50(¿
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Meth Most Wanted
23AM
Police raid one of top meth
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see page B2, inside
‘City of P R Roses’ 5
a- . I I » I
Volume XXXV. Number 12
Weekin
TheReview
Superstar Lawyer
Johnnie Cochran Dies
Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., who
became a legal superstar after
helping clear O.J. Simpson dur­
ing a sensational murder trial in
which he uttered the famous
quote “If it doesn't fit, you must
acquit,” died Tuesday. He was
67. Cochran died of a brain tumor
at his home in Los Angeles, his
family said.
With his colorful suits and
ties, his gift for courtroom ora­
tory and a knack for coining
m em orable phrases, Cochran
was a vivid addition to the pan­
theon of best-known American
barristers.
For Cochran, O.J. Simpson’s
acq u ittal w as the crow ning
achievement in a career notable
for victories, often in cases with
racial themes.
He remained a beloved figure
in the black community, admired
as a lawyer who was relentless in
his pursuit of justice and as a
philanthropist who helped fund
a UCLA scholarship, a low-in­
come housing complex and a New
Jersey legal academy, among
other charitable endeavors. Look
fo r fu l I story in next week's Port­
land Observer.
330 Found Dead in
Indonesia Quake
Indonesians searched through
smoldering rubble for survivors
on Nias islandTuesday and rela­
tives wept over the bodies of the
dead after an 8.7-magnitude earth­
quake hammered the region, trig­
gering a tsunami scare and kill­
ing at least 330 people. Some
officials said the death toll could
rise as high as 2,000.
Jesse Jackson Prays With
Schiavo’s Parents
AsTerri Schiavoentered her 12th
full day without food or water,
the Rev. Jesse Jackson prayed
with her parents Tuesday and
joined conservatives in calling
for state lawmakers to order her
feeding tube reinserted. The
former Democratic presidential
c a n d id a te w as in v ite d by
Schiavo’s parents to meet with
activists outside Schiavo’s hos­
pice. His arrival was greeted by
some applause and cries of “This
is about civil rights!”
Clocks move one hour
ahead at 2 a.m. Sunday
for Daylight Savings Time
Established in 1970
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ûri/O
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Wednesday • March 30. 2005
Board Votes to Close Three Northeast Schools
Cuts Proposed
for Area Schools
M ark W ashington /
T he P ortland O bserver
photos by
Decision still
pending on the
Jefferson merger
It’s been decided: northeast Portland’s
Applegate Elementary will shutdown and
merge with Woodlawn Elementary, Kenton
Elementary will close and merge with Chief
Joseph Elementary, and W hitaker Middle
School will close and merge with Tubman
Middle School. Changes are expected to
be made this fall.
It has yet to be decided whether any of
these middle schools will merge with
Jefferson High School in 2006, spanning
the grades from 7 to 12. A final vote will be
taken December of this year.
Superintendent Vicki Phillips has m ade-
a proposal to study middle school stu­
dents in a high school environment before
any decisions are reached.
Other concerns about merging with
Jefferson include m ore students per
teacher and the substandard quality of
the building, according to the Neighbor­
hood Schools Alliance.
The choice was made several weeks
after the school board voted to close
Edward, Richmond and Smith Elementary
Schools.
Lack o f enrollment, dilapidated build
ing structure and low funding prompted
the six closures.
The budget for next year is facing a
Beyond the grand scope of a school build­
ing closing are the individuals affected by
budget cuts. Teachers and staff will lose
their jobs, education program s w ill be
trimmed, students enrolled in athletic pro­
grams will face higher fees, and wages, along
with health care premiums, will be frozen for
all school employees except teachers.
Superintendent Vicki Phillips' proposed
budget for the 2005-2006 academic year in­
cludes $51 million in cuts over the next two
years.
The district will also lose property taxes
because it is not asking voters to continue to
renew the levy passed in 2000.
Under Phillips’ plan, high schools would
have one staff position for every 23 stu­
dents, while schools with high numbers of
poor students would receive more positions.
Money given by the Legislature in 1997 to
finance Portland’s desegregation plan will
be cut when the $7.6 million expires at the end
o f this school year. This money goes to
schools with relatively high percentages of
African American students.
Despite a possible m erger o f middle
schools into Jefferson High School, the cam ­
pus would lose 26 staff members next year.
Marshall High School, which recently
turned from one comprehensive high school
into four specialized schools w ith the idea of
raising student achievement levels, may have
to cut one its schools. The 200 students in
that school would be transferred to another
campus.
Being involved in athletics would become
a little less attainable with fees per sport
being raised from $ 125 to $ 175 to raise district
revenue, along with higher admission for
athletic events.
A recent Census study showed the O r­
egon ranks 31” in school spending, drop­
ping from a previous rank of 20"' in the nation.
This results in nearly $1000 per-student be­
low the national average. Oregon also ranked
Kenton and Applegate schools are two o f six being closed in Portland. Both
among the bottom-fifth o f states for instruc­
have been in operation » for decades.
tor salaries, while being among the highest
possible $51 million setback, which would recommended that with funding and some in spending on health insurance and pen­
eliminate 261 full-time positions among PERS savings, that deficit number be re­ sion benefits.
teachers and staff. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has vised to $32 million.
Arts Scene Flourishes
on Alberta
Last Thursday sprinkles street with flavor
by K atherine K ovacich
T he P ortland O bserver
There’s a stretch of road in northeast Portland
where a variety of small businesses flourish, where
the taquerias are arguably the best in town and
where on the last Thursday of every month, eclec­
tic crafty types, bohemian artists and extroverted
musicians can claim a space on the crowded side­
walk to showcase, and maybe even sell, their
works. It’s Alberta Street and it’s growing.
Art on Alberta is one entity that's sprinkling the
street with flavor. Colorful murals, eye-catching
banners and metal sculptures are pieces made
possible by the non-profit group, and one hardly
has to walk inside a building to feel as through
they’re in a showcase. But they do, especially on
Last Thursday.
“If you're a new business and you've just
opened up you get a parade of people passing by,
it’su p to y o u to get people to come in," said Donna
Guardino, owner of Guardino Gallery. “That par­
ticular night introduces businesses to a whole
bunch of new people."
Whole new landscape
W hat's refreshing, Guardino said, is the amount
of small, first time, entrepreneurial businesses that
support the art community. Whether a coffee
shop, a vintage clothing bou­
tique or a pizza joint, pieces by
local a rtists are d isp lay ed
monthly, with receptions held
on that unique event every
month that’s been taking place
for the past seven years.
Alberta shops put pride in
exposing the average person to
art.
“For some people it’s kind of
surprise to them. It's fun and
more accessible, more afford­
able," Guardino said. “It’s an
experience where a lot of people
who have put art in a special
place away from them find that
it’s more touchable.”
An abstract mural sits between 22nd and 23rd Street, crossing
with Alberta, offering a bright aesthetic to the road.
continued
on page A6
photon by
K atherine K ovach h /T he P orti
and O bserver
Allan Oliver, owner of Onda Arte Latina and co-founder and president o f
Art on Alberta, stands outside his gallery on Alberta Street.
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