“Food Not Bombs,” a New Non-profit That Provides Meals to Anyone Needing Food on Monument Square, Portland.

Haben Taffeie, a Resident of Portland, Enjoys a Meal Provided by “Food Not Bombs” This Afternoon at Monument Square.

“We want to celebrate that Monument Square is for everyone,” said AJ Golash, a resident of the Hill and a member of the newly formed non-profit “Food Not Bombs.”  Today was its inaugural pot luck meal at Monument Square, Portland.

Ordinarily the group convenes at Deering Oaks Park on Saturdays – across from the Post Office,  But because of the rainy Saturday weather they have been unable to set up in that location.  When they do set up in that location, the group usually serves between 30 – 40 meals.  The non-profit will return to Monument Square serving food on July 13 and July 27 – every two weeks until further notice.

An ancillary reason for this pot luck dinner may be a push back from the city’s recent agenda to remove some people from the area in an effort to make it a “safe and clean” place to be.  Earlier this month, Dinah Minot, Director of Creative Portland, the city funded arts agency, referred to the area as the “forboding zone along the Congress Street spine.”   That is a characterization that the city’s spokeswoman refused to comment on recently.  Minot’s comment does beg the question:  Is that the opinion of city hall as well?.

In the city’s June 24 announcement to make this a safer and cleaner place to be, it also stated that the Portland Police Department is planning to establish a new, temporary community policing center in the Monument Square area in the near future.  The city’s announcement did not give a justification or rationale for this facility in the upscale area of downtown Portland.

Two  email queries to the Portland Police Department asking for a justification or ratonale for this action went unanswered.  Specifically, this blogger asked the Department spokesman if there were an increase in the number of arrests made in the area or other disturbances in the area requiring police attention.  Rather, the Department never responded.  In fact, the Department’s spokesmen denied ever receiving any query from this blogger.   My computer dashboard indicates otherwise.  Instead, the spokesman said the Department continues to look for an appropriate location for this new community policing center in the Monument Square area.

“You can put  lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.”