July 4 event has renewed focus

After a year’s hiatus, July 4th fireworks are returning to Fort Vancouver. For 46 years, the Vancouver community celebrated July 4th with a day-long event culminating in a spectacular fireworks show over Fort Vancouver.

In 2009, the nonprofit Fort Vancouver National Trust which produces and finances the event, canceled it due to limited funding. This year the trust, with support from Bank of America and other partners, corporations and individuals, is bringing a renewed holiday event to the Vancouver community.

Attendees will enjoy a renewed focus on family, community and fun. The gates open Sunday, July 4 at 8 a.m. The venues, including entertainment on four stages spread throughout the historic site, begin at noon. The fireworks show begins at 10:05 p.m.

Returning to the event’s roots, the celebration will culminate with a spectacular fireworks show launched not from a barge in the Columbia River, but from Pearson
Field, as it was years ago. Not only will the fireworks be a half-mile closer than in recent years, but the display will be directly overhead and will include a wider range of pyrotechnics compared to past fireworks shows. The best place to view the fireworks is at the Fort Vancouver National Site. It is unlikely that the fireworks will be visible for people who are not at Fort Vancouver.

New this year is a fireworks prime viewing area where prime viewing area ticket holders will enjoy a catered picnic by Beaches, live music on the acoustic stage and a spectacular view of the launch site and the fireworks.

Families will find a full slate of fun activities to enjoy throughout the day. The atmosphere will be like an old-fashioned country fair with a fun, family-friendly focus.

In order to make the new event economically sustainable, the Fort Vancouver National Trust is charging a nominal admission fee to those ages 13 and older. Children ages 12 and under are free. Save $2 per ticket by purchasing tickets online through midnight on July 3—and pay only $5.

Tickets are available to purchase online at FortVan.org. Tickets purchased at the gate on July 4 will be $7 for ages 13 and above.

Kids from the Gateway neighborhood of northeast Portland enjoy healthy snacks and sandwiches at the Gateway Park Apartments thanks to Project Summer, a child nutrition program. Photo by Mark Washington.

Drew Dakessian

For many students who attend Portland Public Schools, going to school isn’t just a place to learn, but also to eat.

With school out for the summer, students across the country who rely on the school system for support will have to look elsewhere. But luckily, here in Portland, parents have some options.

Forty nine percent of students in the district qualify for free- and reduced lunches, says Portland Public Schools spokesman Matt Shelby. For these kids, school meals are their primary source of nutrition. During summer break, these students are in danger of going hungry when they should be going outside to play. Starting this week, however, they’ll be able to do both.

Hunger pangs are gripping large swaths of the country. President Barack Obama has made it his goal to end childhood hunger by 2015, and it looks like he has his work cut out for him. A report by the Food Research and Action Center found that one in four respondents in households reported having trouble feeding themselves.

In Portland, there is help for these families. This summer will mark the seventh year that kids can participate in supervised activities and eat a good meal at community locations throughout the city in what is known as Project Summer,
a collaborative effort between the school system, Portland Parks and Recreation and various non-profit organizations, Project Summer is part of a the Summer Food Service Program for Children, a 1916 federal initiative that provides funds to serve nutritious meals to low-income children when school isn’t in session.

By and large, Project Summer seems to be thriving: Last year, almost a thousand kids participated in the Summer Food Program on an average day, says Annie Kirschner, Child Nutrition Outreach Coordinator for the non-profit Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

However, this accounts for only 29 percent of students who relied on a subsidized school lunch during the year. So actors in Project Summer are now making outreach a priority.

“We send out information to every student’s household at the beginning of the summer,” says Shelby. “A flyer is being sent out this week that lists summer opportunities.”

Informing families of the opportunity is only half the battle. Getting around is another problem.

“During the summer it’s a bit…of a challenge because people have to get to the parks, and that can be challenging for folks that don’t have transportation,” says Shelby.

Kirschner says that there is help for cash-strapped families, so that getting around isn’t a barrier to their kids getting a good meal. Financed transportation is available so that children who want meals can get them regardless of limited means, she said.

