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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2004)
50<¿ Kerry Rallies Portland Presidential candidate stops at SEI, holds downtown rally See story and photos, page A3 lattò ‘City of Roses’ Established In 1970 www.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXIV • Number 20 Wednesday • May 19. 2004 T. Week ¡n TheReview Head of Iraqi Council Killed A suicide bombing killed the head o f the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council as his car waited at a checkpoint near coalition headquarters M on day, a major setback to Am eri can efforts to stabilize Iraq just six weeks before the handover of sovereignty. Butterfly Discovery About 500 rare butterflies were recently found thriving in the hills nearCorvallis, thrilling con servationists who hope the col orful Tay lor’s checkerspot will fight back from near extinc tion. Following Orders One of the Army privates fac ing a court-martial for being photographed with naked Iraqi prisoners says she was follow ing orders to create psycho logical pressure on them. Massachusetts Marries Gay Couples More than 1,000 gay couples sought applications for mar riage licenses on the first day M assachusetts becam e the first state to allow same-sex couples to legally wed, a sur vey of the largest cities and towns in the state showed. Possible WMD Found U. S. soldiers found a roadside bomb containing sarin nerve agent in Baghdad, the military said M onday. The device, which partially detonated, was apparently a decade-old left over from Saddam Hussein’s arsenals. Moore’s ‘Fahrenheit’ Targets Vote Michael Moore lit a powder keg at the Cannes Film Festi val with his incendiary “Fahr enheit 9/11,” a relentless cri tique of the Bush administra tion. If Moore can get the movie into U.S. theaters this sum mer, the film could become a rallying cry for voters hoping to see President Bush d e feated. Mystifying the Trxxjps Local magic troupe takes act to U.S, military overseas Bv J aymee R. C uti T he P ortland O bserver A troupe o f magicians and performers from the Northwest will entertain U.S. mili tary troops and their families in Okinawa, Guam, Kwajalein and the Hawaiian Islands during a 22-day trip starting this week. Magician Charles Adam Parsons, a.k.a. “Adam the Great” is disappearing from Billy R eed's Restaurant in northeast Portland to join Roger Ullenberg, better known as Cosmo the Balloon Wizard, Ringmaster Elisa Hays and essential hand Rebecca Sullivan of the "L et’s Pretend Circus.” Parsons o f Vancouver has been per forming dinner shows and weekly stage shows at Billy Reed’s for three years. H e’s looking forward to adding “international entertainer” to his resume. “I’ve performed in a lot o f venues in H ig h Portland. To be involved in this venue is a great opportunity,” Parsons said. “I’ve got a lot o f respect for these cats; the men and women in the m ilitary.” Next, h e’s also looking for a slot on the T onight Show and he thinks that en ter taining the troops, arranged by Arm ed Forces E ntertainm ent, m ight take him there. For Ullenberg, this will be his third tour K id s overseas to entertain the American military. He says these shows are incredibly re warding because he brightens the day of children living on far off military bases. “Balloons have been very good to me,” said Ullenberg, known for sculpting and contorting balloons into whimsical animals in no time flat. “They’ve taken me around the continued on page A6 Project Safe Takes Aim at Guns Offers resources and safety information War Budget to Exceed $50 Billion The Bush administration ’ s next request for financing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will push next year’s total beyond $50 billion, a top Pentagon official told Congress. Whitaker Middle School students Grace Tshimanga (clockwise from left), James Noeun, Jason Warner, Leandrea Riggins and Adilene Amaro participated in the Intel high-tech science fair at the Oregon Convention Center. P hoto by M ark W abhington ZT he P ortland O bserver Intel is helping to turn sharp and curious kids into a force of technological leaders in the future. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair last week at the Oregon Convention Center included middle schoolers from around the world, including kids from north and northeast Portland enrolled in Saturday Academy. The effort was part of an initiative between educators and government leaders aimed at helping students prepare for the high-tech career demands of tomorrow. Locally, Saturday Academy engages young people in hands on, in-depth learning and problem solving focusing on science, engineering and technology. “It takes a lot of support for students to participate in science fairs. This project levels the playing field by provid ing materials and mentoring to students who need it,” said Joyce Cressell, the program's executive director. “These are our future scientists, doctors and engineers. Through projects like this, we seed the future.” A group o f Saturday Academy students from Whitaker Middle School engaged in science projects that included fizzing bubbles, changing temperatures, water density and smashing rocks. An effort has been launched to reduce gun crim es in local neighborhoods with the distribution o f information about how residents can help com bat the deadly violence in their neighborhoods. Project Safe N eigh borhoods Oregon is a national gun vio lence re d u ctio n initiative that en c o u rag es fe d eral, state and local law e n fo rc e m e n t and com m unity lead ers to work together to reduce gun crime. T h e g ro u p h as e s ta b lis h e d a w e b s ite at www.PSNOregon.org to reach Kith the public and law enforcement officials with vital information, including when and where to report illegal gun possession, how com m unity members can actively keep guns out o f their neighborhood, training opportunities for members o f law enforcem ent agencies and information about domestic violence. ’The new W eb site is another valuable tool that will help the public get involved in the effort to reduce gun crim e in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney for the district of Oregon Karin Immergut. In Oregon, the program specifically targets gang-related gun violence, crimes of domestic violence in which a firearm is involved and armed career criminals. Nationally. Project Safe Neighborhtxxf set a record in 2002 for increasing the number of defendants federally charged with gun-related crimes by 20 percent. In 2003, the program set a new Justice Department record with nearly 23 percent more defendants charged with federal firearm-related crimes.
