Volume XXV Number IX
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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
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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
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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
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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-
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CLASSIFIEDS
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