Page 4
June 08, 2022
Barbecue Chef Gets Unsafe Housing Charged
Much Needed Help Conditions
inhabitable,
Black
tenants say
James Dixon, a well known Portland entrepreneur who has served
generations of families with his Dixon’s Rib Pit barbecue is getting
some much needed help after the theft of his barbecue equipment
and the pending loss of his rented home in the Alberta district.
Neighbors rally
to keep operator
in business,
housed
James Dixon, a well known
Portland entrepreneur who has
served generations of families
from his Dixon’s Rib Pit barbecue
cart in the Alberta district is get-
ting some much needed help after
the theft of his grilling equipment
and the pending loss of his rented
home in the same neighborhood.
According to neighbors who are
rallying to support the long time
Black community resident, Dix-
on has been a selfless and caring
friend to many in the community.
Daniel Greenstadt and other
neighbors started a GoFundMe
account to help Dixon recover
from the theft and help him get
his rib pit back up and running,
along some financial help to find
another place to live and stay in
the neighborhood. Already, more
than $8,000 was raised after just a
few days and a TV news report on
his plight.
Dixon’s handmade barbecue
smoker and trailer were stolen
from his home on May 15. Un-
fortunately, it followed the loss
of his beloved wife who died last
year and current plans by his land-
lord to sell the home he has called
home for years.
“As you can imagine, the
housing challenge is a difficult
one, and we are appealing to any
individuals or organizations who
may be able to help financially
or with other resources in the
search for an appropriate and af-
fordable place for Mr. Dixon to
hang his hat,” Greenstadt said.
After a TV news report on Dix-
on’s plight, more than $8,000
was initially pledged.
“Mr. Dixon has given so much
for so many years to so many
people in so many ways that
he’s touched a lot of lives, and
he’s never asked for anything,”
Greenstadt said in his gofundme
post. “We hope to replace his
equipment and get him up and
running for the summer BBQ sea-
son and beyond.”
For more information and
to contribute, visit gofundme.
com/f/james-dixon-friends-
neighbors-fund/.
Don’t Shoot Portland, the
Portland-based activist organi-
zation promoting civil rights,
racial equity and solutions
to gun violence, is leading a
community-based response to
a mass action lawsuit against
Reach Community Develop-
ment claiming unsafe and un-
sanitary conditions for a hous-
ing complex serving the Black
community.
Five tenants at Allen Fre-
mont Plaza, 221 N. Fremont,
have filed lawsuits claiming
the non-profit housing provid-
er forced them into inhabitable
conditions by not maintaining
the 64-unit building, causing
them and other low-income and
elderly residents to live in filth
and fear for their safety.
Reach Community Devel-
opment, which has not publi-
cally responded to the lawsuit,
promised it would make im-
provements to the building sev-
en years ago when it took over
Black tenants at Allen Fremont Plaza have filed a lawsuit claiming
unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
management, but since then,
tenants say conditions have
only gotten worse.
A lack of basic and necessary
maintenance, for example, is
blamed for non-functioning re-
strooms that deny tenants’ basic
hygiene needs, the tenants say.
In addition, a failure to main-
tain elevators has forced dis-
abled tenants to literally crawl
down flights of stairs to exit the
building or to stay in their apart-
ments for days until the elevator
was working again, the lawsuit
claims.
Other complaints include a
failure to provide effective light-
ing and security cameras, result-
ing in criminal activity taking
place on the premises as well as
elderly tenants being harassed
by non-residents; and failure
to provide adequate ventilation
ands safety from fire hazards.
Last year, an employee at the
complex was removed from her
role at the facility after tenants
alleged the worker used racist
slurs against Black residents,
the Oregonian reported.
In the current complaint, legal
advocacy and services are provid-
ed with support from Don't Shoot
Portland and the civil rights law
firm Olsen Daines, officials said.
Run-off; Re-Elected
Continued from Page 3
She will face political new-
comer Rene Gonzalez in the
runoff. Gonzalez a soccer coach
and business owner endorsed by
the Portland Police Association
narrowly outdistanced his oppo-
nent Vadim Mozyrsky.
In the Multnomah County
sheriff’s race, O’Donnell will
succeed Sheriff Mike Reese,
who was unable to run for re-
election due to term limits.
“Today is also a win for
trailblazers everywhere, as I’m
honored to be the first wom-
an elected to be your Sheriff,"
Morrisey O'Donnell tweeted
Tuesday night.
In an election for Multnomah
County Chair to succeed Debo-
rah Kafoury who was term lim-
ited, Multnomah County Com-
missioner Jessica Vega Pederson
captured the most votes, but
short of avoiding a runoff. She
will face fellow County Com-
missioner Sharon Meieran who
narrowly finishing second.
In the governor’s race, Kotek
will face a three-way race in No-
vember against the Republican
nominee Christine Drazan and
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek speaks to
supporters Tuesday night after the results of Oregon's primary
election are announced in Portland. Kotek defeated Tobias Read
to win the nomination. (AP photo)
Betsy Johnson, a former Dem-
ocratic state senator who is run-
ning as an independent.
“I think it’s important to re-
member that all the Democrats
in this race share a similar vision
for what we want the state to be,”
Kotek said in her victory speech,
addressing a crowd of supporters
in Portland on Tuesday night.
“We’re all going to work togeth-
er to make sure we win. That a
Democrat — that I win in No-
vember, because frankly there is
just too much at stake.”
In Oregon’s new sixth Con-
gressional District, State Rep.
Andrea Salinas was declared
the winner in a crowded field
of candidates which includ-
ed former Multnomah County
Commissioner Loretta Smith, a
long time member of Portland’s
Black community.
If elected in November, Sa-
linas would become the first
Latina member of Congress
from Oregon.