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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 2012)
Freedom to Marry Same-sex couples line-up for licenses Animal Odysseys Zoo camps scheduled for winter break See Arts & Entertainment, page 12 See stnrv. nape 3 ‘City 0/Roses’ Volume XXXXI Number 47 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • December 12, 2012 Established in 1970 C om m itted to C ultural D iversity / C s d i i iu> oj • s •'conimuntfv servn •e Charles Washington Remembered Portland Observer publisher dies at age 60 Portland Observer Publisher and Editor- in-Chief Charles H. Washington died Satur day. He was 60 years old. Washington led the newspaper, the old est African-American publication in the state, since 1995 when he took over the company from his mother, Joyce Washington. Hejoined the Portland Observer in 1990 as public relations director and assistant editor after a 15 year entrepreneurial stint in small business ownership and property manage ment. He developed a new marketing strategy, restructured operations, and was instrumen tal in propelling the paper into the main stream publication and influential comm u nity voice that it is today. He was a strong advocate for local schools and im proving the econom ic base o f Portland’s minority communities. Last month, when the Portland Observer Foundation sponsored a community ban quet to award scholarships for young people and recognize leaders from the community who are advocates for disadvantaged and minority communities, the event showcased the publication’s mission. W ashington’s goal as publisher was to create a media outlet that was dedicated to diversity, the African-American community, but also the Latino, immigrant and newly gentrified communities. As Portland grew in diversity, the Portland Observer grew. With the help of his brothers and wife, Elizabeth, Washington worked hard to en sure that his mother’s legacy as a tireless advocate for the community continued. He established in 1996 the Joyce W ash ington Memorial Scholarship Fund for gradu- continued on page 4 Portland Observer Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Charles Washington
