Portland observer., July 29, 1998, Image 9

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J U L Y 29. 199X
Com m itted to cultural diversity. http://www.portlaiKlobserver.net
Volum e \ \ \ II. Number S2
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”A Life So Loved Taken To Soon"
Neighborhood Picnic
K ern s N e ig h b o r h o o d A s s o c ia tio n
is h o s tin g its a n n u a l N a tio n a l N ig h t
o u t P ic n ic o n T u e s d a y A u g u s t 4 , fro m
6 PM - 9 PM at O re g o n P ark ( c o r n e r
o f N E 3 0 th an d O re g o n S t.). N e ig h ­
b o rh o o d r e s id e n ts an d a re a b u s in e s s e s
w ill g a th e r fo r a p o tlu c k d in n e r, liv e
e n te r ta in m e n t a n d a r a ffle .
Aging and Skin Cancer
O n W e d n e s d a y , A u g u s t 12th, O r ­
e g o n H e a lth S c ie n c e s U n iv e r s ity is
o ffe rin g a le c tu re e n title d “ P ro te c t
Y o u r S k in fro m A g in g a n d S k in C a n ­
c e r ,” b y B ru c e R u s s e ll, M .D ., a s s is ­
ta n t p ro fe s s o r o f d e rm a to lo g y a n d o to ­
la ry n g o lo g y . C a ll 4 1 8 -2 0 0 0 .
Puppetry in the Parks
L o o k ou t! G ia n t p u p p e ts are in v a d ­
ing th e p a r k s .T h e P u p p e try in th e
P ark s F a m ily A rts E n c o u n te r is b a c k
fo r th e 4 th y e a r b rin g in g k id s , p ic ­
n ic s , a n d q u a lity o u td o o r th e a te r to
p a rk s a ro u n d P o rtla n d in a m a g ic a l
c e le b ra tio n o f s u m m e r.T h e firs t p e r ­
fo rm a n c e w ill b e o n A u g u s t 2 n d at 12
PM at L a u r e lh u rs t P a rk .
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Sean Sutton and family
remember their lost love
one, Chris Sutton. A
memorial service was
held at Benson High
School. Chris Sutton was
killed July 21, his
murderer has not been
found.
(Photo by M. Washington)
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Values-Based
Violence Prevention
Initiative
P
re s id e n t C lin to n a n n o u n c e d a
n e w i n i t i a t i v e to p r o v id e
fu n d s to c iv ic , c o m m u n ity ,
an d fa ith b a s e d o r g a n iz a tio n s to fig h t
crim e.
T h is p ro g rm , to b e c a lle d th e V a l­
u e s -B a s e d V io le n c e P re v e n tio n In i­
tia tiv e , w ill p r o v id e $ 2 .2 m illio n in
g ra n ts to 16 c itie s a ro u n d th e c o u n try
to fig h t y o u th v io le n c e , g a n g s , tr u ­
a n c y a n d o th e r ju v e n ile p ro b le m s by
p ro m o tin g c o m m o n s e n s e v a lu e s an d
re sp o n sib ility . T h e in itia tiv e w ill w o rk
w ith c o m m u n ity b a s e d g ro u p s, in c lu d ­
in g r e lig io u s ly a f f lilia te d o r g a n iz a ­
tio n s , to re a c h o u t to a t-r is k y o u th ,
in still v a lu e s in th e m an d th e re b y im ­
p ro v e p u b lic sa fe ty .
T h e 16 c itie s are : S a lin a s , C A ; L os
A n g e le s , C A ; W a s h in g to n D C ; M i­
am i, F L ; C h ic a g o , IL ; I n d ia n a p o lis ,
IN ; B a ltim o re , M D ; D e tro it, M I; K a n ­
sa s C ity , M O ; H e m p s te a d , N Y ; P o rt­
la n d , O R ; P h ila d e lp h ia , P A ; C h a r le s ­
to n , S C ; S an A n to n io , T X ; R ic h m o n d ,
V A ; a n d S e a ttle . W A .
