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Volume XXV; Number 39
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Committed to cultural diversity.
September 27, 1995,
Join In Celebrating Our
Speed Bumps For
Safety
Portland Men
M eet Sugar Ray
Several blocks o f speed bumps
are added to North Vancouver
in the vicinity o f Holy
Redeemer Area School.
A meeting with boxing great
Sugar Ray Leonard lands
tickets to a championship fight.
See Metro, inside.
See Sports, page B2.
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Lashawn Mackentire,
9, a student at
Irvington School and
Marco Johnson, 12 of
Harriet Tubman
School, find challenge
and fun on the beach
during the Pacific
Youth Camp at
Warrenton. The camp
gave at-risk youth
experience in hiking,
canoeing, sports,
outdoor skills and
exploring. See
additional information
and photos on page
B4.
Hill Peddles State
In New York
Oregon Treasurer Jim H ill was in
N ew Y o rk last week seeking a state bond
rating upgrade. A n upgrade w ill save state
taxpayers m illio n s o f dollars in interest on
bonds sold to finance state projects. H ill
also announced an agreement to reduce
fees paid on Letters o f C redit w ith four
Japanese banks to enhance a series o f
Veterans A ffa irs bonds.
Unabomber’s
Printing Supported
The publ ishers o f the New Y ork Times
and W ashington Post maafc the proper
decision when they agreed to published a
35,000-w ord manuscript in critiq u e o f the
in d u s tria l s o c ie ty s u b m itte d by the
Unabomber, says T im Gleason, associa­
tion dean o f the U n ive rsity o f Oregon
School o f Journalism and C om m unica­
tion. “ In m y opinion, they d id n ’ t a llo w
themselves to be manipulated, but instead
evaluated the pu b lic go o d ," Gleason said.
Portland Hosts
Policing Conference
M ore than 500 pol ice and com m unity
leaders from around the country are meet­
ing in Portland this week fo r a C om m unity
P o licin g Conference. T opics include c iti­
zen’ s com plaints, the crim e b ill, com m u­
n ity p o licin g , domestic violence, re cru it­
ing women and m inorities, changing the
culture, reaching di verse com m unities and
crisis intervention.
Plan Called Tax Cut
For Rich
D e m o cra tic Party C hairm an Don
F ow ler said Republicans are try in g to p u ll
the w ool over the eyes o f the Am erican
people when it comes to selling their
M edical Plan. “ Republicans want to slash
$270 b illio n from Medicare to finance a
tax cut to the wealthy. A nd the more
people know about the real Republican
plan, the more they reject it,” F ow ler said.
W elfare Changes
Termed Catastrophic
Last w eek’ s U.S. Senate vote to can­
cel 60 years o f federal w elfare p o licy,
transferring control to the slates and re­
ducing e lig ib ility and benefits is a te rrib le
step backwards, according to U n ive rsity
o f O regon S o cio lo g y Professor Joan
A cker. She calls it a mean and catastroph­
ic b lo w to the nation’ s poor, p a rticu la rly
women and children. A cker says reform s
should put more emphasis on jo b training
and ch ild care.
Robertson Finds Fault
With Medicare
Last week on his 700 C lub religious/
news program, Christian C oalition founder
and head Pat Robertson, (whose net w orth
is $65 m illio n ) said that Medicare is “ not
necessarily a good program. It’ s help some
people, but at a huge cost to the govern­
ment.”
Publisher Forbes Runs
For President
Steve Forbes, publisher and editor-
in -c h ie f o f Forbes Magazine, is the latest
candidate seeking the Republican nom i­
nation fo r President. His announcement
was made last week at the N ational Press
C lub in W ashington, D.C.
SEI Youth Center To egin Construction
rea students will come one
S e lf Enhancement, Inc.’ s (S E I) new 60,000
step closer to realizing that
square foot youth fa cility, the Center fo r S e lf
life truly does have options,
Enhancement.
when the ground is broken Wednesday Thanks to contributions from the city o f
to mark the construction of a new
Portland, local businesses and individuals,
multi-million dollar youth center in
SEI has raised $8.8 m illio n to build the
inner-north Portland.
center.
