N A AC P Disappointed with
Mississippi Flag Vote - See page B4
Free Trade Agreements Made in
Americas - See page B2
PAID
PORTLAND OR
PERMIT NO. 1610
^ ‘ëht i .
1299 U rii
PRSDRT STD
USPOSTAGE
ibr¡ ■ary
^ 4 O 3 .l2
205
Volume XXXI
Number 17
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday
April 25,2001
50c
Support Grows for King Center Remodel
Space Crews Meet
S P A C E C E N T E R , H o u s to n — T h e
cre w o f th e I n te r n a tio n a l S p a c e S ta ­
tio n e x c h a n g e d h u g s w ith th e ir firs t
v is ito rs a d a y a f te r w a tc h in g tw o o f
th e m to il f o r m o re th a n se v e n h o u rs to
in s ta ll a b illio n - d o lla r r o b o t arm . T h e
arm w ill a c t as a h ig h - te c h c o n s tr u c ­
tio n c r a n e , le s s e n in g th e n e e d fo r a s ­
tr o n a u ts to d o o u ts id e w o rk d u rin g
s p a c e w a lk s .
Tape Shows Missionary
Plane Not Evasive
W A S H IN G T O N — A U S. v id e o ­
ta p e o f a p la n e s h o t d o w n by th e P e r u ­
v ia n a ir f o rc e s h o w s th e c r a ft h a d n o t
b e e n ta k in g e v a s iv e a c tio n p r io r to the
a tta c k , a c c o rd in g to a U .S . o ffic ia l w h o
re v ie w e d th e ta p e . H e s a id th e la c k o f
s u s p ic io u s a c tiv ity h a d le d a U .S . c re w
in a n e a rb y tr a c k in g p la n e to d o u b t the
ill- f a te d c r a f t w a s a d r u g sm u g g lin g
flig h t. A P e r u v ia n a ir fo rc e o f f ic e r o n
b o a rd th e C I A - o p e r a te d s p o tte r n e v ­
e rth e le s s d ire c te d a P e ru v ia n je t fig h te r
to s h o o t d o w n th e c r a f t, w h ic h tu rn e d
o u t to b e c a r r y in g U .S . m is s io n a r ie s .
‘Internet Twins* Return
to U.S. Birthplace
L O N D O N — T h e I n te r n e t tw in s ,
in f a n t g ir ls a t th e c e n te r o f a tra n s -
A tla n tic c u s to d y b a ttle , a re b a c k h o m e
in th e U n ite d S ta te s , o f f ic ia ls sa id .
F lin ts h ir e C o u n ty C o u n c il, w h ic h h ad
c u s to d y o f th e 9 - m o n th - o ld g ir ls , s a id
th e in f a n ts r e tu r n e d to S t. L o u is —
th e ir b ir th p la c e , a c c o m p a n ie d b y th re e
so c ia l w o rk e rs fro m B rita in . Ju d ith an d
A la n K ils h a w , a B r itis h c o u p le w h o
lo c a te d th e tw in s o n th e I n te r n e t a n d
a d o p te d th e m in A rk a n s a s , g a v e u p
th e ir c u s to d y f ig h t in B rita in .
Israel Enters
Palestinian Territory
G A Z A C IT Y , G a z a S trip — P a le stin ­
ia n o f f ic ia ls s a id th a t I s ra e li ta n k s a n d
b u lld o z e r s e n te r e d a P a le s tin ia n - c o n ­
tr o lle d a r e a o f th e G a z a S trip . Is ra e l
c o n f ir m e d th e b r i e f ‘ ’p in p o in t o p e r a ­
tio n ” to d e m o lis h a P a le s tin ia n p o lic e
s ta tio n a n d s a id it w as o v e r. T h e in c u r ­
s io n c a m e a d a y a f te r Is ra e l o c c u p ie d
a n d la te r w ith d re w fro m a s lic e o f G a z a
it s a id h a d b e e n u s e d fo r m o r ta r fire
in to Is ra e l.
