Foul Play in Jackson Death?
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Free Food!
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A new neighborhood
program helps people
stretch food budget
Michael Jackson 's father raises
new concerns about son 's death
See inside, page A6
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See inside, page A3
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www.portlandobserver.com
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVIV. N um ber 28
Wednesday • July 15, 2009
West Coast
Hip Hop
Awards
This Saturday
Sir Mix A Lot
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE G OVER N O R ’S OFFICE OF r II.M & I ELEVISIOI
A cameraman films an overlook in Oregon. The state's scenic beauty and geographic diversity bring in film and television producers. Sc
does millions of dollars o f taxpayer money.
Lawmakers expand a film incentive
program during hard times
Star Struck?
O regonians might recognize the landscape
present in m ovies like “Tw ilight,” w hich were
filmed in the state.
But they might not notice another feature of
such movies: they helped pay for them.
Since 2003, the state o f O regon has doled out
m illions o f dollars each year to m ovie and tele­
vision producers, in hopes th e y ’ll chose the
Beaver State as the location for their next pro­
duction.
Last legislative session, law m akers approved
a bill expanding O regon's film incentive pro-
gram, while slashing services to the poor. Sup­
p o rters app lau d the bill w hile it aw aits the
governor’s signature, claim ing that the sw eet­
eners offered to film makers are critical to luring
continued
Max Infill Stalls Again
on p age 4 9
Block sits idle for years
by J ake T homas
T he P ortland O bserver
N early a d ecade ago, w hen the
housing m arket w as boom ing and
econom y humming, the Portland D e­
v e lo p m e n t C o m m issio n h a tc h e d
plans to erect brand new m ixed-use
structure featuring a patch o f condo­
minium s, rentals, and retail space on
the corner o f N orth K illingsw orth
Street and Interstate Avenue.
But with the housing market in a
sag and credit frozen, the com m ission
is still barreling along with its plans,
e v e n th o u g h q u e s tio n s a b o u n d
w hether or not the project is feasible
or necessary.
In 2000, the PDC began acquiring
properties on the northeast com er of
North K illingsw orth Street and Inter­
state Avenue for a project dubbed,
“Killingsworth Station." The com m is­
sion planned to use subsides to woo
a developer into erecting an $18 m il­
lion, m ixed-use structure that would
m axim ize use o f the new Interstate
Max Light Rail line.
PDC shelled out over $ 1 million in
land acquisitions. It razed several
hom es and an upholstery shop for
the project.
However, K illingworth Station hit
a snag in 2005 when developer Max
K em per bailed on the project, citing
rising construction costs and an un­
TLWeek in
The Review
Grilling Begins
The Senate Judi­
ciary Com m ittee
b e g a n h e a rin g s
this week on the
n o m in a tio n o f
Judge
S o n ia
Sotom oyor to the
Suprem e Court. S otom oyor, the first
H ispanic nom inated to the n a tio n ’s
1
These sunflowers and w iio n o w e
it» ipent©*»« by tnt
Portland Development CommlHlon
in
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Overlook Neighborhood AHO dM on
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photo by J ake T homas /T he P ortland O bserver
A sign marks a temporary flower garden across from the Killingsworth Max Light Rail Station where an
entire block was demolished years ago for a Portland Development Commission transit oriented develop­
ment that has never materialized.
stable market.
“I guess in the first go-around, the
am bitions for the site were more than
the market could bear,” said M atthew
Collier, project m anager for the PDC.
A fter the project’s initial collapse.
the PDC stepped back to retool the
project by scaling back on the size,
nixing all rental properties, and pull­
ing in a new developer, W inkler D e­
velopm ent Corp.
P D C ’s
la te s t
v is io n
fo r
Killingsworth Station is sim ilar to the
last. The governm ent agency envi­
sions a four-story, mixed-used, tran­
sit-oriented, structure. But this one
will feature 54 one-bedroom condo­
miniums, three tw o-bedroom condo­
highest court, began field in g q u e s­
tions ov er past ju d ic ia l d ecisio n s
and the co ntro v ersial "W ise L atina"
remark.
a departure from his previous stance
on the issue. As president he signed
the D efense o f Marriage Act.
state might be on the road to recovery.
Oregon Unemployment
Bottoms Out
Form er M ayor Tom
Potter cam e out in
support o f the recall
effort of his succes­
s o r, M a y o r S am
Adams. Potter made the announce­
ment on his w ife’s Facebook page.
Bill Clinton Backs
Marriage Equality
O reg o n ’s unem ploym ent rate for
June held steady at 12.2 percent
for June, the same as May. The
ranks o f the unem ployed have
steadily swelled in O regon ever
since the econom y began tanking.
It eventually becam e the state with
the highest unem ploym ent rate.
The latest numbers may mean the
Speaking at the C am ­
pus Progress National
Conference in W ash­
ington DC last week,
form er President Bill
C linton said he fa ­
vored same-sex m ar­
riage. His com m ent is
♦
The Jackson Armory, located at 6255
NE Com foot Road, will bump this Satur­
day as it hosts the West Coast Hip Hop
Awards, w hich seeks to honor the inno­
vations and accom plishm ents o f West
Coast hip hop artists past and present.
The aw ards will pay tribute to both
m ajor and independent artists, and will
feature performances by MC Ren, Sir Mix
A Lot, Celly Cel, T Nutty and others.
The even will also present an oppor­
tunity for up-and-com ing local artists.
Three m ajor labels will have booths set
up, as will a num ber o f independent la­
bels, so bring a dem o or a DVD.
Local hip hop artists are encouraged
to register to perform short sets (10 m in­
utes) throughout the show.
Low riders from all over the West Coast
will also show up to show off.
Students under 12 get in with a can of
food for needy families. Admission is $25
for ages 13-18, and $40 for ages 19 and
up.
T ic k e ts
are
a v a ila b le
at
www.ticketswest.com
Potter Back
Recall
Franken Sworn In
A1 Franken wore a straight face last
week when he was sworn in as junior
senator from M innesota. Franken, a
miniums, and 9,(KX) square feet of com­
mercial space.
H ow ever, the start date for co n ­
struction has been delayed several
times. Now shovels w on’t hit the dirt
until March, which the PDC blames
on poor market conditions and lack
o f credit.
Sixty percent of the new condos will
go for $160,000 to $180.000. which
Collier explained are geared toward
people making 80 percent o f the m e­
dian income for the Portland area, and
w ill be w e ll-s u ite d to firs t-tim e
hom ebuyers.
Making the project happen w on’t
be cheap, and questions remain if it’s
feasible or even necessary.
According to a PDC board report
on Killingsworth Station, the com m is­
sion will offer up $4 m illion in loans
and grants to the developer and fi­
nancial assistance to people buying
the new condos. A dditionally, the
developer will be granted the land
valued at over $1 million.
P D C ju s t if i e s th e p r o je c t on
g ro u n d s that it w ill p ro v id e good
h o u s in g fo r th e u p -a n d -c o m in g
neighborhood, and it’ll be a positive
p re s e n c e o n c e th e e c o n o m y r e ­
bounds.
But since the recent housing col-
continued
' y f on p age A 9
former Saturday Nigh, Live w nterand
com edian, was finally seated after a
m arathon senate race.