Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, July 08, 2020, Page 2, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    July 8, 2020
Page 2
Advocate Named to
Prosper Portland Board
Newest board
member promotes
equal access
The Portland City Council
Wednesday approved the ap-
pointment of long time educa-
tion advocate and Portland na-
tive Serene Stoudamire Wesley
to the Prosper Portland Board of
Commissioners. A five member
panel, the volunteer board over-
sees the city’s economic and de-
velopment agency.
Wesley is youth development
director for the Oregon Depart-
ment of Education and has more
than 20 years of experience in
program management, com-
munity relations and education
policy. She previously served as
Gov. Kate Brown’s policy direc-
tor for diversity, equity and in-
clusion.
In a statement released by
Prosper Portland, Wesley said
she wants to ensure that the
agency’s mission of advanc-
ing economic and social equi-
ty, along with creating jobs and
closing gaps of disparity, align
with her interest in ensuring that
Ms. K’s Incense
& More
(503) 358-0753
krosser972@gmail.com
Incense • Body Oils • Lotion Sets
Dudu Soap • Shea Butter • Etc.
Blessings To You
Serena Stoudamire Wesley
all members of the community
have equal access to the op-
portunities that will come with
Portland’s development and
growth.
“I have lived through the
changes that have directly and
indirectly impacted my fam-
ily and community through
the years,” she said. “I am
very passionate and motivat-
ed about this place I call home
and want to contribute to the
revitalization and transforma-
tion of Portland.”
Prosper Portland is defined
by a commitment to grow qual-
ity jobs, advance opportunities
for prosperity, create vibrant
neighborhoods and communi-
ties, and collaborate with part-
ners to create an equitable city,
with prosperity shared by Port-
landers of all colors, incomes
and neighborhoods.
ACLU files Police Lawsuit
A woman wearing a mask walks past a sign on the door of a church in Pullman, Wash. Both
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown have announced new requirements for
masks to be worn in public spaces to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo courtesy AP)
New Urgency to Mask Up as Virus Spreads
Coronavirus spreads in
urban and rural areas
(AP) — People throughout Oregon are now re-
quired to wear face coverings in public spaces to
slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The guidance issued June 29 from Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown applies to businesses and members of
the public using indoor public spaces. Face covering
requirements had already been mandated in Portland
and eight adjacent counties one week earlier.
Over the last month, Brown said the disease has
spread at an alarming rate in both urban and rural
counties.
“Modeling from the Oregon Health Authority
shows that if we don’t take further action to reduce
the spread of the disease, our hospitals could be
overwhelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospi-
talizations within weeks,” Brown said.
The governor has also extended the COVID-19
state of emergency for 60 days.
The state of emergency declaration is the legal
The
in
Week Review
The American Civil Liberties
Union of Oregon filed a class-ac-
by the police with tear gas and
tion lawsuit against Portland Police
rubber bullets while documenting
and the city last week on behalf of
Black Lives Matter protests.
journalists and legal observers who
they say were targeted and attacked Eviction Ban Extended
Oregon lawmakers passed an ex-
tension last month to an eviction
ban during the coronavirus pan-
demic that extends the moratori-
um on both commercial and resi-
dential no-cause evictions through
Sept 30 and creates a six-month
repayment grace period after the
moratorium ends for tenants to re-
pay their back rent.
For your light bulbs
& parts to repair or
make fixtures
503.281.0453
Fax 503.281.3408
3901 N. Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Web: www.sunlanlighting.com
E-mail: kay@sunlanlighting.com
underpinning for the executive orders Brown has is-
sued throughout the pandemic, including her orders
on reopening Oregon, as well as orders related to
childcare, schools, and higher education operations.
Extending the state of emergency declaration allows
those orders to stay in effect.
Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth
play a critical role in reducing the spread of the
disease because droplets from people’s breath can
carry the virus to others without people realizing it,
she said.
Brown said she did not want to close businesses
again as has happened in other states that are see-
ing a spike in cases. She said Oregon Occupational
Safety and Health (OSHA) will take the lead in en-
forcing face covering requirements for all covered
Oregon businesses.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild
or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that
clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially
older adults and people with existing health prob-
lems, it can cause more severe illness, including
pneumonia and death.
Support Collapses for I-5 Build
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler an-
nounced last week he was with-
drawing his support for the I-5
Rose Quarter Project which would
add lanes to a congested part of
the freeway, citing a lack of rep-
resentation from the communities
the project would impact, includ-
ing Albina Vision, a group advo-
tree. Arborists determined that the
cambium layer of the tree, which
serves as the arteries that transport
cating for rebuilding a displaced water and nutrients to the canopy,
Black community in the area.
had failed due to a natural shifting
Charged with Sex Trafficking of the tree.
A Portland man, Tracy
Steven Rasberry, 55,
was indicted last week
on 24 counts of pro-
moting prostitution.
The district attorney’s office, cit-
ing court documents, said the al-
leged crimes occurred in January
and February of 2019.
Old Apple Tree Dies
It survived the
most severe floods,
winds, drought, ice
and snow, but not
2020. For all prac-
tical purposes, Van-
couver’s venerable
Old Apple Tree has
died at the age of
194. In recent days, dying leaves
suddenly appeared throughout the
No More Oregon Civil War
To advance equal opportunity
and justice for all and in recogni-
tion that Black Lives Matter, the
University of Oregon and Oregon
State last week agreed to drop the
name “Civil War” for their rivalry
games. OSU President Ed Ray said
the name was divisive because it
represented a connection to a war
fought to perpetuate slavery.
Confederate Emblem Removed
Mississippi lawmakers voted last
week to surrender the Confed-
erate battle emblem from their
state flag; more than a century
after white supremacist legisla-
tors adopted the design a genera-
tion after the South lost the Civil
War. Spectators cheered and ap-
plauded after the historic votes.