Police Officer Hospitalized After
Deadly Shootout in Southeast Portland
PRSORTSTO
USPOSTAGE
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See Folice/Vancouver Section Page A1
PORTLANDOR
PERMÎT NO 1610
Knight Library
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1205
Volume XXXI
Number 28
THE®
REVIEff
Wedn
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
July 11,2001
Census on Minority Trends in Portland
Survey Reveals Shifts in the Housing Market and Population
Israel D em olishes
P alestinian Homes
JE R U S A L E M — Isra e li tan k s and
b u lld o z e rs d e stro y e d 10 b u ild in g s in
G aza, en terin g the P alestinian territo ry
fo r th e first tim e sin ce a c e a se -fire
w ent in to e ffect last m onth, P a le stin ­
ian se c u rity o ffic ia ls said. T he in c u r­
sio n cam e h o u rs a fte r Israeli b u lld o z ­
ers le v e le d 14 P a le stin ia n hom es on
th e ed g e o f Jeru salem .
C hanges Boost Gay
H ousehold Tally
O n e o f the h o tte st c o n tro v e rsie s
o v e r th e 2000 C en su s — fin d in g s o f
h u g e in c re a se s in the n u m b ers o f gay
h o u se h o ld s — is based in larg e p art on
a lte ra tio n s the C ensus B ureau m ade in
1990 to d ata on sam e-sex p a rtn e rs.
O ffic ia ls in 1990 d ecid ed to re c la ssify
h o u se h o ld e rs w ho said they had sam e-
sex sp o u ses b ecau se sam e-sex m a r­
ria g e s w ere not leg ally p o ssib le. Such
p a rtn e rs w ere k ic k e d into d iffe re n t
c a teg o ries including opposite sex p a rt­
n e rs, sib lin g s and room m ates.
C ondit W illing to
P rovide R ecords, DNA
W A SH IN G TO N — A law yer for Rep.
G ary C o n d it said th e C a lifo rn ia co n ­
g re ssm a n is w illin g to give p o lic e a c ­
c ess to his W ash in g to n a p a rtm e n t and
p ro v id e p e rso n a l re c o rd s i f th at w ould
h elp th em so lv e the d isa p p e a ra n c e o f
fo rm e r g o v e rn m e n t in te rn C h a n d ra
50c
P hoto
by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Contractors are busy constructing homes to meet the market demand, especially with a record number
of minorities moving from Portland to the outlying suburban areas.
PO R TLA N D , O re. (A P) — P o rt­
land has one o f the m ost expensive
rental m arkets in the nation, but one
o f the stro n g est housing m arkets
around, according to a report re ­
leased this week.
T he annual analysis by H arvard
U n iv e rsity ’s Joint C enter for H ous­
ing Studies show ed that P o rtla n d ’s
m inorities are more likely to buy sub­
urban hom es than in m ost other U.S.
cities.
In addition, the report released
show ed population increases in the
central city for both w hites and m i­
norities — a rarity.
The report show ed that 70 percent
o f loans m ade to m in o rities in the
P ortland area during 1999 w ere for
suburban hom es, exceeding the n a ­
tional average o f 61 percent. Eleven
percent o f loans went to m inority bor­
rowers in the eight-county area in­
cluded in the study.
That area, which includes Portland
and Salem, has a minority population o f
alm ost 18 percent, according to the
most recent census figures.
Tw enty-six percent o f home pur­
chase loans in 1999 went to low-in­
come borrowers, lower than the na­
tional average o f 32 percent.
The report also cited an analysis by
the N ational Low Incom e Housing
C oalition stating that nearly h alf o f
Oregon and Portland renters are un­
able to afford their rent — putting the
state among the nation’s least afford­
able for renters.
Lew.
Shark A ttack
Victim Im proves
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A doctor m oni­
to rin g an 8 -y e a r-o ld sh ark a tta c k v ic ­
tim for p o ssib le brain dam age said that
he is show ing som e én co u rag in g signs.
H e w as in critic a l but sta b le co n d itio n .
D o cto rs sa id the b lo o d loss h arm ed
v irtu a lly every organ in his body, c au s­
ing k id n e y failu re and ra isin g th e p o s ­
sib ility o f b ra in dam age.
NAACP Chairm an
A ttacks B ush’s R ecord
N EW O R L E A N S — N A A C P b o ard
ch airm an Ju lian B ond had harsh w ords
on S unday for P resid en t B u sh ’s reco rd
in his first m onths in o ffic e , c ritic iz in g
som e o f B u sh ’s C ab in et c h o ic e s and
d en o u n c in g his fa ith -b a se d in itia tiv e .
B ush w as in v ite d to a d d re ss th e g a th ­
e rin g , b u t w as u n ab le to atten d .
Feds Consider Calling in
Marshals in Water Fight
K LA M A TH FA LLS, O re. — C ounty
com m issioners refused to back up farm ­
ers and re sid e n ts w ho u se civ il d is ­
o b e d ie n c e to reo p en an irrig a tio n c a ­
nal clo se d to p ro te c t e n d a n g e re d fish.
A b o u t 100 p e o p le u sed a chain saw,
their bare hands and a cutting torch to
open one o f the six headgates holding
back the w aters o f U pper K lam ath Lake.
They com plained that the w aters were
not reaching their fields. T he U.S. B u­
reau o f R eclam ation, w hich owns the
irrigation system, is considering w hether
to call in federal m a rsh a ls to p ro te c t
th e h ead g ates.
