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A UGUST 13, 2014
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V OLUME XXXVI, N O . 45
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By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
M
ayors from cities across the United
States signed a commitment Mon-
day to take action against
economic inequality.
Almost 40 mayors joined New York’s Bill
de Blasio at Gracie Mansion to sign the
commitment statement as part of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors Cities of Opportunity
Task Force.
“The whole point...is to lift up city resi-
dents and build an economy that works for
everyone,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin
Johnson, who is president of the task force.
“We have a pro-growth agenda. We’re talk-
ing about infrastructure, sustainability,
education, trade, but also this notion of
Cities of Opportunities.”
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and Taco-
ma Mayor Marilyn Strickland signed the
commitment along with Rahm Emanuel of
Chicago, Michael Nutter of Philadelphia,
Mitchell Landrieu of New Orleans, and
many others. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who
has pioneered raising the minimum wage,
did not attend, but has also pledged to sign
the statement.
“I think if we don’t tackle equity —and I
think all these mayors feel the same way,
then our country is in trouble,” Hales said
on a call from Chicago between flights.
“We have this massive income inequality
where the richest 400 people in the country
earn more than the poorest 100 million peo-
ple. We are not the America of the American
Dream and that’s a scary prospect and dan-
gerous inequality, and a cry for action to any
of us in a position of leadership.”
The mayors say they will act locally to
make changes aimed at boosting income
and opportunity for more Americans. The
strategies they plan to use include: raising
the minimum wage, mandating paid sick
leave, promoting youth employment oppor-
tunities, increasing access to high speed
See MAYORS on page 3
INDEX
News ..............1,3,9-10
Opinion .....................2
Community................4
Back to School .......5-8
Bids/Classifieds ........11
Pacific NW
PLANET
FLY
Singer Kevin “KJ” Jones and Planet Fly
were one of six bands that played
Sunday, Aug. 10, at Seattle’s Jefferson
Park on Beacon Hill as part of the 34th
Annual Peace Concerts Series. Some of
the other bands included The 350’s,
Contempo, NRG and Funky2Death. The
concert series continues through
Sunday, Sept. 21, with concerts at
Volunteer Park on Aug. 24; Magnuson
Park on Sept. 7 and Gas Works Park on
Sept. 21. All concerts are on Sunday
noon until 6 p.m. and admission is free
and open to all ages.
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
National movement
emerges to dig into
roots of poverty
CENTS
The Skanner News presents
our new regional edition,
featuring more news and
local information.
C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW
Mayors
Tackle
Inequality
25
‘Enough is Enough’ Campaign
Meeting Monday focuses on effort to break through ‘snitch culture’
By Lisa Loving
Of The Skanner News
T
he citywide “Enough is
Enough” campaign to
reduce youth violence
invites interested people to a
meeting next Monday to plan
out what should happen next.
The planning meeting is Mon-
day, Aug. 18, 6 p.m. in the
community room of the North
Precinct, 449 NE Emerson St.
The effort, taken from a simi-
lar campaign in Detroit, Mich.,
focuses on persuading commu-
nity members to phone in crime
tips to police — a controversial
issue in situations where
“snitching” can trigger even
more violence.
The City of Portland Office of
Youth Violence Prevention says
this effort is more than that,
tying together resources for
community members in a way
that puts the community in the
forefront of developing policy
and services to heal families.
“What we hope is to have
folks feel safe enough to say:
‘Somebody has information that
could help,’” says Youth Vio-
lence Prevention Director
Antoinette Edwards. “’How can
you help me in my healing?’”
Organizers kicked off the
“Enough is Enough” effort at
Peninsula Park in mid-July,
where they signed up potential
volunteers and floated the idea
of a community-led movement
to push back against gang vio-
lence in the Portland metro area.
“A mother said, I don’t go out
anymore, I could be talking to
the perpetrator — I don’t feel
safe,’” Edwards said.
“So how do we address those
issues in a healing kind of a
way, in a community kind of
way? What Public Service
Announcement could we make?
What conversations are we hav-
ing with young people about
being bullied?
“There are a few folks that are
bullying and holding this com-
See ENOUGH on page 3
Last Member of Washington Airmen Dies
Services in Lakewood for Tuskegee pilot Edward P. Drummond, Jr.
Special To The Skanner News
L
t. Colonel Edward P. Drummond, Jr.,
(USAF Retired) of Lakewood,
Wash., died in Seattle on Sunday,
Aug. 3, 2014, after a long illness. He was
the last surviving member of the Tuskegee
Airmen that was a member of the Sam
Bruce Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.,
based in Seattle. As a member of Class 46-
C, Lt. Col. Drummond was a graduate of the
last class of African American pilots trained
at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Ala., during
World War II to assist in prosecution of the
war effort against the Axis.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, 2 p.m., at Moun-
tain View Memorial Park at 4100
Steilacoom Boulevard SW, Lakewood. Pro-
ceedings are set for the Aspen Chapel,
located within the Celebration of Life Cen-
ter. Upon entering the Mountain View
Memorial Park grounds, simply follow the
blue center line to get to the chapel. A recep-
tion will follow immediately in the Willow
Room at the same facility. Members of the
public are invited.
Edward Powell Drummond, Jr, was born
on Aug. 28, 1926, in Philadelphia, Penn.
The early part of his life was spent on the
Eastern Shore of Maryland where he attend-
ed schools in the Pocomoke City area, and
was class valedictorian at Stephen Long Ele-
mentary School in 1939. Known as “Pal” to
See TUSKEGEE on page 3