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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1996)
UvL I *c í> --. .':<f -..'A í m * í*-^ . a o w g l Hl .p a p e r M rs . F ra n c e s S cho e n n L ita » U n i v e r s i t y o f O re E u a e n e , O re g o n Volume X X \ I, N im i J X F nitted to cultural diversity. December IS. 1996 ____ Scholarship gives Renfro chance to finish college Mel Renfro has a chance to go back to the University of Oregon and finish his degree. . /[fe/vvj 6%/wtma& See Metro, page BI. ck HAPPY KWANZAÄ New Generation Chorale Flashy Choir conductor Ricky Dillard's New Generation Chorale album is a smash. See Arts & Entertainment, page BI. (Elie HïoriÎattit (©bseruer« $300,000 invested future workforce Major donation to state’s leading reading program challenges others to “Get SMART” Foundation to help implement their long- range plan for expanding SMART state wide. The bank challenges the community to collectively match this $300,(MX) during this same three-year period to bring SMART to children throughout Oregon. “Encouraging children to read and enjoy books at an early age critical to the develop ment of important skills which will increase their future o p p o rtu n itie s,” said John Eskildsen. CEO and President, U.S. Bank of Oregon “SMAR T has proven to be effective in developing these skills. I encourage com panies large and small, and individuals, to “Get Smart" and join us in our support of this outstanding program." SMART volunteers read one-on-one with children in grades kindergarten through sec ond. SMART students are further encour aged to read at home with parents or siblings through gifts of two new books each month. SMAR T students have received more than 140,(XX) books since the program began. The goal of SMART is to create enthusiastic readers who can read at their grade level when they finish elementary school. Currently, SMART programs are offered in Clatsop, Crook, D eschutes, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, Lane, Linn, and Mult nomah Counties SMART area managers around the stale have seen this program at Court blocks execution The Supreme Court blocked today’s scheduled execution of a Virginia man who gathered international support in his plea for a new trial. The court held up the execution of Joseph O 'D ell, who had been scheduled to die by injection today, until it can act on his appeal. O 'D ell, convicted of raping and murdering a woman in 1986, claims he is innocent and that DNA tests will show that blood stains found on his T- shirt were not from the victim. Lovers plead innocent Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, the 18-year-old lovers accused of killing their newborn son, will stay behind bars for now At a court hearing Tuesday in Wilmington Del., the judge denied a request to free the teens on bail while they await trial, hut scheduled another hearing to consider the issue next month. Both Grossberg and Peterson pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. And defense lawyers said there were serious questions that the baby they are accused of killing and dumping in a motel trash bin would have lived. They contended it had congenital brain damage Simpson alternate dismissed An alternate juror at O.J Sim pson’s wrongful death civil trial has been dis missed. A source close to the case tells Reuters that the dismissed alternate juror had written in a Christmas card to a friend that he was on the celebrity case. The friend happened to be a deputy sheriff and he notified thejudge. In testimony Tuesday, a forensic expert back-tracked on the testi mony he gave Monday. Michael Baden, a New York State Police medical examiner, said that two assailants might have killed N icole Brow n S im pson and R onald Goldman. He conceded the facts point to only one killer. Nursing home plan killed The Clinton administration has killed a controversial plan to curtail inspection of nursing homes that care for Medicare and Medicaid patients. The move follows a warning from a consumer group and an advixatc for the elderly that care could be hurt by the plan. Fed doesn’t change rates The Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates unchanged amid signs that the see-saw economy is sett ling down to steady growth as 1996 draws to a close. Winter storm hits plains One of the worst winter storms in recent memory engulfed the northern U.S. plains today, stranding thousands in their homes amid white-out conditions and bitter cold. Snowdrifts as high as four feet have closed highways in the Dakotas and authorities say many roads were reopened immediate ly because plows have been unable to keep up with the drifts. Red cross says six slaughtered The International Committee of the Red Cross says six Western staff members of the relief agency were murdered in their beds at a hospital com pound in the breakaway Russian region of Chechnya today. A Red Cross spokesman says two Norwegians, one Dutch, one Canadian, one Spaniard and one New Zealander were killed. The Red Cross says it has suspended all its activities in Chechnya. U.S. Bank of Oregon recently committed $300.000 to the Oregon Children's Foundation SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) program, Oregon's leading program