February 20, 2019
Page 7
Friendly Texts Review
C ontinueD from p age 3
cease further conversations with
any protest event organizer pend-
ing a police internal investigation.
The text messages involved Joey
Gibson, whose Vancouver-based
right wing group, Patriot Prayer,
has frequently drawn white su-
premacists and other extremists
to rallies, which often have been
held in Portland and resulted in
violent street brawls with masked
antifascists.
First reported by the Willamette
Week and the Portland Mercury
last week through a public records
request, the text messages showed
Niiya having a chummy rapport
with Gibson, discussing protest
plans, and even providing tips
about where leftist protests, on
the opposite side of his right-wing
group, were taking place, in 2017
and 2018
Mayor Ted Wheeler called the
text messages “disturbing” and
said they “appear to cross sever-
al boundaries,” adding that they
“also raise questions about wheth-
er warrants are being enforced
consistently and what information
is being shared with individuals
who may be subject to arrest.”
Obituary
In Loving
Memory
Louise Marie Burton
A celebration of life service for
Louise Marie Burton will be held
Monday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. at Ma-
ranatha Church, 4222 N.E. 12th
Ave.
She was born on May 20, 1937
in Austin, Texas to Frankie B. Slider
and Tom L. Slider Jr. and died Feb.
9, 2019 in Portland. She and her
brothers James T. Slider and Ralph
B. Slider and sister Tommie M.
Slider were raised in a home filled
with love for God and family. The
Slider family eventually moved to
Vancouver and then Portland/
Louise was not only beautiful
with a great personality, but very
smart in school. After her prima-
ry grades in Austin, she graduated
from Lieser Elementary School and
Fort Vancouver High school in Van-
couver. It was in high school that
she was smitten by a young man
named Donald Richard Malone.
They were married in 1952 and had
one child, Michelle Marie in 1953.
At an early age she subscribed to
her family tradition of helping oth-
ers and giving back to the commu-
nity. She enrolled in a nursing pro-
gram in 1954-1958 at St. Vincent
Hospital and worked as nurse at
St. Vincent, Wilcox Memorial and
Holladay Park hospitals. She also
worked in the hospitality industry at
the prestigious Benson Hotel. Later
she became ready to open her heart
again by meeting Buford Leon Bur-
ton better known as “Jack.” They
were married in 1957 and little
Kimberly Renee was born in 1959.
Louise developed the love of
being an outstanding cook from
her mother. She shared many spe-
cial family recipes with her daugh-
ters and grandchildren. It was one
of the many ways she shared her
love during family breakfasts, Sun-
day dinners, picnics, birthday par-
ties, barbecues or just entertaining
friends.
She later entered a social work
program from 1973 to 1975 at
Portland Community College. The
experience from both her nursing
and social work careers combined
to help her with positions in the
Women In Transition Project, Albi-
na Action Center, Beech Street Proj-
ect, Urban League of Portland and
Albina Ministerial Alliance. She
was a dedicated community servant
changing lives for more than 30
years.
No matter life’s challenges she
was guided by her faith, love of
family and believing in God’s plan
for her life. Being the eternal opti-
mist, she eventually met the love her
life Clyde A. DuBoise at a chance
meeting at Grant High School at-
tending one of Michelle’s school
activities. They were both at life’s
crossroads and realized their jour-
ney was destined. Families blended
had a wonderful life together filled
with the love and joy of cooking and
traveling together. They were hap-
pily engaged together in a 35 year
relationship until he preceded her in
death. They can now dance together
again.
Louise was an amazing daughter,
sister, wife, aunt, cousin, niece and
extraordinary mother and grand-
mother and friend. She loved her
children and grandchildren dearly.
Her zest for life and love was infec-
tious.
She leaves to cherish her mem-
ory, brother Ralph Slider and sis-
ter-in-law Anna Slider of Portland;
daughters Michelle Harper of
Portland, Kimberly Edwards and
son-in-law Jessie Edwards of Port-
land, grandchildren Jayvin Harper
and Kimberly Davis of Portland,
great-grandchildren, September and
Ernest Spinks Jr. of Portland, and
host of cousins, nieces, friends, and
a beloved community.
In one exchange, Niiya ap-
peared to give advice about one
of Gibson’s associates, Tusita-
la “Tiny” Toese, in regard to the
likelihood he would be arrested at
a protest while having an active
warrant. Toese is a member of
Proud Boys, a documented hate
group.
“Just make sure he doesn’t do
anything which may draw our at-
tention,” Niiya texted on Dec 9.
“If he still has the warrant in the
system (I don’t run you guys so I
don’t personally know) the offi-
cers could arrest him. I don’t see
a need to arrest on the warrant un-
less there is a reason.”
CAIR Oregon, the Oregon Jus-
tice Resource Center, and Western
States Center said in a statement
that the text messages show “an
inappropriate and disproportion-
ate response to alt-right groups.”
Commissioner Jo Ann Hard-
esty said the texts confirmed po-
lice’s “collusion with right-wing
extremists.”
Hardesty and the aforemen-
tioned civil rights groups called
for a second, independent investi-
gation, which was swiftly obliged
by Wheeler, who said Friday that
Police Chief Danielle Outlaw
agreed the move would be a “nec-
essary next step.”
Wheeler said he and Outlaw are
implementing training to PPB in
order to identify white supremacy,
part of a resolution passed unani-
mously by city council earlier this
month condemning hate groups.
In addition, Portland Police Bu-
reau is holding a community “lis-
tening session” on the matter on
Thursday, Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. at Maranatha Church, located
at 4222 N.E. 12th Ave.
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