u d g e t W o n ’t S l o w S c h o o l P r o g r e s s
F
unding Jssues will not stand
in the way to im proving
Portland public schools.
The district took $24 million in cuts to
.balance it's budget this year, but continues on
a schedule to produce the best educated stu
dents in the nation.
District spokesman Lew Frederick said
its a matter of willpower.
“W e’re not going to be spending a
lot of tim e talking about the budget,”
Frederick said. “O ur vision is to provide
the best program s with or w ithout the
Lew Frederick
Volume \ . \ I V Number3K
m oney."
The potential for more cuts next year is
devastating.
Under the fifth and final year of a prop
erty tax limitation measure, Portland public
schools could be forced to trim $50 million
next year, which would mean the loss of a
third of its teachers, class sizes jumping to 40
children per teacher and no athletics.
“That’s what were facing,” Frederick
said.
But the district has chartered improve
ments and new learning techniques with a
very clear vision for children.
And under Oregon’s Education Act of
1991, schools statewide are working to pro
duce the best students nationwide by the year
2000 and a workforce equal to any in the
world by the year 2010.
One of the m^in benchmarks, to meeting
these goals is w hafs being called outcome-
based education.
As students move though school, they
will be tested to make sure the subject matter
is learned. Certificates of mastery will be
required for graduation.
To get into college, instead of students
just enrolling ir\ two years of French, for
example, they will show they can speak
French, Frederick explained
“Wha, you’re going to see happening in
high school is courses so tough, parents won't
even want to take them,” Frederick said.
Under the school reforms, students not
making progress at certificate of mastery
years, would see intervention on their behalf
to provide additional services either in school
or at another site.
Early childhood education is another
cornerstone of the reform process.
▼
Continued to page A7
S aving the community through cultural diversity
Scplem bci 21, 1904
er
25#
Haiti Door
Opens To
U.S. Army
Portland Launches Envirocorps
aves of U.S. troops entered
Haiti this week as peace
keepers, rather than invaders
because of an agreement reached by
a team of U.S. negotiators.
W
Former President Jimmy Carter, Gen.
Colin Powell and Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga.,
struck the deal just as U.S. troops left Fort
Bragg, N.C. to invade the tiny Caribbean
nation.
A key element turned out to be the
respect Haiti’s military officers had for
Powell, America’s former head of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and first African-American
to head the U.S. military.
“It could not have been possible without
the superb respect that the Haitian military
leaders have for Gen. Colin Powell,” Carter
said. “They see him as a fellow officer whose
global reputation is unexcelled."
Powell said he appealed to the military
chiefs to put their nation’s interest above
their own.
Persuaded the U.S. negotiators were
honestly try ing to broker a deal and knowing
that an invasion was underway, the Haitians
finally decided to take the proposed agree-
High Speed Rail Moves
Ahead
High speed rail for the Willamette
Valley received a big shot in the arm
Friday when the Legislative Emergency
Board approved $9 million for track im
provement, better grade crossings, and
some special projects. “This is gdeat news,”
said Sen. Bill McCoy, D-North and North
east Portland. “Improving transportation
is the main thing that will keep Oregon
livable and economically healthy in the
years to cöin^." The money will pay for
running a high-tech high-speed train be
tween Portland and Eugene next spring as
a three-month demonstration. Mt. Rainier
train service between Eugene and Seattle
is scheduled to start in October, thanks to
earlier funding by the Emergency Board.
Public Radio KPSU
Launched
▼
Gov. Barbara Roberts, Metro commissioner Ed Washington and an AmericaCorps representative at the
Portland kick-off to a community service initiative created by President Clinton.
Portland State University begins op
eration of radio station KPSU Oct. 1 at
1450 khz on the AM band. The frequency
formerly was occupied by KPBS, the Port
land public schools radio station at Benson
High School, cut from school district fund
ing this year. "We believe that our station
will fill a programming void and allow
students to learn about the business of
broadcasting," said KPSU Station Man
ager Don Nasca. From its production stu
dioin Portland State’s Smith Center, KPSU
has the potential to reach over 1.5 million
listeners daily. Airing from 5 p.m. to mid
night, programs will be free from com
mercials.
Volunteers Needed For
Reading
SMART (Start Making A Reader To
day) is looking for volunteers to read with
kindergarten, first and second graders in
13 Portland public schools. Each volun
teer meets for an hour each week to read,
one-on-one, with students. The program
has helped schools incréase student atten
dance, self-esteem and reading skills. This
year's effort starts in mid-October and
runs through April. Call the literacy line at
1-8OO-322-8715 or the Oregon Children’s
Foundation at 221-2012.
