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For the past two years, OPAL has been lead by co-directors Joseph Santos-Lyons and Jonathan Ostar, overseeing the development and implementation of OPAL’s Transit Justice and Health Equity program, identification and initiation of transit justice campaign work, and solidification of a strong base of members and coalition partners. As 2011 ends and the new year begins, Joseph is transitioning away from OPAL to focus his full attention on developing another organization dear to his heart, the Asian Pacific-American Network of Oregon (APANO). Joseph is a visionary and a leader of Portland’s environmental justice network, and while his leadership will be sorely missed at OPAL, he is forever part of the OPAL family and we expect to continue working with Joseph in myriad ways. Joseph can be reached at APANO at jsantoslyons@apano.org.
In Joseph’s absence, co-founder Jon Ostar takes over as the Executive Director, looking to continue building OPAL’s vision of strong, empowered and connected communities working toward equity and justice. OPAL is excited to welcome its new Director of Organizing, Galadriel Mozee. And now, in her own words…
“Hello! My name is Galadriel Mozee and I recently joined the OPAL team as the new Director of Organizing. My goal is to take OPAL to the next level of empowering and developing leaders within communities of color and low-income communities around issues of environmental justice. Environmental justice work is human rights work: the right to live in a safe, clean and accessible community, the right to affordable and accessible transit and equitable municipal services, the right to healthy food and clean drinking water. I am dedicated to this work, having previously worked as the Program Coordinator for The Healing Roots Center, Associate Director at Sisters of the Road, and most recently as a diversity and organizational structure consultant for non-profits. At the heart of my work is a belief in self-determination, that the voices of those most impacted by discrimination and oppression are the voices that will and must determine and define the work going forward. I am committed to direct communication, authentic relationships and genuine community-building. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in the OPAL family, both old and new, and I can’t wait to hear from you.”
Please take a moment to appreciate and thank Joseph for his work building OPAL and send him well wishes for his continued work with APANO. And stop by the office to say hi to Galadriel or drop her a line at galadriel@opalpdx.org. Get ready for big things in 2012!
 OPAL Board Chair Ben Duncan briefs EPA Region 10 Administrator Dennis McLerran on statewide EJ issues OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon was part of a delegation honored by the Environmental Protection Agency for its work with the Governor’s Task Force on Environmental Justice in Salem on December 16, 2011. OPAL is represented by Board Chair Ben Duncan, who serves as the Task Force’s Chair (and represents the Multnomah County Health Department on the Task Force), and Executive Director Jonathan Ostar, who serves as the Task Force’s Vice-Chair. The EJ Task Force was created by 2007 legislation sponsored by former Senator Avel Gordly, and imposes environmental justice obligations on the state’s natural resource agencies, with the Task Force serving as an advisory body to the Governor and as a liaison and partner for the agencies. The EPA presented the Task Force with its Environmental Justice National Achievement Award for its work developing cultural competency standards for agency management and institutionalizing demographic mapping tools to better identify and assess environmental justice issues and concerns related to agency programs and decisions.
Wednesday 12/21 4:00 – 6:30 pm
Bus Stop POP! Is a form of community education and reclamation that turns neglected bus stops into the center of community celebration. At least once per month EPBS Project will POP up at a bus stop in East Portland that needs some community love. We’ll offer riders hot beverages, snacks, information about the project and OPAL and an opportunity to reclaim the bus stop as community space through active participation. Bus Stop POP is about having fun and building community!
Meet at 4pm at the SE corner of 82nd and Powell (Carl’s Jr. parking lot)
Bus Stop Workshop: Action Meeting for the EPBS Project
Monday Dec 12th | 6:00-8:00 PM
OPAL Office 2407 SE 49th Ave, Portland OR 97206
We are hosting a Bus Stop Workshop for community members interested in the East Portland Bus Stop (EPBS) Project Dec 12. This meeting will be a chance for folks to learn more about the project and start getting involved right away. The goal of this project is to increase the number of transit rides and walking by residents of low-income communities and communities of color in East Portland, while decreasing the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips by advocating for much needed transit stop improvements. EPBS Project also aims to increase ownership of bus stops by the people who use them and to transform our bus stops into community spaces where people gather and connect.
