The Portland Alliance Portal
http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/skanner
The Portland Alliance Portal
http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/skanner
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If you don’t see yourself in the sport, how can you believe that you belong? READ MORE
MasterClass is a subscription-based platform that serves as the premiere destination for those looking for specialized education about a variety of topics from some of the world’s greatest minds. READ MORE
Legislature considers joining majority of other U.S. states in paying damages to those who have served time for felonies they did not commit.
Seattle's Eviction Moratorium Will Expire at the End of February
Oregon Bill Tries to Revive Campaign Finance Limits
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WA Senate OKs Ban on Sales of High-Capacity Gun Ammunition
Black Student Union Plans for Celebratory February
The month-long activities will culminate in Linfield University's first-ever Black Wall Street, a festival for Black artists,...
Local Huntington's and Parkinson's disease Research Study Needs Participants
Participants will be compensated for their time. ...
Celebrate Black History Month With Free Events
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Community, others honors firefighter killed in explosion
ST. PAUL, Ore. (AP) — An estimated 5,000 people attended the memorial service for a St. Paul, Oregon, firefighter on Saturday afternoon. Austin Smith, 30, died after an explosion occurred while he was battling a large barn fire. KOIN-TV reports hundreds of emergency...
Justice Department: Gambling center plan unconstitutional
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Justice has released an opinion that the planned gambling machines in an entertainment center next to the Grants Pass Downs horse racing track amount to a casino that would violate the Oregon Constitution. The Justice Department...
UNLV promotes interim AD Harper to full-time job
LAS VEGAS (AP) — UNLV has promoted interim athletic director Erick Harper to serve in the job full time. Harper's hiring, announced on Monday, was effective Jan. 1. He had served as interim athletic director since Desiree Reed-Francois left UNLV for Missouri in August. ...
Army stuns Missouri in Armed Forces Bowl on last-second FG
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday night. After the Tigers took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown with 1:11 to play, third-string quarterback Jabari Laws led Army...
Strickland Urges State Legislature to Support High Speed Rail
High Speed Rail can drive economic growth in the South Sound Washington and beyond ...
Black America Deserves Its Fair Share of the American Dream
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Landmark $1.85 Billion in Relief Secured for Federal and Private Loan Borrowers
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OP-ED: A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
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For Asian American women, Olympics reveal a harsh duality
BEIJING (AP) — Across two pandemic Olympics set in Asian countries, Asian American women fronting the Games have encountered a whiplashing duality — prized on the global stage for their medal-winning talent, buffeted by the escalating crisis of racist abuse at home. The world’s...
Hate crime probe sought in Mississippi attempted shooting
RIDGELAND, Miss. (AP) — Attorneys for a Black delivery driver are calling for a federal hate crimes probe of the attempted shooting of the driver in Mississippi, saying it's another example of Black Americans facing danger simply for going about their daily activities. The FedEx...
Lawyers demand serious charges for gunfire at Black driver
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two white men were arrested earlier this week, days after a Black delivery van driver accused them of chasing him and shooting at him after he dropped off a package in a Mississippi city. But driver D’Monterrio Gibson, 24, on Friday said he doesn’t believe...
Afrofuturism showcased at Carnegie Hall in 2-month festival
NEW YORK (AP) — Afrofuturism is getting a spotlight at Carnegie Hall as the bastion of New York City music and culture takes another step toward normalcy. Grammy Award winner Flying Lotus, also known as FlyLo, makes his Carnegie debut Saturday night to open a two-month Afrofuturism...
Tommy Castro leads with 5 Blues Music Awards nominations
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tommy Castro, Chris Cain and Tom Hambridge have earned the most nominations for this year's Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. Nominations for the 43rd Blues Music Awards were announced Thursday by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation. Winners will be...
Julia Garner plays fake German heiress
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On the Ice, a Question: Where Are the Black Figure Skaters?
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S Carolina push to be 49th state with hate crime law stalls
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In 2nd Floyd killing trial, judge seeks speed, not emotion
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GOP pushes US schools to post all class materials online
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GLIMPSES: A white coating for the Winter Olympics — finally
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'Sheer tenacity': Taiwan skier falls on slope, picks self up
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BEIJING SNAPSHOT: Getting to China's new national ski venue
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Demonstrators took to the streets of Portland, before entering Lloyd Center mall on Black Friday in an effort to, what protest organizer Teressa Raiford said to call attention to the link between consumerism, capitalism and the deaths of Black Americans. Photo by Daniel Vincent
Activists stormed the Lloyd Center shopping mall Friday. They used Black Friday – when many retailers open early and offer deep discounts to kick off the Christmas shopping season -- to call attention to ongoing injustices affecting African Americans.