A
Oregon G ov. John K itzhaber w ill jo in in
the special ceremony at U nthank Park on
N o rth Shaver and K e rb y streets, the site for
T ony Hopson, SETs founder and presi­
dent, w ill o ffic ia te the ground breaking cer­
emony. He w ill be jo in e d by G ov. Kitzhaber,
Portland Parks Superintendent Charles Jor­
dan and Sue Cooley, a private citizen who
contributed $1.2 m illio n for center.
SEI is a no n -p rofit organization dedicat­
ed to p ro vid in g P ortland’ s inner-city youth
w ith constructive alternatives to drugs, gangs
and violence. The center’ s size w ill a llo w
SEI to double its enrollm ent annually, keep­
ing nearly 2,000 ch ildren o f f the streets and
away from drugs and gangs.
W ith expanded hours, the center w ill
help provide a haven during the most critical
hours o f influence fo r kids: evenings, week­
ends and summer vacation.
M ore than 200 SEI students, dressed ir.
co lo rfu l SEI T-shirts w ill help celebrate this
com m unity milestone by planting hundreds
o f flo w e r bulbs in large wooden barrels.
The barrels w ill be placed at the entrance
o f the future center.
Jackson Enters
Kaiser Struggle
R
ev. Jesse Jackson has contacted Kaiser
Permanente Regional Administrator Mike
Katcher to express his concerns over the
announced closure of Bess Kaiser Medical Center.
D e a r M r. Katcher:
I am w ritin g to express my concern that K aiser Permanente
not abandon the people o f N orth and Northeast Portland by
clo sin g Bess Kaiser M edical Center. I have serious questions
about your decision to close a profitable hospital in a largely
A fric a n Am erican com m unity and to contract our inpatient
services to hospitals in more affluent areas o f Portland. M ore
than 28,000 inner c ity consumers use the services at Bess
Kaiser. What w ill happen to people who require emergency
services in the N /N E section o f Portland?
I am convinced that N /N E Portland residents deserve the
accessible, quality care that they have depended on since 1959.
C linics w ill not substitute for inpatient services. Kaiser must
demonstrate that it is not abandoning the comm unity by keeping
its planned 50-55 bed hospital open indefinitely, or by building a
small hospital to provide sim ilar services.
▼
for framing is Charles White, co-owner of J.P.'s Custom Picture Framing, a minority-owned
business in the new Walnut Park Retail Center. This edition and next, the Portland Observer pays tribute
to Minority Enterprise and Development Week. See Section C, inside.
(Photo by Michael Leighton)
Continued to page A3
Spike Lee Recieves Standing Ovation In Creative Conference
by
C ora S mith _____________________
Surrounded like a bandit, Lee was held
ortland’s Creative Conference
captive by (w hich he later admitted tried his
attracted approximately 700
patience) eager “ film ites.” Vice principal Paula
enthusiastic filmgoers and
Kenny and her entourage from Jefferson High
industry representatives from across
School Performing Arts were seen flowering
the nation last week at Portland’s
praises to the notable filmmakers and embrac­
Intermediate Performing Arts Center.
ing celebrity handshakes
R
C ruising the Willamette on the S pirit o f
Portland was the opening event which high­
lighted the presence o f the Film Producer/
D irector Spike Lee.
It was “ N etw ork C ity” by conference par­
ticipants as business cards were exchanged.
Divacasting director forextras, Laverne Spring­
er o f Thumbs Up, was seen everywhere (she
assisted Spike Lee in casting for C rooklin in
New York). Chris Cusick o f Cusick Talents
and Janice Wilson o f Wilson Entertainment
were also there. The W ho’ s Who list o f film ­
makers present included W ill Vinton o f C ali­
fornia Raisen fame, cinematographer Peter
G ilbert, a key event speaker whusc five-year
H igh School in partnership w ith Richard
Dreyfuss, was shown during a special “ sneak
preview." The film , to be released in 1996, was
great, but unmistakebly missing were minority
faces.
project/documentary on “ Hoop Dreams!” held
the audience spellbound.
In questions concerning other projects,
Mrs. james explained that 11 others were on
the burner. “ You must have several going to
keep the money coming in," she said
Judith James, director/producer o f “ Mr.
Hollard Opus,” which was filmed at Grant
Continued to page B3
▼
5.
EDITORIAL
A2
EDUCATION
HOUSING
METRO
SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT
M.E.D. WEEK
A4
A7
BI
B2
B3
Cl