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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2011)
& Passion The Grotto’s Choral Festival Exhibit tells story o f African- Atnerican baseball X* * 1 o 'p P P T i < V ...» • y ■ . •• i Vi , • . 41 .4 X**'1 Heaven and earth sing with nightly concerts See Metro, page 9 if, ? v x- Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com 'City 0 /Roses’ Volume XXXXI, Number 50 Wednesday • December 14, 2011 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity communin' service Audit Check Sinks CEO t< 12 Urban League fiscal practices threaten services by M indy C ooper T he P ortland O bserver After Urban League of Port land President and C hief Execu tive O fficer M arcus Mundy re signed Friday in response to scrutiny surrounding his spend ing practices, the non-profit, w hich has served vulnerable populations throughout the city for decades, is trying to find a way to move forward. “We will continue t© pursue and address this issue,” Lolenzo Poe, Board C hair for the Urban League of Portland, said M on d ay . “ W e w ill w o rk w ith M ultnom ah County to ensure that all the things that need to be in place are there.” A ccording to David Austin, com m unication spokesperson for M ultnomah County, if the Urban League does not provide proof of fiscal controls this week, the county has an obligation to continued on page 4 photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver The North Russell Street offices o f the Urban League o f Portland is decorated with historical figures who led the civil rights organization over the years. Multnomah County threatens to pull its financial assistance to the non-profit after a recent audit found questionable spending practices. Shelters Exceed Capacity as Cold Hits Whole families take refuge in east Portland church by C ari H achmann T he P ortland O bserve PHOTO BY C A R I HACHMANN/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER Joe and Cristal Moreno take refuge from the cold in an east Portland homeless shelter opened exclusively for families through the work o f the non-profit group Human Solutions. On another bone-chilled night, the doors were open to the Homeless Family Winter Shelter at East Presbyterian Church where 90 families sought ref uge from the wintry cold, more than one third were children, a record-high since the shelter opened three-years-ago. A baby cried, as bundled mothers and fathers rolled up with strollers and belongings. Some chil dren clung to their parent’s warm chests, while others laughed and squirmed about the foggy court yard, unknowingly making the best of an otherwise dismal situation. Late fall and winter sounds the alarm for non profits to open emergency shelters in Portland, like the church space at 12505 N.E. Halsey Street, which is run by Human Solutions. Last month, the agency continued on page 5 (