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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2021)
JULY 21, 2021 Portland and Seattle Volume XLIV No. 23 25 CENTS News ................................3,6-8 A & E ........................................5 Opinion ...................................2 Bids/Classifieds .....................7 Calendar .................................4 Jamaica Reparations ......8 CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW BLOCK REUNITES Michelle DePass, Portland Public Schools Board of Education Chair By Saundra Sorenson Of The Skanner News T wo days after she was elected by her peers as chair of the Portland school board last week, Michelle DePass attended a retreat focused on training elected public school offi- cials to lead with a bold, anti-racist vi- sion. See PPS on page 3 A fan of the esteemed elder Dr. Maxine Mimms, founder of the Evergreen College, Tacoma Branch takes a selfie with her at the 2nd Annual Reunion on Union dinner and block party in Seattle. The event brings together legacy families from Seattle’s Central District, many forced out by gentrification, for an evening of reminiscing and reconnecting with old friends and family. Over 50 families participated in this year’s event. County Extends Rent Grace Period for Tenants Who Have Applied for Assistance By Saundra Sorenson Of The Skanner News W ith the state de- clining to extend the eviction mor- atorium further, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has voted to give a 90-day period of protection to tenants who can show doc- umentation that they have applied for rent assistance. Google Provides Daily Black History page 6 Space Jam #1 at the Box Office page 5 A statewide moratorium on all evictions enacted to protect tenants during the pandemic expired last month, despite a push to include an extension in the recently passed Senate Bill 282. Under that provision, tenants cannot be evicted for back rent owed from April 2020 until June 30 of this year, and they now have until February 2022 to repay landlords. But SB 282 did nothing to ease the minds of tenants who are still unable to make rent this month and any time after. Senate Bill 278 estab- lished a 60-day period of reprieve for tenants un- able to pay current rent but actively applying for rental assistance from the state. County officials argued, however, that an additional 30 days would be necessary to accommo- date the unprecedented number of applications the state, county and its part- ners had received for the funding. “In the years prior to the pandemic, our short-term rent assistance network had been responsible for distributing roughly $10 million a year,” County Board of Commissioners See RENT on page 3 City Council Approves Settlement in Lawsuit Over the Killing of Terrell Johnson by Portland Police Johnson was shot at SE Flavel MAX station on May 10, 2017, while experiencing a mental health crisis The Skanner News T he Portland City Council has unanimously approved a $600,000 settlement in a wrong- ful death lawsuit over the kill- ing of Terrell Johnson by Portland Police in 2017. The settlement was agreed in court in May and means the City will not have to defend PPB’s actions at trial. Officer Samson Ajir shot Terrell Johnson at SE Flavel MAX station on the evening of May 10, 2017, while Johnson was experiencing a mental health crisis for which he had unsuc- cessfully sought help from medical providers. Officer Ajir was one of a group of Portland Police officers who responded to a 911 call from a bystander at the MAX stop who was concerned about Terrell Johnson. Ajir gave chase when Johnson ran away, contravening multiple Bureau policies that detail when foot pur- suits are permitted and how they PHOTO COURTESY OJRC In-classroom instruction, district redrawing, and bond money for Black students suggest busy academic year. PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED New Schoolboard Leadership Eyes Equity Terrell Johnson should be conducted. Having failed to follow directives designed to protect See LAWSUIT on page 3
