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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1995)
Volume XXV Number IX -‘W : antri Join In Celebrating Our Christmas In April From Hoops To Track Steve Harrop leads a team o f volunteers in fix in g up homes fo r elderly and low income residents. On the heels o f a successful basketball season. Eddie Lincoln helps propel Benson to a win over Grant in track. See Housing, page A 5. See Sports, page B2. (Che < ßt*25e iM H n Walk To Showcase Neighborhood Pride by ’m encouraging fellow Portlanders to join the northeast Portland com munity in celebrating the third annual Walk for Humanity on Saturday. Bombing Reveals Anti- Arab Hate I The headlines that first mistakenly linked the Oklahoma City bom bingto Mus lim terrorism perpetuate unfair stereotypes, according to David Frank, a University o f | O regon rhetoric professor. Frank said W esterners have a history o f unfairly lump ing all Muslims and Arabs as violent ter rorists. , Rangel Wants Shabazz Case Dropped Rep. Charles Rangel ofN ew York has asked Attorney General Janet Reno to con sider dropping charges against the daugh ter o f M alcolm X - Qubillah Shabazz. Shabazz has been accused o f trying to kill Nation o f Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. But her supporters say the case amounts to entrapment. C arter Criticized Over Nigeria A N igerian pro-dem ocracy group, Na tional Conscience, has berated formerU.S. President Jimmy Carter for suggesting that there might be a case for extending mili tary rule in that country beyond January 1996. TransAfrica, an African-American lobbying group, has begun a campaign to isolate the Nigerian regime. It has suggest ed that the international community im pose an oil em bargo against Nigeria, a leading petroleum producer. Powell Still Ponders Run G ulf W ar veteran Gen. Colin Powell recently added speculation to whether he will run for president. The former Joint Chiefs ofStaffchairman said, “I ’ ve checked the Constitution very carefully and you do not have to belong to a political party to run for president." Powell has not said whether he is a Democrat or a Republican and has I generally been unclear on how he stands B e s s K a ise r H ospital o n G re e le y A v e n u e . (Photo by Chuck Washington) Kaiser: Community Counts Losses m P romise K i \< The deal is done. Bess Kaiser Hospital, nestled in the hilly scapes o f north Portland since 1945, is packing up its impatient beds leaving its immediate community in pain, fear and frus tration. Community leaders are angry that the hospital management ignored their pleas to refrain it actions. The Unity Committee, comprised o f lead ers from the Coalition o f Black Men, Albina Ministerial Alliance, Black United Front and others, is deeply concerned about the closure plans. The committee expressed its frustration at a community meeting April 4 at the King Neighborhood Facility. It expressed deep fears about the poten tial displacement o f workers and the loss o f jobs to many who reside in north and north east Portland. The committee suggested that Kaiser- Permanente complete the modifications to the existing hospital to bring it up to current earthquake and safety codes. "W e feel that Kaiser can do more to support the community and city that has supported Kaiser for many years" the com mittee stated. It asked Kaiser to build a new hospital in the community if repairs to the old facility were not feasible. T he co m m ittee re je c te d as “ u n a c c e p ta b le " K a is e r’s plan to c o n tra c t for bed space and em ergency se rv ic e s at o th e r h o sp ita ls. Kaiser had indicated that it would cost m illionsofdollars to make the hospital build ing earthquake proof. The medical provider also contended that by winding up its current hospital oper ations. in could save $200 million annually and in turn pass on those savings to employer groups by offering lower health care premi- urns But what mattered to the community leaders was the social and financial loss o f losing the hospital “N o am ount spent on this co m m u n i ty is w asted I t’s a w orthw hile in v est m en t," said M acceo P ettis o f the C o a li tion o f B lack M en. The leaders have scheduled a meeting with Kaiser officials in an effort to iron out their differences. “ We need them to provide us with an swers and possible solutions," Paceo said. B arbara W est. K a ise r's vice p re si dent and reg io n al m edical serv ices a d m in istra to r, to ld re p o rte rs last w eek that the health o rg a n iz a tio n w ould make e f fo rts to find new' jo b s for m any o f the 1,300 p a rt-tim e and fu ll-tim e em ployees im pacted by the clo su re. She did not give specific commitments ▼ Continued to page A3 ! on the major issues. Rights Violators Plead Guilty Three Livington, Texas white teenag ers have plead guilty to conspiring to de prive two blacks o f their federally protect ed civil rights and causing them bodily injury. They face up to five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. “GOP Contact” Pain Revealed As Republicans in the U S . House of) I Representatives celebrate success o f their | agenda known as the “Contract With Amer ica," an analysis o f some o f the legislation I suggests that African Americans, espec ¡al ly the poor, wi II be hurt by the changes. The [ study by the National Black News Survey found that cuts in social programs could I “plunge hundreds o f thousands o f low- income blacks into poverty. R adio/TV Tax Credit Repealed Congress has continued their assault on affirmative action by approving a bill repealingatax incentive program designed to increase the number