Street Roots writing group offers safe place to share by Cole Merkel, Staff writer The Street Roots creative writing group has been meeting every Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. for the past year with a simple mission: to create a safe, inclusive space for anyone ...
21 Nov 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor profile: A traveling poet finds a place in Portland By Cole Merkel, Staff Writer Like most Street Roots vendors, Harold Thompson has experienced poverty up close. In 30 years of traveling, he says he has visited all 50 states and has spent extended ...
24 Aug 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor Profile: ‘There’s room for everything’ By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Jonathan Cornelison is not a typical street artist. He seamlessly blurs the boundaries between traditional art, psychedelic imagery, painting, drawing, graffiti and, when he ...
2 Aug 2012 - Street Roots
A positive outlook, good turf keep vendor smiling By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Nestled in the Park Blocks two streets west of the always busy stretch of Southwest Broadway, is a hidden gem of a vendor location: Starbucks at Southwest 9th and Taylor ...
5 Jul 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor Profile: Staying positive, rain or shine By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Waking up to sell Street Roots day in and day out is hard work. Vendors have to brave the elements — seemingly endless rain in the winter, unrelenting sun in the summer. T ...
20 Jun 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor profile: A New York state of mind By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Earl Bennett speaks frankly about homelessness, poverty, the American government and the need for social change. Perhaps he derives these perspectives from a lifetime of living i ...
6 Jun 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor profile: Building real relationships with each sale By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer The morning rush hour traffic on Northeast Broadway is almost deafening. Automobiles accelerate toward the I-5 on-ramps at the Rose Quarter, cyclists commute to ...
23 May 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor Profile: Passing the blessings forward By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Cynthia can be brought to tears when she witnesses the goodness in people. “The other day I started crying because of my customer,” Cynthia explains, tears filling her eyes ...
9 May 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor profile: Never give up hope By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer Willie Bradford has strong, defined features: large hands, broad shoulders, a tall body, a deep voice and a big smile. When Bradford speaks, his words trail out softly. He smiles a lot ...
26 Apr 2012 - Street Roots
Vendor joins Street Roots board of directors By Cole Merkel, Contributing Writer With three years as a Street Roots vendor under his belt, Darren Alexander has been steadily building on a good thing. He has been selling at the Alberta Food Co-op since sum ...
28 Mar 2012 - Street Roots