”Especially in rural areas, [families] look to the private sector to provide transportation to the kids,” adds Kirschner. Since federal reimbursement only accounts for $3.25 per lunch served, “Churches and other private groups have really stepped up.”

Longtime community activist and African-American elder Charles Ford died June 24 at age 80.

Ford was active in the federal Model Cities program of the early 1960s and 1970s, was a longtime board member of the Boise Neighborhood Association, and represented that group on the board of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods for more than 20 years, starting with its inception in 1975. He received a Spirit of Portland award in 1988.

Born in Hickory, Miss., he graduated from Rust College in that state. He moved to Portland in 1951.

A public service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 2, at Maranatha Church of God, 4222 N.E. 12th Ave.

Parks bureau evaluates applications

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Several potential suitors are lining up to take over the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, an incubator for many minority artists who now occupy prominent positions in Portland’s art scene.

In May, the previous operator, Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Inc., closed its doors due to chronic financial instability. Portland Parks and Recreation, a city bureau that owns the 1910 building at 5340 N. Interstate Ave., put out a call for proposals for another like-minded non-profit to continue its mission.

So far PPR has kept the selection process for the new operator of firehouse shrouded in secrecy. Beth Sorenson, PPR spokesperson for the bureau declined comment. But here’s what we know so far:

Four non-profits applied for the space, and include the northeast Portland-based music education organization Ethos, the theater group Stumptown Stages, NW Documentary, and Community Music Center- PPR’s own music education program.

Ian McCluskey, the director of NW Documentary, told the Portland Observer that his two-person staffed organization is not in the running, but will be in contact with whoever gets the facility to hopefully work out some sort of partnership.

No one from PPR’s Community Music Center would comment on where they are with negotiations, leaving Stumptown Stages and Ethos.

Kirk Mouser, the executive artistic director of Stumptown stages, said that his group is still vying to take over the firehouse. He said that if his group, which got its start at the IFCC in 2005, gets control of the building it will continue the education programs it launched at Jefferson High School. Mouser also said that he wants to collaborate with other artistic groups, including the other non-profits that applied.

“We’ve extended an olive branch to the other organizations,” said Mouser. He also added that he wants to carry on the center’s original mission by fostering diversity in the arts, which was established by Charles Jordan- the city’s first African American city commissioner.

But the big question is the financial viability of whatever organization takes over the firehouse. The previous occupant of the building struggled with fundraising, and when the city could no longer afford to subsidize them due to declining revenues, they had to close their doors.

“The challenge with the IFCC has been the financial need,” said Mouser, who added that his organization will get help from the African American Chamber of Commerce beating the bushes to raise money. He also said that it will begin a marketing plan and develop other strategies to make the operation viable.

However, looking at Stumptown’s most recent set of tax documents, the organization has a ways to go before it is financially stable. According to the most recent set of tax documents, it’s over $23,000 in the red and has no paid staff. The year before, it was in a similar position.

Charles Lewis, the executive director and founder of Ethos, confirmed to the Portland Observer that his organization is in negotiations with PPR about taking over the firehouse, but couldn’t say much more citing a request from the city that he not talk to media.

Ethos currently runs two buildings on North Killingsworth Street, and has about half a million of cash on hand, according to its most recent set of tax documents. If given control of the firehouse, the non-profit has plans to go beyond music education, to offer arts programs for children and adults, partnerships with schools, multicultural arts programming, as wells as serving as an incubator for minority artists.

Lewis did add that his organization has a long history of working side-by-side with other arts organizations in Portland, and is amenable to working with the other organizations that applied for the space.

“Ethos is all about collaboration,” he said.

The Portland Housing Bureau announced last week that it has awarded a contract to a coalition of community organizations to help residents of north and northeast Portland facing with longstanding housing issues.

