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Locally Owned Market Gives Back
Concordia New Seasons
Market employee Shannon
Liedtke greets customers with
cake and ice cream Saturday
during the store's fourth
anniversary celebration. Since
opening its first New Seasons
Market in the Raleigh Hills
neighborhood in 2000, New
Seasons has demonstrated its
commitment to giving back to
the community by supporting
local growers, hiring within the
community and donating to
nonprofits. In 2003, New
Seasons was awarded the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal
o f Honor for Social and Eco
nomic Justice by northeast
Portland's St. Andrew Catholic
Church.
P hoto by M ark W ashington /
T he P ortland O bserver
an equal o p p ortun ity employer
MULTNOMAH
county
www.multcojobs.org
March 03.2004
Seattle NAACP Files $10 Million Lawsuit
School security
accused of undue
force, abuse
(AP) — The NAACPfileiiaSIO
million claim against a suburban
school district Monday alleging
discrimination against black stu
dents by security guards at two
schools south o f Seattle.
The claim was filed on behalf of
three female students and their fami
lies who contend they were “vio
lated and humiliated with undue
use o f force, handcuffing and
physical and mental abuse.”
The families each are asking for
more than $3.3 million in damages,
arguing that their children's civil
rights were violated.
Two girls, students at Meeker
Junior High, allegedly were mis
treated by a white security guard at
the school, said Carl Mack, presi
dent of the Seattle chapter of the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People.
A third student allegedly suf
fered similar treatment at Kent
Meridian High School.
“Clearly w e're appalled. When
you start handcuffing children and
throwing them up against lockers
you’ve reached an all new low with
us,” Mack said before delivering
the complaint Monday morning to
A Boost
for Small
Business
Margaret Whitney, the district’s
assistant superintendent.
The district has 60 days to re
spond to the claim; after that the
group can file a lawsuit.
The NAACP learned of the al
leged incidents late last year when
a parent, Shuloney Williams, com
plained that on several occasions a
security guard at the junior high
students. Ebony Smith and Shetoia
Ellis.
Smith, 15, alleges that in spring
2003, she was handcuffed by
M engino, as w ell as p ep p er
sprayed.
The complaint alleges that Ellis
suffered back injuries as a result of
her treatment Oct. 3 by two guards
at Kent Meridian. Ellis also said she
\ Clearly w e’re appalled.
When you start handcuffing
children and throwing them up
against lockers y o u ’ve reached
an all new low with us.
- Carl Mack, Seattle NAACP president
school had assaulted her 15-year-
old daughter, Shuvonyeh Veasley.
On March 15, Veasley was argu
ing with another student at the
school when guard Gayle Mengino
“came up from behind Shuvonyeh,
grabbed her by the hair, threw her
into the lockers and then to the
ground," handcuffing the child, the
complaint said.
In September, Veasley was again
handcuffed by Mengino "for not
sitting down” while in the vice
principal's office, according to the
claim.
The three-page claim includes
similar complaints from two other
Running a successful small
business is challenge enough.
For women and minorities, a
lack of exposure and support
can add to the struggle.
tried defending herself, resulting in
the district filing a fourth-degree
assault charge.
Mack said he tried negotiating
with the district in mid-December,
asking school officials to place the
guards on administrative leave and
investigate the matter.
He contends the abuse would
not have happened if the students
had been white.
'T w o of the girls were handcuffed
by the same security guard who tends
to show the same pattern toward our
children,” Mack said. "What this is
showing is an incredible amount of
cultural insensitivity.”
Landing government con
tracts can make a big differ
ence for small business own
ers and make strides to build
ing and strengthening a di
verse community. Those
interested can print the reg
istra tio n
form
from
www.hud.gov/washington
orcall 1-877-741-3281.
y u r t ( y u r t) n . O R E G O N I A N
fo r
W arm
and
D
ry .
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In Mongolia yurts are made of yak hide
and yak hair. In Oregon, yurts are made of
wood and fa b ric and they are giving
Oregonians a whole new way to enjoy
camping in our state parks - especially in
the off-season.
A yu rt is a round, canvas-sided building
that has a solid plywood floor underfoot
and a sturdy roof overhead. They come
equipped with electricity, heat and furniture
to comfortably sleep a family of five.
W ith the help of funding from the Oregon
Lottery, State Parks offers 190 yurts in
parks from Wallowa Lake to Harris Beach
- and Lottery profits are being used to
add more every year. Yurts make camping
easy, comfortable and fun in any weather.
And more yurts mean more people can
enjoy camping in Oregon's State Parks
more often.
O R EG O N
LOTTERY
It does good things
O ve r $ 1 2 3 m illio n in L o tte ry p r o f it s have gone to O regon S ta te Parks since
J999.
L o tte ry p r o fits also s u p p o rt e d u c a tio n , jo b c re a tio n a nd w a te rsh e d enhancem ent p ro je c ts across the state .
oregonlottery.org
L o U ty garnet a rt ba sed on chance and should he plajed fo r entertainment only.
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