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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2008)
EDITORIAL 2 • The Southwest Portland Post Peace March, Rally (Continued from Page 1) the Vietnam Veterans Against the War 1971 testimony that exposed possible war crimes. After the rally, costumed men on stilts and a band led demonstrators along the march route. As they walked down Southwest Park Avenue and Madison Street, General Strike, a small acoustic group, played Down by the Riverside on a guitar and mandolin. Wilson High School Students for Social Justice walked by, one young woman wearing a bright poncho special for peace rallies. “We’re promoting the ideas of peace and allowing youth to have a voice,” said student Gabriel Erbs. “We have about 10 people here from the group but I expect there are quite a few more Wilson students.” Four blocks of flags staked into the South Park Block’s grass made up the Iraq Body Count exhibit. “There are 120,795 flags. Each represents five dead people -- white for dead Iraqis, red for dead Americans,” explained Rudy Dietz from the information table at the corner of Southwest Park Avenue and Market Street. People walking by stopped and stared at the evocative memorial. Many carried anti-war signs for the rally. “A number of people have lost inter- est in what’s happening in Iraq,” Dietz said. “I think we’ve lost perspective of the sacrifice that American troops and Iraqis have made -- the number of peo- ple who have died, or been injured, and forever will be affected by this war.” April 2008 Proposed Hillsdale Plaza dis- regards little league, softball programs As a longtime supporter of Wilson High School and Southwest Portland youth athletics I am appalled at the proposal by the Hillsdale Neighborhood Asso- ciation to develop property within the Wilson High School athletics complex as a “Hillsdale Plaza”, amphitheatre and trails hub. The so-called “Rieke Triangle” and the adjacent ball field have long been eyed by community activists and organizers of the Hillsdale Farmers Market for their own purposes, disre- garding the existing heavy use of that property by Wilson students and other area youth. When the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association promotes development of this Portland Public School property, its representatives never mention these existing uses. So let’s be clear. The ball field is the home field of the Wilson Women’s Softball program. The field is also heavily used by Southwest Portland Little League for both its boys and girls programs. The hillside above is used as an overflow area for other athletics programs, mostly soccer and lacrosse. The entire property is integral to the future of these student and youth ath- letics programs. While the Hillsdale Farmers Market can be located else- where, and irrespective of dysfunction within the Hillsdale commercial area, ��������� �������������������� ��������������� ������������ ����������������������� 7825 SW 36th Ave Suite #203 Portland, OR 97219 Phone: (503) 244-6933; Fax: (866) 727-5336 general email: news@multnomahpost.com web address: www.multnomahpost.com ������������������� ��������� �� ������� ��������� ���� ������ � ������� ������������ ��������������� ������� � ���� ���� ����������� ���������������������� ��� ���������� ��� � !���������"������#$%&� �������� ���������'���������� ������������ ��������� Editor & Publisher: Don Snedecor Reporters/Writers: Mark Ellis, Polina Olsen, Lee Perlman, Don Snedecor Retail Advertising Manager: Harry Blythe Graphic Design: Leslie Baird Design Printing: Oregon Lithoprint © 2008 by The Southwest Portland Post. All rights reserved. The opinions of the artists and authors contained herein are not necessarily shared by the publisher. Deadline for news and advertising is generally the 15th of the month prior to publication. Please call for current deadline information. Advertising rates are available upon request. The Post has a circulation of 10,000 in Multnomah Village and the surrounding neighborhood business districts including Burlingame, Capitol Hill, Garden Home, Glen Cullen, Hillsdale, South Portland, Raleigh Hills, West Portland and Vermont Hills. The Post is published on or about the 1st of every month. Subscriptions are $24 per year. Back issues are $2.50 each when available. All major credit cards accepted. The Post is printed on recycled newsprint using soy-based inks. ������������������� 1PSUMBOE 03 'BY FNBJM there is no more suitable place for student and youth athletics programs than within the Wilson High and Rieke Elementary school complex. When my daughter, her teammates and their classmates walk to their ath- letic fields, when they run and play and laugh within the open space that our predecessors put into trust for them so many years ago, I feel good about living in Portland. When I see and hear that influential commercial interests in Hillsdale seek to displace without recognition our voiceless children, I begin to question the values of our self-proclaimed civic leaders. I hope that others will stand with me and say “Hands off!” Portland Public Schools property. Thomas Benke Southwest Portland Help Wanted The Post is seeking freelance writers to cover neighborhood news, politics and culture. � ��� 5IF4PVUIXFTU1PSUMBOE1PTU Experience required. Bonus points for photography. Beats include arts, schools, parks, crime prevention, land use, transportation, neighborhoods. Please mail or e-mail resume, cover letter with specific interest, and three published clips to: Don Snedecor Editor and Publisher The Southwest Portland Post 7825 SW 36th Ave Suite #203 Portland, OR 97219 don@multnomahpost.com April Special $14 $24 $34 7650 SW SW Capitol Hwy., Portland 7825 36th Ave #203, Portland 97219 97219