Native American
Center Nears Completion
PSU expands to serve growing Native American population
See story, Metro section, inside
© b s e riic r
‘City' of Roses’
Established In 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXIII • Number 30
Jl/Veekin
TheReview
■ .portlando bserver.com
Wednesday • July 23, 2003
Villa Move-Out Nearly Complete
Form er Iraqi ruler S a d d a m
H u sse in 's so n s , Odai, left,
a n d Q u sa i. (AP Photo)
Saddam’s Sons Dead
Saddam H ussein’s sons Odai
and Q usai w ere confirm ed
dead T uesday in a raid by U.S.
forces w ho surrounded the
hom e o f a cousin, a senior U.S.
official said. Tw o other Iraqis
also w ere killed.
NAACP Lawsuit Dismissed
A federal ju d g e threw out the
N A A C P ’s case against the gun
industry, despite findings that
the m anufacturers have put the
public at risk with careless mar
keting practices. A ffirm ing a
ju ry verdict in favor o f the gun
m akers, a ju d g e ruled that the
NAACP failed to show that its
m e m b e rs w e re u n iq u e ly
harmed.
Tongue Transplant
Performed in Austria
Doctors in Vienna have carried
out the first successful tongue
transplant on a human. An uni
dentified 42-year-old man suf
fering from a malignant tumor
affecting his tongue and jaw
underwent a 14-hour operation
at V ienna’s General Hospital on
Saturday in which doctors re
moved the tumor and attached
the new tongue.
Devil’s Highway
Sign Stolen
The main stretch o f asphalt that
cuts across northwestern New
M exico’s desolate mesas is liv
ing out its final days as the
D evil’s Highway, but drivers
w ouldn’t know it. Not a single
sign remains labeling it as the
infamous U.S. 666. “Since the
reports that we were changing
the name, we had everything
stolen. It was a feeding frenzy,’’
said S.U. Mahesh, spokesman
for the New Mexico Department
o f Transportation.
Fighting In Liberia
Leaves 70 Dead
H eavy fighting engulfed the
Liberian capital M onday, kill
ing at least 70 people as m or
tars pounded the city in an all-
out battle betw een rebels and
forces o f P resident C harles
Taylor. It appeared to be the
bloodiest single day o f fight
ing in three rebel attem pts to
take the city in the last two
m onths.
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photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
The s tr e e ts a n d h o m e s o f th e Colum bia Villa in n o rth P ortland s h o w sig n s o f d e s e rtio n a fte r th e relocation o f h u n d re d s o f re sid en ts. The
s ite will re-open to b o th form er a n d future re sid e n ts in a totally n ew ‘m ixed e c o n o m y ’ neighborhood in 2 0 0 5 .
More than 450
families relocate for
housing renovation
b y J a y m e e R. C uti
T he P ortland O bserver
With Portland leading major cities as a model
for public transportation, it’s not surprising that
the city set its own standard when it came time to
revampa major housing project in north Portland.
Portland is joining other locales such as Chi
cago, San Francisco and Detroit that have tom
down housing projects and moved in the direc
tion o f“mixed economy” communities.
After being awarded a $35 million Hope VI
grant in September 2001, the Portland Housing
Authority plans to transform Columbia Vi I la into
New Columbia. But where others came up short—
relocation o f residents during construction—
Portland Housing Authority insiders say they
will prevail.
Jacob Fox, the project's relocation manager,
said the PHA is not using relocation as a chance
to weed out tenants and that anyone wanting to
return to New Columbia will be readmitted.
“ Re-occupancy has been one o f the most
Governor Proclaims
Mildred W. Ollee Day
Gov. Ted Kulongoski
proclaimed Tuesday as
Mildred W. Ollee Day
around the state o f Or
■I •
egon.
Ollee, who has served
as the executive dean o f
Portland Com m unity
College’sCascadeCam-
pus in north Portland
since 1995, was honored
for her a c co m p lish
ments.
Sen. Margaret Carter
read the proclamation on
the Senate floor in Salem.
