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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2016)
Vendors Page 6 INNENOXUAM VENDOR PROFILE Bill Whicher Stu Sugarman C Constitutional : 'rights lawyer and civil liberties champion Stu Sugarman passed away March 28. His passing came as a surprise for many in the activist and social justice community, which is remembering Sugarman as a friend to the underdog, a lover of nature and an inspiration to all. He was also a customer of Street Roots vendor Marlon Crump, who remembered his friend this way: “Stu Sugarman has been a great supporter of myself and Street Roots. Stu was also a true friend. He never failed to pass me with a warm smile, even on a wet and rainy day. He once gave me his own umbrella to stay dry. He was greatly admired and respected by his loved ones and peers. Rest in peace, Stu Sugarman. May: God guide you on your journey.” Answers to puzzles on page 15 6 Z 8 L 8 P 9 k 9 8 V 9 9 8 Z V L 6 L 8 Z 8 6 k 9 9 P 9 L V k 9 6 8 Z 8 1 s KM T 3 s V V a V 3 a n s a 0 i 0 0 a 3 1 V a KM i s a S V 8 9 k 8 P 9 L 6 Z 9 P 6 Z L 9 k 8 8 N 3 9 0 KM 3 KM V T 3 1 0 V KM T ± 3 a o i a 0 3 0 H s 3 d 0 0 s 3 T 3 V 3 S 1 s a 0 a 3 N 1 Z 3 N 0 V à X T V KM V 1 d à S S n STAFF W R ITER ill Whicher has a career that reads like the economic headlines, only more personal. He was born in Portsmouth, N.H., and grew up racing sailboats and water-skiing at the family lake house. Bill attended University of New Hampshire for two years, enlisted with the Navy for six months and was honorably discharged for a medical condition. When he returned home, he found a job at Montgomery Ward. There, he met someone, got married and had three boys. To support his young family, he looked for better jobs. He entered the Navy’s civilian apprentice program, which serviced submarines and required four years of training. During his apprenticeship, the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union broke up. Bill said: “The same month I graduated with high honors, I got laid off from the shipyard along with several other hundred. It was ’92. Downsizing. I was on unemployment, and I had three little kids at home.” Bill found jobs assembling printing presses and laying fiber optic cable. He also wired and designed control panelsfor . - seven years. He most enjoyed his work as a technical support person at a manufacturing company. “That was an interesting job,” he said. . “We provided technical support for solder reflow machines. It was nothing to pick up the phone and call China, Hong Kong or Mexico.” During that time, the dot-com bubble burst and manufacturing took a downturn. “I was there 11 months and the bottom fell out of the electronics industry right B Shortly afterward, he and his wife divorced. After a couple of years on his own, he met his fiancée, and last year, they moved to Portland for the weather and to be near his fiancée’s daughter. On a typical day, Bill sells Street Roots on the Portland State University campus, at Starbucks in the morning and near the food court in the afternoon. In between shifts, he helps his fiancée, who is disabled, move from the Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter to the library, where she is more comfortable and out of the rain. Selling Street Roots gives Bill the flexibility to help his fiancée and provides money for public transportation. “Right now my focus is my fiancée,” Bill said. “With us being homeless, I haven’t been able to get to work because I can’t leave her alone. She’s in crutches, and so I help her out. That’s why I say, if we could get our own place, she’d have a ■ place where she can be j WIMMw ll, during the day. Then I can go to work.” ... When asked what he was most proud of, Bill didn’t mention his long ÿ • ; . ' work history. Instead, he said it was his r fiancée and his sons. “I’ve found y somebody that I want to spend the rest of I my life with, We’ve Î . been together five B* r years,” Bill said. “Myld<|s g£e .#jl W g ro w n , and I h o p e I i ? did a good enough job. My oldest is an | E M T forthe National Guard. He |> actually made M B B B l » something of his life. All three of 4^ mine, I taught them *. **“ ’•■ carpentry, auto H I .j’ mechanics and some j j l I ■/’' electrical. I gave them those skills.” Holistic • Self-Empowerment Physical & Emotional Well-Being Curiosity • Engagement «Choice O C EN TR A L C IT Y COFFEE ¡D/dnkuM. ¿Do-food. ^ . ^ ^ u c a rts Sourcing & roasting craft coffee to benefit programs at Central City Concern. IN STORES New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front Cooperative Grocery, Green Zebra, Chuck's Produce and Will Leather Goods. S à V a 3 T s i S a V a a V H 0 n a i V 1 N V a n a V N V X N_ V_ _3 _H V | 3 | g N T|KM S S 3 n Ï Z 6 8 8 L P 9 Z 9 L 8 8 6 9 P 9 k P 9 9 6 V 8 Z 8 L BY LEONORA KO around early 2000,” he said. “I was the last one hired, and I was the first one to go. We had four people in our department, and two of us had to go. Just was not enough work.” Bill found a job framing and roofing houses and apartment buildings. He worked eight years for the company, moving up to lead foreman. Then the housing market crashed in 2008. He found some part- time work, but not a full-time ? j & . .■» t job. / ' ’ - « f c Street Roots • April 1 -7, 2016 V. |V d V N d 3 ± s N 1 n a 3 i 0 1 a V a a 3 A 3 V V 0 1 d 3 d V S •V a 1 "Nothing happens until something moves." - Albert Einstein Intentergy {888)391-5059 AT YOUR OFFICE Interested in serving Central City Coffee at your office? Get in touch with us and we can help you make that happen. 503.226.7387 ON OUR WEBSITE Buy Central City Coffee online and have.it shipped directly to you or a friend. SE Portland Office conscious-intent@outipok,c<m Follow our Facebook page for updates and specials. Veterans/Mifitary/EMS personnel Sliding scale (first session, free| centralcitycoffee.org facebook.com/CentralCityCoffee coffee@ccconcern.org
