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Historic
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CL h r J j o r t i a n u O ) b
Volume XXX.
Number 37
THE
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r
Wednesday
50e
September 13, 2000
Changing
Face
of
North
Mississippi
in
• Tucked Away
Neighborhood Sees
Rebirth
or T he P ortland O bserylr
Freed Hostages Say
Women Were Raped
TRIPO LI, Libya - O ne o f four hostages
re le a s e d by M u slim re b e ls in the
Philippines said captors raped som e o f
the female hostages. A Finnish m an said
“a few o f the w om en were treated in an
inappropriate m anner” by the Abu S ayyef
reb e l g ro u p , w h ich is fig h tin g fo r
independence in the southern part o f the
Philippines. Upon the hostages released,
rebels claim Libyan officials paid them $ 1
m illion. Libya is denying they paid a
ransom , but hostages claim ed to see
sudden signs o f w ealth in the cam p, with
their captors wearing new clothes and
gold jew elry.
Calif. Creates Largest
Scholarship Program
SACRAM ENTO California is promising
to spend at least $ 1.2 billion each year to
c r e a te th e n a tio n s ' b ig g e s t s ta te
scholarship program , covering college
tuition for all needy students with at least
a C average. U nder legislation signed by
Gov. G ray Davis, the state will expand its
current C al-G rant program starting next
year to pay tuition for eligible students at
all o f C alifornia’s public and private
universities.
The historic buildings in her neighborhood inspire entrepreneur and artist Rachel Elizabeth. She's restoring a
former Rexall drug store at North Shaver and Mississippi to its original J900 condition.
-
re
Astronaut, Cosmonaut
Go for a Spacewalk
» SPACE CENTER, H ouston-A n American
astro n a u t and a R ussian co sm o n au t
drifted out o f space shuttle A tlantis,
m aking a clim b up the international space
station that was m ore spacehike than
s p a c e w a lk . E d w a rd L u a n d Y u ri
M alenchenko made the grueling ascent
to lay cable and install a boom for a
navigation unit on the exterior o f the
station.
OPEC Output Increase
Won’t Lower Prices
V IENNA, A ustria - O PEC has agreed to
boost its official output by 3% , but
a n a ly s ts sa y th e m o v e by th e oil
producers’ cartel will not add enough new
crude to world m arkets to roll fuel prices
backdecisively from 10-year-highs. OPEC
mem bers agreed to add 800,000 barrels to
their daily production in the face o f
m ounting international pressure to pump
more crude and cool sizzling prices. They
say the im pact on prices will be m e ag e r-
particularly for A m ericans who depend
on heating oil.
Iran Demands Apology;
Clinton Meets Castro
U N ITED N A TIO N S The M illennium
Sum m it had brought the globe together,
but had also offered jarring rem inds that
political foes remain far apart. For instance,
the W hite H ouse - after initial denials -
confirm ed a hesitant President Clinton
shook hands with Fidel C astro during a
chance m eeting, possibly the first such
pleasantry betw een the C uban leader and
any U.S. president. And Iran’s president
m ade c le a r that w o u n d s o v e r U .S.
involvement w on’t heal easily as he hinged
improved relations to an apology.
,
( Please see 'Mississippi' page 5)
Anthony Dancer (right)
and Natalie Davis (far
right) are part o f a new
work force in the
historic North
M ississippi
neighborhood, serving
as customer service
assistants at the new
ReBuilding Center.
PGE Park promoter Ron Henderson takes hel: I I
• Portland Family Entertainment official sees new
stadium as venue fo r ‘Everyday Person ’
B i AI iluael L eighties
PORILASDÌiBSlftliR
An Oregon native and long-tim e Portland
resident is building grass-roots support for
P ortland’s soon to be renovated PGE Park.
Russia’s Military to
Make Deep Cuts
M OSCOW Russia will slash its forces
by nearly one-third over the next 2 years,
the defense m inister said, a sign that
Russian officials have dec ided they can ’t
afford their vast but dilapidated military.
The cuts will slash about 350,000 people
from the 1.2 million-strong Russian military.
Sergeyev said the reduction would be
com plete by 2003.
o
P hotos by M ichael L eighton /T he P ortland O bserver
N ew life is showing its face in one o f
P ortland’s m ost tucked away neighborhoods.
The historic M ississippi District o f inner-
n o rth P o rtla n d is s u rg in g w ith new
developm ent. And many folks think it’s the
tip o f an iceberg o f new development to come.
This is a com m unity that doesn’t get much
o f a look from most city residents. M any
people d o n ’t even know it’s there.
Years ago, Portland ’ s freeway system, the
construction o f Interstate 5, and to a lessor
extent the Freemont Bridge and 1-405, put big
road blocks around this part o f town.
Looking around, you get the sense that
tim e has stood still.
Y ou can see the neighborhood’s rich
history by the old storefronts, apartm ent
buildings, and historic homes that still exist
today.
M an y o f th ese b u ild in g s have been
beautifully restored, including the historic
Jo h n P a lm e r h o u se at S k id m o re an d
M ississippi.
A c o u p le o f b lo c k s s o u th , a n ew
rehabilitation project is at the co m er ofN orth
M ississippi and Shaver. The former Phipps
Rexall drug store is being restored.
O w ner Rachel Elizabeth wants to bring the
building back to its original 1900 condition.
Elizabeth, who moved into the building
Ron Henderson is director o f
sponsorship sales and marketing fo r
Portland Family Entertainment, the
group renovating Portland’s Civic
Stadium into PGE Park.
Ron Henderson said the exciting thing
about the renovated stadium will be the
creation o f a first-class sports venue for the
“everyday person".
This will not be the Rose G arden, he said,
w here tickets can easily set you back $65.
At PGE Park, many tickets will sell in the $5-
$6 range. Portland Family Entertainm ent has
partnered with Portland G eneral Electric and
the city o f Portland to spend $38.5 m illion to
renovate the stadium at no cost to the local
taxpayer.
The project is scheduled for com pletion in
M ay 2001, just in time for the réintroduction
o f Triple A baseball
The Albuquerque Dukes will be renamed,
and relocated to Portland for the upcom ing
season.
PFE has also purchased an A -League
soccer franchise through the expansion
process.
The Portland Timbers will also begin play
in PGE Park in 2001. returning professional
outdoor soccer to the city after a 20-year
absence.
PGE Park pledges to continue its history as
a valuable community asset, hosting Portland
State U niversity football gam es, top-tier
concerts, high school athletic events, and
other com m unity-oriented events.
Henderson began work for PFE in February.
H is r e s p o n s ib ilitie s , as d ir e c to r o f
sponsorship sales and m arketing, include
outreach program s and promotions.
H enderson was bom in Klamath Falls. He
is a graduate o f Portland State University and
spent five years as a media and public relations
executive with the former Portland Beavers
baseball club.
1... ú
Portland's "place to happen” will feature the themed Fred Meyer Family
Deck and a “vintage ” manually operated baseball scoreboard that rises
nearly seven stories above field level.
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