Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, June 19, 1996, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Volum e X X V I, N um ber 25
C om m itted to cultural diversi!
Affordable Housing
Bolstered
Sports Illustrated
For Kids CD ROM
Affordable Housing
Director Howard Nolte
works on Michigan Block
Project.
Michael Jordan ducks
into cyber-space, find out
why.
See Metro, Page BI.
June 19, 1996
l«trSa F r a n c e s S c h o e n —N e w s p a p e r- P o
U n i v e r s i t y o f O re g o n L ib r
E u g e n e , O re g o n
97403
---- ” o z
Earl Klugh's "Sudden
Burst O f Energy’ ” music
release.
See Sports, page B2.
See Entertainment, page B3.
(Lije
K
•
v.Z
T ■ U i E
E
E
K
c W
Livable Communities Honored
IN
S
REVIEW
ix Oregon projects were hon­
• Taylor-Dale Apartments, for renovation
ored with the Governor's Liv­
of abandoned space in an historic building
ability Award for their efforts to
for apartments in downtown McMinnville:
reinforce Oregon’s quality of life • and
The W alnut Part Community Policing
support its transportation and land use
and Retail Center, a multi-use facility de­
goals.
veloped at an abandoned grocery store site in
Court To Decide
Gun Control Law
The award recipients were announced Fri­
day by Livable Oregon during the organiza­
tion’s annual conference held in Seaside.
The winning projects include a mix of ren­
ovation and new construction ofhousingmixed
commercial and residential projects, acommu-
nity center with retail, and a city’s effort to
revitalize its downtown area. The 1996 Gover­
nor’s Livability Awards were presented to.
• Coos Bay Downtown and W aterfront
Revitalization Project, a city effort to make
the downtown shopping area and waterfront
more inviting and economically viable;
• Field of Dreams, a development of 44
single-family homes on a former haseball
field in a mixed-use area of Eugene.
• La Torre, for renovation of an historic
building for mixed-use in northwest Port­
land;
• W alnut Park, a housing development in a
city neighborhood near services and retail
shops, northeast Portland;
The Supreme Court says it will hear a
constitutional challenge to the Brady gun
control law tiled by two law enforcement
officers. The law requires a five-day wait
ing period before the sale of a handgun.
During the wait, local authorities are sup­
posed to determine i f the buyer has a felony
record, a history of mental illness or drug
use or other problems that would bar the
sale. It is strongly opposed by gun enthusi­
asts. Two sheriffs in Montana and Arizona
sued to overturn the law. They claim Con
gress overstepped its authority and that
requiring the records check violates the
Constitution’s IOth Amendment.
Anti-Abortion
Ruling Dumped
The Supreme Court has cleared the way
for the reinstatement of key parts ofa 199
Utah law prohibiting most abortions. The
law barred abortions except in cases in
which the life o f the mother is endangered,
reported rape, incest or grave fetal defects.
In its 5-4 ruling today, the Supreme Court
set aside a federal appeals court ruling that
struck down major provisions of the law.
The justices ordered more hearings on the
matter to determ ine what parts of the law can
be reinstated. The lower court had declared
I unconstitutional the provisions of the abor-
| tion ban and a requirement that physicians
performing late abortions use the method
most likely to ensure fetal survival.
Hillary Responds
To Whitewater
First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton has
complied with a request by the Senate
Whitewater Committee for last-minute
written responses to questions about a 1986
land deal. In a two-page affidavit, Mrs.
Clinton referred Senate investigators to
her previous testimony to federal regula­
tors regarding a question about a telephone
conversation with a former Arkansas sav­
ings and loan officer. The first lady also
said she had no first-hand knowledge about
the disappearance and discovery of her
Rose Law Firm billing records.
Yeltsin Maneuvers
Russian President Boris Yeltsin is ma­
neuvering to win the broader support he
needs to defeat Commun ist leader Gennady
Zyuganov in next month’s presidential run­
off. In yesterday’s election, Yeltsin won
I 34.8 percent of the vote, with Zyuganov
second at 32.1 percent. Because Yeltsin
failed to win a majority, a runoff is being
held. Yeltsin today held talks with Gen.