The rally -- dubbed “Black Lives Matter, Not Black Friday” -- saw a diverse crowd of hundreds gather at adjacent Holladay Park. Afterward they took to the streets and then entered the mall itself.
Teressa Raiford, lead organizer for Don’t Shoot Portland, who helped put the protest together, said organizers intentionally chose Black Friday as a rally day for the second year in a row. The idea was to highlight links between consumerism, capitalism and the deaths of African Americans.
The Portland Police Bureau sent a media advisory out Nov. 25 detailing their plans for several events scheduled for Black Friday, including the demonstration.
“As with all demonstrations and marches, the Police Bureau's goal is to ensure a safe, secure and orderly event for community members and to minimize disruptions to traffic,” the release said. “There is no specific information or concerns about the threat of violence, but the Portland Police Bureau will respond as it does with any large-scale event and have a number of officers in the area.”
...As the assembly moved, apparently en route to the Broadway Bridge, it was re-routed by the Portland Police north onto Northeast Martin Luther King Blvd., where the crowd marched for about 10 minutes, and curving back around towards the bridge.
The group was then met by an increased number of police officers -- about 20 of whom were decked out in riot gear with batons in hand -- blocking the protestors’ entrance onto the crossing.
Demonstators standoff with Portland Police officers armed with batons and other weapons, blocking the group's attempt to cross the Broadway bridge. --Photo by Donovan M. Smith
After a standoff lasting nearly 15 minutes, the precession headed back toward Lloyd Center, this time entering the mall. Protesters draped resistance banners inside the mall and chanted while shoppers looked on.
...The protest in Portland was just one of many that transpired across the country Nov. 27, urging potential consumers against spending with large corporations for the day.
Major cities across the nation -- including Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and New York City -- saw people engaging in actions to disrupt one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Coincidentally, Florida teen Jordan Davis was killed on Black Friday in 2012. On Nov. 23 of that year, Michael Dunn -- a White man who was sentenced to life without parole for Davis’ killing last year -- got angry that Davis and his friends were playing their music too loud in the parking lot of a gas station and opened fire.
The Guardian reports that Davis’ mother is one of many participating in “Not One Dime” initiative this year. The campaign aims to curb African American spending during the days between Nov. 27 and Nov. 30 to demonstrate the community’s collective purchasing power.
Consumer analysts reported Monday morning that Black Friday sales were down more than a billion dollars this year.
According to retail researcher ShopperTrack, sales at brick-and-mortar stores plummeted from $11.6 billion in 2014 to $10.4 billion this year.
Conversely, online sales saw a 14 percent spike from last year, raking in $2.72 billion.
get the whole story:
theskanner.com/news/northwest/23377-demonstrators-take-to-streets-black-friday-sales-fall
The issue is likely to influence the 2016 presidential election
… To read all about it click here
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Renters in a State of EmergencyCommunity groups fight for tenant protections and to curb displacement of vulnerable neighbors... Read more |
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A number of the bills now before the Oregon State Legislature protect parties who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault … To check the details click here
To find a fun event click here
Kathleen and Percy Hampton are happy they reached a resolution to the conflict last month over service in an Alberta street restaurant. Photo by Jerry Foster
A lawsuit alleging denial of service brought by Alberta Street resident Kathleen Hampton against Enzo’s Caffé Italiano has been amicably settled over a pan of the restaurant’s famous homemade lasagna.
Hampton told The Skanner News last week that Enzo had reached out to her with a letter asking for a meeting, and that the food – and Enzo – were wonderful.
Maybe even the best in town.
“I feel good about it,” Hampton said Wednesday. “I think he’s a nice man and he’s been thinking about what happened.”
Details of a legal agreement reached between the two remains sealed.
It’s a stunning turnaround for a case that spread around the globe and touched a raw nerve in Northeast Portland, where Alberta Street’s gentrification remains headline news.