Are you interested in the direct and dynamic action of our upcoming Bus Stop POP events? Getting out in the community to educate folks about bus stop improvements? Or is working with a team to assess the bus stops we use daily for accessibility and improvements more your thing? We need your skills and enthusiasm in these areas and more!
We’ll be providing food and childcare so please bring the family! We’ll also be able to provide folks with a single trip bus ticket to help offset traveling costs.
Looking forward to seeing you December 12th from 6 – 8pm at OPAL! RSVP with Myrna Andrade (971) 340-4866 or myrna@opalpdx.org
WHAT: OPAL to present analysis for a 3 hour transfer and transfers after 7pm good all night to Trimet Board
WHEN: Wednesday, September 28th; Rally at 8:00 AM, TriMet Board Meeting at 9:00 AM
WHERE: The Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue
WHY: Transit riders seek relief from service cuts and value restored to TriMet service.
“With longer waiting times between buses and more overcrowded buses, service is less reliable and bus riders struggle to meet their basic needs, having to purchase additional single-trip fares at greater expense for less service.”
–Teresa Soto de Roman, OPAL Bus Riders Unite! Leadership Team member
OPAL Bus Riders Unite along with representatives from 30 endorsing organizations call on TriMet to adopt a 3 hour transfer and make transfers after 7pm good all night. OPAL volunteers have collected 6,000 petitions and conducted a 6 month grassroots campaign of research, community meetings and engagement with TriMet Board and Staff. Key leaders and allies will make a formal presentation to the TriMet Board on September 28th at 9:00 AM.
Continue reading Rally for Fair Transfer at TriMet Board 9/28
OPAL community organizers and leaders from our Bus Riders Unite are inviting interested people who depend on TriMet and want to fight to improve the system to give us a call, send us an email, drop by our office, to get more connected with our grassroots advocacy. Drop by our office on the corner of 49th and SE Division, or better yet give us a call at 971-340-4866.
The Campaign for a Fair Transfer
As cohabitants of this city, we all share a basic human right to safe, affordable and accessible transportation. And yet here in the Portland metro region, champion of “livability”, those who depend on public transportation are disproportionately bearing the burden of TriMet’s decisions to cut service and increase fares. The value of a TriMet fare has never been lower, wait times between buses have never been longer, and riders are getting squeezed with missed connections and overcrowded buses and pass-bys. OPAL’s Bus Riders Unite! leadership has launched a Campaign for a Fair Transfer to restore value to the system by increasing transfer times to 3 hours and extending rides through the end of service for evening boardings.
Continue reading Street Roots Op-Ed Features Campaign for a Fair Transfer
Our friend Trillium Shannon at KBOO Community Radio joined OPAL’s Bus Riders Unite! crew while we were in the community, organizing bus riders around the Campaign for a Fair Transfer. This hour-long radio show features an interview with our extended family – the LA Bus Riders Union – followed by interviews with our crew about what we’re doing to build power for transit justice.
Campaign for a Fair Transfer
Length: 58:29 minutes (23.42 MB)
Format: MP3 Mono 22kHz 56Kbps (CBR)
 Our next Bus Riders Unite General Meeting is coming up Saturday!
General BRU Meeting
Saturday, April 23rd 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
OPAL Office 2407 SE 49th Ave (at SE Division) TriMet #4, 14, 71
We’ll be giving an update and overview of our transit equity Campaign for a Fair Transfer, new information about TriMet’s decision-makers, and work in small groups to develop ways to make our voices heard to TriMet’s Board of Directors. There will be a brief presentation on Who’s Who of the TriMet Board:
- Dr. T. Allan Bethel – NE Portland
- Lynn Lehrbach – East Multnomah County
- Richard VanBeveran –Washington County
- Consuelo Saragoza – SE Portland
- Hakeem Olanrewaju – Clackamas County
- Steve Clark — Westside
Please RSVP for the meeting by calling 971-340-4861 or email grayce@opalpdx.org
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