Committed to Cultural Diversity
www.portlandobservcr.com
August 23, 2000
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Vancouver Police kick off free gun lock distribution
Un August 18,2000Interim Vancouver
Police Chief Stan Reeves held a News
Conference to announce that the
Vancouver Police Services will begin
distributing 3500 free gun locks.
Project Home Safe, a nationwide
program o f the National Shooting and
Sports foundation has distributed
thousands o f gun lock kits to law
enforcem ent agencies across the
nation. Vancouver was the fir s t
Washington city to apply fo r the gun
locks and recently received the first
shipment o f 1800, with another 1700
expected in the next fe w months. The
vinyl-covered steel cable locks, which
lock much like bicycle locks, are
threaded through gun magazines and
barrels and prevent the gun's action
from closing.
A representative from Project Home
Safe was on hand to answer any
questions and to present Chief Reeves
with a certificate o f thanks fo r
p a rtic ip a tin g in the gun lock
distribution. The free gun locks were
available immediately after the news
conference at each o f the Vancouver
Police precincts.
Block Party on the Beech
T h e B e e c h S tre e t N e ig h b o rh o o d
C o m m u n ity a n d F rie n d s w ill be
launching its first annual block party
entitled “B lock Party on the Beech”
located at N orth B eech Street and N orth
V ancouver on A ugust 26 from 1 p.m. to
8 p .m .. T his neighborhood festival is for
the purpose o f reclaim ing the streets o f
Portland from crim e; one neighborhood
at a tim e. W e w ill be show casing local
talent and guest speakers as w ell as
h o ld in g an e x p o to p r o v id e o u r
neighborhood youth w ith options other
than the crim e around them. The party if
free to all neighborhood residents. N on
residents w ill be charged $2 for single
adm ission, $5 for fam ily adm ission.
“Instant Piano” for Busy
People
L earning the piano doesn’t have to be a
tortuous regim ent o f scales, exercises,
n o te -rea d in g , co u n tin g and theory.
People w ant to be able to play the songs
th e y lik e , b e c r e a tiv e a n d h a v e
fun.Traditional piano teachers might not
approve, but thousands have learned to
play piano w ithout reading music. O n
T uesday, A ugust 29, from 6:30 - 9:30
p.m. at the O regon Info Courses in the
City ofPortland, ins tructorT odd W alker
w ill teach his natio n ally renow ned
“ Instant Piano W orkshop” . For m ore
info. O r to register, call 503/224-5959.
The Art of Forgiveness
Oregon Peace Institute (OPI) will present
a w orkshop on “T he A rt ofForgiveness”
w ith R obert G ould, PhD , the director o f
th e G ra d u ate P ro g ram in C o n flic t
R esolution and the chairm an o f the
Philosophy Department at Portland State
U niversity, on T hursday, Sepatem ber 7,
2000 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the First United
M ethodist Church, R oom 13 4 ,1838SW
Jefferson Street. A donation o f $ 10 would
be appreciated. Call 503/725-8192.
Portland Area Council of
Camp Fire
T his fall, the Portland A rea Council o f
C am p Fire will provide service and
leadership opportunities for co-ed K -12
participants and adult volunteers. These
group leaders and their young m em bers
design service learning projects, plan
special interest w orkshops, and m ake
lasting relationships w ith neighbors,
mentors, and schoolmates. Call 224-7800.
Mt. Hood Huckleberry
Festival & Barlow Trail
Days
T h e 16,h A n n u a l M o u n t H o o d
H uckleberry Festival & Barlow Trail
D ays will be held on A ugust 2 5 ,2 6 and
27 at the Mt. H ood V illage (6500 East
U.S. Highway 26 in Brightwood, Oregon).
T he events are free. T here will be live
entertainm ent, Salmon Bakes, Campfire
concerts, hucklebarry pancakes served,
W aterm elon launch contest, and more.
For m ore information, call 503/998-7813
o r inform ation on cam ping/cabins, call
503/622-4011.
