Portland pianist to be missed
Editor,
I'm Dr. Daniel Swayze, a student of legendary pianist and Portland native, Mark Westcott, who recently passed away peacefully in Edmonds, WA on March 30th, 2024, at the age of 75. He is survived by his sister as well as his dear friends and piano students. I believe if you examine the record you will find him to be the most accomplished pianist the city has ever produced. You may find some additional details on his website – http://markwestcottpianist.com. I write in the hopes that his incredible musical legacy will be recognized.
Westcott sought comfort through his teaching, explorations of Oregon’s wilderness areas, and in gardening, eventually winning prizes instead for his chrysanthemums. In his later years, Westcott gave many master classes in his hometown of Portland, passing down his musical knowledge to many disciples. Those who studied with Westcott regularly during this time were treated as more than students and he took on a role more like that of a guru than a teacher, often spending hours away from the piano sharing life, stories, and artistic thought.
Westcott’s legacy lives on through numerous recordings, many of which are freely available on YouTube, as well as his memoir “Playing With Love”, and the traditions of piano playing he passed on to his followers.
Dr. Daniel Swayze
via email
Best we keep this tax
Editor,
Next month we will be asked to vote on whether to keep Portland’s ten cent per gallon gasoline tax. I am urging you to vote yes.
Every college teaches courses in public finance. Oregon, generally – and Portland, specifically – are not cited as examples of best practices. We see the outcomes of bad tax policy all around us – fewer police and firefighters, potholes in the roads, and poorly maintained parks.
In the late 1990s we instituted a tax measure that limited property taxes to a 3% annual increase. This seemed like a good idea at the time; but now, twenty-odd years later, we are faced with a general fund for Oregon governments that has trouble meeting the needs of basic services. Governments and citizen initiatives have evaded the purpose of the tax limitation measures, with special taxes – quite a bewildering array of them – designed to meet the goals of special interests. Some are good, some are foolish, and some are largely ignored.
Unfortunately, road repair has fallen between the potholes! Our streets are in terrible shape. Because we lack the funding for proper maintenance, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBoT) is forced into short-term repairs. That does not work for very long.
When PBoT’s current Commissioner, Mingus Mapps, called me recently to enlist my help, I was happy to agree. I had worked with then-PBoT Commissioner Steve Novick a decade ago to implement the tax. Things were bad then. They are worse today. Hopefully, the shift to a new city structure at the end of this year will lead to more rational city priorities.
The day before Mingus’ call, a pothole in Taylor’s Ferry Road exploded my right front tire! This is the relatively steep road that goes down the hill to Macadam. Luckily, my car did not swerve to the right – despite the tire being shredded – which would have sent me to the bottom of a fifty-foot gulch. If it had, Mingus’ call might well have been too late!
Obviously, the right solution is more professional management and centralized budgeting. We are hoping that the new city charter will deliver this result. In the meantime, we really do need to maintain the existing funding to keep the streets as safe as possible.
So, please, neighbors – please check the box to continue our local gasoline tax to fund street repair. It is not too dramatic to say that sometimes our lives depend upon it.
Robert McCullough
Eastmoreland
A word on behalf of the Zoo
Editor,
I hope voters realize that by approving the renewal of the Oregon Zoo Bond, voters can make a critical investment in education without raising tax rates. I’m referring to Measure 26-244. Hundreds of thousands of children visit the zoo or participate in the zoo’s educational programming each year. . . Our Zoo is a living classroom where community members of all ages and backgrounds can learn through field trips, hands-on experiences, and immersive programming. The unique learning opportunities at the Zoo are accessible to all kinds of learners. Children can establish connections with nature and grow a sense of responsibility for wildlife. Older visitors can benefit from interactive exhibits that communicate animal behaviors and educate about crucial conservation efforts. And for those exploring careers in the sciences, the Zoo is a place where classroom knowledge comes to life. Voting to empower learning for everyone helps us build a more vibrant community. Please join me and vote yes on Measure 26-244.
Scott Robinson
Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Metro (retired)
Eastmoreland resident
Benefit concert postponed
Editor,
Thanks for publishing [the “Events” calendar listing in the April BEE] about our benefit concert [for nonprofit “Know Thy Food”] planned for April 28. Unfortunately, just after THE BEE arrived, I was diagnosed with a serious heart problem, with surgery scheduled for late April or early May, so we need to postpone the concert. Can you just put a note in the next BEE that the concert will take place at a later date? I assume that people will get the May issue in time to change their calendars for late April. Thanks for an excellent local newspaper. I enjoy reading it and feel more in touch with this part of Portland because of what you do.
Sincerely,
Barbara Ulman
EDITOR’S NOTE: We wish Barbara the best in her upcoming surgery. Unfortunately, quite a few events lately have had last-minute changes due to the weather, or other unforeseen situations. We do later update the “Events” for each month on our two monthly websites – www.TheBeeNews.com and www.ReadTheBee.com – when we learn of changes. Meantime, events listings in print contain the latest information we’ve received from the various nonprofit organizations that submit events listings as of the date we go to press.
Cold Case conviction in Gresham not reported
Editor,
Surprised you didn’t report on the trial of Barb’s murderer (Robert Plympton). Her murder was in Gresham, where she had just moved to attend college. But from birth until a few months prior to her death she had lived at her parents’ home at S.E. Milwaukie and Flavel. She was a Sellwood-Moreland girl, and the trial a couple of weeks ago for this cold case made national news.
Dan and Catherine Brown
via e-mail
EDITOR’S NOTE: I was not named the editor of THE BEE until twenty years later, and I was unaware the victim was a Sellwood-Westmoreland resident. For those wondering what case the Browns are referring to, on the night of January 15, 1980, passersby in Gresham swerved their cars around a woman waving her arms out of desperation in the middle of the street, according to the Gresham Outlook newspaper, a sister publication to THE BEE. Witnesses reported seeing Barbara Mae Tucker escaping a wooded area; some even reported her face was dirty and bleeding. No one stopped, but some watched as a man emerged from the trees and pulled Tucker back into the woods from where he came. The following morning, a student found her body in the bushes. The medical examiner determined that Tucker had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. It is a sad commentary on those who witnessed this that apparently nobody bothered to report this disturbing scene to the police. But the police never gave up, and solved this cold case recently using DNA evidence from a piece of discarded chewing gum by a suspect in the case who was under observation in connection to the case. The suspect, Robert Arthur Plympton, now age 60, was positively identified by the DNA evidence and arrested, and has now been convicted of first degree murder in the case and has been sent to prison. We regret not being aware of the Inner Southeast connection of this story at the time, and we appreciate the Browns’ note to advise us of the fact, so that we can now here update the story for our readers. -- Eric Norberg