Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2003)
March 19. 2003 C o m in a le n continued Jlortlanh ©bseruer li n ¡ t y d a r Page BS IQ from Metro Prostrate Cancer Prevention Lawsuit Filed Against Kroeker in Mejia Shooting The Providence Integrative M ed i cine Program is offering a ne w class for reducing the risk o f prostate cancer on Thursday, M arch 27 from 7 p.m. to8:30p.m. at4805 N.E. Glisan in the Providence Social Rixim. The class, called 'C an Diet, Supplements and H erbs Reduce the Rick o f P ros tate C an cer?’ w ill be lead by Dr. M iles H assell, directo r o f the Inte g rativ e M edicin e P ro g ram and Providence. For m ore inform ation, call 503-216-4687. Family claims officers used unreasonable and excessive force Community Wellness Fair H olladay Plaza Park, located across from the Lloyd C enter, will host a com m unity w ellness fair on Friday, M arch 28 from 10 a.m . to 2 p.m. T here will be several guest sp eak ers and w orkshops line up thro u g h out the day to discuss with atten d ees such topics as healthy co o k ing, blood pressure and diagnostic screening, fitness and glucose test ing as well as alternative and o rien tal m edicine. T here w ill be refresh m ents, door prizes, raffles and give aw ays througho u t the day. F or more information.call503-280-2221. (A P )— T he fam ily o f a M exican national w ho w as killed by Portland police last year has filed a $ 10 m il lion civil rights law suit against Port land Police C hief M ark Kroeker and tw o officers. T he law suit w as filed T hursday in U.S. D istrict C ourt in Portland. The fam ily claim s the officers used unreasonable and excessive force against Jose M ejia Poot, who w as shot to death at a Portland psychiatric hospital. T hey also al lege that K roeker failed to ad equately train the officers to deal w ith people suffering from mental illness and allow ed policies that am ount to indifference to the use o f excessive force. The federal com plaint m arks the second tim e the fam ily has filed a civil law suit seeking dam ages for M ejia’s death. Learn to Sing at MHCC The M ount H ood C om m unity C o l lege is alw ays looking to add voices to its com m unity-based choir. No audition is required. T hose in ter ested can share their jo y for m usic w hile learning to sight-read, im prove vocal technique, explore cho ral literature and perf orm . The class begins M arch 31 and m eets M on days from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m . at the G resham cam pus. F or m ore in form ation or to register, call 503- 491-7571. Help Needed for Women’s continued Reed Boat Departs on Pacific Adventure I The Viracocha Sun God, the reed boat of American adventurer Phil Buck, sails o ff Las Salinas I beach in Vina del Mar, Chile, Monday. Buck plans to be the first person to sail across the on page B7 1 Pacific Ocean from Chile to Australia in a reed boat. (AP photo) MHMIMNMMMNMMMMMMNMMN Credit Union Caters to Latinos Hacienda serves state’s fastest growing minority union in Oregon. Hispanics are the state’s Willing to look past aclient’s fastest-growing minority, and immigration status, and fo a huge potential market for cused on the financial needs companies that tailor their of the Hispanic community, businesses to them. (AP) — The first tim e H acienda refin an ced Since opening, Hacienda has Carlos Quezada bought a used Quezada’s loan and offered 366 members and has pro- car, he borrowed $8,000 and paid 30 percent interest on it over two years. The interest rate on his second used car wasn’t much better — 29 per cent. Portland area lending agen cies told the Mexico City na tive that the high interest was - Samuel Davila, executive dlrectorof the Oregon Commission on V necessary because he couldn’t HispanlcAffalrs prove legal residence here and he didn’t have a credit history. him 10 percent interest — cessed 51 loans w orth “Lenders are afraid that dropping his $2(X) monthly pay $313,000. someone without legal papers ment to $130. It serv es c lie n ts in will leave the country, but I “W ithin a year I think Multnomah, Washington and have my whole family here," Hacienda’s business will grow C lackam as c o u n tie s, but said the 23-year-old Quezada. faster than any” of the lenders people from other parts of the And then along came the in the state, Quezada said. state can become members if Hacienda Community Credit A year might be a conser they have a relative who is a Union, the first Hispanic credit vative estimate. member and lives in one of the We will see more and more businesses embracing the Hispanic consumer. Portland-area counties. H a c ie n d a ’s three sta ff members, along with its two volunteers, are bilingual and of Hispanic origin. W hen evaluating a loan application, they look at who might be a flight risk and who has obvi ously settled in the state, re gardless of legal residence. Quezada, for example, has lived in Portland eight