Februáiy 29.2012___________________
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photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
4 new 7-Eleven store is proposed on the southeast corner of Northeast Killingsworth Street and
15th Avenue, drawing opposition from nearby residents and the operators o f two local convenience
stores in the same vicinity.
Cold Shoulder for 7-Eleven
Portland expansion plans draw opponents
by M indy C ixiper
T he P ortland O bserver
As 7-Eleven plans to open more
stores throughout the Portland area,
residents and small business own
ers in north and northeast Portland
have begun to show concerns sur
rounding the impact of the proposed
new locations.
The national convenience store
chain has run into opposition on its
plans to build on a vacant lot at
N o rth ea st 15th A venue and
Killingsworth Street, which is situ
ated in between two local conve-
nience marts, both minority-owned, nience store, which rests in between
and located less than a block away 15thand 16thon Killingsworth, rep
on either side.
resentatives of the neighborhood
Portland is one of several mar association visited her store with a
kets where 7-Eleven is implement long list of signed names against
ing what they call an accelerated the 7-Eleven location.
growth plan.
“It is also going to bring a lot of
After residents in the Vernon traffic and different kinds of people
Neighborhood began to express into the n e ig h b o rh o o d ,” said
their opposition to the 15th Avenue Narayan, who has lived in northeast
location, the Vernon Neighborhood Portland with her husband for 30-
Association decided to oppose the years. “And except for a few people
expansion.
here and there, it seems like the
According to Renuka Narayan,
continued
on page 4
the owner of Islands, a small conve
Walgreens to Pay for Strip Search
H ealth
pages 16-17
C alendar
F ood
page 20
page 19
A Multnomah County Jury has
awarded $35,000 in damages to a
Portland man who was falsely ac
cused of shoplifting and forced to
strip down to his pants in the middle
of a Portland Walgreens on the busy
shopping day following the Thanks
giving Day holiday.
Henry Peth, an immigrant from
G hana, said he w ent to the
Walgreens at 2829 N. Lombard St. to
buy Christmas lights to surprise his
wife.
He said the store assistant man
ager accused him of stealing batter
ies and hiding them in his clothes.
He was ordered him to take off ev
erything but his pants in the middle
of a crowded store, but no merchan- Henry Peth
(KOIN photo)
dise was found.
The jury ruled last week that the
W algreens employees unreason
ably confined Peth.
Peth said the incident was ex
tremely embarrassing and he had
stolen nothing. He said his whole
family would have been disgraced if
he were caught stealing, which is
considered one of the worst crimes
in the small Ghana farming town
where he grew up.
According to Perth’s attorney,
the incident would not have been as
bad if store officials had merely taken
him behind closed doors before
conducting the strip search, which
should send a strong message to
other retailers.
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