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,
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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7650 SW
SW
Capitol
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