V olunteers N eeded at Blind Slough
Sw am p Preserve
T he N ature C onservancy o f O regon
invites anyone interested in preserving
B lin d S lo u g h S w a m p , lo c a te d in
Brow nsm ead 12 miles east o f Astoria, to
participate in a volunteer w ork party on
S aturday, A ugust 26. B lind Slough
Sw am p Preserve is the best exam ple o f
tidal Sitka spruce sw am p rem aining in
O regon, and provides habitat along the
C olum bia R iver for bald eagle, osprey,
riv er o tte r and beaver. R egistration
required. Call 230-1221.
City Garden Fair
A C ity G arden F air will be held on
Saturday, Septem ber 9, from 8 am. to 1
pm . at the Portland Farm ers M arket at
South Park Blocks by Portland State
U niversity. There will be produce and
flow er ju d g in g . B ring produce and
flow ers forjudging betw een 8 to 10 am.
Judging will begin at 10 am. Kids welcome
w ith ac tiv itie s for them . For m ore
inform ation, call Com m unity Gardens at
823-1612.
B
Stan Reeves, Interim Vancouver P olice C h ie f discusses the fr e e gun locks during a press conference
Vancouver's, Hazel Dell on a streak at World Series
Last to arrive, first to surprise. It’s nothing
new for the Little Leaguers from V ancouver,
W ash.
T hey stunned the C alifornia pow erhouses to
win the W estern Region tournam ent last week,
and they carried it o ver in being the last o f the
eight team s to play their Little League W orld
Series opener on M onday night.
V a n c o u v e r, o n ly th e th ird te a m fro m
W ashington State and first since K irkland
N ational w on the title in 1982, got big hits,
strong defense and a dom inating pitching
perform ance to beat Bellaire, T exas, 5-0.
“ W e’re trying to m ake a statem ent for the
com m unity,” said m anager Tom Peavey,
w h o ’s m aking it a habit o f explaining exactly
w here V ancouver— on the Oregon border—
is located. “The people from Hazel Dell (Little
League) have said we put them on the map. I
think they put us on the m ap because o f their
support.” Jay Ponciano pitched a tw o-hitter,
and didn’ t allow a runner past second. Catcher
D ustin C o rl’s tw o-run hom er in the third
opened the scoring to spark the victory.
Pressure? W hat pressure, said Ponciano, who
said he bore dow n after getting the lead
because he d id n ’t w ant “ to blow it.”
“ P la y in g in th e W e s te rn R e g io n a l
ch am p io n sh ip gam e, I got used to (the
pressure),” he said. “It’s m y jo b , and I ’ve got
to get it done.”
T he loss surprised B ellaire. C om ing o f f
S unday’s 3-0 victory over G offstow n, N .H .,
the Texans were expecting to face apotentially
nervous V ancouver squad.
It d id n ’t turn out that w ay, Bellaire m anager
T erry M cC onn said. “T h ey ’re a really good
team and I’m not going to sit here and try to
take anything aw ay from them ,” M cConn
said.
Bellaire ’ s loss left only one te am — T okyo—
w ith a 2-0 record two days into the Series.
B oth V ancouver and D avenport, Iow a —
w hich beat G offstow n 5-0 in its Series opener
earlier in the day — are 1 -0.
In other gam es M onday, T okyo survived a
six-run, sixth-inning rally to hang on for a 9-
8 victory o v erT oronto (0-1), and M aracaibo,
V enezuela, evened its record at 1 -1 w ith a 3-
0 w in over D hahran, Saudi A rabia (0-1).
G offstow n is 0-2.
W ith all eight team s playing Tuesday, that
leaves a w ide open field o f teams contending
to reach T h u rsd ay ’s pool cham pionship
games. Bellaire is aw are the pressure is on
them to bounce back, considering they face
D avenport in their final pool-round game.
“W e feel w e can win,” Bellaire shortstop Zach
Jam ailsaid.
