Blogtown, PDX

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

News Homeless Center: Protest Fizzles, Old Town “Torn Apart”

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Feb 6 at 11:00 AM

A planned protest this morning by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association appears to have fizzled out. Just three people showed up—and there was no sign of Stephen Ying, the CCBA’s president, who last night was handing out fliers for the protest at the Old Town neighborhood association meeting. It appears there’s been some confusion about whether Ying would be able to testify.

“I came down here to be supportive of the Chinese Community,” says Dan Feiner, of the Old Town Lofts. “I just wanted to attend, witness it and show my support for this mission.”

Instead, Feiner has headed back to work. But he’s signed up to testify in council next week.

In the mean time, Larry Norton at the Old Town Blog has given a fuller account of an argument that took place yesterday afternoon at a community meeting in Old Town, between Doreen Binder of TPI, who will run the homeless center if it gets built, and Old Town restaurant owner Randy Capron:

Finally an Old Town meeting that had emotional content. Raised voices - some may say shouting - okay I will say it - SHOUTING and CURSING.

Words - fuck, shit and the like. It came close to my father can beat up your father.

What was missing was the fisticuffs. There was a physical mismatch - but I get the feeling that there was more of a match than one might expect.

Of course, according to the Portland way this does not happen. Go to city council meetings - they want you to wave your hands. What a bunch of wussies.

Nothing happens - a lot of do gooders trying to settle things down and taking all of the fun out of it. I wished I had had a video camera.

I wish I’d had one, too. Increasingly, the “public involvement process” over this center is descending into a knife fight, and the community’s protests over the center look like trying to stick a pin in a stampeding elephant.

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Comments

The most interesting thing about this is reading the words 'fuck' and 'shit' on a webpage under the Oregon Live banner.

"Increasingly, the 'public involvement process' over this center is descending into a knife fight, and the community’s protests over the center look like trying to stick a pin in a stampeding elephant."

I thought meetings and 'process' were intended to make people feel better when the outcome has been predetermined for them.

Posted by Kevin | February 6, 2008 1:13 PM

Old Town is just gonna' suck more than it already does. More drugs, more bums and more pee. I wouldn't blame them if they moved Chinatown somewhere else that's willing to give them more respect.

Posted by schting | February 6, 2008 2:29 PM

Erm, they already did:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=97449&category=22101

There are some arguing that the new center will be good for Chinatown—its oft-touted "off-street queuing," for example, will keep the poor out of sight, making way for new shopping centers, and dreams.

Posted by Matt Davis | February 6, 2008 2:42 PM

Yes, and less pee. Ahhhh.

Posted by schting | February 6, 2008 3:32 PM

Less pee? Build the restrooms, duh. When these so-called residents of the lofts bought, did they somehow miss what what in the neighborhood, or were they hoping to make it go away. Besides, walk down two blocks to Satyricon on a weekend night and see where some of these issues really come from

Posted by Dale | February 6, 2008 5:14 PM

Somebody mentioned to me this morning that the City may have subsidized the construction of the Old Town Lofts.

Posted by Matt Davis | February 6, 2008 5:43 PM

Why build what they already don't use? If it's bar patrons @ Satyricon, then why don't Hawthorne and Belmont smell like pee? Old Town is pee smell famous from the Burnside bridge on down. It starts right at the steps leading to the MAX where there are no bar patrons just folks waiting for services.

But I'm with you on one thing Dale; Old Town was probably like that when they moved in. I've heard that it used to be a lot worse.

Posted by schting | February 6, 2008 5:49 PM

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