Obituaries/News
Paul Anthony West: Actor, Writer, Artist
19
Master’s student in Education
70 was a very
at PSU. He also was self
good year. On
employed as a photographer
Aug. 27, Paul
and videographer through his
Anthony West was born to
Event Capture imprint.
the union of Norman and
In addition to “The Pews,”
LaVerne (Nickerson) West.
his literary works include
They later divorced in 1972.
“Mucho
Dinero,”
“The
Paul attended Vernon Ele-
Necessity Room” and “The
mentary, Harriet Tubman
Underhood” (collaboration
Middle School and U.S.
with Von Porter).
Grant High School. He
Outgoing, gregarious, with
obtained his Bachelor of Arts
Paul Anthony West
an eternal smile, Paul had a
in Theater in 1995, from
diverse and bountiful array of friends, some
Portland State University.
His early career included employment at friendships spanning more than three
Multnomah County, TriMet and the Stoel decades.
On Wednesday, Aug. 23, Paul ascended to
Rives law firm. But Paul was at his best
when his creative side was engaged. Highly Heaven.
Cherishing his memory forever :
intelligent, gifted and talented, Paul was a
His mother LaVerne Thompson, stepfa-
musician, actor, author and playwright. His
play, “The Pews,” was produced in 2005 ther Sam Thompson, Sisters: Veronica
and enjoyed a successful run at the IFCC. (John), Carliss, Brother: Lonzo, Uncles:
His acting resume included memorable Robert (Linda), Ralph (Kawana), Ronald,
roles in “Purlie Victorious,” “The Crucible” Aunts: Paula, Doris (Carl), Nephews:
Johnason and John Alexander, a host of
and “The Meeting.”
At the time of his passing, Paul was a cousins, relatives and wonderful friends.
Robert Julius Brooks Sr. 1928 —2012
R
working man that val-
obert
Julius
ued his family and
Brooks Sr. was
enjoyed life.
born in Mark,
Eleven of Robert’s
Texas on March 15,
siblings preceded him
1928 to Stewart Sr. and
in death. He leaves
Annie Brooks. He
behind one sister, India
graduated from Jack
McKinney of Houston,
Yates High school in
Texas. He also leaves
1948. He later served
behind his four chil-
in the Korean War and
dren: Cassandra Renee
was honorably dis-
Showcraft,
Robert
charged from the army
Brooks Jr., Indrig
on Feb. 9, 1953. He
Joyce Elam and Har-
then pursued a life in
vey Brooks, grandchil-
Stockton, Ca., with his
dren Antonio, Robert
family. Down the line,
III, Indrig, Harry Jr.,
he relocated his family
Monique,
Joyce,
to Portland, Or., where
Domonique, Torianna
he later retired from Robert Julius Brooks Sr.
and Journey, great
John Deere. He was
grandchildren, nieces,
fortunate enough to be
retired longer than he worked. nephews, cousins and friends.
Throughout his life Robert was a hard-
A Paint-by-Numbers Portrait of a Changing Nation
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The Associated Press
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WASHINGTON (AP) —
We’re heavier in pounds
and hotter by degrees than
Americans of old. We’re
starting to snub our noses at
distant suburbs after genera-
tions of burbs in our blood.
Our roads and bridges are
kind of a mess. There are
many more poor, and that’s
almost sure to get worse.
The oddly American
obsession with picking up
and moving on — ``this
spectacle of so many lucky
men restless in the midst of
abundance,’’ as Alexis de
Tocqueville noted nearly
200 years ago — has given
way to the un-American
activity of going nowhere.
But check back tomorrow.
Such swirling changes are
not fodder for a State of the
Union speech, but they are
Page 6 The Portland Skanner August 29, 2012
part of the state of the union
nonetheless, as the Republi-
can National Convention
convenes and the Democrat-
ic convention follows it a
week later. The country that
President Barack Obama
and Mitt Romney are vying
to lead for the next four
years is not quite the same
as the one four years ago,
not nearly the same as the
one further back in time.
WHERE WE LIVE
Like much else, where we
live is shaped by how — or
whether — we make a liv-
ing. But la rger forces than
that seem to be at work in
determining Americans’
chosen places.
U.S. cities and closely
surrounding areas are expe-
riencing more growth than
farther-off suburbs for the
first time in at least 20
years. The cost and bother
of commuting are part of
the reason. The average
commuter spends over 30
hours stuck in traffic per
year, says the Texas Trans-
portation Institute, up from
14 hours in 1982. That’s the
time spent going nowhere or
at a crawl.
As well, city life is
becoming the choice of
more young and old people,
as the attractions and con-
venience rival the long-held
American dream of afford-
able home ownership,
which usually means farther
out.
Meantime, the historic
migration of Southern
blacks to the North has
reversed, with black popula-
tions rising in Southern
cities and suburbs, especial-
ly among the more affluent.
But the overarching recent
development in where we
live is that we aren’t moving
much at all.
Mobility is the lowest it’s
been in the 60 years it has
been tracked by the Census
Bureau, with only 11.6 per-
cent of the nation’s popula-
tion moving in the past year.
That’s just over half the
level in 1951, the biggest
year for Americans on the
move, 21.2 percent. More
adult children are living
with parents because of eco-
nomic hardship, fewer older
people are able to retire to
sunny climes and the hous-
ing bust further contributed
to locking the restless in
place.
Average
home
size