5()< Black , of 'community service Month ^ ‘City of Roses' ndthcAmerican Experience Established in 1970 Volume XXXVI, Number 8 www.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity Wednesday • February 22. 2006 ■■M M M .W eek in Thc Review PSU Attorney Named Judge G ov. T ed Kukxigowski named Port­ land State U niversity a tto rn e y A d r ie n n e N elson to ' fill a va- I cancy on the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Nelson has led di­ versity efforts at PSU and was the attorney in charge of student legal and mediation services. See story, page A3 Arab Takeovers Defended Despite mounting opposition. President Bush said Tuesday that adeal allowing an Arabcompany to takeover six major U.S. sea­ ports should go forward and that ! he would veto any congressional effort to stop it. "This transac­ tion does not jeopardize in any way the security of the country,” Bush said. Iraq Car Bomb Kills 22 A car bomb exploded Tuesday on a street packed with shoppers in aShiite area of Baghdad, killing 22 people and wounding 28, po­ lice said Louisiana Rebuilding Plan Gov. Kathleen Blanco has out­ lined a $7.5 billion plan to help Louisiana residents rebuild, re­ pair or sell their hurricane-dam- aged homes, although uncertain­ ties remain about whether Con­ gress will provide the money and which state agency will distrib­ ute it. See story, page A2. Court Takes Abortion Case The Supreme Court said Tues­ day it will consider the constitu­ tionality of banning a type of late-term abortion, teeing up a contentious issue for a court with two new members. See story, page B4. photo by I saiah B ouie / T he P ortland O bserver Brian Thomas (center), Portland Rescue Mission New Life program chaplain, says his outreach to people visiting the downtown mission ties into the mayor's initiative to end homelessness in the next 1 0 years. Finding Rewards in Old Town Chaplain takes life­ changing journey by S arah B lount T he P ortland O bserver Another world exists on West Burnside in Portland’s Old Tow n, where evidence of life on the street is visible but often ignored. The Portland Rescue Mission is at the center of that world, bridging the gap between an itinerant community and outsiders just passing by. Brian Thomas, chaplain and intake coordinator for the missiori ./New Life program, reaps as much benefit from the mission personally and spiritually as the scores of homeless who have been given a hot meal, shelter and another chance. Thomas joined the Rescue Mission three years ago, giving up a successful sales career to focus on ministry and mentorship. He acknowledges that his intentional downward business mobility was a tough choice, but with the support of his family he overcame his need fora more material lifestyle. The son of a pro wrestler, the younger Thomas is imposingly built with a barrel chest, with kind eyes and an enthusiastic nature to soften his image. He pos­ sesses a salesman persona and gift of gab. valuable tools sharpened from working in sales. Before leaving his job with Xerox, Thomas began mentoring on the streets of Old Town. He eventually discovered the center of homeless activity under the Burnside Bridge, following a trail to the mission, a regular gathering place for area homeless people. Thomas began to mentor at the mission, establishing himself as someone homeless guests could relate to and trust. Soon he was invited to begin chaplainry training, and was eventually joined as a staff chaplain. continued on page A 10 Do We Need A Black History Month? Hallucinogenic Tea Okay The Supreme Court ruled unani­ mously Tuesday that a small j congregation in New M exico may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a four-hour ritual in­ tended to connect with God. Justices, in their first religious freedom decision under C hief Justice John Roberts, moved decisively to keep the govern­ ment out of a church’s religious practice. Actor Morgan Freeman stirred some controversy when he suggested that there shouldn’t be a Black History Month because black history is American history. We asked students at Portland Community College’s Cascade campus their opinion. We should celebrate it because everybody else has a month. H -A lisa Jordan, 18 Property Law Upheld The Oregon Supreme Court up­ held a voter-approved property rights law T uesday that re ­ quires governments to pay land- o w n e rs fo r p ro p e rty valu e losses caused by regulations, or to waive the regulation and let th e o w n e r d e v e lo p th e I property. photo by I saiah Bot ie /T he P ortland O bserver An icon o f soda fountain days gone by is preserved at an Oregon Historical Society exhibit, downtown. The lunch counter was salvaged from the former Newberry s store in the heart o f the downtown retail center. Today, visitors to the exhibit can press a jukebox key and see a historical presentation about real Oregonians. Where Black History Never Ends Museum spotlights Oregon’s diversity by S arah B lount T he P ortland O bsirver Black History Month neverends at the Oregon Histori­ cal Society where visitors can discover the role of African Americans and other minorities in Oregon dating back to 19th century. The educational journey begins at the museum along downtown Portland's South Park Blocks or online at www.OHS.org. The historical society has compiled a list of resources, cleverly mapped out and designed so as not to be exhaus­ tive to museum visitors and web browsers. Oregon's minority history is dotted throughout the both sites, including The Oregon History Project. Hundreds of documents make up the museum’s online archives of digitized documents and artifacts, tracking the change in Oregon’s landscape. The site is friendly for researchers, teachers and casual visitors, with an online learning center and interpretation aids. Commerce, Climate & Community: A History of Port­ land & its People focuses on commerce, immigration, continued on page 4 III 1 It’s kind of bummish that we get one month and it’s only 28 days. We should celebrate everyday, but maybe not as magnified, —Shamara Stevenson, 20 It should be common for everyone to respect other races. It should be a normal thing. -M a rk Yeckel, 19 There are so many cultures to represent. I don't think there should be given months, it should be whenever. -Phaydra Mutch, 25 It’s nice to have a month set aside to remember every­ thing they’ve gone through. -J o sh Suprana, 18