1 »
« o S M ä M iM
Januars I. 1997
C om m itted to cultural diversity.
Volum e X X V II, Num ber I
Housing for women
homemakers
Greg O’Quin ‘N
Joyful Noyze
abitat for Humanity is
helping Nicole Williams
and women like her to
become home makers.
Greg O Quin knows all
about faith and staying
focused on a vision.
ear/
Sec Metro, page BI.
¡Llie
See Arts & Entertainment, page B3.
(I) Homier
_______________________________
_____ -_____________________________ F ~uun
U n iv e rs ity
i. i b r
nf
TIIE W
EEK
IrlClN
ver the last 1 5 years. North
west Natural Gas Company’s
Gas A s s is ta n c e Program
(GAP) has helped many of those In
need pay their heating bills.
O
Retail forges ahead
With Christmas behind them, the next
challenge for Portland-area retailers is to
trim inventories to withstand the chill winds
of January.
Urban Sprawl
As the urban West goes through the
third major growth boom in four decades,
some of the shiny W estern cities are be
coming their worst nightmare. Los Ange
les sym ptom s -- bad-air alerts, traffic
gridlock, loss of open space, huge gulfs
between the rich and the poor - are becom
ing impossible to ignore.
Clinton campaign funds
under scrutiny
Riding a blast of cold air from the Columbia Gorge, a surprise ice storm showered the Portland area with thousands of broken
trees, power lines and telephone cables last Thursday.
Photo M. Washington
It is becoming increasingly evident as
each week goes by that Clinton was an
important participant in the Democratic
Party’s efforts - some of it in violation of
federal law prohibiting foreign contribu
tions — to raise an enormous war chest for
the 1996 presidential election campaign.
County programs to assist needy
Gingrich
Beavers prevail
ow income households in need
Energy Assistance Program Coordinator.
of financial aid to pay for winter
To qualify for energy assistance, appli
heating bills can apply for Low
cants must be at or below 125% of the Federal
Poverty level. Examples of the 125% level
Income Energy A ssistance program
(LIEAP), a federal program managed by
are:
Multnom ah County's D epartm ent of
* A household of one with a yearly income
Community and Family Services an Mon
of $9,675.(X) or less.
* A household of four with a yearly in
day, December 2, 1 9 9 6 .
L
This program is designed to assist low
income resident with their household heating
costs. “Households must demonstrate energy
costs for this one-time payment, which aver
ages around $ 19O.(X),” said Nancy Culver,
The Beavers won the Les Schwab Ore
gon Holiday Invitational Championship
game with a 76-53 victory over McNary a
the Chiles Center on Saturday night.
come that does not exceed $19,500.00.
To apply for LIEAP, County residents
should contact one of the following commu
nity service centers in their neighborhood.
Locations in Multnomah County: (North)
Army scientists have agreed to investi
gate a California researcher’s claim that he
has found a possible bacterial explanation
for some illnesses suffered by G ulf War
veterans
Chevron pays
for unsafe refinery
A Texas jury has ordered Chevron
U S A. to pay nearly $61 million to a
contractor that claimed its workers were
sickened by unsafe conditions at one of the
oil com pany's refineries.
Rasheed takes a break
Vancouver gets big
With annexations. Vancouver will see
its population almost double. Vancouver
also will move into the No. 4 spot among
W ashington cities behind Seattle, Spo
kane and Tacoma and make it No. 2 in the
Portland area.
U.S. 26 (Sunset Highway)
Motorists can expect a lower speed lim
it on the detour in the west-bound lanes
between the W ashington Park Zoo inter
change and Sylvan interchange. Drivers
are asked to avoid lane changes through
the detour. The project to widen the high
way is scheduled for completion in fall
1997.
EDITORIAL
St. John's YWCA, 247-9131; (Northeast),
A lbina M inisterial A lliance 240-0828;
(N orthw est) Friendly House, 228-4335;
(Downtown) Transition Projects, 823-4930;
( Southwest) Neighborhood House, 246-1663;
(Inner Southeast) Portland Impact, 239-4328;
(Outer East, between 82nd & SE 162nd Ave.)
Human Solutions, 248-3662; (Outer East,
east o f SE 162nd) Human S o lu tio n ’s
Rockwood Office) 248-5215.
According to Culver, last year the energy
assistance program served over 9,000 low
income households in Multnomah County.
Urban League wants summit
Gulf War aftermath
Rasheed Wallace, who plays power for
ward for the Portland Trail Blazers, will
miss at least four weeks — and possibly
more than 13 games — while his broken left
thumb heals.
f______________
UAr nelps
low-income
Families
Stay Warm
REVIEW
Criticism by the nation’s key newspa
pers may undermine Newt G ingrich's ef
forts to get re-elected as House Speaker.
Gingrich has admitted dial he misled the
House ethics committee.
