Jarliani» (Observer
August 3, 2011
IN S ID E
This page
Sponsored by:
Page 3
Fred Meyer
What's on your list today?,
S ustainability
page 4
A ugust C alendar
page 7
Not Running For Re-Election
pages 8-9
Mayor decides
to focus on
job at hand
Portland Mayor Sam Adams an
nounced Friday he will not seek re-
election for a second term because
he wouldn’t be able to work on his
agenda and run a successful cam
paign simultaneously.
“As I have considered the reality
of a possible re-election effort, 1
have come to the conclusion that I
have a choice: Move this agenda
forward, or campaign full-time for
re-election,” he said in a letter ad
dressed to the public. “With the
state of our nation in such flux, and
so many local issues needing fo
cused and hands-on mayoral lead
ership, for me, the choice is clear.”
Adams, whose victory in the
2008 election made Portland the larg
est city to have a gay mayor at the
time, made the announcement two-
years after he admitted his dishon
esty about having sexual relations
with a teenage legislative aide.
Although the 47-year-old Adams
disclosed his relationship with Beau
Breedlove in 2009 and survived the
scandal without an immediate resig
nation, the repercussions of making
O pinion
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F o o d R '
page 12
METRO'
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Mayor S a m A dam s
the relationship public never quite
disappeared.
“I am under no illusion of how
challenging the race for re-election
would be,” he said.
Both Charlie Hales, a former city
commissioner, and Eileen Brady, a
co-founder of New Seasons Gro
cery stores, had previously an
nounced their plans to challenge
the mayor.
When asked if an easier race for
re-election would have changed his
mind, he said it might have, but he
has to deal with the situation at
hand.
“My best service to Portland
will be to complete the platform of
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change and im provem ent you
elected me to deliver: Creating
jobs, increasing the high school
graduation rate, and making Port
land the most sustainable city,
with the most equal of opportuni
ties,” said Adams.
During his time as mayor during
one of the worst economic reces
sions our country has seen, Adams
credits his achievements as lower
ing the unemployment rate, putting
2,000 people back to work under the
city’s first Economic Development
Strategy in 15 years, reducing green
house gas emissions through the
Climate Action Plan and initiatives
like Clean Energy Works Oregon;
and the implementation of a 360-
degree anti-gang violence strategy.
One hour after A dam s’ an
nouncement on Friday, however,
Hales said this was a good move for
Adams and “a fresh start for Port
land.”
Adams said, however, as a city
we have a lot more work to do.
He said his time in office has been
challenging, exhilarating, and an
o p p o rtu n ity to serve fellow
Portlanders and help shape the fu
ture of the city.
“I’mcommitted to making every
day of the next 17 months count,” he
said.
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TriMet Builds on Diversity Team
Focusing on
serving
multicultural
populations
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R eligion
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C lassifieds
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el
O bservador
L aw 8< J ustice
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pages 22-23
TriMet has hired for two posi
tions focused on diversity and serv
ing m u lticu ltu ral p o p u latio n s.
Johnell Bell has been selected as the
agency’s director of diversity and
transit equity. In a newly created
role, Martin Gonzalez, a TriMet em
ployee since 2007, will serve as
multicultural program manager.
Bell, who reports to TriMet Gen
eral Manager Neil McFarlane, will
continue the transit agency’s re
gional and national leadership in
transit equity issues; ensuring ser
vices and infrastructure are equita
bly distributed and accessible to
diverse cultural, racial and economic
Johnell Bell
Martin G onzalez
c o m m u n ities th ro u g h o u t the
agency’s service area. He will also
lead the agency’s award-winning
minority contracting efforts.
Gonzalez, who also serves on the
Portland School Board, will con
tinue building TriM et’s Limited
English Proficiency program and
provide leadership on internal and
external issues around cultural com
petency including education, com
munications and staff and manage-
continued
on page 20