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Youth Empowered
Future leaders from cultural
communities learn how to
succeed in America
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‘City of Roses’
See story, page A 10
Last Day to Register:
Oct. 14
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Established in 1970
.Week ¡n
The Review
0 J Simpson Trial Begins
O.J. Simpson
went on trial for
kidnapping anil
robbery Mon-
B U day with
— ® ju d g e d e te r­
n ttfl
mined to find a jury unaffected
by his long-ago "Trial of the
Century.” The stakes are high
with a robbery conviction bring­
ing mandatory prison time and a
kidnapping conviction carrying
the possibility of life in prison.
See story, page A2.
Major League Soccer Wanted
Advocates wanting to bring a
Major League Soccer team to
Portland outlined a plan last week
to renovate PGE Park with soc­
cer improvements and create a
new ballpark in Lents as home
for the Triple-A Beavers.
Obama Blasts Job Numbers
A 10.6 percent unemployment
rate for Afri­
can A m e ri­
cans in the lat­
est em p lo y ­
ment numbers
drew a strong
rebuke Friday
from
Sen.
Barack Obama. The presidential
candidate said the jobs report is
a stark reminder of what’s at
stake for African Americans in
the upcomingelection. Sec story,
page A2.
Officer Settles Race Case
A former Vancouver police of­
ficer has settled a federal race
discrimination lawsuit with a
$1.65 million settlement from the
city. The attorney for Officer
Navin Sharma said the harass­
ment did not end even after the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission intervened with a
federal court settlement in 2001.
Racial Attack in Longview
www.Dortlandobserver.con
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVIII, Number 36
■uV
General Election Nov. 4
Wednesday • September 10. 2008
Sheriff Candidate is Change Agent
Says time
is now,
not to wait
by M ichael L eighton
T he P ortland O bserver
An experienced corrections
officer in the Multnomah County
Sheriff s office is running for the
department’s top position in an
effort to bring permanent change
and leadership to the law enforce­
ment agency.
Sgt. Muhammad Ra’oof will
face caretaker Sheriff Bob Skip­
per in the November General Elec­
tion to fill the two years remaining
on fo rm e r sh e riff’s B ernie
Giusto’s term.
Guisto resigned this summer
while facing ethics investiga­
tions and charges o f m ism an­
agement. Skipper, 69, returned
to duty as sheriff after retiring
14 years ago. He has pledged to
serve no longer than the two
years if he is elected.
R a ’o o f says tim es have
changed since Skipper left and
change in the departm ent is
needed now.
“ W hy w ait for 2010 for
change,” he said “In two years,
we would have to start all over
again.”
Ra’off said his priorities as
sheriff would be to do a better job
at managing the sheriff’s depart­
ment budget, better prepare
sh eriffs deputies for advance­
ment, and improve the county jail
system with more educational and
job skills programs to reduce re­
cidivism and invest more in men­
tal health.
He said a safe community
needs jail space, but the county
can make better use of the jail
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Sgt. Muhammad Ra 'oof brings extensive experience in community corrections to his race for Multnomah County Sheriff on
the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
beds it has.
Clark County.”
He said he wants to increase desk, but out into the community
On the proposed opening of
Another one of his issue is the the diversity in the sheriffs de­ building ties with residents and
thenew Wapato Jail after years of future retirements of an aging partment workforce and proposes strategic partnerships with other
mothballing due to budget short­ workforce in the sheriff’s depart­ giving law enforcement a public state and local leaders.
falls, he said, “We shouldn't just ment, which includes the correc­ face in local schools by letting
“1 want the community to be
open a jail to save face, that’s tions division, the largest seg­ young people know about career healthy,” I care about the commu­
stupid. We have options. We can ment of the department and the opportunities.
nity. I live in the community,” he
make it a mental health facility or one he has the most extensive
Ra’off said he looks to his role said.
atri-countyjail that could include experience.
as sheriff as not being behind a
R a'off was bom in Portland
and raised in the Oakland, Calif,
area before embarking on a 12
year career with the U.S. army
Y
where he served as a military po­
lice offer, army recruiter, equal
opportunity officer, race relations
officer and retention officer.
