Page A4
October 29. 2003
(Tlje JJnrtlanh (ßbserüer
better to the GLditor
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or
represent the views o f The Portland Observer
Students at the
Cascade Campus
o f Portland
Community
College in north
Portland are
learning in brand
new science labs
and new class­
rooms at the
newly expanded
Jackson Hall. PCC
added 1 7,7 00
square feet to the
facility named
after the late Rev.
John Jackson.
Backing Up the Chief
I would like to congratulate C hief
Derrick Fox worth ’ s appoi nt ment to
the position of Portland Police Chief.
I feel that he has the ability and
qualifications. I sincerely hope that
Portland, the M ayor and the City
Council respect him and let hint lead
instead o f handcuffing him as a
figurehead.
He was brought into this posi­
tion am ong the criticism and con­
troversy surrounding the killing o f
a young black m other, K endra
Jam es by Scott M cC ollister. This
death brought about a lot o f pain
and a com plete distrust with a lot o f
us in the A frican-A m erican com ­
m unity. T here has been a lot o f
killing in the black com m unity by
police that alw ays w ind up with the
sam e verdict, not guilty on the part
o f the police. H ow ever, the out­
com e has alw ays been predictable,
with little outcry from the com m u­
nity, but not this tim e. The m inis­
ters and the city as a w hole wanted
to dig deeper.
P ortland has alw ay s tried to
avoid controversy when we rise up
to dispute unfair treatm ent. The
school district w as facing a lot o f
heat over unfair desegregation and
n ev er h aving had an A frican-
A m erican Q ueen o f Rosaria. We
did get our first queen, the first in
the history o f this state.
We also had the first black su­
perintendent after they fired Dr.
Blanchard. Once again we quieted
dow n so m ew h at, even though
nothing w as really accom plished.
W e got the school and program
changed but the achievem ent that
we had hoped for has never been
realized, so the controversy goes
on and on.
I have seen all o f these strate­
gies over the years and we quiet
dow n. The figurehead that has
been used to q uiet the division
soon loses that position. I am only
looking at the history for the past
4 0 plus years o f this city ’s politics.
I hope the M ayor will look at
C h ief Foxw orth with dignity and
respect and as a police ch ief who
can have a w onderful future and
w ho will serve the w hole city.
Vesia Loving
North Portland
Jackson Hall Expansion Celebrated
Dean Ollee returns
fo r open house
PortlandCommunity College will
celebrate the addition and rem odel­
ing o f Jackson Hall in an open house
and tours on W ednesday, Oct. 29
ffom 4to6p.m .,705N.K illingsw orth
St. There will be a b rief program at
4:30p.m.
M ildred O llee, form erexecutive Portland, made possible through a fall o f 1985 w ith the R ev. Jo h n H.
dean o f the C ascade C am pus, who $144 m illion bond passed in No­ Jack so n p erfo rm in g the c e re m o ­
last m onth assum ed the presidency vem ber 2000. The Cascade Cam pus nial rib b o n c u ttin g . T h e P C C
o f Seattle C entral C om m unity C ol­ w ill see $57 million in improvements B oard nam ed the b u ild in g a fter
lege, will return to the school as a over the next several years.
the late R ev. Jack so n , w ho w as
featured speaker during the cel­
T he $6.2 m illion ad d itio n and p a s to r o f M t. O liv e t B a p tis t
ebration.
rem odel o f Jack so n H all adds six C h u rch in n o rth east P o rtlan d , to
The opening o f the addition to new scien ce lab o rato ries, fo r a honor his com m itm ent to the co m ­
Jackson Hall m arks the start o f a total o f eig h t labs. It also adds m u n ity , to ed u c a tio n and to o p ­
significant educational investm ent f o u r
new
c la s s r o o m s . p o rtu n ities fo r A frican A m erican
by PC C to north and northeast T he build in g first o p en ed in the y o u th .
Y M M M W M M I
15-1
Student-Teacher
Ratio
State-Standard
Curriculum
Just Regular
Kids Who Are
Willing to Learn
Free Public School - No Tuition
Accepting 6th Grade Transfer Students Today!
Taking Applications for
Next Year 6th & 7th Grade Students
VICTORY MIDDLE SCHOOL
at the Blazers Boys and Girls Club
5250NEMLK
503-789-9099
Civil Rights Leader to Speak at UO
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the
y o u n g e st sp e a k e r at th e 1963
M arch on W ashington and a long­
time key figure in the U.S. ci vii rights
m ovem ent, will deliver a presiden­
tial lecture on "Peace, Social Change
and Justice” on M onday, Nov. 10
at the U niversity o f O regon, Erb
M emorial Union Ballroom, 1222E.
13th Ave., Eugene.
Lewis has been at the vanguard of
progressive social causes and hu­
man rights struggles. As a Fisk Uni­
versity student, he organized sit-ins
at segregated lunch counters around
Nashville. In 19 6 1, he participated in
the Freedom Rides, organized to
challenge segregation at bus term i­
nals throughout the South and was
beaten severely by mobs.
From 1963-66, Lewis chaired the
Student N onviolent C oordinating
C om m ittee, w hich he earlier had
helped create. SN CC w as respon­
sible for m uch o f the civil disobedi­
ence that drew national attention to
the civil rights m ovem ent. A mong
the most prom inent o f those events
w as a m arch over the Edm und
Pettus B ridge in Selm a, Ala., orga-
nized by Lew is and H osea W ill­
iams. M ore than 600 activists par­
ticipated, and many were attacked
by state troopers in a confronta­
tio n th a t b e c a m e k n o w n as
“Bloody Sunday.” The march was
acataly stfo rth e landm ark Voting
R ights Act o f 1965. A contem po­
rary and associate o f the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was
regarded as one o f the m ost cou­
rageous leaders o f the civil rights
movement.
E lected to the A tlanta City
Council in 1981, Lewis served until
1986, when he m ounted a suc­
cessful bid to represent G eorgia’s
5th C ongressional District.
For more information about the
lecture, call 541 -346-3036.
National College
Fair Coming
High school students can get their
questions about applying to college,
answered at the free Portland N a­
tional College Fair on Friday, Nov 7
and Saturday, Nov 8 from 9 am to 1 pm
at the O regon Convention Center.
R epresentatives from over 240
colleges and universities nationw ide
will be available to answ er ques­
tions. Inform ation sessions on col­
lege planning, applying for financial
aid, scholarships, essay w riting and
using technology will also be of­
fered both days.
This event is sponsored by the
N ational A ssociation for C ollege
Admission Counseling. For more in­
formation contact Joe Bernard at 503-
520-4713orvisitw w w .nacac.com .