Under the $120,000 contract, the Minority Homeownership Assistance Collaborative, comprised of four community organizations, will provide outreach to seniors as well as low and moderate income residents of north and northeast Portland struggling with their mortgages or with the upkeep of their homes. MHAC will help homeowners connect with the best resources for their situation, whether it be a low-interest home maintenance loan from the Portland Development Commission or a counselor who can help get their mortgage reworked.

Issues of displacement, foreclosure, and loss of home equity have been longstanding issues in north and northeast Portland. They took on greater salience as the city began mulling over the idea of further expanding urban renewal in the gentrifying region, catching the attention of the PHB.

MHAC is a partnership between African American Alliance for Homeownership, Hacienda CDC, Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), and the Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI). The coalition was selected because of each organization’s past work with minority populations in Portland, and will perform outreach through churches, senior centers, and other community groups.

“Coalition members have strong ties to the African-American, Latino and Native American communities, and are well-positioned to provide culturally competent services to homeowner elders who may be worried about their homes,” said Margaret Van Vliet, PHB director in a prepared statement. “By combining PCRI, Hacienda CDC, NAYA, and the African American Alliance for Homeownership, MHAC has an extended network of contacts and large amount of trust in the community, as well as a solid infrastructure of programs and staff. We are confident that their relationship-focused approach will effectively mitigate loss of homeownership and displacement in the target neighborhoods.”

The program will begin in July, and seeks to help about 80 homeowners.

Drew Dakessian

The Internet continues to be abuzz with allegations from a Portland masseuse that Al Gore attempted to sexually assault her during a 2006 trip to the city.

The police have released documents of what the unnamed massage therapist alleges happened in the Hotel Lucia. Here are a couple things that stood out from a transcript of her interview with a Portland police detective:

I squirmed to try to get out of his grasp, telling him to stop, don’t, several times and I
finally told him and said, You’re being a crazed sex poodle, hoping that he’d realize how
weird he was being yet he persisted.

The masseuse claims that she was able to distract Gore with chocolates.

I had the fear that rape would be inevitable if I could not get out of the room, yet I could
say no way to immediately leave without it also being a risk to my safety because I felt he
would use force to counteract forceful moves on my part. So I distracted him by pointing
out the box of chocolates on the conference table. Chocolates are a good distraction,
right? He then approached the conference table in the room and opened up a box of
Moonstruck chocolates on the table, walking toward them, was walking towards me with
them who made myself busy and occupied and hopefully seemed further unavailable by
packing my stuff fast as I could and came very close to me with a box, offering me some
while I kept gathering my items and packing. This is all happening much faster than the
retelling of it would indicate.

She also said that Gore had wild mood swings, not befitting of someone who almost occupied the nation’s highest office.

I asked him how he, I said, how do you rectify this with your wife? Thinking this would
cause him some remorse and mellowing to which he angrily bellowed instead. Quick
shift of mood again which frightened me. I never saw anybody’s moods just go like this.
(snaps fingers) It made me go, this man should never be in charge of the red button.
Really scary.

She also claims to know a thing or two about the former vice president’s music tastes.

He insisted that I look at his ipod as I packing and telling me about his association
with Apple and told me to come into his bedroom where the ipod docking station was an
listen to a song that he had mentioned by Pink about the current president, Bush that
would shock me. He was telling me about his tour and the musician connections had plus
things about his ipod.

The masseuse told the police that she will never think of Martha Stewart the same way after the alleged incident:

I washed the sheets I had used with him during the session the next day. And a few
times later, considered throwing them out as the floral pattern Martha Stewart gave me
flashbacks every time I saw it of the massage session. I instead donated them to someone
in need.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

Late last year, the Portland Observer ran a story on the Portland Trail Blazers’ plan to turn the Rose Quarter, usually a ghost town during the off season, into a year-round entertainment district.

The Blazers hope to use Cordish, a large real estate development company, to complete their vision. The Observer found that Cordish has left some people in Kansas City, where they developed a similar entertainment district, very upset.

Larry Miller, president of the Blazers, has said not to worry because, “We’re going to be the ones in the driver seat on this.”

