5Q¿
Lost Youth Land
Warming the Winter
Sudanese immigrants dance
out stories o f survival
Heating oil deliveries heat up as
weather cools down
See story in Focus, page B3
See Metro section, inside
0 33nrtianh ©bseruer
‘City of Roses
'it v
n f
P n c o c ’
r _ i._ l_ l._ l
I
m
in
..
Established in 1970
Volume X X X III
•
Committed to Cultural Diversity
N u m b er 2
What to do with 2,000 slightly |
Malaysian PM steps
in on flasher row
M alaysian men flashing their I
genitals at women may get more
exposure than they want if Prime
MinisterMahathirMohamadhas |
his way. The Prime Minister has
advised the public to seize the
sarongs o f flashers and leave |
.
Wednesday • Janua^ 08. 2003
Alliance Competes
for City Parking
Jumping Frog Contest
Poses Conundrum
used frogs? For years, organiz­
ers o f the Calaveras County Fair
and Frog Jum pingJubilee urged
•participants to carefully put the
frogs back where they got them
after the annual contest. Last
-summer, they found out the prac­
tice is illegal and finable up to
$5,000andayear injail inCalifor-
nia. It’s not against the law to |
catch the bullfrogs that compete
in the contest - but it’s illegal to
put the non-native frogs back.
.
www.portlandobserver.com
Minorities group led by
Roy Jay calls for fair
and open bidding
by D avid P lechl
T he P ortland O bserver
photo by
D avid P lechi / T he P ortland O bserver
The Smart Park garage at 4,n and Yamhill is one o f six city-owned parking facili­
ties that will be up for bid this month. The Alliance o f Minority Chambers of
Commerce hopes to win the $11 million dollar contract to operate the facilities.
When an $11 million parking contract
comes up for renewal this month, a diverse
group o f entrepreneurs led by African Ameri­
can Chamber o f Commerce President, Roy
Jay, is determined that it w on’t be business
as usual.
“There are African American, Latino and
white operators who have not had the op-
? With the economy like it is, it s just been tough finding employment. There’s so
portunity to come to the table,” said Jay,
referring to what he called a closed-door
policy that has eliminated bidding com peti­
tion.
Citing an audit by consulting firm Barney
and Worth which recently showed the ga­
rages losing more than $200,000 a year, the
A11 iance ofM i nori ty Chambers o f Commerce
has launched its own financial investigation
into the management ofsix, city-owned park­
ing garages.
The goal. Jay said, is to determine whether
past contractors have been fiscally respon­
sible and to maintain that the contact pro-
continued
on page AS
Sign language
Leaders Eye
Resolutions
for 2003
Steve H orow itz’s quest for a
w ife is no secret. For the past
few m onths, it has been adver­
tised on a large, portable sign
- s im p ly re a d in g “ W IF E
W A N T E D ” - in front o f his |
Focus on education,
economy, family and
spirituality top list
many people in the same predicament.
-U o n e lL a m p k In , unemployed father of four
them naked so that the wrap­
around cloth can be used as evi­
dence, local media has reported.
home. But after hearing from
about 60 women and going out
with three, the 53-year-oid says j
all h e ’s looking for now is a
second date with one. So the
sign has com e down. Some o f
the 60 w om en from around the
state w ho responded to his plea
for a partner w rote eloquent
letters, he says. O ne arrived at
his post office addressed only
“To the man who w ants to get
married; Cedar Springs, Michi- |
gan.”
by W ynde D yer
T he P ortland O bserver
Sea Gulls Outsmart
Calif. Town's Plans
It seem s sea gulls in V entura,
Ca., aren’t so gullible. The gulls
d o n ’t give a hoot about fake
rooftop ow ls used to keep gulls
away from hom es and busi-
nesses in the V entura H arbor
area. If the gulls, notorious for
their toothpaste-like stains on
aw nings and pan cak e-sized
splats on the ground, don ’ t fear
the $40 plastic owls in weeks to
com e city officials have sug­
g e s te d
b u y in g “ b ig g e r ,
m eaner-lookingow ls.”
photos by D avid
I
|
Requests for Housing Assistance Steady
|
Ministerial Alliance
scratches surface o f
growing need
|
Candy wrappercriminal
US police in the American State
o f A rkansas have arrested a
man after follow ing a trail o f I
candy w rappers and o ther ev i­
dence from a bungled bank
robbery. They say the man
looked directly into the secu­
rity cam eras when he broke into
a bank in the town o f M arked
T ree and also trig g ered an
alarm . W hen he found all the |
m oney locked away he alleg ­
edly stole a clock radio and a
handful o f sweets. He fled leav-
ing a trail o f lolly w rappers that j
led police to a nearby caravan
park, w here they m ade an a r­
rest. The stolen sw
called "D um -D um s”
by D avid P lechl
T he P ortland O bserver
With the unemployment rate topping
seven percent, many Portlanders are look­
ing for help making rent. Early Thursday
morning, dozens o f people waited outside
the Albina Ministerial Alliance with the
hope o f qualifying for rental assistance.
