50 Years of
Cultural
‘City of
Roses'
Expression
Alvin Ailey dancers
inspire, enlighten
see A&E, page 11
Clocks move ahead
1 hour on Sunday
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Established in 1970
w w w .p o rtla n d o b s e rv e r.c o m
Volume XXXXI, Number 10
Wednesday • March 9. 2011
"I
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Not on the
Local markets react to
plastic bag ban proposal
C ari H achmann
T iie P ortland O bserver
by
Last week, lawmakers in Salem held a debate on Senate Bill
536, which if passed, would make Oregon the first state to ban
single-use plastic bags, allowing customers the option to pay
a nickel for a paper checkout bag or bring their own re-usable
bags.
Supporters of the ban include several environmental and
legislative groups, as well as some larger grocery retailers
who like the idea of encouraging customers to purchase re
usable bags sold in their stores. Launching campaigns
against the proposal is the plastic industry, arguing that
plastic bags barely account for litter problems and offer
recycling as a better alternative.
As the lobbyists lock horns in the state capitol, the plastic
frenzy flutters amid smaller shop owners, like local conve
nient stores and com er markets , who are just beginning to
consider the reality of losing those plastic bags that slip so
conveniently over six-packs and snickers bars.
continued
on page 5
photo by
C ari H achmann /T he P ortland O bserver
Charles Bedford o f Going Street Market helps longtime customer Latrell McNeely check out his purchases with
a plastic bag. Lawmakers are considering a bill to ban the plastic bags to help the environment.
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Grant Fields on Path to Fulfillment
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After decade of planning,
designs ready for viewing
C liff P fenning
T he P ortland O bserver
by
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photo by
C liff P fenning /T he P ortland O bserver
The muddy football field at Grant Park will be transitioned into an all-weather, artificial tu rf field thanks to
the construction o f new athletic fields serving Grant High School in northeast Portland.
It’s been more than a decade and approaching $3 million in the
1 making, but the turf field project at Grant High School in north
east Portland appears to be on the path to fulfillment.
Portland Public Schools, Portland Parks and Recreation and
Friends of Grant Athletics will present designs for what the fields
at Grant Park, Grant High School and neighboring Hollyrood
Elementary School might look like with improvements that
include two artificial turf fields.
The football playing field within the Grant Park Bowl and the
adjacent baseball and soccer fields are headed for all-weather
turf, while the Hollyrood Elementary field will be revamped with
continued
on page 15