50< Real Issues Voice for Peace African American theater group presents Deceptive Love’ Distinguished Congressman and civil rights leader to visit See story, Metro Section inside. ‘City of Roses’ Volume X X X III See Story, Metro section, inside Established In 1970 • xPQrtlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity N um ber 10 Wednesday • March OS. 2003 ThWview F e e d i n g O r e g o n ’s H u n g r y Naked Jogger returns Coalition proposes more food vouchers, free lunches for kids The naked jogger o f New York has struck again. His latest ap pearance was during near freez ing temperatures on Tuesday in a Binghamton downtown park ing garage. And, as in each o f his ] previous runs, he eluded police who rushed to the scene. An employee said the streaker has been seen running around the six-level parking garage at least 20 times since last August. The last time was in late November. Police said they can 't figure out how he’s able to get dressed and emerge from the garage undetec ted. by D avid P lechl T he P ortland O bserver A coalition o f Oregon lawmakers has introduced three bills that could alleviate the suffering o f thousands o f Oregonians. State Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, D-northeast Portland, was instrumental in bringing the pressing issue o f hunger to the attention o f lawmakers at the state capital in Salem. For the last three years, Oregon has ranked first in the nation for hunger and food inse curity, meaning local residents who don’t always have enough money to meet basic nutritional needs. Many Oregonians experi ence hunger pangs on a regular basis. Dingfelder fasted from sunrise to sunset last Wednesday to dramatize the plight o f the thousands that go hungry everyday in Oregon. “This is a symbolic gesture to assure O regon’s hungry citizens that their legisla tors intend to end their suffering,” Dingfelder said. The legislation would provide food ser vice meals to children in O regon’s hungriest D efinitely school districts and offer food vouchers for seniors and low-income families. “We must address the short-term needs o f hungry Oregonians and work toward a long-term solution that prevents this prob lem from ever happening again,” Dingfelder said. Gov. Ted Kulongowski addressed part o f continued on page A3 Robert Bacote chases Gator down Going Street. College drops mark of the beast The Kentucky Mountain Bible I College has finally dropped the 666 prefix that disturbed Chris tians who recognized it as the biblical mark ofthe beast. “W e’re just elated that the number has been changed,” said Rob Roy | •M acGregor, the college’s vice president o f business affairs. “It was like we had this Scarlet Let ter attached to us.” The college is now removing the number from printed material, including its | official letterhead. The 666prefix had been the only one available in the area since telephone ser vice arrived here. The need for | more phone lines forced tele phone com panies to add new j — numbers. Shoddyrope prevents suicide ■ A Romanian man is reportedly planning to complain to con sumer authorities about the poor | quality o f a rope he used in a | failed attempt to hang himself. Local newspapers have quoted 45-year-old Victor Dodoi as say- ing he can't even die in his coun try. The papers say D odoi's rela tives found him hanging from a tree in his garden, and managed | J to easily cut the rope with a knife. He was taken by horse-drawn cart, and then by ambulance, to I a hospital. Dodoi says he is plan ning to file a complaint with the | Consum er Protection Authority about the quality o f the rope, as soon as he is released. Clinton called for Jury duty Former President Bill Clinton has I been tapped for jury duty. A questionnaire designed to help | select a jury for a federal at tempted murder case indicated that Prospective Juror No. 142 was actually William Jefferson C linton. A lthough C lin to n ’s name was never revealed in the | federal hearing, his answers, read aloud in thecourtroom, provided the giveaway. Under previous j jo bs held, the respondent an swered President o f the United States. He also wrote that he | thought he could be fair and im partial, despite his “unusual ex perience with theO .I.C .,” orO f- | fice o f Independent Cour P hotos by wynde dyer / the P ortland observer Northeast Portland resident Robert Bacote has no problem getting his rottweiller Gator to fetch a tennis ball - but getting him to let go is another story. Area adjusts to boom in canine population by W ynde D yer T he P ortland O bserver Who let the dogs out? It’s a question more and more people are asking these days - and not just because people are chanting the popular Bahamen song. S 'S SD O said licensing statistics for canines have bar where you can take your dog and been virtually stable over the past few have a beer." years. The Lucky Labrador on Southeast The difference, he said, is not that Hawthorne isn’t the only pet friendly more people own dogs but that more establishment in Portland. In fact, many people are seen out with their dogs. restaurants, coffee shops, mini-marts and Rowton said as the urban area be grocery stores skirt health codes to allow comes more densely populated and city patrons canine accompaniment. Others dwellers downsize their homes or move just allow dogs in patio areas, or furnish into apartments, more people take their water bowls outside for thirsty pups while pets for walks, rather than leaving them owners quench their thirst inside. chained up. Portland has it’s own monthly news- “Ten years ago the dog was tied up out back,” Rowton said. “Now there’s a continued y f on page A6 First Year Success for Irvington Village A ssiste d liv in g Before, fami lies were forced to dri ve to the suburbs to visit loved ones in supple mental care facilities because options for local residential treatment were few The 104 unit, five-story structure at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Mason was envisioned by the elders o f Irvington Church almost 10 years ago as a local facility for low-income seniors and seniors with special needs. “This was their dream,” Guyton said. “With a Christian base we really feel like God has a plan for Irvington.” That ambitious dream included a wel coming community room, an on-site ’ity finds a niche ortheast Portland 'avid P led Portland Observer ;n Irvington Village opened its o seniors last January it was the its kind in inner northeast Port gg The streets, parks, yards and busi nesses o f Portland seem to show an unprecedented boom in the canine popu lation which begs another question - are there really more dogs, or have dogs just become more visible? “There aren’t more dogs - dogs have just become a more integral part o f the social fabric,” said John Rowton, shelter manager for Multnomah County Animal Services. While the cat population in Portland continues to rise as a result o f poor spaying and neutering practices, Rowton is was pretty much a new con i' assisted living in this area," said Guyton, the village’s assistant ?er. I beauty shop, an expansive dining room and a relaxation room complete with fire place and library. “We want people to know they’re coming here to live,” Guyton said. “We didn't scale back on anything.” Each floor has TVs and every apart ment is equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. Nutritious and tasty meals are served hot three times a day. “We make it convenient for them,” Guyton said. “We have some good food. In fact, w e're pretty much known for our food.” continued on page A 6 Irvingon Village resident Comellla Johnson enjoys knitting and keeping active. PHOTO BY D avio P i . echi 7 T he P ortland O bserver