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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2002)
50/ lb ‘City of Roses Saving Spring Sports Silky Smooth Stoudamire donates $250,000 to prevent school cuts Kirk Green debuts CD ‘Heart 2 Heart ’ See story, Page A6 See story, Page B5 3Jortkxnu www.portlandobserver.com www.Dortlandobser Fçtahikh^d In in 1970 1970 Established Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXII • Number SO Light it Up J/Veekm TheReview Wednesday • December 18, 2002 for th e Holidays Pigs and piranhas? The deadly piranha fish, which strips its prey to the bone in seconds, has appeared in record numbers in Chinese pet markets and even in an amusement park, flustering officials. It is unclear how the fish, which kills 1,200 head o f cattle every year in Bra zil, was introduced to China and achieved its popularity. In Ja pan, the latest boom to hit the pet scene is mini-pigs, who were originally bred for lab animals and about one-tenth the size o f the normal livestock variety. Jingle balls Denise Blair is armed with informa tion and understanding in the fight against HIV. She is the executive director of the local Women's Intercommunity AIDS Resource. "A star reindeer in a South Afri can shopping m all’s Christmas display has lost a little o f its seasonal pride andjoy after com plaints from shoppers. Manag ers at one o f Cape Tow n’s up market malls have “castrated” the plastic animal after receiving complaints about shiny golden Christmas tree baubles hanging between its hind legs. photo by D avid P lechl / T he P ortland O bserver Armed Against AIDS Spray gives robber away Christmas glitter spray has given away a would-be robber to Ger man police. The suspect tried to hold up a lottery ticket shop, threatening the owner w ith an air pistol. When the ow ner’s terri fied wife reached for the first form o f defense she could find, a spray can used for decorating the shop for the holidays, she aimed it at the assailant and pressed the button. The stunned robber fled the store, leaving his wallet on the counter. Still cov ered in glitter spray the culprit reported the “theft” o f his wallet to police and was immediately arrested. African American, Hispanic women’s group fights AIDS with prevention, patience by D avid P lechl T he P ortland O bserver A Santa robs drugstore Police are looking for a man in Chester, Va., with a familiar de scription who robbed a drug store at gunpoint: long white hair and beard, a white-fur-trimmed red suit and hat, black boots, prominent belly. Thief gets his Xmas wish ♦A man in Kenosha, Wis., who claimed he took money from a bank because he wanted to go back to prison may get his wish - a possible fine o f $ 10,000 and 25 years in prison. A jury con victed Dale L. Smith, 35,oftheft on Dec. 12. Defense witnesses said before the trial that Smith complained he was having trouble coping with life out o f prison. Good gratuity W a itre ss S arah N ilse n , o f Q uincy, Mass., got an early Christmas present in the mai 1 this week: A $ 10,000 tip from one o f her reg u lar custo m ers. The check, made out to NiIsen’s 11- month-old son, came from an older widower who patronizes the Newcomb Farms restaurant, where Nilsen, 22, waits tables twice a week. The man, whom Nilsen would not identify, sits at the same table and orders the same meal every Wednesday. She will put the money in a trust fund for her son’s college. continued y^ photo by M ark W ashincton /T he P ortland O bserver Children play around the giant holiday tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square. For more on Christmas, Kwanzaa and other holiday activities, see our Metro section, inside. Leader Under Fire for Racism Apology leaves many African Americans skeptical (AP) - Many African Americans who watched Senate Republican leader Trent Lott apologize on Black Entertainment Tele vision about remarks perceived as racially insensitive said they found his remorse unconvincing. Some said the embattled senator’s latest apologies Monday did not sound heartfelt, and that he should not become Senate ma jority leader in the next Congress. “He said what he felt like he was supposed to say. He’s on the ropes,” said Beverly Greene, 42, who gathered with friends to watch Lott on BET.“Itdidn’t feel like to me he was going to make a wholesale change to his life and begin to embrace all people.” In the 30-minute BET interview, Lott said he had made a “terrible mistake, used hor rible words.” But, he said, "it is about actions more than words. As majority leader I can move an agenda that would hopefully be helpful to African-Americans and minorities ofall kinds U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. and all Americans.” Greene and other blacks said they were skeptical. “I’m not sure from his record that any thing at this point would have been good enough,” said Tsan Abrahamson, 39, a law yer who watched the interview with Greene. “I certainly accept his apology, but I don’t believe h e’s changed.” A furor erupted over Lott’s Dec. 5 com- mentduringatoast for Sen. Strom Thurmond in which he said the nation might have been b e tte r o f f if then p ro -se g re g a tio n ist Thurmond had been elected president when he ran in 1948. Civil rights leaders including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and National Association for the Advancement o f Colored People Presi dent Kweisi Mfume have both demanded that Lott step down. Justin Glenn, a 24-year-old University o f San Francisco law student, said the firestorm that has erupted over L ott's remarks should “make the Republican party take a serious look at the individuals they choose to repre sent them.” on c •r, O c i r- O' ÛÉ O X» c - □J edestrian Struck and Dragged ctim was not in a )sswalk when hit by taxi lita Marie Nichols o f northeast Portland was k by a taxi, hit by another car and dragged 30 s before being hit by another car on Sunday, e are still looking for information about the id car that may have hit or dragged her body to er location. Radio Cab driver Thomas Sleeth, 52, called 911 ten minutes past 9 p.m. to report that he had struck a pedestrian in the middle ofNortheast Killingsworth at 72nd Avenue. Sleeth said after the woman was thrown up and onto the windshield he pulled over to see ifshe was okay and could not find her. Three minutes later a second driver, Megan Lutz, 32, called 911 and reported that she had driven over a w om an's body at Northeast 42nd and Lombard Street. continued y^ on page AS The HIV/AIDS epidemic has increased dramatically among women o f color. Just one-quarter o f the U.S. popula tion, African American and Hispanic women now account for 78 percent o f new cases o f the disease. A local group working to reach women and save lives said those numbers show the need fora women-specific HIV/AIDS strategy. The W omen’s Intercommunity AIDS Resource has developed both a preven tion plan and a save haven for women living with AIDS. The aim is to help women out o f their isolation to talk openly about their lives, without fear o f discrimination. All o f the services are free, anonymous and confidential. The group is careful not judge the choices clients make. Rebecca Tinnis has been a peer educa tor with the resource network for four years. She goes into the streets weekly and tracks down women at-risk. She car ries a bag o f condoms and a slew o f information. “Basically what we do is empower women to take care o f themselves and protect themselves,” Tinnis said. “We tell people - ‘this is what you need to do to keep yourself safe.’” Tinnis said some women are fairly well educated about the disease and some are still totally in the dark. She considers it her mission to dispel common myths and answer any questions women may have. The group matches women with the resources they need to feel good about themselves. Susan Denight, W IAR’s prevention coordinator, said women sometimes just need the company o f others who share the same experience. “People need to be treated with re spect,” she said. “People have a right to be informed so that they are capable o f making the right choices, people aren’t getting this message in schools or on television." Located at 1608 S.E. Ankeny, W1AR offers a house-type setting where women continued y^ on page AS
