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September 21, 2022 The Skanner Portland & Seattle Page 11 Bids & Classified To place your ad, email advertising@theskanner.com or go to www.TheSkanner.com and click on the “Ads” menu. Travis cont’d from pg 3 tion. This is the 40th anni- versary of the struggle of Warren County North Carolina, which was one of the first environmen- tal justice battles to try to keep the state of North Carolina from creating a PCB-contaminated land- fill in the middle of this rural, predominantly Black county. The com- munity ultimately lost that battle. But they used old-line civil rights tac- tics: laying bodies down, children, everyone, to try to keep the trucks from bringing this soil into their community. But one of the people leading that struggle was a minister in the United Church of Christ, and he called up to the head- quarters in New York City and said, look, we need help. Nobody has talked to us, the state has not reached out, there have been no briefings, Guns no hearings, no nothing. We’re just starting to see these trucks create this landfill and now we see what we’re up against and we need help. And so the nation- al church did all they could to help and bring attention to it, but they thought, this is kind of curious. We need to see if what’s happening in Warren County is en- demic of what’s happen- ing in rural North Caro- lina – is it the southeast? Is it bigger than that? And they hired me as a research assistant to help identify what we would then (categorize) as environmental injus- tice and environmental racism. And we found that race proved to be the most statistically signif- icant indicator of where hazardous waste sites were located across these United States, not just North Carolina. I’m 27 years old and I’m doing this research. I remember calling my grandmother, who was a nurse, as were all her sisters and my moth- er, to say grandma, you would not believe what I’m finding! She says, so how much money did y’all spend on this study? And I said I don’t know, around a quarter of a million dollars? My grandmother said, So y’all spent a quarter of a million dollars of peo- ple’s hard-earned mon- ey to tell you something that every Black and brown person knows to be true: Wherever we are is where the things are that nobody wants to live next to. I couldn’t really argue with that. Then I said, but Grandma, you’re a scien- tist, and you understand this. You could have all the practical knowledge you want of a given set of circumstances, how a community lives, how a community is impact- ed, but until you get a peer-reviewed report that can replicate those conditions someplace else, it’s like it didn’t hap- pen. And nobody was do- ing any research around what the lived experi- ence was in terms of en- vironmental impacts on communities of color, on low-income communi- ties, on tribal communi- ties. People were focused on endangered species, endangered water bod- ies – that was where the environmental commu- nity’s head was. They were working on haz- ardous waste issues, but no one was making the connection between race and the location of envi- ronmental threats. We were the first folks to do this. We published a re- port in 1987 called Toxic Waste and Race in the United States, published by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice and that set the whole conversation aloft in this country. Advertising deadlines 12:00 Noon Monday for you, as a New Yorker? VMT: Halfway through the research, it was rec- ommended I go and meet with some of my neigh- bors in my community. I lived in Harlem, and I had been resisting go- ing to this meeting – the very first time I walk in the door, they’re talking about this sewage treat- ment plant that the city of New York and Environ- mental Protection Agen- cy (EPA) and the state of New York are building on our waterfront. And it was more than the lightbulbs went off – it was like there was a gong ringing in my head and it wouldn’t stop. The very things that you’re look- ing at in other places, the phenomenon that we had identified was happen- ing in my own neighbor- hood, where I lived! The sewage treatment plant was designed to help clean up the Hudson River. Read the rest of this story at TheSkanner.com WAITLIST FOR STUDIO APARTMENTS REACH CDC is pleased to announce that our Project-based Section 8 subsidized waitlist for studio apartments at Twelfth Avenue Terrace will open on Monday, September 12, 2022 at 9 a.m. This property is restricted for households with at least one member aged 55 and older at or below 50% of the area median income. The waitlist will close on Fri- day, September 30, 2022 at 4 p.m. This opening is to add your household information to the waitlist only. Please visit http:// reachproperties. org/wait-list/ for more information. 9-7,21-22 TSN: Did this hit home PROGRAM OFFICER FOR ECONOMIC VITALITY cont’d from pg 3 that can be done, that it’s just the way it is. But we don’t believe that. We don’t believe this is the world God made for us. This is the world that hu- man beings have made, where we’ve said weap- ons are more important than children; gun rights are more important than the rights of people to live at peace. We do not believe that. The minute these laws are passed and enacted, we’re going to be saving lives.” Rev. Anthony Lathan spoke of how his military background informed his stance on gun con- trol. “During the day I’m a mental health provider,” Lathan said. “But there was a time in my life I was known as Sgt. Lathan… I trained to use terrible weapons. I trained to do that so you can all be free. So that you, my grand- mother, my mother, my children, could walk without threat of moles- tation of a gun. After my time in service, I got out and I was shocked, to put it mildly. The streets weren’t safe. The streets weren’t safe for everyday people. “We all want freedom. We want freedom to walk down the street, to drive our cars, to not worry about our chil- dren – and Uvalde, San- dy Hook, all the different places where our chil- dren have been molested by guns, and molested by the gun lobby. We all want to be free. One of the many ways that we will have that freedom that we all long for is to get behind this simple measure that does not take away anyone’s con- stitutional rights, it does not ask you to be paint- ed like a zebra, it doesn’t ask that you somehow become less of a