However, the number of similar complaints posted locally to social media beg the question: How do you prove your bad restaurant service is a civil rights violation?
the rest of the story: http://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/22577-alberta-street-lawsuit-ends-over-delicious-pan-of-lasagna
Speakers from the community called for a full review of the police department and its policies … For all the information click here
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange has announced a special enrollment opportunity today for residents who were unable to complete their applications by the Feb. 15 deadline or who may become aware of the tax penalty for not having health insurance under the Affordable Care Act when they filed their annual tax return this year … To read the whole story click here
Some Faith Leaders
‘The Word says faith without works is dead. There has to be fruit, there has to be action, there has to be community…there has to be active justice … When you leave that room, you’re still carrying that cross’ … To read all about it click here
Child Poverty Growing in Portland
Across the metro region, 100,000 – that’s one in five – children are living in poverty. Successful Families 2020 will work with around 5,000 of those children, helping them graduate from school …
To check the details click here
Family Fun Events in
The Skanner News Community Calendar
To find a fun event click here
1,500 images from North and Northeast Portland history have been archived at the Oregon Historical Society… To read the whole story click here
Record Level of Criminal ExonerationsResearchers say prosecutors have increasingly taken a harder look at flawed cases, which contributed to a jump in prisoners freed after wrongful convictions… To read all about it click here
Kam Williams Previews Movies Opening Feb. 13, 2015Fifty Shades of Grey, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus and more… To read the reviews click here
Family Fun Events in The Skanner News Community CalendarTo find a fun event click here
We now have online classified ad and announcement ordering for your convenience. Place your ad or announcement in print, online or both using our new quick and easy form… Click here to purchase an auto ad.
Have fun with our interactive Crossword and Sudoku puzzlesOn our website, under Entertainment, click on Crossword Puzzle, or Sudoku Puzzle. Ten fresh puzzles each week. If you just can’t guess that word, just tell it to fill it in for you!
View our full newspapers on-line just like they are printed.
to turn the pages click here
This is a volunteer gig. I’m a broad-based community organizer. I hope readers will understand our leadership team intends to be inclusive and coalitional. We’ll recruit mindful of folks’ passions. Whether it’s fair wages, climate justice, immigration reform, campaign finance restructuring, or concerns over New Jim Crow’s school-to-prison pipelines that has turned out thousands to hear my sister Michelle Alexander. The Portland Chapter seeks influence it hasn’t had in a while. To do that, we’re going to need all hands on deck.
JoAnn Hardesty gears up to galvanize some new energy into the Portland chapter of the NAACP, now it its 101st year of operation. One of her first moves to rebuild the organization is to recruit 101 new members in commemoration of the renowned organization’s tenure. Photo provided by Joann Hardesty
A seasoned community activist, JoAnn Hardesty’s latest distinction sees her at the helm of the NAACP as the newly appointed president of the civil rights organization’s Portland chapter. Hardesty has a long resume that includes heavily steeped in social justice. A short list of distinctions including serving on the boards of Portland Community Media; US Action and Coalition for a Livable Future and was also elected to the Oregon legislature serving as a state representative from 1995 to 2001.
She hosts her own radio show on KBOO (90.7 FM) ‘Voices from the Edge’ which covers political matters ranging from government, race and environment every Thursday at 8 a.m. Hardesty took the time to answer some questions about her plans in her latest post as the historic NAACP Portland chapter celebrates its 101st year in operation.
TSN: The Portland branch of the NAACP owns the distinction as being the oldest continuously chartered branch west of the Mississippi, and has a storied history in the city. Though recent years have been a bit quiet, the group's work has continued in a number of civil rights issues in the city. What is your plan of direction for the NAACP as the new Portland president?
Hardesty: I’m a results-oriented kind of gal. The NAACP’s mission is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all persons, and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination. My goal for this, our 101st year, is to rebuild and revitalize Chapter 1120B so we are prepared to carry out this mission. My leadership team and I—at the outset-- committed to building our membership base, becoming more collaborative, developing a Youth Council, and celebrating a century of service to this community. Initiatives which follow will come from aspirations of inspired members.
For the rest of this inteview checkout The Skanner
http://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/22318-new-president-joann-hardesty-on-civil-rights-now
Oregon Man who Killed Officer Seeks Parole after Reversal
An Oregon man who killed a police officer in 1992 appeared before the Board of Parole after it reversed a decision to release him
Largest civil rights payout ever awarded to employees of large-scale trucking manufacturer
Portland Commissioner Fritz Seeks Third Term
Although she has stated many times that her current term would be her last foray into electoral politics, she says the death of her husband changed her mind
SEATTLE (AP) — The creators of a new traveling exhibit on the costumes of Star Wars are hoping to gather geeks, fashionistas and movie fans together to discuss how clothing helps set the scene.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities have identified a husband and wife who were taken to a Portland hospital after a fall on Mount Hood.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A friend of a man arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with a dismembered body found in San Francisco said Sunday that police got the wrong person.
