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Portland Tribune
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Rescued hiker learns
tough lessons on the
mountain
■
Mary Owen, the 23-year-old college student who spent nearly six days lost on Mount Hood,
says she learned a lot about herself and her life while trying to survive.
Search: Mount Hood
Read it first at portlandtribune.com
Portland
Tribune
Fresh faces
Rookies have been key pieces
for powerful Hawks
— See SPORTS, B8
Cat’s cause
Norman Sylvester dedicates
himself to musician’s health care
— See PORTLAND LIFE, B1
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OWNER & NEIGHBOR
Regional officials
complain that TriMet
plan siphons funds
By JIM REDDEN
The Tribune
Who wouldn’t want a free
TriMet pass, especially one
good for no-cost bus and
train rides seven days a
week?
Of course, there’s no such
thing as a free lunch — or free
transit ride. Either someone
else is actually paying the bill
or TriMet is forgoing the fare
revenue it would otherwise col-
lect.
Both are the case with the
tentative extension of the
Youth Pass program an-
nounced last
week. The
program pro-
vides free Tri-
Met passes to
all high school
students in
Portland Pub-
lic Schools
during the
school year,
and opinions
about it are
split in the re-
gion.
“This pro-
gram is highly
valued by our
students. It
ensures they
can get to
school, extra-
curricular ac-
tivities, and to
the jobs that
some of them
have,” says
Jon Isaacs, the new policy ad-
visory to PPS Superintendent
Carole Smith.
But Washington County
Chairman Andy Duyck is dis-
pleased that TriMet is subsidiz-
ing the program with payroll
taxes collected outside the
Portland school district. He
says no one outside the district
was consulted before the tenta-
tive extension was announced.
“So long as regionally col-
lected payroll tax dollars are
used, TriMet’s regional partner
organizations ought to be in-
cluded in the discussion about
how future youth passes in this
program are paid for,” Duyck
says.
The youth passes cost $30 a
month. The program is esti-
mated to cost $3 million next
school year. The tentative
agreement calls for the cost to
be distributed among TriMet,
the school district and the city
of Portland. The district and
city each will contribute $1 mil-
lion, while TriMet will forgo $1
million in fare revenue it would
otherwise collect from stu-
dents.
That’s less than TriMet is
forgoing this year. The regional
transit agency estimates it will
not collect $1.75 million this
year because of the program.
See PASSES / Page 8
TRIBUNE PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT
Many students at Madison High
School in Northeast Portland use
TriMet to get to and from school.
“The
program
benefits the
students
and the
community.
That’s
why our
partners
support the
program
and want
it to
continue.”
— Jon Isaacs,
PPS policy
adviser
By STEVE LAW
The Tribune
Portland Development Com-
mission, the city redevelopment
agency credited with revitaliz-
ing downtown, is having to rede-
velop itself in the face of dwin-
dling urban renewal funds.
The PDC board voted Tuesday
to slash personnel costs 30 per-
cent, eliminating about 40 posi-
tions. Nine vacant jobs were elim-
inated immediately and five staff
will soon retire, induced by new
early retirement incentives.
About 26 more positions will be
axed during the next 15 months,
some via layoffs.
PDC faces a dramatic drop-off in
its bread-and-butter urban renewal
funding, known as tax-increment
financing, which it will largely van-
ish in eight years, says Patrick
Quinton, PDC executive director.
In response, Quinton is shrink-
ing the agency to nurse remaining
urban renewal funds while it rein-
vents itself and devises new ways
■
Urban renewal
changes weigh on
development
agency as it trims
budget, wrestles
with obligations
See PDC / Page 4
TRIBUNE PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT
Becky Edwards’ footwork is on the ball with Angie Kerr defending at the Thorns’ Sunday practice.
By STEPHEN ALEXANDER
The Tribune
Is a third time the charm
for women’s professional soc-
cer? Twice, women’s profes-
sional soccer leagues have
started. Twice, they have
folded.
Despite the success of the
U.S. women’s national team and
the growing popularity of soc-
cer in America, women’s profes-
sional soccer never has been
able to sustain a league.
University of Portland junior
striker Amanda Frisbie has a
theory about that.
“The two times they started
the professional league, they
should’ve started here in Port-
land,” Frisbie says. “This is a
soccer city. For them to have a
professional team here in the
city of Portland, it’s going to be a
huge success and it’s going to be
great for the community.”
Portland fans hope
women’s soccer is
poised for success
Soccer City USA,
Thorns match
has right pitch
See THORNS / Page 5
■
Oregon
Hispanics are
searching for
political clout
to match their
growing numbers
LATINOS FLEX, PEROQUÉ MÁS DA?
D
avid Torres has never been
active in politics, but he’s
thinking about it. More
than ever.
Torres, president of Fulfillment
Corp. in Beaverton, is one of themost
successful Latinos in the Portland
metropolitan area. At 67, he has
made his fortune, having sold his
warehousing and distribution com-
pany in December.
The reasons Torres provides for
his lack of political engagement are
as revealing as the fact that he might
be on the verge of getting more in-
volved. Last month, The New York
Times published a front-page story,
“Latinos Gain Political Muscle, And
Fund-Raisers Show How.” The story
introduced wealthy Latino donors
who are gaining political clout na-
tionally, some having attended a
$40,000-a-plate fundraiser and policy
session with President Barack
Obama.
But as far as local Latino leaders
can tell, nobody from the Portland
area attended the Washington, D.C.,
fundraiser, and none are major con-
tributors to the Futuro Fund, a $32
million Obama campaign effort sub-
sidized by Latinos, many from Mi-
ami, Texas and California.
Torres could have afforded the din-
ner. And he’s not apolitical; in fact,
he’s very conversant on the subject of
Latino politicians and issues. The
right candidate, Torres says, might
Trib
Series
FIRST OF TWO PARTS
See LATINOS / Page 2
Youth
passes get
a rough
bus ride
“I left City Hall because I was really tired of seeing
that we were not at the table.”
— Carmen Rubio, the Latino Network
Minorities
Report
BY PETER KORN
David Torres, president
of Fulfillment Corp.
in Beaverton, is
politically aware but
not politically active.
Torres says his more
conservative views
don’t play well in
Oregon’s political
climate.
TRIBUNE PHOTO:
CHRISTOPHER ONSTOTT
PDC wrangles city’s ‘zombies’