Family therapist Ed Garren has decided to run for City
Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s seat early next year. Garren,
originally from Florida, moved to Portland in October 2005. He
unsuccessfully ran in the primary for Nick Fish’s current seat in
January 2008 after Erik Sten’s resignation. “I’ve just decided I need
to throw my name in the ring,” he said, announcing his candidacy on the
Mercury‘s Blogtown last week. “There are issues that need to be
addressed, and they’re either being addressed or not at all,” says
Garren, when asked why he’s running. “We talk about sustainability and
green and all of that, but we’re not doing the best we can do. There
are still issues between the police and communities of color, and we’re
not doing enough to house the homeless.” MATT DAVIS
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Northeast Portland neighbors are not too keen on plans to open a
private medical marijuana club on NE Dekum this Friday, November
13. At a heated meeting last week, the Woodlawn Neighborhood
Association complained about the noise and nature of erotic
parties the owners of the planned pot café have hosted in
their space over the last six months. Café owner Eric Solomon
responds that the neighbors are unfairly trying to run him out of town.
“They don’t like that we have big queer dance parties. They don’t like
that we have an event called ‘Dinner and Porn,'” says Solomon. Some
neighbors said that they prefer a more inclusive, family-friendly
establishment occupy the area’s prime business block. SARAH MIRK