July 27. 2011
®>* Ç ortianh (Dbeerürr
Last Thursday
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 12
Thursday how to act, she added.
What is important is that the event
be “orderly, safe, and the laws en
forced,” Fritz said.
She said Friends of Last Thurs
day is a new organization and de
serves a chance to succeed, argu
ing that the event is improving fast,
although “not fast enough.”
In an implied criticism, she said
that no established organization,
including the Northeast Coalition
had “stepped up” to take charge.
M o reo v er, F ritz said , L ast
Thursday on Alberta has the sup
port o f at least part o f the com m u
nity. A recent public forum on the
issue drew 400 people, many of
them supporters.
“I think critics may have been
intimidated, but the vast majority of
people there said this was a wonder
ful thing,” she said. “Many signed
up to help. To some extent, this is
problems of visitors trespassing on
lawns, leaving trash, urinating, and
monopolizing parking spaces so that
residents can’t access their homes.
Moreover, he said there seems to
be no effective avenue for com
plaints.
“If there were such an influx of
racial minorities in Lake Oswego,
would it be tolerated, he asked. “You
don’t want to deal with an African-
American homeowner, and that
bothers me,” he said. “Maybe this
shouldn’t be cancelled, but the
boundaries have to be drawn in.
D on't tell me, here in my neighbor
hood, that I have to tolerate it.”
“You have the right to be (an
gry),” Fritz responded. “You have
the right for this to be orderly and for
the laws to be obeyed.”
In earlier discussions with the
Northeast Coalition, two former
members of the Friends of Last
Thursday Board, Jean Giles and Bill
Leistner, complained that they had
I think critics may have been
intimidated, but the vast majority
o f people there said this was a
wonderful
9 thing. Many signed up to
help. To some extent, this is the
result o f the success of Alberta
Street.
-CommissionerAmanda Fritz
I
the result of the success of Alberta
Street.” The e-mails she has received
have been overwhelmingly favor
able, Fritz said.
In re b u tta l, the N o rth ea st
Coalition’s executive director, Paige
Coleman said that no one had asked
the coalition to be involved, and in
fact they were specifically told to
“butt out” of the hiring process.
The neighborhood group has
questioned the process of hiring a
director for the event, saying it was
hurried, that few minority candidates
were interviewed, and that the win
ner, Teugsch, seemed to lack expe
rience with Portland events and trav
els extensively.
During the recent forum, some
people questioned w hether the
majority of event supporters lived
or worked in the community.
“The city has selective hearing,”
Coleman charged. “City staff has
chosen to listen to the positive, and
all others are ignored.”
Sheryl Roberts, longtime orga
nizer of the Good in the Neighbor
hood celebration, asked why Last
Thursday isn’t required to abide by
the requirements that every other
public event, including her group.
“T h ere’s clearly an inequity
here,” she said.
Leonard Lamberth, a nearby ho
meowner, complained of persistent
been removed from the organiza
tion for refusing to sign a document
that forbade them from calling for
enforcement activities.
Friends of Last Thursday Vice
Chair Rochelle Saliba did not want
to discuss the accusations, but in
sisted that the group is focused on
“complying with all city and county
codes with regard to safety, and
preserving the qualities of the event
that make it what it is.”
Saliba said Friends of Last Thurs
day meets at 7:30 p.m. the first
Wednesday of the month at Talis
man Gallery on Alberta, and all are
welcome provided they are “not
focused on complaining, whining
and negativity.”
Some of those who spoke ex
pressed disappointment that the city
hired Teugsch rather than Bridget
Bayer, a veteran events organizer
who had filled this position for three
months last year. Cary Clarke of
Adams’ office said that the hiring
was done jointly by himself, Tom
Bizeau of Fritz’s office, and represen
tatives of Alberta Main Street, Friends
of Last Thursday and the Northeast
Coalition. Of 25 who applied, and six
who were interviewed, Teugsch was
the only candidate to score in the top
three of all five raters, said Amy Ruiz
of Adams’ office.
Teugsch says that he lives in the
area, and while he does own a farm
in southern Oregon, it is like a “sum
mer home,” saying he works in Port
land during Last Thursdays. Both
he and Saliba say that complaints
and incidents connected to the
event have decreased substantially
this year. As to what happens after
10 p.m., Teugsch says, “That’s thé
police’s job.”
Bayer told the Portland Observer
that during her tenure she had con
ducted a survey of businesses on
the street, and that “in general, busi
nesses love it. About 90 percent
supported it, and even most of those
who don’t said they thought it was
good for the community.” Overall,
she said, “Last Thursday is a huge
positive for the community, and if
they can work out issues with the
neighbors it will be fabulous.”
Page 23
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