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City of Roses’
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVII, N um ber 52
T1Week in
The Review
Asteroid May Hit Mars
A newly dis-
c o v e re d
hunk of space
rock rivaling
the one that
hit Siberia in
1908, u n
leashing energy equivalent to a
15-megaton nuclear bomb and wip
ing out 60 million trees, has a 1 in
75 chance of slamming into the
Red Planet on Jan. 30.
Pardon Sought for Jena 6
Fifteen members of the Congres
sional Black Caucuscalledon Loui
siana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to
pardon Mychal Bell and five other
teenagers known as the “Jena 6.”
“They and their families have suf
fered enough, as has the state of
Louisiana and the town of Jena,” a
letter from the Congress members
reads.
Sheriff Talks Retirement
M u 11 n o . i a h
County Sheriff
Bernie Giusto
Friday said he
was consider
ing retiring af
ter a critical grand jury report that
outlined a “dramatic degradation
of the county’s ability to confront
public safety issues” and called
for the hiring of an independent
professional to run a jail system
rife with wastt) freeloading and a
lack of internal discipline.
Kicker Check Chaos
■ portlandobserver.com
www.portlandobserve
Established in 1970
Wednesday • December 26, 2007
New Year Advances Gay Rights
With domestic
partnerships,
bans on
discrimination
Stage set for
Martin Luther
King Jr. showcase
Laws banning job and housing
discrimination against gays and
lesbians in Oregon and allowing
same-sex couples to enter into legal
domestic partnerships with most of
the state benefits of marriage go
into effect with the New Year.
Multnomah County has taken
steps to accommodate the expected
influx of same-sex couples apply
ing for the new licenses when
county offices open on Wednes
day, Jan. 2.
O fficials have been making
preparations to ensure smooth and
efficient business operations un
der the new domestic partnership
photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
system.
County officials at the Multnomah Building at 501 S.E. Hawthorne Bivd. have taken
The county’s Assessment and
steps to accommodate an influx o f same-sex couples applying for domestic partner
Taxation division in the Multnomah
ships when the new state law goes into effect Jan. 2.
\
Building at 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
will process domestic partnerships
doors open on January second,” said Carol certify their partnerships in any county
in the same way as marriage licenses.
Plans include creating orderly spaces for Ford, director the county management, which within the state and receive a range of civil
higher than average numbers of people in oversees marriage licenses and domestic and legal benefits previously unavailable to
the building’s lobby if needed, focusing partnerships. “Multnomah County has un them.
The form, Declaration of Domestic Part
staff resources in customer-service areas dertaken a thorough planning process and
and ensuring that all other county business we expect everything to run very smoothly.” nership, will be available at M ultnomah
The new law allows same-sex couples, County offices beginning on Jan. 2 and is
will continue uninterrupted.
“W e’re going to be ready to start certify when at least one of whom is a resident of
continued
on page A8
ing domestic partnerships the moment our Oregon and both are over 18 years of age, to
T axpayers who rep o rted that ■
they did not intend to donate
their kicker refund to the State !
TriMet Rides Free New Year’s Eve
School Fund when they elec
tronically filed their 2006 taxes
will get their kicker rebate after
all, the O regon D epartm ent o f
Revenue announced Thursday.
More than 3,000 people claim ed
to have never m arked the box to
donate.
Free bus and Max service on New Year’s
Eve begins at 8 p.m. TriMet will provide extra
service on Blue and Yellow light-rail lines,
while buses will run on regular Monday
schedules.
Trains will run every 15 minutes until 1
a.m., every 30 minutes between 1 a.m. and 2
a.m. and final trains will leave PioneerCourt-
house Square around 3 a.m. After the last
Red Line to the airport leaves Gateway Tran-
sit Center at 11:10 p.m., a shuttle will meet
B1 ue Line trains at Gateway Transit Center to
take riders to the Parkrose/Sumner Transit
Center and the airport until 3 a.m.
On New Year’s Day, a Tuesday, trains
and buses will run on Sunday schedules
and regular fares will apply. For informa
tion, visit trimet.org or call 503-238-7433.
Katrina Razing Approved
As protesters clashed with the
police, the New Orleans City Coun
cil voted unanimously Thursday
to al low the federal government to
demolish 4,500 apartments in four
large public-housing projects. The
Coalition the Stop the Demolition
has vowed to exercise other legal
options.
