Local News
Liv
continued from page 1
handbags but there’s no funk, no sassi-
ness to the handbags,” says Warfield.
“But we also wanted to carry a meaning
with that.”
“For me they mean to live bold, live
loud beautifully, live free. I want the
women who carry these bags to feel like
they’re personally made for them.”
This is Warfield’s first endeavor into
the world of fashion.
She’s been busy, to say the least, with
her music career.
As an independent artist she is con-
stantly working to not just perfect her
craft, but be her own promotion
machine. The industry is changing, she
says, and going independent is the best
way to define one’s self musically.
“Social media has taken on this huge,
huge role,” she says. “There are no limi-
tations for artists right now.”
“Being independent for me, is not hav-
ing a label saying, ‘You’re this. You’re
neo-soul.’ I hate that. I hate that word
basically. I am soul period. I’m soul
rock. I’m soul jazz. I’m soul electric. I
can be any of those things. Independent
for me defines that.”
Warfield first began honing her skills
in the early 2000s on Portland’s karaoke
scene.
Most of her early life was spent
focused on athletics. She was a gymnast
for 13-14 years and ran track. Originally
from Peoria, IL, she moved to Portland
after receiving a track scholarship from
Portland State University (PSU).
Warfield didn’t sing as a child but
while she was in a process of finding
herself, she decided to take a risk and
sing at the city’s karaoke bars. Initially,
she would perform with her back turned
to the crowd because she was so nerv-
ous. It’s strange to look back on it now,
she says, as she remembers being at the
bars from 8:00 at night to 4:00 in the
morning Wednesdays through Sundays.
She soon discovered she had talent but
things didn’t get serious until a friend
took her to see Linda Hornbuckle.
Warfield was blown away and stared at
the legendary singer for hours on end.
She would go to watch Hornbuckle
every week and eventually the singer
invited her on stage.
“Linda brought me up on stage and my
back was turned to the audience,” says
Warfield. “She told me, ‘Next time you
sing you have to turn to the audience.’
“I would just keep going there. Linda
was and still is a big inspiration for why
I was just so motivated.”
Hornbuckle even convinced Warfield
to start her own band. She never consid-
ered it until the legend floated the idea to
her. Shortly after, she put fliers up all
over the PSU campus, looking for inter-
ested musicians. She says things
progressed gradually and she began get-
ting regular gigs.
Read the rest online at
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Liv Warfield with BD503 bags
Observer
continued from page 1
“Chuck Washington was a good publisher.
They were always at the City Council cov-
ering the development issues that affect us
out here in Northeast Portland. They cov-
ered stories that nobody else did.
“Chuck’s death will leave a big hole in
Portland, but I know that his family and
staff will carry on and keep publishing
because they are professionals and are ded-
icated to the community.
“He will truly be missed.”
Washington was a strong advocate
for local schools and improving the
economic base of Portland’s minori-
ty communities.
Last month, when the Portland
Observer Foundation sponsored a
community banquet to award schol-
arships for young people and recognize
leaders from the community who are advo-
cates for disadvantaged and minority
communities, the event showcased the pub-
lication’s mission.
Washington’s goal as publisher was to
create a media outlet that was dedicated to
diversity, the African-American communi-
ty, but also the Latino, immigrant and newly
gentrified communities. As Portland grew
in diversity, the Portland Observer grew.
With the help of his brothers and wife,
Elizabeth, Washington worked hard to
ensure that his mother’s legacy as a tireless
advocate for the community continued.
He established in 1996 the Joyce Wash-
ington Memorial Scholarship Fund for
graduating high school seniors and commu-
nity college students interested in pursuing
State baseball team, having captured the
highest batting average in the state. In later
years, he greatly enjoyed playing golf.
Active in community athletic programs
and other social service organizations from
a very early age, he chose to remain in Port-
land for his post-secondary education. He
pursued studies in marketing, communica-
tions, and political science at Mt Hood
Community College, Portland Com-
munity College, and finally
Portland State University.
He was a volunteer coach for
community basketball and baseball
programs for 25 years, from Little
League to Portland summer college
baseball.
He served as president of Port-
land’s District 1 Peninsula Little League,
was a member of the NAACP, Urban
League, Portland Chamber of Commerce,
and the Portland Chapter of the African
American Chamber of Commerce.