“Mildred W. Ollee has been an outstanding citizen in the
Oregon community, bringing over 25 years o f experience in
the community college sector forward to the benefit o f the
people o f Portland and our state; and has conducted such
work and enterprise with vision, warmth, extraordinary in
sight and a special joy,” the G overnor’s proclamation stated.
Ollee recently announced that she would be leaving the
college to become president o f Seattle Central Community
College.
While at PCC, she managed a campus that doubled in
student enrollment, from 8,400 to 15,500 students, nurtured
the largest capital expansion project in the history o f the
Cascade Campus and has been a tireless promoter o f the
school’s north-northeast neighborhood.
Ollee has received numerous commendations, including
the Earl Norman Leadership Award; the Central Alumni
Award o f Seattle University; the Award for Excellence in
Administration from the American Association o f Women in
Community and JuniorColleges, the BenefitGuild Outstand
ing Service Award and a listing in the W ho’s Who in Black
America.
controversial things about the project,” said Fox.
“ If someone commits a crime that would have
gotten them kicked out o f Columbia Villa, we
can’t readmit them, but petty issues about late
payments on rent or Little Johnny spilling paint
on the rug w on’t be an issue for returning.”
The Uniform Relocation Act protects the rights
o f Columbia Villa residents and pays for their
move, since the project is supported by federal
dollars. The relocation team follows families
through every step o f relocation, from finding
new homes to enrolling kids in new schools to
continued
on page A3
Residents
old and
new bid
farewell
Colum bia V illa has a
long, rich, 60-year history
o f providing comfort and
security. At one time, it pro
vided temporary housing
and welcoming homes to
shipbuilders, medical stu
dents, recent immigrants
and a wide array o f fami I ies
representing communities
o f color, youth, disabled
people and seniors.
People who came and
went have fond memories
o f the community they were
a part o f at Columbia Villa.
Residents old and new
are invited to bid farewel I to
the community on Satur
day, July 26. You’re invited
to share your memories at
the V illa and leam more
about the new neighbor
hood that will replace it.
A commemorative cer
emony begins at 9 a.m., fol
lowed by a history fair at 10
a.m. and an open house at 11
a.m. Activities are across the
street from the Housing Au
thority o f Portland building
at 8920 N. Woolsey Ave.
Look forward toaday offree
storytelling, memory shar
ing, memorabilia, refresh
ments, tours and entertain
ment.
R em oval o f ex istin g
streets and aging structures
will begin in September to
make way for the innova
tive mixed-income neigh
borhood termed “New Co
lumbia.”
The mix o f home types,
architectural styles, new
street grid connections, ser
vices, parks and educa
tional opportunities are all
planned to integrate New
Columbia into the surround
ing neighborhood.
Park Dog Deaths Rise to 12
12
photos by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Twelve do g s have d ied a fte r ea tin g ta in ted m e a t s o m e tim e b e tw e e n July 3 a n d July 9 a t L aurelhurst Park in
s o u th e a s t Portland. Dog owners, like C a sey (left) a t Fernhill Park are m u ch m o re w atchfull o f th eir p e ts .
Portland Police and Crime Stoppers are asking for the
public's help in identifying and apprehending the indi
vidual or individuals responsible for the poisoning o f dogs
at Laurelhurst Park on Southeast 39* Avenue and East
Burnside Street.
The number o f dogs killed by poison reached 12 on
Tuesday. The dogs were sickened sometime between July
3 and July 9. They appear to have ingested sausage or some
kind o f meat laced with what veterinarians believe is
I
paraquat, an industrial herbicide.
Some believe that the poisonings are part o f an ongoing
leash-law controversy. Laurelhurst Park has generated a
high number o f complaints about off-leash dogs.
A reward totaling $15,000 has been collected from a
series o f community fundraising events, donations to the
Oreogn Humane Society, Crim e Stoppers and others for
information that leads to an arrest in this case.
Call Crime Stoppers at 503-823-HELP.
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