However, an article in today’s Oregonian casts doubt on who is going to be on the wheel, quoting a senior official with the Blazers saying that Cordish is prepared to put up its own money for the project and that the owner of the team will defer to them on the project.

The process to overhaul the Rose Quarter has involved a drawn-squabble with a competing developer that appears to have put everything at a a standstill.

The Oregonian article focuses on negotiations between Paul Allen, one of the most wealthy men in the Pacific Northwest and owner of the Trail Blazers, and the city over how much money each side will contribute in the public-private partnership.

The article quotes J.E. Isaac, the Blazers’ senior vice president of business affairs, who told the paper that Cordish is prepared to put up all the private investment for the project. He also said that Allen is deferring to Cordish on the project, citing their expertise in such projects.

The Portland Police Bureau has released a statement concerning a story published by the National Enquirer concerning allegations that former Vice President Al Gore attempted to sexually assault a masseuse during a 2006 trip to Portland.

Here’s what the Portland police had to say about the matter:

June 23, 2010
NEWS RELEASE
PORTLAND POLICE ISSUE STATEMENT REGARDING
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST AL GORE
A national tabloid magazine has published a story discussing allegations made by a Portland
woman against former Vice President Al Gore. The Portland Police Bureau does not generally
disclose information regarding sex crimes, as they are deemed confidential. However, because
of the high-profile nature of this case and the fact that the woman involved provided reports to a
media outlet, we will provide the following information:
In December 2006, a local attorney contacted the Portland Police Bureau and said he had a client
that wanted to report an unwanted sexual contact by Mr. Gore. This allegation stemmed from an
incident on October 24, 2006, when the woman involved, a Licensed Massage Therapist, was
called to a local hotel to provide a massage to Mr. Gore.
After repeated attempts by Portland Police Detectives to interview the woman involved, the
Police Bureau was told by her attorney in January 2007, that they were pursuing civil litigation
and declined the assistance of the Portland Police Bureau’s Detective Division. A special report
was written and the case was exceptionally cleared—a standard procedure when the person
involved declines to talk to police. The District Attorney’s Office was consulted during this
time.
On January 6, 2009, the woman involved came to the Detective Division and explained that she
would like to give a statement. On January 8, 2009, a Detective and a victim advocate assigned
to the Sexual Assault Detail met with the woman. The woman read from a prepared statement
and detailed the events of October 24, 2006. She reported that she was repeatedly subjected to
unwanted sexual touching while in his presence.
The woman reported that she still had clothes that she had worn during the encounter. But due to
the description she gave of the incident, detectives did not collect the clothes as evidence because
they did not feel there was any evidentiary value to the clothing.
After interviewing the woman, the Police Bureau provided additional services per the victim
advocate program. The case was not investigated any further because detectives concluded there
was insufficient evidence to support the allegations.
In June 2010, the woman involved contacted Detectives and asked for a copy of her statement,
which she was given. She then asked if she could edit her statement and was told she could
provide detectives with additional clarifications that would be added to her original report. She
also advised that she was going to take the case to the media.
The District Attorney’s Office has a copy of the reports. At this point, the Police Bureau does
not consider this an ongoing investigation unless new evidence is received in this case.
The Police Bureau is releasing the redacted reports concurrent with this news release. In 2007,
the Police Bureau released the initial special report regarding the incident after it received a
public records request by the Portland Tribune.
###PPB###

The Portland Tribune has an article on its website explaining how it obtained police records concerning the allegation, but chose not to go ahead with the story because it couldn’t confirm facts to their liking and because Gore’s accuser didn’t want to be named.

The police have also released the documents related to the alleged incident, with the name of Gore’s accuser redacted.

Drew Dakessian

In the wake of two shootings, the Police Chief Mike Reese and Mayor Sam Adams met with press and community members yesterday afternoon to discuss the recent spat of violence that is believed to be gang-related, saying that they would step up efforts to address gang violence, while calling on Portlanders to be vigilant.

“The increase in gang violence activity requires us to move quickly,” said Mayor Adams, speaking near the spot where 17-year-old Billy A. Moore was shot to death last night.

