Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1985)
Black women N BA best and worst Tax shelters Page 2 Page 9 Page 10 PORTWND OBSERVER Volume XV, Num i** 15 Ribn.iary6, 1905 25c Copy Two Sections USAMMO« < f iir At/WuAie« C» . /•» ZM4 Death squads hit Peru by Robert Lothian In a dangerous development, death squad activity has spread to Peru. Amncsiy International, Hr prestigious human rights group, reports the death or disappearance of over 1,000 Peru vians, and human rights abuses occur ring on an unprecedented scale. “Government forces have launched a brutal campaign that has resulted in the “ disappearance" of more than 1,000 men. women and children,” Amnesty said in a report released in December. “ Hundreds o f others have been killed in custody, often after torture," the report continues. “ Human rights violations on this scale are unprecedented in modern Peru,” and the true scale of the abuses by government forces is unknown, according to Amnesty. The atrocities began after the Peru vian military declared 13 o f Peru’s 140 provinces an emergency zone and launched a campaign against the Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Path") guerilla movement. The Maoist guer illas themselves have been for scores of execution-style killings and torture o f civilians. Amnesty said. Relatives o f the disappeared in the emergency zone have learned to look for their loved ones in roadside dumping grounds, at the risk of being threatened with death by soldiers patrolling the roads, says Amnesty. Atrocities have been committed against peasants, local leaders, even grade school students. “ Young people appear to be a favorite target of these vicious attacks,” ar.d the death or disappearance o f 76 teenagers and children under IK has been document ed, said Amnesty. "Security patrols have raided schools as well as villages and homes to take away victirrs. All young people appear to be suspect — and so liable to disap pearance — in areas where the guer illas are active.” Amnesty said documents and testi monies have come directly from fam ilies and community representatives, churches, trade unions, humun rights organizations and lawyers. Zimbabwe prepares for elections Piedmont Loaves and Fishes opens Its newly re modeled kitchen facility at 6780 NE Cleveland St. The new equipment will make It possible to serve as many as 300 meals to ths elderly. IL-rl Donna Shackleford, Florence Terry. Mary Geneva Savage Jill Bills. Dick Masterbrook and Juna R. Kay. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Sunshine leaves Union Square by Lanita Duke GRASSROOT NEW S, N .W . — The sun has set on one o f Union Square’s first tenants—Sunshine Pizza— and may set on Ronaldo's Ice Cream Parlor. According to Bill Brumm, vice- president o f operations for Sunshine Pizza, “ We have never been able to make enough money. This was too heavy a burden on our company.” Ronaldo Mazyck, proprietor o f R onaldo’s Ice Cream Parlor, said negative publicity about the problem o f prostitution on Union Avenue has caused him to temporarily close his doors. “ Rather than focusing on the posi tive aspects o f Union Square, the major media outlets concentrated on the negative. An ice cream parlor needs families and families did not want to come around prostitution.” Mazyck also said (hat Union Square’s developer, Howard G alzer, prioritized larger businesses rather than individual businesses. “ If he was more in tune to negotiate with me as a small businessman, I might re open," he added Mazyck believes the rest is too high. "If rent was based on percentage o f sales, it would h elp .” If Mazyck can’t re-negotiate his lease, he will relocate. Union Square is subsidized in part by city money because its devel oper. Glazer, received a low-interest loan to pass on reasonable rent to the tenants. Officials at Sunshine Pizza sent out an S.O .S. for a direct infu sion o f funds but Steve Peterson, Director o f Economic Development for the Portland Development Com mission, said the city’s loan program did not cover direct involvement in businesses. Peterson added that a long-term marketing program and advertising campaign was being developed for Union Square, “ But Sunshine Pizza’s immediate need was cash.” Sam Brooks, President of the North/ Northeast Business Boosters, said Sunshine’s leaving would impact the area "greatly." “ Having a restaurant was som e thing the neighborhood asked fo r.” Brooks said he felt the clientele for Sunshine Pizza could have picked up if the restaurant had given that area more time to accept and help shape the menu. "In the first three or four months you are going to lose money. You just hope you can outlast it," he added. Both Brooks and Peterson said the top priority would be to find a re placement tenant. The lease is still owned by Sunshine Pizza and it is expected that they will have a say in who the new tenant will be. Tom Delvin, President o f Sunshine Pizza, was unavailable for comment and Brooks said he would welcome a new advertising and marketing plan for Union Square. b yN . Fun/tat Kumbula At the end of February, Zimbabwe’s Parliament will be dissolved to make way for national elections scheduled for early March. These will be the first national elections to be held since Zimbabwe attained independence al most five years ago. The Constitution calls for elections every five years. In the first truly national elections held in December 1979, there were ten Black parties contesting but the num ber has since dwindled to five. The test have folded due to km of members who defected to the remaining five. The biggest beneficiary o f such de fections has been the rukling ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) led by the Prime M inister, Robert Mugabe. In fact, ZANU has picked up members from all the other nine parties