Volume \ \ l \
Num ber
Sei \ me ihe com m un i t \ tlnoueh cultural ilo
c im i \
September 2S. 1994
M INORITY ENTERPRISE EDITION
Children Learn
On Stage
Wedding
Bells Ring
A performing arts program
wraps up with a musical
and new stage skills fo r 57
area children.
Love is united in holy
matrimony for a psychiatrist
and civil engineer.
See The Metro, Inside
Spotlight On
Minority Business
The Portland Observer
recognizes minority
enterprise development with
features and photos.
See page B7
See Special Section, inside
(Llie pattiani*
1er
250
NIKE Playcourt Dedicated
Firm Promotes
Participation
With Youth
Barry Captures
Mayor's Victory
Forced from office ju st four years
ago following an internationally publi­
cized drug bust by federal agents, the
former mayor of the nation’s capitol
Marion Barry last week won the Dem o­
cratic party primary and thus took a giant
step toward regaining his old job. In what
was essentially a three-way race, Barry
captured 47 percent of the vote outdis­
tancing city councilman John Ray who
won 37 percent of the vote and incumbent
mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly who finished a
poor third with just 13 percent. Barry told
cheering supporters that he was “Stron­
ger, better and wiser” than he was when
he was mayor before. Support for Barry
came overwhelmingly form the city’s
blacks, both low income and middle class.
However, Barry faces a double challenge
in the November general election. Re­
publican Carol Schw atz and Council
member W illiam Lightfoot are both ex­
pected to mount aggressive campaigns
against him.
▼
n
»?
Ì
QVTH
Teacher, Principal
Win
,000
by
M ichael L eighton
O u tstan d in g p erform an ces has
brought highly-prized recognition to a
teacher and principal from schools in North
and Northeast Portland.
Hooks Recovers
After Surgery
Forbes magazine has released its an­
nual list of the nation's richest entertain­
ers and there are five African Americans
on the list They are Oprah W infrey ($105
m illion), Bill C osby ($60 m illion).
Michael Jackson ($38 million), W hitney
Houston ($33 million), and Eddie Murphy
($30 million). Last year W infrey headed
the list but this year,she was knocked from
firs, place by movie producer Steven
Spielberg who generated $335 million
over the past two years.
Kt»»»
a » *
Alberta Phillips of the Christian Women Against Crime Community Center takes the ball to Ken Griffey Jr.
of the Seattle Mariners at the dedication of a new Northeast Portland playcourt build by NIKE shoes.
Continued to page A3
Veteran Congressional Black C au­
cus member Charles Rangel last week
beat back an impressive challenge by the
son of the late Adam Clayton Powell to
hold onto his seat in the U.S. Congress.
Rangel represents new Y ork’s 15th con­
gressional District which is essentially
the world famous community of Harlem.
Five Blacks On
Richest List
■
"<3
T here’s a new playground for kids at the
Christian Women Against Crime Com m u­
nity Center in Northeast Portland.
NIKE shoes donated $40,000 for equip­
ment and recycled 25,000pair of NIKE shoes
to build the 4,000 square-foot play area at
120 N.E. Ivy.
Portland M ayor Very Katz and Seattle
M ariner Ken Griffey Jr. officially opened the
playground Monday.
The playground is the third o f 10 new
playcourts NIKE is building around the coun­
try this year, providing sports and fitness
opportunities for children. The initiative, as
promoted in NIKE television advertisements,
is called “Participate in the Li ves of America’s
Youth,”
The first court was dedicated last May at
the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York and
the second court opened in August at the
LeMoyne Gardens Housing Development in
Memphis, Tenn.
The playground in Portland includes a
4,000 square foot play area, playground equip­
ment, fencing and lights. It will be accessible
to over 500 kids in the neighborhood of
inner-North and Northeast Portland.
Rangel Defeats
Powell In Harlem
Former NAACP executive director
Benjamin Hooks was reported in stable
condition last week after undergoing qua­
druple heart bypass surgery. He had
checked into the Tulane University M edi­
cal Center after complaining o f chest
pains. Hooks headed the N A A CP for 15
years. His wife Frances Hooks told re­
porters, “My husband is resting com fort­
able, and we are very encouraged that he
will make a full recovery.
R 1
Robin Lindsley of Northeast
Portland is recognized for
outstanding contributions to
education.
Robin Lindsley, a long-time teacher at
Boise/Eliot Elementary School and Michael
Jordan, principal at Sabin Elementary School,
will each receive $25,000 from the Milken
Family Foundation of Los Angeles.
,
The announcements were made last week
by Oregon School Superintendent Norma
Paulus.
“I had forgot all about it until Normal
Paulus called me,” Lindsley said, from her
home in Northeast Portland.
Lindsley has been a school teacher for
20 years, 17 years at Boise-Elio, and is a
frequent speaker, lecturer and consultant on
early childhood education at seminars and
evening classes.
Her emphasis focuses instruction to the
needs of each child, rather than trying to fit
learning into a classroom program.
She plans to use part o f the winnings to
take her family on a winter vacation.
Jordan has been principal at Sabin for 12
years.
“I’m thrilled," he said. “This is a very big
honor.”
Jordan credits his colleagues at Sabin
and the achievements of the school for bring­
ing the spotlight on him.
One of his personal accomplishments is
in building parent involvement in the school,
Sabin School Principal Michael
Jordan is $25,000 richer because of
his accomplishments in education.
▼
Continued to page A3
Bank Survey Finds High Fees, Low Interest
Consumers looking for a savings or
paid to consumers couldn’t drop any lower.
checking account should be prepared for
We were dead wrong Now, more than ever
high bank fees and very low interest pay­
before, consumers deposit their money into a
ments, according to a survey by the Oregon
bank account and see virtually no interest
Student Public Interest Research Group
returns while paying even higher fees to the
(OSPIRG).
bank.”
The survey of eight Portland area bank- i
For each institution surv ey ed , the
ing institutions found that interest paid on
OSPIRG study lists the interest rate paid on
accounts has continued a trend toward ever-
savings and checking accounts, the minimum
lower payments to the consumer
account balance to avoid fees and common
“Interest payments to consumers have
charges such as bounced c heck charges and
reached the point o f absurdity," said
local withdrawal fees for automated teller
O SPIRG consum er advocate M atthew
machines (ATMs).
Rabin. "W hen we conducted the same sur­
Among the finds of the survey are:
vey last year, we thought that interest rates
• Interest yield on interest-bearing check­
EDITORIAL
METRO
HEALTH
A2
BI
B3
A
ENTERTAINMENT
B5
ing accounts ranges from 1.15 percent to 2.78
percent.
• For savings accounts, interest yields to
the consumer varies from 2.1 percent to 2.8
percent, a drop from last year's range of 2.17
percent to 3.29 percent. Monthly fees on low
cost checking charges vary from zero to $7.
Some o f these accounts also include limita­
tions or per check charges.
• Local withdrawal fees for ATMs range
from zero to $1.50. Some banking institu­
tions also charge an additional fee for the
ATM card.
• Bounced check charges have increased
at over halt the institutions surveyed.
“ H igh fees and low in te re st re ­
tu rn s hurt c o n su m e rs, e sp e c ia lly low
incom e c o n su m e rs,” said R abin. “C o n ­
su m ers sh o u ld fig h t for b e tte r banking
se rv ic e by sw itc h in g to a fin an cial
se rv ic e p ro v id e r w hich g iv e s them
b e tte r in te re st ra te s and lo w er fees for
the se rv ic e s that they u se ."
Consumers can receive a free copy of
the survey by sending a self-addressed
stamped envelope to: OSPIRG Portland
Banking Survey. 1536S.E. 11th, Portland,
OR 97214. OSPIRG is a nonprofit, state­
wide organization dedicated to working in
the public interest
SPORTS
RELIGION
CLASSIFIEDS
B6
B7
B8