w Minority Enterprise Development Week Entrepreneurs Fuel Economic Prosperity I Kendra James Family | Files $10 Million Suit Portland's minority-owned business community profiled, see special section inside Ci tv of Roses’ See story, Page A2 LtniTlanh (©bsertier Volume XXXIII • Number 41 .Week ¡n TheReview P ctohiichA ri in 7 ÌÌ Established in IQ 1970 VAA www.portlandobserver.coni A/U7 n n r t la n d n h ç p rx Committed to Cultural Diversity Wednesday • October 08, 2003 « Leaving a Wonderful Legacy Bush Confident of Justice Probe President Hush, under pres sure from Dem ocrats to name a special prosecutor, said he is confident the Justice D epart m ent can thoroughly investi gate the leak o f an undercover CIA o ffic er’s identity. Roy Critical After Tiger Attack Fam ed perform er Roy Horn o f the Siegfried and Roy duo re m ained in critical condition T uesday after being m auled by a tiger, and their Las V egas show has been canceled in definitely, officials said. Californians Vote in Recall Californians headed to the polls Tuesday for a historic de cision on w ho’ll govern the statf, and watching them were hundreds o f Republican and Democratic party lawyers look ing for any irregularities. The final days o f campaigning fo cused on character rather than issues, largely because o f sexual misconduct allegations against R e p u b lic a n A rn o ld Schw arzenegger, the leading contender to replace Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat. h Iraq Aid Package Advanced H ouse R epublicans released their own S86.7 billion legisla tion for Iraq and A fghanistan, m o stly tra c k in g P re sid e n t B ush’s plan, but erasing his proposed expenditures forZ IP codes and garbage trucks for Iraq. Turkey May Lend Troops in Iraq T u rk e y ’s governm ent voted M onday to ask Parliam ent to send soldiers to Iraq, a move that could ease the burden o f U.S. o perations there and help m end frayed relations with W ashington. m ends of Trees volunteer Nikki Blake plants a tree in her northeast Portland neighborhood with her daughter Taylor. Friends o f Trees reverses c ity ’s course w ith plantings b y J avmf . i R. Cirri T he P ortland O bserver While the green space in most cities has been replaced by drab asphalt, Portland has reversed the trend by increasing its greenery over the past 30 years. The results o f a study by students at Portland State University, documenting the increase in trees, gar dens, shrubs and wildl ife preserves, marked a triumph for a local group dedicated to increasing the green in Portland communities. Friends o f Trees, which formed in 1989, plants about 30,000 trees and shrubs each year, mostly in north and northeast Portland neighborhoods, where the natural setting is desperately lacking. The non profit plants nearly every weekend through the planting season spanning from November to April, with the help o f 2,000 volunteers donating 36,000 hours. This season begins with a crew leader training from 8a.m .to p.m.onNov. 15,andtheplantingof80large shade trees along Northeast 72nd Avenue in the heart o f the Rose way neighborhood. Planting trees brings neighbors together, says Teri Ruch, communications director o f Friends o f Trees. Aside from the environmental benefits that trees provide, Ruch says planting day is sometimes a spark to ignite future projects. “People come out for these plantings and finally meet their neighbors. The first neighborhood tree planting som etim es inspires more com m unity projects," she said. "People feel so positive about it because they can see such an immediate change, but Task Force to Oversee Reconstruction M ichelle Kwan has made it to Broadw ay. The cham pion fig ure skater w ill appear on a T im es Square billboard as part o f the “ Pass It O n" cam paign p ro m o tin g p o sitiv e values. The cam paign is run by The Foundation for a B etter Life. photo by M ark W asiungton /T he P ortland O bserver Portland Community College is in the process of purchasing the former Renaissance Market on North Killingsworth Street for a public services education building as part of the college 's expanded Cascade Campus. r«-, O .-S f " pu. t ZJ 0¿ ’S “J c zu O' C C O' □ c it so 2.* U 3 continued y f on page .45 Annual event also to feature National Urban League president Michelle Kwan Living Well ±- mi also feel they are leaving a legacy that benefits people in neighborhoods to come." Friends o f Trees focuses on three main environ ment-enhancing projects. Trained volunteers organize neighborhood tree plantings and select trees and shnibs providing the most canopy for the space avai lable; schools plantings engage kids, teachers and faculty in creating a living laboratory for students to learn as well as to beautify their grounds; and natural area restorations mobilize crews to return habitats to their former condition, with benefits to the wildlife residing there. "For me and a lot o f volunteers, it's the desire to return a landscape to the way it was before we mucked it up," said Anil Devani, the group’s natural area restoration manager. Urban League Salutes Charles Jordan The White House, facing set backs and growing casualties in Iraq, is asserting a larger role by opening a special task force to oversee reconstruction efforts . in Iraq and Afghanistan. The panel will monitor the tens o f billions o f dollars being spent by the United States. I s photo by C h iio T akeda Renaissance Market Building Annexed PCC expansion grows with new purchase by L ee P eri man T he P ortland O bserver Portland Community College is in the process o f purchasing the former Renaissance Market on North Killingsworth Street for a new Public Services Edu cation Building, expanding a Cascade Campus ex pansion further than earlier plans. t The site will be made intoa center for fire protection sciences, emergency medical services and criminal justice classes, making Cascade a magnet school for the college’s public services education offerings. PCC public affairs spokesperson Susan Hereford said. Architect Ben Hulford says the plans will extend the existing structure at 909 N. Killingsworth St., by seven feet on its southwest end and increase the size continued y f on page AS The Urban League o f Portland will present its Equal Opportunity Day Award to honoree Charles Jordan, former PortlandCityC’oun- cilman and retired director o f the city’sParksand Recreation Depart ment. The award is given in appre ciation forand in recognition ofhis important contributions to equal opportunity. This year’s theme: "Building Economic Empowerment through Equality and Education " reflects the Urban League's ongoing com mitment to the community. The din ner and silent auction, which be gins at 5 :45 p.m. W ednesday, Oct. 15, is at the Portland Hilton Hotel, 921 S.W. Sixth Ave. National Urban League Presi dent and C hief Executive Officer Marc H. Morial will serve as the event's keynote speaker. Morial was appointed to lead the national organization in May, prior to which he was the former mayor o f New Orleans and the president o f the U.S. Conference o f Mayors. L o cal b u sin e ssm a n M att Hennessee, president and CEO o f Quiktrak, Inc., will be the night’s master o f ceremonies. Hennessee is an active public speaker both Marc H. Morial nationally and internationally on topics from business management to social responsibility. “ We are very excited about this year's event and the opportunity to honorCharles Jordan," said Bar bara West, Urban League board chair. "W ith the Urban League’s long-standing reputation for advo cating empowerment to all individu als, this year’s theme will continue to build on the League’s efforts to foster econom ic em pow erm ent through equality and education.” Proceeds from the dinner and auction w ill directly benefit the pro grams o f the Urban League o f Port land. For more information, call 503 280-2600. 1