Viking_Yearbook_68

132 The loss of the business community around P.S.C. will perhaps be tolerable, though certainly unpleasant. Those who continue to live in the neighborhood will have to shop elsewhere, perhaps downtown. Those who want to visit a tavern will have to walk several blocks further to do so. Much of the sponta– neity of P.S.C. living will be gone, but new commercial development, if un– dertaken before the land prices sky– rocket, may alleviate that by a few strategically placed taverns and a small market. The real tragedy of the situation is that there may, in fact, be no indepen– dent student community around Port– land State. The closing-in of the city around the college is now so rapid that there is little hope for development of anything other than skyscraper dormitories. The land is too expensive for standard apart– ments. Already it is almost impossible to find bachelor housing with cooking facilities and private bath for under $60 a month; within five years with the de– struction of most of the larger apart– ment houses and boarding facilities near P.S.C., it will be impossible to find any truly independent housing within rea– sonable walking distance of the college . The managers and proprietors of these apartments and businesses have, in many cases, considered themselves part of the college community, and rightly so. In conjunction with them, students lived, bought their food, worked and drank their beer. Many are bitter about their impending displace– ment, though most are resigned to it, having expected the expansion for sev– eral years. One of those most bitter is Papa John Vlahos, proprietor of the City Grocery for the past half-century. Moved from his original location years ago by the construction of State Hall, he feels that the State is a bit immoderate in their plans to move him again. " They' re nothing . but a bunch of hogs," says Papa, anger in his eyes. " They just condemn your place and take it to build another school building, and there isn' t anything you can do," he said, gesturing toward the brickwork on College Center. " Hell, I was here before any school. I don ' t have anything against the col– lege, but they could get a thousand acres of land somewhere else for every two they take away from businesses here. They ' re nothing but a bunch of hogs."