50/ Uncovering Northwest Style Local talent produces ‘Portland Style’ on KPDX See storv, Page A IO rîSortlanh ©bsertœr Ci tv of Roses AJ C ^ M lA - .J 070 Established in , 1970 ___________ _ c _ . . www.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXIII • Number 36 Wednesday • September 03, 2003 Under New Management Foxworth named new police chief by J aymee R. C uti T hf . P ortland O bserver Democrat John Kerry Kerry Kicks Off Pres. Campaign Democrat John Kerry, seeking to regain his political footing, formally launched his presiden tial candidacy Tuesday by of­ fering his Vietnam War-hcrOcre dentials and Senate tenure as an alternative to President Bush’s record. 100 Death Sentences Overturned A federal appeals court in threw out an estimated 100 death sen tences in Arizona anil two other states because the inmates were sent to death row by judges in­ stead o f juries. Cruise Cut Short by Virus A cruise across the North Atlan­ tic was cut short Tuesday alter more than 300 passengers and crew members became sick with a highly contagious stomach virus that caused vomiting and diarrhea. Iraq Council Member Blames U.S. for Religious Leader’s Death The brother o f a cleric assassi­ nated in a car bombing told 400,000 mourners Tuesday he blamed the U.S. occupatioa forces for the lax security that led to the attack at Iraq’s most sacred Shiite mosque. Taliban and al-Qaida Together Again The Taliban are no longeron the run and have teamed up with al- Qaida once again, according to officials and former Taliban who say the religious militia has reor­ ganized and strengthened since their defeat at the hands o f the U.S.-led coalition nearly two years ago. Actor Arrested for Possession of Sword When, five minutes before cur­ tain call, one o f the leading ac­ tors in Portland’s Northwest Classical Theatre C om pany's production o f “King Henry VI, Part I’’ was arrested, his col­ leagues ensured that the show w ent on. Ih ad d eu s “ S cott”. Carson, who played Lord Tal­ bot, was hauled away from the Terry Schrunk Plaza in handcuffs as 120 eager Shakespeare fans waited for the show to begin. $ Ê3 O T J — 5J -u c , > X sa O' 2 C - gj £ 3 □ c ¡2 rv ’ ★ Mayor Vera Katz announced Tuesday that Assistant C hief Derrick Foxworth will replace Mark Krocker as the city’s top cop. Kroeker resigned Friday following an onerous week fraught with scandal, contro­ versy and the resignation o f five members o f a police oversight committee. The moves closely follow a report critical o f police shootings and unhappiness, espe­ cially in the black community, over the sus­ pension o f an officer for the shooting o f Kendra James, 2 1, an unarmed black woman, last May 5. African American leaders thought the officer, Scott M cCollister, should have been fired. Many o f those leaders, including State Sen. Margaret Carter, D-Portland, and mem­ bers o f the Albina Ministerial Alliance, at­ tended the press conference announcing Foxworth as the new chief. “ I think it’s a good change," said AMA President Rev. Roy Tate. “ I think the morale is going to go up.” The black church leaders have completed their own investigation into Jam es’ death, and will present their findings on Saturday, Sept 6 at Maranatha Church in northeast Portland. Robert Larry, president o f Portland’s NAACP, said he was not surprised by the c h ie fs resignation and would not be sur­ prised by more resignations at City Hall. “Key players in this city realize that a trend o f corruption and blatant abuse o f power is about to end. The only way strides Flanning will be made to prevent deaths and m istreat­ ment o f citizens at the hands o f police is that the people have a say.. who is hired and who is tired," Larry said. F oxw orth w ould not co m m en t on McCollister or the shooting. Instead, he laid out a three-point plan to redirect a police department that has suffered from a lack o f public trust. Foxworth said his directives are to strengthen the relationship between the bureau and the community, to improve ad­ ministration and fiscal areas afld to address recommendations in the recent review re­ port. He also made a commitment to imple­ ment community policing— a concept that "'•L Mark Kroeker resigns as Portland's top cop. Foxworth said is more than public relations lip service to a community wary o f its law enforcement. To improve relationships between the police bureau and the community, Foxworth said he will embrace diversity, with regard to race and gender as wel I as a diversity o f ideas and policing style. “When crisis do occur and there are strains on the relationship between the police and community, my vision is that although the relationship may be strained, that it’s never severed or broken,” Foxworth said. A Portland native, Foxworth served as a street officer, a gang-enforcement officer and a drug and vice officer during his 22 years with the bureau. He isa former spokes­ person for the bureau and a former com­ mander o f the Northeast Precinct. Derrick Foxworth is nam. d Portland Police Chief. *1 Officer Suspended in Kendra Janies Shooting Decision spurs mixed reaction from community and police bureau The police officer wh > shot and killed Kendra James during a late night traffic stop in north Portland will be suspended without pay for 5 1/2 months because of the tactical decisions he made before the shooting. < tfficer Scott MeCol lister has already been cleared o f criminal culpability for tiring the fatal shot on May 5. McCollister reeeiveiK inefM ark Kroeker’s six-pagedisciplinary letterina meeting Thurs­ day with Assistant C hief Derrick Foxworth. K -X f Kroeker said in the letter that although McC’ollister's shooting was within Port­ land Police Bureay guidelines and staje law, his actions leading up to the shooting conlinued on page A2 S Tt, MB; Judy Bryant High Achieving Principal Promoted Humboldt Elementary School Principal Judy Bryant will leave her post this month to become a new director o f student achieve­ ment for the Portland Sehool District. The promotion was not surprising to those following Bryant’*career. The 2002 w innerof the prestigious Milken National Educator Award, Bryant is credited with turning II umboldt from a “low achieving school" to a “strong school” in statewide school evalua­ tions. Bryant, a curriculum specialist, began work­ ing with Portland Public Schools as a teacher at Hosford Middle School. She has served as assistant principal at both West Sylvan and Hosford. Bryant achieved national recognition for her successful efforts to improve student achievement at Humboldt, a north Portland elementary. She found innovative ways to reach her students, such as a field trip to the Seattle Art Museum. The district is in the processof selecting an interim principal at Humboldt that will uphold Bryant's contribution to that school. New Leadership Team at Moore Street photo by M ark W ashington /T hf P ortland O bserver A community welcome is out for Capt. Robert L. Marshall (from left), Major Jeffrey S. Dennis and Capt. Donna Marshall, the new leadership team at The Salvation Army Moore Street Community and Worship Center, 5325 N. Williams Ave. Area residents are invited to meet the officers during a block party at the center, Saturdav, Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free open house will include games, food and live music.