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July 8, 2020
No More Library Late Fees
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pay the fines and they fear hav-
ing a conversation about debt.
Everyone in our community
benefits when people can access
the materials and resources they
need to learn, grow, be creative,
and make their lives better for
themselves and their families,”
said Oehlke. “Ending fines is
one way the library is taking
immediate action and creating a
positive change for our commu-
nity.”
Library materials will still
have due dates and patrons are
encouraged to return their library
materials within the checkout pe-
riod. Items will automatically re-
new if there are no holds on the
item. For items that are not auto-
matically renewed, if materials
are not returned 49 days after the
due date, patrons will be charged
replacement costs. Those fees are
cleared if the items are returned.
After building closures due to
COVID-19, the library is now
offering holds pickup service at
every library location (except
Sellwood-Moreland and Albina
libraries). The library doesn’t
currently have an estimated date
for when it will be able to offer
in-person services beyond holds
pickup. Library services updates
will be posted at multcolib.org/
covid19.
On the Front Lines for Change
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Portland and across the nation de-
manding action on racial justice.
Keller said because of the fi-
nancial support, the march is go-
ing to include individuals from
several Portland families that
“know the pain” of what it is like
when a son or daughter is mur-
dered at the hands of police, like
when his son “Deontae J. Keller
was shot in the back, handcuffed
and left to die by then Portland
Police Officer Terry Kruger 24
years ago.
Other individuals planning
on attending, Keller says, rep-
resent mostly other members of
the Black community in Portland
who had loved ones killed at the
hands of police, including Ken-
dra James, James Jahar Perez,
Aaron Campbell, Byron Hamick,
Rickey Johnson, Quanice Hayes,
Keaton Otis, Jason Washington
and Carlos Hunter.
Keller said that while the ulti-
mate goal is to change the hearts
of Americans when it comes to
taking action to stop racial injus-
tice, participating in the march is
expected to be part of the healing
process for family members still
struggling over the loss of their
loved ones.
Donations are still being ac-
cepted to help make the visit to
Washington, D.C. a reality for
the Portland families who wish
to attend. You can give financial
support by visiting the Go Fund
Me site http://gf.me/u/x7ywtj.
So far, a generous contribu-
tion of $5,000 from Don’t Shoot
Portland, the organization led by
Teressa Raiford, is the largest and
only donation received from orga-
nizations representing the black
community thus far, Keller said.
Raiford, who just finished an un-
successful campaign for Mayor in
the May Primary, also gave an ad-
ditional individual contribution of
$500. Former Portland City Com-
missioner Randy Leonard donated
$100.
Damages Assailed as Setback
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case, calling for the officer who
shot him in the back to be charged
with murder, even after 24 years,
Keller isn’t against all cops.
“I’m not against police overall.
We have bad cops and good cops,”
he told the Portland Observer. “We
need police to respond if there is a
break-in to your home. We need
police in so many ways.”
Keller’s 20 year-old son Deon-
tae Keller was killed after being
pulled over by Portland police
while driving a car suspected of
gang activity. He was shot in the
back when he jumped out of the
car and ran.
Keller said progress against
unjust police shootings will be
measured by changing the hearts
of people who are resistance to
changes in policing, and the vio-
lence and hate that has been erupt-
ing, in isolated cases, mostly late
at night after peaceful protests,
only reinforces a frame of mind
that has stalled previous efforts to
old police accountable.
Newly appointed Police Chief
Chuck Lovell, who is black, said
when rioters barricaded the doors
of the North Precinct last week
and started fires outside they en-
dangered people inside and were
harming the community.
Several businesses on North-
east Martin Luther King were
vandalized for at least the second
time last week. It came during the
predawn hours, four hours after
a peaceful protest that started at
Peninsula Park, moved to a police
union office on Lombard Street,
and descended into four violent
confrontations between protesters
and police in riot gear.
Long time leader Ron Hern-
don of Portland’s African Amer-
ican community, said the vio-
lence committed during protests
have nothing to do with helping
Black people, saying it need-
lessly scares neighbors and their
children.
Portland Police Union Presi-
dent Daryl Turner, who is black,
said police “have show amazing
restraint as violent criminal act
have gone on for almost 40 days
nonstop.”
The protests began in Portland
and nationally after the Memo-
rial Day police custody death of
George Floyd in Minneapolis, a
black man whose neck was pinned
to ground and died in a struggle to
breathe.
“As riots continue, it is obvious
to everyone that this is no longer
about George Floyd, social justice
or police reform,” Turner said.
“This is about a group of indi-
viduals’ intent on causing injury,
chaos and destruction by rioting,
looting, starting fires and towing
rocks, bottles, mortars, urine, and
feces at peaceful protestors as well
as the police.”
The city’s elected officials
“should not allow a meaningful
dialogue and protests about racial
and social equity to be drowned
out by the sound of rioting and vi-
olence,” Turner said.