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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2018)
Page 2 June 6, 2018 Sen. Jeff Merkely, D-Ore., was confronted by police outside an immigrant detention center in Brownsville, Texas, Sunday when he attempted to tour the facility, but was denied access. A window into the lives of vulnerable immigrants comes to the screen in “Lemonade,” a new film about a Romanian woman who moves to the U.S. with her son, one of the featured attractions this month at the Seattle International Film Festival. New Films and World Insights I’ve always wanted to take in the Seattle International Film Fes- tival (SIFF), and this year I’m in the middle of a first-time five-day stint. Like the Portland Interna- tional Film Festival in February, SIFF is a great opportunity to catch a huge variety of films on the big screen from all over the world, some of which may never have a big screen commercial release in Portland, though many become available on other platforms. For the next couple of weeks, I’ll offer a rundown of what I saw, includ- ing some films I especially recom- mend watching for in theaters or online. My favorite over the first three days was “Every Act of Life,” an appreciation of playwright Terrence McNally, who remains a vital presence in the New York theater scene. Now in his 70s, McNally first came to New York in 1956 to attend Columbia Uni- versity after rough beginnings in Corpus Christi, Texas. He suffered from the alcoholism of his parents and violence from his father; they little understood their unusually imaginative and tender-hearted o PinionAted J udge gay son, but their yearly sojourns to New York to see Broadway shows helped to plant the seed in him of love for the theater, which then sustained him and helped him to find his voice even in the face of occasional disappointment and failure. This well-crafted film features interviews with major fig- ures in the theater world, includ- ing F. Murray Abraham, Angela Lansbury, Christine Baranski, Tyne Daly, Edie Falco, Nathan Lane, Audra MacDonald, and Joe Mantello, many of whom have stories attributing their success to his willingness to take a chance on them and who speak of his writing with obviously heartfelt admiration. Through their obser- vations and appreciation of his extensive body of work (including “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” “Master Class,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!,” “Mothers Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 CALL 503-288-0033 • FAX 503-288-0015 Mark Washington, Sr. e ditor : Michael Leighton e xecutive d irector : Rakeem Washington A dvertising M AnAger : Leonard Latin Office Manager/Classifieds: Lucinda Baldwin c reAtive d irector : Paul Neufeldt P ublisher : PO QR code by d arleen o rtega r ePorter /W eb e ditor : and Sons,” and “Ragtime”), we see how McNally was often far ahead of its time, and come to understand a thread of love and generosity that runs through his most beloved plays. It’s a cele- bration of an influential life and of the delicious and risky delights of life in the world of the theater. “A Rough Draft” is a trippy sci-fi/action film adaptation of a novel by Sergei Lukyanenko, who also wrote “Night Watch.” That novel was also made into a film which I loved, and this one reminded me of that 2004 film in all the best ways; it creates a whole elaborate and complex world that exists alongside what most people can see in our world, where supernatural powers and long-waged conflicts heighten the stakes and excitement of C ontinued on P age 16 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Man- uscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All creat- ed design display ads become the sole property of the newspa- per and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, RE- PRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PER- MISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Pub- lishers Association. Danny Peterson P ublic r elAtions : Mark Washington Jr. o ffice A ssistAnt /s Ales : Shawntell Washington news@portlandobserver.com • ads@portlandobserver.comn • subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 Senator Denied Look Merkley turned back from separated immigrant children U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., tried to visit an immigration de- tention facility in Texas Sunday to check on immigrant children held by federal authorities from their parents, but was denied access and had police called to stop him. The action prompted ques- tions about what’s going on be- hind closed doors at some of the country’s detention facilities amid concerns about the separation of children from their parents who have attempted to cross the border illegally. Merkley posted the video The live on his Facebook page as he attempted to enter the former Walmart in Brownsville, Texas, which has garnered nearly 2 mil- lion views by midday Tuesday. The senator made the visit after his office contacted the facility, run by a non-profit, and they de- clined to schedule a tour without several weeks advance notice. “I think it’s unacceptable that a member of Congress is not being admitted to see what is happen- ing to children whose families are C ontinued on P age 14 Week in Review Protests Turn Violent Four people were arrested during competing protests in downtown Portland Sunday from right and left-wing groups. Police say they were compelled to use pepper spray on two separate occasions when multiple people were in- volved in assaultive behavior, including using pepper spray and throwing fireworks, bottles, and rocks at officers and participants. Culinary School Chef Killed il Rights Commission violated Phillips’ rights under the First Amendment. Biketown Rentals Expand The city’s bike-rental program, Biketown, announced Thursday it is expanding beyond its inner city and downtown service area to the Cully Neighborhood and the Hol- lywood District of northeast Port- land, and the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood in southeast Port- land, among other areas. A well-respected chef and instruc- tor was found with a fatal gunshot wound Sunday morning at the Oregon Culinary Institute, down- town. Emergency personnel ar- rived at 8:30 a.m. but were unable to revive the instructor, Daniel C. Brophy, 63, who died from his in- juries. Portland Kmart to Close Baker Wins in Court A Portland developer announced his company will build Portland’s first ever “five-star” hotel at the site of a popular food cart pod in downtown Portland. The South- west Washington Street location will boast 33-stories and may in- clude a mix of offices and condo- miniums, according to plans sub- mitted to the city. A Colorado baker who refused to make wedding cakes for same- sex couples narrowly won a Su- preme Court ruling Monday. The justices side-stepped whether a business can invoke religious ob- jections to refuse service to gay and lesbian people, and instead voted 7-2 that the Colorado Civ- The Kmart near 122nd and San- dy Boulevard will soon close, one of 15 Kmart stores and 48 Sears stores across the country that are slated to get the axe by September, the company announced Thursday. Hotel to Replace Food Pod
