4
f
V o lu m e X X V I , N u m b e r 20
Committed to cultural diversity.
Volunteers Repair
Houses
Book Donations
Boost Local School
Christmas in April volunteers
repaired more than 26 houses
in the northwest region.
Organizers call it most
successful campaign yet.
Iesha Williams donates a
collection o f hooks from the
Portland Observer to
Humholt Elementarv Scool
See Housing, Page A6.
M arilyn Scott's
New Album
"Take Me With You " draws
from Jazz, Pop and Brazilian
flavors. As usual she adds a
touch o f social consciousness.
See Metro, Page BI.
(Llîc 3 Surtía nò C?
>
See Entertainment, Page B3.
Ï
F r a n c e s S c h o e n -N e w s p a p e r
i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n L i b r
E u g e n e , O re g o n
37403
AT
REVIEWI
Everglades Search Goes On
After locating the flight recorder from
I ValuJet flight 592, federal investigators
I are analyzing data from the machine, hop­
ing it yields some indication of what went
wrong. The instrument is expected to pro­
vide crucial details about the final minutes
of the fatal flight, including its speed,
altitude and information on other key sys­
tems. Officials say the recorder is in “re­
markably good shape.’’ It was found in
| about four feet ofwater when a police diver ]
looking for human remains hit it with his
foot
O. J. Simpson will have a big bill waiting
for him when he returns from his London
visit. The Los Angeles Times says the
Internal Revenue Service has filed a lien
against the former football great, seeking
$685,248 in back taxes. The report says
the tax bill is for income earned in 1994,
the year Simpson was arrested on charges
of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown
Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
The report says if Simpson does not settle
the debt quickly, the IR S can seize his
| Brentwood estate.
Mitsubishi Seeks
Suit Settlement
The Japanese carmaker, Mitsubishi Mo-
I tors Corp., says its U.S. unit will seek a
| quick solution to its sexual harassment
lawsuit through talks with the government
I agency that filed the suit. Saying “We
don’t welcome confrontation,” a Mitsubishi
spokesman said. "We expect a solution to
the issue as soon as possible.” Twenty-
nine women charged that male co-workers
subjected them to continual physical and
verbal sexual abuse. Tension in the town
has been high and a woman involved in the
suit received death threats after Mitsubishi
officials said that adverse publicity was
affecting sales and could lead job reduc­
tions.
Study Shows Wide
Spread Exposure To
Cigarette Smoke
The Center for Disease Control report­
ed that blood samples collected around the
country show an almost universal expo­
sure to tobacco smoke, even among people
who never smoke and don’t live or work
around smokers. Metabolic residue,
cotinme, only comes form smoke from a
cigarette as it bums and has 20 to 30 times
more cancer-causing chemicals as smoke
inhaled from a lit cigarette.
Russia Warns of AIDS
Epidemic
A top Russian health ministry official
says Russia is facing an A ID S epidemic,
after keeping the deadly disease at bay for
years. Alexander Goliusov, the ministry’s
chief A ID S expert, tells the Interfax news
agency that Russia has 1,157 registered
HIV-positive cases. He says by the end of
the year, that number could be 4.000 The
figures are still relatively low, considering
Russia’s population o f 150 million.
FRONT
section
EDITORIAL
A2
250
eginning M ay 1 5 , Portland
traffic police will be a g g re a -
sively ticketin g motorists run­
ning red lights especially in high col­
lision corridors.
B
Consumer Prices Up
Moderately
IRS Seeks Big OJ Tax Bill
er
Red
Light
Runner
Crack
Down
IN
U.S. consumer prices were on the rise in
April, but only moderately, despite a sharp
increase in the cost of energy. The Labor
Department’s Consumer Price Index was
upO.4 percent in April. When volatile food
and energy prices are factored out,
inflation was very tame, rising oniy 0 .1
percent in April. Analysts say the data
indicate very modest inflationary pressure,
and are unlikely to trigger Federal Reserve
interest rate hikes.
Roc
Nicole Franke, Jamilah Cash and dance Instructor
and SOS coordinator, Jackie Jones of the Vernon
Elementary drill team participate In the Support our
Schools March May 13. The march is a part of a
community wide effort to raise money to make up
for the $15 million shortfall in next years budget.
Vernon Principal, Lessie Houston walks with
students in the march. A pledge walk is scheduled
for June 1 before the Starlight Run and Parade.
Carter Candidate For Senate
C
ommunity activists, labor lead­
ers, local and state elected offi­
cials, and gubernatorial appoln
tees came out last w eek to back
Representative M argaret Carter as a
write-in candidate for the 8th district
Senate seat held by the late Bill McCoy.
The Legacy Committee, an ad-hoc coali­
tion, initiated a write-in campaign after Sen­
ator M cCoy’s death left only one Democratic
primary candidate for the seat Thomas Wilde.
Running with no political experience, Wilde
has made national news because, if he wins
the primary he may run against his wife,
Melinda, a candidate in the Republican pri­
mary for the same seat.
(_ arter is running unopposed for reelection
to the 18th district house seat. She is able to
run for both offices because she has not
officially announced for the write-in bid.
“ I ’ll let the people decide,” Carter said of the
grassroots campaign.
IfCarter wins both nominations she would
have to withdraw from one. If she accepts the
State
Senate seat, The Democrat ic Party is al lowed
to name her successor to the House.
The Portland Community College Coun­
selor has a Master's Degree from Oregon
State University and was an instructor at
Albina Youth Opportunity School and assis­
tant director o f Community Action Agency.