o f minorities who own television and radio stations. C harles A. M oose Ceasefire To Get Guns Off Streets by P romise K ing orried by shootings and senseless killings through firearms, Ceasefire Oregon is mounting another campaign to get guns off the streets. W The local g ra ssro o ts o rg a n iz a tio n in itia te d a gun c o n tro l p rogram last y ear w hich re su lte d in ab o u t 700 fire arm s b e in g c o lle c te d and m elted. O v er $ 3 5 ,0 0 0 d o lla rs was paid to the h o ld e rs o f the w ea p o n s in gift c e r tific a te s. "T h e local law e n fo rc e m en t a u th o rity . p o litic a l o ffic ia ls and the m ed ical and e d u c a tio n c o m m u n itie s w ere o ftre m e n d o u s help ." said Jean M orton, c h a ir o f the o rg a n iz a tio n . The pro g ram , held at d iffe re n t sites th ro u g h o u t the city, a llo w s firearm s to be s u rre n d e re d w ith " n o q u e stio n s ask e d " in ex c h a n g e for a $50 gift c e r tific a te T his y e a r 's gun tu rn -in is en d orsed by G ov. John K itz h a b e r and P o rtland P o lice C h ie f C h a rle s M oose. C o lle c tio n s are sc h e d u le d on M as 13 and M ay 20 at E a stp o rt P laza, 4000 J e a n M orton, ch a irp e rso n for C e a se fire O regon. S.E. 82 Ave. and the Mt. O liv et C hurch, 8501 N. C h au tau q u a Blvd A ccording to M orton, C easefire also w ants to ed u cate the public about fire arm s and public safety. “ By taking som e guns out o f c irc u latio n . we re h o p in g to reduce young EDITORIAL METRO SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT A2 BI B2 B3 p e o p le 's access to guns and th eir in te r est in c a rry in g them ," the o rg a n iz a tio n c h a ir stressed C e a s e fire ’s e d u c a tio n a l outreach in clu d es w orking w ith c h ild re n in the p u blic sch o o ls to ed u cate them about gun v io len ce and n o n -v io le n t c o n flic t re so lu tio n It also plans to expand it’s o p e ra tion into the T u alatin area. But the o rg a n iz a tio n n eeds m ore d o n a tio n s. “ The m ore m oney we have the more guns that w ill be taken o f f the stre e t," M orton said. T he group relies on su p p o rt from the com m unity to en sure the su ccess o f its v ario u s program s. “ A fire a rm in the hom e is far m ore likely to be used in su ic id e , m u rd e r or a fatal a c c id e n t than to kill a c rim in a l, “ the o rg a n iz a tio n argued. C e a se fire O regon is an a ffilia te o f E cum enical M in istries o f O regon and is n o n -p a rtisa n and n o n -p o litic a l The o rg a n iz a tio n can be reached at 0245 S W B ancroft. S uite B, P o rt land OR 97201. (5 0 3 ) 22 1 -1 0 5 4 EDUCATION B4 RELIGION B5 Hosted by Habitat for Humanity, the walk is a northeast Portland community pride event and pledge walk fundraiser for neighborhood nonprofit organizations. In November 1993, by wife, Sandy and I moved to northeast Portland. We came because we wanted to be part o f the solution to make this community safer and more livable. We soon realized that we were not alone. Northeast Portland is brim ming with an array o f citizens and commu- nit5\groups dedicated to improving peo ple’s lives. All it takes is a stroll through our neighborhood to see the difference these groups are making. On one block, a church group pounds nails on a home for a low- income family built by Habitat for Human ity. On the next block, "green-thumbers" from Friends o f Trees plant trees to I ine the streets. At House ofU m oja, gang-affected youth find a safe haven from the streets and get education and counseling, while down the street at the new Community Cycling Center children learn bicycle repair and earn used bikes. New restaurants, cafes and small businesses dot the major streets providing food, drink and services to all Walking through this neighborhood, one can’t help but sense the spirit o f involve ment and renewal. I invite you to take such a stroll with me on Saturday at the Walk for Humanity The walk gives us all an opportunity to see first-hand the completed homes and the planted trees and to meet the young cyclists and the youth trying to change their lives. Walking side-by-side through the streets o f northeast Portland, we will celebrate how far this community has come and recommit to the challenges that lie ahead. More importantly, you will have the opportunity to lend a hand (or in this case a foot!) to the efforts o f northeast non profit organizations. By walking and rais ing pledges you can help provide the funds that will build more homes, plant more trees and save at-risk youth. At a time when public funds for these services are disap pearing, private nonprofits must step in and till the void. As the need for these organizations increases, so does our obli gation to support them. I am reminded each morning why all o f us are engaged in this effoit to re v i tai ize northeast Portland. Before going to work, I share some time with the young children waiting for the school bus in front o f my house As they share their worries and hopes with me, someone who they barely know, I am reminded o f the old African proverb: It takes a whole vi llage to raise a child. The future o f these children is in the hands o f the entire community . It is in the spirit that we must work together to build a better life. The story o f a girl I 'll call Christine illustrates how many people can work to gether to influence the life o f a child. Christine, her mom and her four brothers and sisters live in a cramped, rodent-infect and drug-ridden apartment complex. Chris tine's older brother is in jail ondruecharg- ▼ Continued to page A3 CLASSIFIEDS B7 .V;*'***** » tv '•*
