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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1997)
'^ r ' t. ?v * ^ * * 0 ¿ ¿ i'í%J j ' ' * *’ r ' *• * >^. — US V i . • / . Volume X X V II, Number 13 1 r»ï. - • > 1 Committed to cultural diversity i » 'W =— i r~ M a rc h iò ------------ --------- ; •. f, .-. 1907 A tip from Tiger Comic Jamie Anderson to perform in Oregon returns with poetry Tiger Woods conducted the first in a national series o f youth clinics launched bv the Tiger Woods Foundation. She pulled words from Shakespeare. Dickinson, Terence, and Dunbar out o f her magical grab bag. See Arts & Entertainment, page AS. See Metro, page BI. <Mf* ^« rifa rò tf“ - See Sports, page B3. ' 250 F ra n e t ■■■■Mam Statewide school computer refurbishing Simpson seeks new trial O.J. Simpson’s lawyers have filed a ! motion seeking a new wrongful death I c iv il trial. Tuesday was the deadline for Simpson’s lawyers to file an appeal or any I other motions relating to the c iv il trial that ended last month with a ju ry award- | ing the plaintiffs $33.5 m illion in dam ages. The ju ry found Simpson responsible | for the murders o f his former wife and her friend. The documents filed with ihe Los I Angeles Superior Court also asked Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki to reduce the damages | awarded in the case. Break for bomb trial victims Thejudge in the Oklahoma C ity bomb ing case has agreed to allow victims o f the bombing to attend the trial even i f they plan to testify in the death penalty phase o f the case Tuesday’s ruling marks a com p le x reversal for U.S. D istrictC ourt Judge Richard Matsch, who earlier had barred the attendance o f anyone who might tes tify in any phase o f the case. Oregon public school students like those above benefit from the upgraded computers, and related equipment donated by Intel throught the STRUT program created by State Schools Superintendent Norma Paulus (right). ta te Schools Superintendent, Norma Paulus announced on March 2 0 a statew ide program to refurbish computers and other tech nology for schools, as a part of Oregon’s com mitment to NetYear 97. Named STRUT, for Students Recycling Used Technology, the program includes 29 Oregon school districts where students w ill evaluate, repair and refurbish donated com puter systems. These “ recycled" systems w ill be donated to school districts for student use. “ This is an exciting opportunity for stu dents to learn computer repair, business S Clinton: crack down on doctors President Clinton says the best way to prevent fraud in the Medicare and M edic aid programs is to keep crooked doctors from getting into the system in the first place. Clinton Tuesday proposed stiffer screening o f health care providers who receive government payments. Clinton is asking Congress to pass a b ill that would help bar unscrupulous doctors and medi cal firms from the government health care programs for the elderly and poor. management and team building skills, while b rin g in g thousands o f com puters into Oregon’s classrooms," said Paulus. “ Busi ness, schools and communities are w orking together to bring the tools o f technology to students.” Paulus wasjoinedat Jefferson High School in Portland, one of three Portland schools participating in SI RUT. by representatives o f the project's founding partners. John Young, superintendent, Northwest Regional Education Service D istrict and Wendy Gore meets Chinese officials Vice President A1 Gore met senior C h i nese officials Tuesday to begin the highest level U.S diplom atic talks in Beijing in eight years. Members o f the U.S. delega tion say little was achieved to bridge the gap between the two countries on human rights, but talks on the issue were less acrimonious than in the past. Army sex scandal charges The sexual misconduct scandal at the U.S. A rm y ’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland is worsening. The A rm y says it has charged two more d rill sergeants at the base, bringing to 10 the number o f soldiers charged in the scandal. O fficials say S taff Sgt. Wayne Gamble, 36, is charged w ith adultery, sodomy, assault, desertion and other violations. O fficials say he abused 14 female soldiers. Electric chair misfires Florida Governor Lawton Chiles says he does not plan to suspend executions o f prisoners despite the m alfunctioning o f the electric chair at a state prison in the town o f Starke. Witnesses say a bolt o f flame and smoke shot from the head o f convicted murderer Pedro Medina during his execution Tuesday. EDITORIAL........... ....... A2 FAMILY.................. ....... A3 HEALTH................ ...... A4 ARTS & ENT......... ...... A6 METRO.................. ....... B I EDUCATION......... ...... B2 SPORTS................ ...... B3 RELIGION.............. ...... B4 CLASSIFIEDS...... ...... B5 Hawkins. K-12 Manager. Intel Corporation The STRUT program began three years ago when Intel Corporation was looking for a way to locally recycle its outdated and surplus computers. Hawkins contacted the Northwest Regional T.tíucatio:’ Service Dis trict to explore a partnership with local schools. Forest Grove High School became the first school to establish a curriculum and to receive free computers for refurbish ing. In the past three years, four high schools in Washington County have refurbished more than $4 m illion dollars worth o f computers, peripherals and equipment donated by Intel. The corporation also provided $140,000 in cash contributions to support start-up costs and statewide training. More than 1,200 computers have been distributed to schools throughout Washington County. Tigard High School created the most so phisticated program, converting an 8.000 square foot wood and metal shop area into TigerNet, a student-run computer refurbish ing "corporation ’’ Forty computers are re cycled through TigerNet each week and the statewide model is based on this one devel- oped by students, teachers and the alterna tive school program in Tigard. According to John Young. NW Regional ESDsuperinten dent. “ The first student "C E O ” o f TigerNEt has graduated from high school and now serves as a technical contractor/consultant to Intel." Business, government and individuals are being asked to donate PCs, m onitors, keyboards, hard drives, printers, netw ork ing devices, modems and even copiers to participating schools in their counties. As many parts as possible from each dona tion are recycled and used to build re fu r bished equipment. In many o f the pro grams. students who complete two years of training w ill receive technician c e rtifi