Amy J. Ruiz
A Done Deal?
On Tuesday morning, November 6, supporters of a proposal to rename Interstate Avenue for César E. Chávez held a press conference at Kaiser Town Hall on Interstate. Supporters like former Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz urged the city council to quit debating whether or not to continue processing the proposal, and to vote already. “In […]
“I Am Irrelevant”
Last Thursday, October 25, Mayor Tom Potter finally managed to do what weeks of meetings and behind-the-scenes negotiations failed to: He brought both sides of the Interstate/Chávez street rename debate together—in stunned silence as he stormed out of a council hearing. “I am irrelevant,” Potter said as he left, angry that the other three men […]
Overdue
Last year, Portland State University graduate student Barbara Shaw was in Powell’s, browsing the science section, when she saw something odd. “I noticed that there were a lot of these intelligent design books in the evolution section,” says Shaw, who’s researching the evolution of sloths, anteaters, and armadillos as she works on her Ph.D. “I […]
Tapas Assault
Our dinner kicked off with potato chips—hot, fancy potato chips. Eyeing the sprinkle of fresh rosemary, sage, and tarragon, we eagerly dove in to the first of several tapas we’d ordered at lolo, NE Alberta’s newest—and, with the demise of the Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill, arguably most upscale—restaurant. Half a dozen chips into […]
Overlooking Overlook
On September 26, SW Portland resident Amber Ontiveros sent a Title VI civil rights complaint to the City of Portland, alleging that members of the César E. Chávez Boulevard Committee were “allegedly met with jeering, mocking, booing, and suggestions by the audience that a more suitable location [for honoring Chávez] would be the street corner […]
Countdown to January
When the state elections division announced last Friday, October 12, that anti-gay activists had failed to gather enough signatures to put the second of two recently passed gay rights laws to a public vote, gay rights activists finally celebrated. Ever since Governor Ted Kulongoski signed both laws on May 9—one outlaws discrimination based on sexual […]
The Interstate Solution
As accusations of racism volleyed around city hall, the media, and in North Portland over a proposal to rename Interstate Avenue for César E. Chávez, three city commissioners have stepped in to negotiate a peaceful end to the standoff. “Our responsibility is to interject ourselves and moderate that discussion,” said Randy Leonard, at his office […]
Randy Leonard Declares “Cease Fire” on Raging Interstate Debate
Name Calling
Two city-sponsored forums on a proposal to rename North Interstate Avenue for César E. Chávez haven’t even happened yet, but already Mayor Tom Potter is chastising neighbors for what he calls a lack of respect during discussions over the idea. “César E. Chávez’s work was rooted in his belief in peaceful and nonviolent action,” Potter […]
Human Traffic
Trade is about sex trafficking. Specifically, thugs kidnapping women and children, smuggling them across borders, and selling them in an online auction to become sex slaves. Yikes. Surprisingly, Trade isn’t nearly as disturbing as it could have been. Sure, there were terrified kids imprisoned in dank underground cells, implied sex abuse, and one blatant (though […]