Life Change
Moms Against Guns
Church testifies to
faith after years of struggle
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Rally supports ban
o f assault weapons
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‘City of Roses’
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXIV • Number 32
TlW e e k in
TheReview
Disaster Aid Flows to Victims
F e d e ra l d is a s te r a s sista n c e
money started flowing to Hurri­
cane Charley ’ s victims in Florida
Tuesday, but hundreds o f thou­
sands still had no phones, no
running water, no diapers for the
baby and no gas to fill the tank.
At least 17 people were killed by
the storm and officials estimate it
caused as much as $ 11 billion in
damage to insured homes alone.
Winfrey Picked for Jury
Oprah W infrey was picked to
serve on a jury at Cook County
C rim inal C ourt in C hicago.
W infrey walked into the court­
house Monday through an alter­
nate entrance to avoid crowds.
But officials said once inside the
courtroom, she w ouldn’t receive
any special treatment.
Shot at Olympic Record Sunk
Australian Ian Thorpe won the
most anticipated duel at the Olym­
pic pool in Greece, taking gold in
the 200-meter freestyle Monday
night and ensuring that Ameri­
can Michael Phelps w on’t match
Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold
medals.
Bush Reassigns Europe Troops
President Bush announced plans
to shift as many as 70,000 U.S.
‘ troops who are now stationed in
W estern Europe and Asia in one
o f the largest realignments since
the end o f the Cold War. Some of
the troops would be moved to
posts in Eastern Europe while
others would be based in the
United States, available for de­
ployment overseas, White House
officials said.
Anarchists Consider Voting
A group o f anarchists is taking
an unusual step to make its politi­
cal voice heard - going to the
polls. Anarchists generally pride
themselves on their rejection of
government and its authority. But
a faction o f them fed up with the
war in Iraq say they plan to cast
anti-Bush votes this fall.
Harry Potter Title Announced
“H arry P otter” novelist J.K.
Rowling says her young hero
will survive to the seventh book
in her series about the young
w iza rd , but re fu se d to say
whether he would reach adult­
hood. She is still working on the
sixth book, titled: “Harry Potter
and the Half Blood Prince."
I
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • August 18. 2004
PCC Leaderson Top
Growing
campuses
under new
management
by J aymee R. C u n
T he P ortland O bserver
Portland Com m unity College,
under new management, vows to
make gains in north and northeast
Portland and beyond by becoming
a college o f the community, not just
in the community.
The PCC Cascade Campus at 705
N. Killingsworth, is spilling into its
urban neighborhood by expanding
its campus by a third. A Public Ser­
vices Building, providing fire fight­
ing, emergency medical technician
and criminal justice training, will
open by the fall term. Also opening
at Cascade in September are the
Technology Building, P.E. Building
and an addition to Jackson Hall.
New buildings will be added to
thePCC Sylvania, Rock Creek and
Southeast campuses as well.
Besides the new accom m oda­
tions, the Cascade campus and
entire college system are also w el­
coming new presidents.
Dr. Algie Gatewood was hired for
Cascade in April and took his post
on June 14. Gatewood moved to
Portland from North Carolina, where
he served as the assistant director of
the North Carolina State Education
Assistance Authority of the Univer­
sity o f North C arolina overseeing
health, education and welfare.
G atew ood w as hired by Dr.
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Portland Community College President Preston Pulliams (left), the new chief executive o f the entire community college system and
Algle Gatewood, the new president o f the PCC Cascade Campus, tour the greatly expanding Cascade campus on North Killingsworth
and Albina Avenues.
Preston Pulliams who became the criticized for not appointing people
presid en t o f PCC last M arch. o f color to leadership positions.
Pulliams previously was vice-chan­
“I’m com m itted to diversity,”
cellor for Community Colleges for Gatewood said. “We have a very
the State University of New York in diverse faculty and staff and we are
Albany.
a very diverse campus. We want to
Some see the two African Ameri­ build diversity in terms o f the stu­
cans, as helping to change the im­ dent population as well, to address
age o f the city, which has been the needs o f the com m unity.”
