April 20, 2016
The
Page 3
INSIDE
Week in Review
This page
Sponsored by:
page 2
L OCAL N EWS
pages 6-7
O PINION
A UTO
R EVIEW
page 8
Photo by C ervante P oPe /t he P ortland o bserver
Mercado Don Pancho, a signature Latino business has closed its doors on Northeast Alberta Street,
ending a 16-year relationship with the community as a popular destination for marinated meats,
specialty grocery items and home styled prepared meals.
Alberta Loses Latino Market
page 9
S PORTS
Don Pancho closes without notice
by C ervante P oPe
t he P ortland o bserver
One of the biggest and most
recognizable buildings on North-
east Alberta, the Mercado Don
Pancho Taqueria and Market lived
in the same spot for as long as
most locals can remember. Yet
taking a stroll passed the big red
and orange building now will illic-
it only feelings of confusion and
sadness after seeing the barred
doors and empty shelves through
the windows. Without any warn-
ing or really any sort of announce-
ment, Mercado Don Pancho has
closed its doors.
Handwritten in black sharpie on
white printer paper, signs hanging
on each entrance read “Everything
page 11
M ETRO
in store is 50% off through April!”
with an addendum of “except for
piñatas” scribbled along the bot-
tom.
Neighboring businesses like the
punk bar the Know, Brides for a
Cause and the Hilt are all at a loss
as to why Don Pancho’s is shutting
down, what the space will become
or what happened to the Ramirez
family. For the last 16 years, Glo-
ria and Francisco Ramirez owned
Mercado Don Panchos, with their
daughter Maria running the market
and her husband, Alfonzo “Fonzi”
Rodriguez running the taqueria.
“Although I haven’t lived
around Alberta in years, I would
always hit them up when I was
in the area. The people were al-
ways friendly, food was solid,
and who doesn’t love those little
pony bottles of Paciico? It shall
be missed,” says former North-
east Alberta local Nora Murphy
Hughes.
Developer Nate Celko now holds
the title to the large building on
2000 N.E. Alberta, along with many
other properties across the city.
The closure, though surprising,
is understandable, coming nearly
a year after three people were shot
outside the Mercado Don Panchos
during an unoficial Last Thursday
event. Paramedics found one of
the victims inside the market suf-
fering from gunshot wounds once
they arrived.
Neither the Ramirez family or
Nate Celko was able to be reached
for comment.
Doors Open for PCC Job Fair
Access to employers,
seminars and more
pages
10-13
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
C LASSIFIEDS
C ALENDAR
page 14
page 15
by C ervante P oPe
t he P ortland o bserver
With job security in Portland growing shakier for
many residents, job fairs are becoming more of a
welcomed resource.
For those that are technologically savvy by means
of employment search sites, scouring the internet for
classiieds has proved a competitive feat with em-
ployers seeing a higher lux of applicants for just one
open position. Taking into account the rising boom
of the tech industry, those that hold their trades in
other markets see opportunities dwindling.
Thankfully, Portland Community College is slat-
ed to host a free open to the public job fair for those
that are in need of employment, yet stunted by a lack
of practical resources.
The PCC Cascade campus will open its gymnasi-
um at 600 N. Killingsworth St. on Tuesday, April 26,
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for the unemployed, under
employed and those in need of guidance.
Over 100 employers will be at the fair to attract
qualiied students and community members to ill
vacant slots.
The job fair will also feature a series of seminars
to help instruct, educate and aid applicants in gaining
the necessary tools and traits needed to successfully
seek employment, included free professional proile
pictures for the irst 100 attendees. To get ahead of
the game, an updated list of the job fair’s employers
can be found at pcc.edu/cascadejobfair.