World is Indifferent to Missing Nigerian Girls
The abducted girls have all but disappeared from the headlines and from the public consciousness
Selma and the Folks at the ‘Back of the Line’
I wasn’t surprised that Ava DuVernay’s 'Selma' was nearly completely snubbed for the Oscar nominations last week
Laws, Law Enforcement, and Our Community by Rep. Lew Frederick
New legislation pushes for greater police accountability
CHICAGO (AP) — Fans and friends paid tribute to legendary Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks on Saturday, recalling how he helped break baseball's color barrier during a Hall of Fame career in which he won over teammates and an entire city with the unwavering optimism he brought to the game and life.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African youths recently swept through an intersection in the heart of Soweto township, breaking into immigrant-owned shops and grabbing whatever they could — soda, a loaf of bread, sometimes even the shelves. Nearly 40 years ago, at the same intersection, young blacks marched to protest the white racist rulers of the time, drawing a bloody crackdown that shocked the world.
1913 — Jim Thorpe, star of the 1912 Olympics, signs to play baseball with the New York Giants.
Kam Williams Reviews Movies Opening Jan. 30, 2015
Kam reviews Black or White, The Loft, Girlhood and more...
Lee Daniels: The 'Empire' Interview
Two-time Oscar-nominee talks about directing for TV
Sebastian Foxworth pokes fun at blended family life in this mixed up world
WASHINGTON (AP) — Her performance as a vibrant woman fading into the darkness of Alzheimer's is doing more than earning awards for actress Julianne Moore. The movie "Still Alice" is raising awareness of a disease too often suffered in isolation, even if the Hollywood face is younger than the typical real-life patient.
SEATTLE (AP) — The creators of a new traveling exhibit on the costumes of Star Wars are hoping to gather geeks, fashionistas and movie fans together to discuss how clothing helps set the scene.
PHOENIX (AP) — Even with Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots' players in the room Sunday night, Jimmy Fallon was the only MVP for hundreds of people in a Phoenix theater.
The share of people in each state who reported taking out a payday loan in the past five years, which ranged from 1 percent to 13 percent, according to a 2012 survey by Pew Charitable Trusts. Because the Pew survey was only conducted in the continental U.S., the figures do not include Alaska or Hawaii. In cases where states had too few survey respondents, the percentage is not reported and marked with an X:
SEATTLE (AP) — The creators of a new traveling exhibit on the costumes of Star Wars are hoping to gather geeks, fashionistas and movie fans together to discuss how clothing helps set the scene.
'Wake of Vanport' Draws Standing Room Audience
NPMTC’s collection of Vanport oral history multimedia productions screened on Saturday, Nov. 15 to a packed hall at the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church in North Portland… For all the information click here
That’s right, in a year featuring a record number of African Americans running for Congress and statewide, not a dime was spent on a Black candidate for Congress until the 11th hour… To read the whole story click here
Olivia Ashley Reed on 'Mamma Mia!'The show will be at the Keller auditorium from Nov. 25 -30 and heads to Washington State next year where it will play in Kennewick, Spokane, Yakima, Seattle and Bellingham… To read the interview click here
Books: 'The Colorization of America' by Jeff ChangWith the help of a dizzying mix of evocative essays, anecdotes, quotes, quips and eye-catching cartoons and photographs, Chang amply illustrates what he refers to as America’s post-racial paradox… To find out more click here
Click here to find a fun event
It looks as if peace will reign at the corner of Alberta Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after all. Mayor Charlie Hales announced this morning that the streetcorner lot that tore communities apart over a proposed Trader Joe’s store will be the home of Golden, Colo.-based Natural Grocers, an affordably-priced national chain known for “free nutrition education and healthy food.”
