June 3, 2015
The
Page 3
INSIDE
Week in Review
O pinion
M etro
page 2
pages 6-7
This page
Sponsored by:
L ocal N ews
page 11
Police investigate a shooting on Thursday that injured three people and sent others scrambling
during festivities for Last Thursday on Alberta Street. (KPTV photo)
Shootings Surge
Turmoil from 25 gang-related incidents in May
O livia O livia
T he P ortland O bserver
The number of shootings in Portland has sky-
rocketed in the past few weeks leaving police
scrambling to keep up with cases.
In May alone the city saw 25 separate gang-re-
lated shooting incidents, officials said, including on
Thursday when two black teens and a 25-year-old
woman were shot amidst Last Thursday celebra-
tions on Northeast Alberta Street. Tourists and lo-
cals alike were milling on the Alberta art walk be-
fore the shots rang out and people started screaming
as the violence erupted.
A 16-year-old black male was arrested after a
chase through the neighborhood, and he reportedly
told police he shot because he thought a man was
looking at him disrespectfully.
Leaders from the African American commu-
nity were part of a group of about 20 people who
gathered at Woodlawn Park on Friday to speak out
against all the recent violence, which has been im-
pacting mostly young men of color, and appealed
for a peaceful resolution.
by
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
pages 8-13
C lassifieds
C alendar
page 15
F ood
page 16
page 14
The same northeast Portland park was home to a
shooting and subsequent vigil in April. Mothers of
shooting victims, several of who have died, gath-
ered once again to carry photos of their sons and tell
stories of anguish.
Two black men, Marcus Cooper and Loren
Ware, also known by his hip-hop name Glen
Waco, were arrested during the shooting at Last
Thursday on unrelated charges of disorderly con-
duct, harassment, and resisting arrest. The men
issued statements that they only wanted to help
the victims.
Mayor Charlie Hales who also attended the
Thursday night festivities, later issued a statement
that it was okay for police to “stop and question peo-
ple on the street.”
“Everyone needs to understand that’s part of
them doing their job. It’s not about profiling. It’s
about doing our job,” he said.
At this time, there is no plan to add more officers
to the 25-member gang enforcement team, and the
Portland Police is discussing ways to increase its
presence in the battle against street violence.
Honored Citizen Fares Inch Up
TriMet fares will stay the same
for most riders but will go up
25-cents to half the price of an adult
ticket for seniors and disabled rid-
ers in a new budget that makes
investment in expanded services,
improved safety and adding 77 new
buses to the fleet.
“This budget will deliver a lot to
our riders and the region as we con-
tinue our investment in expanding
service and improving system reli-
ability,” TriMet General Manager
Neil McFarlane said, following last
week’s approval of the agency’s an-
nual budget which beings July 1.
“We’ll be restoring MAX Fre-
quent Service on weekends, adding
buses to busy lines and opening the
MAX Orange Line along with more
bus connections in Portland and
Clackamas County,” McFarlane
said.
For the third time in six years,
non-union employees will see a
three percent wage increase on av-
erage, based on performance. Union
employees will receive a 3 percent
wage increase that was negotiated
in the latest contract, plus regular
step increases.
For the fourth year in a row, adult
fares of $2.50 for a single ride will
not be increased. The Honored Cit-
izen fare increase is the first in five
years, going from $1 for a single
ride ticket to $1.25.
Federal Transit Administration
guidelines and TriMet Board of Di-
rectors policy target HC fares at half
the regular adult fare, officials said.
The revenue helps provide addition-
al service to service riders who are
seniors and/or who have a disability.
New fares take effect Sept. 1.