50<
.37
years
of
ommunity service
•^community
Drug Coverage Offered to All
Positive Agenda
Carl Flipper
remembered as
v v community
r i i i i i i u i i n j r u builder
m avi
State program brings
bulk-purchase prices
See story, Metro section
Sec story, .Metro
See
Metro section
Observer
‘City of Roses'
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVI, N um ber 50
TLWeek ¡n
The Review
Bombs Kill 63 Iraqi Laborers
T w o car bom bs targeting day
laborers looking for work ex
ploded within seconds o f each
other T uesday on a main square
incentral Baghdad, killingat least
63 people and w ounding scores,
the governm ent said.
Obama Draws Crowds
Illin o is
Sen. Barack
O bam a drew
large crow ds
d u rin g h is
first triptothe
pivotal presi
dential cam paign state o f New
H am pshire w hile he decides
w hether to enter the Democratic-
race. S ee sto ry, p a g e A 2.
Annan Criticizes Bush
U .N . S e c r e
ta ry -G e n e ra l
Kofi Annan, in
h is fa re w e ll
address M on
day, criticized
the Bush ad
m in istra tio n ,
w arning that j
Am erica m ust not sacrifice its J
D em ocratic ideals w hile waging
war against terrorism . "H um an
rights and the rule o f law are vital
to global security and prosper
ity," A nnan said.
Sea Tac Christmas Trees
Return after Dispute
The C hristm as trees are back up
at Seattle-Tacom a International
Airport. M aintenance staff re
stored the 14 plastic trees that
had been rem oved during the
w eekend because o f a rabbi’s
threat to sue over the lack o f a
menorah in the airport’s holiday
decor.
Oldest Person Dead at 116
w w w . p o r 11 a n do bserver, com
Wednesday • D ecem ber 13. 2 0 0 6
Passing
Grade
for School
Uniforms
Rigler sees less
tension, fights
by C harity P rater
T he P ortland O bserver
School uniform s may have reduced ten
sions between students and lessened co n
flicts at Rigler Elem entary in northeast Port
land.
Since becom ing the first public school in
Portland Public Schools to adopt the uni
form dress code this fall. Rigler hasn 't had a
single fighting referral, according to school
principal Kathleen Kaczke.
A m ajor am ount o f school resource time
sending kids hom e because they were w ear
ing inappropriate clothing, such as low cut
shirts and baggy pants, has also been elim i
nated.
Every one o f the 560 kindergarten through
sixth grade kids is expected to com e to
school w earing clean khakis, shorts or blue
plaid skirts along with a plain navy blue or
w hite shirt with a collar.
“ We w anted to set ourselves apart," says
Kaczke. “ Its helps the image o f the school to
look more professional and it also helps the
kids here that live in poverty."
N inety-tw o percent o f the children that
attend R igler live on or below poverty level.
Since each uniform can be bought new for as
little as $20 dollars per outfit, fam ilies can
save hundreds o f dollars from the prices o f
m ajor brand clothing.
The school staff has also bought and
donated clothing for families. R igler oper-
photo by
M ark W asiiington /T he P ortland O bserver
School uniforms at Rigler Elementary in northeast Portland make students look like they are part of the same team. Jackie
Sanchez is at the keyboard with her sixth grade classmates (standing, from left) Jackie Pacheco. Irley Mejia-Uc, Josh
Smithers, Carlos Decker-Martinez, Elias Pierce (background) and Miguel Cedillo.
ates a free clothing closet as well as an
annual clothing exchange so growing kids
can give their used clothes to the younger
stu d en ts.
Rigler is one o f the m ost diverse schools
in the city with 60 percent o f the students of
H ispanic origin, 23 percent African A m eri
can and 11 percent Caucasian.
"W e also have some V ietnam ese, Asian,
and also some Somalian kids," says,Kaczke,
"W e’ve even gone out o f our way to make
sure som e girls have long skirts because o f
theirreligion.”
The school w on’t know for sure until later
in the year if grades and test scores have
im proved because o f the uniform s, but some
We’ve even gone out of our way to make
sure some girls have long skirts because
o f their religion. - Kathleen Kaczke, Rigler Elementary Principal
kids already know that the distractions of
clothing have decreased and they are put
ting more attention tow ards academics.
