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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2009)
Street roots 3 TT Jan. 23,2009 Homeless camping area swept into park and private security oversight Roots With a View a new discussion group for readers Come discuss some of the latest Street Roots articles with other vendors and friends in the neighborhood. Expose yourself to new angles and ideas, and share some of your own perspectives, insights, and experiences related to the many issues affecting our communities. Poverty is complex and requires creativity. When we come together to understand our diverse lives, common interests, and unique gifts in relationship to the difficult times we are in, we take the first steps towards the strategic and collective work of challenging broken systems and replacing them with beautiful solutions. Roots With A View meets every Tuesday following publication, at Street Roots, 211 NW Davis in Portland's Old Town. 6:30pm doors open, 7pm discussion. Coffee & snacks will be provided. For more information or questions please contact Stoop at 503-774-3128. Our first discussion will be Tuesday, Jan. 27. Hope to see you there. City, county conduct one-night count of people on the street Outreach workers and a host of volunteers are gearing up for the biannual one-night street and shelter count. The count is used to gauge how many Portland and Multnomah County residents are experiencing homelessness. Volunteers will be asking people where they slept on the night of Jan. 28, including people who stayed in shelters, slept outside, in vehicles, abandoned buildings or other places not intended for human habitation. The count is a requirement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and is mandated for the last week of January to capture peak shelter usage. Neither the shelter count nor the street count include people who are doubled up with friends or couch surfing. ordinance, which prohibits setting up that “there was no other reason than to bedding on public land. The resolution clarify and streamline.” makes them subject to park exclusions n Jan. 7, Portland City Council Rubio did not think the resolution as well. Only police officers can enforce voted to give park security would change how park rules and city the camping ban, but park exclusions can officers who patrol Tom McCall codes are enforced under the ramps. Waterfront Park jurisdiction over a small be issued by Advocates at park security triangle of land under the Steel Bridge’s nonprofit Sisters of and officers eastbound onramps. That will mean that the Road considered "We have concern about that from the private arguing against the people who sleep under that bridge may proposal. (But) the overall security firm, resolution, because be subject to park exclusions, which bar problem is that we have a Portland Patrol expanding the individuals who receive citations from Inc. citywide camping ban that's coverage of park the park for at least 30 days. Monica exclusions “has the City officials call the resolution, which 2 4 /7 , and we think that's Goracke, an impact of further passed unanimously and without unconstitutional." attorney with making it a burden discussion as part of the council’s — VARNER SEAMAN the Oregon Law on people consent agenda, a simple housekeeping SISTERS OF THE ROAD CAFE Center, said the experiencing measure meant to clarify park change may homelessness,” said boundaries. Advocates for the homeless make it easier for law enforcement to Varner Seaman, Sisters’ associate say it may increase the burden on people chase out people sleeping under the director of systemic change. forced to sleep outside, and that it ramps. Seaman said Sisters decided not to represents a larger problem in the city’s “I wish there had been more public protest the measure because they had attitude toward homelessness. discussion of it, because I think it does not been able to meet with Fish about it, The resolution specifies that the area impact people who have traditionally and they would rather focus on larger law under the car and MAX onramps will be taken refuge in that area,” Goracke said. enforcement issues, of which this part of the park for law enforcement Though he confirmed that the particular piece of land is only a small purposes. The Office of Transportation, resolution extends park exclusions into part. which controls the land, will retain the specified area, Parks Public Safety “We have concern about that maintenance and improvement Manager Mark Warrington said it was proposal,” Seaman said. “(But) the responsibilities. intended only to clarify park boundaries, overall problem is that we have a For years, the site has been used as not to pave the way for specific law citywide camping ban that’s 24/7, and we shelter by people experiencing enforcement think that’s unconstitutional.” homelessness. On the morning of Jan. “It’s just a housekeeping thing,” The Oregon Law Center is 21, several piles of bedding sat on the spearheading a class action lawsuit that Warrington said. The area “looks like a ground under the onramps, suggesting challenges the constitutionality of the park; people use it as a park ... it’ll be that people had slept there the night camping ban. The suit, filed Dec. 12, part of the park for enforcement” before. A line of people still lay along the a s s e r ts t h a t c rim in a liz in g s le e p in g C ity C o m m is sio n e r N ic k F is h , w h o B Y M A R A GRUNBAUM S T A F F W R IT E R O sid ew alk ju s t o u ts id e th e a r e a th e .Ihejesul^olthe.coM allow P ortlandaadM 91 • 1 ~ ~ resolution covers^ agencies to qualify for federal funding sources for P e o p le w h o s le p t in t h a t a r e a w e r e already subject to the city’s anti-camping shelter and other needs. In the past, the count has o v e r s e e s p a r k s a n d h o u s in g , in tr o d u c e d I the resolution to city council. Carmen R u b io , F is h ’s s e n io r p o licy ad v iso r, said tallied between 1,700 and 2,300 people sleeping outdoors. o u td o o r s w h e n th e r e is a s h o r ta g e o f r shelter space in Portland'is cruel and u n u s u a l p u n is h m e n t. VENDOR WORK ADS hO jw m e r s m a rk e t Every Wednesday 2-7pm CO Bruce Heino: Available for yard work, general assistance, four-hour minimum, wage negotiable. Please call the Street Roots office or contact New Seasons at 33rd and Killingsworth. at Street Roots for an appointment. 503-228-5657 (Free Service!) Bill Atkinson: Yard work, moving, mise. Four-hour minimum, $10 an hour. Call Street Roots office at 503-228-5657. Dan & Donna: Need odd jobs? Can do painting, yardwork, miscellaneous labor. Very dependable. Call the Street Roots office at 503-228-5657,503 267-4794. Handy man needs work: moving, painting, yard work, clean-up. If I can sweat and you can be doing something else, please call me at 503-803- 2533. Mark Works. 4 hour minimum, $12.50 per hour start plus lunch. Small Business Consultant A/R, A/P, money management, etc. $30 an hour. Call John Thompson at Street Roots at 503-228-5657 Too much debt? Want to be debt free? Consumer credit counseling: Call John Thompson Vida Sittinghawk: House cleaning, very thorough. References. Call 503-287-4174. www.streettoots.wordpress.com/ ww.stteelrools. wordpress.com/ www.slreet roots.wordpress.com/www.streetroots.woidpress.com/www.stteei X w o rd p r ess.c o m /www.streettoots.wordpress.com/www.stteelroots.wordpress 4tom& Grown Meet Your Local Branch Manager: "Communities aren't ju s t streets a n d b u ild ings. C o m m u n ities are th rivin g places s h o p fre s h s h o p lo c a l where cultures, com merce a n d souls grow stronger together. “ -M a ry Mary Edmeades Social Impact Banking 503‘^ ¿ 215u k medmeades@albmabank.com > M em ber LzJ ev*is” lender A t Albina Community Bank the most ordinary financial transaction can have an extraordinary impact on our local community. Me frie/vtíietftfort' intowi. You’re aoinq to bank somewhere, a a a H itio rp n rp in why not let your banking make a dmerence in the p l a c e s where you live and work? 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