EDUCATION&CAREERS
Page 4
Website to Help Job Claims
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nication frustrations people have
experienced.”
Over the next few days and
weeks, the department will add
even more content and features
to the informational website, offi-
cials announced last week.
In March, high traffic to the
Department’s oregon.gov/employ
site risked crashing all oregon.
gov sites, so the Department’s
COVID-19 content was moved
to a temporary website common-
ly used by agencies during cri-
ses. But limitations of the content
management system of the tem-
porary website made informa-
tion difficult to find.
As one of his first acts as act-
ing director, Gerstenfeld initiat-
ed the development of a clean-
er, simpler, more user-friendly
website.
“I’ve made doing a better job
of communicating with Orego-
nians a top priority,” said Ger-
stenfeld. “We believe this web-
site is a much-needed step in the
right direction, and we appreci-
ate your patience as we continue
to make this a better experience
for you.”
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July 22, 2020
The I-5 Rose Quarter
Improvement
Project moves
ahead, despite
objections it doesn’t
do enough to
restore justice to the
black community
which was displaced
by the freeway when
it was constructed
six decades ago.
I-5 Project Moves Ahead Amid Outcry
c ontinued froM f ront
Metro President Lynn Peterson says
she is also opposed and has pledged
her support for Albina Vision Trust.
Under plans approved by the
Legislature, ODOT has authority to
spend $715 million to widen Inter-
state 5 near the Rose Quarter to fix
a bottle neck and make improved
neighborhood transportation links
with freeway caps that provide new
pedestrian and bike paths and green
spaces.
ODOT has rejected the added
expense to make the freeway caps
adaptable to building structures,
like new affordable housing and
commerce, estimated to increase the
cost to $1 billion and a step in the di-
rection of making accommodations
to a Black community still suffering
from their displacement by Urban
Renewal in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Albina Vision said ODOT’s
overall planning fails to redress the
damage done to Portland’s Black
community by the initial construc-
tion of I-5 nearly six decades ago.
“We can no longer support the
project,” said Winta Yohannes,
managing director of Albina Vision
Trust, in a June 30 email to the Gov-
ernor’s office and ODOT.
ODOT maintains the project
meets its “values-based” priorities
for restorative justice to the black
community because it will generate
new wealth in the community by
imposing contracting goals of 18 to
22% use of disadvantaged business
enterprises; and workforce hiring to
include a 20% goal for apprentice-
ships, 25% minority male hires and
14% female workers.
ODOT says the project will also
continue to rely on community in-
put to shape the project and the out-
comes for the community.
“Having the Construction Man-
agement/General Contractor on
board early in the design process
is a key step toward those commit-
ments, ODOT official said.
A Second Chance for a Career
Grant supports restorative
justice for young adults
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a
Portland nonprofit a grant of $3.9 million to help in-
dividuals transition from prison to meaningful em-
ployment, especially young adults needing career
training and other services.
The Pathway Home grant was awarded this
month to The Mental Health Association of Oregon
for the Portland metro area as part of a federal pro-
gram to provide a second chance to Americans who
have served their time in the criminal justice system,
“These grants reflect this commitment to help-
ing all Americans find jobs and participate mean-
ingfully in the economy,” said Secretary of Labor
Eugene Scalia, in a news release. “The assistance
the grants provide to men and women transitioning
back into society will be especially valuable as we
overcome the economic challenges posed by coro-
navirus,”
Research shows that early and frequent engage-
ment prior to release from incarceration reduces
the risk of recidivism, so these grants are vital to
stopping the revolving door of prison from turning,
officials said.
Overall, $64 million was awarded in Pathway
Home grants to 20 recipients serving 15 states to as-
sist in the transition of justice-involved adults back
to the workplace.
Grant recipients will offer individuals a variety
of services designed to help ease their transition
back to society, including education and training,
job preparation, case management and needs as-
sessments, career exploration and planning, legal
assistance, counseling, and assistance connecting to
other important social services.
Black Assistant Chief
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serving as a patrol officer and a
Parkrose School Resource Officer,
he was promoted to sergeant in
2010 and assigned to oversee pa-
trol, as well as the Bike Patrol at
Central Precinct. As a sergeant in
the Personnel Division, he over-
saw development and successful
implementation of the diverse of-
ficer recruitment and hiring plan,
which resulted in a 30% increase
in the number of diverse candi-
dates hired by the Police Bureau.
In 2016, he was promoted to
lieutenant and assigned to Central
Precinct, to the Chief’s Office as
Adjutant Lieutenant, North Pre-
cinct and the Tactical Operations
Division. He was promoted to
Captain in 2019 and assigned
to the Youth Services Division,
which was responsible for pro-
viding police services to approx-
imately 189 schools and approxi-
mately 77,000 students.
Leasure holds a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Sociology and Criminal
Justice from Gonzaga University
and attended the Organizational
Management and Leadership Acad-
emy at the Department of Public
Safety Standards and Training.