Page 12
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
_________ îl?e :J3o rt latri» © h servier
luiy 27,2011
MET KO
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Last Thursday ‘After
Hours’ Upsets Neighbors
L ee P erlman
T he P ortland O bserver
by
Last Thursday on Alberta has been a
contentious issue for some time. Lately it
has become the focal point for a larger de­
bate, with the Northeast Coalition of Neigh­
borhoods squaring off against Mayor Sam
Adams, Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and
the group Friends of Last Thursday.
Originally conceived as an Arts Walk to promote the art
galleries on the street in the manner of the First Thursday
exhibits in the Pearl neighborhood, the Alberta event has
evolved into a free-form party.
The street is closed to motor vehicles from 7 p.m. to 10
p.m. and the road is lined with vendor booths. But the bone
of contention is what happens after the festival theoreti­
cally “closes.”
Residents say that revelers, many of them drunk, con­
tinue to congregate into the wee hours. There have been
complaints of participants trespassing and depositing
garbage on neighbors’ lawns, and public urination.
Two years ago Adams, who oversees the Portland
Police Bureau, and Fritz, in charge of both the Office of
Neighborhood Involvement and its Mediation program,
began attempts to bring some order to the affair.
A grass roots group, Friends of Last
Thursday, was formed to both promote
and oversee the event. Earlier this year,
the mayor’s office oversaw the hiring of
a director, Tucker Teugsch, to supervise
Last Thursday’s operations.
However, critics contend, the prob­
lems continue, and they lay their com­
plaints at the steps of City Hall.
Why, they ask, is this event not held to the requirements
of other street festivals such as the Mississippi Street Fair
or Good in the Neighborhood? Why are organizers and
vendors not required to get permits and obtain insurance?
Why is the City supplying $ 100,000a year in police officers
and other support for this event?
At a meeting with the Northeast Coalition’s executive
committee earlier this month, Fritz disputed the amount of
local taxpayer monies going into the event, saying the
figure was exaggerated.
She said that the city’s hands were tied to some extent
and calis to simply end the event wasn’t an option.
“It would literally take the National Guard to shut it
down,” she said. Nor could the city tell Friends of Last
continued
on page 23
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Charissa O’Brien helps a young girl learn the ropes o f
Rock Climbing on Thursday at Alberta Park, where
northeast residents took part in the Summer Free for
All provided by the City o f Portland’s Parks and
Recreation Division.
Rock
Climbing
in the Park
Musicians pick up their instruments for an impromptu concert along the sidewalk during a prior Last
Thursday on Alberta Street event.
Throughout the summer 38 sites around Portland are
offering fun activities for kids, including a traveling rock
climbing wall that will be located at nine different parks
throughout northeast Portland in the coming months.
The traveling rock wall is part of the efforts of Portland’s
Parks and Recreation Division to provide free, family-friendly
activities and events throughout the summer months.
Free lunches for children ages 0-18 are also served at
most sites.
Times and locations vary each day, but the rock wall will
be located at Alberta Park next on August 4 and 8.
For more information, a daily schedule and updates call
503-823-5446.