cates and/or advanced placement credits toward com puter technology programs at com m unity colleges Intel is proud to be a founding partner o f this project and delighted to share its success with schools throughout Oregon," explains Wendy Hawkins. "It is a perfect use o f corporate resources and we encourage other businesses to get involved." In addition to the founding partners. East ern Oregon Fast Freight, Piper Jaffray and Portland General Electric are supporting STRUT with significant financial and in- kind donations. A ccording to STR U T projections, a m inim um o f 10.000 computers w ill be refurbished in the com ing school years. C alculating based on current m arket value o f refurbished computers, STR U T w ill donate $5.25 m illio n in computer equip ment to Oregon's schools by June 1998. S I RU I plans a statewide technology c o l lection on A p ril 25-26. The educational ranch herd is restless in I ’ m ii i ssi in M< K i x m B i k i he following potpourri of educa tional news and comments does not attem p t to prioritize or es tablish any gradient of concern. days, any or all information in this area could be valuable. The most overriding concern o f all in volved is in the area o f school finance and funding, this obtains (?) with school adm in istrators, teachers, parents and those who would benefit most directly from an im proved economic climate - the students themselves. And, not to be left out o f this key equation, is the public at large which, tradi tionally, has borne the education burden through property taxes. It was passage o f Measure 47 last Novem ber that threw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans o f all the mice and men who T heretofore had thought a solution to be within easy reach o f any group o f dedicated and sufficiently informed citizens That tax-cut ting initiative, the brain child o f tax activist These B ill Sizemore, promised to derail all o f ( fregon s plans to reverse a decade o f inad equate public schools support At this date, the week o f March 24th, we find the Oregon State Legislature busily (and frantically) at work on a revision o f Measure 47 that can be placed before the voters in May. Even with B ill Sizemore helping (?), it is a toss up whether or not this corrective legislation can restore the educa tion process just to where it was before last November, e g., shaky. These “ corrective measures" w ill have quite different impacts, to whom you talk is the key. With the temporary ballot designa tion, “ House Joint Resolution 85," we have from some quarters an estimate that this resolution w ill see Portland property owners receiv ing about half the tax cut promised by Measure 47 (according to the Multnomah lax Supervision and Conservation Com mission). But, clearly , this estimate startled B ill Sizemore, who may or may not continue to cooperate with the legislature A ll things considered, it now seems very doubtful i f the grandiose plans for school systems operating at the 20th century level can be achieved - even by the year 2010. I here is little remaining talk and hyperbole about implementation o f the "Year 2000 Standards’ for elementary and secondary schools. But, there is considerable alarm voiced that the earlier prospect o f an ever- expanding technology in Oregon could fall flat on its face if the state is unable to provide a well educated workforce Readers have long known that over a span o f decades. I have expressed a special appre ciation for the roleofthestate’s(and nation’s) community colleges. So. it is with great delight I see that this past Friday, the state legislature did not cut as many o f the system’s positions as previously announced Though this two-year system cannot, o f course, be gin to replace the university as a provider o f highly trained scientific personnel, commu nity colleges can and do furnish a great deal o f the supporting technical workforce. Also, in a great many cases, they have been a stepping stone to a four year degree. But the reprieve may be temporary The ethnic cards are very much in the game as the educational vise tightens. Na tionwide. both the black and white media ♦ Continued to page A5 Youthgangs program gets $200,000 grant P e r lm a n funded," Ron Laster, a coalition board mem he Northeast Coalition of Neigh ber, said. “ This is the first time w e’ve re bors' Youth Gang Outreach Pro ceived private funding for an entire pro gram, denied a contract w ith gram.” The coalition receives most o f its Multnomah County last year, has funding re from contracts from government ceived a $ 1 9 8 ,0 0 0 grant from M eyer agencies, including $250,000 from the Port Memorial Trust. land O ffice o f Neighborhood Associations Ben Priestley, executive director o f the for support for citizen involvement and vol coalition, announced the grant award at his unteer activity board's March meeting, and Victor Merced, The Youth Gang Program was created by program officer o f Meyer Trust, confirmed the coalition in 1988 It provides outreach it. The funds, together with cash reserves workers who provide counseling to African- and an existing United Way grant, w ill American, Asian Hispanic and white youth enable the program to continue at least until gangs, gang members and at-risk youth next spring They work with the Portland Police Bureau “ This is a turning point in how we are and Portland Public Schools todefuse poten bv L ee T tial gang violence I hey also provide public education about youth gangs, and how to combat their influence, to civic and commu nity groups. Until last year the program was funded primarily by a $280,000 appropriation from Multnomah County Las, fall the county awarded the contract to a consortium o f agenc ies headed by the House o f I Jmoja in an attempt to take a more "broad-based ” appoach to youth gang issues I he coalition board decided there was on ongoing need for their existing program and decided to try to find other funding sources for it Coalition board member Charles Ford said that an on-site visit by Merced and Warren Nunn o f Meyer I rust “ was the sell ing point I hey left very impressed. They were bold enough to say that they had been told by some people that we shouldn't be funded, but after coming and seeing for themselves they disagreed ’’ Merced says tha, the trust was influenced by the program’s “ track record," and the feeling that there's still a need for this kind o factivity We look forward to working with them and seeing positive results.” Youth Gang Program director Halim Rahsaan says he is "ecstactic" a, receiving the grant and hopes to pursue other such funding