The person who died after being struck by a MAX mild rail prepare on Wednesday was 81-year previous Michael O’Callaghan. He was a lifelong activist who organized and carried out a number of profitable neighborhood initiatives in over a half-century of public service. And he confirmed no indicators of slowing down, as he ran an inspiring marketing campaign for Portland Mayor simply final 12 months.
A few of us bought to know “Mayor Mike” throughout his latest mayoral marketing campaign and his common attendance at Bike Completely happy Hour. Mike, who lived in a makeshift shelter on Portland streets for the previous 15 years, was keen to talk throughout open mic and inform us about his concepts.
Zack Reinhardt, a mechanic at Splendid Cycles close to the doorway to the Springwater Hall path, informed BikePortland that Mike was a great buddy of the store. “Mayor Mike was a fixture of southeast Portland,” Zack shared. “You could possibly usually discover him consuming espresso at Spielman’s bagels on Division or using his bike alongside the Springwater.”
Right here’s extra from Zack:
“He would typically go to Splendid Cycles to thank us for offering an open water spigot to the general public, sometimes bringing us presents: freshly picked flowers, a potted orchid, and even as soon as hand-crafted blackberry wine. He was a dwelling instance of kindness and generosity.”
Mike hailed from Anchorage, Alaska the place he was identified for many years of grassroots activism that centered on serving to folks in want. Whether or not it was making a gift of free meals from the again of his bicycle trailer or free bicycles from a motorbike share program he created in 1977 — Mike by no means shied away from a daring thought and was the quintessential do-it-yourselfer.
In 1987, his work earned him a point out as an “unsung hero” in Newsweek journal.
When Mike moved to Portland, he helped begin the Proper to Dream homeless camp and garnered headlines when he represented himself in a lawsuit in opposition to the town over the tenting ordinance.
Mike had such an impression on his former hometown that the Anchorage Day by day Information printed a where-are-they-now profile of him in 2020. Right here’s an excerpt from that article:
“For a number of many years, Michael O’Callaghan was considered one of Anchorage’s most colourful activists and political gadflies. His causes had been myriad and large ranging. With him now in Portland, is there anybody left in Anchorage that mixes his combination of humanism, aptitude for the dramatic and quixotic inclinations?”
It’s nonetheless unclear what precisely occurred earlier than Mike was struck and killed. He lived alongside the Springwater Hall, very near the rail crossing at SE eighth and Division, and had seemingly made it throughout that very same intersection numerous occasions with none issues. What we do know is that Portland has misplaced a beautiful human who embodied a lot of what makes our metropolis so particular.
Relaxation in peace Mayor Mike.
Study extra about Mike:
