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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2011)
Street roots 15 O ct 14, 2011 CURBSIDE Sigh for the Drunkard A plea to help heal Alcoholism A collection o f views from people on the streets by B. Harmony Right 2 Dream Too hile Occupy Portland simmers in front of the Justice Center in Southwest Portland, a smaller, quieter residential occupation organized by Right to Survive and Right to Dream Too has set up on a vacant lot on the corner of NW Fourth Avenue and Burnside. The group has a one- year, donated lease on the lot and plans to use it as a safe space for people to sleep. Street Roots asked the individuals in that space; What personally drew you to be here today? Wayward and weary sorrow Drowned in fermented binding Tom tragedy of longing unmended Harness the vestment to distilled tiding. Moments bleak in fruitless trapping Lingering dreams inebriated farewell For never finding fruition tapping. H “I’ve been homeless for the past three weeks, and I kind of stumbled across this and inquired what was going on here. I thought what a great, wonderful idea for this area that they opened it up for the homeless. I’m going to access the facilities here, the resources they have available here, which I think is a wonderful spot, very conveniently located, just a great idea.” “We see it as being something positive and coming off of the street and someplace safe, structured a little bit and getting away f r o m under the bridge and businesses doorways and stuff like th a t” - J o s h Watson “Because Portland has found it fit to make it a safe environment and a drug-free environment for us to lay our heads down instead of running the streets, and I think it’s appropriate for this place to be here to create a safe environment.. A lot of times you don’t want to be running the streets and when you’re trying to kick using or something, you only continue that vicious circle because there’s nowhere to go and rest your head. If you had à place to go rest your head, you wouldn’t have to go running around. And this place is perfect because sometimes have to stay alert And this place I can just come here and lay down and get up and regroup in the morning.” — Andrew “Right now I am homeless and I need a place to actually go if I’m not in the Mission or something so I Can rest and or find a sanctuary or somewhere that I won’t get kicked out by the cops or harassed or for just relaxing somewhere, there’s nowhere in Portland to be. Everywhere we go we seem to get pushed along. It’s very insecure to be homeless around here and a lot o f us, we just don’t know where to go. We’re wandering around every 15 minutes having to move, and it makes for great insecurity” 1 1 I I I 1 I ' - Adam flooded earfer this year. “Nowhere else to go. * Compiled by Cole Merkel Answers on page 6 B y Cole M erkel r Sudoku 2 ■ Across ' ■ Mike from Bennington, VT, who is moving to Seattle after the town t i m e s a n d I just walk "around and I’m tired and exhausted and i n order to keep going I have to use to keep going because I Crossword ' I 3 ^ '- 4 5 6 7 8 [Ï4 13 10 9 11 12 8 6 7 4 1 9 15 1. Having to do w ith a region of sount and central Italy during 16 17. 18 19 20 21 ' ' Roman tim es 8. Flavorless 13. Lifted, syn. 14. A tea-ball, for one Had those but hearts to feel, vision to see. and a will to listen Thus free such fellow beings from husks of their lamentation That their woes of hidden requiem would falter and rescind To the grand orchestra the symphonic presence of life’s fascination. “I’m actually broke down, my car’s in the shop; upper remodel, upper-engine rebuild, it was $2,200 and I’m stranded here for about two weeks. This timing, this thing worked out perfect because we were sleeping on the streets and parks and we spent the last of the money on a couple motels and everything else was getting our car fixed.” you just want to go lay down. I’ve been plenty of PUZZLES ! Could not such from searing water Sip the cup forged of a different maker To arouse the senses with nectarous rains That drizzle the vineyard with adorning Sweetness of the constellations Plucked from the vine and caressed In humanity with no further ado To knead barley swayed stocks Sumptuous songs and their earthen roux The melancholy of sweating brows onto the seasons toil. Onward approaching resolution to mysterious imbibing turmoil. 23 [25 27 26 18. Pardon for political prisoners 128 19. Defeat by bold confrontation 32 22. East Asian legum e 23. Fine thread 25. W orn on an angel’s head 33 21. Anger 40 34 136 35Ì 37 41 38 39| 43 42 28. Quacks, syn. 31. M ake sense, with “up” 46 44 32. W elsh baked dish 33. -relief 47 ¡49 48 50 5 36. Events across multiple m edia at once 52 53, 54 55 56 .57- j 9 7 5 8 3 4 6 1 131 30| 20. Cry out 2 1 '^ z alive!” 9 5 3 8 2 22 16. Covering a specific distance 17. Punishm ent 7 2 4 7 8 40. And so forth... 41. Illegal drug The objective of Sudoku is to fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers, from 1 to 9. Every row, column and square must include all digits, 1 through 9, in any order. 42. Indian mountain range 44. ___ Carte 45. The W izard of O z man who wanted a heart 46. M ine entrance 47. Bond’s favorite drink 3. Burly and testosterone-driven 15. G erm an 38. Pollywog, syn. 4. M editerranean plant genus 16. CEO of Exxon during Valdez 39. Jerry o r Ben 49. W restle 52. O m ar ___ , player for 5. The River Tham es at Oxford spill 43. Ladder 6. Camping gear 24. Blows it 45. Points at the dinner table Florida M arlins 7. Irritable or anxious 25. Agreements, accords 48. Container weight 53. Halo 8. Open grasslands 26. Depleted 49. Sharp breath 54. Sound system s 55. _____ Blue, Californian R & 9. Book part 29. Attacked 50. Essen basin 10. Incomplete organ 30. Alone 51. Length x width, for a B entertainer developm ent 33. Sm iling with optimism rectangle 56. Hot spot 11. W ire holding up a tennis 34. Capital of G erogia court divider 35. Ate very fast 12. Not tearful 37. Like Marylin M onroe o r Dolly 14. Perishable, syn. Parton 57. C om m unications w ith God Down 2. C hrist’s native language Our blog and our Facebook page are great ways to join the conversation. Visit www.streetroots.wordpress.com and friend us on Facebook to chime in!