Borrowing for Heat
For perhaps as many as 27 million
American adults, keeping warm
this winter will mean borrowing
money and 20 million will use credit
cards to be able to afford their
heating b ills, according to a
CreditCards.com poll.
Gen. Motors Recalls Cars
G eneral M otors Corp, said Fri
day it was recalling about 313,000
passenger cars and crossover
vehicles, including some m od
els o f Cadillac, Pontiac and Sat- j
urn to fix a fluid leak that could
lead to the driver losing control j
of the vehicle.
photo by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Kwanzaa Honoredon Interstate
,
‘Keep Alive
the Dream’
Welcoming the public to a special Kwanzaa exhibit at the Interstate
Firehouse Cultural Center on display until Dec. 31 are (from left) G. G.
Warren, photographer, designer and jeweler, Adrienne Flagg, IFCC cre
ative director, and artist Wanda Wright.
V
On the Martin Luther King Jr. fed
eral holiday. World Arts Foundation,
Inc. will present its 23rd-annual tribute
to the great American ci vil-rights leader.
"Keep Alive the Dream” continues
to be recognized, regionally and na
tionally, as one of the finest commu
nity-based Martin Luther King Jr. cel
ebrations in the U.S., as it gives voice
to common citizens by showcasing the
greater Portland com m unity’s re
sponse to historic events and achieve
ments “against all odds” for civil rights
and human dignity.
The stage program begins at 11 a.m.
on Monday, Jan. 21 at Highland Chris
tian Center, 7600 N.E. Glisan St., a new
church campus that offers beautiful
staging, great accessibility, adequate
parking, and handicap access.
Regional, national and local talent
will converge in a diverse program of
music, dance, theater, awards and pre
sentations against a backdrop of gos
pel choirs in humble tribute to the
American civil-rights movement for
human dignity - "against all odds!”
Invited speakers include. Gov. Ted
Kulongoski, Mayor Tom Potter, Con
gressman Ron Wyden, State Sens.
Margaret Carter and Avel Gordly and
P ortland Schools Superintendent
Carole Smith. Featured this year will be
the powerful artistry and dramatic por
trayal by nationally featured gospel
recording artist and choral sensation
"Roy alty" under the direction of DaNell
Damon.
Other delightful and impressive per
formances will include the Gospel
Music Workshop of America; North
west Gospel Community Choir; Eu
gene Blackmon and Chosen Genera
tion; Eugene Gospel Crew (U of O);
L inda H o rnbuckle and Jan ice
Scroggins; Highland Christian Church
Choir; Jefferson High Gospel Choir;
V ancouver A venue First B aptist
Church and the return of MasterGoldie
Irby, Danny and Tyfani Osborne.
The famed Jefferson Dancers from
Portland’s Jefferson High School, as
well as a magnificent cast of high-
quality and diverse professional per
formers and talented young people,
will flow throughout the day. Some of
the other performers include violinist
Aaron Meyer:4hc Battle Ground High
School Jazz Band (under the direction
of Greg McKelvey); the Boise Elemen
tary Choir; Kukatowon (Woodlawn El
ementary School); Martin Luther King,
Jr. Performing Arts Ensemble and much
more.
The program promises to be an en
gaging and memorable tribute to Rev.
Dr. King, the one man whose tireless
and fearless campaign for America to
"live up to the true meaning of its
creed" remains so important to America
that it commands a national holiday.
The entire seven-hour program will
be carried live on KBOO Radio (90.7
FM ), and tape delayed on both Port
land Community Media (Channel 11) at
I p.m., and Portland Public Schools
Television Services (Channel 28) at 3
p.m.
A donation of $4 or four items of
nonperishable food collected by the
Food Bank, will be accepted at the
event.
“ Keep Alive the Dream” reminds us
all. as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
did so eloquently and so powerfully,
that “we are all bound together in a
single garment of destiny;" “What
affects one, affects us all” and that
"Freedom is never free.”
Sponsors include Safeco Insur
ance; Portland Public Schools; Port
lan d A s s o c ia tio n o f T e a c h e rs ;
M c D o n a ld s o f O re g o n and
continued
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on page A8