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--> --> Dignity Village gets six more months PORTLAND (AP) - Dignity Village, the tent city comprised of homeless people, will be allowed to stay near the Portland International Airport for six more months after a local man agreed to pay the city about $20,000 to cover the cost of moving its leaf-composting program. "Dignity Village is worth it," said Leland Larson of Happy Valley. "It's not a pie-in-the-sky idea. It's a dream that can be realized. I'm willing to go the distance with (the campers) because I care for them a lot." The village sits on a 7-acre parcel owned by the city, just southwest of the airport. The property, Sunderland Yard, normally is used in the fall to compost leaves from city streets. With the city's blessing, Dignity Village moved there in September from a spot beneath the foot of the Fremont Bridge's west end. Campers were told they'd have to find a new spot by Nov. 1. City Commissioner Erik Sten said it will cost the city roughly $20,000 to operate its leaf composting site for the six-month period. Larson's payment would give city officials the choice of either contracting out the composting to a local recycling company or using the money to make improvements at the Sunderland site. "I think it's the best idea for everyone," Sten said. "They've really done a remarkable job out there, and I think the worst thing we can do to them is force people into a neighborhood that doesn't want them." The village formed last year when a group of homeless people and advocates complained about the way many Portland area shelters are run. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing