, Volume X X IV Number 46
Serving the community through cultural diversity
Mandela Honored
NW Writers
To Perform
Vikings Head
For Playoffs
Charlotte Watson Sherman o f
Seattle will present readings
from her best works at North
Portland’s Firehouse Cultural
Center.
Portland State beats Southern
Utah and now prepare for the
playoffs.
Howard University bestows an
honorary degree on South
Africa President Nelson
Mandela.
See National, page A3.
November 16, 1994
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See Entertainment, page B4.
See Sports, page B2.
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WEEK
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Hospitals Object To
Assisted-Suicide
Some Oregon hospitals are saying they
won’t participate in doctor-assisted sui
cide. Oregon has become the first jurisdic
tion to legalize doctor-assisted suicide.
Voters approved the measure last Tuesday
to permit patients diagnosed with six
months or less to live the option of taking
life-ending medications.
Republicans Make Huge
Gains
Republicans are in a position to claim
a dominant role in American government
that it has not had for decades. The voters
gave Republicans their first majority of
governors since 1970, their first U. S. House
majority since 1954 and a majority in the
U.S. Senate.
Labor Commissioner
Unseated
Absentee bal lots changed the outcome
of Oregon’s Labor Commissioner race.
Democrat Maty Wendy Roberts was lead
ing her Republican opponent Jack Roberts
after last Tuesday’s vote. But by Friday,
absentee ballots gave the win to the chal
lenger, a Lane County commissioner from
Eugene. Mary Wendy Roberts, laborcom-
missioner since 1978 and a former Port
land legislator, has been widely recog
nized as a champion for civil rights en
forcement.
Oregon Health Plan In
Doubt
Oregon Republicans are taking aim at
the Oregon Health Plan after winning ma
jorities in the House and Senate. Sen. Gor
don Smith. R-Pendleton, the incoming Sen
ate president, says mandates requiring em
ployers to provide health coverage for
their workers are too costly for small busi
ness.
OCA Pledges New
Assault
In the wake of a second statewide
defeat at the polls, leaders of the Oregon
Citizen’s Alliance said they will try again
to pass legislation to limit gay rights. Ore
gon voters narrowly defeated the OCA
initiative last Tuesday, primarily because
of a strong no vote in the Portland area. A
similar measure was also narrowly defeat
ed in Idaho.
City Gears-Up To
Upgrade Parks
Portland residents like their parks and
want to see them improved.
That was the message with passage of
a $58.8 million bond levy. The initiative
was supported by Police Chief Charles
Moose and other leaders in North and
Northeast Portland.
North-South Rail Moves
Forward
Tri-Met has the green light to pursue
a light rail line through North and North
east Portland from Clackamas to Vancou
ver, Wash. Voters approved a $475 mil
lion bond levy last week. But the proposal
will still needs approval by Clark County
residents, state legislatures in Oregon and
Washington and Congress.
EDITORIAL
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Clerks
Return
Portland area grocery workers are
back to work after nearly three months
o f a strike and lock-out.
Though many workers left the bar
gaining table unsatisfied, they gained
some concessions in their demands. The
employers also came out of the dispute
with financial pains and hoping for
progress. Workers had gone on strike
demanding consideration o f seniority in
job scheduling, wage increases and health
and welfare benefits.
Underthe agreement, senior pay for
clerks, formerly $12.20 an hour, will
climb to $13.10 in the third year o f a
three year contract. The pay for some
cashiers at Fred Meyer will rise from
$10.00 to $10.90.
Fred Meyer stores were the picket
target for the union, but Safeway,
Albertsons, Kienows and some Sentry
and Thriftway stores locked-out their
union employees during the strike.
The contract, however failed to pro
vide workers with guaranteed full-time
hours, a central issue in the bargaining.
Lylliana Sam' Luther, a union employee off the job for three months because of a labor dispute, received warm greetings
from customers Monday on her first day back to work at the Safeway on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Luther said she
couldn’t believe how many customers welcomed her back. “There’s so much love, it’s just incredible.”
Economy Good For Raining Schools
ro b u s t e co n o m y in the
construction trades is creating
the h ig h e s t dem and in
decades for electricians.
That’s one reason why the Metro Elec
trical Training Trust on Northeast 42nd and
Killingsworth is such an active place.
The center is a home for up to 320
apprentices learning the electrician trade and
2,000journeymen electricians attending con
tinuing education classes.
Ken Fry is responsible for the overall
management o f the school.
