Back in 2007, a controversial effort to rename Interstate Avenue
after César Chávez collapsed in on itself without the
name change ever taking place. This time, things will be
different—at least if the City of Portland gets its way.
On Wednesday night, February 11, about 30 neighborhood organizers
filled the seats of a workshop called, “When Controversy Comes to Your
Neighborhood.” The meeting, at the Portland Building on SW 4th, was led
by Judith Mowry from the city’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement, and
revolved around a new pamphlet the city put together to help
neighborhood associations manage tense meetings and hostile crowds.
“This is sort of an accumulation of lessons learned,” said Mowry.
“If you have ranters and screamers, you haven’t created a way for
everyone to be involved.”
The guidebook includes tips on how to run tough meetings, and on how
to deal with racially or otherwise prejudiced comments—”Be
playful, keep it light, but don’t let them off the hook.”
The controversy workshop analyzed the 2007 Chávez renaming
ordeal as a model scenario of process gone wrong. During that
particular controversy, participants voiced some criticism of the city
planning process, saying it often excludes regular Portlanders from the
important early stages of big project plans.
Meanwhile, others argue that most of the controversy around the last
attempted Chávez rename came about because the city didn’t
follow its own code regarding street renaming—although the city
has never, in fact, followed the code. It waived the process when it
renamed Union Avenue after Martin Luther King Jr. in 1989, Front Avenue
after developer Bill Naito in 1996, and Portland Boulevard after Rosa
Parks in 2006.
This time, the city has employed three mediation
consultants—at a cost to taxpayers of $35,000—to shepherd
the rename through to completion, while attempting to follow city code
to the letter.
“Oregon is known for wanting lots of public process,” says Mike
Greenfield, one of the three consultants. “[City council] could just
haul off and do it, but there might be a little trouble at the ballot
box.”
Council will ultimately make a decision on whether to rename a
street this spring, but only after it has sought input from the
Portland Planning Commission and a newly established historian panel,
which met for the first time on Thursday, February 12. The panel’s job
is to decide whether any of the three streets now up for
renaming—39th, Grand, and Broadway—have enough “historic
significance” to keep their current names.
The panel will not be hearing testimony on how much it may cost to
rename the streets, or the price of printing new stationary for area
businesses.
“That’s something that would be more appropriate for the planning
commission,” says Kathy Fuerstenau from the Cully Neighborhood
Association, who sits on the panel.
In addition to surveying residents near the three streets by
postcard, the historian panel also plans to hold three three-hour
hearings, tentatively slated for March 23 (Grand), March 30 (Broadway),
and April 6 (39th), near each of the streets, to ask residents about
the historic significance of their street’s current name, and the
appropriateness of renaming their street after César
Chávez.
Last week, the panel discussed logistics for the hearings. They’ll
be in public, accessible locations, with a plainclothes security
officer present, and each member of the public who signs up to testify
will get three minutes to speak.
“Hopefully the process will be more respectful and run more
smoothly, and that’s the whole goal here,” said Fuerstenau.
“This is a new start for everybody,” said Marta Guembes, co-chair of
the committee pushing for the rename.
Beau Breedlove blvd.
“a plainclothes security officer”
If public response is half what it was in north PDX in 07 they will need several. At chief Joseph School auditorium – ALNA meeting _ it was SRO, at Ockley Green school it was SRO in auditorium on both levels w/ lots of harsh commentary from balcony.
“lessons learned”, we must hope that some of the lessons were learned by Judith Mowry. Nice lady, ran both 07 public meetings i attended and lost control of each. not her fault I suppose but the ockley green meeting in particular was a shambles.
We must not forget how high emotions ran in 07. A Nopo naborhood activist I know suffered a breakdown after November showdown before city council and is still recovering from it.
BTW the street name chang IS going to happen. Adams promised Chavez commitee & is not in a position to renege w/ any dignity.
Sam Adams has no credibility, has little respect and has been known to lie.
A promise from Sam means nothing.
With all the real problems that face us this is a huge waste of money and recources.
With all the problems that face us today, this is an obscene waste of time, money and recources. What will changing a street’s name solve? Nothing.
Thanks to 30 years of noise by the wing-nut hate machine is that people view labor issues with apathy or venom, certainly with no sort of reverence or respect for the benefits of our society. The little things like 2 days off at the end of the week or an 8 hour workday. Most people imagine that these are just things that employers willingly give to us out of the kindness of their corporate hearts.
Even those who have heard of Chavez view his activities as much more about his contribution to the hispanic cause than that of general rights for workers.
Much of the promotion around this re-naming of the street has also promoted this view. As such even I find it hard to get behind any renaming event.
Maybe a more fitting tribute to his contributions for the (farm) workers would be spending this money getting our workers fully employed again.
WHY are these people so hell-bent on renaming streets??? Can their priorities really be that out of whack? I mean, if we had a street called Mengele Avenue or something, I might be behind the idea, but why don’t we just leave Grand, Broadway and 39th as they are…
This is ridiculous and so overly p.c.. Why not rename some streets “Susan B. Anthony Way”, “Che Street”, “Gloria Steinem St.”, “Aung San Suu Kyi Blvd”. This is so stupid. Please use the city’s money for something important, like say, addressing the huge numbers of meth addicts that steal and destroy property to feed their habit.
few things will make me take sides with Marta Guembes
a comment starting with ‘these people’ might just do it
please now reassure us that some of your best riends are $p!c$
It appears that Marta Guembes is acting like a spoiled 2 year old when she makes the remark, NO, IT MUST BE STREET NAMED AFTER CHAVEZ…WHAT A CHILD…MAYBE HER AND HER CO-HORTS SHOULD PAY FOR ALL THE TROUBLE THAT IT WOULD CAUSE THE GOOD PEOPLE OF 39TH AVENUE TO ADJUST THEIR ADDRESSES, NOT TO MENTION THE BUSINESS OWNERS! IF THIS GUY CHAVEZ, WAS ALL ABOUT RIGHTS FOR FARM WORKERS, THEN NAME A FARMERS MARKET AFTER HIM..MAN, QUIT WAISTING TIME AND MONEY OVER THIS “CRAP”
Did you say ‘renege with dignity”? Sam Adams and dignity should not be in the same sentence. His arrogance is astounding–once again. Dignity would have been to step down from his position in January…It think it’s a little too late for any “dignity”.
Is Marta Guembes a citizen and if not how can we send her back to her home country