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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 2014)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM O CTOBER 8, 2014 P ORTLAND AND S EATTLE V OLUME XXXVII, N O . 1 For The Skanner website scan this QR code CENTS Pacific NW 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 Ballots Coming Soon 25 NEW NIKE FIELD Quick list of what’s on the agenda for voters this Election Day By Lisa Loving Of The Skanner News Washington Statewide Ballot Meas- ures (Advisory Votes are nonbinding) Initiative 1351 would lower class sizes in public schools. Initiative 591 would prohibit government agencies from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required. Initiative 594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases. Advisory Vote No. 8 (Senate Bill 6505) concerns eliminating the agricultural tax preferences for various aspects of the mari- juana industry. Advisory Vote No. 9 (Engrossed Substi- tute House Bill 1287) concerns imposing the leasehold excise tax on certain leasehold interests in tribal property. See BALLOT on page 3 INDEX News............1,3,6,7,10 Opinion .....................2 Calendars ..............4,5 A & E ......................8,9 Business ..............13-15 Bids/Classifieds ........14 PHOTO BY NIKE | SKYRISIMAGING.COM I t is without a doubt going to be a big Election Night on Nov. 4, with far- reaching ballot measures sure to lure big voter turnouts in both Oregon and Washing- ton. In the Evergreen State, dueling gun con- trol measures – as well as a confusing early childhood education measure in Seattle – will keep voters on their toes trying to make sure they tag the correct boxes on their bal- lots. (So far it remains unclear what will happen if both gun control measures pass.) In Oregon, a legalized retail cannabis measure, alongside one that would establish a driving card for undocumented residents, are expected to trigger a high tide of voter participation. Here is our thumbnail guide to ballot measures in the two states. The voter regis- tration deadline in Oregon is Oct. 14; in Washington State, the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 27, for in-person new registra- tions. (Updates to current registration must have been made by Oct. 6). The Jefferson High School Democrats took on the Madison High School Senators in football on Jefferson’s new field built by NIKE on Friday, Oct. 3. Before the kick-off, Carole Smith and other leaders from Portland Public Schools, NIKE, and Jefferson High School gathered to celebrate and dedicate the new track and field. It is the ninth completed project of “The 10 Great Fields” fund partnership between the district and the shoe retailer’s executives and employees, who contributed about $2 million to the effort. Portland Police Chief Retires Assistant Chief Larry O’Dea tapped by Mayor as replacement By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News P ortland Chief Mike Reese has announced he will retire in January 2015. His replacement will be Assistant Chief Larry O’Dea, a 28-year veteran officer. “Larry O’Dea is one of the most decorated officers in the bureau — 11 medals and 75 let- ters of commendation,” Mayor Charlie Hales said at a press conference in the Justice Center, Tuesday. “He shares my goals and aspi- rations. He has been living the idea of community engagement. He has led the bureau’s equity work. He has the respect of the command staff, the rank-and- file, and the community. He is the right leader at the right time.” As assistant chief, O’Dea has been responsible for operations management across all three precincts, youth services, and the traffic and transit divisions. He was part of the team that worked out the Department of Justice settlement agreement, and he says he agrees complete- ly with its goals. The problems in Ferguson Missouri, O’Dea told reporters were not solely due to Mike Brown’s death at the hands of Officer Darren Wil- son, but went deeper. The community in Ferguson had already lost trust in their police force. Community relationships should be at the heart of police work, he said. O’Dea said he has four priori- ties for the bureau: “The first is to focus on a rela- tionship-based policing philoso- phy,” he said. I can’t direct that our members work on this crime, or that crime, or on this issue and it work for everyone. The needs of the downtown community are different from the Cully and Killingsworth community and different from the needs at 162nd and Burn- side. What I can do that works is to direct our members to build trusting relationships with all parts of the community and See CHIEF on page 3 Settlement in Garfield High Rape Case Multiple protests dog district officials but no admission of guilt issued By Lisa Loving Of The Skanner News A two-year struggle for justice over a 15-year-old Garfield High School student’s alleged rape on an overnight school field trip has apparently ended with a $700,000 settlement for the teenaged girl and her family. However the uproar over the incident – first reported by Al Jazeera but then picked up by national and local news outlets and blogs – is unlikely to end anytime soon. The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the assault in August of this year, and judging by the Seat- tle School District’s public statement Wednesday, some of its new policies appear to be aimed at beefing up the district’s com- pliance with federal law. Schools officials released the statement but at the same time stated they would not be answering any questions about it. The proposed settlement with the girl’s family goes before the school board for approval on Oct. 15; district officials say the settlement must also be approved by a court-appointed official “who will assure See GARFIELD on page 3
