a conversation with a friend...

Hey guys,

I've meet you a guys in person a few times, I did an article in our
neighborhood Concordia paper and had the the Oregonian contact you for
that
Sunday article a few weeks back.

Anyways, I'm just a neighbor who has gotten involved in the Last
Thursday
committee or group or what ever you want to call it. Basically here's
the
low down and you already know this but.....
The event has gotten so big that there' are a few major issues, crowd
control,open containers and people not from the hood' not respecting the
area late into the night There has been several meetings with biz
owners,
neighbors and the City of Portland. The City has pretty much said either
the
hood gets control of this or else they'll have to step in.

The "Clown House" keeps getting brought up not because of you exactly
but
the large crowds that show up and all hang in the streets and drink out
in
the open.

Any chance you can make a meeting next Thursday 6/14 at 6:30 at Acad Ballroom to represent yourself and how you can help?????

Let me know or I could stop by and give you some more info,
Gracias,
Matt
> >

>From: "Swave Lestrange"
>To: "Matt S"
>Subject: Re: Last Thursday meeting 06/14 at 6:30pm
>Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:07:02 -0700
>
>Well Matt (this is Dingo here hi)
>We couldn't afford to live here a year ago when the rent went up $300,
>we stayed an extra year and blew our savings on rent just because we
>didn't want to leave our home and friends.
>It's now the end of that year I'm broke, and I'm tired.
>Most of the artists that were here when we got here many years ago have
>since been classed out and all the new people look the same; a blur in
>a passing SUV or your standard socks and sandals consumer, who gawks but
>would never get involved or pitch in, not our crowd at all.
>Just like the Mississippi neighborhood, we brought huge crowds who spend
>money in shops and restraunts but in the end we get nothing.
>Well , I did get bitched out by soccar mom who did't know anything about
>me and had California plates.
>Last Thursday costs me money, it was't until this Last Thursday that we
>got a pitch in from a buissness owner, we charge other communitys $200
>at least to come entertain at street pertys Magnus gave us our fee this
>month I'm grateful but it was too little too late.
>I don't drink, I don't like booze and it's shitty to be blamed for all
>the drunks, when we got here there were two bars, now there are bars all
>over the place and drunks have begun trashing my fence and equipment, I
>expect they will soon go full on (Like in Eugene UofO) and begin burning
>dumpsters because a sports team won or lost.
>The events of Last Thursday are the same as always, just now the "real
>estate termites" have been marketing Alberta street to the next
>generation of yuppies, that resolves itself as a street full of Frat
>boys and drunk morons.They are the ones who fight in the street and
>break stuff.I loved the Oregonian article because I read it like this:
>Heres some fun people who won't be here long so come get an over priced
>condo"
>HAHAHA!
>I cant wait to leave this ungrateful place to it's fate, I hope they
>build a parking lot on our space.
> I'm working on a plan to take the crowd with us. Or at least set them
> up elsewhere before we go.
>I have been in talks with some "Peoplemovers" I know in the media and
>street organisers, I asked them to help me attract the crowds away from
>Alberta street and to Alberta Park or some other non consumer venue so
>we can explore art,music and friendship.
>We are looking at England, Austin Texas and if I get my way somplace
>here in Portland for the next Clown House, We are Portland People, I
>love this town, I wish we had some funding, somewhere somebody has a
>neighborhood that needs a crowd to spend money in shops, We can do
>that,no problem I'm just going to make a deal first so we don't get
>hosed ala Mississippi/Alberta.
>I'm the boss so it's up to me to lead my people to prosperity, I owe
>them that, they work hard.
>I wish you knew how much love we get from real people, everywhere I go,
>I hear my name all around are smiles and goodwill.
>Matt, I'm not bitching you out, I think you are a good fella, I
>apreciate you telling me we are getting scapegoated and sending the
>press my way.
>I'm just telling you why the meeting would be a bad idea for us, my
>people are far less diplomatic than I am, they gave a lot and got
>nothing, at this point I'm no picnic ether, I'm wrapped tightly with
>stress and if I went I imagin I would do a lot of shouting and chest
>poking, I want to retain as much class as I can.Plus we only have two
>more months here (A lot of tears on that subject)and we need to focus on
>a new home.
>I hope I didn't offend you Matt, you seem to be helping us defend
>ourselves. Thank you.
>Dingo
>p.s.
>lots of Alberta shops are on my cool/recomend list.
my cool/recomend list:
Concordia coffee
Office
Star e rose coffee
black cat coffee
videorama
hair of the dog
collage
Don Poncho's
Alberta coop
Tin shed
Those people (and some I have forgotten) have been behind us as long as I remember, the rest can
fall off this flat Earth.
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Yo Dingo,

For sure I’ve always defended you guys when people that aren’t from our
neighborhood have misconceptions or try to pin negativity on your group.
The artistic spirit that you (as a collective) have brought to Portland and
to Alberta has been amazing.

I understand you completely not wanting to attend a meeting at this point in
the game; I just thought you might want to be there. Seems really the #1
issue per the City is the amount people that spill out into the streets on
your corner. Some dumbasses don’t realize it’s a street and they need to get
moving. Trust me I wish parts of the street would be shut down but that’s a
different story. The reasons that I’m helping out and most of the other
people are that we don’t want Last Thursday to become First Thursday or a
drunken frat party.

As far as being priced out that issue goes back to the beginning of the
time, an area that nobody wants to live in suddenly becomes “cool” to the
mainstream and in its wake, overpriced housing, $12 hamburgers and coffee
shops every 5 feet. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alberta and there are a lot
of people doing positive things such as yourselves but everything is
changing rapidly.

For the low or middle income that actually bought house years ago, it’s
great to see them prosper in something that normally they get shut out of
and I guess we’re lucky that the businesses that have popped have been
independent and a lot are owned be people that live in the area and have
more than just a $$$ stake to it.

Keep on rockin my friend,
Matt