One of the most amazing and unexpected thrills of my life occurred some 25 years ago. The city of Portland had tried to buy the historic Paramount Theater on Broadway that started life in the 1920’s as an ornate movie and vaudeville palace and in 1974 was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

This was a wonderful 2000-seat venue, and along with the Seattle Paramount was African-American owned and happily block-booking solid live acts at reasonable prices. So they did NOT want to sell.

Well, the city wanted it in the worst way as part of their new Downtown Performing Arts Center. And so in 1983 they instituted condemnation proceedings to get it. And I went crazy. I wrote Letters to Editors of the Oegonian and television stations. I wrote the City Council. I talked to anyone who would listen. All to no avail, I’m sorry to say.

But soon after the deed was done, I was driving up Broadway and as always glanced at the Paramount marquee. To my astonishment, the final posting on that revered marquee was a thank you to Citizen Carolan Gladden!