Portland Doctor Under Investigation Over Marijuana Cards
(A P )— A Portland-area doctor has signed
nearly 40 percent o f all o f the state’s ap­
proved applications for medical marijuana
users and is under investigation by the Or­
egon Board o f Medical Examiners.
The 77-year-old doctor, whose name was
not released by the agency, said that he is
filling a gap because other doctors w on’t
partic ipate in the program for fear o f prosecu­
tion and professional repercussions.
Many o f his patients also are veterans
who cannot get help from their government-
employed doctors, he told the newspaper.
Since Oregon’s medical marijuana law was
approved in 1998, 2,227 Oregonians have
obtained cards allowing them to use medical
marijuana. O f the state’s 7,000 doctors, 538
have signed paperwork necessary for a pa­
tient to get a card.
Only 13 Oregon doctors have signed 1 Oor
more medical marijuana applications.
The Portland-area doctor under investi­
gation signed for 890 patients, according to
the latest state data on the program.
The second most active physician in the
state signed for 71 patients.
The 1998 medical marijuana law requires
officials to protect the names o f all doctors
and patients who participate in the program.
The doctor’s identity was not published
because o f his concern that he would be
inundated with requests for help to enter the
program.
The doctor said he sees “95 percent” ofhis
Racing for the Cure
K
D rought Sears
A nother Sum m er
A n o th e r p arch ed su m m er in a strin g
o f d ro u g h t y ears is fru stra tin g farm ­
e rs, fly -fish e rs and law n lo v e rs acro ss
b ro ad e x p an ses o f th e U SA . H aw aii
and W est T ex as are g a sp in g th ro u g h
their fourth straight y ear o f low er-than-
n o rm a l r a in f a ll. C h r o n ic a lly low
g ro u n d w a te r lev els p e rs is t in F lo rid a
d e s p ite r e c e n t r a in s . T h e u s u a lly
so ak ed P a c ific N o rth w e st is su fferin g
som e o f th e w o rst p ro b lem s. A g ric u l­
tu re D ep a rtm e n t m e te o ro lo g ists are
b lam in g the b o n e -d ry c o n d itio n s on
La N iña.
I
medical marijuana patients and reviews ev­
ery patient’s records before signing applica­
tions, but he does not have a long-term
relationship with the patients. He does not
charge for the exams.
Although he has suffered chronic pain
from prostate surgery eight years ago and is
barely able to walk, the doctor said he is not
enrolled in the marijuana program himself.
“I am helping people because 1 am in a
similar position,” he said. “I can truly em pa­
thize with these people.”
Bruce Johnson, a spokesman for the state
Board o f Medical Examiners, said he could
not comment on w hether the agency is in­
vestigating the doctor.
But the d o c to r told the n ew spaper
T hursday that he is under investigation for
not m eeting professional standards as an
“attending physician.”
Mac Prichard, spokesm an for the O r­
egon Department o f Human Services, which
oversees the m edical m arijuana program ,
said state officials have long been aw are o f
P hoto by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
the disproportionate num ber o f patients
served by the doctor.
He said nothing in the m arijuana act nor
in Oregon law limits the num ber o f patients
a doctor can serve.
Last m onth, the m edical m arijuana
program ’s director was dem oted after it
was discovered that three signatures on
approved applications w ere forged. Four
forged signatures on pending applications
also were found.
All seven forgeries were o f the Portland-
area doctor’s name.
The doctor said he discovered the iden­
tity o f the forger and noti fied O regon State
Police. Results o f an investigation have
been turned over to district attorneys in
Clackam as and M ultnom ah counties for
potential criminal prosecution, state police
spokesm an Lt. Gregg H astings said.
A n internal audit has since turned up
other shortcomings in the program , inc lud-
ing inadequate staff and managem ent prob­
lems.
Venus R epeats
W im bledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -The pose
icking off the event for the
was
familiar and demure: Against a backdrop
upcoming Portland, "Race
ofWimbledon green. Venus Williams grinned
for the Cure" was an un­
and held the
veiling o f a six-foot pink metal breast
huge cham pi­
cancer awareness ribbon, at Pioneer
o n sh ip dish
Place in downtown Portland, to cel­
aloft, her left
ebrate the annual event that has been
knee bent in an
hosted by the Susan G. Komen Foun­
elegant curtsy
for the Cheering
dation for a decade, their theme is
crowd. The per­
called “ 10 years/10 friends/10 dol lars.”
formance was
During last year’s race, over 40,000
familiar, too. With the ruthless aggression
participated, making it the third-largest
that characterizes her best efforts, W illiams
5K marathon in the nation. Proceeds
won hersecond consecutive W imbledon title
totaling $ 1.5 million went towards the
Sunday by beating Belgian Justine Henin 6-
foundation to further their mission of
1,3-6,6-0.
eradicating breast cancer as a life-
Crushing her serves and charging the net
threatening disease.
at every opportunity, W illiams overpowered
The Race for the Cure run will be held
a smaller, less experienced foe and showed
in Portland on Sept. 16. For more infor­
she’s back at the top o fh er game after slum p­
ing the first h a lfo f this year When W illiams
mation, call 503/553-3680 or visit them
online at www.rdceforthecure-pdx.org.
S tory C ontini es on S ports P age A5