Spotlight on Health
Terrell Brandon Assist
Hundreds join second annual
Wellness Within REACH Walk
Local NBA star prepares
kids for court and classroom
See Metro section, inside
‘City of Roses’
See Sports, page B6
w r
'Jpartlanh ©EserXier
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXIV • Number 35
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • September 8. 2004
ality in the Workplace
Frances Ends
Florida Assault
New Seasons president lends
significant community impact
by J ohanna S. K ing
T he P ortland O bserver
M otivated and determined to make a
lasting impact on his local community, Brian
Rohter, president and co-founder of New
Seasons Market will be recognized this fall
at theLrban League of Portland Equal Op­
portunity Day Dinner for his outstanding
efforts in working to achieve equality for
all.
Frances wound up a two-prong
assault on Florida that pounded
both the central part o f the state
and the Panhandle, leaving storm-
weary residents with flooding,
frayed nerves and shortages of
everyday items such as gas, ice j
The award honors individuals residing
in the Portland metropolitan area that have
made significant contributions to the cause
of equality in education, employment and
economic development.
"'(Rohter) was chosen as an individual
who had made an overall significant differ­
ence in the dynamics of com m unity.” said
V anessa Gaston, president and CEO of The
Urban League o f Portland. "This isour way
of saying thank you for laboring amongst
our own to foster an encouraging improve­
ment.”
The journey began in 1999 when three
and water. At least 14 deaths were
blamed on the storm in Florida and
Georgia.
Inmate Charged
in 1968 Murder
A W ashington man already serv­
ing two life sentences for murder
has been charged with com mit­
ting what prosecutors say is the
state's oldest unsolved crime, the I
Will Shabazz and Ginny Sorensen
1968 fatal stabbing of a pregnant
prepares
culinary delights at the new
teenager.
families and about 50 o f their friends decided
to create a business they could be proud of
- a company that had true commitment to its
community, to maintaining a progressive and
diverse workplace and to promoting sustain­
able and strong local agriculture.
Five years later, under Rohter’s leader­
ship, that vision has been realized with five
Portland area New Seasons locations, more
than 8(X) employees and ongoing relation­
ships with dozens of community partners. He
also strives to reach out and hire diverse
individuals in all his stores.
Rohter believes that, because New Sea­
sons Market is locally owned and operated,
he and the company have a duty to contrib­
ute to Portland's environment o f equity, op­
portunity and health. Leading the effort to
develop the com er of Killingsworth and NE
33rd he invested in a neighborhood that was
blight and abandoned by other investors.
The improvements are remarkable. Today.
Seven Corners New Seasons Market in
southeast Portland.
Nevada Stages
Huge Cook-Off
Some 3(X),(XX)people areexpected
to pig out on about 130,(XX) pounds
ofporkribsduringthe 16th annual
Best in the West Nugget RibCook-
off in Nevada which got off to a
sizzling start over the Labor Day
weekend.
'.4
1 ' v-7.
Waving flags and banners, tens
of thousands of Russians dem on­
strated against terrorism Tuesday,
massing outside the Kremlin in
response to calls for solidarity by
President Vladimir Putin’s gov-1
em ment after a series o f deadly
attacks that have killed more than
400 people.
New Seasons President Brian Rohter is
recognized by the Urban Leauge of
Portland for strengthening his commu­
nity and building a diverse workforce.
P hotos courtesy
oe F ritz I jedtke oe F ritz P hoto
‘Swamp Pop’
Singer Joe Barry Dies
Hard-living swamp pop performer
Joe Barry, whose I960 version of
"I’m aFool toC are" put him in the
national spotlight, died Aug. 31.
He was 65.
New Seasons Market's latest offering, the Seven Corners
A new store on North Interstate and Portland Boulevard is
Education Opt lO iiS
“Jeopardy!" master Ken Jennings
has advanced his winning streak
to 39, picking up another $ 10 ,0 0 1
Education
and bringing his total money won I
to$l,331,661.
'-n
’. M
Russians Rally
Against Terror
Jeopardy Winning
Streak Continues
tjfcs
opened on Sept. 1
SEI Academy adds creative learning opportunities
Director Natasha
Butler oversees SEI
Academy, a new
charter school in
north Portland.
"First things First" is just one o f the
innovations SEI is using to tip the odds of
success in its favor as it opens a charter
school on its inner-north Portland campus
this fall.
manager. All teachers have at least five
“It’s an opportunity for all students and years experience and classroom materials,
the staff to get together as a team, to examine
including textbooks, are either current or
the spirit o f the group and set up the day,” cutting edge.
said Natasha Butler, education director for
Each year, the school will add a new sixth
SEI Academy. "It's an open place where grade class until it operates as a full middle
students feel they can express themselves, school with 150 sixth, seventh and eighth
vent, clear the air. so they can walk in the grader.
classrooms and focus on academics."
SEI Academy opens Sept. 8 with 50 sixth
Butler holds the role o f principal at SEI.
grade students and 15 on the waiting list.
The academy has a 12 to I student-to-edu-
To introduce the academy and draw in the
cator ratio, including two full-time teachers, community, the morning will begin with a
two part-time teaching assistants, a full-time continental breakfast for students and their
youth service coordinator, and a project parents, the SEI education team and local
Language Arts and social studies teacher Carl Reinhold looks throut
materials.
photos by M i < haei R ubenstein /T he P orti
dignitaries including Oregon Dept. o f Edu-
cation ( hiel Policy Officer Patrick Burk,
State Senator Margaret Carter and Tony
Hopson, president and founder o f SEI.
Kids will then be dismissed to receive
new backpacks full of school supplies,
provided by SEI. before heading o ff totheir
firstclass.T heirunifonnsof navy and khaki
were also provided, free o f charge.
"All they have to do is show up," said
Butler of the supplies SEI Academy pro-
vides. She says the school is in discus-
sions about getting laptop com puters do­
nated to every student.
Academy visionaries saw
natural extension to the afters
that SEI has been providing t
and northeast Portland for 23
SEI. which has a95 percent
among its high school partic
ping its track record o facad e
develop the academy 's curri
extend to the classroom SETs
lationship model." which worl
all fronts, by developing and
issues including individual,
continued
on pa