He was a long time sponsor of Self
Enhancement, Inc., a nationally recognized
non-profit organization for children at risk,
and an annual supporter of the Portland
Golf Youth Association.
He was a beloved mentor to his children,
extended family members and other young
people from the community.
He felt his truly greatest achievements
and blessings in life were through his fami-
ly. Some of his proudest moments were
watching his children graduate from school
with advanced degrees in their respective
callings: law, medicine, education and eco-
science. Delighting in the arrival of each
new grandchild, he felt his life had come
full circle.
Washington is predeceased by his son
Christopher, mother Joyce, grandmother
Frieda and brother Cory.
He is survived by his loving wife Beth;
son Rakeem and wife Molly; daughter
Chaka and fiancé Matt; daughter Serena and
husband Logan; son Omar and wife
Makaela; grandchildren Emmanuelle,
Jaheim, Nyla, and Marcellus; father Duane;
brothers Ronald, Tony, Gary, and Mark; sis-
ters Audrey and Denise; and a host of
nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong
friends that were very close to his heart.
He will be truly missed.
2009.
“In 2009 we had two weapons cases in
Multnomah County (involving children
aged 12 and younger),” Austin said. “In
2010 we had three. In 2011 we had two.
And this case is the second in 2012.”
must be held accountable for their actions,
but it makes no sense to treat them as if they
are the same as adults or older teens.
“Most 7-year-olds and 11-year-olds don’t
have the mental capacity to think about the
consequences of doing something like this,”
he says. “They’re short-sighted. Their
brains aren’t even developed enough
to make choices based on reality.
“At 7, children’s understanding of
reality is very, very limited. A cartoon
might be more real to them than it
really is. They can’t distinguish well
between what is real and what’s fake.”
The law says children as young as
these boys can’t babysit, or even stay
at home by themselves. In fact,
researchers say the human brain doesn’t
stop developing until around 25 years of
age, and the last part to be integrated is the
frontal lobe, which helps us make good
choices.
Washington’s goal as publisher
was to create a media outlet
that was dedicated to diversity
careers in journalism and/or community
service. The newspaper foundation expand-
ed on those scholarship opportunities.
Washington was a Portland native who
loved his neighborhood roots.
He graduated from Jefferson High School
where he played basketball and baseball,
lettering in varsity basketball and baseball
all four years. As a senior, he was named to
the All City basketball team and to the All
Carjack
continued from page 1
court to place him in juvenile detention. His
mother, Kathryn Charlton said he was not
dangerous and asked for the foster place-
ment to be continued. Juvenile Judicial
Referee Lisa Fithian-Barrett allowed the
boy to remain in foster care, with condi-
tions. He can’t leave the home without an
adult, and he must wear an electronic ankle
monitor.
So what’s going on when children commit
armed robbery? And how are those cases
resolved?
Dave Austin, communications director for
Multnomah County, says the law states that
children aged 11 and under should not usu-
ally be admitted to juvenile detention.
However police have the power to call a
judge and ask for special permission to do
so if they believe that the child poses a con-
tinuing risk.
“The law is very clear,” he says. “If we
want to take them into custody, we have to
have special permission from a judge. There
has to be a reason. You don’t just lock up an
11-year-old.
“So, if somebody is so much of a danger,
police can call and a judge can make that
order. But in cases of children 11 and below,
there is a very high likelihood that there are
other issues going on, maybe with the fam-
ily.”
Austin said public safety is always
the highest priority. During an investi-
gation, police look at each case
individually, he said, and resources,
such as mental health counseling or
other services, can be directed to fami-
lies and children as needed.
“We have to look at all the informa-
tion out there and treat each case on a
case by case basis,” Austin said.
Once police finish their investigation,
a report is forwarded to the county’s Depart-
ment of Community Justice for additional
information or comment, and then to the
District Attorney’s office. The DA decides
how to proceed.
The public safety system has dealt with
about two or three weapons cases involving
children aged 12 and under each year since
Law enforcement has dealt
with two or three weapons
cases involving children
under 12 since 2009
While it doesn’t justify the conclusion
that violence among pre-teens is increasing,
it does raise concerns, Austin said.
“Anytime a child gets their hands on a
gun it should be a concern,” he says.
Andrae Brown Ph.D., an associate profes-
sor at Lewis and Clark College, who has
researched youth violence, says children
Read the rest of this story online at
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December 12, 2012
The Portland Skanner Page 3