News
Do we need warnings on Wi-Fi?
It’s everywhere. The electrosmog of radiofrequencies, electromagnetic radiation and all the Wi-Fi glory that keeps our world humming along. It’s not just pulsing from our digital products, but ever-present, in ever- increasing levels, moving faster, farther and stronger with each passing year. What could possibly be the harm in that? A few lawmakers in Salem…
Life on the Streets: The pain, cost and stigma of parasites
There are many aggravations and indignities people living on the streets endure, especially in the winter months. One persistent hazard is insect parasites, specifically body and head lice, bed bugs and scabies. The lack of supportive housing and reliable access to showers and laundry, along with crowded shelters and shared blankets and clothing, can put…
The Willamette River and its polluted past
Formulating a plan to clean up the Portland Harbor Superfund site is only the most recent chapter in the Willamette River’s sullied past. Ever since Europeans settled in the Willamette Valley, people have been dumping their waste into its most prominent and useful water feature. During the mid-20th century, the river was at the center…
Housing
Sen. Wyden: Schools need more funding for counselors, mental health
Improving educational outcomes for all of Oregon’s students is urgent business. That’s why it was so important to me to add a provision in the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed by Congress in 2016, to require the publication of graduation rates for homeless students, and young people in foster care, on state report cards. This key…
Life on the Streets: The pain, cost and stigma of parasites
There are many aggravations and indignities people living on the streets endure, especially in the winter months. One persistent hazard is insect parasites, specifically body and head lice, bed bugs and scabies. The lack of supportive housing and reliable access to showers and laundry, along with crowded shelters and shared blankets and clothing, can put…
Eastside district a new template for homeless, housed relations
The Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve the Central Eastside Enhanced Services District Wednesday after an all hands-on-deck effort by the staffs of Commissioners Jo Ann Hardesty, Chloe Eudaly and Amanda Fritz to include concerns from people struggling with homelessness. There were significant gains – a bigger voice for residents who are homeless, better training and protocols for security and…
Opinion
Sen. Wyden: Schools need more funding for counselors, mental health
Improving educational outcomes for all of Oregon’s students is urgent business. That’s why it was so important to me to add a provision in the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed by Congress in 2016, to require the publication of graduation rates for homeless students, and young people in foster care, on state report cards. This key…
Eastside district a new template for homeless, housed relations
The Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve the Central Eastside Enhanced Services District Wednesday after an all hands-on-deck effort by the staffs of Commissioners Jo Ann Hardesty, Chloe Eudaly and Amanda Fritz to include concerns from people struggling with homelessness. There were significant gains – a bigger voice for residents who are homeless, better training and protocols for security and…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Upbeat in spite of the challenges
Bronwyn Carver is pragmatic. About three years ago, she suddenly became homeless. She calls the experience, simply, “an adjustment.” She knew some things; she learned others. “Not that I’m a tough girl or anything, but I’m very street smart already,” she said. “Coming from New York, I already had a sixth sense about things. I…
Culture
Hazardous Beauty: PassinArt play taps the spectrum of social landmines
Women are continuously breaking down barriers to show their powers in this country and all over the world. There are women like Stacy Abrams, the first major-party black female candidate for governor and the first African-American woman to deliver the State of the Union response. There is Tiffany Haddish, an Emmy Award-winning actress/comedian who survived…
Environment
The Willamette River and its polluted past
Formulating a plan to clean up the Portland Harbor Superfund site is only the most recent chapter in the Willamette River’s sullied past. Ever since Europeans settled in the Willamette Valley, people have been dumping their waste into its most prominent and useful water feature. During the mid-20th century, the river was at the center…