Mississippi River Floods
in Upper Midwest
M IN N E A P O L IS — T h e M is sissip p i
R iv e r ro s e o u t o f its b a n k s a n d s tra in e d
a g a in s t d ik e s in s e v e r a l s ta te s . A s ta te
o f e m e r g e n c y h a d b e e n d e c la re d in
s ix te e n c o u n tie s in M in n e s o ta , n in e
c o u n tie s in w e s te r n W is c o n s in a n d 10
c o u n tie s in Io w a .
Hawaii Teachers End
Strike
H O N O L U L U — A u nion representing
H aw aii's school teachers agreed to a new
labor contract T uesday, ending the second
o f tw o w alkouts that shut dow n a sta te 's
entire public education system for the first
time.
H aw aii's 182,000 school children will
return to class T hursday for the first tim e in
three w eeks.
Families of Columbine
Victims File New Lawsuit
D E N V E R — The families o f several vic­
tim s in the C olum bine m assacre have filed
a law suit against com panies that create
violent video gam es and sex-oriented W eb
sites, claim ing their products influenced
the gunm en.
T he suit seeks $5 billion in punitive
dam ages from 25 entertainm ent com pa­
nies. It w as filed on b e h a lf o f the fam ily o f
slain teacher D ave Sanders and other C o l­
u m b in e v ic tim s in f e d e ra l c o u rt.
I
Citv Commisioner >an Saltzman joins form er State Sen. Boi
the community center serving north/northeast Portland.
foyer at the King Center to generate support fo r the proposed remodel o f
\
(P hoto by M ark W ashington /T hf . P ortland O bserver )
Music, Theater to Engage Community in Cause
L orraine -M ichelle F alst
T he P ortland O bserver
A w alk , in th e sp irit o f C e sa r C h a v ez
an d D r. M a rtin L u th e r K in g Jr., to raise
aw a re n ess fo r farm w o rk e r rig h ts is g o ­
ing to ta k e p la ce th is su m m er. F irst,
th o u g h , th e o rg a n iz a tio n s in v o lv ed h av e
to raise th e funds.
O n S atu rd ay from 2 :30 to 5:30 p.m . at
St. A n d re w C a th o lic C h u rch , 806 N .E.
A lb erta , a b en e fit p arty w ill b e held to
raise m o n ey for th e N atio n al W alk for
F arm w o rk e r Ju stice, sch ed u le d June 18
to 24.
“ W h e th e r y o u ’re A fric an A m erican ,
L atin o o r w h ite, th is is an ev en t w here
y o u can m ak e a d iffe ren ce w ith your
co n trib u tio n ," R am on R am irez, president
o fP C U N (the O regon farm w orker union),
said. “ T his is ab o u t b rea k in g dow n the
b arriers o f in stitu tio n al ra c ism .”
R am irez w ill be sp eak in g at the ev en t
ab o u t the living an d w o rk in g co n d itio n s
o f O re g o n ’s farm w o rk ers. A lo n g w ith
Gas Prices
Expected
to Soar
S tory C ontinues on P age B4
Concealed
Handguns
Debated
SALEM (A P) — A Republican leader has
refused to hold a hearing on a bill to bar holders
o f concealed handgun licenses from carrying
their w eapons into schools. Activists from
Cease Fire O regon and the Million M an March
held a new s conference M onday and circu­
lated around the Capitol trying to increase
pressure on Senate Judiciary Chairman John
Minnis, R-W ood Village, to hold a hearing on
SB508. M eanw hile, about a dozen pro-gun
activists picketed outside and came to the news
conference to argue that law-abiding carriers o f
concealed handguns make schools safer and
can potentially help protect students and staff­
ers from violence. Early in the session, M innis
had expressed interest in holding hearings on
gun issues, but he quickly reversed field after
receiving a flood o f critical mail from pro-gun
activists. “W e’re trying to avoid controversial
issues w here w e can," said Minnis.