®w^ D a p e r
Mrs. Narves Gammage, mother o f the 31-year-old police choke hold victim in
Pittsburgh and National Urban League President Hugh B. Price, calling on
President Clinton for a summit on police misconduct and a national code of
conduct for police.
Photo by Roy
National Urban League Asks President
Clinton For A Summit on Police Miscon
duct and a National Police Code Conduct.
National Urban League President Hugh B.
Price asked President Clinton to convene a
sun, m il on police misconduct and propose a
national code of conduct for police.
"The National Urban League is going to
pursue this to the fullest," said Price. "We
will not rest until we see President Clinton
take the leadership on this issue of police
brutality against Black men. We don’t want
roadside judges and juries -- we want justice.
“Racial tensions are engulfing cities like
Pittsburgh and St Petersburg in the wake of
confrontations between police and civilians,"
warned Price. “Since this problem threatens
METRO
the domestic tranquillity of cities across the
country and. when it careens out of control,
endangers the lives of officers and citizens
alike, it is a national crisis which requires
presidential leadership."
"My Jonny had never been arrested be
fore," said Mrs. Narves Gammage. mother of
the 31 year old police choke hold victim in
Pittsburgh. "Jonny was a wonderful human
being, he tried to do the right things, he had
a paper route, he worked all through high
school and college. He w asn’t a threat to
anyone, he was only 5 ft. 4" and weighed only
160pounds I’m pleading to President Clinton
to do something,” she said.
“We need to ask President Clinton about
the police code of silence,” said Mr. Jonny
CLASSIFIEDS
B3
B4
• »
Apology: The following article
is a con ectimi for last week 's
misspelling (>f Ray Jay 's name.
Roy Jay elected
Visitor Association
Treasurer
oy Jay, President of Oregon
Convention and Visitor Ser
vices Network was recently
unanimously elected treasurer for the
Washington County Visitors Associa
tion by the organizations board of
R
directors.
He will replace Marx, Director of Sales
for Sweetbriar Inn. who will be leaving to
accept a similar position in Washington
State with Heathman Management Group.
Jay, who has been a long standing and
active member ot the WCVA Board will
become an officer and executive board
member starting in 1997 in succession for
possibly the board presidency in the fu
ture.
Marlin Luther King Jr. Day is January 15th
ARTS & ENT.
A2
Lewis
Gammgage, Sr., the father of the policechoke
hold victim. “Why did it take five white
police officers to suffocate my 164 pound
son? Even the good cops w on't talk about the
bad cops,” he said.
“Too many citizens have lost faith in the
criminal justice system," said Pittsburgh Ur
ban League President Ester L. Bush. “We
have had enough of all whitejuries acquitting
all the officers. There is anger and frustration
in Pittsburgh and high tension between the
police and the community."
“It takes a riot to get attention to our
problems," said St. Petersburg, FL., Urban
League President James O. Simmons. “That’s
what we had when officers killed Tyrone
Lewis. We call on President Clinton and
local officials to address these problems and
the sea of disparity of the African-American
community. Let’s end this poverty and hope
lessness.”
"We all see the tension, and we endorse the
Urban League’s call to the President to bring
this problem forward into a summit, “said
U.S. Congressman William J. Coyne of Penn
sylvania.
"Police need more training in conflict res
olution, all police supervisors, especially
street supervisors, must be accountable, and
misconduct must bear a tolerance level of
zero." said Ira Harris. Executive Director.
National Organization of Black Law En
forcement Officers (NOBLE) that represents
nearly 3,(XX) of the nation’s black law en
forcement officials. "A climate has been cre
ated where white officers really aren’t afraid
of reprisals for their actions.”
“We need equal protection and dignity,
under the law, “said the Rev. Sykes of St.
Petersburg, EL. “We do not need police
harassment added to the multiple problems
we already face.”
Each year contributions front the pub
lic, N NG's employees, customers and
shareholders provide the needed tunds lor
GAP. Since its inception m 1982, nearly
$3 million in GAP funds have been col
lected and disbursed. So tar in 1996,
$ 170,(XX) in GAP funds have been distrib
uted to needy households throughout
Northwest Natural's service area in north
west Oregon and southwest Washington
"Every dollar given to GAP goes to
those who need help,” said Dick Reiten,
president and chief operating officer of
Northwest Natural Gas Company. "Be
cause of the generous support the program
has received over the years, GAP has
helped almost 50,(XX) households stay
warm during the winter."
GAP funds are collected by the United
Way and then disbursed to community
action agencies throughout the compa
n y ’s service area. Each applicant is
screened by an agency to determine eligi
bility.
Northwesl Natural customers should
look lor the red and green envelopes in
their November gas bills in which to send
in their tax-deductible donations. Others
can send their donations to United Way/
GAP, 619 S. W. Eleventh Avenue, Port
land, OR 97205.
Anyone requiring assistance should
contact their local community action agen
cy. Please send in your contribution today.
You’ll feel warmer knowing that someone
less fortunate is warm too.
Ciill now to receive advertising rates for our special edition.
*