50(¿ Spring Forward Meth Most Wanted 23AM Police raid one of top meth labs in Multnomah County 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 I ......... 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. 1