Alexander Lebed, the law-and-order can­
didate who came in third Lebed again
ruled out any deal with the Communists,
but also said he would not directly ask his
supporters to back Yeltsin.
Israeli Leader To Govern
Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin
Netanyahu says he will have his new hard­
line government in place by tomorrow.
The Likud Party leader was given the go-
ahead to assemble the new government
when he enlisted the support o f a Russian
immigrant party, thus assuring his govern­
ment o f a majority in the 120-member
Israeli parliament.
NFL Player Cleared
A judge in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has
thrown out the conviction o f Seattle
Seahawks wide receiver Brian Blades on
manslaughter charges. Broward County
I Circuit Judge Susan Lebow today granted
a defense motion for acquittal, overturning
a guilty verdict rendered by a six-person
| jury Friday.
Walnut Park Community Policing and
Retail Center: A view o f the retail side
o f the multi-use facility developed at an
abandoned grocery store site in
N ortheast Portland.
northeast Portland.
The Governor's Livability Awards are
prompted by the Governor's commitment to
livable communities and his desire to honor
the organizations and individuals who are
contributing to Oregon’s livability.
Winners were selected by the jury for
contributing to the economic vitality of the
community, and demonstrating how devel­
opers, planners, architects, builders and lend­
ers can work together to help preserve Ore­
gon's quality of life.
Award recipients incorporated develop­
ment practices that enhance livability in the
community including the following:
• locating near a variety o f transportation
choices and connecting with existing walk­
ways. hike paths and streets:
• using land and resources efficiently:
• selecting sites in or near already devel­
oped areas.
• designing the project to complement the
existing neighborhood.
As evidenced by the high level of early
occupancy, these projects are also commer­
cially successful. The award winning devel­
opers give witness to Livable Oregon’s vi­
sion of economic prosperity combined with
an “Oregon" quality o f life in each of the
state’s communities.
Church Burnings Unite Local Clergies
m P rom ise K i m ; &
l) \ w \ Bn
t
ican Jewish com m unity towards social
t may be unholy fire that has
justice is pushing legislation that would
ravaged many black churches
expand the ability o f the federal govern­
in down south, but the ominous
ment to prosecute vandalism o f religious
impact has brought together Portland
institution.
leading Jews, Muslims, and Christians
"As we watch the destruction of churches,
on a sympathy table.
we grieve and mourn as if these were our own
I
The clergies echoes’ irrespective of their
different religious philosophy sounded in
support of those whose churches were en­
gulfed.
“This act of terrorism is incomparable
with the teachings of Islam and it’s inconsis­
tent with civilized manners” says Dr luqman
Mirza, local president of Ahmadiyya Muslim
Missions.
“ Islam strongly abhors racism in any form.
It speaks strongly against the burning of
churches, synagogue and anywhere the name
of God is being commemorated”
Though it’s not clear how the churches
will be rebuild. Temple Beth Israel, a local
jewish congregation under the umbrella of
Religious Action Center of reform Judaism,
is leading a fund raising drive to rebuild the
black churches.
The center which m obilizes the Amer-
sanctuaries” Rabbi David Saperstein wrote
the congress last week.”
“ The values that emanates from the Holy
Book and that have shaped the forming ofthis
great country leave no room for the tolerance
of such destructive prejudice" echoed Rabbi
Emmanuel Rose.
Local Black preachers say the church
burnings trend open a cancerous wound of
the Jim Crow era when Black Churches were
burnt with impunity.
Many of the Black Pastors are wary of
taking a hard-line position on the issue, fear­
ing that strong tirades and reactionary rheto­
rics could spell chaos and doom racial
progress in this part of the country.
“Let us as a group, no matter what not
retaliate against white churches. We believe
in prayers and we know prayers changes
things" pleaded Rev Allen Bethel o f
Rev McCullough o f Bethel AME
Maranatha Church.
