The Christmas
Ship parade is just
one of many events
in our annual
Holiday Guide
– Page 5
Multnomah singer/
songwriter Kelsey
Mousley brings soulful
sound to her band, The
Next Right Thing
– Page 8
Neighborhood
House progressive
dinner provides food
and education
– Page 4
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 24 Issue No. 2
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
December 2015
Mayor Hales leads community forum on homeless shelter at Sears Armory
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
It was another packed Multnomah
Arts Center auditorium with yet
another issue facing residents and
businesses of Multnomah. The topic
this time was the housing of 150
homeless women in the former Jerome
Sears Army Reserve Center.
On Nov. 16, a community forum was
held to discuss the announcement led
by a panel including Portland Mayor
Charlie Hales, Multnomah County
Commissioner Jules Bailey, Bob Kieta,
a city facilities manager, and Stacy
Borke, a project manager for Transition
Projects.
“About a year ago,” Hales began,
“the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development declared getting all
homeless veterans off the street and
into some kind of housing.
“Out of the 1,800 homeless
individuals in Portland, almost 700
are veterans.”
In addition, 550 women sleep on
Jules Bailey speaks, while (from left) Charlie Hales, Bob Kieta, and Stacy Borke listen. The Nov. 16 community forum was on conversion
of the former Sears Armory into a women's homeless shelter. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
the streets every night in Portland.
So in order to address the problem,
Hales declared a state of emergency in
September expediting the process of
getting homeless people off the street
and waiving zoning laws.
After touring the empty armory
in late October, Hales, Bailey, and
Multnomah County Chair Deborah
Kafoury decided that it would be
unconscionable to leave an empty
building that the city owns while
people sleep outside.
Rick Nitti, executive director of
Neighborhood House, reminded
everyone that the Multnomah
Neighborhood Association
re c o m m e n d e d t h e p ro p e r t y b e
converted into affordable housing
back in 2012.
(Continued on Page 7)
TechConnect showcases technology education at Jackson Middle School
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
It may not seem possible, but the
first cellular telephone call was made
42 years ago. A lot has happened since
that large brick of a gadget debuted.
A local technology event was held
Nov. 18 at Jackson Middle School that
not only addressed the latest news
on gadgetry and software, but how
it should be integrated in the school
setting.
But more importantly, a need for
balance, play, and imagination is
required. Are some of the five senses
shutting down due to technology?
The Jackson cafeteria was the
scene of robots, crude electronics,
science fiction technology and even a
mayor, principals, geeks, filmmakers,
parents, students of all ages, and the
elderly.
What kind of event could possibly
draw such a mix of individuals under
one roof? Not even a concert or
blockbuster film could possibly bring
such an eclectic crowd together.
But Southwest Neighborhoods,
Inc. was able to pull it off. The SWNI
Schools Committee organized a
TechConnect summit on Nov. 18 and
had a variety of sponsors to make it
all possible.
Will Fuller, the tireless community
advocate and chair of SWNI’s school
committee said he was pleased at the
turnout. Fuller was asked if he’d do
it again.
“We hope so,” Fuller said as he
collected raffle tickets for a Chromebook
drawing. (The Chromebook is a new,
faster computer.)
The main part of the evening
featured Darren Hudgins, a former
secondary education teacher and
Google certified innovator. He shared
images that engaged the audience as
they had to bring out their phones or
tablets to follow along.
Hudgins works for Oregon
E d u c a t i o n a l Te c h n o l o g y a n d
Curriculum and addressed innovative
technology at schools integrating
them into the learning process.
He compared what schools were
like in the past and how they are now.
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Portland, OR 97206
Examples included
a website called
Google Treks that
now take the place
of field trips which
are very costly for
schools.
Notes that used
to be passed in
class are now
Snapchats - short
messages or photos
that disappear
within
ten
seconds. Cursive
handwriting is
being dropped
in many schools,
replaced by
computer tablets
and laptops. And
the famed Thomas
Guide map book is
now obsolete as a
new smart phone
app called Waze
shows how to
avoid traffic jams
and elude traffic Christopher Polanco, a Wilson High School filmmaker, films a
cops.
short documentary of the TechConnect event Nov. 18 at Jackson
He also shared Middle School. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
apps that can help
and the SUN School Program also
math students through arithmetic
sponsored the event.
problems. By clicking on a math
Wi l s o n H i g h S c h o o l s t u d e n t
problem, the app does the rest much
Christopher Polanco who stopped
to the dismay of teachers.
briefly for an interview for The Post
The room was full of community
said he had to continue filming as he
partners showing off their programs
was making a documentary of the
and technology. Wilson High school
entire program. With headphones
had their robotics team. Free Geek
and the camera pointed towards his
demonstrated how volunteers can get
subject he counted down three, two,
free computers. Students shared their
one…Action. The future has arrived.
cardboard electronic projects.
For more information please go to
Organizations, such as Home
#techconnect2015 on Twitter.
Forward, Neighborhood House