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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1998)
Page A2 JULY 8,1998 - (Elie ^Jo r t Lattò dW '& m irr OMSI R eceives L argest (©bseruîng D onation I n H istory $3-3 MILLION City Water Utility Gets Hi¿k Marks From EPA For Successful Response 1 o Groundwater C ontamination A fact sheet that will soon be re leased by the E nvironm ental Protec tion A gency (EPA ) reports that the City o f V ancouver W ater Utility has done an excellent jo b , over the past several years, in addressing contam i nation problem s near tw o o f its well fields. T he fact sheet will describe activities and EPA investigations and m onitoring at V ancouver W ater S ta tion #1 (W aterw orks Park) and S ta tion #4 (B landford and E. Fifth Street). T he report and the c ity ’s ow n rig orous testing program confirm that the City o f V ancouver continues to supply drinking w ater that is clean and safe and exceeds all federal and state requirem ents regarding co n tam inants. Q uality control o f the w ater supplied to city custom ers is assured through com prehensi ve dai ly testing. Som e 4974 tests w ere co n ducted in 1997. In 1988, trace am ounts o f volatile o r g a n ic c o n ta m in a n ts , m o stly perchlorethylene (PCE) w ere first detected in groundw ater pum ped at Station #4 and Station # I . Station #4 was shut dow n as soon as practical. Station # 1 w as not shut dow n for any appreciable length o f tim e because contam ination was well under fed eral limits. Tw o water treatment tow ers, that rem ove the trace contain i na tion as w ater is pumped from the aquifer, w ere erected and put into operation at Station #4 in 1992. Al though PCE levels at Station # 1 were far below federal limits, five such tow ers w ere constructed as a precau tionary m easure and went on-line in 1993. The treatm ent tow ers at Station #4, w hich initially had PCE concen trations above the then proposed fed eral lim its, produces w ater meeting all federal requirements. M easurable levels o f PCE in pre-treated w ater declined since 1993. The tow ers at Station # 1 have produced w ater with no detectable PCE. The City o f V ancouver together with the EPA have continued w ork to locate and elim in ate the o ff-site sources o f the PCE. Contam ination w as found in many places outside the w ate r statio n s, b ut tew d efin ite sources o f the contam ination have been located. Com plete w ater quality inform a tion is contained in an Annual W ater Q u ality R eport, w hich has been mailed to all V ancouver W ater U til ity custom ers each spring since 1992. For the most recent copy of this re port contact, Richard H offm an, w a ter quality supervisor, at 696-8243. The report is also available on the c ity 's Internet site at: w w w.ci.vanciuver.wa.us./vanpw/ w qr-97/wqr-97.htm GRANT LAUNCHES NEW ENDOWMENT FUND T h e la te s t in a s t r i n g o f p o s it iv e a n n o u n c e m e n ts , th e O r e g o n M u s e u m o f S c ie n c e a n d I n d u s tr y a n n o u n c e d r e c e n tly it is th e b e n e f ic ia r y o f a $ 3 .3 m il lio n m a tc h in g g r a n t fro m th e C h r i s t i n e a n d C .F . S w ig e r t, J r .. F u n d o f T h e O r e g o n C o m m u n ity F o u n d a tio n . T h e g r a n t is th e la r g e s t s in g le d o n a tio n e v e r m a d e fo r O M S l’s b e n e fit in th e m u s e u m ’s 5 4 - y e a r h is t o r y . T h e d o n a t io n , p lu s m a tc h in g f u n d s O M S I s e c u r e s on its o w n , w ill b e p la c e d in to a n e w e n d o w m e n t n a m e d th e C h r is t in e a n d C .F . S iw g e r t, J r. E n d o w m e n t f o r th e B e n e f it o f O M S I . T h e e n d o w m e n t w ill b e a d m in is t e r e d in d e p e n d e n tly b y T h e O r e g o n C o m m u n ity F o u n d a tio n . It is r e s t r i c t e d f o r th e s u p p o r t o f b u ild i n g m a in te n a n c e a n d im p r o v e m e n ts , a n d f o r th e d e v e lo p m e n t a n d m a in te n a n c e o f p e r m a n e n t a n d tr a v e l i n g e x h ib it s . T h e e n d o w m e n t c a n n o t b e u s e d b y O M S I fo r th e p a y m e n t o f b u ild in g d e b t o r fo r d a y - to - d a y o p e r a tin g c o s ts . T o s e c u r e th e fu ll $ 3 .3 m il lio n in m a tc h in g f u n d s , O M S I m u s t r a is e 5 0 % o f th e d o n a tio n , o r $ 1 .65 m il lio n , w ith in a th r e e y e a r p e r io d . O M S I B o a rd o f C o - c h a ir H a r ry D e m o r e s t w ill le a d th e f u n d - r a i s in g e f f o rt in th e c o m m u n ity . T o sh o w h is p e r s o n a l c o m m itm e n t, D e m o r e s t h a s m a d e th e f ir s t m a tc h in g g if t o f $ 5 0 ,0 0 0 . C h r is t in e S w ig e r t, w h o d ie d in 1 9 9 0 , w a s o n e o f O M S l’s m o st a rd e n t s u p p o rte rs . S he m a d e h e r f irs t d o n a tio n o f $ 1 5 ,0 0 0 to O M S I in 1 9 5 7 , an d c o n tin u e d to s u p