dedicated to increasing literacy among elementary school students. John Eskildsen, president and CEO o f U.S. Bank o f Oregon (far left) and Neil Goldschmidt, former Oregon governor and founder of the Oregon Children's Foundation (far right) learned first hand how to "Get SMART" from northeast Portland Woodlawn Elementary School students (left to right) Celia Orduna, Dominique McCallister, and Robert Conde. s one of Oregon's top ten em- ployers, U.S. Bank has commit commit- ted $ 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 to the Oregon Children's Foundation SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) program, Ore gon's leading program dedicated to in creasing literacy among elementary A school students. U.S. Bank's challenge grant marks the largest donation re ceived by SMART since it began In 1992. "U.S. Bank's contribution gives us the framework to greatly expand SMART and meet our goal of reaching more than 200 schools statewide," said Neil Goldschmidt, former Oregon governor and the founder of the Oregon Children's Foundation. SMART currently serves 78 schools in 10 counties, involving 3,900 students and volunteers. Over the next three years, U.S. Bank will provide $3(K).()()() to the Oregon Children’s work. “SMAR T generates tangible, immediate results and offers kids positive adult role models," Mary Jubitz, Executive Director Oregon Children's Foundation. “We can ac tually measure improvement in a child’s ac ademic performance as a result of the extra attention focused on reading skills.” Area businesses or individuals interested in supporting SMAR T through a contribu tion of dollars or time are encouraged to call Jubitz at (503) 721-7175. NORPAC annual m eeting draws pickets emanding the same rights and respect that American workers enjoy, Mexican farmworkers and their supporters gathered Tuesday in Salem to speak out against repressive labor practices by Willamette Valley growers. The protest by more than 40 people was led by Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del N o ro este (PC U N ), O re g o n ’s union o f farmworkers. Bearing red flags, placards and banners, the demonstrators met outside the Quality Inn on Market Street, host to the annual m eeting o f N O R PA C grow ers. NORPAC, a group of 250 growers who own several canneries as well as an international marketing and distribution system, is the largest food processing company west of the Mississippi River. Among the demonstrators were several members of the Oregon Farm Worker Minis try. Religious supporters have lately played a key role in the Oregon farmworker struggle. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), representing 2,(X)0 churches and 17 denom inations throughout Oregon, voted Novem ber 13 toendorse PCU N ’s national consumer boycott of NORPAC products sold under the labels “Flav-R-Pac” (frozen fruits, vegeta bles and juices) and “Santiam ” (canned fruits whether they want union representation, a and vegetables). Also, members of two Meth right that workers have in NORPAC canner odist churches in Salem assisted workers ies. NORPAC has ignored these requests and protesting low wages, lack of job security and also refused to agree to a policy of non- the collection of $3.00 per day from each retaliation against workers who openly orga worker for rides to the field at Five Oaks nize on their farms, according to Leone Farms, owned by NORPAC board member Bicchieri, PCUN Boycott Coordinator. In Jerry D itchen. D itchen eventually paid the summer, many workers will begin har $ 10,5(X) in compensation to workers after vesting fields at 7 a.m., work all day, take a extensive negotiations between his attorney shower and work the swing shill at a NORPAC and an attorney and an attorney representing cannery. the workers. The NORPAC boycott has been in effect EMO has repeatedly called on NORPAC since 1992 and has received the official en to respect farmworkers' right to vote on dorsement of more than 50 lixal, regional D Farmworkers picketed NORPACs annual meeting in Salem and national organizations, including the United Farm Workers of America, the Na tional Synod of the United Church of Christ, Oregon Public Employees’ Union and Coun cil #75 of the American Federation of Slate, County and Municipal Employees PCUN is also working to get companies to respect the NORPAC boycott. Currently. Wholesome Si Hearty Foods, maker of “Gardenburgcr” and a company that promotes itself as socially responsible, is being boycotted because of its distribution contract with NORPAC's busi ness group An important concern for workers along with wage and hour issues is pesticide expo sure. “In the strawberries, there’s a white powder that when we're picking it gets in my eyes and makes rashes on my hands”, said Hermilio Herrera. 32. of Molalla, one of the workers at the protest. Strawberries are one of the crops with the heaviest use of pesti cides. Between the boycott and field organizing pressure, and the experience at Five Oaks Farms, growers are now "thinking the un thinkable ” "It's no longer a matter of ‘if’ unionization will occur in Oregon agricul ture", a prominent grower recently told a EDITORIAL VANCOUVER HEALTH FAMILY METRO ARTS & ENT. A2 RELIGION A3 A4 CLASSIFIEDS A5 BI B3 B4 B5 5 ó ' í
