and chickens; growing food; and walking her three dogs in the park. “I find inspiration…
News
Pope talks to street papers: ‘Humanity’ for homeless, refugees
Pope Francis has always had a special connection to those living on the street. So much so that last year, in Rome, where approximately 6,000 vulnerable, poor or homeless people gathered for the Jubilee of the socially excluded, he delivered a touching mea culpa: “I ask your forgiveness, on behalf of the Christians who, when…
Open Signal’s Justen Harn at helm of public-access transformation
“Public access television” usually conjures mediocre musicians and unhinged political pundits, TV color bars and bleeding type on a low-quality picture. But based on the scene Saturday night at Open Signal, the future of public access is anything but uninspired. At the corner of Northeast MLK Jr. Boulevard and Grand Avenue, a line stretched outside…
‘Carbon pollution isn’t free’: How Oregon can cap, trade, reinvest
Lawmakers in Salem are considering five different bills with the same goal of significantly reducing Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. Two of the proposed bills would create a cap and trade program, two would create a cap-and-price permitting program and the other would create a carbon tax. A public hearing on these bills before a joint…
Oregonians favor softer penalties for drug users
As lawmakers in Salem consider a bill to make possession of illicit drugs a misdemeanor rather than a felony, a statewide poll of Oregon voters reveals widespread support across party lines. Now, drug users caught with even trace amounts of illegal drugs, such as the residue left on drug paraphernalia after use, can be convicted…
Chrysanne O’Dell’s journey out of homelessness
“I always have a hustle,” Chrysanne O’Dell tells me. We are in a Starbucks, talking about her journey out of homelessness, and she is frank about her obstacles. “My credit sucked, bad financial history, criminal record.” But her eye for opportunity eventually helped her get out of homelessness. She comes to our meetings directly from…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Good work ethic from a young age
Ben Eiland is a personable, hardworking man who says he is healing one day at a time. He grew up in both Buena Vista and Leadville, Colo., after his parents divorced when he was 7. “I come from a good family,” Ben said. “I’m just very fortunate and blessed with my mom and my stepdad…
Environment
‘Carbon pollution isn’t free’: How Oregon can cap, trade, reinvest
Lawmakers in Salem are considering five different bills with the same goal of significantly reducing Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. Two of the proposed bills would create a cap and trade program, two would create a cap-and-price permitting program and the other would create a carbon tax. A public hearing on these bills before a joint…
Housing
Chrysanne O’Dell’s journey out of homelessness
“I always have a hustle,” Chrysanne O’Dell tells me. We are in a Starbucks, talking about her journey out of homelessness, and she is frank about her obstacles. “My credit sucked, bad financial history, criminal record.” But her eye for opportunity eventually helped her get out of homelessness. She comes to our meetings directly from…
