Story by Pete Shaw I was recently on a train from Denville, New Jersey to Pennsylvania Station (Penn Station as the locals have it) in New York City (The City as those same fellas have it), my balance bent. I grew up in New Jersey, not far from The City, and at least once I…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw The Fennica has left Portland despite the noble and courageous efforts of the kayaktivists and Greenpeace climbers whose blockade cost Shell Oil two days of profits. But while ultimately failing to keep the boat moored in Portland, they showed people that they can stand up to the large energy…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw “It looks like a festival out here!” That cry came from one of the 75 kayakers Wednesday evening on the Willamette River, off the shore of Cathedral Park. Over 350 people had gathered in the park in support of those kayakers and the 13 Greenpeace climbers suspended from the…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw A flotilla of kayaks and motorcraft took the Willamette River at 2:30 AM this morning to prevent Shell Oil from sending the icebreaking boat Fennica from Portland to the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic where it would help the petroleum company explore for oil. The boat is in Portland…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw While Congress has given President Obama Fast Track authority for negotiating trade laws, the fight against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) continues with a tighter focus. Prior to Fast Track’s approval, opponents were concentrating on both it and the TPP, understanding that Fast Track was the linchpin since it…
Story by Pete Shaw Early 2014 saw a marked upsurge in the number of mothers and children fleeing violence in Central America. Troubles with family, gangs and drug cartels (to name a few) in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala has pushed these families to seek asylum in the United States–the country ultimately responsible for much of…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw The good news is that Senator Ron Wyden keeps backtracking on his support for Fast Track legislation that would let the Congress abdicate its constitutionally mandated authority over trade and give that power to President Obama. The bad news is that he is backtracking further toward the multinational corporations…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw Building janitors, City workers, and supporters held two coordinated rallies in downtown Portland on June 17 demanding a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour and greater respect for workers’ rights to unionize. The rallies marked the most recent of many local actions and were also part…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw The second Community Oversight Advisory Board (COAB) town hall took place on May 27 at Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus. While it was a decidedly more sedate and better planned affair than the first town hall held in early April, it once again highlighted significant structural problems with this…
Story and photos by Pete Shaw “How on God’s green earth does justice reconcile it?” Emmett Wheatfall asked that question at least three times while reading his poem at a memorial service marking the five years that have passed since the Portland police executed Keaton Otis at the corner of NE 6th and Halsey. The…
