December 27, 2017 The Skanner Page 9
PHOTO BY BERNIE FOSTER
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
A Look Back at 2017
Total Eclipse
Hood to Coast
This year’s Hood to Coast and Portland to Coast took place from Aug. 25 - 27, 2017. The Skanner’s team
— The West Coast Steppers — were among the thousands of participants. Hood to Coast/Portland to
Coast Relays is the most popular relay race in the world with 20,000 participants from 50 states
and 43 countries. The event has sold out for 19 consecutive years, and annually places an additional
40,000 hopefull runners and walkers on a waiting list.
Millions of Americans gazed in wonder through telescopes, cameras and disposable protective
glasses Aug. 21 as the moon blotted out the sun in the first full-blown solar eclipse to sweep the
U.S. from coast to coast in nearly a century. The temperature dropped, birds quieted down, crickets
chirped and the stars came out in the middle of the day as the line of darkness raced 2,600 miles
(4,200 kilometers) across the continent in about 90 minutes, bringing forth oohs, aahs, shouts and
screams.
Portland
Throws Out
48-Hour Rule
In August, Portland City Council voted in
support of more police accountability when
it unanimously voted to abolish the 48-
hour rule — a topic of contention among law
enforcement, the District Attorney’s office, and
community members concerned that police
oversight was slipping.
PHOTO BY CHRISTEN MCCURDY
Mayor Ted Wheeler — who presides as the
city’s police commissioner — had made
promises during his campaign to toss out the
rule, which had allowed officers to wait two
days before giving a statement after being
involved in cases of deadly use of force.
Gang Designation Sunsets
The Portland Police Bureau announced in September that it would end a 20-year policy of designating
citizens as gang members or affiliates. The shift was credited to recommendations made by Black
Male Achievement and retired assistant chief Kevin Modica after a call for a public comment two
years ago by PPB. Pictured here are Black Male Achievement Director C.J. Robbins, BMA steering
committee member Erious Johnson, Modica and BMA steering committee member Justice Rajee.
COURTESY OF MULTNOMAH COUNTY
PA S T
Tillman Fired, Spurring
Scrutiny of Racism in County
In September, Tricia Tillman was asked to step down from her role as public health director of
Multnomah County. That prompted Chair Deborah Kafoury to announce a strategy to address
complaints of racist and unjust employment practices — and led, later in the month, to the
resignation of Tillman’s supervisor, Joanne Fuller. County Commissioner called for an independent
investigation into racism at the county.
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