Policing improves neighborhood — Four littered ng pro ne m of gh the drivers r ht>fore responding to colls for help. "Iris Court was a hell hole." police Officer Dave Grady recalls Today, the low-income housing project on the city 's north side is a model of cairn. Trim lawns, hods of mums and marigolds, park hern lies and playground equipment dot the 45-unit complex. "It's just an entirely different place," said Tabor, a retired nurse near 80. "Now. I feel safe." Residents say the credit goes to the Portland Police Bureau's c ommunity policing program, sim ilar to what President Bill Clinton and Congress hope will spread nationwide with the help of thousands of extra officers. The Senate authorized $8 9 billion to put 100.000 community police officers on the streets over five years. The Mouse authorized $3.45 bil lion for 50,000 more police over six years The dif ferences in the legislation should be reconciled early next year. Under the Portland program, officers work city wide with residents to reduce crime and steer chil dren away from drugs and gangs. They work with schools, social service agencies, neighborhood associations and volunteers. Officers get out of their patrol cars and walk beats. Before community policing came to ins Court, the housing project had 208 crimes from 1989-90, including a total of 98 drug violations, assaults and gang crimes. "We just lived in fear," Tabor said. After community policing took over, total crimes dropped to just 94 for 1991 Then in 1992, the tally fell to 74. Overall, there were 8,084 crimes against people in Portland in 1989 and 8.390 in 1992. Change at the project started in late 1990, when looking for drugs PORT!.AND (AP) years ago. syringes I Sav ilia Tabor's housi joct A constant sir cars flowed throu) neighborhood, their Police donned riot gent polii e barricaded one end of the main street bor dering Iris Court to block drive-through traffic With the help of residents and volunteers, they tore out all the shrubs and bushes where attac k ers might hide They evu ted residents who dealt drugs They built playgrounds for i hildren. And Grady was assigned to walk the area, con spicuously in uniform. On a recent late fall day. residents of Iris Court waved from their doorways as Cradv walked through the one-story brick complex Tabor emerged from her apartment to give the officer a hug. a smile and a promise that she's going to hake him more cookies real soon Community policing, however, is not without its i ritics Larry Hoover, criminal justice professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Texas, said the approach is too close to community c on trol by authorities. "Taken to its logic al conclusion, community policing puts the police in the role of community managers." Hoover said It leads to ignoring the c entral mission of the police, which is crime con trol. "You've got officers taking kids to the zoo instead of tracking down violent parole abscon ders." he said. But jane Rosevear disagrees As projec I c oordi nator for the Mvc ap Portsmouth Leadership Club at Portsmouth Middle Sc bool in Portland. Rose vear knows firsthand that community pole mg c an keep children out of trouble "If somebody wouldn't have stepped into tin life!. | wouldn’t lie here. " she said Portland got a head start on its community policing program bec ause a proliferation of neigh borhood associations already existed The assoc i ations wore set tip in the 1970s is part of a model c ities program. Today, thev work with police offi cers. "It has to he community and police working together," said J.W Friday, a community liaison between polic e and Iris Court residents Panel hopes to remove lobbyists OLYMPIA (AP) — Lobbies may be for lobbyists, but a mar bled lobby between the House and Senate should lie cleared of lobbyists' telephones, furniture, message desk and copy machine, a special commission on ethics says. Others retorted Tuesday that lobbyists aro important consul tants to lawmakers trying to make laws and are easy to find in their third-floor headquarters, called "Ulcer Gulch.” The spacious corridor — pro vided free to the lobbyists’ asso ciation, "The Third House” — sometimes resembles a cocktail party when jammed with jabber ing lobbyists. It's a good place to be when the House and Senate are meet ing behind the big wood doors at each end. "This is really a symbolic issue," said Mary Kay Becker, a member of the state Commission on Ethics and Government The panel, formed by the 1093 Leg islature and Gov. Mike Lowry, is forging an entire package of pro posals to improve ethics and public trust in politics. It hopes to finish next week. "This is symbolic of the dom ination of the process by paid lobbyists and organized special CORRECTION A commentary published in the Nov. 23 Emerald incorrectly stated the Emer ald's corporate mission The statement should have read that the “sole and exclusive purpose of this nonprofit corporation is to provide education and train ing for University of Oregon students in all aspects of newspaper operation through production of an independent student news paper." interests," she said. Clearing the lobbyists' para phernalia from the lobby "would really send a good message that the Legislature is the people's Legislature," Becker added The former Bellingham lawmaker, a Democrat, said the idea is just a preliminary recommendation to the Legislature. The state Senate rejected a similar idea in the late 1980s, when it was suggested by House Clerk Alan Thompson He applauded the ethics panel, say ing the presence of a lobbying headquarters in the corridor is "inappropriate.” "Some people see them there and have the feeling it isn't a seemly use of the Capitol Rotun da. I mean, time has marched on from the days when they worked out of coat pockets," said Thompson, who retires next month. Lobbyists now have cellular phones and beepers and don’t need all the impedimenta in the hallway. But lobbyists and others argue that their presence in the north lobby benefits everybody Debbie Gjerde, manager of the Third House, said the facility is used by lobbyists representing such disparate groups as women’s rights advoi .ites and power companies "They're not all Honings and hig business." she said "1 don't care where you put the (headquarters) — down stairs, in Tacoma — it is not going to prevent anyone from gathering in the public a< cess of the building, and we're certain ly going to gather where we can talk to legislators," Gjerde said Gjerde also challenged the assumption that lobbyists have more access to lawmakers than the average citizen does "I've heard some of our mem bers say they feel like they're getting crowded out by the gen eral public." she said "I've seen regular citizens pull their legis lators out of the i handlers by sending in a note just like lob byists do. Citizens are being more sophistiuited all the time " Sen. Sid Snyder, D-I.ong Hem ll. sees the proposal as well meaning but ultimately silly "Wo have to talk to lobbyists Sometimes they have informa tion we need." he said. And lobbyists represent ordi nary citizens. Snyder said "If you're a member of a labor union, a consumer, a poor person or any whatever," you’ve got a lobby ist somewhere in that crowd. MUllNinS Overraler* Anonymous will conduct » gratitude meeting today from 12 10 to I 30 p tu in the parlor of Kntnonu Center New comers are welcome Feel free to bring MISCKU.ANMH’S Outdoor Program will show a video on Columbia tiorgr windsurfing titled St ream mg Water* tmlav at 12 lOp in in Room 17. 1 Ml I basement (behind the video arcade) Par more information, call MM365 Student government will have a gr>*v*(M «• table today from 9 a rn to 3 p m m the FMl' lobby For more information, call 146-3160 Career Planning and Placement Service announces tfeast the U S Marine Corps will have 4 table today from 10 a m to 2 p m in the KM I Alpha Lambda l>alta has application* available lor a $3X100 graduate fellowship lor member* In Hooin 3f>4 Otajoo Mull The application* should be returned to Koger Morn* tn l)w 7 I ugrnr Pvsrjworki will have a {*