rest of the story: http://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/21760-city-inks-alberta-street-grocery-deal-with-natural-grocers
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Two Peace Corps workers are under isolation outside the U.S. after having contact with a person who later died of the Ebola virus… To read the whole story click here
Police have asked members of the public to comment on their policies
for arresting, fingerprinting, photographing and taking children into custody…
Wherever you go, people complain that there aren’t
enough great p
olitical leaders anymore. But in the Portland-area races on May 20, we struggled to choose among the excellent candidates weinterviewed…
For all the information click here
National Director of ACT-SO Featured at Seattle King County NAACP Annual CompetitionACT-SO includes 26 categories of competition, including poetry, original essay, photography, dance, or a science project… To read the whole story click here
A Kidney for Hasan: Local Dad Needs Donor, Could It be You?Artharee, 35, suffers from a rare genetic condition called polycystic kidney disorder – and he needs a kidney donor as soon as possible… To read all about it click here
Baker Sisters Make Colorectal Cancer a National IssueACT-SO includes 26 categories of competition, including poetry, original essay, photography, dance, or a science project… To check the details click here
Since 2012 when The Skanner News first installed dozens of solar panels on our building, we have saved thousands of dollars in energy and sent power back into the grid for surrounding businesses to use. Now you can check out our power grid’s efficiency right on our homepage! Every morning the meter starts at zero, but it ticks up throughout the day. Just wait until the summer when the sunshine turns the meter image into a plume of orange – and our fellow businesses on North Killingsworth Street share our watts. click here
Portland Community College officials pulls the plug on respected community educator … For all the information click here
University Book Store in Seattle hosts Simmons at a free book talk and signing event on Monday, March 24 …To read the whole story click here
'How, I say to myself. How, self, did we avoid getting killed?' …To check it out click here
'How, I say to myself. How, self, did we avoid getting killed?' …To check it out click hereThe Skanner News spoke with the artist – an emerging modern griot -- about displacement, race, art, and what it will take to bring all our communities together… For all the information click here
The Independent Police Review division announced an investigation into the Portland Police actions at the Blue Monk nightclub on Saturday night that led one of Portland’s most successful hip hop artists to call a personal boycott on performances in the city…For all the information click here
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Opens Seventh Year of Hip Hop Open Mic SeriesOSF has also commissioned a contemporary language, hip-hop version of 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'… For all the information click here
Commentary: My Sister’s Keeper by George CurrysIn all the hoopla surrounding President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, overlooked is that fact that our young girls also need to be targeted for special attention… For all the information click here
Housing activist Ibrahim Mubarak was arrested last night by Portland Police as he and a group of volunteers offered outreach services to about 100 houseless individuals under the Burnside Bridge.
Mubarak, a well-known community organizer who is a co-founder of housing projects Dignity Village and Right 2 Dream Too, and a KBOO Community Radio producer, was the only person arrested; he had been accompanied by about 20 outreach volunteers who regularly check in with campers under Portland-area bridges.
He was charged with trespassing and interfering with a police officer, apparently in the University of Oregon’s White Stag Building parking area.
Mubarak, who was arraigned Friday afternoon and given a court date of March 10, says that his religious and Constitutional rights were violated in the arrest and during the booking process, when officers in the Justice Center insisted on using his given name rather than his legal name and kept demanding he give them his birth name.
“I said my name has been legally changed for 20 years and they said well, we are going to call you what your mama named you, not what Ali Baba calls you,” Mubarak said.
Mubarak, a Muslim, confirmed that one of the Portland Police officers at the Justice Center used the term “Ali Baba” in referring to his name.
“Because I wouldn’t sign what my birth name was, they threw me in the hole for four hours with limited clothing on and the air conditioner turned up,” Mubarak said outside the JusticeCenter on Friday afternoon.
Activists say a dramatic increase in sweeps against houseless people has been triggered by a new project of the Multnomah County District Attorney and the Portland Police Bureau, called the Chronic Offender Pilot Project, or COPP.
No one was available for comment in Bureau of Housing Commissioner Amanda Fritz’s office, and a spokesman for Mayor Charlie Hales said he would get back with a comment later in the day.
A 9-minute Facebook video – which had been shared almost 50 times by Friday afternoon -- shows at least half a dozen City of Portland Clean and Safe officers as well as Portland Police approaching Mubarak in a parking lot under the bridge as he stood in front of the scores of houseless campers, with one officer in the distinctive yellow Clean and Safe jacket informing the crowd they are trespassing on private property.
Mubarak is seen arguing with a Portland Police officer who repeatedly demands his name, and as he refuses to give it, she then demands he get back on the sidewalk. He refuses and is held and cuffed by three officers.
The noise of a large crowd grows steadily throughout the recording; Mubarak said Friday that the large crowd – which appeared to include at least one child -- was trying to bed down for the night when the officers arrived.
The Clean and Safe officer is seen telling an unidentified female activist, “We are not pushing you out,” and stipulating that “if they’re on the sidewalk? We’re not going to bug them.”