“These are hard tim es," said Kent Dahl,
who is employed part-time through a tempo­
rary service. “W e’re not getting all the work
we need to make our rent.”
Last month, so many people squeezed
into the alliance's modest office on Martin
5
r-
a
2
u
c
■
olj
r- ’ J 3 j
Luther King Jr. Boulevard that they were
pushing and shoving for position in line.
This month. Family Technician Iris Ramiz
said AMA decided to pass out numbers and
have people wait outside until staff was
ready to receive them.
“W e’re trying to make the process as
smooth and as easy as possible,” Ramiz
said.
Assistance is based on a first come first
served basis, which takes into account spe­
cific needs o f the client. Families with chil­
dren and disabled clients are given first
priority.
“I look at the whole situation,” said Ramiz,
who added that AMA couldn't help singles
without dependents. “Ourserv ices are geared
toward men and women with children.”
continued
on page AS
Lionel Lampkin waits to apply for rental
assistance at Albina Ministerial
Alliance. Since Lampkin was laid o ff
from Renaissance Financial Center he
has lived on unemployment benefits of
$57 a week and is grateful for re­
sources like AMA's rental assistance
program.
Vomen Tackle Gender Bias Issues
>rum addresses civil
;hts in the criminal
itice system
g Í V
x.
P i . echi / T he P or i land O bserver
Area residents line up outside Albina Ministerial Alliance with the hopes o f qualifying for rental assistance. Of the 80 to 85
people who apply each month, usually only 10 will get assistance. “We don't have enough money," said Iris Ramiz, a family
technician at AMA.
ie YWCA o f Clark County will hold a
I justice forum this month on women
ivil rights to bring community members
her to discuss issues women face in
istice system.
the 20th Century, women achieved the
right to vote, to serve on juries and to be
attorneys and judges. W hile these laws have
established equal rights, gender bias is still
an issue in the system o f justice, reflecting
the problems and values o f society, forum
organizers said.
The forum will explore the topic, “Does
thejuStice system work for women," looking
at the increasing number o f women offend­
ers in the system and how, as a group, they
face significant differences from their male
counterparts. The forum will also discuss
the impact o f domestic violence and sexual
harassment in the work place.
Clark County Superior Court Judge Bar­
bara D. Johnson will sen e as a guest speaker.
In 1987, Judge Johnson became the first
woman judge to serve in Clark County. She
has been a speaker at numerous seminars and
programs, including the Washington State
Judges' College and the Peoples’ Law School.
The event will be held Thursday, Jan. 16
from 11:30 a.m. to I p.m. in the community
room o f the YWCA at 3609 Main St.
The Portland Observer is looking
ahead to 2003 by asking elected officials
and community leaders to summarize
their New Y ear’s resolutions, both per­
sonal and professional.
So far, the bulk o f the responses show
that community figureheads have much
in common with those they represent.
Many elected officials are concerned
with the economy, rising unemployment
rates and failing school and social ser­
vice systems. They have deep rooted
desires to spend more time with friends
and family and to be strong role models
fortheirchildren.
“I want to be a good father for my
teenage daughter,” said City Com m is­
sioner Dan Saltzman. “I will try to get her
to I ike me and want to hang out with me.”
Pam Erickson, director o f the Oregon
Liquor Control Commission, cited im­
proved parenting skills for a decrease in
under-21 alcohol-related deaths in 2002,
but wished for
even better sta­
tistics in 2003.
She said most
O r e g o n ia n s
h av e
been
practicingalco-
hol in modera­
tion, meaninga
woman should
drink no more Multnomah County
than a drink a Chair Dianne Linn is
day and men resolved to take
only two.
good care of her
Also impor­ daughters and the
tant in 2003 was people she repre­
spirituality and sents.
balance.
Portland Police C hief Mark Kroeker
plans to work on undisclosed spiritual
goals to insure he maintains a good level
ofpersonal and emotional fitness. Demo­
cratic House R epresentative Jackie
Dingfelder plans to keep up her balance
with yoga.
“ I'm a yoga freak," she said. “When
the legislature gets heated I can forget to
take care o f myself. I get so invested in
my work that I forget to breathe.”
Also on the list were the usual resolu­
tions to loose weight, eat less and work
out more.
“ I need to loose 30 pounds,” said
Multnomah County District 4 Com m is­
sioner Lonnie Roberts. “I’ve got to get
o ff the chocolate and get on the ball."
Others vowed to be endlessly respon­
sible for their constituents.
continued
on page A3