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SEPTEMBER I, 1999
Committed to cultural diversity, http://www.poi-tkmdobserver.net
Volume XXIX, Number 34
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REVIEW
Hurricane Dennis struck the North
Carolina coast with heavy rain and
high winds, knocking out pow er to
thousands o f custom ers. O fficials
reported that two people were killed
in a head-on collision along the coast
o f Richm onds. A tropical storm
w arning was issued by the N ational
Hurricane C enter for the V irginia
Coast and a gale warning up to Cape
Henlopen in Delaware.
Venezuela Clashes
Six people were injured in a clash
that involved supporters and oppo­
nents o f Venezuelan president Hugo
Chavez. The police had fired water
canons outside the parliam entary
building as defiant lawmakers broke
through the crowd and clim bed over
the fence. C ritics fear that one o f
Latin A m erica's dem ocracies is in
jeopardy.
5,000 Homeless Turks
Turkish officials estimate that half
a m illion Turks are left hom eless
from the recent August 13 earth­
quake destruction that left 13,000
dead. The governm ent is projecting
that it will need to build about
100,000 to 120,000 new hom es for
quake victim s.
Buford 0 . Furrow Jr.
Buford O. Furrow Jr. faces post­
indictment arraignm ent for the m ur­
der o f a Filipino postm an that pre­
ceded his alleged attack on a Jewish
com m unity center. He recently con­
fessed to shooting up the Jewish
center full o f children, then killing
m ailm an Joseph Ileto.
Norplant Settlement
The m akers o f N orplant, a con­
traceptive device have agreed to offer
cash settlements to more than 36,000
women. Many wom en claim ed that
they had suffered from nausea, ir­
regular m enstrual bleeding, head­
aches and depression after using
N orplant. The com pany did not
specify yet how much would be paid
to settle the claim s by those who
used the device.
New Home Sales Rise
Sales o f new hom es rose .1 per­
cent in July, reaching the second-
highest level ever despite an increase
in 30-year m ortgage rates from 8.15
percent to 7.63 percent in July. The
Commerce Department reported that
sales o f new single-fam ily homes
had increased to a seasonally ad­
justed annual rate o f 980,000 units
last month - up from a June sales
pace o f 979,000 units and much
better than analysts expected.
Franciscan Enterprise
Celebrates the Groundbreaking of Another
Architectural Monument in Northeast Portland
Maggie Gibson Plaza
August 26, 1999 - Franciscan Enterprise
of Oregon is celebrating the groundbreaking
of its latest development. The Maggie Gibson
Plaza. This mixed-use development brings
Franciscan Enterprise total affordable hous­
ing portfolio to 110 units. The 1.2 million-
dollar renovation includes retail space, and
9 units of affordable rental housing at or
below 50% of the area median family in­
come. This building will also be the home of
the Maggie Gibson Neighborhood Network
Center; a computer based learning center,
which promotes self-sufficiency through
education and training. Karen Voiss,
Franciscan Enterprise Executive Director
is very excited about this mixed-used devel­
opment on the Alberta Street corridor.
“Franciscan Enterprise sees this an impor­
tant part of our mission for supporting com­
munity based initiatives around community
revitalization." The project is being named
after Maggie Gibson, a long time neighbor­
hood resident and advocates for her com­
mitment to community and to creating a
clean, safe, drug-free neighborhood. In ad­
dition to her many community activities
Maggie has put in countless hours of service
as a Franciscan Enterprise Board member
and as an advocate for safe, quality, afford­
able. housing for families in Northeast Port­
land. Maggie is also the 1999 recipient of
the Distinguished International Academy of
Nobel Achievement award. The award is
given to individuals who have gone above
and beyond the call of duty in their commu­
nities. Chief to staff, Kevin Jeans-Gill from
the office o f City Com missioner Jim
Fransconni. Dave McConnell from the En­
terprise Foundation. Charles Washington
from the Portland Observer, along with a
blessing from Father Matt Turnulty,
Franciscan Enterprise Founder, will host
the opening Ceremony at The MaggieGibson
Plaza. 17,h and Alberta. The event will take
place on Thursday, August 26lh from 4:00 to
8:00. The event will coincide with Alberta
Streets last Thursday Art Walk l iv e
entertainment, food and art will be
featured at the event. C. Durham
Construction with the housing De­
velopment Center acting as project
manager is renovating the Maggie
Gibson Plaza formerly the Texas
Lounge. Carleton hart Architecture
provfr’-d the architectural design
Funding for the project is being pro­
vided by The Enterprise Foundation.
Wells Fargo bank. Network of Or­
egon Affordable Housing a Consor­
tium of Oregon banks. The housing
and urban Development, Portland De­
velopment Commission, City of
I he N tn M.ivvti
( , i I» m „ i
I’la/.i
Portland Bureau of Housing and Com­
munity Development. State of Oregon
Housing and Community Services State
Housing Trust Fund and Oregon Lender
Credits, Affordable Housing Program
grant from the federal home Loan Bank
and a grant from Key bank. Franciscan
Enterprise is a community development
corporation founded in 1987 whose mis­
sion is to provide quality affordable
housing to families o flow income and
to support initiatives around community
rev italization. The new Maggie Gibson
Plaza will be a wondrous addition to the
Alberta Streetscape North and North­
east Portland.
New flashing yield signs going on
Tri-Met buses
T ri-M e t has c o m p le te d i n s t a ll ­
ing new y ield sig n s on the back o f
its bus fleet to help b u ses and tr a f ­
fic flow m ore safely and sm o o th ly .
The sig n s, b ack ed by a new s ta te
law’, giv es b u ses the rig h t-o f-w a y
w hen p u llin g back in to tra f fic a f ­
te r se rv in g bus sto p s. M ak in g it
e a sie r for buses to m erge back into
tra ffic en h an ces sa fe ty fo r p a s s e n ­
gers and m o to ris ts , and h e lp s keep
b u ses on s c h e d u le .
T ri-M et o p e ra to rs ty p ic a lly pull
in and out o f tra ffic som e 400
tim e s d u r in g an 8 - h o u r s h if t.
“ T h ese sig n s h elp b u se s and cars
sh are the ro a d ," said T ri-M et G e n ­
eral M anager Fred H ansen.
“ W hile th is law p ro v id e s for the
rig h t-o f-w a y for b u se s, o u r o p e ra ­
to rs know that p u llin g b ack into
tra ffic m ust firs t be do n e sa fe ly
fo r ou r c u sto m e rs and n e a rb y auto
tr a f f ic ." T ri-M e t has b een te s tin g
th e sign sin c e F e b ru a ry .
The fla s h in g , illu m in a te d sig n s
a re lo c a te d n e a r the le ft ta illig h t
and fla sh o n ly a fte r th e o p e ra to r
has tu rn e d on its tu rn s ig n a l to
m erg e b ack in to tr a f f ic . In a d d i­
t i o n to th e
lig h t, m any
buses
w ill
h a v e a la r g e
s ig n on th e
b a c k o f th e
bus to e d u c a te
m o to ris ts
a b o u t the new
law.
T ri-M e t
hopes to install
all o f the signs
on
its
670
buses. T ransit
a g e n c ie s
throughout the
state will also
in s ta ll
th e
sam e sign on
th e ir b u se s.
Failure to yield
right-of-w ay to
th e b u s e s in
th ese c irc u m ­
s ta n c e s is a
Class D Traffic
infraction, sub­
je c t to a $75
fine.
Let the bus
back in, please.
It’s the law!