Special Report: Photo stories of Asperger’s Syndrome

Below you will find five feature stories produced by Street Roots, Leah Nash and the Regional Arts and Culture Council on understanding Asperger’s Syndrome.

The project was made possible in partnership with Street Roots and the Regional Arts & Culture Council in an effort to chronicle the diversity of this complex diagnosis of autism, illustrating the challenges and beauty of an unconventional life.

When you ask 11-year-old Willie Rates about life with Asperger’s, he seems comfortable with his place in the world, both figuratively and literally.

Part I: Catching the snowflake: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome

Please click on icon to enlarge.

Part II: The comfort of acceptance: A photo story of Asperger’s (Part two)

Please click on icon to enlarge.

Part III: Pretending to be normal: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome

Thomas Olrich, 35, was diagnosed with Asperger’s four years ago. He says he always knew he was different. “I knew something was up. I was always upset, always scared. Something was not clicking.”

Part IV: The man I am: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome 

Diagnosed with autism in fourth grade, Leska says, “I knew I was different but I didn’t know why and I had no idea how different I was. I realized that everything I wanted socially, to talk to other little kids and play with them, never happened. It did not happen.” Leska’s autism symptoms were not at the forefront until an unexpected divorce led to an autism regression and subsequent Asperger’s diagnosis almost 40 years later.

 Part V: New Found Aspigations: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome

About this series: Autism is the fastest growing disability in the U.S. with an economic impact of more than $90 billion. The Center for Disease Control reports that now one in 110 children are being classified with autism spectrum disorders, compared to one in 10,000 in the 1970s, and according to the Autism Society of Oregon, our state has one of the highest rates of autistic diagnosis in the country.

New Found Aspirgations: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome

Leska Emerald Adams, 51, lives with friend, boss and domestic partner Lynn Szender and Leska’s Newfoundland service dog, Orka, in Oregon City.

This is the final of five installments from Street Roots and photographer Leah Nash on Asperger’s Syndrome. See the first four installments here.

The project was made possible in partnership with Street Roots and the Regional Arts & Culture Council in an effort to chronicle the diversity of this complex diagnosis of autism, illustrating the challenges and beauty of an unconventional life.

Diagnosed with autism in fourth grade, Leska says, “I knew I was different but I didn’t know why and I had no idea how different I was. I realized that everything I wanted socially, to talk to other little kids and play with them, never happened. It did not happen.” Leska’s autism symptoms were not at the forefront until an unexpected divorce led to an autism regression and subsequent Asperger’s diagnosis almost 40 years later.

In her own words: Leska Emerald Adams

The first time I read about another being having anything near the same experiences and consciousness as me was the vampire revelation, as a teenager reading Anne Rice’s first vampire book, “Interview with the Vampire.” It was a delicious lightning bolt recognition that let me know that somebody out there could relate, albeit a mythical character in fiction. 

Best quotes from Street Roots interviews in 2011

“I don’t think we’re in the buggy whip business just yet. But I sometimes wonder if we’re going to be the last. I’m not nostalgic, but I enjoy, and still think most people do, the printed book. It’s a question of how much you have to accommodate the new technologies and how much you continue to make what you do important to people.”

— Michael Powell, former owner of Powell’s City of Books, on reading and books, Jan. 20

“The plans that are now called Cadillac health plans are what we used to call adequate health plans. There’s been a trend in this country over and over, to blame segments of the population for our health care costs rising out of control. And the truth is that the blame lies in the fact that we don’t have a health system. We don’t allocate our health resources or make decisions in a rational way, based on what the needs are and what our resources are. Instead we have this for-profit industry all trying to eat from our health-care pie.”

— Dr. Margaret Flowers, Physicians for National Health Program, doctor, activist, on the health-care system and reform, Feb. 4

“The reality is, to be successful on the housing front, locally and at the state level, we need a big coalition. Part of this is about the confidence and maturity of a movement, and its willingness to build a big tent.”

— Nick Fish, Portland City Commissioner, on resource development for housing and homeless services, March 4

2012 Rose City Resource Guide is in!

The Dec. 2011-June 2012, Street Roots’ Rose City Resource Guide is in!

Street Roots will not be delivering guides until after the New Year. If you or your agency/organization would like to receive guides you can come into the office for pick-up Monday through Friday, 7:30AM until 3PM, at 211 NW Davis.

If you would like to inquire about the guide or have any questions please us at pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com.

