Northeast Cycling Center Begins Holiday Drive
Restored bikes will warm hearts o f deserving kids
See story, Metro Page 1
"The City Of Roses"
Volume XXXI
Number 46
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
December 05, 2001
50*
■M
University Park Community Center Reopens
Govt. Warns of
Possible Terrorist Attacks
Area kids
celebrate when
Portland City
CommissionerJim
Francesconi and
Parks Director
Charles Jordan cut
the ribbon to mark
the opening o f a
remodeled and
refurbished
University Park
Community
Center.
A nnouncing a terrorist alert during the
holiday season, the Bush adm inistra
tio n is urging Am ericans to be extra
v ig ila n t am id an increase in credible
threats. The F B I put 18,000 law enforce
ment agencies “ on the highest alert”
because o f threats called fro m in te lli
gence sources across the globe, said
Homeland Security D irectorTom Ridge.
The intelligence does not po in t to a
specific target o r type o f attack - either
in A m erica o r abroad.
Arafat May Find New
Predicament Harder to Survive
Yasser A ra fa t is in p e ril o f losing his
pow er and his dream o f ru lin g a Pales
tin ia n state. A ra fa t is faced w ith tw o
unpalatable options: Arrest hundreds
o f extremists and provoke a Palestinian
c iv il w ar o r fa il to stop the violence and
w atch Israeli forces destroy the Pales
PHOTO BY
M ark W ashington /
T he P ortland O bserver
tin ia n A u th o rity he heads.
Olympic Torch Arrives in U.S.
A T L A N T A — The O ly m p ic torch re
turned to the U nited States fo r the firs t
tim e since the 1996 Games in A tlanta
and was passed fro m one g old medalist
to another before beginning a 46-state
tour to the 2002 W in te r O lym pics in Salt
Lake C ity.
A grand opening celebration Saturday
celebrated a m ajor upgrade to the U n iv e r
sity Park C om m unity Center at 9000 N.
Enron Files for Bankruptcy
N E W Y O R K — Beleaguered energy
company Enron has file d for Chapter 11
Foss.
Area residents enjoyed a free pancake
breakfast, entertainm ent and a ctivities
bankruptcy protection, the company
said. The company also file d a law suit
against w ould-be suitor D ynegy fo r
w ro n g fu l term ination o f its $8.4 b illio n
geared fo r both young and old.
The rem odel transform s the center’ s
north w in g to include new classroom and
o ffic e space, an upgraded preschool room
proposed merger.
and new fitness room. I t ’ s ju s t the begin
ning o f plans fo r a m ajor upgrade to this
north Portland landmark.
W hen a m aster plan fo r U n iv e rs ity
P ark was com pleted last sp rin g , no one
was ce rta in i f there w o u ld ever be re
sources a va ila b le to tu rn the v is io n in to
reality.
But then the Portland C ity C o u n cil ap
proved funds to get started on phase one.
the north w ing.
N ow , plans are underway fo r phase
tw o , to include new classrooms and m u l
tipurpose rooms in the south w in g , along
w ith a new kitchen and lounge area.
A $500,000 grant to pay fo r the addi
tio n s comes fro m the N a tio n a l Park
Service’ s Urban Park and Recreation Re
covery Program.
C ity leaders are g ivin g credit to U.S.
en. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. and other mem-
ers o f the state’ s congressional delega-
on fo r w in n in g the federal support.
In addition, i f an anticipated c ity parks
tid recreation levy is on the b a llo t next
ear, it w ill include funds to com plete the
laster plan by adding a new gym nasium ,
upanded locker rooms, exercise studio,
outh lounge, expanded lobby, in te rio r
George Harrison Dies at 58
LO S A N G E L E S — George Harrison,
the Beatles’ quiet lead guitarist and
sp iritual explorer w ho added both rock
*n’ ro ll flash and a touch o f the m ystic
to the band’ s timeless magic, has died.
State Budget Shortfall Soars
KafQury urges Legislature to gather the facts
He was 58.
