Februaiy 20, 2008
Page B2
People of Color
against the War
Teach-in Saturday
at Liberty Hall
KBOO Radio Host Cecil Prescod and other com m u
nity leaders will lead a teach-in to mobilize people of color
and low-incom e individuals to be proactive in the peace
movement.
The event, this Saturday, Feb.
23 at Liberty Hall, 311 N. Ivy
St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will
kick off with a guest-speaker
and round-table discussion for
understanding how the war af-
fects lives, fam ilies and com
munities.
At around 11:45 a.m.. partici
pants will choose among three
workshops. A youth breakout is
open to all and led by the girl-
em pow erm ent group Sisters in Cecil Prescod
A ction for Pow er and youth
group United Voices/Beats for Peace. Zahra Sultan of
Zahrairaq.org will lead a Human Cost of War in Iraq
workshop. The People o f Faith workshop will be led by
Rev. Leroy Haynes.
After a lunch break, small
groups plan to meet in strategy
sessions at about I p.m. to dis
cuss the next steps.
Kayse Jama of the Center
for Intercultural Organizing will
talk about how immigrants and
refugees have been targeted in
the war on terrorism. To en
gage the hip-hop community in
progressive arts and activism,
Joshua Arogon. also known as
Rocket One of the 45th Parallel
Rev. Leroy Haynes
Universal Zulu Nation, will help
in a small-group discussion.
An ongoing video for folks to speak their minds will be
discussed with videographer Joe Anybody to concentrate
on keeping healthcare promises for veterans.
photo by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Friends of Trees employees Kathryn White (left), volunteer and outreach coordinator, and Whitney Dorer, neighborhood canopy
coordinator, prepare sets of strings used in the planting of nearly 300 trees in the Boise, Eliot, King, Humboldt, Overlook and
Piedmont neighborhoods.
Spring to B ring M ore Green
continued
from Metro
The six-neighborhood planting was spon
sored by Adidas and has received support
from the Oregon Dept. of Transportation,
Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services,
Portland Parks & Recreation, Metro, the
“The time is
always right
to do what
is right.”
Boise Community Association and devel
oper Peter Perrin.
According to an October study by Port
land Parks & Recreation, Portland-area trees
intercept 25 million pounds of air pollutants
and half a billion gallons of storm water a
year, greatly reducing river pollution and
saving the city millions of dollars in storm
water-management costs.
The city’s increased tree cover, called
“the Portland effect,” has led to national
recognition for Friends of Trees and other
efforts to reduce global warming. To learn
more, visit Friendsoftrees.org.
Director Paul Scarlett invites
you to look into the Bureau of
Development Services............
The mission o f the Bureau o f
Development Services is to promote
safety, livability and economic vitality'
through the efficient and collaborative
application o f Portland’s building and
development codes.
-......
At the Housing Authority of
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Portland, we are committed to
workforce and contracting
diversity. We support
participation of disadvantaged,
minority-owned, women-owned
and emerging small businesses
on HAP projects. In 2008 we will
be seeking partners for the
rehabilitation of the Grove Hotel,
the development of the
downtown Resource Access
Center, and various capital
projects in our public housing
portfolio. Visit our website at
www.hapdx.org or call Jerry
Walker, HAP's Purchasing
Manager, at 503-802-8509 to
learn about opportunities.
The bureau is responsible for the review, inspection and enforcement of all construction
activities on private property. In 2007. the bureaus' workload consisted of roughly 11 .(KM)
permits being issued, 220,000 performed inspections, 1,300 land-use review cases, as well
as 13,000 enforcement cases which included work without permit, zoning, noise, housing
and nuisance-violation cases.
As the Director of the bureau, my primary focus is on the following initiatives:
• Providing Excellent Customer Service - Bureau staff strive to constantly provide reliable
and productive assistance to customers with their projects or proposal and aim to be solution
oriented.
• Diversity Outreach - which consist of an outreach plan to reach all segments of the
population with information about BDS careers and services. This outreach effort recently
included a very successful 2007 summer internship for youth from the ages 1 6 - 1 8 and a
Training Program for the Inspections, Plan Review and Permitting Services Sections
• Expanding Customer Service Programs - which include the very successful Get Legal
program designed to help home owners permit “work done with out permit"; Field Issuance
Remodel Program for general contractors; and the Speakers Program, where any customer
can request a customized information presentation to meet their needs
• Innovations - includes the implementation of electronic permitting and the upcoming
mobile technology for inspectors to view and enter information and data from their
cars in the field. Other innovation for the bureau include- include the Living Smart
Program, which promotes design built houses on lots less than 36 wide. In addition.
I am also very proud to be leading the City in enforcing the first citywide bio-fuels
initiative in the nation.
BDS has a total of 345 budgeted positions for fiscal year 2(X)7-2(M)8 and a yearly budget of
approximately $40 million dollars. Currently, about 38% of bureau employees are eligible
to retire within 5 years. With these statistics. I feel it is vitally important to invite people to
familiarize themselves with our services and possible career opportunities at the bureau.
For additional information about the bureau and its services; www.portlandonline.com/bds
or call (503)823-1109.
“From Concept to Construction, the Bureau o f Development
Services is here to help make your project a success ”
Sincerely,
Paul L Scarlett. Director
Bureau of Development Services
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