Volume XXIV Number 49
We Are Family
Christmas Lights
Up The Grotto
Portland ’s Fazzolari
brothers capture the
essence o f family in
America.
Singer Braxton
Shines
Volunteers spruce up The
Grotto fo r the “Festival o f
Lights. ”
See Page A 7.
Toni Braxton s new album is
as mesmerizing as she is
beautiful.
See Metro, inside.
See Arts & Entertainment, Page B3.
Pnrtlitnb 0
THE H5
Small
School
Big In
Math
REW
Murder Hits D.C.
Population Hard
When 60 citizens reporting for jury
duty in a murder trial in Washington, D C.
were recently asked by the judge ifthey had
lost a relative or close friend to a homicide,
one-fourth o f them stood up. It was a graph
ic illustration o f what years of killings have
done to the people o f the nation’s capital.
The city has had the h ighest murder rate per
capita in the last three to four years.
The tiniest school in Portland is
big in math and science.
Take a look into one o f Hollyrood
Elementary’s eight classrooms, buzzing
with bugs in wire cages, baby rats snooz
ing on wood chips, lots o f colorful clut
ter, computers and kids who typically
score within the top 25 percent o f the
state's elementary students.
The kindergarten though Grade 3
school at 3560 N.E. Hollyrood Court,
has received a $10,000 state grant as a
demonstration site for innovative sci
ence and math programs.
All 183 students at the school are
taking part in projects and experiments
ranging from organic gardening to rais
ing fall Chinook fingerlings.
The strong, integrated science and
math programs result from unflagging
energy, innovation and cooperation
among school staff, parents, neighboring
schools and the community, school offi
cials said.
The school is a member o f a Grant
High School regional alliance that focus
es on improving science and math
achievement in all Grant neighborhood
schools.
Prescription For Youth
Violence
Fewer kids would choose violence if
families, schools and community agencies
work together as partners, according to the
lead author o f “Antisocial Behavior in
School: Strategies and Best Practices.” The
book by Hill Walker, director of the Uni
versity o f Oregon Center on Human Devel
opment, and other researchers says the prob
lem ofyouth violence has grown too big for
families or schools to overcome alone. The
authors are also highly critical o f the media,
which they call an “addictive drug” that
contributes to youth violence.
i
Christmas Cards Began
As Wood
University ofOregon folklorist Sharon
Sherman says the first Christmas cards,
around 500 years ago, were messages carved
on wood. By the 18th century they were
made from copper plates. The first modem
Christmas card was printed in England in
1843. It’s a lithograph that shows a family
party and as "A merry Christmas and happy
New Year to you.” Just five years later, the
first commercial cards were being printed.
Third grade student Philicia Boss learns about science as she participates in an investigation of the old growth forest in
Grant Park.
Hot Chase For Sheriff’s Post
Father Denies Nicole
Simpson Report
Nicole Brown Simpson’s father has
disputed a magazine report that his slain
daughter had written a letter predicting her
death at the hands o f O.J. Simpson. Star
magazine reports that Nicole Simpson wrote
in May: “If I am killed my husband, O J.
Simpson, did it.” a spokeswoman for the
tabloid would not say how the magazine got
the letter nor whether the information was
paid for.
Jury Convicts Rapper Of
Sex Abuse
One day after he was shot in a robbery,
rapper Tupac Shakur, 23, was convicted
last week o f sexually abusing a woman he
had invited to his hotel room, but acquitted
o f more serious sodomy and weapons charg
es. Shakur and another man were charged
with assaulting the 20-year-old woman in
Nov. 1993, four days after she had consen
sual sex with Shakur at a Manhattan dance
club and at a hotel.
Aid For Rwanda Goes To
Hutus
Tons o f donated food and goods are
resupplying and fattening Rwanda’s exiled
Hutu regime as it plots a return to power.
The new government, meanwhile is bank
rupt and at the mercy of a world seemingly
indifferent to its struggle to rebuild a na
tion. “ I’m stumped And I think it’s just
scandalous,” said Chris Hennemeyer of
C atholic Relief Services. “Either there is a
massive conspiracy to keep Rwanda down
or the world community is incredibly in
competent.”
EDITORIAL
A2
Candidates
List Top
Priorities
by
P romise K ing
h e re ’s a new race for
Multnomah County Sheriff In
the Portland metropolitan area
with the recent retirement of Sheriff
Bob Skipper.
The announcement of Skipper’s depar
ture came in the wake o f voter approval of
Ballot Measure 8. the November initiative
taking away six percent of the retirement
benefits to public employees. Skipper was
and also appeared in the Fox network
just re-elected to a second, four-year term in
series “ C ops.”
May.
How he m anages the affairs o f the
The race to fill the office is now heating
$53 m illion s h e riff s budget in the com
up between John Bunnell, chief sheriffs
ing m onths could determ ine his chances
deputy correction officer, named acting sher
in the com ing election. S upporters said
iff last month, Vera Pool, a sheriff s lieuten
his w orking relation sh ip with others
ant who lost to Skipper in the last election,
could give him the edge.
and assistant Portland Police Chief Dan
Bunnell told the Portland Observer that
Noelle. The special election will likely be
his priority is to diversify the department by
held in March.
pushing for more minority hiring, creating
Bunnell 50, jo in ed the sh eriff d e
better employee opportunities, eliminating
partm ent at the age 24 as a recruit, w ork
unnecessary positions and using the sheriffs
ing his way through the ranks. He was
budget to realize his mandates.
appointed ch ief deputy o f corrections
“ I want to have a diversified personnel.
last July.
I am not afraid to make change. We are in the
As B unnell made his mark in adm in
position to change the old way of doing
istration and field operations, he gained
things,” he said
fame as a host for the ABC television
Bunnell said he will also concentrate on
series “A m erican D etective” in 1992-93
expanding jail space to house more criminals.
T
HOUSING
A5
METRO
Bl
Vera Pool
John Bunnell
But Noelle said expanding jail space
was his top priority. He indicated he would
not eliminate any position in the sheriffs
department.
He emphasized the need for cooperation
among law enforcement agencies in the coun
ty.
“All o f Multnomah County will benefit
from a cost-effective and coordinated crimi
nal justice system,” Noelle agreed.
Noelle, 50, did pledge to eliminate du
plication o f effort and cut administrative fat
He began his law enforcement career as
a patrol officer on the inner east side of
Portland and worked on the streets for more
than 15 years.
He was the bureau’s public information
officer for three years and has the endorse
ment of the county district attorney Michael
Schrunk.
SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT
B2
B3
Pool who ran this race before said she
would push for more prevention and correc
tions programs if elected.
“ We must provide anti-crim e p ro
gram s for law -abiding citizens and in
carcerate those who continue to com m it
violent crim e and instill fear in our com
m unities,” she echoed
She also believes that the need to be
more pro-active in planning Adding that the
sheriff s office can no longer afford to pro
vide the same number of services it provided
in the eighties.
Pool has 20 years o f experience in the
criminal justice system with the past 14 years
in management and five years at the supervi
sory level.
Her political connections and her past
experience in the county sheriff race may
help her bid for the job
RELIGION
B5
CLASSIFIEDS
B6