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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2000)
September 6, 2000 Page A2 (Ttie ^1 ortlanò (Ohseruer [JurUanö (Obeeruer Police News/Vancouver ■ M Inside-A Diverse medical school class.............. 3 Your shortcut to a better life................. 4 New black Christian publisher.................. 5 Metro-B Weather Today Through the weekend Mostly cloudy 75°F/24°C 55°F/13°C Thursday First domestic registry in Portland.................. 1 2000 Diversityfest Community Picnic....2-3 A good summer for basketball.................... 4 Isolated T- Storms 73°F/23°C 56°F/13°C Isolated T- Storms 72°F/22°C 53°F/12°C El Observador......... 5 Showers This Week 71°F/22°C 54°F/12°C in H istory On September?, 1940,Nazi Germany began its initial blitz on London during W orld W ar II. On September 8, 1974, President Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Nixon. On September 9 , 1976, Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung died in Beijing at age 82. On September 12, 1977, South African black student leader Steven Biko died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry. Scattered Showers 73°F/23°C 52°F/12°C Thought for the week I f l cry tears let them wash away your fea rs—make a rainbow o f love fo r you. — Thom Klika Workshop focuses on historic preservation of commercial buildings CONTRIBUTED STORY The City o f Vancouver, in partnership with the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission, will sponsor a free workshop titled, “Historic Commercial Buildings: Preservation is Good for Business” on September 23 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St. in downtown Vancouver. Historic commercial districts have become increasingly important to downtown economic revitalization efforts nationwide and Vancouver’s commercial core has its own list o f successes. This workshop will show examples o f the use o f historic preservation techniques that attract customers as well as visual turnoffs to avoid. The workshop will be lead by Sean O ’Skea. O ’Skea has a master’s degree in historic preservation from Ball State University and extensive experience in the historic preservation field. He worked as a design consultant for the Main Street Program o f the National Trust for Historic Preservation and has recently taught a series o f historic preservation classes through the Portland Parks Department. Participants are encouraged to bring sketches, photos, plans and ideas for one- on-one and group discussion. To reserve your seat or to get more information, contact Linda Floyd at (360) 696-8171 ext. 8085. Vancouver Police to conduct pedestrian safety emphasis V a n c o u v e r P o lic e S e rv ic e s in p a rtn e rs h ip w ith th e C ity o f Vancouver Transportation Services conducted the first o f a series o f pedestrian safety emphasis. A plain clothes officer posed as a pedestrian using a crosswalk during the emphasis while officers from traffic and patrol units will be posted in area to observe drivers violating pedestrians rights laws. Officers were issuing warnings and infractions. Drivers were also educated about safe driver practices in areas w h ere th ere are high concentrations o f pedestrians and on how drivers should approach crosswalks that have warning lights. The City o f V ancouver recently installed five new lighted crosswalk w arnings to alert drivers about pedestrians in the crosswalk. There have been several pedestrian fatalities over the past few years in Vancouver and pedestrian’s safety has become a to p c o n c e rn in V a n c o u v e r neighborhoods. While the focus of this emphasis is on driver education, pedestrians also need to be aware that th ere are num erous safety p ra c tic e s th ey sh o u ld follow including crossing at a designated cro ssw alk w earing light and/or reflective clothing while walking at night, and obeying all traffic signals. Reaction to strip-search exposes division in INS A ssociated P ress The immigration officer who strip- searched a Chinese business traveler last month was just following the p ro c e d u re s she learn ed at her previous post in Hawaii, according to her union’s representatives. Inspector Robin Peters made Guo Liming strip to her underwear on Aug. 19 at Portland International Airport, believing the businesswoman had an altered passport. AfterGuo’s treatment became known, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials re-sent the rules on body searches to all W estern Points o f entry. But The Oregonian has reported that practice o f the searches appears to vary widely. In Honolulu, for example, where Peters, 34, worked as an inspector irom iv v i tnrougn ivvs, roreigners bearing phony documents are strip- searched, said Steven Roberson, who supervised Honolulu International Airport inspectors until 1997. “Up until now they have been as a matter o f routine,” said Roberson, who became acting INS port director in Portland on Friday. But INS District Director David Beebe has apologized to 36-year-old Guo, sa y in g he w as c e rta in the investigation will show his officers had “insufficient suspicion” to strip- search her after a previous pat-down search. INS Commissioner Doris Meissner’s rules for strip -search es require “reasonable suspicion,” after a less intrusive search, that a person is concealing a weapon, contraband or evidenceofacrim e. Meissner issued the rules three years ago. ** Christine Pool, the supervisor who union officials confirm approved and witnessed the search at the Portland airport, explained the practice in another way. Pool said before the investigation that inspectors could choose either to pat down foreigners or strip-search them. The INS w on’t allow Pool and Peters to talk about the matter while the investigation continues. But union leaders who have spoken with Peters defend her actions and charge that an INS investigator has violated her rights. Jim Broz, president o f the American Federation ofGovemment Employees Local 40 in Seattle, said he and Peters fear that INS managers will blame her, even though she follow ed what Portland inspectors believe to be W estern regional policy. Peters continues to work for the INS, an agency that also employs her mother in Vermont, where Peters grew up. Jeff Young, president in Vermont o f Local 2076, the same union that represents Peters, has spoken with Peters by phone during the past two weeks. Her mother approached him for help, saying her daughter was upset. Peters wanted to see whether Guo was concealing other documents, Young said, such as her real passport. “ She said, * I want to strip her and see if she has any documents,"' Young said. “The supervisor said, ‘OK, I’ll help you.’ “ Young said he was astounded by Peters ’ account. The INS veteran said he could count on one hand the n u m b er o f s trip -s e a rc h e s he conducted during seven years as supervisory inspector in Miami, where many foreigners try to enter the country illegally. “So I’m saying to her, ‘Why the hell would you do a strip-search?’" Young said. “She said, ‘Well, we do it in Hawaii. W henever we get a bad passport, we strip-search them .’ “ Still, Young maintains Peters did nothing wrong. She followed the practice she’d learned and obtained permission from a supervisor. Pool, the supervisor, is a 13-year INS employee promoted to her position a year ago. U nder M e is s n e r’s 15-page enforcement standards, inspectors should use the least-intrusive type o f b o d y se a rc h n e c e ssa ry . “ T he immigration officer must be prepared to testify in a court, setting forth the specific reasons for conducting the strip-search,” the policy states. Y o u n g th in k s P o rtla n d ’s IN S problems result from inexperience among airport inspectors who handle just two arriving overseas flights a day, in contrast to more than 200 in Miami. “In Portland, you’re not going to have the depth o f experience you need to handle an international flight that might have some garbage on it,” Young said. “Garbage” is INS lingo for people subject to rejection, he said. Young and Broz say the INS Office o f Internal Audit, which is examining G uo’s treatment, violated Peters’ rights during the investigation. The investigator failed to give Peters 48 hours notice o f an interview, denied her proper representation and told a union steward present at the interview to shut up, Young said. Greg Gagne, an INS spokesman in W a sh in g to n , D .C ., sa id the investigation should be completed w ith in w e e k s, assu m in g the investigator manages to contact Guo, who is traveling. Crime Stoppers The Portland Police Bureau, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, is asking for your help in identifying and apprehending the individuals responsible for two cases in which elderly victims were bilked out of thousands o f dollars. In one case, a 60-year-old man was approached in a restaurant parking lot at Northeast M artin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Halsey Street, by an individual speaking with a foreign accent. The suspect claimed to have a large amount o f cash but didn’t trust banks. Joined by a second suspect, the victim was tricked into making a large band withdrawal to prove that banks could be trusted. When he showed the m oney to the suspects, they took the cash and fled in a white and gray-colored Ford van. In another case, an 84-year old man was approached in a parking lot in the 1200 block o f Northeast 102nd Avenue. The suspect claimed to be looking for a place to safeguard a large amount o f cash. Again, joined by a second suspect, the victim was tricked into making a large bank withdrawal. The suspects placed the money in a bandana, but when they return it to the victim, he found a switch had been made, and he was left with nothing but shredded newspaper. Suspect # 1 is described as a black male in his mid 40’s, 5 ’2” tall, weighing 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Suspect #2 is described as a black male in his late 30’s, 6 ’0” tall weighing 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Investigators would also like to speak with another person seen in the bank, and caught on surveillance video, as one o f the victims withdrew the money. This individual is described as a black male, 6 ’0” tall, weighing 280 pounds with black hair worn in a pony tail and wearing a green Hawaiian shirt. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to $ 1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and you need not give your name. Call Crime Stoppers at (503) 823-HELP. Come visit us on the web at www.portlandobserver.com Yesl It's you r time! You couldn't have dreamed it better if you d tried. You've learned th a t hard w o rk and long hours definitely pay o ff and th a t ge ttin g ahead is easier w h e n there's family behind you. That's the w ay it is w ith American Family Mutual Insurance Like you, w e understand it's consistent performance tha t builds strong reputations. 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"W e’ve known for some time that Vernon was seeking employment elsewhere and it’s been widely reported that he was a finalist for jobs in several cities and recently turned down a City Manger position in Oklahoma," added Mayor Pollard. “The City Council felt it very important to have a City Manager whose exclusive focus is on our city and that is why we chose to begin these discussions with Vernon.” “As I bring to a close my four-plus years with the City, I do so with a real sense o f accomplishment,” said Stoner. “When I came here, the City was in the midst o f the largest annexation in the state’s history, our downtown needed attention and the demands on services brought about from unprecedented growth required immediate attention.” “Today, over $200 million is being invested in our downtown, the City’s first comprehensive Strategic Plan is done and being updated, the number o f recognized neighborhood associations has doubled, crime rates are down,” stated Stoner. 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