p o r t O M S I on an a n n u a l b a s is a n d f o r s p e c ia l p r o je c ts . H e r h u s b a n d C h a r le s F. ( F r e d ) S w ig e r t, J r ., a n d h is b r o th e r E rn e s t m a d e a s i g n i f i c a n t d o n a tio n to O M S I in 1958 fo r c o n s tr u c tio n o f th e S w ig e r t H all o f S c ie n c e , w h ic h w a s p a rt o f O M S l ’s th e n n e w b u ild in g in W a s h i n g t o n P a r k t h a t o p e n e d in S e p t e m b e r 1 9 5 9 . F re d an d E r n e s t ’ s f a th e r, C h a rle s , f o u n d e d th e P o rtla n d s te e l m a n u f a c tu r in g c o m p a n y E S C O in 1 913. T h e f a m ily a ls o d e v e lo p e d H y s te r C o m p a n y in to an i n t e r n a t i o n a l b u s in e s s . L o re n M c K in le y , w h o s e rv e d as O M S l’s e x e c u t iv e d ir e c to r fro m 1 9 6 0 to 1 9 8 0 , r e m e m b e r s C h r is t in e S w ig e r t as “ a s u p e r b f rie n d to O M S I. S h e w o u ld v is it r e g u la r ly a n d a s k h o w s h e c o u ld h e lp . A t T h a n k s g iv in g tim e , sh e w o u ld e v e n b rin g us h o m e m a d e p u m p k in p i e . ” T h e c h a lle n g e g r a n t w a s m a d e by T h e O re g o n C o m m u n ity F o u n d a tio n u p o n th e r e c o m m e n d a tio n o f an a d v i s o ry c o m m itte e to th e C h r i s t i n e a n d C .F . S w i g e r t , J r . F u n d at O C F . M e m b e r s o f th e a d v is o r y c o m m itte e a r e H a n k S w ig e r t, w h o is C h r i s t i n e ’s n e p h e w , S te v e S c h e ll an d Je ss R o g e rs o n . S c h e ll w a s M rs. S w ig e rt’s a tto rn e y , and R o g e rs o n w a s h e r f in a n c ia l a d v is o r. Concentrated Curfew Enforcement Results O n F riday, Ju n e 26 and S atu r day Ju n e 27, th e P ortlan d P olice B ureau c o n d u cted cu rfew sw eeps in w hich a total o f 140 ju v e n ile s w ere pro cessed fo r vio latio n o f the curfew ordinance. Inclu d ed in the 140, w ere sev eral ju v e n ile s w ith m isdem eanor and felony w arrants, and on e ju v e nile carry in g a .22 calib er d errin ger. T hroughout the sum m er m onths, the Portland Police Bureau will co n tinue to conduct concentrated cu r few enforcem ent efforts. Portland Police B ureau Investi gators, in cooperation w ith Crim e Stoppers, are asking for your help in identifying and apprehending the suspects in a K idnapping. O n T uesday, June 9, 1998, at about 9:30 in the evening, tw o girls ages 12 and 13, w ere approached by a m an and w om an in a truck at Southeast 82nd A venue and Foster Road. T he girls w ere lured into the vehicle w ith the prom ise o f a job. T he tw o w ere then driven to an unknow n location w here they were molested. Suspect #1, who said his name was Rick, is described as a w hite male in his 4 0 's, 5 ’ 10" tall, with medium build and sandy brow n hair. He was clean shaven and has the nam e “Ellen” tattooed on his upper chest. S uspect #2, is a w hite fem ale in her late 3 0 ’s, 5 ’2" tall w ith m edium to stocky build, and shoulder length blond h air w ith dark roots show - ing. The truck w as described as a con ventional style, bright red tractor trailer cab with a sleeping com part ment. At the tim e it did not have a trailer. C rim e Stoppers is offering a cash rew ard o f up to $ 1.000 for inform a tion, reported to Crim e Stoppers, w hich leads to an arrest in this or any unsolved felony crim e, and you can rem ain anonym ous. Call Crim e Stoppers at 503-823-H ELP. PGE is your reliable connection to electricity. But we like to be connected with the community in other ways, too. That's why PGE is helping sponsor the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, July 18-19. Pack up your lawn chairs and head on over— we'll see you there! PGE is proud to participate in community events like this, because J C o n n e c t in g P e o p l e , Along the Color Line-Inside Sing Sing Prison-by Manning Marable In the United States today, there are over 1.7 m illion young men in carcerated in federal and state pris ons, and local jails. About one h alfo f all prisoners are African American men. Roughly one-third o f all young black males in their twenties are ei ther in prison or jail, on probation, parole o r awaiting trial. W e know these terrible statistic, but don’t al w ays think about the destructive hu man costs being experienced by this generation ofyoung black men within the prison industrial complex and the racist criminal justice system. Yet one really can’t understand how an entire generation o f our young men is being destroyed until you go inside a prison. And several day ago, I spend the day inside one o f country ’ s best know n and infam ous prisons— Sing Sing. Constructed originally in the early nineteenth century, Sing Sing is perched high on the rocky cliffs overlooking the Hudson River, less than forty m iles north o f New Y ork City. Its notorious death house, located in the rem nants