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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1997)
F * . P age A 7 T he P ortland O bserver • A pril 30, 1997 Quick Study Soars At Spelling Bee Summit Plea: Youth Mentors After al the buzz settled down after the Housing Authority’s Fourth Annual Spelling Bee, second-grader Charly Mederos emerged as the day’s two-fold champion. When Charly, 7, won second place in his grade category last Sat urday, nobody could have guessed that less than four months ago, he did not even know how to read English. "1 can’t believe I won!” Charly said, jumping up and down after being announced the second place winner of the first- and second-graders’ category. It was just four months ago that C harly, who cu rren tly attends Pacoima Elementary School, enrolled in the Housing Authority’s Reach Me-Teach Me Reading Program at the San Fernando Gardens housing development where he lives with his parents and younger brother. He started out reading simple words, then moved on to preschool level books, and was quickly able to read short stories with minimal help. “Reach Me-Teach Me is a direct Retired Gen. Colin Powell, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Former President G eorge Bush closed a three-day “sum m it” on Mars,courtesy U.S. Geological Survey volunteerism Tuesday, urging all Americans to adopt the goals of the event. “Now the real work begins,” Mrs. Clinton told several hundred sum mit delegates and dignitaries from across the country at closing cer emonies in front o f Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Said Powell, “The message I want to give to all o f America is that every town, every city and every village should be thinking as we have over the last three days: ‘What can we do to make this real? What can we do to bring this travel to Mars. message home to every com er o f Interest in a manned flight to Mars Life on Mars? examines the America?” ’ has been rekindled lately and cable theory that life once existed on Mars The summit drew some 3,000 par- television’s TLC Elementary School’s and also looks at the public’s fasci ticipants, including state and local “The Path to Mars” can help you learn nation with the red planet through delegates, civic and corporate lead more about our nearest planetary neigh Hollywood films and the press. ers, and celebrities, to encourage bor. More Martian revelations can be ‘volunteerism in support o f disad Segments explore the possibilities found on Sci-Fi Channel s Inside vantaged youth. of sending astronauts to Mars as well Space. President C linton, Bush, and as the chances for manned space flights On May 5, the series looks at the former presidents Gerald Ford and to other planets. Martian meteorite found in the Ant Jimmy Carter also took part, lead Other segments explore the LoWell arctic that is widely believed to con ing ceremonial events and joining Observatory, a space shuttle and plans tain fossil evidence of microscopic in a neighborhood clean-up Sun for a new space station. life on Mars. day. Meanwhile, Assignment Discovery The program also looks back at The specific goals o f the summit presents an entire week o f program the 1975 Viking mission to Mars, were to help 2 million o f an esti ming around the them e Earth to explains how meteorites are formed mated 15 m illion disadvantaged Mars” including D estination M ars, and explores how meteorites can be • youth by providing health care, a docum entary that gives students distinguished from Earth rocks. mentoring, education, a safe place a sense o f what it w ould be like to for after-school activities and an opportunity to serve their commu- i violence Is an epidemic • Turn in a gun for a $50 merchandise certificate Path to Mars On Tuesday, the 150 local del- ' egations wrapped up their work by > meeting in state-by-state groups to present plans for fostering ' volunteerism in their communities. > Most delegations planned to ' hold local versions o f the summit. i “We hope to hold one for all Indian tribes that w eren’t able to ' come here,” said G. Wayne Tapio o f the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, one o f two Indian tribes represented at the summit. Tapio and fellow tribe member ; C.J. Clifford, o f M andeson, South Dakota, said they wished more time had been alloted for the summit, to establish contacts and partake in ! o f all the activities. But they said they had received i pledges for assistance — from the : National Football League to present ; a football camp for reservation youth, and from television news » anchor Tom B rokaw to help, ! through a South Dakota radio sta- ’ tion Brokaw owns, with a local sum- ; have,” he said. • Delegate Bryan Hartman, also of • Plattsburgh, said strong local lead ership was essential. “Colin Powell has been such an inspiration for this summit and for Hong Kong History Rewritten Hong Kong must revise its history books to bring them in line with the views of the Chinese government, a state-run news paper said Tuesday. The commentary in the China Daily gave examples of what China wants changed when it resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1 OREGON European powers. 