B esides increasing diversity
among his staff, Pulliams says he
will fight for government dollars to
support education.
“ I have to carry the message to
elected officials that we are here to
serve the com m unity. I know they
have some tough choices to make
but a priority should be educa­
tion,” Pulliams said.
The bond measure supporting the
building renovations has also put
minorities, women and small busi­
nesses to work.
The college has awarded a third
of contracts to minority- and women
continued
on page A2
Low Marks
for Schools
Momentum for
improvement promised
The Oregon Department o f Education has
released the ratings for Portland schools testing
under the No Child Left Behind federal law.
Tw enty-four local schools were identified as not
meeting adequate yearly progress. The number
includes all 11 highschools, nine middle schools
and five elementary schools.
All o f the middle and elementary schools are
located on the east side o f the W illamette River.
“This report is a window into our strengths
and challenges,” said Vicki Phillips, the newly
appointed superintendent. “T he results show
that we are making progress in some areas, but
it also shows we need to maintain a relentless
focus on teaching and learning to reach expec­
tations."
Middle schools not meeting the requirements
o f the law, include Beaumont Middle School,
G regory H eights M iddle School, W hitaker
Middle School o f northeast Portland; George
Middle School, Ockley Green Middle School,
Tubm an M iddle School o f north Portland;
Binnsmead Middle School, Lane Middle School
and Kellogg Middle School o f southeast Port­
land.
Identified elementary schools include Bridger
Elementary School, Llewellyn Elementary School,
Sunnyside Elementary School o f southeast Port­
land; Vestal Elementary School and Woodlawn
Elementary School of northeast Portland.
“Student achievement is the primary focus of
the School Board,” said Lolenzo Poe, Portland
Public School Board co-chair. “We are confident
that the hiring o f our new superintendent. Vicki
Phillips, will result in reforms that will help the
school district meet the high expectations set by
the No Child Left Behind Act. It is the board’s
intention to diligently m onitor the school
district’s progress toward these goals."
photo by
M ichael R ubenstein /T he P ortland O bserver
Presidential candidate John Kerry salutes at Waterfront Park in downtown Portland Friday during a rally that drew an
estimated 50,000 people.
Multitude Greets Kerry in Portland
Bush also visits in
election battle
(A P)— Democratic presidential nomi­
nee John Kerry ended a two-week cross­
country campaign swing in Portland Fri­
day, where he and celebrity supporters
got a rousing welcome from the largest
crowd to attend a political speech here in
at least a decade.
Portland fire officials estim ated the
crow d at betw een 4 0,000 and 50,000
people on the W illam ette R iver w ate r­
front, on a day when P resident Bush
was cam paigning just a few m iles away.
W hen K erry took the stag e in P o rt­
land, he fo cu sed m ain ly on n atio n al
issu es — in c lu d in g w ar and tax re ­
form — that have c ro p p e d up o ften
d u rin g his “ B elieve in A m eric a" to u r
th a t b eg an a fte r he a c c e p te d the
D em ocratic nom ination in Boston tw o
w eek s ago.
Flanked by small-business owners.
President Bush touted his economic poli­
cies during an invitation-only town hall
meeting at Southridge High School in
Beaverton.
Bush acknowledged O regon's high
t
jobless rate but said the economy was
recovering in the Northwest and nation­
wide.
The same-day visits by both candi­
dates are a sign of O regon’s status as a
swing state and its importance to both
parties, despite its scant seven electoral
votes.
Kerry was introduced by, among oth­
ers. actor Leonardo DiCaprio and rocker
Jon Bon Jovi. DiCaprio. wearing jeans and
a baseball cap, praised Kerry for his envi­
ronmental policies. Bon Jovi didn't speak,
but played the 80s hits "Li ving on a Prayer"
and “Dead or Alive.”
I