The woman presses the Clean and Safe officer, and he stumbles slightly on a somewhat confused explanation, the gist of which is that the campers need to stay on the sidewalk and not step off it at all.
The woman then asks, “What if they’re mentally ill and they don’t get it?”
The officer says that is handled on a “case by case basis.”
A second unidentified woman asks, “What if they’re sandwiched between people in a wheelchair and they can’t get around?”
“That, unfortunately, is not our problem,” the Clean and Safe officer says, adding, “We know Erica pretty well,” then an unintelligible voice is heard off camera.
“Cause you’ve been down here every night, Erica,” the Clean and Safe officer calls out. “You’re the first person excluded out of here.
“That unfortunately is not our problem,” the officer continues, “That should be taken care of by anyone who stays on the sidewalk.”
The issue of a disabled woman in a wheelchair appears to have some bearing on this case, witnesses and Mubarak say.
They said the woman in the wheelchair had been cited and excluded the previous evening, and activists say she had to be carried back and forth in her wheelchair to avoid breaking the Clean and Safe rules on the parking lot.
“We were getting lots of calls from homeless people saying they can’t go behind them, that’s private property, and if they step off the curb, they’d get arrested or a citation,” Mubarak said.
“I want Portland to cry out against this unjust law they are imposing on homeless people,” Mubarak said.
“People need to know that they have the right to exist, have the right to survive.”
Find out more about Right2DreamToo at www.right2dreamtoo.blogspot.com.
Portland Association Teachers voted to strike Wednesday evening.
“As a result of the vote, the Portland Association of Teachers will issue a strike notice to the Employment Relations Board (ERB) and the Portland Public Schools District calling for a strike beginning Thursday, February 20, 2014,” the teachers said in a press release.
According to the statement, nearly 3,000 Portland teachers voted, by “an overwhelming majority" for a strike.
Gwen Sullivan, the association president, is quoted saying:
No teacher ever wants to go on strike, we want to be in classrooms with our students.
But Portland teachers are united and resolved to stand up for our students’ learning conditions. It’s time to move this to a conclusion so that we can have a contract that is fair for teachers and good for students.
The teachers say they have been negotiating for 10 months but can’t agree on a contract that:
· results in meaningful class size relief,
· does not force teachers to teach to the test,
· supports the students and schools who need it most, and
· provides fair compensation after years of sacrifice.
Portland School Board Co-Chairs Pam Knowles and Greg Belisle issued the following statement after the strike vote:
Tonight, we are very disappointed that the Portland Association of Teachers voted to authorize a strike. We remain committed to reaching a negotiated settlement and we hope both teams are able to make significant progress during the next mediation session on Sunday, Feb. 9.
We know that a strike would be extremely disruptive for students and families. Our goal is to reach an agreement that adds teachers to schools, adds school days, raises teacher pay and maintains strong benefits, and helps Portland keep and hire the best educators for our classrooms while keeping our spending in line with projected state funding.
Here is a link where you can read the details of PPS’s mediation proposal.
Thank you for continuing to support our schools, students, families, teachers and other school staff.
Pam Knowles
Greg Belisle
The teachers say they have asked the district to bring forward a mediation session scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9th.
Bill Wilson, the Grant High School teacher who chairs the bargaining team, is quoted in the statement saying
“This vote shows that teachers are serious about addressing the growing crisis in our schools. We hope that Superintendent Smith and School Board leaders understand this and will come to the bargaining table as soon as possible prepared to make meaningful progress toward addressing the priorities of teachers, parents and students.”
Of The Skanner News
After a year of leadership upheavals, KBOO Community Radio in Portland has hired two respected community organizers as co-station managers of the 45-year-old institution.
Mic Crenshaw is a conscious hip-hop recording artist, educator, writer and community activist; Monica Beemer is the former executive director of Sisters of the Road, a local nonprofit group that operates a café for low-income communities and organizes locally for affordable housing and nonviolence.
“KBOO is an incredible community resource and I want to use my time there to elevate and increase the community’s investment,” Crenshaw told The Skanner News this week. In a post to social media over the weekend, hiring committee chair Matt Bristow was jubilant in making the announcement:
“I am very happy and thankful to have served as chair of a successful hiring team at KBOO Community Radio, where I work as a member of the board of directors,” Bristow wrote. “At our recent monthly meeting the full board unanimously approved the hire of Monica Beemer (well-known/loved from Sisters Of The Road) and Michael Mic Crenshaw (literally the most respected hip-hop artist/activist in town) as the new radio station co-managers! They are two of the mo