“This is also a call to action to all Portlanders because the police alone cannot solve and prevent these kinds of gang-related activities…on their own.”

Adams went on to enumerate ways that every Portlander needs to help: reporting tips or concerns, calling 911 after seeing a gun, volunteering to help with summertime recreational activities, and getting involved with the neighborhood watch program.

“These shootings are upsetting; they’re tragic; and they are preventable,” said the Mayor, “But it’s gonna take a very swift, fleet-footed and effective…response, both by police and members of
the community,” he said.

“Without…residents who got involved…we would not have been able to make arrests as quickly as we did,” said Mike Reese, who was sworn in as Portland Police Chief last month.

North Precinct Commander Jim Ferraris announced that starting today, specific units of the police bureau would assist officers from each of three precincts, emphasizing positive communication with outreach groups.

Ferraris asserted that while gang activity is centered in north Portland, there’s been a citywide spike. To wit, the areas of will include the downtown entertainment district, the Lloyd Center, select MAX platform,; McCoy; the North Killingsworth corridor, and Peninsula and Holladay Parks.

Adams also pointed to the high level of unemployment, not seen since World War II, as a factor that has put everybody on edge while also allowing youth more time outside, giving way to an increasingly violent atmosphere.

Even amid the first hot wind of summer, Adams kept his cool. “The bureau is very much on top of this issue,” he said.

Students from Jefferson High School pack a School Board meeting on June 16. Photo by Jake Thomas.

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

After hitting a number of snags,significant community push back, and facing other serious issues, the plan to significantly overhaul Portland Public Schools’ high school system has been delayed until the fall.
At the school board meeting on Monday, Superintendent Carole Smith, who initiated the redesign project last year to address gaping inequities in the high school system, said that no action would be taken on the plan until September.

The announcement was a major if not temporary reprieve for supporters of Jefferson, Benson and Marshall high schools, neighborhood campuses impacted most by the redesign proposals.
Smith, reading from a prepared statement, said that she and board leadership were in agreement that the complex proposal needed more time, especially when the district had been distracted by the June 4 disappearance of Skyline Elementary student Kyron Horman and a major budget shortfall.

Smith reiterated her support for the redesign program, which would dramatically alter three high schools and roughly equalize the number of students and funding at neighborhood high schools.
Claiming the proposal would bring “game-changers” to the district, she said that it would guarantee the same education to each student, regardless of their race or economic status, and reduce segregation at each school.

“We have tolerated gross inequities in access to educational opportunity. We have allowed (and sometimes forced) communities to negotiate their own trade-offs among advanced and support classes, arts and career exploration. We have pitted schools against each other for enrollment,” she said.

In order to equalize the number of students at each comprehensive neighborhood high school, the redesign as first proposed, would have required the closure of Marshall High School, in southeast Portland, and would significantly reduce the enrollment at Benson High School in northeast. The move drew emotional appeals from supporters of both schools at recent board meetings.

Earlier this month, a majority of board members, took a turn by expressing support for making Jefferson High School a specialized magnet school in order to cope with budget strains.

Backers of Jefferson had supported Smith’s original plan since it would have boosted enrollment and funding, while establishing an academic priority zone that would give it even more resources.

Jefferson community supporters drew a line in the sand over possible closure at a board meeting on June 16.

“It seems that when we play fair, this is the end product,” said Tony
Hopson, prominent alum of Jefferson who heads the public charter school Self Enhancement Inc., which serves low-income and minority students.

Hopson said that supporters of Jefferson were fighting for a school that had steadily lost investment by the district over decades.
He added that if the district planned to move forward with plans to close the school supporters would grow increasingly confrontational at school board meetings, jumping on desks, just like during protests end forced busing efforts in the 1980s- and he didn’t care if they called the police.

On Monday, Smith specifically addressed Jefferson, calling it a “central dilemma in this process for a host of valid, compelling and conflicting reasons,” and seemed to have heard the concerns expressed from Jefferson supporters.