1, maintains Britain was forc ing sales of opium at a high cost to China in social disruption. The article also said Hong Kong textbooks are wrong to say China invaded Korea in the 1950- 53 Korean War. China calls it the “War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.” The paper said Hong Kong textbooks teach that B ritish gunboats waged the Opium War o f 1839-1842 to force open C h in a’s m arkets and end the imperial government s restric tions on the opium trade. China views the war as the beginning of its slide into semi colonial status at the hands of on Thypimiii! « 1997 GUN TURN-IN % F Saturdays, May 10 & 17 Noon to 4 p.m. i r i vT M o v e r > Oregon, Lottery North Portland Mt. Olivet Baptist Church 8501 North Chautauqua mit. I A challenge to the returning del- ; egations will be to relay from the 1 summit a sense o f urgency to ad- dress problems o f disadvantaged I youth, said delegate Peter Zielinski J ofPlattsburgh, New York. • “We have to get people to be- ; lieve that there is a significant prob- ’ lem ... people don’t want to hear ’ about problems, but that’s what we AmeriCorp member. “I remember when he first sat with me to read and he couldn’t read a word. Now he can read and he feels good about him self.” The Reach Me-Teach Me program was created by Mario Matute, a youth case manager at San Fernando Gardens who saw the need for children’s literacy in the neighbor hood. “By observing the kids in our tu torial and computer programs and by speaking to local teachers, 1 found that many of these kids didn't know how to read," said Matute. "Then the kids feel embarrassed in school be cause they can’t read and get teased. It’s no wonder there are so many kids who don’t like to go to school and eventually drop out. We want to prevent kids from dropping out of school by helping them to read.” Anyone interested in volunteer ing for the Reach Me-Teach Me pro gram is urged to call Mario Matute at the San Fernando Gardens Commu nity Service Center, 818/834-9266. response to the epidemic of illiteracy that has plagued the nation’s youth. Through Charly’s example, I know this program will increase our children’s arsenal so they’ll be able to go out and make a positive impact on the world,” said Executive Direc tor Don Smith, H ACL A. The spelling bee was open to all elementary school youth from all the housing developments. Preliminary rounds were held last weekend at the San Fernando Gardens, Ramona Gar dens, Nickerson Gardens, Mar Vista Gardens, and Rancho San Pedro housing communities. Three participants in each of three categories (grades 1 -2,3-4, and 5-6) were sent from each participating community to compete in the main event. Charly placed first in his grade category, out of over 50 participants, at the San Fernando Gardens prelimi naries. “1 am very proud of Charly for his great progress,” said his Reach Me- Teach Me tutor Sheila Johnson, an helping d o lla rs are i i briglitM their tutures. Southeast Portland Eastport Plaza 4000 S.E. 82nd Ave. g, B With the help ot Lottery denars, moms and Mds « h a re taking the giant steps to get oft w elfare Southwest Portland United First Methodist Church S.W. 18th Ave. and Jefferson St. and find good Jobs by going back to school, thanks to Oregon's Job Thalatin/Clackamas County Legacy Meridian Park Hospital 19300 S.W. 65th S J j O Opportunity and Basic JOBS teaches lite skills, adult education, and Gresham Gresham Fire Dept. Station #4 N.E. 192nd and Halsey the nation. 1 However, in each community, ■2 we need to find our own Colin , £ POLICE SUPERVISED • Powell who can rally the troops NO QUESTIONS ASKED > back home.” C am b o d ian re fu g e e H oang Exchange a gun for a $50 gift certificate. Taing, introduced at the closing : ceremonies by Powell, is planning FOR MORE INFORMATION to show her dedication in an un usual way, by running some 3,000 miles from Philadelphia to San Fran cisco to encourage Americans to aiwgiUM asipunpaui <)«,$ « JQJ un3 e ui u in i. .nu»ptd,t ire si a.w |ou • join in the sum m it’s goals. * h SkiNs (JOBS) program. child development. â ï The Oregon Lottery is pleased to support programs that help strengthen Oregon's families and make 3. z 2 T CALL 221-1054 8 uiv ) Oregon a great place to live. OREGON LOTTERY. H Does Good Things
