Committed
Volume XXVII, Number 57
to
FEB. 4, 1998
cultural diversity
Protesters Rally In
Downtown Portland
Black History
Month Is Here
Hundreds rallied at the
Justice Center in support
o f the Pueblo Steelworkers.
Come share the history of
Black American's this
month with The Portland
Observer.
See Black History, Section C.
See Metro, inside.
tTE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 1610
(Ehr j.lortkmh Oibsrnnr
Lewinsky Agrees to a
Polygraph
5
Monica Lewinsky, the former intern
at the White House, has agreed to take a
polygraph test in exchange for immu­
nity from prosecution. Lewinsky’s law­
yer. William Ginsberg, has said that
Lewinsky will take the test as positive
proof of her truth that she had a sexual
relationship with C linton. Ginsberg
prophesizes that President Clinton would
emerge virtually unscathed from the
frenzy.
City o f Portland in Con­
cert with the Regional
Arts and Cultural Coun­
cil Celebrate the revital­
ization o f the M LK Cor­
ridor by the unveiling o f
160 New Street banners
significant o f the City's
participation and sup­
port o f the revitilization
effort and the celebra­
tion o f Black H istory
Month in Northeast Port­
land.
( PhotoBy
M. Washington )
S TRUMPET
The U.S. Will Take
Military Action
The U.S. will plan on taking military
action against Iraq at the cost of being
set back diplomatically. This is to reas­
sert U.N. authority and destroy military
targets in Iraq. The Secretary of State,
Madeleine Albright has told Yasser
Arafat that the United Stales will still try
to resolve matters using diplomacy. The
expectations by many American leaders
is for Hussein to back down.
Russian Presidential
Election
The Russian country’s next presiden­
tial election is set for July 9, 2000. A
spokeswoman for Russia’s Central Elec­
tion Commission explained that the
scheduled election is based on Russian
law. The election must be held the first
Sunday after President Boris Yeltsin’s
second term expires. Yeltsin has hinted
at trying to extend his term by using
loopholes to bypass the law.
Investigation on Bloody
Sunday
British prime Minister Tony Blair is
planning an investigation on the killing
of 14 unarmed civil rights dem onstra­
tors in Londonderry on Bloody Sunday
in 1972. Blair will announce his inquiry
on the anniversary of the incident. His
decision is in response to requests by the
victim ’s families and the Irish govern­
ment for an investigation.
6 Accused in 1989 Jet
Bombing
Six su s p e c ts w ere a c c u se d by
F rance’s top terrorism judge for the
1989 bombing of a French passenger
jet that killed 170 people, on S eptem ­
ber 19, 1989, UTA Flight 772 e x ­
ploded over the Niger desert, killing
everyone on board. One of the terro r­
ist suspects is the brother-in-law of
M oammar G hadafi. A special terro r­
ism court will try the suspects in ab ­
sentia.
Gunshot Wounds are an
Epidemic
In a survey by the Annals o f Inter­
nal M edicine, a m ajority of surgeons
and internists in the study consider
gunshot wounds a public health ep i­
demic. The survey involved 915 doc­
tors who answered 55 questions.
Some of the questions asked were. Do
you have a gun in the house? Is it loaded?
And did you know suicide can go up
fivefold when you have one around that
is loaded?
No More Underage
Smoking
Utah judges are proposing special
tobacco courts for adolescents who
arc repeat offenders of underage sm ok­
ing
The plan is to send teens to the
proposed tobacco court for their fourth
sm oking offense and for these youths
to com plete a rigorous treatm ent pro­
gram or pay a fine of as much as $250.
Black History (Quotes From the Community)
“There is no comparison to their strengths,
caring and enthusiasm because the Black
woman's plight is the same as mine, to uplift
Self. I have the greatest admiration fo r all Black
w om en.”
(Charles Tatum, Portland Sculptor)
“We should pull together as Black Sisters to
provide that support fo r each other's children.
That's what true Sisterhood means to me. ”
(Grace Kuto, Portland author o f Harambee!
African Family Circle Cookbook)
“Strong. Power, independence. Those are the
things I think o f when 1 think o f Black Women. In
a surpassing, 1 d o n ’t see the pain. ”
(Annett Stanton, Educator and Entrepreneur)
“It is incumbent upon Black women to fe e l and
infiltrate the economic, political and societal
gap that African Am erican men d o n ’t have
much access to. ”
(Margaret Carter, State Representative)
Housing project design approved
B y L ee P earlman
he Sabin Community Development
Corporation won city approval for
its proposed housing project on
Northeast 27th Avenue and Killingsworth
Street, while discussions with neighbors con­
tinued.
Residents living near the project have ob­
jected that it is too dense, will contribute to
curb parking congestion, and that it will be
low-income rental housing lor an area that
already has too much ol it. Last month they
received support from the Concordia Neigh­
borhood Association, which had previously
endorsed the project
T
Out of consideration for such concerns
Sabin CDC. a non-profit corporation, post­
poned its January 22nd hearing before the
Portland Design Commission. They later re­
duced the project from seven units to six.
increased off-street parking from five spaces
to six, and withdrew a request for a sideyard
setback adjustment that would have taken it
closer to a neighbor's house.
The modified design won unanimous ap­
proval from the Design
Commission last week Members asked
only that Sabin CDC try to preserve a large
tree on the lot. and to add more windows on
some walls Kenneth Bello, a spokesperson
for the opposition, said that based on Sabin’s
concessions his group would not officially
oppose the design.
Meanwhile the two sides met to discuss
the biggest issue: owner-occupancy versus
rental units.
Residents said they would look for an
alternative site for rental housing, and financ­
ing to make the current project owner-
occupied. Jane Ediger, Sabin CDC's housing
development manager, did not
categorically reject this approach, hut did
indicate it was unlikely to succeed. Much of
the project’s financing comes from the Port­
land Development Commission, which ear­
marks most low-income housing develop­
ment funds for rental housing. "PDC allo­
cated money for 50 units of ow ner-occupied
housing last year, and Sabin CDC received
I Oof them,” she said. It is uncertain whether
the city will fund even this many owner
occupied units next year, she added
Sabin is prepared to form advisory council
for the project that will include neighbors,
and to draw up a good neighbor agreement,
Ediger says.
Bello says he is disappointed that Sabin
CDC is not more flexible on the owner-
occupancy provision, but happy for the con­
cessions that they have made.