Retail element trimmed in new Pearl high-rise
North Pearl neighbors complain that community building benefits will be lost By Thacher Schmid A neighborhood group voted unanimously to oppose a developer’s reduction in retail space for the 21-story high-rise at Northwest 11th and Pettygrove at the western edge … Continue reading Retail element trimmed in new Pearl high-rise
Run the Jewels Deliver an Early Concert of the Year Contender at Crystal Ballroom
At the Crystal Ballroom on Feb. 6, Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike and El-P delivered an early contender for concert of the year, marching through an indefatigable 70-minute set in delirious lockstep with a riveted Crystal Ballroom crowd. Yeah. It … Continue reading Run the Jewels Deliver an Early Concert of the Year Contender at Crystal Ballroom
Portland could be getting a major new music venue
Portland might soon be getting a new large-scale music venue. Documents show that homegrown entertainment company Monqui Presents is seeking to build a 3,000-capacity concert venue where a couple of aging warehouses sit in industrially-zoned Northwest Portland, across the street from Montgomery Park. … Continue reading Portland could be getting a major new music venue
Power & Music To The People
Portland Musicians Embrace the Challenge of Making Important Political Music Pop music is the meat at the BBQ joint, says rapper Mic Crenshaw—it’ll fill you up with empty calories “and weigh you down, and slow you down.” Political music, the … Continue reading Power & Music To The People
Shy Girls’ Minimalist Electro R&B Silences Chatty Doug Fir
By Thacher Schmid The turning point of the sold-out Shy Girls show at Doug Fir Lounge on Jan. 25 came during the start of the next-to-last song, “What If I Can.” “This is one of my favorite songs on the … Continue reading Shy Girls’ Minimalist Electro R&B Silences Chatty Doug Fir
Bye Bye Birdies
Owners of a North Portland Low-Income Apartment Complex Are Kicking Out the Backyard Chickens Residents say saving the chickens is a way of preserving a sense of home, a connection to nature and a cheap, healthy food source. The effects … Continue reading Bye Bye Birdies
Hard working, conscientious, well groomed … and homeless
Conversations about homelessness too often devolve into stereotypes, such as “it’s their choice,” “they’re not from here,” “he needs to get a job,” “it’s not their fault,” etc. Jerry Vermillion’s story transcends paint-by-numbers talking points. Vermillion, 52, has been living … Continue reading Hard working, conscientious, well groomed … and homeless
Developers’ study finds deep support, ‘overwhelming’ need for homeless campus in Portland
A new feasibility study that looks at the idea of a “co-located, collaborative homeless campus” in Portland reveals significant support from local leaders. The study, in the works since March, includes the first in-depth look at the Oregon Harbor of … Continue reading Developers’ study finds deep support, ‘overwhelming’ need for homeless campus in Portland
No Shelter: Advocate Mubarak says agencies turn backs on Terminal 1
That’s how Ibrahim Mubarak sees it, and it’s possible nobody in Portland knows more about the topic than he. Known for strong advocacy and direct action tactics, he is once again at the center of local news after Commissioner Dan … Continue reading No Shelter: Advocate Mubarak says agencies turn backs on Terminal 1
Going deep into the Oak Leaf: Things get funky at nexus of mobile homes, affordable housing
Just a minute inside Victor Johanson’s single-wide trailer at the Oak Leaf Mobile Home Park on NE Killingsworth in Portland, Oregon, and three things became clear. First, mold spores in the air were at a level so high as to … Continue reading Going deep into the Oak Leaf: Things get funky at nexus of mobile homes, affordable housing
Bridge over Burnside: Campaign to fund walking span halfway to goal
A fund drive to underwrite a pedestrian bridge connecting the Wildwood Trail above West Burnside Street is halfway to its $2.5 million goal. Charlie Swindells, chair of the capital campaign for the Portland Parks Foundation, says the 180-foot-span with decorative … Continue reading Bridge over Burnside: Campaign to fund walking span halfway to goal
Through the ‘Eviction Mill’
WHEN ELENORE WILLIAMS’ family of seven moved into a new apartment in 2013 and found it infested with fleas, she says, management’s response was to give her a bottle of Hot Shot insect killer spray. “The landlord did not … Continue reading Through the ‘Eviction Mill’
The Big Plan: Williams Takes Case for Terminal 1 to Public
Can the community rally behind a big tent vision uniting the private and public sectors, faith community, social service sector and philanthropists? That’s the question posed by Homer Williams, the developer proposing a mammoth homeless shelter at Terminal 1 on … Continue reading The Big Plan: Williams Takes Case for Terminal 1 to Public
Tinkers, barterers, dealing & disability
My latest blog post on Medium.com/@poorforaminute looks at the underground economy in the largest homeless camp in the nation: A man on dialysis, sucking ice in his tent on a 93-degree day, survives on “food stamps and God.” As he … Continue reading Tinkers, barterers, dealing & disability
‘Double dutching,’ cats and PTSD: Black & Blue at the July 15 North Precinct Gang Task Force meeting
Coming on the heels of the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police, and the shooting of 14 police officers in Dallas, the July 15 North Precinct Gang Task Force meeting was emotionally charged and intense. The meeting, … Continue reading ‘Double dutching,’ cats and PTSD: Black & Blue at the July 15 North Precinct Gang Task Force meeting
