Street Roots • July 17-23, 2015
Page 3
E d ito ria l
member of our reporti ng -staff, <
contact Managing Èdtór Joanne Zuhl at
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a u to ’s name and contact information,
if available.
Street Roots
211NWDavisSt
Portanti, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
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Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetroots.org
D R A W IN G BY M IC H A E L V O T T A
Saying goodbye to a hero of Street Roots
ichael Votta passed away on Portland’s
streets last week. He was an artist and
a friend to many people, inside and
M
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach h im a t
israel@streetroots. org
or follow him on
Twitter @israelbayer.
Executive Director Israel Bayer
israel@streetroots.org
telling me once, “I play the role I was given.”
Managing; Editor Joanne ZuW r
T h e h ea d a ch es and v o ic e s in M ich a el’s h ead
pushed him to the brink on most days.' Some
days he struggled to string together his
out
thoughts, existing somewhere on the edge of a
For many, Michael’s life represents the
world most people can’t comprehend. Other
failure of a system to
days Michael was able to contribute to the
help thousands of
world we’ve created with his artwork and by
people suffering to find
selling Street Roots and volunteering at Sisters
stability and housing.
D IR E C T O R 'S They wouldn’t be
Of The Road.
Michael and I spent
wrong. Saying that,
D ESK
almost all of our time
Michael Votta’s life was
By Israel Bayer
on this earth smoking
more than a political
cigarettes and talking
slogan, no matter how
about his comic books
true that slogan may
and drawings. “I want
ring.
to create a Street
Haunted by the ghosts of mental illness and
Roots superhero
addictioii, Michael’s life was engulfed by
someday.”
homelessness, violence and trauma. He
We would laugh
inhabited space in this world that was bigger
together, coming up
than life. A hard and complicated man, Michael
with different
didn’t let too many people close to him. Those
scenarios for his
who were able to get to know Michael
comics that reflected
understood that beneath all of the wreckage,
the world we had both
there was a gentle soul.
come to know. A world
Through all of the madness, Michael was a
where morals and everyday norms remain
light in the darkness, bright and shining, who
twisted and bent up, broken down and
spent much of his life keeping the vampires at
unmanageable. A world where there often isn’t
bay. In many ways Michael’s role on the streets
a storybook ending, but only a menu of hard
was to protect others. He did so with pride,
choices and unfortunate circumstances. A world
despite all of the pain and suffering. If there
constantly crying out for something more. A
was someone being abused or suffering on the
streets, Michael was always the first to stand up world crying out for justice.
For those of us who knew Michael, we will
to defend the vulnerable, even if it meant
miss him, and never forget his soft-spoken
sacrificing his freedom.
demeanor and wry smile, and his unconditional
Like many street fighters and others who
have a complicated relationship with violence, it love for others, regardless of their
circumstances. He did not live without truly
Wasn’t something Michael was proud of. It was
touching other people’s lives. He did not live
simply a survival tool in a world that wasn’t
without loving and being loved. In the end, isn’t
sophisticated enough to understand the path
that all we can ask for?
that Michael walked.
Here’s to you Michael Votta, our superhero. I
Some people on the streets knew Michael as
“Scarface,” a nickname he picked up from a scar hope you’re able to find peace in the next life,
my friend. I know you brought a peace to mine
that ran from the left side of his eye all the way
in this one.
down his face. He never did like that nickname,
Staff
joanne@streetroots.org .
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
cole@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit
Vplunteeri grace@streetroots.org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Ann-Derrick
Gaillot
Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zalokar,
Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Sarah Hansell, Lenora
Ko, Sam Bouman, Jared Paben
Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Bruce Anderson
Vice-Chairman Brad Taylor
Treasurer Heather Stadick
Secretary Amber Bielman
A t top, artwork
from M ichael Votta,
g iving the “thumbs
u p .” Above, the
author with
M ichael earlier this
year.
Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson,
Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander,
Eddie Barbosa, Rachel Langford
Volunteers
Jah Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Brian
Ritchie, Anders Frederickson, Stephanie
Holum, Anjali Rathore, Sam Bouman, Joanna
Chase, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Eliese
Baker, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Tom Ray,
Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jessica
Pollard, Christine Menges, Lee Ko, James Yu,
Siri Carlson, Diana Richardson, Sarah Wise
If you are interested in volunteering with
Street Roots, please submit a volunteer
application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or
call Volunteer Coordinator Grace Badik for
more information at 503-228-5657.