®lje Jìortlanò (ßbseruer August 06. 2003 Page AS First Out of the Gate Bug Wiped From Windshield Forever ( AP) — The last Volkswagen Beetle has rolled o ff the assembly line, 70 years after A dolf Hitler's government introduced Germans to a two-door passenger car that became an icon around the globe. Competition from newer compacts and a Mexi­ can government decision to phase out two-door taxis led Volkswagen to shut down its only remain­ ing “bug” production line at its plant in Puebla, 65 miles southeast o f Mexico City. Workers painstakingly crafted the final car: a baby blue version marked No. 21,529,464 that will go to a museum in Wolfsburg, Germany, home ofV W headquarters. Adorned with a Mexican flag made o f flowers, the car was serenaded by a mariachi band playing "El Rey,” or “The King.” “You didn’t just participate in the construction o f a car. but in the creation o f a legend,” Reinhard Jung, president o f the executive committee o f Volkswagen Mexico, told workers and executives. Last w eek’s ceremony at the factory was closed to outsiders but transmitted around the world on a satellite television feed. The very last VW beetle is decorated with a wreath o f roses and a message on its windscreen which reads “Volkswagen of Mexico last Sedan in the World. 30th July 2 0 0 3 ’ as it rolls o ff the production line at VW's Puebla plant. (AP Photo) RMMNMMNNMI photo by T ony Life Saving Youth Videos Earn High Reviews Drugs Become Northwest Film Center and Oregon “I have no doubt that this project Young Latinos Council for II ispanic Advancement. has had a profound impact on these a Trade Issue Forty-nine Latino youth, ages students. We see them discover share their (A P) — Poor nations like 14 to 19, worked with Northwest more about themselves, celebrate M exico that w ant to use low cost Film Center faculty to document and embrace the Latino contribu­ hopes and copies o f patented drugs to treat their lives and communities and to tions to this country, and acknowl­ d iseases like H IV /A ID S and share their hopes and aspirations edge that education is clearly the aspirations m alaria are m oving tow ard an gateway to opportunity,” said State agreem ent that w ould keep the drugs from being smuggled back to rich countries. The issue o f how to ensure essential drugs are available in the poorest nations has been a m a jo r s tu m b lin g b lo c k to progress in the W orld Trade O rganization’s negotiations on a new global treaty to cut barri­ ers to international trade. WTO rules already allow coun­ tries facing public health crises to override patents and order their drugs frdrn Cheaper, generic sup­ pliers. But they can order only from dom estic manufacturers, which is o f no use for the majority o f poor nations that have no phar­ maceuticals industries. For too long the rich history o f Latino families in this state has received little notice. What is it like to be young and Latino in Oregon today? Accord­ ing to top educators and leaders, one o f the best ways to find out is by w atching N u estra V ision, Nuestro Futuro, a new video series being distributed free o f charge to schools, libraries and community groups by the Portland Art Mu­ seum Northwest Film Center. The two 30-minute compilations lend themselves to classroom use, public presentations and discus­ sion groups and are appropriate for English and Spanish-speaking gen­ eral audiences o f all ages. The series was created through the Oregon Latino Youth Video Project, a three-year statewide m e­ dia arts education initiative o f the - Serena Cruz, M u ltn om ah County Commissioner on video. “We are showing the positive things our people are do­ ing in the community, how we have impacted thecommunity,"expl»i ns Adam Martinez o f Ontario, one o f the students who worked on the project. Some o f Oregon ’ s top educators and leaders are impressed. Superintendent o f Public Instruc­ tion Susan Castillo. “For too long the rich history o f Latino families in this state has re­ ceived little notice,” said Serena Cruz, Multnomah County Commis­ sioner.” These young people share important moments in their lives with us; moments that all ages and backgrounds can relate to— the joy o f love, family and friendship, the pain o f loss, the struggle to endure in this country, and the triumph o f achievement.” ■i The videos can be ordered free onlineatwww.nwfilm.org. W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Portland City Commissioner Jim Francesconi in his Office at City Hall. continued only city to close the achievement gap-” He said after-school programs work to keep latchkey kids out o f trouble and assist working parents. The first person to declare his candidacy, Francesconi currently from Front the Portland Organizing Project. He created the Youth Employment and Em pow erm ent C oalition, through which he worked to con­ vince business owners to hire kids < The Fire Department *is not where it needs to be, but it s a lot more diverse than the Police Department. — Mayoral C andidate Jim Francesconi with a history o f gang involve­ ment. Francesconi said he’s commit­ ted to improving education and employment for all. ‘We hpve to focus on how not to be divided by race äh