Volume X X IX . Number 15 Committed to cultural diversity. APRII www. port landobserver.net sopeses Moving Paul Bunyon Nakalakw See Page BI See Focus Page 2 The Supernatural World See Popeye's Coupon Insid I4 .IW Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit No. 1610 University o f Oregon k n i g h t Library N ew sp ap er Section w Kevorkian Prison Sentence Dr. Jack K evorkian was sen­ tenced by a ju d g e in M ichigan to 10 to 25 years in prison for the videotaped death o fa Lou G ehrig’s disease patient. The euthenasia spe­ cialist also received another three to seven years for delivery o f a controlled substance. K evorkian treated 52-year old Thom as Y ouk with a lethal cocktail o f chem icals on Septem ber 17 and videotaped the death which was shown later on C B S ' “ 60 M inutes.” NATO Airstrikes A ccording to President Clinton, the NATO A irstrikes against Y u­ g o sla v ia are “ d im in ish in g and grinding dow n” Serbian forces. N early 5,000 eth n ic A lb an ian s poured into A lbania recently. So far, more than a half-m illion ethnic A lbanians have fled out o f Kosovo since the N A TO air began. Boris Y eltsin o f Russia has given his word to stay out o f the conflict in Y ugo­ slavia but w ould reconsider that p o sitio n if N A T O tro o p s en ter K osovo. Feds Condemn Meat T hirty m illio n pounds o f m eat m ade by T horn A pple V alley Inc. in A rkansas was recalled and de­ clared unfit for hum an consum p­ tion by the federal governm ent. The foods w ere not prep ared un­ der federal law and m ay contain “p h y sical, chem ical and or m icro­ b io lo g ic a l c o n ta m in a n ts ,” th e USD A said. A p o rtio n o f the dam ­ aged m eats w ere planned by the com pany for ex p o rt to R ussia and South K orea. Portiani, ©bseruer Historic Hawthorne Bridge Reopens April 25th M ultnom ah C o u n ty ’s H istoric Hawthorne Bridge reopens to traf fic on Sunday afternoon. April 25lh after a closure o f nearly thirteen months for painting, deck replacement and renova­ tion. On Saturday, April 24,h the public is invited to tour the completed project and attend a celebration before the bridge re­ opens to traffic. “ I am as excited as area commuters and businesses that the bridge will soon be reopened.” said M ultnom ah County Chair Beverly Stein. “1 look forward to working w ith our governm ent, business, neighbor­ hood and transit partners to create a com ­ munity celebration for the re-opening. I invite everyone to join us in welcoming this historic M ultnomah County facility, with its new look and improved access, back to the com m unity.” Hawthorne ROC. as the Re-Opening Cel­ ebration is being called, takes place on the bridge and its eastside on ramps from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, April 24,h. More than 30 com m unity groups, businesses and project partners have worked with the County to plan a fam ily-fnendly celebration. Fes­ tivities will include. •A bridge fair where dozens o f organi­ zations with an interest in the bridge will have booths. There will be displays on nearby projects such as the E astbank Riverfront, as well as booths operated by project partners, H aw thom e-area m er­ chants and food vendors. The bridge will reopen to traffic on ■A ribbon-cutting with local leaders and Sunday. April 25,h at about 2 pm. follow ­ descendants o f Dr. J.C. Hawthorne. ing com pletion o f a h a lf m arathon charity •A series o f "first bridge crossings" by run called Race for the roses. The race various transportation modes. departs from OMSI at 7 am and crosses A parade o f historic vehicles. the H aw thorne Bridge to N aito Parkway ■Live music by Pepe and the Bottle before looping back. The race is a benefit Blondes. Boka Marimba. Steel Jammin’, for two local non-profits. A lbertina Kerr Stone Mountain Boys, Viva Mexico Mariachi Centers and the Boys & G irls Aid Society and K ell’s Irish Pipes & Drums. Kung tu o f Oregon. demonstration by One With Heart. The 89-yearold W illamette River bridge Boat and tram tours along the Willamette was closed March 31, 1998 for what was The Coho Classic Fish Race, benefiting expected to be a 12-month closure. The Willamette Light Brigade and Willamette reopening was delayed 24 days due to Riverkeeper. Photo M . Washington unforeseen custom work, severe winter weather, and corrosion. Project M anager John Lindenthal said the delay will not cause the $21.8 million project to go over budget. He em phasized that the additional repairs m ade will help prevent future bridge closings, save tax dollars and ensure public safety. The W illamette’s oldest bridge will sport a new look when it reopens. The old yellow lead-based paint has been replaced with red and green urethane-based paint. W ork­ ers replaced the steel deck, added wider sidewalk panels, and installed additional steel supports under the deck and floor beam extensions. The bridge will be wheel­ chair accessible from downtown to the eastside Repairs were also made to the mechanisms that raise and lower the 1.7 million pound lift span. M ultnomah County ow ns and operates the historic H aw thorne bridge, w hich is the oldest operating vertical lift bridge in the country. W hen open, it will carry 30.000 cars and trucks. 2.000 bicycles, 2,000 pedestrians, and 760 buses across the river each day. Gretzky To Retire W ayne G retzky, the 38-year old hockey star o f the New Y ork Rang­ ers is considering retirem ent at the end o f the playing season. G retzky has played in 223 straight games since signing w ith the Rangers as a free agent in 1996. His most recent m ilstone o f his career is achieving his ninth goal o f the year which gave him 1,072 as a professional. S&L Wins $909 Million A Federal ju d g e ordered the governm ent to oay nearly $909 m illion to a C alifo rn ia savings asso ciatio n that nearly w ent bank­ rupt after C ongress and the Bush ad m in istratio n im posed tougher accounting changes on the indus­ try a decade ago. The savings and loan debacle has cost taxpayers $ 165 b illio n - costing each A m eri­ can h o u seh o ld $10. On Friday, April 9, 1999, a new» conference was held at the Eaat Precinct mmunlty Policing Facility, 737 S E 106'” Avenue, Portland, to announce and sign a w Enforcement Non-Discrlmlnatlon Resolution. ____ Over seventy (7 0 ) representatives of management and labor from Oregon ano ishlngton law enforcement agencies were Invited to attend and sign the reaohrtlon rich denounces race4»ased profiling. This resolution, believed to be the first of Its id In the United States, was the result of Chief Charles Moose and Superintendent Ron Howland. Oregon State Police, drafting and presenting It to the Police ecutlve Group meeting which was attended by law enforcement agency chiefs, erlffs and their labor representatives. This meeting was facilitated by Robert LamD , Regional Director, Community Relations Service. U.S. Department of Justtos. No Health Coverage There are 43 m illion people in the nation that lack insurance, up from 31 million a decade ago. About 34 percent o f the nation’s 31 m il­ lion Hispanic people have no health insurance. A large portion o f the Hispanic people who lack coverage a re from M ex ico and C e n tra l A merica who rely on alternative care built on religion, tradition and home remedies and finalized the resolution. __ __ _ . _____ In addition, the Mutual Aid Law Enforcement Agreement and Portland Metropolitan Interagency Pursuit Agreement have been updated and will alee be signed by participating law enforcement agencies. _________ 4