“The question about what happens at Jefferson demands that we address our school district’s long-standing failure to deliver on its promises at the Jefferson campus and to Portland’s African-American community,” said Smith. “It also means that we need to recognize the school’s historical connection to the identity of that community and accept that we must move forward in a way that builds community trust and support.”

Lineup set for annual celebration

Julian’s Ride will perform at Good in the Neighborhood on June 26.

Lee Perlman

Good in the Neighborhood, a popular festival and official Rose Festival event showcasing the best of north and northeast Portland, takes the stage this weekend at King School Park, 4815 N.E. Seventh Ave.

The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 26, with a parade from Emanuel Hospital to Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and winding up at the festival site. Live music will draw folks to the park event, open from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday, and again from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 27.

The schedule for Saturday includes Sol Starr at noon, Julian’s Ride at 2:10 p.m., Muthar Ship at 4 p.m., Andrew Stokes at 5:45 p.m., and Soul Vaccination at 7:30 p.m. There will also be an outdoor “mixer” party that night with live music by Kirk Green starting at 6 p.m.

The Sunday schedule includes The Light at noon, Kool Breeze at 1:15 p.m., Norman Sylvester at 2:30 p.m., Patrick Lamb at 3:45 p.m., Linda Hornbuckle at 5:30 p.m. and Ocean 503 at 6:45 p.m.

Both days will feature an Information Village where public and private agencies and organizations showcase community resources. An Ethnic Market Place will have goods for sale by local entrepreneurs, some of them one of a kind. A children’s area will offer free lead blood testing, as well as fun activities. For those so inclined there will be a beer and wine garden and an array of food vendors.

Good in the Neighborhood began in the early 1990s on the grounds of Holy Redeemer Catholic School. Several years ago it moved to King Park and the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods became the event’s main sponsor.

When the festival first began, organizers wanted to highlight a community that was safe and one that embraced its ethnically diverse roots, but the mission as changed, according to veteran lead organizer Cheryl Roberts.

“Now we provide a chance for old residents to interact with newcomers who have new expectations. We bring them together, and we’ve done a really good job of that,” Roberts said.

Another change is the economic hard times. Roberts says that finding sponsors for last year’s event was a major challenge, “and it was even harder this year,” but somehow enough of them stepped to the plate. It has also given added emphasis to other missions of the festival.

“The Information Village gives people a chance to access the available resources, and with economic conditions the way they are, we need them more than ever,” Roberts says. “The Ethnic Marketplace is a venue for local entrepreneurs. And during these times, it’s good for people to be able to have some free entertainment.”

For more information, visit goodintheneighborhood.org, or call 503-282-1288.

Washington and Oregon residents should not be alarmed to witness a low-flying aircraft over parts of southern Washington and northern Oregon in late-June through July.

A fixed-wing aircraft monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey will begin collecting and recording geologic measurements this week and lasting about six weeks over parts of Washington and Oregon.

Scientific equipment is mounted to the aircraft and is designed to map geologic structures beneath the earth. This analysis is part of an ongoing USGS federal research program to identify physical occurrences such as changes in rock types.

The aircraft is controlled by experienced pilots who are specially trained for low-level flying and is operated by Goldak Airborne Surveys, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Music icons Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.’s wax figures are unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Washington, D.C.

Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls (aka Notorious B.I.G.) were re-united for the first time – in wax – last week at Madame Tussauds in Washington, D.C.

Both figures are on loan from Madame Tussauds of New York for three months. During that time, fans will have the opportunity to take photos and get up close and personal with the incredibly lifelike figures.

Tupac’s wax likeness was created from hundreds of photographs and precise measurements provided by Tupac’s mother, Ms. Afeni Shakur. Tupac’s wax figure is shirtless – sporting a bandana, Emporio Armani underwear, saggy jeans and replicas of Tupac’s multiple tattoos.
Biggie’s figure was created from extensive research. Studio artists studied hundreds of photos and hours of video footage to create Biggie’s wax likeness, which dons a white three-piece suit, white hat and white shoes.

