March 6, 2019
Page 3
INSIDE
The
Week in Review
M ETRO
This page
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page 9
photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver
I-5 traffic in Portland’s Rose Quarter near Harriet Tubman Middle School (behind trees at right). A
plan to widen the freeway to ease congestion is moving ahead despite opposition from parents of the
school and other groups concerned about air pollution and an increase in vehicle emissions.
Not on Board
Groups align
against I-5
expansion
D anny p eterson
t he p ortlanD o bserver
A coalition of dozens of orga-
nizations, small businesses, and
Portland community members are
worried Oregon Department of
Transportation’s proposed Rose
Quarter freeway project will fur-
ther worsen the air quality of near-
by Harriet Tubman Middle school,
among other concerns, despite a
recent environmental assessment
by
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Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
C ALENDAR
page 11
from the state agency claiming the
opposite would occur.
“Myself and other parents from
Tubman--especially the other
members’ parents of the PTSA--
we definitely think it’s a bad idea
for them to expand a freeway,
pretty much behind or close to the
school Tubman. I definitely be-
lieve that the air quality wouldn’t
be good for our kids as we’re al-
ready experiencing bad air there,”
Tadimika Edwards, president of
the Tubman Middle School Parent
Teacher Student Association told
the Portland Observer.
Edwards is also part of the
No More Freeway Expansions
coalition, a group that slammed
ODOT’s recent claim that the pro-
posed $450 billion widening of
Interstate 5 for a larger segment
of roadway in the Rose Quarter
district—among other modifica-
tions--would actually benefit air
quality, decrease carbon emis-
sions, and shorten travel time. The
main premise being that a wider
freeway in this section will match
up to other segments of I-5 and de-
crease emissions from idling cars
and trucks.
The coalition vehemently dis-
putes the claims.
“These findings fly in the face
of decades of research in the field
of public health, transportation
planning and carbon mitigation,
C ontinueD on p age 4
Comedian is No Show for Trial
O PINION
C LASSIFIEDS
pages 12-13
pages 14
A Multnomah county Judge is-
sued an arrest warrant Monday for
comedian and actor Katt Williams
after he failed to show up for trial
on charges of assaulting his chauf-
feur driver at the Portland Airport
last October.
Williams’ lawyer stood in his
client’s place and Judge Kenneth
Walker set bail for $10,000.
The comedian and actor—
whose real name is Micah Sierra
Williams—earlier pleaded not
guilty to a charge of 4th-degree
assault for allegedly punching his
driver Wali Kanani after Kanani
wouldn’t let Williams’ dog ride in Comedian and actor Katt
the front seat. Williams was slated Williams (AP file photo)
to appear on Nick Cannon’s “Wild
‘N Out” improv comedy show at
the Moda Center at the time.
The chauffeur suffered a broken
tooth, laceration to the face, and
struggles with chronic migraines
and ringing in his ears as a result
of the incident, the lawsuit stated.
He is asking $990,000 in compen-
sation and punitive damages.
Williams, who lives in Georgia,
could settle the case out of court.
In some cases, under the approval
of a judge, a monetary compensa-
tion may count as a civil compro-
mise that would allow a 4th degree
criminal charge to be dismissed in
Oregon.