February 5, 2014
The
Portland Observer
IN S ID E
Black History Month
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«7 » . i l u t a n 1V1. OIV111 HZ i h e r OKILAND OBSERVER
Tny Hopson and Former Sen. Ave! Gordly address media and community members Monday at the
site of a proposed Trader Joe’s on the corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and
Alberta Street. The gathering took place just a couple of hours after the national retailer announced
it pulled out of a deal with the Portland Development Commission and Majestic Realty Co. of Los
Angeles to bring the specialty grocer to the heart of Portland’s African American community.
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M ETRO
page 11
B ack to the Table
Trader Joes deal
collapses after
public outcry
B y D onovan M. S mith
T he P ortland O bserver
Specialty grocer Trade Joe’s has
pulled out of a controversial deal
with the Portland Development
Commission and Majestic Realty
Co. of Los Angeles that would have
seen the construction of the store
outlet on a long-vacant two-acre
stretch of land at the comer of North
east Martin Luther King Boulevard
and Alberta Street.
M onday’s decision by the na
tional retailer has left local commu
nity members, business owners and
the city questioning what’s next for
this prime section of property, des
ignated in long-range planning as
the second half of Vanport Square,
acommercial center serving the heart
o f P ortland’s historic African-
American community.
Trader Joe’s withdrawal was an
nounced by a company spokesper
son early Monday. It followed some
loud protests from members of the
community that the $8 million devel
opment had the potential to further
the gentrification of nearby neigh
borhoods and lacked community par
ticipation in the PDC decision mak
ing.
"We think the Vanport Square
area in northeast Portland is a great
neighborhood and we had been in
terested in opening a store there.
Given negative reactions from the
community about our arrival, we will
not be opening a store in the area,” a
statement for the company said.
Trader Joe’s said it only opens a
limited number o f stores each year,
in communities across the country.
“We run neighborhood stores and
our approach is simple: if a neigh
borhood does not want a Trader
continued
on page 4
Black History Health Screenings
Church to host
‘A Day of
Wellness’
F ood
page 20
’*7®
In celebration of Black History
Month the community is invited to
“A Day of Wellness” hosted by
Teaching God’s Word Faith Minis
tries at the Calvary Christian Church,
126 N.E. Alberta St. The program is
scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8 from
11 a.m .to2p.m .
There will be a free wellness
check for body fat, blood pressure.
stroke prevention, and risk factor
screenings and education by the
Legacy Emanuel Cardiac Rehab
team.
Information will also be presented
on preventing falls for seniors with
the Legacy Emanuel Trauma Nurses
Talk Tough team. Legacy Good
Samaritan dietician and diabetes
educators will also be on site with
health education materials. The
Legacy Emanuel Black Employees
Resource Group will be volunteer
ing at the event.
Pastor Vanessa Turner will be
sharing excerpts from her first book.
“Pain, Pain, Go Away” emphasizing
how to endure the silent pain of
infertility. The African American
Health Coalition will be signing up
people for health insurance with
CoverOregon as well as to sharing
information about their role in com
munity-wide health.
"For too long the Faith community
have focused on the spiritual side
and have went lacking with the
wellness side. God is concerned about
the whole body which includes our
health,” said Oreatha Johnson, a
church outreach member and long
time worker in the health field.