U rg in g her colleagues to focus on stim ulating the economy,
House D em ocratic Leader Deborah K afoury, who represents north
Mortgage Rates Surge
G r o u p P a y s T r ib u te to
B r id g e B u ild e r s L e a d e r
and northeast Portland, said the Legislature should gather all the
facts and w eigh every alternative before deciding how to f i l l the
W A S H IN G T O N — In te re st rates on
U .S .3 0 - and 15-year m ortgages rose
fo r the th ird week in a ro w am id expec
tations that the cu rre n t recession may
not be as severe as some econom ists
state’ s budget shortfall.
State economists on Friday reduced their revenue projection by.
more than 700 m illio n fo r the current budget period, more than double
the shortfall that was predicted before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The reduced projection is partly due to decreased consumer
had th o u g h t, Freddie M ac said.
ACLU Issues Arabic Card Stating
Immigrants'Rights
confidence since Sept. 11.
“ C utting $720 m illio n from state services w ill have a serious
impact on our schools, health care, public safety, senior services and
other vita l programs.” K a fo u ry said. “ We must proceed very cau
tiously and make sure we know the fu ll impact o f our actions before
P H IL A D E L P H IA — The A m e ric a n
C iv il L ib e rtie s U n io n has begun d is
trib u tin g an A ra b ic -la n g u a g e "b u s t
c a rd " in fo rm in g im m ig ra n ts o f th e ir
rig h ts i f co n fro n te d by a la w en fo rce
we make any fin a l decisions."
“ O ur state ranks second nationally in unem ploym ent. Every jo b
we can create fo r an Oregon fa m ily puts food on their table a w e ll as
putting our state on the road to economic recovery,” K afoury added.
m ent o ffic e r.
Germany Arrests Man
with Units to Hijackers
“ W e must help fam ilies struggling to fin d w o rk, help businesses
avoid further layoffs, and help bring more good jobs to our state.
"A s the legislature begins hearings on ways to rebuild our
budget, we need to hear from the public and w eigh how potential
budget cuts w ill effect educational opportunities, healthy fam ilies
B E R L IN — German authorities said they
arrested a man in Ham burg w ith direct
lin ks to the hijackers involved in the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U S A .
The man, id e n tifie d as 27-year-old
M o u n ir E l Motassadeq., is accused o f
and strong com m unities," K afoury said.
supporting a terrorist group.
1
OHSU Nurses Make Strike Plans
A nurses strike loom s at Oregon Health Sciences U n ive rsity,
Kevin Fuller o f Portland, a man dedicated to helping young men in Portland realize their Inner
power and strength through the Bridge Builders Rites of Passage program, receives a
meritorious Service Award Sunday from Norma Jean Tucker and Barbara Leonard (right) of
The Links Portland chapter. The public and social service organization has been providing
services to our community since 1957. Fuller, 35, created Bridge Builders in 1996 to help
prepare African American males for the challenges o f adulthood.
photo by M ark W ashington /T hf . P ortland O bserver
one o f P ortland's largest employers.
Last week, members o f Oregon Nurses Association, repre
senting 1.500 o f the hospital’ s nurses rejected a fin a l contract
offer.
The earliest day fo r a strike has been set fo r Dec. 17.
County Expands Civil Rights Protection
The hospital is o ffe rin g an 11 percent pay increase over tw o
years; nurses said Tuesday they lowered th e ir demands fro m a
unanimously approved an ordinance that w ill extend
28 percent increase to 22 percent.
O H S U adm inistrators say they are prepared fo r the p o ssib il
c iv il rights protections based on sexual orientation,
gender identity and source o f income in employment,
based on race, re lig io n , color, sex, m arital status,
national o rig in , age, mental o r physical d is a b ility .
There are no protections against discrim in a tio n on
the basis o f sexual orientation, gender id e n tity and
ity o f a strike to ensure that patient care w ill not be compromised.
“ A ll procedures, in clu d in g elective surgeries are expected to
take place as scheduled,” said B onnie D iggers, the in te rim
associate hospital director fo r patient care services and one o f
housing and public accommodations.
According to County Commissioner Lisa Naito,
the governmental agency w ill contract w ith the state
Bureau o f Labor and Industry to enforce the new law.
source o f income.
On Thursday, the Board o f C om m issioners
passed its firs t c iv il rights ordinance based on the
recommendations fro m a C iv il Rights Task Force
C urrently state law prohibits d iscrim ination
appointed by N aito and Commissioner Serena Cruz.
the O H S U negotiators.
The Board o f Multnomah C o u i -, Commissioners
I