With a red bandana holding his hair back, Todd Kurylowicz sat serenely in front of city council two weeks ago and read a quote from Dr. King: “Somehow this madness must stop; we must stop it now.” It was Wednesday morning, when citizens present three-minute issue statements to city council. For the past several months, […]
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Sneaky As Ever
Task Force Oversight Conveniently Forgotten
The Joint Terrorism Task Force has been a mysterious force in Portland for years. But what concerns activists is the cooperative agreement allowing FBI agents to work hand in hand with Portland police officers with practically no oversight. No one–not even the mayor–really seems to know what the Task Force does, or who they are […]
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Pick Me! Pick Me!
The May primaries are just around the corner. Who you gonna vote for? Decide with these helpful Mercury mini-profiles!
Tom Potter Mayoral Candidate You talk about changing police culture to focus more on community involvement. How do you plan to do that? We want the police to act as partners with the community, so instead of waiting for a crime to occur and a police call to dispatch them, we want them to go […]
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Three Strikes and You’re Sober!
Council Clamps Down on Liquor Venues
by Anna Simon “Time, place, and manner” ordinances are almost always controversial. They regulate exactly when and how a business may conduct itself. And usually, they are directed at strip clubs or taverns–those businesses that most often offend the “moral character” of neighborhoods. For the past year, there have been rumors about a few such […]
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Mississippi Whitewash
Are Business Owners Feeling a Backlash?
Late on Martin Luther King’s birthday, someone broke into several stores along North Mississippi. Although police have linked a rash of recent house break-ins in the area to junkies trying to score quick money, there was something different about these robberies. “It was orderly,” explained one of the storeowners. Phone lines were snipped and the […]
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The Disappearing Middle Ground
Who Won Last Week’s Cheney Protest?
Vice President Dick Cheney has rarely been seen in public over the past three years–and his fundraising appearance in Portland last Tuesday was no exception. Although about 100 protesters tromped through a soggy field adjacent to the Embassy Suites near the airport, they were not allowed to stand any closer than a football field’s length […]
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Who Are You Going to Sue?
The City is Awash in Lawsuits
The economy may still be sluggish in Oregon, but at least one sector of employment is doing well: Personal injury and civil rights attorneys. Over the past year, there have been several high-profile deaths. But now, as personal grief recedes, an epilogue to those stories is emerging–one that is more about retribution and financial reward. […]
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More Answers, More Questions
Elliott Smith Investigation Gets Curiouser
As more details regarding the death of Elliott Smith emerge, the truth becomes murkier. Here are the facts so far: On October 21 at a few minutes past midnight, Smith’s live-in girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba, called 911 to report that the maudlin indie singer was bleeding from two chest wounds. She stated she pulled a knife […]
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After the Fire
Dignity Village Thanks Lars Larson
by Anna Simon It’s been a tough month for the 60-some men and women living in makeshift structures at Dignity Village, the city’s notorious homeless encampment near the airport. Aside from record-low temperatures and last week’s ice storm, the village has once again come under public scrutiny. Shortly before Christmas, a fire destroyed two buildings. […]
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From Worst To Worstest!
Katz Slices and Dices the City Budget
In July, at her state of the city speech, Mayor Katz promised a brighter future for the city. She spoke with optimism about the city’s resolve and ability to rebound from a stubborn economic downturn. With nearly one in 12 residents still out of work and an untold number grossly underemployed, Katz’s assurances were like […]
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More than a Suicide?
Investigation Into Elliott Smith’s Death Reopened
Over two months ago, Elliott Smith, the brooding folk-rock singer, was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment from two allegedly self-inflicted stab wounds. At the time, rumors quickly circulated as to whether the death was a suicide, a murder, or perhaps the result of a lovers’ quarrel–his girlfriend was reportedly the first person to […]
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What A Year It Wasn’t!
What Your City Council Refused to Do in 2003
In 2003, local news began with a bang and ended with a whimper. For example, in early March 30,000 Portlanders gathered at Waterfront Park. For hours, the anti-war march snaked through the downtown blocks. There were signs reading, “How did our oil get under their sand?” and “I asked for universal health care and all […]