The Save 39th Avenue group continues its fight against the renaming
of 39th Avenue to César E. Chávez Boulevard, arguing that
it is not eligible for renaming, since 39th ends in Milwaukie. Eric
Fruits, head of Save 39th Avenue, alleges that since Kimbrough Road in
Milwaukie was changed to 39th Avenue to match the metro grid in 1975,
the street does in fact extend beyond Portland’s borders. City staffer
Kurt Krueger says that's invalid—39th dead ends before
Johnson Creek Boulevard, within Portland, then restarts in Milwaukie.
“They're trying to find any sort of flaw to hold up the process,”
syas Krueger. A council hearing on the rename is scheduled for Tuesday,
June 23. RACHAEL MARCUS
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The city noise control office is pulling the plug on late-night
parties at the food carts on SE 12th and Hawthorne. The popular corner,
home to a variety of fine fried foods, drew hundreds of hungry fans
with a series of epic, ’til-4 am parties earlier this year, but raised
the ire of some neighbors and police officers. “We’ve been pushed
pretty hard by the police bureau to recognize this as a problem area,”
explains Noise Control Officer Paul van Orden. “It’s not a very logical
thing for us to keep issuing permits.” SARAH MIRK
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Homeless activism group Soapbox under the Bridge took advantage of a
loophole in the city’s controversial anti-camping law on Saturday
night, June 13, to draw attention to its inequity. It’s legal to camp
out before a parade, so eight activists camped on the north side of
Pioneer Courthouse Square, fending off angry rent-a-cops who told them
the “park” closed at midnight. Eventually they were allowed to remain
after producing all the relevant legal documentation. “We’re
celebrating the fact that the anti-camping ordinance has a loophole,”
said activist Barry Joe Stull. “If camping is so dangerous, why allow
it on a few nights each year?” MATT DAVIS