Time Runs out City Takes Legal Action Against Homeowner
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Hybrid Honoring Human Artist Gladys McCoy Acclaimed painter New building QR code for to visit Northwest will retain Portland Observer Online College of Art leader’s name See Metro, page 9 See Local News, page 3 Volume XLV www.portlandobserver.com Established in 1970 ‘City of Roses’ Number 9 Wednesday • March 2, 2016 Committed to Cultural Diversity PHOTO BY MARK WASHINGTON/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER For Joseph “King J” Harris the fight he is waging with the city over penalties assessed for nuisance complaints against his northeast Portland home is about freedom and a person’s right to collect possessions and control the things he owns on his own property. City takes legal action Time Runs Out against homeowner BY MICHAEL LEIGHTON Harris has not interfered with the crews as the items are Portland code specialist and inspector Wayne Bates PORTLAND OBSERVER EDITOR loaded by the truckload and hauled away, but he is fiercely said the city tried to get Harris to reduce his collection, but High drama is playing out in northeast Portland where opposed to the removal, which is still not finished after instead it increased to the street. The enforcement is under the city of Portland is taking legal action against a long two weeks. Title 29 of a city code regulating nuisance properties. time activist in the African American community to en- Harris, 66, is a lifelong Portland resident who has been The costs associated with the removal and the potential force a nuisance complaint. active in advancing justice issues for his community. He for large fines could be applied as a lien against the home Time has run out for Joseph “King J” Harris as con- ran for mayor back in 1976 and 1980. He got his nick- and could threaten Harris’ ability to continue living on the tracting crews have arrived at his home of 30 years to clear name for the rallies and speeches he led in the late 1990s property. away the possessions in his yard, on his porches, and sur- to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, an activist journalist who was Harris learned early in life that owning a home was a rounding almost every square foot of his 1904 home. considered a political prisoner as he sat on death row in way to be self-sufficient. He bought his first home in Port- The city Bureau of Development Services says after the killing of a New York police officer. land when he was just 19. Now he’s at risk of becoming a six-year struggle they went to court to obtain a search His current cause is advocating for the creation of a Black the latest member of the black community to face dis- warrant to remove all trash and debris and non-trash items History Museum in Oregon, and Harris said some of the items placement, joining the thousands of other longtime resi- stored in the outdoor areas of the property, using whatever being carted away from his home were pieces he prized as fu- dents who can no longer find affordable housing in close- reasonable force is necessary to gain access, including po- ture artifacts for the museum. Mostly the removal of property CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 lice officers if necessary. violates the very essence of freedom of ownership, he said. Page 2 March 2, 2016 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The in The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled Week Review and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent Jobless Rate Best Since ‘07 Oscars Diversity Crisis Looms Cannabis Café to Close of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND Oregon’s unemployment rate The diver- New indoor clean air rules add- OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National dropped to 5.1 percent in Janu- sity crisis in ing marijuana to a law that ini- Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, ary, from 5.5 percent, as revised, Hollywood tially targeted only tobacco has Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association in December 2015. The last time loomed over doomed Portland’s World Famous Oregon’s unemployment rate was Sunday’s Cannabis Café. The owner of the PUBLISHER: Mark Washington, Sr. this low was in June 2007, when Academy establishment announced Monday EDITOR: Michael Leighton the rate was also 5.1 percent. A Awards, but that she will close her doors after EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Rakeem Washington year ago, in January 2015, Ore- host Chris another warning by public health gon’s unemployment rate was 5.9 Rock’s incisive insight and paro- officials. The café will host is final ADVERTISING MANAGER: Leonard Latin percent. dy gave the ceremony purpose and Stoner Bingo session on Sunday. Office Manager/Classifieds:Lucinda Baldwin meaning. A wide array of causes, CALL 503-288-0033 NBA Honors Blazers Coach REATIVE IRECTOR from global warming to sexual C D : Paul Neufeldt FAX 503-288-0015 abuse in church and on campus Portland Trail Blazers head coach [email protected] • [email protected] was a subtle plea from the film Terry Stotts has been named the [email protected] community that the movies and Western Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 artists honored did have purpose Conference and meaning -- even in this second Coach of year of #OscarsSoWhite. the Month for Febru- Justice Breaks Silence ary, it was Justice Clarence Thomas stunned announced lawyers, reporters and others Tuesday by at the Su- the NBA. Stotts led Portland to preme Court a 9-2 record in the month of Feb- on Monday ruary, the third best mark in the Massive Boat Storage Fire when he NBA. A boat storage warehouse con- posed ques- taining up to 350 boats went up tions during Princess Selection Begins in flames in a massive 4-alarm an oral argu- Emily Jayne of St. Mary’s Acade- fire on Hayden Island in north ment for the my was named the first of 15 Rose Portland Sunday night. Portland first time in Festival Court Princesses Tues- Fire & Rescue crews were still on 10 years. It day. The court will be filled over the scene at Sundance Marina on came in case in which the court is the next three weeks from partici- Tuesday. The preliminary loss es- considering placing new limits on pating schools across the Portland timate is approximately $24 mil- the reach of a federal law that bans metro area. Each member receives lion dollars. people convicted of domestic vio- a $3,500 scholarship and serves as lence from owning guns. a community ambassador. March 2, 2016 Page 3 This page INSIDE Sponsored by: The in Week Review page 2 LOCAL NEWS pages 6-7 Honoring Gladys McCoy New building will OPINION retain leader’s name Gladys McCoy, a name synonymous with ad- vancing the cause of the black community in Portland and defending the rights of families and children, will remain the name of the Multnomah County Health Department headquarters when it moves to a new location, downtown. The decision to retain the honorary name was approved by the Multnomah County Commission last week in a resolution presented by Commis- sioner Loretta Smith. McCoy was elected to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners in 1978 and re-elected in 1982. In 1986, she was elected county chair and re-elected again before her death in 1993. She earned a master’s degree in social work from Portland State University in 1967 and her social services work for Portland Head Start pro- page 9 pelled her to run for public office. She was elected METRO to the Portland School Board in 1970 and served two four-year terms. Smith’s resolution honors McCoy for her con- siderable accomplishments, including setting up Gladys McCoy a social service program in the former Columbia program. Villa housing project, relentlessly working to stabi- Multnomah County is undergoing the planning lize county funding, expanding and meeting county and design process to relocate its vital health de- affirmative action goals, increasing citizen partic- partment headquarters from the Gladys McCoy ipation in government, increasing minority repre- Building at 423 S.W. Stark St. to Northwest Sixth sentation on county boards and commissions, and Avenue, between Hoyt and Irving streets in Old standardizing the county’s charitable contribution Town/Chinatown. Packed Agenda for Lynch Visit Attorney General on community policing tour Loretta E. Lynch has set a full schedule for her planned visit to Portland Wednesday with stops at George Middle School in north Portland and the Blazers Boys and Girls Club in northeast Portland as part of an agenda to show local success with com- munity policing and crime reduction. It will be the second part of a tour she launched pages last month to visit jurisdictions around the country 8-13 that have excelled in strengthening relationships be- tween law enforcement officers and the communi- Arts ties they serve and protect. ENTERTAINMENT U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of Oregon said & Loretta E. Lynch Portland is known for innovative approaches to community problem solving and local law enforce- Blazers Boys and Girls Club on Northeast Martin ment, residents and community leaders will share Luther King Jr.