Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 2021)
November 3, 2021 Page 2 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submis- sions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads be- come the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage with- out the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultur- al Publication--is a member of the National Newspa- per Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Pub- lishers Association PO QR code Publisher: Mark Washington, Sr. Editor: Michael Leighton Advertising Manager: Leonard Latin Office Manager/Classifieds: Lucinda Baldwin Kenya Anderson Reporter/Web Editor: Beverly Corbell Public Relations: Mark Washington Jr. Creative Director: Office Assistant/Sales: Shawntell Washington CALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 The Glass Plant Will Make Fix or Close Company has emitted toxins for decades A glass recycling plant in the Cully neighborhood of northeast Portland has con- sented to either shut down or install pollution control tech- nology, according to an agree- ment announced between the plant’s operators and the state of Oregon. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality gave Owens-Brockway the two op- tions after it reached an agree- ment with the company to re- solve a fine of more than $1 million for pollution violations it issued in June. The glass plant was cited for multiple, ongoing air quality violations of particulate matter emissions as well as permitted opacity. A recent report by environ- mental advocates highlighted the ongoing heath risks posed by air emissions from the plant, which does not follow the same set of air regulations as similar emitters because it was built before the Clear Air Act took effect in 1978, offi- Photo by Mason Trinca/Courtesy Earthjustice The Owens-Brockway’s glass facility is located in the Cully Neighborhood, north of Columbia Boulevard and just west of I-205. cials said. “It has been clear for years that this facility is pumping many different kinds of harm- ful pollution into the Cully neighborhood,” Mary Peveto, executive director of Neigh- bors for Clear Air, said in the report. DEQ Northwest Regional in Week Review 80% Vaccination Rate The Oregon Health Authority reported last week that 80% of Oregonians 18 and older have had at least one does in their vaccination series against COVID-19. When including children, Oregon has fully vaccinated 63 percent of all residents. Inmate Education Sought Karina LeBlanc Thorns Name Black GM Former Portland Thorns goalkeeper Karina LeB- lanc, a Black executive of women’s soccer on the national stage, was named the team’s new gener- al manager Monday. Officials say LeBlanc will serve as the central leader for the team while also having an integral voice on key business decisions related to the club. Church Massacre Settlement The Department of Justice announced an $88 million settlement on Thursday with victims of a white supremacist who shot dead nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. The settlement stems from allegations that the FBI was negligent when it failed to prohibit the sale of a gun to the attacker, Dylan Roof, who had a prior criminal record. Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced last week that he is cosponsoring legislation that would expand access to education for Americans in federal prisons. “Improving educational op- portunities in prison helps to reduce recidivism rates, which benefits both the community and the people returning to it with the hope of finding jobs and becoming productive citizens,” Wyden said. Resident Shot While Sleeping A Portland man was fortunate to avoid serious in- jury when he was struck by a bullet that pierced his bedroom while he was sleeping. It happened Friday at 1:45 a.m. near Southeast 130th and Pow- ell. Police don’t believe he was an intended target. At least 5 bullets hit the residence and another damaged a parked vehicle out front. Unmasked Disrupt Meeting The Portland School Board ended an in-person meeting last week over a proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children 12 and older. It hap- pened after unmasked protesters, many not from outside the district, showed up and disrupted the meeting with noisy outbursts and refusals to don face coverings. Administrator Nina DeConci- ni was hopeful that the com- pany will continue to operate but with new safeguards. The company has not announced which direction it will eventu- ally take. “The best thing Ow- ens-Brockway could do to come into compliance and pro- tect the community is to install pollution controls,” DeConcini said in a statement. “And if the facility decides to install pol- lution controls, this agreement requires they demonstrate that the controls achieve a 95% re- duction in particulate matter emissions.” Continued on Page 5 Teen Named National Miss Juneteenth Winner a voice for equality, positivity Aceia Spade is helping put Oregon on the map after being crowned National Miss June- teenth. The 17-year old from Eugene won the national title during a pageant held Oct. 16 in Tulsa, Okla., coming the same year that the United States made June- teenth a federal holiday and Ore- gon made it a state holiday. Spade’s platform for the schol- arship pageant was equality. She spoke about being a voice for other black girls and being part of a positive movement in the Black community, bonding with others like her. She credited her ancestral roots for moving her spirit to compete in the contest. Spade was supported by the Juneteenth Oregon organiza- tion, founded by the late Clara Mae Peoples, a retired Black educator and school counselor who introduced the tradition to Aceia Spade won the crown as her co-workers in Oregon back Miss Juneteenth in a national in 1945 when she moved from pageant held Oct. 16 in Tulsa, Muskogee, Okla. to Portland to Oka. She is pursuing her platform work at the Kaiser Shipyards. In on equality and being the voice for other Black girls promoting a Continued on Page 5 positive environment.
