Features The winner of Portland's adult pinewood derby had a victory speech."This trophy is for all the gay Boy Scouts—EVER!" Nic Peteresen said as he hoisted his award.It was a nice way to end a long night of racing as the Stumptown 40 rolled through Spirit of '77. Miniature cars built from kits that include a block of wood, four nails and four plastic wheels race down a ramp two at a time in the ...   More

News At one high school in Portland, only 38 percent of black kids graduate in four years, according to data released by the Oregon Department of Education on Friday. It’s Lincoln High—the worst in the district for black students graduating on time, according to data released for the 2010-11 school year.Lincoln, meanwhile, has the highest overall graduation rate among PPS high schools (84 percent), ...   More

News African-American students across Multnomah County are being suspended and expelled from middle and high schools at nearly 3.5 times the rate of white students, according to a report released Jan. 10 by the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families & Community.The report finds disparity among the treatment of Hispanic and Native American students as well—a trend that's been also been found ...   More

News In the past couple weeks, ever since the intensity surrounding TBA:09 has been ratcheting up, I've been hearing the name Young Jean Lee. Seems like Lee's theater piece The Shipment has been on the tip of every tongue, as one of the premiere works in a festival full of them. Did it live up to the hype? Yep, it did. The Shipment is a strange, abrasive, gut-check--a frank examination of racism ...   More

News Alice Huffman, a self-described auntie who wouldn't even let you smoke in the backyard, uttered this classic line at last week's national marijuana conference in Portland: "I'm with a group of pot lovers and I'm loving it!" Huffman, president of California's NAACP chapter, was a speaker at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws conference at the Governor Hotel. Californians ...   More