O ctober 6, 2010
Minority & Small Business Week
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Fred Meyer
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Gang Task Force Energized
Advocates work
together to end
deadly cycle
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page 36
In the wake o f the gang-
related hom icide o f Portland
teenager Andre Peyton, leaders
from the A frican -A m erican
com m unity along with gang
outreach workers and ex-gang
members sat together for two
roundtable discu ssio n s w ith
Mayor Sam Adams and Police
C hief Mike Reese to agree on
strategies that will break the
cycle o f gang violence in Port­
land.
The demand for peace was
announced after the sessions
last week and members o f the
Gang Task Force promised to
recom m it them selves to pro­
viding resources to anyone who
wants to leave the life o f gang
violence.
Adams called for the immedi­
ate re-introduction o f the Youth
Gun Anti-Violence Task Force,
a model that was dismantled by
the bureau three years ago due
to lack o f resources.
Leaders from both inside and
outside the African American
community are united in asking she had been hesitant to let her
for support from the circle of son go d o w n to w n , but he
friends and family of gang mem­ wanted to hang out with friends.
bers and affiliates, to get the She promised to be waiting for
message out to individuals most him, told him she loved him,
vulnerable to committing fur­ and heard the last words her
ther violent acts o f retaliation to son would say to her, “I love
“stop the violence.”
you more,” and hung up.
On the streets, C hief Reese
Upon interviewing more than a
directed police officers to en­ dozen witnesses, detectives dis­
force more strict curfews in the covered that the homicide was
upcoming days in order to re­ gang-related and a number of gang
move opportunities for conflict affiliates were in the area during
o f gang members and affiliates. the time Payton was shot. Though
Aware that ending gang vio­ they have yet to determine the
lence is no simple task, Mayor relationship between the shooter
Adams urges all Portlanders and Payton, the incident appears
from all walks o f life to get to be sparked by a dispute be­
involved and work together as a tween gangs.
unified front to address gang
Portland Police Bureau, in co­
violence in our communities.
operation with Crime Stoppers,
On Sunday, Sept. 26, at 2:06 needs your help in solving the
am, someone pumped bullets case. No arrests have been made
into a crowded intersection on so far, and it is believed that more
N orthw est 2nd A venue and people have information or may
C ouch S tre et , d o w n to w n , be a witness to the shooting.
where 10 seconds o f shots shat­
A combined $2,000 will be
tered car windows, ricocheted offered by Crime Stoppers for
buildings, and then fatefully information leading to an arrest
struck and killed Payton, a 19 and conviction of the person re­
year-old from north Portland.
sponsible for Payton’s murder.
Just an hour before, Payton The reward is double the usual
spoke with his mother, Salena amount because of the added sup­
Harris, on the phone. She asked port o f the African American
when he was com ing home, Chamber of Commerce and the
and he told her, “Early...before Oregon NW Chapter of Black
the birds chirp”. Prior that night, Law Enforcement Executives.
Local Leader at College Summit
John J. “Ski” Sygielski, presi­
dent o f Mt. Hood Community
College, participated Tuesday in
the first White House Summit on
Community Colleges. The event
addressed the critical role o f
community colleges as part o f
A m erica’s economic vision for
the future.
Jill Biden, wife o f Vice Presi­
dent Joe Biden and a community
college educator, led the sum­
mit, which brought together com-
munity college administrators,
faculty, students, business and
philanthropic leaders, as well as
federal and state policy leaders.
The participants discussed
how community colleges can
ensure a more educated work,
which will help American busi­
nesses compete in the global
economy. President Obama has
set a goal o f leading the world
with the highest proportion o f
college graduates by 2020.
Correction:
Barbara Ney land of ServiceMaster Building Services was incorrectly identified in a photo
caption in our Sept. 29 issue. The Portland Observer regrets the error.