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P o r í l a n d O b s e r v e r A u f® R e v i e w
2007 Mercedes-Benz S550
by
K athleen C arb
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz S55O
is an all-new luxury sedan present­
ing the best the iconic German car
manufacturer has to offer. Like pre­
vious generations of the S-Class
line, the S550 coddles driver and
passengers alike in luxurious sur­
roundings, while taking electronic
control over interior systems and
driving aids to a new level.
Mercedes-Benz has assembled
a bro ad
array
of
groundbreaking perfor­
mance, safety, communi­
cations, entertainm ent,
and gee-whiz technolo­
gies in a muscular design
that will not be mistaken
for the previous, eighth-
generation S-Class. Air­
planes ride on a cushion
of air, and so does the 2007 S-Class:
Its 4,270 pounds are suspended by
compressed air inside four special
struts; there are no springs.
The 5.5 liter V8 engine makes
substantially more power than the
p re v io u s-g e n e ra tio n S -C lass.
This is a big car, but the 382 horses
under the hood have no trouble
getting it motivated in a hurry.
Four-valve construction and vari­
able valve timing enable the 2(X)7
Tested Vehicle Information: Price: $¡03,895: Engine: 5.5 Idler V8;
Transmission: 7-speed Automatic.
M ercedes S550 to enjoy the ben­
efits o f more pow er without sac­
r if ic in g
fu e l
econom y
(“Economy” is relative, of course:
the 2007 Mercedes S55O still gets
hit with a gas guzzler tax). The
engine is mated to a seven-speed
automatic transmission. The 2007
M ercedes-Benz S55O is slightly
longer than its ancestors, with an
extra 3 inches in the wheelbase. It
also sports m uscular wheel-arch
bulges.
The S550 was loaded with op­
tions, such as active body control,
a panorama sunroof, Sirius Satellite
Radio, electronic trunk closure,
power real seats, and four-zone cli­
mate control, in addition to those
already mentioned. The total retail
price was a whopping $103,895,
including $775 for destination and
delivery and a $1,000 gas-guzzler
tariff. The front interior multi-con-
tour seats contain electronically
adjustable air bladders and offer
numerous massage settings in ad­
dition to heating and cooling con­
trols and 14-way power position­
ing. The front seats also automati­
cally adjust the side bolsters to grip
the more zealous driver in heavy
cornering.
All this wizardry is controlled by
enough microprocessors to keep
chip fabs worldwide humming for
years to come. Rather than placing
dozens of knobs and switches on
the dash to control the
co n tro llers, M ercedes
has followed the lead of
the BMW ¡Drive in the
competing and now ag­
ing 7 Series (as well as the
Audi MMI) by relegating
most of the secondary and
tertiary functions to a
force-feedback cockpit-
control wheel called the COM AN D
(short forCockpit Management and
Data System).
Although the tested vehicle
was loaded with extra packages,
you find that the base price of
$85,400 is nicely loaded. In my
opinion there is not doubt that if
you have the chance to drive the
2007 S55O M ercedes-Benz you
will enjoy every moment. It is a
com plete package.
PCC Graduation Marks Milestones
Students
overcome many
challenges
Portland Community College is cel­
ebrating its 44th graduation ceremony,
awarding 2,415 diplomas and certificates
during commencement exercises from 7
to9 p.m. on Friday, June 9 at the Memo­
rial Coliseum.
“Graduation marks a milestone and
major accomplishment for our students,”
said Preston Pulliams, PCC district presi­
dent. “These graduates have worked
hard. They did not, however,doit alone.
I want to thank the able staff and faculty
of PCC, the supportive family and friends
of the students and the many donors to
the PCC Foundation whose financial
support enabled many of our students
to continue their studies to graduation."
This year’s student speaker is Leah
Gibson of northeast Portland. Adopted
as a child, Gibson represents the diver­
sity of PCC students. She is half Lakota
Sioux and half Persian and faced many
challenges during her childhood. At 14,
she became homeless and was addicted
to drugs and alcohol. By 16, she had
Dear Deanna!
Leah Gibson will be the featured speaker at Portland
Community College’s 44th commencement. Gibson
represents one of the many PCC students who have
overcame personal challenges to graduate.
Ask Deanna'.
