Portland observer., November 28, 2012, Page 4, Image 4

a'l’r ^Jortlauh QDbserUer
Page 4
November 28, 2012
M A C K & D U B ’S
s. CAJKJf&'V- OHJTT >
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
The Mack and Dub’s Excellent Chicken & Waffles restaurant in left in ruins after a suspected arson fire and possible hate crime. Authorities on Tuesday could not
release any new information about their investigation. Arson investigator Rick McGraw said it would be baseless to say how the fire started without more facts.
M ackand Dub’s Will Bounce Back
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
“ I thought it w as a prank,” he
said, until the m an passed the phone
to a fire m arshal on the scene.
O d d ly e n o u g h , th e a larm co rn -
p an y h a d c a lle d T ra v is the n ig h t
b e fo re at 11:30 p .m . to tell h im a
WISHES
’'M ■? Î fe is w .
THANK YOU
B
Donate Dinner
at an independent grocer
this Thanksgiving.
New Seasons M arket • Hacjgen F ood & Pharm acy • W h o le F oods M arket
M arket o f C hoice • C h u ck’s Produce
■ Lam b's T h riftw a y • Bales T h riftw a y • Jim 's T h riftw a y
mealsonwheelspeople.org
s e n s o r h a d b e e n set o ff at th e
re s ta u ra n t, b u t w ith h ig h w in d s
b lo w in g th a t n ig h t, b o th e n d s
a s s u m e d it w a s n o th in g a n d
h u n g up.
T h e next m o rn in g , T rav is called
M c C le n d o n first and th e tw o a r­
riv e d to M ac k an d D u b ’s in d is b e ­
lief.
A c c o r d i n g to a r e p o r t b y
W illa m ette W eek , a w o rk e r o n the
sc e n e s aid so m e so rt o f fire s ta rte r
w as th ro w n th ro u g h th e b a c k o f
th e
b u ild in g ,
w h e re
th e
r e s ta u r a n t’s m u s ic s tu d io an d
m ain o ffic e h a d b een re d u c e d to
a sh e s. T h e k itc h e n an d d in in g
ro o m w ere a lso d e v a sta te d .
W o rse, e v id e n c e o f b u rg la ry
an d d e ro g a to ry g ra ffiti o n a w all
o f th e re s ta u ra n t le ad p o lic e to
b eliev e th e in c id e n t is a h ate crim e.
“ It w a s d e f in ite ly o f f e n s iv e ,”
T ra v is said a b o u t the w o rd (s) on
th e w all.
S till s h o c k e d b y the e v e n t, both
o w n e rs say th e y h a v e no id e a
w h o set fire to th e ir re sta u ra n t.
T h e y h a v e g r e a t r e la tio n s h ip s
w ith all o f th e ir fe llo w b u sin e ss
o w n e rs n e a rb y , th e y said .
“ W e g re w up in th is n e ig h b o r­
h o o d ,” sa id M cC le n d o n . “ W e h ad
all n a tio n a litie s o f p e o p le co m in g
to o u r b u s in e s s ... a co o l m ix tu re
o f n e ig h b o rh o o d fo lk s an d p eo p le
o u tsid e o f n o rth e a st P o rtlan d . L ots
o f p e o p le h a v e b e en v e ry s u p ­
p o rtiv e o f u s .”
F a lse ru m o rs flo a te d th a t the
re s ta u ra n t's m o to rc y c lis t n e ig h ­
b o rs, th e G y p sy Jo k e rs, m ay h a v e
sp a rk e d th e fire, b u t T ra v is d is ­
p u te s all c la im s. “ W e are c o n fi­
d e n t i t ’s n o t th e m ,” h e said.
O th e r su sp ic io n s le a d th e m to
w o n d e r a b o u t fo rm e r e m p lo y e e s,
b u t “ W e w o u ld h a te to th in k it
w as one
o f t h e m , ” s a id
M cC le n d o n . P o lice to ld th em th a t
b u rg la rie s , ro b b e rie s , an d fire s —
s im ila r situ a tio n s h a v e b e en c o m ­
m o n la te ly .
A u th o ritie s on T u e sd a y c o u ld
n o t re le a se any n ew in fo rm a tio n .
A rso n in v e stig a to r R ic k M cG ra w
sa id it w o u ld be b a se le ss to a s ­
su m e h o w th e fire sta rte d w ith o u t
m o re fa c ts.
T h e o w n e rs — b o th ra p p e rs o f
d u o B ig D u b an d J. M ac k (M a ck
w as th e fo u n d in g M C o f th e rap -
R & B q u in tet, U -K rew ), are relying
o n frie n d s an d th e ir c a te rin g g ig s
to g et b y u n til th e ir w o rk p la c e is
re s to re d .
Y oungster Productions w ill lend
the guys th eir recording studio, so
they can stay on to p o f ongoing
m usic projects, w hile other friends
w ill give up their kitchen.
T he pair said they are grateful for
ev ery o n e in the co m m u nity w ho
has o ffered their love and support.
T h ey show optim ism in an o th er­
w ise g loom y situation.
“ W e a re p la n n in g o n b e in g
there,” said M cC lendon, “F orever,”
T ravis chim es in. “W e are definitely
going to be back o p en .”