Second Portlander
Elected To Black
Tourism Board
Community Service For College
ollege students will help pay
tive trails and exhibit areas, and the training
back government support
and mentoring of high-school youth. Two
for their education and learn
full-time team leaders will round out the
new skills by working to restore program.
the
health of the Columbia Slough in
“This program is really a prototype of
North and Northeast Portland.
what PSU as an urban university wants to
C
be,” said Barry Messer, EnviroCorps educa-
The EnviroC orps team is being
launched from a $199,288 grant from
AmericaCorps, a community service ini
tiative created by President Clinton and
approved by Congress.
The Portland program, based on the
Portland State University campus, will pro
vide learning and labor opportunities for
20 young adults in the metropolitan area.
EnviroCorps will center around envi
ronmental and public access improvements
to north and northeast Portland's Colum
bia Slough. Metro regional government
and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service are
partners in the project.
Officials said the recruitment for
EnviroCorps participants is under way.
Ten part-time and eight full-time members
are needed for a variety of community
service projects, including restoration of
natural resources, construction of interpre-
Bottles and Cans To
Help Homeless
Portland Commissioner Gretchen
Kafoury and former mayor Bud Clark
have announced a plan to collect bottles
and cans for programs that help the home
less. Kafoury said it may seem like a
nickel-and-dame approach, but each year
over $20 million is redeemed in the metro
area from bottles and cans. The civic
leaders are asking grocers to set up recy
cling stations where shoppers can donate
their bottles and cans to help homeless
people Nature’s grocery stores are the
first outlets to help out.
Continued to page A7
benefits. Full-time members completing a
year of service will receive a $4,725 educa
tion award to be used to continue education
and job training or to repay existing student
loans. Part-time participants receive a
$2,363 education award.
Amy Spring, EnviroCorps recruitment
This program is really a prototype of what PSU as an
urban university wants to be. ”
Barry Messer, EnviroCorps education director
tion director.
Messer has coordinated other service
learning projects at PSU’s Center for Urban
Studies. He says the program is a means of
opening education opportunities for young
people while providing valuable service learn
ing experiences for potential and existing
college students.
Full-time members will receive a single
year living allowance of $7,600, while part-
time members receive $4,023. All members
will be eligible for health care and child care
coordinator, says about 50 percent of the
job duties will be in the field Other work
could include creating partnerships with
neighborhood associations to gain volun
teer help or sharing work experience with
students. Written reports and assessments
of the work accomplished will complete
the duties of the job.
The application deadline is Sept. 28.
In-the-filed training and project work is
scheduled to begin Oct. 14. For more infor
mation, call Spring at 725-5582.
Moose Withdraws Resume For Federal Job
ortland Police Chief Charles
great deal of consideration and discussion
Moose has changed his
with his wife, Sandy.
mind, w ithdraw ing his
The couple recently moved into a house
application to direct federal crime
in the King neighborhood of Northeast Port
bill legislation.
land. setting example of efforts to improve
P
Moose said it was important for him to
continue as the chief of police in Portland
and continue his work with neighbors to
solve community problems.
He said the decision was made after a
the livability of inner-city neighborhoods.
Moose was appointed police chief 14
months ago by Portland Mayor Vera Katz
He was one of three finalists for the
federal position to direct the administration
of the crime bill’s provisions relating to the
hiring of 100,000 new police officers.
Tom Potter, a form er Portland
police ch ief is still be co n sid ered for
the position.
Both police officers are nationally
recognized authorities on community po
licing.
M oose pledged his support to the
im plem entation o f crim e bill program s
and for federal law en forcem ent e f
forts.
Peggy C. Ross, President/Ross
Development and newly elected
national board member of the African
American Travel and Tourism Assn.
Region 5, which governs Oregon,
Washington and six other states.
On the heels of the recent election of
Portland's Roy Jay as national vice president
of the African American Travel and Tourism
Association, came another Oregonian to the
board of directors for Region 5.
Peggy C. Ross was unanimously elected
as one of seven regional board members for
the organization Ross, who heads Ross Busi
ness Development Group in Portland will be
the national board member which governs
Oregon, Washington and six other states.
Ross has been involved in various as
pects of the minority convention and tourism
development program and assisting Oregon
Convention and Visitor Services in various
marketing approaches. “She has worked tire
lessly, behind the scenes, sometimes volun
teering until 2AM and 4 AM on various ATTA
organization projects" said Roy Jay.
Although Ross was not present at the
national election held in New Orleans, the
Continued to page A7
EDITORIAL
A2
HEALTH
A5
HOUSING
A6
METRO
BI
SPORTS
B2
ENTERTAINMENT
CLASSIFIEDS
B3
B6