The Rose City Resource Guide is a 104-page resource guide for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Portland region. Street Roots works with more than 200 organizations and institutions to distribute the guide, including social service providers, health care agencies, hospitals, law enforcement, government agencies and others.

Street Roots publishes the guide in partnership with the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the City of Gresham, United Way of Columbia-Willamette, 211info, the Portland Trail Blazers, Sisters Of The Road, NW Natural, Planned Parenthood, JOIN, Office of Neighborhood Involvement, Transition Project Inc., Potluck in the Park, the Oregon Food Bank, Central City Concern, Portland Rescue Mission, Human Solutions and Swanson, Thomas and Coon Attorneys At Law.

‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ playing in my head and heart

On Dec. 6, I got the call from Emily Hutchinson, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) from the Veterans housing. She asked me, “Any word yet?” I replied, “No.” But they did say it would take two weeks. So, tomorrow I’m going to call Home Forward. Emily suggested I call The Morrison to see if they passed inspection so I could move in.

I called The Morrison and Amanda answered. I told her who I was and that I was waiting on word to find out if I could move in. She informed me that Dan, the manager, wasn’t in. Then she said, “I’ll call him and ask him.”

My heart sank. I’ve heard this many times. It always ends up with, “Sorry we couldn’t accept you.” But this was an inspection. Either way, I knew from my experiences that something was going to prevent me from getting into housing.

Happy holidays from Street Roots. We appreciate your love!

Dear Street Rooters,

From all of us at Street Roots, we want to wish you a very happy holiday!

Vendors feel a sense of community year-round, but it’s at these times that your support of the vendor program goes above and beyond. Our vendors have been reporting just how kind you have been during the holiday season. We appreciate your love.

In the past week, three vendors received housing through the support of Street Roots and community organizations. Please take the time to read Charles Yost’s Vendor Profile, he is home after being homeless since 1979. You can also check out columnist Leo Rhodes, who is home in time for the holiday.

In the past year, SR has helped secure housing for people on the streets and prevented others from becoming homeless. We know how important the relationships built between vendors, businesses and readers are. We also know how important the newspaper has become for the community and a vehicle to deliver stories that you simply aren’t going to find anywhere else.

Vendor profile: Arriving home after a long journey homeless

Street Roots vendor Charles Yost gets his key

By Cole Merkel, Staff Writer

Home is a place many of us have the privilege to take advantage of. It is a place to rest one’s head and relax, a sanctuary with a hinged door to close the world out or invite it in. Creating a home doesn’t necessarily take much: four walls and a roof, a bed, a kitchenette and bathroom with a few windows to let in the natural light.

Street Roots vendor Charles Yost had not had his own private space to call home since 1979 when he moved away from his family in Virginia. That is, until Dec. 15, when Northwest Pilot Projects secured him a unit at the Morrison Apartments, a LEED-Gold certified, income-contingent building across the street from Jeld-Wen Field. Together, we headed to his new apartment.

The man I am: A photo story of Asperger’s Syndrome

Thomas Olrich, 35, was diagnosed with Asperger’s four years ago. He says he always knew he was different. “I knew something was up. I was always upset, always scared. Something was not clicking.”

This the fourth installment of five from Street Roots and photographer Leah Nash on Asperger’s Syndrome. See the first three installments here. Look for the final piece in the up and coming Street Roots on Dec. 23.

The project was made possible in partnership with Street Roots and the Regional Arts & Culture Council in an effort to chronicle the diversity of this complex diagnosis of autism, illustrating the challenges and beauty of an unconventional life.

Thomas poses outside his apartment in the Pearl District with (right to left) his older sister Candice Kramer, her husband Jason Kramer, and their mother Cindy Taylor.

In his own words: Thomas Olrich

Living with Asperger’s is challenging. I have problems talking to people sometimes. Like when I’m trying to express myself it comes out wrong. I don’t understand what people say to me. Like I don’t pick up on verbal cues sometimes. I can’t pick up  on people’s gestures. Like when I talk to people that are not paying attention to me. I talk to them anyways. When people are working hard, I don’t understand that they can’t give me full attention. Having Asperger’s effects my social habits. My mood changes when I talk in social gatherings and I talk less. Having Asperger’s, I feel very alone sometimes and always feel vulnerable. I also feel ripped off. Asperger’s throws me curve balls. It makes everyday normal tasks like speaking,learning, and understanding harder.