T o fin d o u t m o re a b u t th e s p e c ific
p ro g ra m s in y o u rp p c ity th a t a re r e ­
c e iv in g g ra n t m o n e y , p le a s e c a ll th e
D N C P re ss O ff ic e at 2 0 2 -8 6 3 -8 1 4 8 .
Heart Talk
T h e P o rtla n d A d v e n tis t M e d ic a l
C e n te r is o f fe rin g fre e p ro g ra m s an d
c la s s e s th ro u g h o u t J u ly a n d A u g u st.
O n A u g u s t 11 th , a m o n th ly s u p p o rt
g ro u p fo r C O P D p a tie n ts a n d th e ir
fa m ilie s to p r o v id e a n d e x c h a n g e in ­
fo rm a tio n in a w a rm , c a rin g an d s u p ­
p o rtiv e e n v iro n m e n t. C a ll 2 5 1 -6 8 3 0 .
Postal Service
O n W e d n e s d a y , A u g u s t 5 th , th e
U .S . P o s ta l S e r v ic e ’s P o rtla n d R e ­
m o te E n c o d in g C e n te r w ill c e le b ra te
its s e c o n d a n n iv e r s a r y b y h o s tin g a
jo b fa ir to g iv e p o te n tia l a p p lic a n ts
fo r n e w jo b s a f irs t-h a n d lo o k a t h o w
th e c e n te r ’s m o d e rn m a il p ro c e s s in g
te c h n o lo g y w o rk s . T h e U .S . P o s ta l
S e rv ic e w ill a c c e p t a p p lic a tio n s fo r
a p p r o x im a te ly 2 0 0 te m p o r a r y p o s i­
tio n s th r o u g h o u t th e fo u r- h o u r e v e n t.
C a ll 2 8 0 -8 1 7 8 .
Portland To
Receive
Funds For
Community
Based Crime
Prevention
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District One
Champions
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Mall Walking
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E n jo y th e b e n e f its o f w a lk in g in a
sa fe , c o n v e n ie n t a n d w e a th e r p r o o f e n ­
v iro n m e n t. A d v e n tis t H e a lth is a sp o n -
s o r o f L ife W a lk at M a ll 2 0 5 , a lo o s e ly
s tr u c tu re d p ro g ra m th a t a llo w s y o u to
w a lk a t y o u r o w n p a c e in s id e th e m a ll
w h ile tr a c k in g y o u r p r o g re s s . R e g is ­
te re d w a lk e rs re c e iv e a w a te r b o ttle ,
m a p a n d m ile a g e lo g , a n d a re e lig ib le
fo r b i- w e e k ly p r iz e d ra w in g s . C a ll
2 5 5 -5 8 0 8 .
The Proud Team of Peninsula
and Riverside are the
Champions o f the District One.
13 year-old All-Stars, the team
entered the State Tournament
as Favorite to win the
championship.
(Photo by M. Washington)
Children’s Fair
G a m e s , M u s ic , f o o d , fre e g iv e ­
a w a y s, a r a f f le a ll ta k e p la c e A u g u s t
15th fro m 10 A M to 3 PM at th e
C o m m o n B o n d 4 9 1 9 N E . 9 th . S p o n
so re d by V o lu n te e rs o f A m e ric a , C om
m o n B o n d , A d u lt a n d F a m ily S er
v ic e s , A lb in a M in is te r ia l A s s o c ia tio n
an d A lb in a H e a d S ta rt. A ll a re w e l­
co m e.
Pacific Rim
Hypothesis
T he O reg o n M useum o f S cien ce and
In d u stry w ill h o st a o n e-d a y sym posium
on “T he P eo p lin g o f the A m ericas: T he
P acific R im H y p o th e s is” on A u g u st
2 2nd, the final and h ig h lig h t ev en t in
O M S I’s D isco v ery S eries o fsp e c ia l pro
gram s d esig n ed to en h a n ce the M issing
L in ks-A live! ex h ib it on h um an rig h ts at
O M SI th ro u g h S ep te m b er 7th.