o f the former prison grounds, was the site o f execu tion for hundreds o f prisoners. I w as the guest o f the prison edu cation program sponsored by the New York Theological Seminary. The M asters’ degree program involves about fifteen to tw enty men each academic year, w ho com plete their requirem ents for positions as coun selors, teachers and chaplains' assis tants in the N ew Y ork prison system. T he students pay no tuition, but the program received not a dim e o f gov ernm ent support or funding. Lectur volunteer their tim e and services ers tothe prisoners. I thought I knew what to exp ect because I have previously visited and spoken in prisons. But Sing Sing is different. The entrance for such a huge facil ity was surprisingly small: a narrow doorway and small chamber, with sev eral armed guards and a walk through metal detector. Behind the first series o f barred doors, there were a small cluster o f prisoners sitting quietly on several benches along a corridor. I asked the prison chaplain w hat they were waiting for. He explained that each o f them would be waiting for hours, in order to have fifteen minute hearings before the parole board. In fifteen short minutes, they would learn whether they would be released or ordered to spend additional years be hind bars. W e walked slowly through the twists and turns o f the old building. The chaplain stopped, turned and asked me. “W ould you like to see Cell Block B?” I had heard about Cell Block B. Abut fifteen years ago prisoners in that cell block and seized control for sev eral days, protesting against inhumane conditions. Seventeen prison guards had been taken hostage. The cell block was said to be one o f the largest single prison units in the world. W e then walked through a series o f double barred steel doors, separated by small interlocking security cham bers. W alking through the final door, w e came into a vast open space, sur rounded by thick concrete walls and ceiling. In the center o f this huge room, almost filling up the entire space, was a huge steel cage, five stories high. Each story or tier was comprised o f 64 separate prison cells. Floors were separated by small railed catwalks and narrow stairwel Is. An equal num ber o f cells stood behind this steel wall o f cages. Each cell was a tiny confined space, w ith barely enough room for a prisoner’s toilet, sink and bed. Pris oners were not allowed to place any clothing or items covering the front o f their cells, except when using their toilets. In effect, personal privacy was nonexistent. The massive metal structure was like a huge iron and steel echo cham ber, w here every sound from tier to tier resonated and could be easily heard. For me, there was an overwhelm ing sense of dehu manization and social control. It would be easy to feel hopeless against the oppressive w eight o f such cruel power. Yet somehow hope does survive. The brothers I spoke with that day, as well as others who have taken part in the program, reflect an incredible courage and self-awareness. Most ofthem were in their thirties or forties, and had been incarcerated from ten to twenty-five years. Typical o f them was on thirty- nine year old brother from Brooklyn, who had been imprisoned for more than a decade. During his prison time, he had earned two BA degree, and had nearly completed a Masters o f Profes sional Studies degree. He was actively involved in an anti-violence project among other prisoners. All o f these black men had over com e difficulties and mistakes they had made, and with great moral en ergy and personal strength they had turned their lives around. Portland General Electric we're more than than the power company. We're also your neighbors P o w ER A N D P O S S 1 B 1 L 1 T 1 E S ---____ n u \ O r e g o n C o n v e n t io n C e n t e r At The C enter Of Success JULY EVENTS E x p e c te d A tte n d a n c e E vent E s t. E c o n o m ic B e n e f it July 2 D ia m o n d C o n v e n tio n G . D u n c a n Fam ily R e u n io n 3 ,6 0 0 $ 2 ,2 4 2 ,8 0 0 July 9 D ia m o n d C o n v e n tio n 8 ,0 0 0 $ 4 ,9 8 4 ,0 0 0 500 $1 2 ,0 0 0 1,000 $2 4 ,0 0 0 P uryear Fam ily R eu n io n U n rav elin g I he N ew W orld O rd e r July 10 P ro p h ecy C o n feren ce (L o cal-O p en T o T h e Public) N W T rade Show M a n ag e m en t July 14 C areer Fair (L o cal-O p en T o I h e Public) July 16 N atio n al A ssociation o f C o u n tie s 5 ,0 0 0 $ 3 ,1 1 5 ,0 0 0 July 26 Pacific N o rth w e st W e d d in g Show case 2 ,0 0 0 $4 8 ,0 0 0 6 ,8 0 0 $ 4 ,2 3 6 ,0 0 0 1 2,000 $ 6 ,2 4 0 ,0 0 0 3 ,0 0 0 $7 2 ,0 0 0 (L o cal-O p en T o T h e Public) July 30 D ia m o n d C o n v e n tio n B. D u n c a n Fam ily R eu n io n July 31 A m erican N u m ism atic A ssociation July 31 P rom o cio n es T ro p ical-D an ce (L o cal-O p en To T h e Public) E s tim a te d T o ta l E c o n o m ic B e n e f it F o r I h e R e g io n F o r J u ly $ 2 0 , 9 7 4 ,2 0 0 * I
