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Established in 1970
Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com
‘City o f Roses’
Volume XXXXI, Number 7
Wednesday • February 15, 2012
Committed to Cultural Diversity •'community service
Whitney
Houston’s
Farewell
Church where star got
start will host funeral
(AP) - Whitney Houston's funeral will be held Saturday
in the church where she first showcased her singing talents
as a child, her family choosing to remember her in a private
service rather than in a large event at an arena.
The owner of the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, N. J.,
said Tuesday that the funeral will be held at noon at the New
Hope Baptist Church in Newark.
The funeral service will be by invitation only, Carolyn
Whigham said, reflecting the family's decision to keep the
memorial more personal.
"They have shared her for 30-some years with the city,
with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their
farewell," she said. "The family thanks all the fans, the friends
and the media, but this time is their private time."
The 48-year-old Houston died Feb. 11 at a hotel in Beverly
Hills, Calif., just hours before she was set to perform at
producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards bash. Officials
say she was underwater and apparently unconscious when
she was pulled from a bathtub.
After an autopsy Sunday, authorities said there were
Whitney Houston (from left) with her mother, Gospel
singer Cissy Houston, and cousin, singer Dionne
Warwick.
no indications of foul play, and no obvious signs o f
traum a on Houston. It could be weeks, however, before
the coroner's office com pletes toxicology tests to estab ­
lish the cause o f death.
Los Angeles County coroner's assistant chief Ed Winter
said bottles of prescription medicine were found in the room.
He would not give details except to say: "There weren't a lot
of prescription bottles. You probably have just as many
Whitney Houston is pictured during a performance in
2005. The iconic singer died Saturday at the age of 48.
continued
on page 8
Fiscal Shortfall puts Pinch on Transit
TriMet plans
service cuts and
higher fares
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
A plan to tackle TriM et’s projected $17
million shortfall was announced Wednes­
day, along with the unveiling of proposed
cuts to services and higher fares in an effort
to maintain quality and equity throughout
the transit agency’s service area.
Neil McFarlane
TriMet attributes the deficit to lower rev­
enue from payroll taxes, anticipated cuts in
federal funding and unsustainable health care
costs for union employees, which make up
the majority of workers.
The proposal includes a variety of internal
changes at TriMet, including the streamlin­
ing of services and layoffs, as well as a switch
to a flat fare system, which raises the fare price
and eliminates certain routes and the free-rail
zone for downtown and the Lloyd Center.
According to TriMet General Manager
Neil McFarlane, the agency will be focusing
more on transit equity and making sure
changes don’t have a disproportionate im­
pact on disadvantaged and minority popula­
tions.
Any changes to fares and service would
take effect in September.
“We heard very clearly from the public that
there is a willingness to pay more if we were
able to limit the cuts to needed service,”
McFarlane said. “We also want to restructure
the fare system to make it easier to under­
stand and more equitable.”
Currently, TriMet has is already down $60
million in their annual budget, which accoun­
tants said is due in large part to high benefits
continued
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on page 10