T im Pitzer, vice president o f the Oregon State
Shooting A ssociation, the local affiliate o f the
National Rifle A ssociation, spoke out at the
news conference. He cited a 1997 incident in
w hich an assistant principal at a Pearl, Miss.,
high school retrieved a handgun from a car and
used it to confront and stop a teen-age shooter
who had ju st killed two and w ounded seven.
“ A rm ed citizens have been a deterrent to
crime foryears. ’Pitzersaid. Sen. Ginny Burdick,
D -Portland, who sponsored last y ear's suc­
cessful initiative requiring criminal background
checks on sales at gun shows, has made a ban
on carrying guns into schools her top firearms
issue this session. “W e have so many of these
concealed perm its," Burdick said, “and it’s ju st
a m atter o f tim e ... before som e little kid gets a
hold o f a gun that shouldn’t be there in the first
place."
City Commissioner Dan Saltzman is finding
support for the remodeling o f the King Center,
a 2 5-year-old community cen ter at 4815 N . E . ‘7*
Ave.
M ayor Vera Katz has proposed $275,000 for
the project in next year’s city budget. The
m oney would pay for plans to update the
facilities to meet the needs o f the current ten­
ants who provide a wealth o f com m unity and
neighborhood services.
“The King Center has a rich history o f hon­
oring Dr. M artin Luther K ing’s work. This
com m unity treasure deserves a facelift,”
Saltzman said.
Currently, the center houses the Northeast
Coalition o f Neighborhoods, the N eighbor­
hood M ediation Center. Community Court and
several M ultnomah County programs.
Along with Commissioner Saltzman, former
State Senator Bob Boyer is a key com m unity
leader in helping the renovation plans m ove
forward.
“The King Facility has been here for 25 years
and has been a stable place where city, county,
and state representatives and com missioners
can meet,” says Boyer. "It’s been the hom e for
the beginnings o f many important programs.
And it’s a very wonderful place for the com m u­
nity to get together and talk over issues and
community concerns." The building is attached
to King School on Portland Public Schools
land, but is ow ned by the city. The $275,000
budgeted is just the first phase o f a full re­
modeling. Area residents are being urged to
join in the support for the renovation plans
d u rin g th ecity ’sbudgetheanng Saturday at 10
a.m. at the King Elementary School Cafeteria.
(AP) — Gas prices are up 15 cents and all
signals show they'll probably continue to rise
through the summer.
Drivers on the East Coast are currently pay­
ing more than $2 a gallon for regular gas. Los
Angeles drivers are paying even more and
A billboard shows the current prices fo r
gasoline outside a northeast service station.
(P hoto by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland
O bserver )
Three year-old Julion was one o f about 500 people enjoying a rally fo r
economic justice and the environment during Earth Day celebrations in
Portland. About 500 people demonstrated peacefully Saturday at Pioneer
Courthouse Square, then marched through downtown and across the
Burnside Bridge before dispersing Police escorted the protesters every step
o f the way, but there did not appear to be any clashes.
(P hoto Bv D avid G iezyng /T hf P ortland O bserver )
experts say those high prices could be headed
to Oregon. The national average for gas pnces
is just eight cents below the all-time high.
Oregon dnvers are still paying less than one
year ago on this date, but the last m onth has
seen a drastic increase. Experts predict N orth­
west prices w ill surge up again right in the heart
o f the travel season. “That w ould definitely
make me rethink my vacation plans, said driver
Barb Jennings. “Every sum m er they raise it ju st
because w e are all out on the road." added Dan
Daugherty The av erage price for regular gas in
Oregon was at $ 1.57 a gallon on Friday, co m ­
pared to $ 1.71 the same time last year. The state
ranks eleventh-highest in the nation for gas
pnces. Some experts are speculating that gas
pnces could reach $3 a gallon in O regon b e­
cause refinenes will slow production to convert
w arm er-w eather blends o f gas