My husband’s old affair is tearing
Real People,
me apart. First we had one chi Id and
then another one before we got
Real Advice
married. I later learned he had an
An advice
affair with a woman that stroked his
column
ego during my first pregnancy. He
known fo r
reality based
claims it was one time but the way
subjects!
she stalked him, harassed us and
bothered us for a few years made
me doubt it. He confessed when the told him to focus on getting a de­
phone calls started but I still can't gree instead of worrying about a
get the affair ou, of my mind when woman onthe outside. I feel you’re
I hx)k at him. — Anonym ous; On- wrong. You alsodidn’t tell him what
kind of degree he needs. He needs
Line Reader
a woman because it's lonely in
Dear Anonymous:
prison and companionship will help
You set yourself up for drama by his time pass faster and keep him
getting pregnant without the wed­ mentally stable. — Anonym ous In­
ding ring in the first place. You m ate; Soledad. Calif.
can’t lay too much blame on his
actions because he wasn’t officially Dear Inmate:
your man. If this is in the past, you He had the chance to build a rela­
need to leave it there. Unless he's tionship and grow a family when he
doing something that'scurrent then was free but lost that chance when
get over it. You're causing yourself he committed a crime. Regardless
pain and agony from an old wound. of the major, an educated ex-con
Seek professional or spiritual coun­ will find employment faster than
seling to get to the root of your one with no books on the brain. A
pain, squash it and keep it moving. woman will love you like Luther
Vandross behind the ink pen hut
Dear Deanna!
when it gets serious, she’ll start
I'm in prison responding to advice singing no romance without finance
you gave a lonely inmate. With a and you gotta have a J-O-B to be
few years left of his sentence you with me.
dropped out of three different high
schools.
During her four years at PCC, she has
maintained her sobriety, completed her
high school diploma via Gateway to Col­
lege, worked as student body president
at the Cascade Campus in north Portland,
and earned her Oregon Arts Transfer
Degree with flying colors.
“It’s amazing how much I’ve learned
and grown at PCC," Gibson said. "There
are so many great people here that are like
my family. Now I have to leave and move
on. It’s kind of scary. I sat down to write
my speech and I started to cry. This has
been a special year here.”
Gibson worked two jobs to support
her family while she attended school full
time, and regularly volunteers in the com­
munity. She was the director of legisla­
tive affairs for student government, di­
versity programmer forCascade and stu­
dent representative on the Educational
Advisory Council.
She campaigned for students i n Salem
and Washington, D.C. on issues such as
childcare, student loans and education
funding. She also worked tirelessly with
the PCC Board of Directors to give a
voice to stu dents co n cern in g the
college’s budget priorities.
Dear Deanna!
I saw my pastor shopping with the
church checkbrxtk. I could see the
church logo, name and everything
on the outside cover. A clerk was
trying to refuse the check because
it was a business check and re­
quired signatures. My pastor pulled
rank and said he was authorized.
Then he signed two signatures,
winked at me and told me to turn the
other cheek. What do I do about
this? — Sylvia M.; St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Sylvia:
You sure that wasn't Jim Baker?
Your pastor is a thief setting a bad
example for the congregation. The
pastor knew this was wrong espe­
cially if he advised you to look the
other way. What part o f Exodus 20
Verse 15 Thou Shall Not Steal
doesn't he understand? Pray for
your pastor and God’s guidance as
you report this to the church gov­
erning board. Telling is not between
you and man, but you and your
dedication to God and protecting
His house.
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Scholar
Named
Shereen Sherman of Jefferson
High School has been recognized
for her leadership and academic
achievement with a $ 1 ,(X)0 grant
from The Comcast Foundation.
T he 2006 g rad u ate o f
Jefferson’s School of Pride &
School of Champions, student
body president and valedictorian,
will be attending George Fox Uni­
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The Comcast Leaders and
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recognizes high-school seniors
forexemplary community service,
leadership skills, positive attitude,
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A sk D eanna is written by Deanna
M. Write Ask D eanna! Email:
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Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Website:
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Rights Advocates Share Struggle
St. Andrew Church, 806 N.E.
Carrie Dann of the W estern tions accepted of $5 or more.
Alberta St., will host the Native Shoshone N ation and L ouise
Information will be sharedabout
American Club of Mt. Hixxl Com­ Benally-Dinti of Big Mountain. the bombing practice at the Nevada
munity College for an evening with Arizona, will share their struggles test site, the recent forced reloca­
two of the most visible advocates to protect the rights of their tribes tion of the Dine? Nation and the
for the rights of Native Americans. at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 . Dona­ depletion of our natural resources.
David Mackay
Owner
Just get it, read it and try it, and you’ll never be the same.
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Dianetics Foundation, 709 SW Salmon St.
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