Asperger’s upsets me, but I go a different route. I learn in steps and need structure to succeed. My family circle helps me find structure. My sister and brother-in-law helped me to become the successful man I am today. Having a job at Goodwill gives me structure, too. I also have really good medical care. My sweet pad in the Pearl is good for me, too! I’m bettering myself every day.

Extra! Extra!

Season’s greetings from the crew at Street Roots! The vendors will be gathering for a seasonal get together tomorrow morning before they head out with the new edition of the paper. So don’t forget to bring a buck and a smile to share with your friend on the corner. Here’s a look at what’s on the press:

Making a dream reality: Right 2 Dream Too’s success flies in the face of skeptics — and city policy. A photo package by Israel Bayer on the development of the little camp that could.

Jefferson Smith: Eastside’s legislator hits the citywide circuit with his own style of grassroots campaigning. The latest in Jake Thomas’ series of candidate interviews.

The last installment of Leah Nash’s series on Asperger’s Syndrome features Leska Emerald Adams’ ‘New Found Aspirgations.” Leska embraces the idiosyncrasies of Asperger’s and has overcome its many of the challenges with the help of Orka, her Newfoundland service dog.

City opens up overnight camping option for select sites: Faith-based and nonprofit organizations will get a free pass to allow up to four homeless vehicle campers on their property. With the winter shelter system up 150 percent over last year’s numbers, it’s expected to take in some of the overflow of families living in cars this winter.

Arriving home after a long journey homeless: Street Roots vendor Charles Yost gets the key to his apartment after years of working to get off the streets.  And while we’re at it, read vendor Leo Rhodes’ column. He signed the lease on his own apartment this week as well. Way to go, Charles and Leo!

All this and much more, including the latest column by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and introducing the commentary of author and professor of economics Robin Hahnel on the 99 percent. So pick one up for yourself and one for a friend in the spirit of the season. Thank you all for a fantastic year!

Vendor portraits — what does SR mean to you?

Street Roots has more than 250 vendors experiencing homelessness and poverty that sell the newspaper each year to improve their quality of life.

We dare you to look inside HUD’s budget cuts!

While the Obama Administration continues to tout ending homelessness, the realities speak for themselves. Our partners at the Western Regional Advocacy Project based in San Fransisco have come up with a U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fact sheet that outlines more devastating cuts on housing and homeless services at the national level.

This comes on the heels of conflicting reports by the U.S. Conference of Mayors outlining an increase in family homelessness, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness based Washington D.C. who claims homelessness declined in 2010-2011.

In Portland/Multnomah County and in Oregon homelessness increased during that same time period.

This year, the City of Portland is expecting millions of dollars in Federal cuts from HUD in the 2012-13 up and coming budget cycle.

If you’re still with us after all of that, check out the fact sheet that outlines more devastating cuts on housing and homeless services at the national level.

Posted by Israel Bayer

Candidate Interview: Charlie Hales

By Jake Thomas, Staff Writer

More than 30 years ago, Charlie Hales, a newly minted graduate of the University of Virginia, packed up his car and left for a city he had heard great things about: Portland. After falling in love with the city, he launched a career and got involved in Portland’s civic life, serving on the Hayhurst Neighborhood Association board and getting elected to City Council in 1993.

While on City Council, Hales became heavily involved with rail transit projects, particularly the streetcar line that runs through downtown and Northwest Portland and has drawn national attention for helping transform an old rail yard into a vibrant neighborhood. In 2002, Hales left City Council to take a position with HDR Engineering, where he worked on other rail projects in different parts of the country.

Hales is hoping to return to City Hall, this time as mayor, to address community policing, water and sewage rates, improving East Portland and other issues.

He talked with Street Roots after spending a morning volunteering with Friends of Trees, a nonprofit that seeks to expand Portland’s tree canopy.

“I’ve been at it for years. It’s really fun,” says Hales of working with the organization, where he has volunteered for 20 years and currently serves on its board.

Jake Thomas: Some of these streetcar and other rail projects that you’ve been associated with have significantly raised property values in nearby neighborhoods. The Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area was created, in part, for the MAX Yellow Line. There have been reports that a lot of people have had to leave Northeast because it’s too expensive. How do you make sure urban renewal works for everybody?

