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WWW . THESKANNER . COM M AY 13, 2015 P ORTLAND AND S EATTLE V OLUME XXXVII, N O . 32 For The Skanner website scan this QR code By Donovan M. Smith Of The Skanner News A sk Nicky today, and she will say the gang wars she once front-lined for are “pointless.” Stopping today’s youth from following her path by joining the ranks of this same “pointless” war she and so many other thou- sands have fought since the late 1980’s is the reason she has launched the new initia- tive Neighbors Against Violence. The alliance comprised entirely of female ex-gang members—some once rivals— aims to steer young people into job opportunities, camps, and provide scholar- ships with the hopes that paths like these will fulfill their bottom line, “trying to save some lives.” Most organizations combating the ills of gang-life tend to be male-led and male-cen- tric as the overwhelming majority of those in gangs are young boys—but the ladies of Neighbors Against Violence are taking a different approach. “The girls are the ones having the babies and having to raise them when these men die,” Lunita Renfrow, one of the group’s members says. “The girls are the ones that are stuck after- wards and end up having to be single mothers and not being able to take care of the kids, or the kids keep going back to the street and raising little gang members again.” Renfrow adds that though they will keep their focus on women, certain resources like scholarships will be available to boys as well. But they also hope to other services such as daycare so mothers can go to school. Neighbors Against Violence acts only as an initiative at the moment, but Taylor, the group’s creator, says she is working on get- ting it to 501c3 status. After 24-year-old Andre Lee Coggins was killed in one of the city’s three gang-related See NAV on page 3 INDEX News .........1,3,8-10,12 Opinion .....................2 Calendars ..............4,5 A & E ......................6,7 Bids/Classifieds ........11 Pacific NW 2000TH STRIKEOUT Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez threw his 2000th strikeout in a sold-out game against the Oakland Athletics on Mothers Day. The Mariners beat the A’s 4-3. PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED Former members start up anti-violence program for youth 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 Life Without Gangs 25 Construction on Your Block? Good luck figuring out who to call when dangerous problems arise By Arashi Young Of The Skanner News A demolition crew moved to tear down one of the last remaining walls of a 111-year-old church last month in the King neighborhood of Northeast Portland. The front boom of the excavator knocked the wall outside the protective fencing. Onlookers gasped as the side of the building fell and bounced against the power lines. A YouTube video of the blunder circulated on social media, becoming a flash point for dis- content about hazardous demolitions. A poster mocking construc- tion regulation agencies seen around town and in the Face- book group “Stop Demolishing Portland,” accuses the Bureau of Development Services, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Health Authority of being negligent overseers of development haz- ards. Neighbors are increasingly concerned about the safety of demolitions in their communi- ties and have been asking for more accountability from regu- lators. The trouble is – finding the right person to talk to can require multiple calls to multi- ple government offices. In the process of writing this story, The Skanner News spoke with six government agencies: the Bureau of Development Services, the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Depart- ment of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Portland Police Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency. Dealing with construction hazards is further complicated by regulatory loopholes. One example is lead paint, which is not regulated in full demolitions of residences. Similarly, asbestos has strict disposal stan- dards, but enforcement of those rules depend on voluntary See DEMOLITIONS on page 3 ‘State of Black Oregon’ Report Issued An urgent call and path forward for a Black Oregon policy agenda By Donovan M. Smith Of The Skanner News T he release of the Urban League’s sec- ond State of Black Oregon report this week shows that problems in the Black community have persisted or gotten worse. Generational problems like unemploy- ment, health, education achievement, housing instability, disproportionate incar- ceration rates, and business retention continue in Oregon’s Black community, mirroring national statistics. Urban League of Portland president and CEO, Michael Alexander, says that despite some progresses, systematic inequities con- tinue to be perpetuated through racism and lack of economic opportunity. “As Oregon works to build a healthy and prosperous state, we risk failing to fulfill our potential and our promise if we do not dismantle the legacy of inequity and institu- tional neglect of communities of color,” says Alexander. Civil Rights attorney Nkenge Harmon Johnson will replace Alexander, who retires this month. The report uses intensive research, statis- See REPORT on page 3
