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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2015)
June 3, 2015 The Page 3 INSIDE Week in Review O pinion M etro page 2 pages 6-7 This page Sponsored by: L ocal N ews page 11 Police investigate a shooting on Thursday that injured three people and sent others scrambling during festivities for Last Thursday on Alberta Street. (KPTV photo) Shootings Surge Turmoil from 25 gang-related incidents in May O livia O livia T he P ortland O bserver The number of shootings in Portland has sky- rocketed in the past few weeks leaving police scrambling to keep up with cases. In May alone the city saw 25 separate gang-re- lated shooting incidents, officials said, including on Thursday when two black teens and a 25-year-old woman were shot amidst Last Thursday celebra- tions on Northeast Alberta Street. Tourists and lo- cals alike were milling on the Alberta art walk be- fore the shots rang out and people started screaming as the violence erupted. A 16-year-old black male was arrested after a chase through the neighborhood, and he reportedly told police he shot because he thought a man was looking at him disrespectfully. Leaders from the African American commu- nity were part of a group of about 20 people who gathered at Woodlawn Park on Friday to speak out against all the recent violence, which has been im- pacting mostly young men of color, and appealed for a peaceful resolution. by Arts & ENTERTAINMENT pages 8-13 C lassifieds C alendar page 15 F ood page 16 page 14 The same northeast Portland park was home to a shooting and subsequent vigil in April. Mothers of shooting victims, several of who have died, gath- ered once again to carry photos of their sons and tell stories of anguish. Two black men, Marcus Cooper and Loren Ware, also known by his hip-hop name Glen Waco, were arrested during the shooting at Last Thursday on unrelated charges of disorderly con- duct, harassment, and resisting arrest. The men issued statements that they only wanted to help the victims. Mayor Charlie Hales who also attended the Thursday night festivities, later issued a statement that it was okay for police to “stop and question peo- ple on the street.” “Everyone needs to understand that’s part of them doing their job. It’s not about profiling. It’s about doing our job,” he said. At this time, there is no plan to add more officers to the 25-member gang enforcement team, and the Portland Police is discussing ways to increase its presence in the battle against street violence. Honored Citizen Fares Inch Up TriMet fares will stay the same for most riders but will go up 25-cents to half the price of an adult ticket for seniors and disabled rid- ers in a new budget that makes investment in expanded services, improved safety and adding 77 new buses to the fleet. “This budget will deliver a lot to our riders and the region as we con- tinue our investment in expanding service and improving system reli- ability,” TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said, following last week’s approval of the agency’s an- nual budget which beings July 1. “We’ll be restoring MAX Fre- quent Service on weekends, adding buses to busy lines and opening the MAX Orange Line along with more bus connections in Portland and Clackamas County,” McFarlane said. For the third time in six years, non-union employees will see a three percent wage increase on av- erage, based on performance. Union employees will receive a 3 percent wage increase that was negotiated in the latest contract, plus regular step increases. For the fourth year in a row, adult fares of $2.50 for a single ride will not be increased. The Honored Cit- izen fare increase is the first in five years, going from $1 for a single ride ticket to $1.25. Federal Transit Administration guidelines and TriMet Board of Di- rectors policy target HC fares at half the regular adult fare, officials said. The revenue helps provide addition- al service to service riders who are seniors and/or who have a disability. New fares take effect Sept. 1.