Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1997)
Volume X X V II, Number 48 Committed to cultural diversity. (Ehv DEC. 3, 1997 orihmò (Oh si 4 ■ TU E WEEK I HE i n REVIEW Oregonians look to children on World AIDS Day rea residents joined in com memorating the IOth obser vance of World AIDS Day on Monday. This year’s theme, “Give Chil dren Hope in a World with AIDS,” empha sized that even those under the age of 18 are affected, directly or indirectly, by HIV/ A AIDS. l ocal health departments, AIDS service organizations and community based HIV/ AIDS prevention groups throughout the state sponsored a variety o f activities including speeches, student essay and poster contests, candlelight vigils and displays of AIDS me morial quilt panels. World AIDS Day aims to increase under standing of the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, its global dimensions and that it continues despite new treatments. It empha sizes promoting action and sound policies to prevent HIV transmission and to mini- Prosecution rests in Nichols trial New census The prosecution rested its case against Terry Nichols Tuesday, leaving jurors with the image of a Marine captain and his comrades buried in rubble after a bomb destroyed the Oklahoma City fed eral building. “The United States rests its case,” prosecutor Larry Mackey de clared, wrapping up 20 days of testimony from 98 witnesses. Nichols, 42, could face the death penalty if convicted of murder, conspiracy and weapons counts. His former Army buddy, McVeigh, 29, has appealed his conviction on identical charges. for King, other neighborhoods Residents recruited to obtain more complete information FDA approves irradiation Plans to kill beef bacteria with radia tion have the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA acted on a proposal by a N.J. company with long experience in medical sterilization. The company will offer meat processors a system to be used at the end o f produc tion, after meat is in sealed packages and can’t be contaminated No radioactive material would come into contact with the beef. The Clinton administration has been under pressure to improve meat safety after some highly publicized re calls of tainted ground beef. Classes back after Kentucky shooting Holiday greetings! Alex Meidike, Christopher Albright and Scott Waggner ride the Meier and Frank float train in Friday's Meier and Frank Christmas Parade. (Photo by Neil Heilpern) Pakistani resigns Prime M inister Nawaz Sharif tri umphed over his two top rivals T uesday in Pakistan's political feud, suspending the chief justice in a move that prompted the president s surprise resignation. Presi dent Farooq Ahmed Leghari - who quit rather than appoint a replacement for the chief justice - bitterly accused Sharif of trying to grab sole power and thwarting attempts to end the feud. With neither side in the feud showing signs of backing down, some had feared the army - which has ruled Pakistan for 25 of its 50 years - would step in and seize power. hree Portland area neighborhoods are part of a population census to be conducted during the first two weeks of December Information gathering procedures will be identical to the IJS Census, but with several questions of local interest added, such as childcare, health insurance, and hun ger. Hie sites were chosen because they con tain people who are hard to count in regular Censuses Ihese include low income house holds, minorities, immigrants, and foreign speaking residents The sites are in the Brentwood Darlington area of southeast Portland, the King neigh borhood o f north P ortland, and the Rockwood area of Gresham. One unique part of this census is that it will be conducted by neighborhood resi dents, whom project directors believe can obtain more complete information from residents than outside census takers Census takers have been recruited from unemployed people and others interested in training and short term employment. They receive officially approved US Census train ing, and are paid $8 per hour Supervisors will receive $10 to $14 per hour All information taken by the census will be confidential, and all enumerators will carry official Multnomah County identifi cation. Information collected will be compared to US Census data presently being released by the US Census. The Census data was collected during 1996 using a new sampling technique being tested by the US Census. The intent of the present project is to deter mine the validity of the US Census data in small areas of the county. US Census data is important to all citizens, because it is the basis of most federal and state funding to local governments and detenu ines the geographic areas used for Congressional districts and state legislatures. T Reno goes to deadline Attorney General Janet Reno worked right to the deadline on her decision for an independent counsel to investigate telephone fund raising by President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Clinton, awaiting word, said people out side the Justice Department should not have tried to influence Reno’s decision Students gathered in the lobby of Heath High School before classes Tuesday to pray silently for three friends shot to death during a prayer meeting 24 hours before. Moments after 35 Heath High School students murmured "amen” Mon day morning in their informal hallway session, eight of them were shot. Three of the survivors remained hospitalized. Authorities immediately arrested a 14- year-old freshman, a self-professed athe ist who would sometimes mock the daily prayer group but who was not considered a danger by his classmates. mize the epidemic’s impact on children, their families and their communities. Around the world, 191 countries commemoratedg AIDS day to draw atten tion to the AIDS pandemic. In the U.S., the day linked communities around the country in a unified observance African-American plea: give gift of life Community leaders tackle passionate need for blood and marrow donors ortland's African American com munity has a proud heritage of pulling together to help their own and others. “Because A frican Americans need blood, we need your help,” said Benita Harris of the American Red Cross. P For nearly 10 years, American Red Cross has partnered with community leadership and churches, including the Albina Ministe rial Alliance and the Maranatha Church, to increase awareness of the critical need for African American blood and marrow donors through sponsorshipofthe Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.. Memorial Blood Drive Last year's event, held in conjunction with the World Arts Council’s “Keep Living the Dream Celebration," at Jefferson High School, was the most successful drive ever, with 95 pints of blood collected, 26 from first-time donors. Fifteen community mem bers also helped increase the survival odds of African Americans needing marrow trans plants by joining the National Marrow Do- nor Registry “ We need your help to build on last year's success and increase participation in this lifesaving event Studies show that the primary reason many African Ameri cans don't donate blood is because they feel they’ve never been asked.’Harris said. With your support, we can ensure that ( ON TINTT DON PAGE A3 Guilty plea in crack death A woman charged with killing her fe tus because she smoked crack cocaine pleaded guilty Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter. The 27-year-old woman was given a three-year suspended prison sentence. In return for her plea, prosecu tors had dropped a charge of murder by child abuse. South Carolina’s Supreme Court was the first appellate court in the nation to allow prosecutions of pregnant women who take drugs, ruling in July 1996 that a pregnant woman could be criminally liable for actions that endan ger the health of a viable fetus. Marines collect holiday toys Internet tackles porn The online industry has agreed to re port activities involving child pornogra phy to law enforcement officials. Vice President Al Gore was to announce the initiative Tuesday when he addressed a conference on ways to make the Internet a safer place for America's children Linder the policy, Internet providers would remove child pornography from their own bulletin boards and services Heartfelt Thanksgiving - Lynn James (left) and her mother Jamie, volunteer with Mothers Against Gang Violence at a Thanksgiving dinner for the community with generous donations from the Oregon Food Bank, Safeway, and Portland Trail Blazer Brian Grant. (Photo by Tony Washington) < Billboard unwraped ■ Families that can't afford to buy toys for their children this Christmas will benefit from goodwill the Toys for Tots campaign advertises at NE Broadway and 33rd Avenue. (Photo by M. Washington) *
