For several weeks now, homeless persons in Portland have gathered on the lawn of City Hall for a protest against city policies against them – namely the sit-lie ordinance, which some homeless advocates say has been used disproportionately against many homeless by the Portland Business Alliance's private security forces; the prohibition against camping in the city, which makes sleeping out of doors -- being homeless – illegal; and demanding more access to shelters and affordable housing. Despite spending most days and nights camped out in front of the city's governmental center, protestors clarify, "This is not a camp, this is a protest."

NEW YORK (AP) _ A White police officer was disciplined for acting "in a discourteous manner" when he confronted a Black motorist who turned out to be one of the highest-ranking commanders in the New York City Police Department, an agency spokesman said Saturday.
Chief Douglas Zeigler, the head of the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau and the highest uniformed Black officer on the force, was off duty and sitting in his department-issued sport utility vehicle on a street in the borough of Queens on May 2 when two White police officers approached.
The encounter turned testy, and one of the officers tried to wrest open Zeigler's door, even after the three-star chief had identified himself, police spokesman Paul Browne said....

BEND, Oregon (AP) _ Barack Obama began sketching the outlines of his expected presidential contest against Republican John McCain, saying the fall election will be more about specific plans and priorities than about questions of political ideology or patriotism ...

This May's primary election puts some difficult choices before voters. Some races – such as City Commissioner positions 1 and 2 – present a whole field of talented candidates. Others present a choice between two nearly equal talents.  The Skanner took a hard look at all the contested races and made endorsements in contested races. We did not make endorsements on uncontested or geographically distant races. 
The Skanner Recommends.... click below and read

Well, that sounded good last year, but over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting.   I guess the debate last week was the final straw.  
I've watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name "Farrakhan" out of nowhere, well that's when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the "F" word to scare white people, pure and simple.
Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama.  Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America.      Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama!       Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' ............ THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

When Melissa Favara and her family moved into an older home in the Mississippi neighborhood, she didn't consider that it could be tainted with lead.
"I always thought lead poisoning was something that happened on the East Coast, that it was a problem in places like Philadelphia," Favara told The Skanner. "I didn't realize it happened in Portland."
It wasn't until Favara's daughter Ramona was 8 months old, that she called the Josiah Hill Clinic, which offers free lead testing for pregnant women, children and nursing mothers. Favara's test showed both she and her daughter had been exposed to lead. Worse, baby Ramona's level was worryingly high....

With energy efficient windows and appliances, within walking distance to transit, parks and shopping, the future residents of Helensview will be living in innovative, green homes.
And in yet another trail-blazing move, 100 percent of the development is designated as affordable housing — and it's all located in the decidedly unhipster corner of 64th and Northeast Killingsworth.
"A lot of people view green building as a luxury option," says Devin Culbertson. "It's a big challenge to try and educate people about what the true benefits actually are."

Elmer Dixon, an original member of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party and his grandson, Zion Watt,
5, listen to some of the speakers during the 40th anniversary of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party on April 26 at Yesler Community Center.  The two day event included workshops, a panel discussion, music and poetry.

Civil rights leader and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. James M. Lawson will be speaking at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 5 at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave. SE in Olympia. The event is free and open to the public.
Lawson will talk about how to build a community that values activism – to promote better quality of life and greater equity among citizens – and ensures civility and respect for the rights of all.
Lawson is a leading figure in the civil rights movement. On the eve of his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Lawson "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world." ...

A year-long project for six emerging African American performance artists in King County is about to hit the stage.
The Creation Project Showcase is a culmination of a year of new works and professional development programs for African American performing artists based in King County. Created by The CD Forum for Arts & Ideas, this is the debut of the first Creation Project Showcase and will run at 8 p.m., Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 at the Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway St.
Immediately following the performances both nights, there will be a CD Forum Session — a question-and-answer session with audience....