“A lot of construction activity is going
on,” Fry explained. “Commercial, industrial,
residential, just a lot o f activity.”
Fry said the school opened apprentice
applications twice this year just to keep up
with the demand. And a number of employ
ees are coming from outside the area to fill the
need.
The minimum age to enroll as an
apprentice is 18. T h ere's no maximum
age limit. A lot o f the apprentices are in
their 30s and 40s.
“He have people coming in making ca
reer changes who are in mid-life,” Fry ex
plained.
Journeymen electricians earn $23.05 per
hour, including a generous fringe benefit
package. An apprentice starts at 40 percent of
scale which is $9.22 per hour.
Fry said the word is finally getting out,
becoming an electrician is not only a good
job, but a career that provides a family in
come.
It's also a “earn while you leam” pro
gram. Pay raises are also earned each year of
the apprenticeship.
A
larry
The five-year apprenticeship is the most
popular o f the programs at the school, Fry
said. The school can get up to 900 applicants
in a year.
Metro is committed to an affirmative
action hiring program to increase the ranks of
minority and female electricians.
The school is trying to build the aware
ness of the program particularly in northeast
Portland.
“We are in northeast Portland and we
want to be good neighbors,” Fry said.
There are some basic requirem ents
for entry into the program . The dem ands
include at least a high school diplom a
with a 2.0 grade point average, or a
ounces
m P romise K ing
Marion B arn once again proved to the
pessimists that the down fall of a man is not
always the end of his life. His recent political
victories, his bid for nomination and his
subsequent win over his opponent in last
week's election is a c lear testimony that there
is hope after dope.
Barry reclaimed the District of Colum
NATIONAL
Ken Fry directs the Metro Electrical Training Trust in Northeast Portland.
HOUSING
G.E.D . with a score o f 230, and one year
o f high school algebra with a passing
grade o f C.
“That’s so critical,” Fry said. “Math is so
important.”
The school will recommend that appli
cants take two quarters of math at Portland
Community College if they are lacking the
algebra requirement.
F ry ’s m essage for young people is
not to low er their sights and to keep
working on math, science and com m uni
cations skills.
“You always should keep learning,” he
said. “The more schooling, the more employ
able you are.”
Adopt A Family
Seeks Adopters
Volunteers o f America’s Adopt-A-
Family program is seeking people or orga
nizations interested in helping families in
need during the holiday season. The pro
gram matches low-income families with
individuals, families, groups or businesses
who provide food, clothing, gifts, and toys
for the holiday season. Adoptions help
low-income families with children under
18 or low-income seniors over 60.
The year’s program has been refined
to improve the screening process for the
program's beneficiaries. Families in need
are referred exclusively through schools
and social service agencies that work with
children from low-income families. “This
enables us to reach families who otherwise
wouldn’t be reached," said Jonica Lynn,
Adopt-A-Family coordinator. “It’s a great
way to help truly needy people and a
meaningful way to celebrate the holidays.”
Those interested in adopting a family
should call 23-ADOPT(232-3678). Those
who cannot adopt a family but would like
to help can support the program through a
monetary donation sent to Volunteers of
America, 537 SE Alder St., Portland, OR
97214.
Volunteers of America is a nationwide
social service organization with branches in
more than 200 communities. Volunteers of
America Oregon, Inc. serves the community
through child care, child abuse prevention, a
shelter for homeless women with children, a
senior center, senior health clinic, adult
daycare program, residential alcohol and
drug treatment facilities, a shelter for home
less adolescent girls, parent training servic
es, and a Christmas assistance program.
ack: A Lesson For Recovering Addicts
bia's mayoral seat four years after facing
conviction for drug possession. His political
return began six months after his release from
prison, when he won a council seat in the
district.
When he announced his fourth bid for
mayor last May, Barry’s past drug and alco
hol abuse stood like a clog on his wheel to
success, but he was undaunted, contending
METRO
that overcoming his addiction best qualified
him to lead the city that is ravaged by all
imaginable social vices.
“Who can better help our city recover
than someone who himself has gone through
recovery?" he had asked the voters during his
campaign.
Barry received his votes among the poor,
the young and the disposed electorate, who
SPORTS
had embraced him after he completed his
prison term.
Democrat Barry's political opponent
Republican Carol Schwartz had chided him
as responsible for the city ’s ills. She had
contended that Barry 's personal failures had
left the city in fiscal problems, crime and
poverty . But voters disagreed.
Come what may, Barry is back as mayor.
ENTERTAINMENT
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