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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2016)
Page 2 The April 13, 2016 in Week Review Lowest Jobless Since 1976 Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to a record low of 4.5 percent in March, the lowest point since comparable records began in 1976. A year ago, Oregon’s un- employment rate was 5.7 percent. Rent Freeze Demanded A large group of protesters dis- rupted a meeting of the Mult- nomah County commission Thursday to demand that the local governing panel declare a housing disaster and immediately enact a one-year rent freeze and eviction moratorium. The commission took no action on the proposal by Portland Tenants United. Glass Maker Adds Controls Bullseye glass, the southeast Port- land company believed to be one of the sources of heavy metals detected in the city’s air, indicat- ed in a letter released Monday by the Oregon Department of Envi- ronmental Quality that it will start using cadmium again after install- NFL’S Will Smith Killed ing a pollution control device in a Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was killed Sunday night controlled furnace. in a case of road-rage by a Hum- Student had Zest for Life vee-driving man who rear-ended Her zest for life was contagious his Mercedes and then shot him in and it’s what friends of 18-year- the back and side, according to a old Haruka Weiser are trying to police warrant. Smith, 34, was be- focus on as they struggle with loved by fans for helping the Saints grief over her murder. The first- win the 2009 Super Bowl. year student at University of Tex- as in Austin was found dead on Navy Accommodates Portland the school’s campus last Tuesday. After Portland Mayor Charlie She was a native of Portland and Hales refused to travel to Mis- attended the Arts and Communi- sissippi to commission the USS cations Magnet Academy in Bea- Portland because of the state’s new anti-gay law, the Navy Tues- verton. day announced the commission- ing will take place in Portland. The law signed by the Mississippi governor earlier this month al- lows churches, religious charities and privately held businesses to decline services to people whose lifestyles violate their religious beliefs. Neal, Iverson to Naismith Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iver- son will be inducted into the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, offi- cials announced last week. Iver- son was an 11-time NBA All-Star and O’Neal was a four-time NBA Champion in 19 years in the NBA. Arts Tax Due and Many Confused Paying it isn’t as easy as it seems C ervante p ope t he p ortland o bserver We get it; statistically speak- ing, Portland is one of the biggest creative hubs in the United States. That isn’t news to anyone, but the Portland Arts Tax is, to some. The goal of the tax is to provide an artistic outlet for young kids in schools by bringing art teachers into 70 elementary schools across six Portland school districts, as well as supporting the city’s artis- tic organizations. The measure first popped up on by a ballot back in November 2012 and to date has raised a combined $24 million for the Regional Arts and Culture Council and Portland area schools. Yet, four years lat- er, residents are still either unin- formed of the Arts Tax, or unin- formed on how to pay it. Aware of this issue, Elders in Action has sought to help those perplexed by the process by break- ing down the details and providing a streamlined outline of the tax’s C ontinued on p age 4 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association Mark Washington, Sr. e ditor : Michael Leighton e xecutive d irector : Rakeem Washington A dvertising M AnAger : Leonard Latin Office Manager/Classifieds: Lucinda Baldwin c reAtive d irector : Paul Neufeldt r ePorter /W eb e ditor : Cervante Pope P ublisher : CALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 news@portlandobserver.com • ads@portlandobserver.com subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208