Charlie Hales: Urban renewal is a tool. How you use that tool matters. I think now we’re going to try and make sure that our urban renewal strategy is about small-scale neighborhood redevelopment, not grand-scale downtown redevelopment. We’ve done some grand-scale downtown redevelopment really well. I’m really proud of what we’ve done with the Pearl District and the whole west end of downtown that has been renovated. There’s a lot more affordable housing than there was before in downtown, there’s a lot more market-rate housing in downtown than there was before, and there are 12,000 people a day riding the streetcar.

We appreciate your love!

Dear Street Rooters,

Happy holidays!

Vendors feel a sense of community year-round, but it’s at these times that your support of the vendor program goes above and beyond. Our vendors have been reporting just how kind you have been during the holiday season. We appreciate your love.

In the past week, three vendors received housing through the support of Street Roots and community organizations. In the past year, SR has helped secure housing for people on the streets and prevented others from becoming homeless. We know how important the relationships built between vendors, businesses and readers are. We also know how important the newspaper has become for the community and a vehicle to deliver stories that you simply aren’t going to find anywhere else.

This year, we have delivered a special series and in-depth reporting on Traumatic Brain Injury and Asperger’s Syndrome. We have also been running interviews with local candidates for City Hall — giving you a perspective on how future leaders will represent our community on important poverty issues. We have featured the realities of HIV on the streets, given you budget policy analysis at a local and state level, covered the Occupy and grassroots homeless movements from the ground up and taken home an award for our on-going coverage of veterans and poverty.

Right 2 Dream Too ask for hardship waiver against looming penalties for Fourth and Burnside camp

Members of Right 2 Dream Too at a recent meeting to discuss their appeal with the city.

Right 2 Dream Too is appealing to the city to waive penalties against its camp at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Burnside while it works to address code violations issued by the Bureau of Development Services.

Right 2 Dream Too, which has operated an orderly camp at the entrance to Chinatown for more than two months, submitted its appeal to the BDS today. The group was cited in November for establishing an unpermitted recreational park-campground and for having a fence greater than six feet in height, also without a permit.

The document is as much a statement on the condition of homelessness in Portland today as it is an argument against the pending penalties, which could amount to nearly $600 a month.

“We’re trying to cooperate to the extent that we can,” says Michael Moore, one of the site’s organizers. “It’s not like an official waiver. The Director of Planning has the ability to (waive penalties) in special circumstances and we’re making the case that these circumstances warrant these consideration.”

In its appeal, the group says it believes the code being applied is overbroad, and that their site isn’t a “recreational” camp at all, but a facility for sheltering people who are homeless. The group says it is willing to work with the city to begin the permitting process on bringing the fence under code or finding a variance.

Unlike other tent cities of years past, Right 2 Dream Too has signed a one-year lease with the owners of the property at Fourth and Burnside, and since early October, the site has been home to approximately 70 people living in tents, supplied with a portable toilet and water, and bordered by a fence constructed of used doors.

“The extent and severity of the economic crisis that has led to a severe shortage of affordable housing and shelter space warrants consideration for a hardship waiver while we undertake this process. We have achieved more than many of us expected in terms of the impact we are having on the lives of Portland’s most disadvantaged and disenfranchised residents, those whom BDS’s mission to “Maintain safe and livable neighborhoods” is failing. We ask that the Bureau work with us to help extend this mission to all of Portland’s residents.”

Street Roots left a message for comment with Michael Liefeld, section manager for the BDS who has been handling this case, but he was not immediately available.

You can read the complete Right 2 Dream Too appeal here

Posted by Joanne Zuhl

Making Portland’s complex food deserts grow green

Fresh vegetables are the star at the new Village Market, a nonprofit grocery store serving low-income families in North Portland.

By Amanda Waldroupe, Staff Writer

Not having a grocery store near North Portland’s New Columbia neighborhood after Big City Produce closed in 2007, “was sad,” says resident Trevon Oliver.

Oliver, who has lived in New Columbia for four years, says people had to travel at least two and a half miles to the nearest grocery store, a Safeway in St. Johns neighborhood. Oliver traveled 12 miles to the WinCo on NE 102nd because food prices there were cheaper.

Grocery shopping became stressful. “A lot of people around here do not like to travel,” Oliver says. Two TriMet bus lines serve New Columbia, but only one runs regularly. Many in the elderly population who can’t drive relied upon friends or family for transportation. And some of New Columbia’s immigrant community — representing 22 countries and speaking 11 languages — are not fluent in English, and unfamiliar with Portland’s transportation system.