Rizk Law Cleans Up Portland

Posted on behalf of RizkLaw on Jul 13, 2021 in Uncategorized

The Rizk Law team recently came together to help clean up our community. Richard and Jill Rizk actively participate in city improvement programs such as “Transportation Ambassadors” for the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The opportunity allows us to extend our reach into the community further and keep more Portlanders safe! 

Our team gathered at Pride Plaza on the new Harvey Milk Street. The Pride Plaza at SW 12th Ave and Harvey Milk Street opened Fourth of July Weekend and will be a new LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood. The space will feature street art, public seating, and community activities. It will also have an expanded space for businesses to use on the street. 

Harvey Milk Street was recently renamed after gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Previously, Harvey Milk Street was named Stark Street, after Benjamin Stark. However, protests began in 2017 after activists noted that Stark was a racist who advocated for slavery. In June 2018, city council members approved the name change, formally renaming a 13-block portion of Stark Street to Southwest Harvey Milk Street. 

Our team helped add a pop of color to the street by painting street murals near and abutting Jake’s Famous Crawfish in Downtown Portland. Musicians jammed around the freshly painted and brightly colored polka-dotted street. After months of Covid-induced isolation, spirits were high as Portlanders finally socialized while taking positive steps to reclaim Portland’s soul through artistic expression fueled by love, kindness, and appreciation for the strength that flows from our differences.   

The community plaza on Harvey Milk Street is one of many throughout Portland and is a component of the Safe Streets Initiative. Other plazas include the Dream Street Plaza, Parkrose Marketplace, and Madison Street Plaza at the Portland Art Museum. The purpose of the initiative is to encourage residents to support local businesses by temporarily giving people more space to walk, bike, rollerblade, and shop. To help with this, our team also took to the streets to pick up trash and make our city cleaner.