“W e’ve done it in state, w e’ve done it in
sectionals, and w e ’ve alw ays com e back,”
catcher Terty M cConn said.
Public voices opinions on urban renewal
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o e T ue
P o r iia m ) O bserver
S p eak e rs from m a n y , an d c o n flic tin g ,
view points cam e together to urge creation o f
the controversial Interstate U rban Renew al
D istrict at a C ity Council hearing last week.
Council is expected to approve creation o f the
proposed district at a hearing A ugust 30.
There is still som e uncertainty as to w hat
provisions will guide the allocation o f the
$300 million the district isexpected to generate,
and w hat projects it should fund. There w as
considerable disagreem ent about this am ong
the 200 people w ho show ed up for the evening
session at K aiser Tow n Hall, nearly h a lf o f
whom testified.
T h e lig h t ra il p r o je c t c re a te d m u sc h
dissension. A bout 50 people opposed to the
project picketed in front o f the hall before the
meeting. However, even som e o f these people
later testified that they supported the district,
at least in concept.
A nother issue was the funds that an urban
renew al district w ould divert from county
social service support.
County com m ission chair Beverly Stein, who
had originally raised the concern, said she
was not opposed to creation o f this district -
provided that the city w as w illing to dedicate
$2 m illion a year to restoration o f the lost
revenue.
Stein added, “This is an unusual situation in
w hich I ’m at odds w ith the m ayor.”
Stein and m ayor V era K atz sparred briefly at
the hearing as well. “ W ill you com e to us
every tim e w e have a new urban renewal
district?” Katz asked.
“ I hope w e ’ll collaborate and com e to an
agreem ent on funding,” Stein replied. “ Ifnot,
you probably will hear from us again.”
County com m issioners Serena C ruz and Lisa
Naito also testified in favor o f the new district.
A n o th e r iss u e w as c o n d e m n a tio n . In
deference to dem ands by m any residents,
especially representatives o f the A frican-
A m erican com m unity. Interstate w ill be the
first urban renewal district in Portland in which
the Portland Developm ent Com m ission will
not have the right to acquire property against
the w ill o f owners.
Y et another issue was gentrification, and
measures to com bat it Some feared the district
w ill raise land values, and thus force existing
residents and businesses out. Alan Hipólito
and PD C’s John Southgate proposed a “racial-
econom ic impact statement,” such as recently
proposed by Dr John Powell ofM inneapolis,
to m onitor such effects.
H ipólito noted, “We know people near (the
new ) Billy R eed 's (restaurant) have already
seen their rents go up quite a bit.”
Com m issioner Dan Saltzman retorted, “ We
d o n ’t need to hire a consultant to tell us
that....If w e’re to spend m oney on a racial
impact study on the magnitude o f the disparity
stu d y _ h a lfa million dollars - 1 will be raising
a ruckus to get that money into the hands o f
early childhood providers.” He said he d id n ’t
w ant to “get caught up in a racially correct
mantra."
Several m em bers o f the project advisory
com m ittee spoke in favor o f the district as
proposed, and lashed out at critics. Paul
M ortim er declared, “Ifan y o n e d id n ’t h e a ro f
th is p lan , and have an o p p o rtu n ity to
contribute to it, they ju st w eren’t paying
attention." Regarding the attacks on the
proposed M AX line he said, “W hat you
d id n ’t hear is any credible alternative."
Lenny Anderson attacked Stein directly. “Not
at our m eetings was anyone representing
commissioner Stein, a shortcoming she should
regret,” he said. To hear her concerns now
was “disconcerting," he said.
S ev era l O v e rlo o k r e s id e n ts sa id th ey
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The outlined shaded area represents the fa r-rea ch in g size o f the d esignated
renew al area.
w elcom ed the chance to im prove N orth
Interstate A venue, w hich they said was a
b lig h t o n an o th e r w is e a ttr a c tiv e
n eighborhood.
O ne, C ynthia Silaski, said that to her the
district designation “m eans that for the first
tim e the city will significantly acknow ledge
u s.”