Kids Fair
T he F re d M e y e r K id s F a ir at the
R o se Q u a rte r C o m m o n s A u g u st 22nd
is a fun re so u rc e fair fo r c h ild re n ages
12 and u n d e r c o m b in in g e n te rta in m e n t,
in fo rm a tio n and fun. T h e free fair in
e lu d e s c h ild re la te d v e n d o r b o o th s,
p ro d u ct d e m o n stra tio n s, n o n p ro fit o r
gan izations as reso u rce for p aren ts, tasty
fo o d a n d e n t e r ta i n m e n t in c lu d in g
W e in e rv ille -liv e , S c o o b y D o o , O b o
A d d y , K id s o n th e B lo c k , clo w n s, face
p a in te rs an d m ore.
Council Puts Mediation Program Back In City
Bv L ee P erlman
P ortland O bserver S taff
fter m ore than a year and thou­
sands o f dollars o f study - and a
stress-related death - the Portland
N eighborhood M ediation Program is back
w here it started.
Last w eek the Portland City Council unani­
m ously accepted the N eighborhood M edia­
tion C enter A dvisory C om m ittee’s recom ­
m endation that the program be operated per­
m anently by the city.
“ I’m absolutely elated," longtim e m edia­
tion specialist Eddie C ollins told the O b­
server. “Council in its w isdom m ade a deci­
sion that will benefit the citizens o f Portland.
W e hoped th ey ’d see it our w ay and, by golly,
A
they did!”
T he program has been run by the city since
it w as created in 1978, first under the now-
defunct M etropolitan Human RelationsCom -
m ission and, since 1983, by the O ffice o f
N eighborhood A ssociations (now the O ffice
ofN eighborhood Involvement). However, in
1997, as a budget-reduction m easure in the
w ake o f Ballot M easure 4 7 ’s passage, ONA
d ire c to r D iane Linn and co m m issio n er
G retchen K afoury called for the program to
be taken over by a private-non-profit corpo­
ration, with the change to occur by y ear's
end.
S taff and advocates for the program re­
sisted the change. Their efforts gained im pe­
tu s a f te r th e d eath last N o v e m b e r o f
M ed iatio n 's longtime director Emmanuel
Paris o f a heart attack, w hich som e attributed
to stress brought about by the im pending
program change. Shortly afterw ard Council
appointed the advisory com m ittee to study
M ediation’s future, and extended its funding
through June. During budget deliberations
last spring, at the com m ittee's request. C oun­
cil approved city funding and operations for
one m ore year.
T he com m ittee's final report found that no
existing agency could offer the services now
provided by the program . A public Request
for Q ualifications, asking private entities to
take on the p ro g ram 's role, received no re­
sponses.
Future funding rem ains an issue. In 1997,
Council appropriated only $200,000 for the
program. M aintaining its current level o f
operations w ould cost $400,000 and, as
Kafoury' noted last w eek. Council has yet to
indicate w hether it w ould approve the ad d i­
tional money.
N onetheless, acting ONI director C elia
Heron saw last w eek ’s vote as a strong en ­
dorsem ent o f the program "Six m onths ago,
they rather grum pily said, ‘O kay, you can
have m ore money, but y o u ’d better be gone
by June,” ’ she said. “ Now w e have five solid
votes to continue the program indefinitely.”
The report called for “diversification" o f
funding, seeking sources outside the city
general fund. H eron said M ediation recently
received a $33,000 grant to w ork with co m ­
m unities on siting halfw ay houses and social
service facilities in neighborhoods, and is
seeking other grants. However, she says,
these are one-tim e-only funds for special
projects. “W hen the project goes away, the
funds go aw ay ," she says.
A possible source o f funds are the Port­
land Police Bureau and M ultnomah County
Animal Control, w hich frequently refer cases
to the program . Heron says.
T he report also called for an ongoing
adv isory com mittee and recruitment and train­
ing o f volunteers to handle som e disputes.
C ollins says the program in the past has
had as m any as 57 volunteers. “It’s spreading
the gospel, so to speak," he says. “These are
conflict resolution skills that they can use for
the rest o f their lives."
G iven its outcom e, was the long study
necessary, and w hy w as it done only after
deciding to spin the program off? A ccording
to advisory com m ittee co-chair Joanne Jack
C ontinued T o P age B8
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