During her term in the House, Carter served
on the Committee on Revenue and School
Finance. She has been on the Attorney Gen­
eral’s Crime Victim ’s assistance Program
Advisory Committee, the Governor’s Task
Force on Pregnancy and Substance Abuse
and the Task Force on Mental Health. She
was recently elected Chairwoman o f the
Democratic Party of Oregon.
The issues that have Carters interest are
those involving parents and families, youth
and community life She counts helping es­
tablish enterprise zones to urban area. The
North Precinct Boy’s and Club at Walnut
Park and the Skill Center at Portland Com­
munity College among her best accomplish­
ments.
In a statement in the Oregon Voters Pam­
phlet Carter says, “ I want to hear your ideas
and comments on the pressing issues facing
Oregon. Please Call me at 282-1585.”
Wild is unhappy with the write-in cam­
paign and cried foul. “ I don’t mind running
against her,” he said. “But I don’t like run­
ning against a phantom — just pick your race.
I think it’s a fraud on the voters.” Wilde said
he’s contemplating legal action.
1 homas Wilde is a portfolio manager and
home designer and has worked as a cabinet
maker, photographer and homebuilder. He
has attended various vocational and techni­
cal schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In conjunction with his effort, the Port­
land Office o f Transportation will launch
the “Stop! for Red Lights” campaign will
continue through August, 1996
Each year, Portland drivers who run
red lights were responsible for over 1200
crashed, more than half involving inju­
ries, and an estimated five fatalities.
Disregarding traffic controls isthe lead
ing cause o f urban crashes in the United
States today, representing 22 percent of
the total number urban crashes. The eco­
nomic impact o f these crashes is estimat
ed at $7 billion each year in medical costs,
time lost from work, insurance increases
and property damage.
“Running a red light only saves the
motorist about 30 to 40 seconds,
said Com m issioner Earl Blumenauer,
who oversees the O ffice o f Transpor
tation. “Yet the costs to out liv a b ility
and safety are enormous. Our C it y ’s
neighborhood associations and in d i­
vidual residents are jo in in g us in this
educational effort and sigh in g p led g­
es because they recognize the dan­
gers o f running red lig h ts.”
The City of Portland was one of a
imited number o f sites selected to re­
ceive a Federal Highway Administration
grant to implement a public information
and education campaign directed as rais­
ing the public awareness if risks associat­
ed with running red lights.
The Portland Police Bureau agreed an
enforcement component will greatly en­
hance these educational efforts.
Blacks Still Seen Negatively In TV News
by
P amela J ordan
atched local TV news lately? If
it was your only exposure to
African-Americans you m ight
think most black people are murderers.
T h at’s the conclusion of a study by Thor
W asbotten, and assignment editor for
KOIN-TV.
W
Wasbotten analyzed how Blacks and
Whites were depicted in crime stories in
Portland during a two-week period in Janu­
ary and February 1994. Although African-
Americans appeared in only five percent of
the violent crime stories shown during the
study, 100 percent o f the stories in which
Blacks appeared were homicide stories. Only
78 percent of White suspects appeared in
violent crime stories.
The study also compared how often B lacks
were the focus of feature stories as opposed
to crime stories Wasbotten expected posi­
tive feature stories focusing on African-Amer­
ican to outweigh crime stories in February,
Black history month They didn’t. Sixty-
three percent of the stories Blacks appeared
in were crime stories.
“ If the only time you see a black on the
news is when they allegedly kill someone,
what cumulative effect is that going to have
HEALTH
A4
Thor Wasbotten studied how blacks
were portrayed on TV news.
on viewers, especially if T V news is sup­
posed to represent reality?,” said Wasbotten
Wasbotten conducted his study while he
was a Master’s degree candidate at the Uni­
HOUSING
FAMILY
A6
AS
versity ofOregon. He modeled his study after
more extensive research on network and lo­
cal TV newscasts by researcher Robert
Entman, a leading scholar on how Blacks are
portrayed on television.
“Even though the black population is much
higher where Entmen conducted his studies
of local news, the similarities between Port­
land and Chicago were surprising,” said
Wasbotten “ I was hoping for better.”
Wasbotten contends that it’s not just the
kinds of stories blacks are shown in, but the
way they’re portrayed that makes it easier for
viewers to assume guilt. Blacks are more
likely to be shown handcuffed, in prison
jumpsuits, dressed poorly or in inanimate
mugshotsthan Whites. The still photographs,
he contends, steal character, and make it
easier for viewers to see the subject as less
human.”
Broadcast television stations use public
airwaves to transmit images. For that reason
Dr Darrell Millner, Professorof Black Stud­
ies at Portland State University, believes
communities that have been misleadingly
represented have a right to demand and ex­
pect changes H e ’s not surprised by
Wasbotten's findings.
It’s not unreasonable to expect television
METRO
section
news operations to do a comprehensive and
unbiased job, bu, that clearly doesn’t hap­
pen,” said Millner.
“ We have a tendency to believe that these
are public service operations, but these are
profit making organizations. As long as they
are driven primarily by profit, T V news will
continue to air what potentially draws the
largest audiences, not what is necessarily
right.’’
Former T V news anchor Dick Bogle has
seen progress in the coverage of Blacks in
Portland. Bogle, a Portland native, became
the first African-American anchor in the north­
west when he was hired by K A T U -T V in
1968
“Coverage of Black issues is better,” said
Bogle. “Many of those issues have been
folded into neighborhood issue stories. But
T V stations still need to develop black news
sources, for issues other than purely Black
issues There is expertise in this community
on subjects other than being Black .”
Wasbotten believes the ever increasing
pace of television news, the ease of covering
crime stories and the deadline pressure con­
tribute to the shortchanging of blacks on
Continued to page B3
ARTS & ENT.
RELIGION
EDIT.LETTERS
CLASSIFIEDS
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