Opinion
Has Portland reduced police force against people with mental illness? Hardly
Koben Henriksen was the fifth person in a mental health crisis killed by officers of the Portland Police Bureau in 2019. Prior to Henriksen, Portland officers killed Andre Gladen, Jeb Brock, David Downs and Lane Martin. In the surrounding area, David Engebretson was killed after being surrounded and shot by deputies of the Clackamas County…
The house that Vern – and you – built
The gingerbread house that Vern built resides on the Street Roots office counter next to where vendors buy newspapers each day for a quarter each. The walls are joined with white icing, the roof thatched with gummy candy, the ridge dotted with blue, green and purple M&Ms. At the peak of the roof, Vern affixed…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: I want to give the world a hug
James “Pops” Duby is a father, a vendor, an entrepreneur, a poet, a husband and a friend. He earned his name Pops because he parents 15 or so kids on the streets who come to him for advice. He also has three biological children and one child by marriage. Prior to meeting his wife, Mama…
News
A wealth tax? It could work in the U.S.
The bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked by a reporter why he robbed banks, is reputed to have answered, “Because that’s where the money is.” Which brings us to a wealth tax. Transforming our economy is going to be expensive. And a tax on the wealth of the super wealthy is one way to capture…
Oregon delegates to join legal fight against Trump food-stamp cuts
Food stamp recipients and their advocates crowded into a small corner grocer Dec. 13 to hear their congressional delegation pledge to fight against new policies that threaten the food security of tens of thousands of low-income Oregonians. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, all Democrats, spoke at the…
Remembering Lori De Tie and her zest for life
Lori De Tie: March 26, 1976 – Dec. 2, 2019 Lolo was born in Portland on March 26, 1976, to Mary K. Hoskinson, weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and 21 inches long. She was speaking 26 words before she was even a year old. She had a zest for life and put her all into…
Vigil for people who died homeless to bring together housed and unhoused
On Saturday, Dec. 21, the sun will shine for a moment directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, and the North Pole will be aimed the farthest from the sun. Here in Portland, we will experience the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is also a day of nationwide…
Housing
SAFES has a new look and a new vibe
After four months of being closed, the Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter, an institution in Portland since 1999, reopened Dec. 2. The atmosphere in the downtown shelter’s community room was calm and familial. Streamers climbed up the pillars, poinsettias adorned the tables, and lights and tinsel decorated the Christmas tree in the corner. A few…
Vigil for people who died homeless to bring together housed and unhoused
On Saturday, Dec. 21, the sun will shine for a moment directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, and the North Pole will be aimed the farthest from the sun. Here in Portland, we will experience the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is also a day of nationwide…
