Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2002)
Ministry Plans Urban School Local site would nurture children and their families See story, Metro page BI Al Volume XXXII Number 11 "T hû if ir ( \it D The P City Of Roses' 11 www.portlandobserver.com a c o p Committed to Cultural Diversity Established in 1970 Wednesday March 20, 2002 Formosa Café Fights For Survival Alcohol-related problems plague northeast landmark bv M ichael L eighton T he P ortland O bserver Cheney Offers Arafat Incentives to Stop Violence JERUSALEM — Yasser Arafat was offered major incentives to help stop Mideast fighting: Vice President Dick Cheney said he would meet with the Palestinian leader after a truce takes hold, and Israel said it might lift a travel ban on Arafat in time for next w eek’s Arab summit. Yates Is Sentenced for Killings H O USTON — A judge sentenced Andrea Yates to life in prison in the drownings ofher five children. The 37- year-old homemaker will be eligible for parole in 2041. Court to Consider School Drug-Testing W A SH IN G TO N — O ne o f the m ost pressing questions for parents and educators com es before the U.S. Su prem e C ourt as the ju stic e s consider how far schools can go in try in g to keep students o ff o f drugs. A n O kla- i hom a school district is defending a policy o f random urine testing for high school students. M any parents and kids argue that the testing is unconstitutional and can backfire. U.N. Endorses Palestinian State UNITED NATIONS— The U.N. Secu rity Council approved a resolution en dorsing a Palestinian state for the first time. It also supported a U.S. measure ^ th a t calls for an immediate cease-fire in " the escalating 17-month Israeli-Pales- tinian conflict. Campaign-Finance Law Appears Easy to Evade W ASHINGTON— Even as the Senate votes to send a campaign finance mea sure to President Bush, election lawyers and political operatives are probing for ways around it — and finding them. Many predict that “soft money” will still find its way into candidates’ coffers. The owners and operators o f a popular northeast Portland restaurant and lounge are fighting for the survival o f the busi ness after the suspension o f its liquor license because o f a recent shooting. Representatives for the Formosa Café, a longtime northeast Portland landmark, have appealed last w eek's immediate sus pension. A hearing on the issue will be sched uled within 30 days and could lead to permanent cancellation o f a license to serve alcoholic beverages at the estab lishment, OLCC officials said Monday. The shooting occurred March 11 when a 24-year-old north Portland man was shot in the chest in a bathroom inside the business. Charles Patton survived the attack and was listed in good condition Monday at Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Police said they have charged Talmage Lanell Ellis, 34, with attempted murder in the shooting. Leading the investigation are detectives with the Portland Police Bureau’s Gang Enforcement Tearn. A day after the potentially deadly vio lence, the OLCC pulled Formosa’s liquor license, citing the incident and past prob lems at the location, including fights and drug use. OLCC officials said immediate suspen sion was warranted because continued operation o f the business is considered a serious danger to public health and safety. A letter dated March 12 from Police C hief Mark A. Kroeker backed up those claims. In a request to halt liquor sales at the site, the letter refers to multiple assaults, A shooting at the Formosa Café at 7410 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. has led to the immediate suspension o f the nightclub's liquor license and a fight for the survival o f the longtime establishment. photo bv disturbances, possession o f controlled substances and public intoxication at the establishment, OLCC official said. A spokesman for the police bureau said Kroeker was out o f town and a subordi nate may have signed the letter in his name. Forthe future, OLCC officials are wor- ried that Formosa employees can’t con trol alcohol-related problems by patrons. In fact, just on March 8, three days before the shooting, the Formosa Cafe paid a $4,950 civil penalty to resolve a case involving a history o f serious and persistent problems at the business relat ing to alcohol-related disturbances, alter Uniting Neighborhoods With Healthcare Bush Proposes Tax Breaks for Small Businesses W ASHINGTON — President Bush sought billions o f dollars in new tax breaks to spur A m erica’s businesses, arguing that improving the entrepre neurial climate will generate new jobs and help pull the nation form the eco nomic slowdown. The commander o f U.S. forces in Af ghanistan declared Operation Ana conda over and called the Pentagon’s largest, bloodiest light-infantry cam paign since Vietnam an “absolute suc cess.” Afghan commanders, however, say hundreds o f al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had escaped. FBI Arrests 40 In Child Pom Sting m c TO Red Cross representatives Lee Hopper (from left), Lynne Libby, Naomi Anderson, Sue Winslow and Colleen Johnson were among several health care professionals offering services and health education Saturday at Buckman School, 320 S.E. l f f h. The event was sponsored by the Buckman SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) School, an after-school program for kids and families. It offered free health screenings, a lead poisoning prevention workshop, information about low-cost health insurance options, and even fun health related games. photo by M ark W ashington /T hf . P ortland O bserver Urban League Hosts 10th Annual Career Fair 3 rt O 73 « -4 & O Lu O Job seekers are invited to attend the Urban League o f encourage p articip an ts to bring several co p ies o f ’o rtlan d’s 10lh annual jo b fair called “Career C onnec- th e ir resum e. Interview s w ill be offered by m any ions 2002” on T hursday, M arch 28 at the Double Tree em ployers. lo te l, Lloyd Center, from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. s-g 3 cations and harassment in and around the premises in the past couple o f years. A permanent cancellation o f the liquor license was rejected in the earlier case because the number o f serious incidents had declined after theclub adopted earlier closing hours and hired trained security personnel, OLCC officials said. Deep School Cuts Approved Board to shorten school calendar, close schools, fire custodians Anaconda Declared Over, But Work Remains W ASHINGTON— Federal authorities investigating an Internet-based child pornography ring have arrested 40 people in 20 states, including twoCatho- lic priests, youth baseball coaches, a police officer and a teacher’s aide, Jus tice Department officials said. M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver T h ere w ill be o v er 20 ex h ib ito rs rep resen tin g /a rio u s c o m p an ies and go v ern m en t offices. U rb an L eague o ffic ia ls say the fair is a chance to m eet the jo b re c ru ite rs and m arket yo u rself, and « A lso av ailable for the no n -E n g lish speak in g a p p li cants are interp reters rep resen tin g several languages: S panish, R ussian and A sian. For m ore info rm atio n , call the U rban L eague o f P ortland at 503-280-2600. 1 (AP) — Portland public school students will spend fewer hours in class next school year because o f budget cuts unanimously approved by the school board on Monday. More than 500 people crowded school district headquarters in north Portland as the board de cided late Monday to close two elementary schools, replace custodians with private contrac tors, scrap raises for al 1 district workers next year and make other cuts. Portland is the firs, large district in the state to make cuts to balance the budget after the Legis lature reduced funding for schools. O regon’s economic downturn has cut revenues, and law makers voted to reduce spending rather than raise taxes. “I hope the governor and the Legislature are taking note o f what we 're cutting tonight,” school board member Julia Brim-Edwards said Monday. In Portland, the school year will shrink by eight to nine days, bringing the total instructional hours to the lowest in the country. Oregon class rooms now operate 171 days a year on average, according to the state Department o f Education, while most states require a, least 180 instructional days. This year’s operating budge, for the district totals $367 million, and the board voted on a budget for next school year that totals $360 m il lion. T w o e le m e n ta ry sc h o o ls, W ilco x an d Youngs,on, willbeclosed. W ilcox’s 197 students will be merged with nearby Vestal Elementary School, while Y oungs,on's 177 students will at tend Bndger Elementary