Tupac and Biggie are widely recognized as two of the greatest hip hop artists and rappers of all time.

Pastor reflects on reasons why

Jake Thomas
jthomas@portlandobserver.com

It’s no secret that churches are hemorrhaging young people at a rapid pace. But Adam Hamilton, a pastor from Kansas and author of many books, thinks he knows the reason why.

In his new book, “When Christians get it Wrong”, Hamilton explains that a judgmental, narrow-minded, and very vocal tone in Christianity is turning off people from the faith. But Hamilton, who was in Portland recently for a conference, has a couple thoughts on how to change that.

When do Christians get it wrong?
I think Christians get it wrong any time they stop living like Jesus did and make people feel small or they become like the Pharisees that Jesus really was in conflict with. That’s a natural tendency for us as Christians to begin to judge other people, forget where we come from, and think it’s really about telling other people how to live there lives as opposed to us trying to live the life that Christ called us to live- a life of compassion, justice, and mercy.

What are some examples of that?
People regularly send me notes describing all the people that they think are living sinfully, while failing to see that the very act of sending that letter is a sign that something is not quite right in their heart. One of the examples I give in the book was I was doing a funeral for a young man who committed suicide and I was trying to comfort the family. I had a couple come up to me after the service and said, pastor, you really blew it with this funeral. You should have told people that he was in hell. I looked to them and said, do you know that? I think there is a host of other places where they get it wrong. When they try to make the Bible into a 21st century scientific textbook instead of trying to recognize its poetry its, its inspiration, and how it’s not so much telling us how things came to be but why. I think we get it wrong when we think we know the mind of God when it comes to other faiths.

As a pastor it seems like you need to take some sort of moral stand at times. How do you balance that?
I look at how Jesus would go about doing this. When Jesus associated with prostitutes he showed them love and grace. So it’s this balancing act of showing his followers the highest standard: love. Everything else is measured in the light of love. Jesus also demonstrated with his interactions with people who were non-religious or nominally religious this extraordinary grace. That’s the thing we ought to be about.

What are some issues that Christians ought to pay more attention to?
When we talk about Christian ethics first of all we are talking about how we as Christians live our lives, not how others live their lives. It’s one thing for me to say that this is what Jesus thought in this area of that area, but when it comes to me telling broader society that you’re wrong to live this way, I think that starts to get it wrong. I think that we should be asking questions like, what does justice look like? What does it mean to love our neighbor? What is the loving thing to do with each person I come in contact with? It’s appropriate for Christians to ask questions about policies that our country is pursuing that bring harm to other people.

Why are younger people turning away from the church?
I think that part of the challenge is what they’ve seen of the Christian faith isn’t a reflection of what Jesus taught or the way to live. I’ve heard over and over again from young adults that Christians are asking them to stop thinking or become this narrow-minded person who makes other people feel small. When you talk to young people about Jesus, they’re like, yeah, Jesus taught some really great things; I just don’t see Jesus in many of his followers.

Why has this narrow mean-spirited tone in Christianity become so prevalent?
I think the same tendency is present in every religion. I think we also live in a very polarized society with a lot of people afraid of changes. I think it leads us to demonize the people we are afraid of. I think there is a large group of people who want things to be black and white. Some people want to know that they and everyone like them are going to heaven and everyone else is going to hell, and they don’t have to think about it.

The Urban League of Portland will hold its annual membership meeting on Wednesday June 30, from 5:30 pm to 7 p.m. at the Rose Garden Arena’s Rose Room.

The public is invited to celebrate the organization’s achievements and share ideas about its future, as the League enters its 65th year serving Oregon.

As unveiled in the Urban League of Portland’s State of Black Oregon report deep disparities for African Americans in Oregon has had a significant impact around the state.

The League will report on its follow-up work and future efforts to achieve the policy changes recommended in the State of Black Oregon report.

The annual meeting is a unique chance to meet and connect with Urban League of Portland board members, young professionals and staff. Refreshments will be provided at the event.