years and works at a pizza restau rant. He is married and has two children who were born in Portland. When making a loan deci sion, Hacienda also takes into account letters from employ ers and testim onies from friends and relatives. For identification, the credit union accepts the ‘matricula consular’ or a tax number, is sued by the IRS to workers who don’t have a Social Secu rity number. In O ctober 2001, the fam ily ac cepted a$750,000settlem ent agree m ent w ith B H C -Pacific G atew ay H ospital and Providence H ealth System after a filing a negligence claim. P ortland police shot and killed M ejia, 29, w ho the fam ily says suf fered an epileptic seizure, on A pril 1, 2001, after he escaped from a seclusion room at BHC-Pacific G ate w ay psychiatric hospital. H e had threatened officers w ith a 40-inch alum inum bar. P o lice o ffic e rs on the scen e d e c id e d jo in tly to u se d e a d ly force, ev en th o u g h M ejia p o se d no re a listic th re a t, the la w su it c o n te n d s . A grand ju ry cleared the officers o f w rongdoing, and also found sig nificant safety lapses at the ho sp i tal. The com plaint also alleges that K roeker and the officers violated the A m ericans with Disabilities Act. Last fall, K roeker w as sharply criticized by L atino activists after aw arding m edals to the police o ffic ers for their actions in the fatal shooting. Spanish-Language Job Listings Added T he O reg o n E m p lo y m en t D e U sers can see the new Spanish partm ent currently provides m any jo b listings by clicking the ‘Espanol ’ se rv ic e s to H isp an ic cu sto m e rs link. in th e ir ow n lan g u ag e . In the p ast, o n ly jo b title s w ere N ow en tire jo b listin g s on the tra n sla te d . N ow the en tire jo b d e p a rtm e n t’s w e b s i t e , o rd e r a p p e a rs in S p an ish . M any www .W orklnglnOregon.org. a re H isp an ic jo b se e k e rs are ab le to tra n sla te d in to S p an ish . T he s e r sp eak en o u g h E n g lish to g et and vice utilizes a state o f the art c o m h o ld a jo b . but the a b ility to read p u te r tra n sla tio n p ro g ram along the jo b listin g in S p an ish g reatly w ith a cu sto m iz e d d ic tio n a ry o f en h an ces th e ir ab ility to find su it term s. a b le w ork. YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT US, NO W COME KICK IT WITH US! 24 SEVEN CAR CLUB PRESENTS... SPRING FLING 2003, WHEN: SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2003 WHERE: BOOKIES SPORTS BAR 736 NORTH LOMBARD STREET PORTLAND, OR TIME: 8:00 PM-UNTIL WITH DJ J-SMOOTH TICKETS: $10 EACH OR $15 AT THE DOOR Mexicana Airlines Expands Service to Portland Residents o f O regon and south west W ashington will soon, and for the first time ever, have regularly scheduled nonstop air service to Mexico. M exicana A irlines announced last w eek plans to begin new n o n stop service as early as M ay b e tw een Portland International A ir port and G uadalajara w ith direct service to M exico City and M orelia. The flight will operate on T hurs days, Fridays and Saturdays using M ex ican a’s new A irbus A 319 air craft w ith a capacity o f 120 passen gers, arriving at PD X at noon and departing at 1:30 p.m. “This is a fantastic new op p o rtu nity for travelers from O regon and Southw est W ashington, and we ow e a great debt o f gratitude to M exicana Airlines,” said Bill Wyatt, Port o f Portland Executi ve Director. ters and calls encouraging us to pro ‘T h is new air service offers a tre vide thi s air service, and we are proud m endous conven ien ce and tim e to now be part o f your com m unity.” savings for travelers at P D X .” “W hile M exicana’s new service “W e have been im pressed with w ill especially benefit those visit the strong sense o f com m unity that ing fam ily and friends, it also facili ex ists in th e g re a te r P o rtla n d / tates travel and trade opportunities V ancouver region,” said A ntonio for regional com panies looking to Martinez, M exicana Airlines Execu expand internationally," said G ale tive Vice President o f Sales & M ar C astillo , H ispanic M etropolitan keting. “W e have received many let- C ham ber Executive Director. 5 s " Or informative ,robably saw It in... call to advertise: 503.288.0033 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: BOB 503-284-6149 LISA 503-335-7967 *HELP SAVE ”P IL SPORTS" WITH YOUR DONA TION A T THE DOOR. Portland’s diversity newspaper AD SPACE AVAILABLE at competative rates for all ad dimensions in color or black and white. We will work with you to provide the ideal placement and visibility. Our in-house design staff will construct your ad for you and your growing business needs. or email: ids@portlandobserver.com t TICKET LOCATIONS: BOOKIES SPORTS BAR, DORIS'S CAFE GENEVA'S, KAY KAY BARBER SHOP AFFORDABLE YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIO N S AVAILABLE. Contact us at 503.288.0033 with your name and address info.