February 3. 2010
The
Portland Observer Black HístOIV Month
Page 15
Last Thursday
continued ¿^ Jron t Front
M agnus Jo h a n n e sso n , the
owner o f the real estate com pany
Urban Focus and an early pro­
m oter o f the event, said that the
event has alw ays been losely or­
ganized, lacking any com m ittee or
point person.
“There never really was an in­
frastructure,” he said.
Johannesson, whose office on
Alberta and 24th Avenue has bullet
holes from gang battles, explained
that because the event lacked any
top-dow n structure it attracted
people looking for an“authentic”
gathering where people could show­
case their art.
“ It wasn't at all hard to find art­
ists,” said Johannesson.
But as the event grew, it’s be­
come increasingly unpredictable and
row dy. Som e w orry that the
celebratory nature o f the event has
eclipsed its original goal.
Neighbors complain about the
noise from amplified instruments on
Alberta, the lack o f parking, loud
partiers making their way home, and
deposits o f vomit, garbage, and fe­
ces on their lawn. Others, like
Johannesson, feel Last Thursday
had become more o f a “frat party.”
Larry Holmes, the chair o f the
Vernon Neighborhood Association,
said that residents in the nearby
neighborhood vary on how they
feel. Some despise it. Others think
it’s cool.
“I do feel Last Thursday has de­
veloped into something different,”
said Gaurdino. “ When people show
up at the door to my gallery, they’re
already drunk.”
A llan 01 i ver, the manager of Onda
Gallery on Alberta, isn’t sure the
event even helps his business since
people are so overwhelmed by the
event before they even walk in his
door.
“I sort o f have a love-hate thing
with this,” said Oliver. “Spontane­
ity is very overrated.”
Things reached a fever pitch in
April 2007, when a riot nearly erupted
outside The Nest, a bar on Alberta.
According to Oregon Liquor
Control Commission records, po­
lice officers were trying to clear the
street filled with people dancing and
reveling. A small group began re­
sisting, and one o f them grabbed an
officer's Taser.
The incident quickly escalated
with patrons at The Nest making
lewd hand gestures and hurling beer
bottles at the officers.
Since then, the street has been
closed off during the festival. Last
year, the city stepped up its in­
volvement, adding a greater police
presence, garbage cans, and port-a-
potties.
But it costs the city $10,000 a
month to offer these services from
May through October, which is
prom pting city officials to look
into im posing some sort o f formal
structure on the event to recoup
co sts.
Both First Thursday and Satur­
day Market have point persons that
the city can contact to resolve is­
sues- som ething Last Thursday
lacks.
Next week Mayor Sam Adams
and Amanda Fritz will be holding an
open meeting to get feedback on
what should change. The session
will take place on Monday, from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Acadian Ball­
room, 1829N.E. Alberta St.
Roy Kaufman, spokesperson for
Adams, said that the City Hall
doesn't want to use a heavy hand to
shut down Last Thursday.
“That’s not at all the goal,” he
said, pointing out that events like
L ast T h u rsd ay keep P ortland
unique.
But he did note that there needs
to be some sort of shared responsi­
bility, maybe with Alberta Street
Business Association or Art on
Alberta.
Fritz, a fromer neighborhood ac-
PHOTO by J ake T homas /T he P ortland O bserver
Allan Oliver, the manager of Onda Gallery on Northeast Alberta Street, chats with customers who
wandered in during the monthly arts celebration ‘Last Thursday. ’
tivist, said that she w^ants to use the on the table, Fritz added, including
loves how the event brings people
meeting to get a sense ofwhere people shutting it down, which she isn’t sure together, and hopes the city will think
are on the issue. She said that it’s a how that would happen.
twice before it imposes any sort of
“huge problem” that there is no per­
Becky Guest, an artist who braved structure that stifles the event.
son or group in charge o f the event to the cold last month to showcase her
“Why would they do that?” she
take responsibility. Alll options are handmade copper bracelets, said she
said. “W hat’s the problem?”
N EW
N O W D E L IV E R IN G
Y o u r f a v o r it e n e i g h b o r h o o d g r o c e r y s t o r e n o w d e liv e r s
g r o c e r i e s r ig h t t o y o u r h o m e o r o f fic e .
w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a r k e t.c o m
you click, we deliver, (or pull up for pick up)