thus at least doubling its mem bership. In the last elections, ZANU won 73 percent of the popular vote and 57 of the 80 seats set aside for the Black ma jority (out of a total of 100) in the Na tional Assembly. This time around, ZANU is expected to do even better for a variety of reasons. First, the quiet but firm leader ship Mugabe has provided it's popu larly acknowledged to be unsurpass able by any of his contemporaries and would-be rivals. It is arguable whether there is anyone on the world scene today who could have done a better job given the handicaps Mugabe was laced with when he took office just five short years ago. That he will be returned as Prime Minister, therefore, is not in doubt. The debate centers instead on how large a majority he will win this time. Even his worst detractors grudgingly admit he has done a superb job. Some of his more spectacular successes: He has successfully m olded into one nation a country that for more than 15 years was riven by civil war — the War of Independence — a coun try that was torn by racial strife and racial hatred (a mini South Africa), and regional animosities stirred by the then myopic regime o f Ian Smith. Today we have come full circle: dis crim ination based on race, creed, colour or sex is illegal. All citizens of Zimbabwe are now protected by the C onstitution, even those w ho fo r merly practiced discrimination. Where once there were three sep arate and mutually antagonistic ar mies and half a dozen other militias each owing allegiance to som e re gional leader, there is now one nation al army: an army that owes allegiance to the stale and now some particular leader, organization or clique. The police force, long used as an iastrument of oppression, suppression and repression by successive colonial regimes and one puppet regime (Mu- zorewa’s), has been re oriented, redi rected and retrained to serve the peo ple. Now. instead o f harassing, tor turing, torm enting and som etim es murdering people merely for demand ing equality and justice, the police protect lives and property. When the police visit us, one is no longer tempt ed to run off in the opposite direction Schools, hosp tals, clinics, parks, neighborhoods, playcenlers, shopping facilities, sidew alks, restaurants, nightclubs, discotheques, libraries, ballot booths, sports clubs, colleges, the university, government ministries, cinemas, playhouses, hotels, tourist centers are now all open to everyone who wishes to visit and/or use them. The change, considering it's been only five years, had to be experienced to be believed, the com position o f the governing bodies from the local to the national levels now more accurately reflect the ethnic composition of Zim babwe. Blacks who constitute 9K per cent o f the population now control alm ost all o f the cou n try’s major district, town and city councils, and, course, the national governm ent. All other ethnic groups are represent ed in accordance with their numbers. In the 26 member C abinet appoint ed by the Prime Minister, for exam ple, two of the Ministers (Agriculture and Public Service), are white as arc two other Deputy Ministers. The names of most all the maior cities and fPlease turn to Page 10, Column 3/ Dick Bogle settles into assignments, stresses Affirm ative Action by Lanita Duke GRASSROOT NEW S. N .W . — Balancing competing interests is the strategy em ployed by Portland's newest City C om m issioner, Dick Bogle, as he settles down with his new bureau assignments. Mayor Bud Clark assigned Bogle as Commissioner of Water, Environ mental Services (sewers). Bureau of Personnel and the Office o f General Services. "M y success will be measured on how realistic my own philosophy is and how quickly it gets inculcated to those bureau managers. When those managers take action it has to be re flective o f the Bogle p h ilosop h y,” he added. Bogle has yet to define what his philosophy is, “ because it will d if fer from bureau to bureau. During the cam paign I stressed the C ity’s Affirmative Action record. It’s dis mal. I plan to impact A ffirm ative Action. One o f the first briefings I had outside my staff was on Affirma tive Action." In addressing Affirmative Action Bogle will run head on into a civil service system that can and has been manipulated by bureau managers who either retire a civil service list (with qualified minorities) or tailor a job description with a certain candi date in mind. Bogle said he would address these institutional concerns one at a time. With Environm ental Services, Bogle said. "There are som e really heavy issues with the annexation of East County. Environmental Quality is concerned about groundwater pol lution from septic tanks, but we have homebuilders and contractors who want to build homes.” Bogle said he would utilize the course o f action that addresses the needs o f most of the people. . Bogle is unique among City Com missioners because he left City Hall as a S ta ff A ssistant (for C om m is sioner Mildred Schwab) and reiurnet as an electorate-approved City Com missioner. “ It took a bit of time get ting used to being called Commission er. I’m not that a formal of a person, but it’s pleasant being called ‘C om missioner*.’ ’ DICK BOGLE (Photo: Richard J. Brown) As Com m issioner Bogle said, "Time prioritization is the lesson I’m learning. N ow , everyone wants a m inute. I have many 12-hour days and hours upon end o f homework. But I'm willing to give whatever it takes to get the job done.” As a Staff Assistant, Bogle could only offer options. "N ow , I’m mak ing the final decision. I try not to kneejerk. I have become much more contemplative.” Although Bogle's time is limited, he will continue former City C om missioner Charles Jordan’s open door policy. “ It's just that on some days it might be necessary to make an ap pointment.”
