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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2016)
July 6, 2016 The Skanner Page 3 News cont’d from pg 1 manager, councilor Amanda Fritz likened these summer activities to preventive medicine that suppresses youth vi- olence. “Summer is a crucial time to keep the youth engaged in constructive activities,” Fritz said. According to the Port- land Police Bureau, there were 183 gang-related Summer is a crucial time to keep the youth engaged in constructive activities shootings in 2015 and of- icials believe 2016 is on track to have even more incidences of violence. The summer free ac- cess program is also get- ting a modern makeover with a city-sponsored smartphone app. Mayor Hales, Portland Parks & Recreation and the tech AMA Mayor Hales inished his remarks, he encouraged people to visit their local community centers. “I urge everybody to spend a little time in a community center this summer and just see what’s going on. It’s pret- ty magical,” Hales said. —Arashi Young The irst cohort of 40 school administrators, teachers and counselors, from three partner school districts, completed Open School’s Equity Certiicate Program for School Leaders with personal portfolio presentations and community equity dialogue on June 30. Created in deep partnership between Open School, the School of Education at the University of Portland, and Center for Equity and Inclusion, the Equity Certiicate Program for School Leaders is a year-long, graduate-level course of study where educators learn how to unpack personal and institutionalized racism in our educational system, learn culturally responsive practices for creating more equitable and inclusive school environments, and learn to lead their colleagues through this process of change. cont’d from pg 3 tions connected to an incident where O’Dea apparently shot his friend in the back on a camping trip — announced his retirement and Mayor Charlie Hales announced Captain Mike Marsh- man would ill his spot. Upon taking the oath of oice last “ Open School in Modica and the lack of African-Amer- ican presence on the command staf or the assistant chiefs is a ‘step backward’ to creating a leadership team that will be efective, relevant and embracing of the vision of the 21st Century Com- munity Policing,” said the AMA’s state- ment. “We are living in a critical time in Portland and our n a t i o n ,” the statement continues. “A time in which cities across America, as well as the city of Portland are ‘crying out’ for police accountability. Uprisings have erupted through major cities; gang violence has intensiied particu- lar in Black Communities. The failure to have an experienced, relevant Af- rican-American voice in an assistant Chief of Command level is a detriment to the welfare of the city.” The AMA formed during the 1960s civil rights movement and in recent years has worked actively on the De- partment of Justice’s 2012 settlement with the city of Portland, which recom- mended a host of reforms to improve relations between police and residents and reduce excessive force. “We need someone with integrity and hopefully not intimately involved with PPB’s existing culture. A person of color or anyone else would need to have a record of fairness and transpar- ency,” said a statement issued by Don’t Shoot Portland, an anti-violence group formed in 2014 which has been critical of policing practices in Portland. Marshman is also under scrutiny this week in light of revelations about a 2006 altercation involving his former stepson. The bureau received two anonymous complaints in 2006 alleging Marshman had abused the son of his then-wife. A detective’s report from the time notes that photos were taken that showed thumb and ingerprints on the neck of the child, who was 16 at the time, and indentations on the wall – but the bureau no longer has those photos. Marshman’s ex-wife told The Oregonian she learned he had grabbed the Portland Housing Bureau -- a task that is impossible in the Portland rent- al market. Not everyone who testiied at city else just getting by from paycheck to paycheck,” he said. Ater the city council session, the Yes for Afordable Homes campaign held a The failure to have an experienced, relevant African-American voice in an assistant Chief of Command level is a detriment to the welfare of the city Monday, Marshman announced a host of leadership changes in the bureau — including the demotion of three assis- tant chiefs to captain and the elimina- tion of one assistant chief position. Among those demoted was Kevin Modica, the highest ranking African American in the department. Modica served as assistant chief in charge of outreach — a position O’Dea created and Marshman eliminated — starting at the beginning of O’Dea’s tenure as chief. “The demotion of Assistant Chief Kev- Housing her son by the neck and slammed him against the wall. On Tuesday night he released a state- ment saying he regrets the incident, and has directed the bureau to release the ile relating to the investigation, as well as his full personnel ile. AMA chairperson Dr. LeRoy Haynes, Jr. told The Skanner both Mike Reese and Rosie Sizer – Portland Police Bu- reau’s last two chiefs – had all-White command stafs. The new group of assistant chiefs includes Chris Ueha- ra, who is a Paciic Islander, and Matt Wagenknecht and Mike Lelof, both of whom are White. Haynes said Modica is well known in the community and in recent years has been a “steadfast person who was able to listen and get the right information to the bureau and the community.” Modica and the other former assis- tant chiefs are under investigation amid allegations they failed to disclose they learned about the shooting shortly ater it happened. Read the full story at TheSkanner.com cont’d from pg 1 Portland homes are oten less than the fair market value of the property. For example, a home with a market value of $377,650 in the Piedmont neighbor- hood would have an assessed value of $120,970. This home would pay about $51 per year for the afordable housing tax. If passed, the city plans to build or purchase 600 units for those earning 30 percent of the region’s median in- come, which is $22,000 for a family of four. The city would also build or buy 700 units to house those earning 60 percent of the median income, or $44,100 for a family of four. The 600 units for very low-income Portland residents would meet a frac- tion of the need. The city estimates there is a deicit of 24,000 homes and apartments for this income bracket. A family of four looking for a three-bedroom apartment would be able to aford paying $573 in rent be- fore being cost-burdened, according to “ Our communities are steadily pushed to the fringes of cities, increasingly segregated, away from community, away from jobs and services council was happy with the bond pro- posal. Fourth-generation Portland res- ident Terry Parker testiied the bond would raise housing costs for everyone in the city, from homeowners to land- lords who would pass the costs on to their renters. Parker was the most concerned about senior citizens who live on ixed social security payments and are in danger of losing their homes due to tax burdens. “(The afordable housing tax) not only takes from the wealthy, but it also takes from senior citizens on ixed incomes, single parents with kids and anybody celebration and rally at the Buckman Cofee Factory in southeast Portland. The packed event space held politicians such as the housing bureau director Dan Saltzman, members of the faith community and advocates from the housing and homeless non-proits. Joseph Santos-Lyons, the executive director at the Asian Paciic American Network of Oregon, said communi- ties of color feel the efects of housing policies more acutely than White resi- dents. “The truth is that when Oregon is sick and when there is an issue like we PHOTO BY ARASHI YOUNG “ irm iUrban Teen have launched the “I Am A #ForceOf ” cellphone app which connects teens to these free drop-in events at community centers. A list of free teen ac- tivities can be found at http://teenforce.meteo- rapp.com/. The council unani- mously passed the mea- sure with no debate. As PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE MEEKER Grants City commissioner Dan Saltzman speaks at the Yes for Afordable Homes celebration June 30 in southeast Portland. Voters will decide in November on a tax measure to fund more housing. are facing today, communities of color get pneumonia, get cancer and are of- ten the ones who pay the deepest price,” Santos-Lyons said. Read the full story at TheSkanner.com
