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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2011)
Street roots July 22, 2011 P H O T O B Y IS R A E L B A Y E R How Street Roots, vendors give perspective David Joseph Shipley Feb. 24,1952 — Feb. 3,2011. BY KAISA MCCROW om in Nebraska, Dave served in the C O N T R IB U IN G W R IT E R Maripe Corp during Vietnam. While I’ve always believed that everyone has a story to tell. Each in the Corp he was a computer programmer and drill sergeant at the end person’s life has diversity and magnitude, regardless of their experience as rich or poor, well traveled or homebody, straight or of his tour while stationed at Barston gay, redneck or radical. What we share is the uniqueness of our California, he was a radio D.J. Dave had experiences as we work our way through this world. If we’re lucky, many talents, such as being a brilliant we may be; able to share these experiences with someone else. artist. Dave worked many jobs, but his Over the last several months I have found myself in a position to favorite job he had ever had was selling celebrate the diversity of the human experience. I have been Street Roots on the comer of 6th and ¿interviewing Street Roots vendors and writing their profiles for the Alder. Rain or shine he’d be there. He newspaper. It is a lucky and humble place to find oneself; loved telling his off-the-wall jokes. If you perpetually at the mercy of a hew perspective or lesson afforded by bought a paper from him, you were sure to each vendor’s life. I’ve had ideas about what it means to be hear one, no doubt. After a couple of years homeless; what it means to have or have n o t Yet interviewing he was known for this, and he enjoyed vendors has taught me so much more, simply by listening and meeting the people downtown in the work drawing out pieces of an individual’s narrative. force. The Street Roots motto is “for those who can’t afford free Jgss,all IJ speech?' IKe content ana investigative journalism in the paper who met him. Dave met his wife Rita in provides stories regarding marginalized communities, inequality, 1999, and on March 17, 2002, Dave and systemic abuses, addiction, etc. It brings clarify to political Rita exchanged vows and rings at Pioneer wranglings over budgets and often complex systems that are Square on St. Patrick’s Day, his favorite difficult for people to understand. The newspaper asks what the holiday. Dave leaves behind his wife Rita, need is, who the needy are, and what they look like. Street Roots is son Kane, and daughters Jude and Molly, also a platform for individuals to publish their voices through and his best friend and adopted sister poems, editorials, and opinions. It connects the Portland community Lorie Pepin. He’s also missed by friends with each picture, heartfelt poem, and customized cartoon. If the he’d met at the Hawthorne East investigative journalism of the paper uncovers the way people are Apartments where he lived for the past two being marginalized, the personal side of the paper reminds us that years. we are all the same. Dave was given full military honors at I’m now finished’with' my stint writing the vendor profiles for Willamette National Cemetery. Street Roots. As I gear up to move across the country next month, I’m admittedly nervous. I worry that where I land my not provide similar access to a community such as Street Roots. B However, thé other day I was reminded an important lesson. When a man stopped by my house looking for work^ my learned reaction was that anything being elicited door-to-door was suspect. Then I reminded myself what I’ve learned at Street Roots: there is nothing wrong with someone offering a service. He asked if I needed my lawn mowed and I said, “Sure thing.” After offering the man, Glenn, a cup of coffee, he got to work. I was happy to know that the yard was finally mowed, and someone in need earned some income. After he was finished, Glenn sat on my front stoop with me and finished his coffee. Somehow, our conversation went right to the | losses we had both experienced in our lives. We soon discovered that we’d both lost brothers, and Glenn has also lost his son. Relating to others who have experienced loss is a valuable, if bittersweet connection; something to be honored when it is made. Glenn asked me about mÿself, and I told him about my upcoming movë across the country. As our conversation came to a close, he said, “Well, I guçss I made and lost a friendto dayAHe shook my— - hand, thanked me fqç the business, and wished me well. A sincere man, he gave meaning to the phrase, “made my day.” I realize now that I don’t need to be afraid of finding a community after I leave. The community at Street Roots has helped me better connect with people. I thank each vendor I have interviewed for that. I’ve met so many people who are doing wonderful things. There’s George, a beautiful man and performer, Terrace, a brilliant thinker, and Raymond, a man on a spiritual journey. The list truly goes on and on. These people let me into their lives for a few hours, all for the sake of a few hundred words. I graciously say thank you to all of you beautiful people. I insist that you understand the significance each of you hold in my heart. (Photo above left to right: Art Garcia, Kaisa McCrow, Becky Mullins.) CENTRAL CITY W W * Ä r w i J r J r Changing Lives Building Communities Creating Opportunities www.centrctlcityconcern.org 503-294-1681 Want to know a little more about your vendor? Check out www. streetroots. wordpress.com for past articles about the men and women selling Street Roots! Office Cat Rooty sends a big thank you to all the folks who made special donations toward gear for the vendors. Look for the bright red jackets and hats throughout Portland! VENDOR W ORK ADS Cassidy Morse: Looking for work. Will do most anything, light and heavy. $10 an hour, four-hour minimum. References supplied. Please call 503-224-5398 or Street Roots at 503-228-5657; at 971-255-0440 to speak with Chelsea Benedict. Two-person team also available for hire for general labor (moving, house cleaning, yardwork, small home repairs). Ready to work immediately. Chelsea Benedict: Painting service, interior/ exterior house painting. Also specializing in custom mural artwork. Please e-mail at crbenedictmurals@gmail.com or by phone Laura Owens: Dog walking and/or cleaning, $5 per half-hour walk. Downtown and Northeast area. Please call Street Roots, 503-228-5657 and leave a message for LOOKING FOR A N AFFORDABLE PLACE TO RENT? Your online n u u .m g searcn just got easier.