We shouldn just open a jail to save face,
that's stupid. We have options. We can make it
a mental health facility or a tri-county jail that
could include QAark County. -s g t. Muhammad R a w
Police say a brutal attack on a
young interracial couple in
Longview seems to have been
motivated by racism. An 18-year-
old man is accused of punching
a 14-year-old male and choking
his 13-year-old female friend af­
ter shouting racial slurs at them.
continued
on page A 10
Police Victim’s
Family Settles
Unarmed motorist’s
death sparked an outcry
Serena Wins U S Open
Displaying the talent and tenac­
ity that allowed her to dominate
tennisearly in the decade. Serena
W illiam s o u tla ste d Jelen a
Jankovic 6-4,7-5 Sunday to win
her third U.S. Open champion­
ship and ninth Grand Slam title.
Jones Completes Sentence
Sprinter Marion
An image from director Charles Burnett's film "Killer o f Sheep," part o f the 10-film Diversity Film Festival
Jones was re­
at the Vancouver Campus o f Washington State University this fall.
leased from fed­
eral prison Fri­
day after com­
pleting most of
her six month sentence for lying
about her steroid use. She was
stripped of her five Olympic
college's Administration Building. Lee and Siddiq Barmak.
medals in 2007 after admitted that
The films include "Killer of Sheep,"
Room 110. All films are free and open
she used the drugs.
by Charles Burnett, Tuesday, Sept.
to the public.
B
Higher Driving Age Proposed
An influential auto safety group
is call ing on states to raise the age
for getting a driver's license to 17
or even 18.Adrian Lund of the
Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, acknowledged the idea is
"a tough sell," but noted that car
crashes are the leading cause of
death among teenagers.
»
Diversity Film Festival
WSU Vancouver
hosts fall series
The first diversity film festival at
the Vancouver Campus of W ashing­
ton State University Vancouver car­
ries the theme, “Visions from the In­
side: Directors Look at theirCommu-
nities."
Ten films will be shown W ednes­
day, Sept. 10 to Oct. 14 at various
afternoon and evening times in the
"Each of the 10 films concentrates
on relations and experiences within
minority groups, ratherthan on inter­
actions with dominant culture," said
Carol Siegel of the WSU Vancouver
Diversity Council, sponsoroithe fes­
tival.
Portland director Andy Blubagh is
featured along with directors Chris
Eyre. Mira Nair. I.iev Schreiber. Spike
16.4 p.m.; "Maquilapolis," by Vicky
Eunari and Sergio de la Torre, Tues­
day, Sept. 23,4 p.m.; "A Family Gath­
ering," by Lise Yasui,Tuesday, Sept.
30.4 p.m .-and "Mala Noche," byGus
Van Sant. Wednesday, Oct. 1,7 p.m.
WSU Vancouver is located at 14204
N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the
134th Street exit from either 1-5 or I-
205, or via C-Tran bus service.
The family of an African American man who lost
his life when he was fatally shot by police during
a traffic stop in north Portland four years ago has
won a financial settlement from the city of Portland.
TheCity Council voted last week to pay $350,000
to the son and mother of James Jahar Perez.
Portland Officer Jason Sery shot and killed Perez
on March 28, 2004 in the St Johns neighborhood,
claiming he saw him pull a clenched fis, from his
pricket, thinking he was pulling a gun out. Another
officer, Sean Macomberthen shot him with aTaser
gun.
Police said they
pulled Perez over after
he failed to signal at
least 1 (X) feet before
making a turn. They
also said they followed
Perez, 28, because his
1997 Mitsubishi with
tinted windows and
chrome wheels stood
out as a luxury sedan
in a working- class
neighborhood.
The shooting of the unarmed motorist sparked
an outcry Kind charges of a fix in the grand jury
probe.
In response, Multnomah County District Attor­
ney Michael Schrunk held a rare public inquest
after the grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing
by the officer.
Sery resigned from the Portland police latcrthat
year, saying he wanted to become a minister. He
later took a job with Beaverton police.
The Perez lawsuit charged that the Portland
Police Bureau's use-of-force policy was unconsti-
continued
on page A III