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