Pastor Johnny Pack of fellowship Baptist
church in North Portland sees the burnings as
final days phenomenal. He is concern that
this will eventually spread to Portland." This
is the time to seek the face of the lord”says
Pastor Park.
We as a body of Christ need to draw
together and encourage one another and be
oppose to this burnings" Rolling Hills
Church's youth Steve Catts said.
Pastor Eric Knox of Bible Temple sees
the burning as an attack on African - Amer­
icans and a satanic approach polarize the
nation.
Racism appears to be a motive in many
black church burnings. Independent experts
say perpetrators could include psychotics
with religious dilutions, thrill seekers, copy­
cats and vandals.
But Carol Fouke, a spoke woman for the
National Council of churches says she has
evidence that race is the motivation in terms
of black churches.
Rev McCullough of Bethel AMI: com­
mended the effort of the justice department."
Let us leave this war against our church to the
police and the justice system. I am for recon­
ciliation that is the spirit christ died for"
advised Rev McCullough
A Tribute To Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady Of Song
to
P rof . M i u m h B i ki
lla' passed away last Saturday
morning and the America lost a
national treasure, In fact, the
world press needed only that magical
first name to capture the attention of
the tens of million admirers of the ‘First
Lady of Song’; “ Ella’s Gone!”
E
Whether the venue was the sweep poi­
gnancy of a soulful ballad or the sophisticat­
ed lyrics of a Rogers and Hart showtune, she
was the controlled, master chanteuse. And
Whether her magical presence graced the
concert stage of a huge auditorium like the
Philharmonic, or the small space in front of
the orchestra in smoke-filled rooms Ella’s
unique style would evoke aa response from
her audience no other could match.
But then, too. the ‘firs, lady of Song could
take the hard driving syncopated beat of aa
song like “Mack the Knife" and convert on
Ella Fitzgerald
older, sedate audience of adults into a happy
foot-stomping crowd of finger-popping ado­
lescents. You were never qu ite sure who recited
the best tale of that London miscreant, Ella
Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. It was close.
This lady whose firs, name was sufficient
identification for fans around the world was
eulogized by two top male vocalists; “Male
or female, she was the greatest singer on the
planet" said Mel Tonne, aa longtime friend
he continued. “She was a little girl/woman
singer. She had that little girl quality, even at
the end, yet she could tackle Gershwin and
Porter and Ellington tunes with authority and
maturity. It was a very enigmatic quality.”
Tony Bennet, said, “she was my favorite
singer. Herrecordings will liveforever. She’ll
sound as modern 200 years from now, no
matter wha, techniques they come up with.”
And that comment reminds me that at one
time Ella had imprinted upon my adolescent
mind every riff and nuance of a number of
jazz instrumental- She had perfected a tech­
nique of using her flexible golden voice to
emulate or mimic the sophisticated sounds of
the horns of the orchestra. Swing, bop,
bossanova, you name it-Dizzy Gillespie or
Duke Ellington.
Ella Fitzgerald burst forth upon an unsus­
pecting but appreciative world in 1934, when
she won first prize in amateur night contest a,
the Old Apollo Theatre in Harlem. But it was
in 1938 with Chic Webh band that the world
became aware of her talent, when she record­
ed the sup-hit, “ A-Tisket, A-Taske,” Ella
co-authored the little ditty which was soon to
be on the lips of every school child, then
every adult in America -and eventually trans­
lated into scores of languages around the
world.
Le, us take a look through this particular
window in time. It was myjunior year of high
school, and while there was no television in
▼
Continued to page A3
■ ■ i h h i m i
FRONT EDIT°RIAL
S E C T IO N
42
HOUSING
FAMILY
A7
A6
METRO
S E C T IO N
EDUCATION
B5
SPORTS
B2
ARTS & ENT.
B3
RELIGION
CLASSIFIEDS
B4
B8