citizen. It asks that you become more caring. It asks that we have some regula- tions and some guidance around the possession and use of weapons.” Data Other speakers empha- sized sobering statistics about the rise of gun fatalities both national- ly and in Portland, and of the disproportionate damage it has done to the Black community. “Homicide is the lead- ing cause of death among Black boys and men, ages 15 to 34,” Liz McKenna, legislative team member at Lift Every Voice Ore- gon, said. “Specifically in Oregon, for the period 2000-2020, the rates of firearm homicide victim- ization are eight times higher among non-his- panic Black people, twice as high among Native Americans, 77% higher among Hispanic people, than they are among non-Hispanic whites.” She added, “Between 2019 and 2020 alone, the number of Black homi- cide victims in Oregon rose by 150%.” But statistics also support the efficacy of Measure 114, support- ers argued, pointing out that simply limiting gun availability to pur- chasers who pass back- ground checks can have a profound impact on fatalities. The group pointed out that a similar law enact- ed in Connecticut led to a 28% decrease in gun homicides and a 33% de- crease in gun suicides, while the decision to repeal a similar licens- ing law in Missouri saw a 47% increase in gun homicides and a 24% in- crease in gun suicides. Okamoto noted that limiting magazine capac- ity has proven essential in stopping mass shoot- ings, as perpetrators are forced to stop and reload more frequently. “When that shooter had to stop and reload at Sandy Hook, 11 kids got away,” she said. Okamoto reiterated that current gun policy is often at odds with the overwhelming will of the majority. “National surveys show that 77% of Black adults support handgun licensing laws,” she said. “What we have on our side is we have incredible stories of truth, and we have data and statistics and we know that this is evidence-based and it will help.” In anticipation of fierce opposition from well funded gun inter- est groups, the Measure 114 coalition has begun to fundraise for its cam- paign. Pastor LeRoy Haynes noted the significance of the proposed law. “When we pass Mea- sure 114, then it will move to the midwest, it will move to the east coast, then it will move to the south and back again on the west coast, and they will point to this historical moment and say it was the people in Oregon, a noble people, that took the matter and said we are willing to be the first. We remember Sandy Hook, we remem- ber Uvalde, and we will not stop.” For more information on Measure 114, visit https://www.liftevery- voiceoregon.com. Affordable efficient security just for you! Install / Maintenance For Alarm Systems Monitoring Service Residential & Commercial Install Surveillance System (CCTV) New Construction Prewire for Alarm Service, Whole House Audio, CCTV 13343 SE Stark St., #100 Portland, OR 97233 503.288.7716 AlarmTracksPdx.com Oregon Community Foundation is hiring a Program Offi- cer for Economic Vitality, responsible for implementation of economic vitality initiatives and serving as the Founda- tion’s statewide resource on issues related to Oregon’s economic vitality. Role includes planning, research, strat- egy development, strategy implementation and evalua- tion, relationship management and communications for the economic vitality portfolio. Leads the Thriving En- trepreneurs Grant Program and provides staff support for the Foundation’s Impact Investing programs that strengthen Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Closing date: 10/9/2022. More information and to apply: https:// oregoncf.org/about/careers. EOE 9-21-22 ARCHIVES & RECORDS MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR III SALARY: $70,220.80 - $116,792.00 Annually OPENING DATE: 08/29/22 CLOSING DATE: 09/25/22 11:59 PM The Position: The City Auditor’s Office is seeking a col- laborative, organized public servant with specialized public records experience to join Archives and Records Management in a leadership position as a Coordina- tor III. Archives and Records Management is a division of the City Auditor’s Office, which is led by the elected Auditor and independent of the Mayor and City Com- missioners. Other divisions in the Auditor’s Office are Audit Services, the City Ombudsman, and Operations Management, which includes the City Elections Officer and Council Clerk. The division operates the City of Port- land’s Archives and Records Center, making records ac- cessible to the public and City employees for research and inspection. The division sets record retention and preservation policies and guidelines, administers the City’s electronic records management system, serves as the City’s expert on records issues, and provides ser- vices to help City employees manage their electronic and physical records. The historical records collection is extensive and contains a variety of formats dating back to 1851. The Archives partners with community groups, heritage organizations, and individuals working on initia- tives that connect local history with the community. As the Archives and Records Management Coordinator III, you will: Lead the records management program with re- sponsibilities for implementing and managing the strate- gic plan for electronic records and other initiatives; Work with colleagues to deploy the city’s electronic records management system (Content Manager) throughout all agencies; Develop and recommend program plans, initiatives, policies, and procedures; identify issues and develop and implement solutions; Develop and maintain citywide record retention schedules; Provide records management guidance and support to internal custom- ers, including developing and delivering training; Serve as a deputy to the City Archivist on the administration of the division. We are looking for a person who will lead a collaborative group dedicated to records management issues; foster an inclusive, respectful, and culturally re- sponsive workplace; and who values equitable and trans- parent access to public records. Successful candidates will demonstrate their understanding and experience with records management theories and practices, including compliance with legal mandates. To apply: https://www. governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/jobs/3697733/ auditor-archives-records-coordinator-iii?pagetype=- jobOpportunitiesJobs 9-21-22
