Portland observer., January 06, 2016, Page Page 15, Image 15

January 6, 2016
Page 15
Growing
to Stop
Hunger
C ontinued from p age 9
a wide variety of vegetables (as well as
fresh herbs) is another benefit of the pro-
gram, as it provides opportunities for ac-
cess to fresh, culturally appropriate food
that’s not always accessible to members
of underprivileged communities.
“And we all need fresh, healthy food,
grown as locally as possible,” notes Port-
land Parks & Recreation Director Mike
Abbaté. “Produce for People is right in
line with our mission for ‘Healthy Parks,
Healthy Portland’. This is a real commu-
nity success story.”
photo Courtesy p ortland p arKs and r eCreation – Cindy Clemens
Cindy Clemens shows some of the vegetables harvested last summer at Centennial Park Community Garden in southeast
Portland, which raised 726 pounds of produce to help stock the food bank at Birch Community Services.
Cosby Forms
a Defense
Legal team fires
back after star
is charged
(AP) — Bill Cosby faces a
charge of drugging and sexually
assaulting a woman at his home
12 years ago — the first crimi-
nal charges brought against the
comedian out of the torrent of al-
legations that destroyed his good-
guy image as America’s Dad.
The indictment filed in Penn-
sylvania last week could send the
78-year-old Cosby to prison in
the twilight of his life and barri-
er-breaking career.
Prosecutors accused him of
plying former Temple University
employee Andrea Constand with
pills and wine, then penetrating
her with his fingers without her
consent, while she was drifting in
and out of consciousness, unable
to resist or cry out.
The TV star acknowledged un-
der oath a decade ago that he had
sexual contact with Constand but
said it was consensual.
Cosby’s lawyer charged on
Thursday that the prosecution
against the comedian was politi-
cally motivated by Montgomery
County District Attorney-elect
Kevin Steele to make good on a
campaign pledge.
“What we have is not the effec-
tuation of justice. What we have
is the fulfillment of a campaign
promise,” Monique Pressley said
on ABC’s “Good Morning Amer-
ica.”
Cosby was arraigned Wednes-
day and released on $1 million
bail.
The decision to prosecute came
just days before the state’s 12-year
statute of limitations for bringing
charges was going to run out. It rep-
resents an about-face by the DA’s
office, which under then-District
Attorney Bruce Castor declined to
charge Cosby in 2005 when Con-
stand first went to police.
Castor tried to reclaim his job
as DA in the November election
but lost to Steele in a hotly con-
tested race in which the Cosby
case played a central role.
Steele attacked Castor during
the campaign for not prosecuting
Cosby, running an ad that said:
“Bruce Castor was not looking
out for the victims.” But Steele
never said what he would do if he
were elected.
After the charges came down,
Cosby’s attorney accused Steele
of “playing political football”
with Cosby’s life. She told morn-
ing network shows that Steele
made a promise and had to make
good on it before the statute of
limitations ran out.
Constand, who is now 42 and
lives in Toronto, welcomed the
charges, said her lawyer, Dolores
Troiani. “She feels that they be-
Bill Cosby is escorted by his attorneys into court for arraignment on a charge of sexual assault. (AP
photo)
lieve her, and to any victim, that
is foremost in your mind: Are
people going to believe me?”
Troiani said.
On Wednesday, Cosby, hold-
ing a cane, walked slowly and un-
steadily into court on the arms of
his attorneys, tripping on a curb
as he made his way into the build-
ing. Inside, he seemed to have
trouble seeing the paperwork and
finding the place to sign, and his
lawyers helped him hold the pen.
Cosby also faces a raft of def-
amation and sexual-abuse law-
suits filed in Massachusetts, Los
Angeles and Pennsylvania. But in
nearly every case, it is too late too
file criminal charges.
One exception: a 2008 case
involving a model at the Playboy
Mansion in Los Angeles. It is still
under investigation by police.