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<ri’f' ^ J o r t l a n ù ( © b s e r u e r ________________________________________ May 11.200s
Metro Promotes Composting
M etro’s popular com post
bin sale is com ing to town,
and organizers are preparing
to distribute thousands of the
popular shiny black Earth
M achines.
The Earth M achine com
post bins, which normally re
tails for about $80, will be
sold for $35 at 10 locations
Saturday, May 14, including
the Portland Community Col
leg e C a sc a d e C am p u s in
north Portland.
M etro C ouncil P resident
David Bragdon says that the
simple act of composting brings
a num ber of benefits to the
region and the environm ent.
“W hen people compost their
yard debris and kitchen scraps,
it saves the gas and oil that
yard debris haulers would use
to pick up those m aterials.
Also, by using compost to build
healthy soil for natural gar-
dening, people don’t need to
use pesticides and chem icals
in their yards, which can harm
beneficial bugs and w ildlife
habitat,” he said.
For more information about
the bin sale, call M etro R e
cycling Inform ation at 503-
234-3000. The M etro website
at w w w .m e tro -re g io n .o rg
has directions to the sales
sites and inform ation on how
to order a bin online.
Are you a woman
of a "certain age?"
photo by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Jefferson students show their displeasure with proposed cuts to their north Portland school. One
sign compares the possible cut o f 26 teachers and staff at Jefferson High School to the proposed
no cuts in staff at cross-town rival Lincoln High in southwest Portland.
Are you a African American woman between
35 and 55 years old?
Jefferson Loses One-Third of Staff
continued
from Front
creating our small school. We spent
years moving in the direction we
were moving in and building the
framework for the model that we
had. Without these funds it’s diffi
cult to implement it.”
The anger and dismay among
Jefferson was apparent when, at
1:30 p.m. on Thursday, students
and teachers began to file out
through the halls in a walk-out pro
test.
A fire alarm went off, suspected
to be a student’s doing, and the
main field became filled with youth
screaming “No More Cuts! What?
No More Cuts!”
“They’re upset. It’s a lousy situ
ation. Some (teachers) have threat
ened to leave and follow the teach
ers th a t’re leav in g ,” said Rus
Steinebach, a science instructor at
Jefferson for 7 years. “The kids
tend to be very loyal to the staff.”
Sam M o rto n , a ju n io r at
Jefferson, held a large red sign stat
ing “Stop breaking up my family.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Morton said.
Help us evaluate a program about sex and relationships!
$20 for your time
When we heard they were cutting out
teachers, it was devastating. There was
already enough drama at Jefferson.
Fill out 2 surveys and try a new
computer software program
- Angel Cobb, Jefferson High School student
“It’s not even comparable to the
other school cuts. Already our test
scores aren’t the best."
A huge mass of students joined
together and marched twice around
the perimeter of the school with
unified shouts and hom em ade
signs. One junior at the forefront
was Angel Cobb, who helped stage
the event.
“When we heard they were cut
ting out teachers, it was devastat
ing. There was already enough
drama at Jefferson,” Cobb said.
“W e’re livid. They’re cutting our
futures. They’re more than teach
ers - this is a family, a community.
It’s more than just layoffs and cuts.
If we don’t stand up now it’s just
going to be another hole to fall
through. W e’re tired o f it.”
A n o th e r ju n io r , S te p h a n ie
H ughson, hoped the w alk-out
would make the point that “it’s not
just about Jefferson. It’s about other
schools, the nation.”
The dedication of the teachers at
Jefferson, she said, is above and
beyond w hat’s expected.
“W e’re here with them every
day. Our teachers are here from 6 in
the morning to 10 at night -- they
care. They help us get through each
day. A lot of people rely on them.
They help support us where our
families don’t,” Hughson said.
Principal Dashiell agrees.
“T hese people are fam ily,”
Dashiell said. “These are people
that show up at your ball games,
your dances, your plays, your com
munity events.”
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One Child Without a Family
Having just turned 10, Brian has
watched other foster sisters and
brothers get adopted. He is just one
of many Oregon children waiting to
find a permanent family.
B ria n ’s fo ste r m o th e r and
teacher describe him as being a
very sw eet boy. W ith a friendly
and o u tg o in g p e rso n a lity , he
laughs easily. Brian is very open
and trusting and gets along well
with others. Brian has a unique
passion for gardening and loves
plants. How wonderful if he could
find a fam ily to support his “green
thum b!”
Brian’s cognitive delays require
extra help and modifications at
school in most areas. However, he
is still inquisitive and eager to learn
with younger peers.
Brian has a lot o f w arm th and
love to share with a family. Adop
tive parents will need experience
and education in w orking w ith
special needs children in order to
ensure that Brian m axim izes his
potential. He also has some sib
lings with whom he will want to
m aintain som e contact.
There are 300 Oregon Children
available for adoption through out
the state, because o f abuse and
neglect.
For more information on how to
become a foster or adoptive parent,
Brian
contact the Special Needs Adop-
new things. Like many children his tionCoalition at 503 542-2392 or the
age, he needs reminders to stay on Department of Human Services at 1
task and plays most comfortably 800331-0503.
Saturday, May 14
10 am - 3 pm
• FUN GAMES WITH PRIZES
• CRAFTS TO MAKE AND TAKE HOME
MASTER GARDENERS AND BLM BOTANISTS
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Jefferson High School 10 Year Reunion
The Jefferson High School
Class o f 1995 is making plans fora
10-year reunion. The celebration
has been scheduled for Saturday,
Aug. 20 with the exact time and
location yet to be determined.
Class member Wendell Raiford
is encouraging his classmates to
contact him about attending and
making plans for the event.
He can be reached via email at
Free With Zoo Admission
jenelley77 @ yahoo.com
www oregonzoo.org • TAKE MAX TO THE ZOO
G a n g A c tiv ity C reates D eb ate
continued
from Front
der o f Police, the nation’s largest
law enforcement union.
Opponents include the NAACP,
the American Civil Liberties Union,
Human Rights Watch and others.
They cite FBI findings that serious
youth crime is declining, say states
- not the federal government - can
best address the gang problem and
w orry about long-term c o n se
quences for teenage offenders sent
to adult prisons.
If approved, it would move to the
S e n a te w h ere S en s. D ian n e
Feinstein, D-Calif. and Orrin Hatch,
R-Utah have introduced a bill com
bining tough anti-gang measures
with new funding for crime preven
tion programs.
“We too want to do something
about gang violence,” said Angela
Arboleda of the National Council
of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights
organization. “But punitive mea
sures that lock up youths with adults
is not a smart approach.”
Arboleda says that Forbes’ mea
sure - which the congressman has
nicknamed “The Gangbusters Bill”
- “is one of the worst bills w e’ve
ever seen.”
According to Forbes, street gang
membership in the United States
has grown steadily to more than
75O,(XK), outnumbering police of
ficers. He said a federal approach is
needed because gangs like M S-13
- the Central American-influenced
Mara Salvatrucha - have spread to
many states.
“T hey’re organized; they have a
board of directors inside prison and
o u tsid e p riso n ,” F o rb es said.
“Even while in prison, they recruit
- teens, even down to elementary
school.”
C ritics o f the bill say state and
local police agencies could e sc a
late the fight against such gangs
under existing laws. They also
say the Bush adm inistration and
Congress have cut back social
program s that could deter youths
from joining gangs in the first
place.
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