Page 4
^Jortíanh (Observer
December 7, 2011
L aw
Diversity in Schools Embraced
1 he O bam a adm inistration re-
leased new guidelines on Friday
aim ed at prom oting diversity and
reducing racial isolation in educa-
tion, replacing the policy adopted
in 2008 under th en -P resid en t
George W. Bush.
Administration officials said the
Death Ruled a Homicide
The Portland Police Bureau, in
association with Crime Stoppers,
is asking the public for help in
solving a 2009 homicide of a
wom an, who was previously
thought to have died from natural
causes.
Officers were called to the
Nancy B ergesson’s Southeast
Hamilton Street home on Tues
day, Nov. 24,2009, when they dis
covered her deceased body.
Although the medical exam
iner at the scene initially deter
mined Bergeson died of natural
causes, the m edical exam iner
later determined from an autopsy
her death was a result of hom i
cidal violence.
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash
reward of up to $ 1,000 for informa
tion, reported to Crime Stoppers,
new guidance makes clear that
educators may consider the race
o f students in certain plans de
signed to prom ote diversity and
may reduce racial isolation among
students in elem entary and sec
ondary schools.
It supports voluntary efforts
by schools to foster diversity and
recognizes learning benefits to
stu d e n ts w hen cam p u ses and
schools include students o f di
verse backgrounds.
"Racial isolation rem ains far
too com m on in Am erica's class
rooms today and it is increasing,"
Education Secretary Arne Duncan
said in a statem ent accom panying
the new policy.
Studies have shown that U.S.
schools have becom e more seg
regated now than at the time o f
the 1968 assassination o f M artin
L u th er K ing Jr., the A frican-
Am erican civil rights leader.
Educators have told adm inis
tration officials that the previous
Bush adm inistration guidelines
failed to sufficiently make clear
that race can be taken into ac
count as part o f efforts to achieve
diversity at colleges and univer
sity.
Suspects Target Elderly Homes
Nancy Bergesson
that leads to an arrest in this case.
Call Crime Stoppers at 503-823-
HELP(4357)orleaveatiponlineat
crimestoppersoforegon.com.
The Portland Police Bureau is
investigating three thefts in south
east Portland where white males
posed as Portland General Elec
tric (PGE) em ployees as a way to
steal from the elderly. In one
known case, the suspects forc
ibly entered the home.
The suspects told the victims
Advertise with diversity
11K' Portland Ohseiver
they needed to perform inspec
tions, but did not display creden
tials or drive PGE com pany ve
hicles.
PGE em ployees carry official
identification badges when con
tacting custom ers at their hom es
or businesses, and they typically
do not enter custom er residences.
Police said anyone who re
ceives a visit from a person who
claim s to be a PGE em ployee
without identification should call
911 im m ediately.
Anyone with information about
the recent thefts or any like them
are asked to contact D etective
A m ber Lewis at 503-823-0887.
in
Vancouver NAACP
Membership Drive
In an effort to build support to
the V ancouver ch ap ter o f the
NAACP, the organization will hold
a m em bership drive Thursday,
Dec. 17 at the Clark County YW CA
at 3609 M ain St.
The free pancake breakfast
event, from 10 a.m. to noon, will
feature a short program on HIV/
AIDS in the African American
Com m unity, and an introduction
to current N A A CP volunteers.
“The N A A CP is still here, and
we're rebuilding,” said Dolly E n
gland, the local chapter’s vice-
president and health chair.
According to England, the local
chapter has been in existence for
more than 50-years, although there
have been periods o f inactivity.
Anyone who would like to be
com e a m em ber or simply wants
to learn m ore about the organiza
tion is welcome.
For m ore inform ation, visit
n aacp v an c.o rg.
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