Francisco Bautista is an 11-year-old fifth
grader that began attending Rigler in the
second grade. He and his friends spent a
co n sid erab le am ount o f tim e choosing
clothes to w ear to school before the uniform
policy took effect.
"W e w o u ld ch o o se sh irts th at had
d raw in g s on them that looked c o o l,” says
B autista, "N o w w hen I get ready for bed
I d o n ’t have to think about w hat clo th es
I'm g o in g to w ear the next day. T hey are
c o n tin u e d
on p a g e A S
Investors Take Aim at Miracles’ Site
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden, rec
ognized as the w orld's oldest
person, died M onday at a M em
phis nursing home. T he daugh-
terofform erslavesw as 1 l6,"She
lived a full life and we are very,
very proud o f her. She had a
good life," said grandson Jam es
W. Bolden, 69. “She was a d u ti
ful C hristian.”
Prince to Rock Super Bowl
T he N FL has
announced
th a t v e te ra n
funk rock star
Prince will per
form during the
halftim e show
at th e S u p e r
Bowl in Febru
ary. S ee story, p a g e A 2
(
Recovery club
tries to match
$1 million offer
Michael Carr enjoys
the activities at the
Miracles Club, an
outlet for African
Americans recovering
from drugs and
alcohol. The club is
trying to raise
$500,000 now and
$500.000 later to
keep the building at
Northeast Mason and
Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard from being
demolished for future
apartments.
S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
by
In perhaps one o f the most evident signs
o f gentrification along Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard, a creeping culture o f north
east Portland developm ent may displace the
non-profit M iracles Cluh, the city ’s only
social outlet specifically for African A m eri
cans recovering from drugs and alcohol.
M iracles serves as a gathering ground
for individuals who count their sobriety by
days and decades. But as city urban renewal
dollars, investors and new residents recre
ate the surrounding King neighborhood.
M iracles may soon succum b to the d istrict's
insatiable housing boon, as investors want
to raze the property and build apartm ent
units in its place.
M iracles’ non-profit board o f directors
faces a Dec. 29th deadline to raise $5(X),(XX)
to purchase the building. The am ount is
only half o f the $1 million that has been
offered to landlord Jack G orm an, reportedly
by a group o f local and Japanese investors.
If M iracles can successfully raise the first
half m illion, G orm an will allow the clu b ’s
board tocarry the other half on contract. The
board m aintains there is a positive relation
ship with G orm an and both parties want to
find a solution.
“O ur landlord has alw ays been very sup
portive o f M iracles staying w here we are."
said board chair H erman Bryan,.
Board secretary Sarah Friedel takes a
sim ilar stance and quells any talk o f im m i
nent closure.
"There is no way we will be closed on
I
PHOTOBY M ark
W asiiington /T iie
P ortland O bserver
Dec. 29th," she said. "O ur landlord has told
us he w ould keep us in there at least a year
even after he sold the place."
I AKated at 4069 NE Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd., the recovery club has moved around
a couple tim es in its 12-year history before
settling into its curren, address on the cor
ner o f MLK and Northeast M ason Avenue.
M iracles is the only one o f its kind in the
Portland area, where African A m ericans liv
ing close-in north and northeast d o n 't have
to travel outside their neighborhood for a
social outlet to help curb addiction.
Founded by twin brothers Johnny A. and
Johnny W. G age and friend Sam Brown, the
trio sought to create their ow n center at a
tim e when Portland and V ancouver only
offered recovery clubs in predom inantly
white com m unities.
M iracles began leasing the space in 1997.
and each month struggles to stay afloat to
pay rent and m onthly expenses, ranging
from $ 4 .1(XIto$4.6<X). They receive $2.2(X)
each month from M ultnom ah County, plus
revenue from m eetings held in the club and
a deli space they lease out.
Even so. they operate with a $5(X)a month
deficit, Bryant said.
He added that although M iracles will
continue regardless o f when and w here,
currently the six-person board is solidifying
a contingency plan and new direction.
“ Right now our attem pt is to save this
building, but Miracles will always he M iracles
w hether we have to lease another building
or not,” he said.
Bryan, added that the board met S atur
day with com m unity leaders, including State
Rep. C hip Shields, a D em ocrat w hose d is
trict covers the King neighborhood.
c o n tin u e d
on p a g e A S