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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2009)
w CELEBRATING ft DECADE u «ì 'H n > < i j street roots Education * Dialogue * Independence Insight The Urban Gypsy Kareem Ali She could see The corners coming Knew the spaces Knew the slinking words Between words She know worlds • All spread out . And awfully neat Like a Christmaspicnic In July She knew The adjectives and verbs And silence That could cover Alaska Or Wyoming She knew Why a dog wags His tail In anger Why between dusk And twilight There are many moons And stars too And wonder. Wonder. Ju lie M cC urdy resides in Portland a n d is experiencing homelessness with her Italian greyhound, Maggie. She is a regular contributer to Street Roots. I’m sitting here, looking around my city, hard pressed. I still feel that Portland is full of potential and possibilities. I wait with the patience of a newly awakened predator. For people’s smiles to fade at the sheer numbers of the newly homeless. It breaks my heart to see the innocence leak opt of eyes and faces that shouldn’t be here on the street. Pardon pie if I begin to snarl in frustration. I am speaking directly of the mentally challenged that our overloaded system has tossed to the street There are several people in my mind’s eye causing this strain of thought One in particular who is not new to the streets, but was on the day she got there 30 years ago. Let me show you what I saw. First of all, I would have missed her totally without that second glance at the enclave next to the alley. Up close I recognized what caused the strange hesitation in my approach. However, caught in her gaze, I couldn’t very well back up. So we stood for a moment frozen, sizing each other up. There was a 5 surprising strength to her fragility, which was momentarilly reasurring. Her story tumbled out in a sing-song voice, in between bites of stale bagel. Thirty years outside in this heaven and this hell. Her eyes were eerily innocent and detatched as she spoke of sodomy and rape, of laughter arid love, like they were the same thing. She crackled but didn’t, cry, even when telling me about things that I have only seen in horror movies. I, on the other hand, wept like a newly widowed woman. Later that night, safe in my solitude, it made me think that maybe sometimes infenity is a mercy. I wept for the woman she was now because the world would never get to see her specific genius, it having been scattered over the concrete *. streets of Portland’s potential i ask you, isn’t there some thing or a place we can make safe for people like her who no longer have a way to protect themeselves? Or do we merely stand aside and watch them waste away? Police seek help in identifying female body STAFF REPORTS n May 31, the remains of an unidentified female were discovered in the Willamette River, Detectives with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office are working with the State Medical Examiner’s Office in attempt to identify this person. The sheriffs office is requesting the public’s help in identifying this person: female, possibly Caucasian; age approximately 50-60; height approximately 5’3”; graying hair with 12” braid in back of head She was wearing a blue hooded sweat H Shift w itfrw hjte^iid iight-bluje ribbing a t'’ - the neck and sleeves. ’ —' The woman was also wearing identifying jewelry, shown at right. This person had been in the river for at least six months and could have been in the river for up to a year or more. If you have information concerning the identify of this person call the TIP Line,- 503 261-2847, and reference MCSO Case #09403791. VENDOR WORK ADS Marshall and Julie W.: Lots of experience and local references. Very reasonable rates and quality work with some extras, mower and some yard hand tools. Will do any work within reason on bus line or if you pick us up; Also willing to deliver papers. Please call (503) 946- 3959 or. (503) 774-3350. ; Mother Nature’s Earth Friendly ,Baby Products ) Large selection of cloth diapers & wraps, natural baby & mama care products, baby slings & carriers, ; I organic cotton baby clothes, wooden toys, j personal service I 1 2627 SE Clinton St. 503-230-7077 Kevin Bynum: Street Roots vendor andguitarist seeks to exchange an honest days work for a decent-playing, accoustic guitar: Call Street Roots at 503-228-5657 or Kevin at 206-888- ‘ 9336, Bill Atkinson: Yard Work, moving, misc. Four- hour minimum, $10 an hour. Call Street Roots office at 503-228-5657. Vicki Sittinghawk: House cleaning, very thorough. References. Call 503-287-4174. 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. 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. LIVE BANDS - KARAOKE STAGE- FAMILY STAGE
