EarthTalk: Is
there any way
to avoid toxic
chemicals in the
lining of prepared
food cans? – Page 6
Sen. Ron Wyden
comes to Hillsdale
to discuss internet
neutrality
– Page 2
The Country
Store: Jules of
Morocco is closing
after 16 years in
Multnomah Village
– Page 8
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 26 Issue No. 8
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
June 2018
Latest plans call for Taylors Ferry Road
detour at Barbur Crossroads
SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR PLAN
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
At the May meeting of the South-
west Corridor community advisory
committee, Metro informed members
that the draft environmental impact
statement release had been delayed.
According to Eryn Deeming Kehe,
Metro senior communications special-
ist, the Federal Transit Administration
is doing a deeper review of the project.
“This is one of the first major transit
projects of the current federal admin-
istration,” Kehe said. “The FTA has
been asking us for more details. I be-
lieve the document will be delivered
on June 15 at the earliest and the latest
on the 29th.”
There will be a 45-day public input
period as soon as the draft study is
released. Metro is trying to keep the
document under 150 pages.
Kehe explained the protocol for
members to reach a consensus on their
locally preferred alternative light rail
route. Their recommendation goes to
the Metro steering committee who
will decide the outcome.
Matt Bihn, Metro project planner,
went over some of the design modifi-
cations of the route.
“Originally,” Bihn said, “a shuttle
up to PCC-Sylvania was proposed on
Southwest 53rd Avenue but that now
has been moved to 68th.”
Light rail tracks are planned to
move off Barbur Boulevard near Capi-
tol Highway continuing along Taylors
Ferry Road.
“The tracks would then travel over
a section of green space, over the free-
way, and then over Barbur,” said Bihn.
Several audience members shook
their heads in disbelief when someone
asked if this road was wide enough for
(Continued on Page 3)
In June 2015, bicyclists measured and took notes on the thin bike ledge on the
Newbury viaduct along Barbur Boulevard. Metro officials recently said there isn't
enough money in the budget for bicyclist and pedestrian access along new MAX
track viaducts. (Post file photo by Erik Vidstrand)
How Lincoln students are fighting the city’s homeless crisis
Lincoln High School students prepare
program. (Photo courtesy of NBC News)
By Bita Ryan and Kait Richmond
Hank Sanders is only 17, but he
knows exactly how fortunate he is
to have a roof over his head and
food to eat.
That’s because once a week, he and
20 to 30 of his classmates at Lincoln
High School, have dinner with the
area’s homeless youth. First they
cook, and then they eat — together.
“It makes you open up your eyes,”
Sanders told NBC News. “You are so
much more grateful for every single
thing that you have, for every dollar
that you’re given, for every meal that
is on your plate.”
Sanders started the program Cards
Cook — the school mascot is a car-
lessons on everything from drawing
they can make in large quan-
and poetry to managing personal
tities. When they’re done
finances.
cooking, they grab some of
Henry Hooper, the program’s
the food and join everyone
adviser, who spent 30 years in busi-
while they eat, talk and play
ness before becoming a teacher, is
games.
inspired by the teens.
“We play the same video
“This is unusual,” Hooper said.
games, we read the same
“That’s a combination of being so-
books, we watch the same
cial entrepreneurs as well as active
movies,” Sanders said. “We
students. They really want to do
can relate. So with every
something to make a difference, and
single meal, we’re making
it’s extraordinary.”
that connection stronger.”
Sanders said he hopes to keep
Since it began, Cards Cook
serving meals while working with
has served 27,000 meals and
the city to find long-term solutions
raised thousands of dollars
to homelessness in Portland.
for the community. Perhaps
“There are so many negative
their biggest contribution,
connotations that come in people’s
however, is listening.
heads when they’re looking at home-
“They actually come out
meals for homeless youth through the CardsCook
less people,” Hooper said. “We’ve
and they talk with us and
got to change that. Not just as 15
they interact,” said Kyle
students, not even as 100 students
Pillsbury, a homeless 29-year-old
... we’ve got to change it as a city
who attends the dinners every week.
dinal — two years ago as a way to
together.”
“It’s humanizing.”
integrate himself and his classmates
A version of this story was originally
The teachers from Lincoln have
with Portland’s less fortunate youth.
broadcast on NBC News with Lester
also taken up their students’ mis-
According to officials with
Holtz on May 7.
sion, often joining the dinners to give
Multnomah County, there are at
least 700 to 800 homeless teens in the
Subscribe to The Post and help us keep the presses rolling! Form on Page 2.
county at any given time, a number
indicative of an even larger crisis
The Southwest Portland Post
that the city has been battling for
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd #509
years.
Government officials declared
Portland, OR 97206
the homeless problem a “state of
emergency” three years ago, citing
a lack of affordable housing as one of
the leading factors.
The concept of Cards Cook is sim-
ple: Student volunteers get together
at a church where they prepare a
planned menu of healthy meals that