Since May of 2000, employees at Streetlight Youth Shelter have been clamoring for a mild increase in their wages. The workers, who say they are currently paid only $8.25 an hour for highly skilled and stressful work, have asked for a raise that will insure they won’t slip into poverty themselves. But, in spite of […]
City
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R.I.P. PIIAC
City Council Denies Appeal From An Abused Activist
Craig Rosebraugh is perhaps the most infamous environmental activist in Portland, if not the entire Northwest. As the former spokesperson for the firebrand Earth Liberation Front, Rosebraugh has spent plenty of time defending anarchy in front of media microphones and cameras. But on Halloween, Rosebraugh sat earnestly in front of City Council and petitioned for […]
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The Wheels of Crime
The City Intensifies Its War Against Skateboarding
With its long, arching curbs and sloping sidewalks, the newly remodeled Eastbank Esplanade is not only the latest gem in the city’s crown of redevelopment projects, but one of the most attractive places in town for skateboarding. But according to city officials, skateboarding is not compatible with walking and jogging, and they are preparing an […]
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OLCC’s War Against T&A
State Agency Sets Their Sights on Strippers
Over the past few years, there has been growing opposition to the OLCC. One of the few remaining states that still relies on state government to distribute liquor, Oregon’s system is considered outdated by an increasing number of politically left groups. But the OLCC may have a unique tactic to win right-thinking interest groups and […]
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Where Will the Leaves Go?
Local Philanthropist Saves the Day for Homeless
Once again, Dignity Village has sidestepped a deadline for its eviction. Two months ago, the encampment of homeless men and women was forced to move from its site under the Fremont Bridge to a remote site near the airport. That move was intended to be temporary; The city gave the homeless sixty days, until November […]
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News Makers, Love Makers
A Guide to Portland’s Sexiest Movers and Shakers
Although a skin-scratching case of anthrax may be more welcome than a steamy night with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, it’s a little-known fact that many news makers are also some of the greatest–and most inventive–love makers. Need we say anything more than Bill Clinton, an intern, and a cigar? From our charming mayor to […]
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Haymarket, It Ain’t
City Suffers World’s Shortest Labor Strike
If you hit your snooze bar and slept late on Monday morning, you probably missed the massive–yet brief–work-strike in Portland. Upset that City Hall was nickel and diming their health benefits, about 1800 city employees walked off the job for a whopping 20 minutes. Since strikers included most non-emergency city employees, such as meter maids […]
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EGG ON THEIR FACE
The Willamette Week, a Portland, OR weekly newspaper, has always presented itself as the guardian of journalist ethics. But last week, a reader discovered that one of the weekly paper’s music reviewers had blatantly plagiarized a review for a well-known reggae band. What’s even more alarming, was the paper’s hush-hush response to accusations. In a […]
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What Doesn’t Kill You
Time Is Running Out Again on Dignity Village
Nietzsche would be proud. When the homeless encampment known as Dignity Village was ostracized in late August from its site underneath the Fremont Bridge, most observers believed that would be the whimpering conclusion to the eight-month attempt at establishing a camp for the city’s homeless–run exclusively by the homeless. Over the previous eight months, about […]
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Labor Disputes Mushroom
Organizers May Have Run Employer Out of Town
In what may be a case of doing their job too well, migrant workers in Oregon who have been trying to organize a labor union are now facing unemployment. After a year-long struggle to raise awareness about poor wages and safety concerns at Pictsweet–a mushroom picking farm and plant in Salem–the company has announced it […]
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Instant Protest, Just Add War
Within Hours of Bombing, An Anti-War Movement Launches
Within hours of President Bush confirming that fighter planes were raining bombs on Afghanistan, several hundred activists and concerned citizens packed into a grassy park across the street from City Hall. Contacted by phone and e-mail, an informal anti-war network sprung almost instantly to life. They dropped rakes, left Sunday-afternoon hikes, and turned off the […]
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These Dogs Are Killing Me!
Oregon Tries to Become A Leader in Animal Law
Last year, Stan Brock found his dog, Rookie, dead with an arrow sticking out of his neck. A former offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints, Brock was heartbroken and furious. Within a few weeks, the killer, a neighbor, was caught and charged with felony animal assault. But somehow that wasn’t enough for Brock. Like […]