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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 2013)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM M AY 22, 2013 P ORTLAND , O REGON V OLUME XXXV, N O . 33 25 CENTS For The Skanner news alerts Text "NEWS" to 503-715-0890 or scan this QR code C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW Voters Reject Fluoride Election 2013: Kids levy passes, Buell ousts Gonzalez at PPS THE PRINCESSES Benson: Erica Baldwin Central Catholic: Rhonda Teeny Cleveland: Annelise Cummings David Douglas: Kelsey Milks Franklin: Alexandra Martinez By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News P ortlanders rejected water fluoridation by a large margin Tuesday, in a special election that brought out about 36 per- cent of eligible voters. Among the other measures on the ballot were: renewing the Portland Children’s Levy, Beaverton Schools Levy and a METRO operating levy. That was in addi- tion to a slate of school and college board elections, and positions on fire and water districts. The water fluoridation measure was rejected by a margin of more than 20 per- cent. Healthy Kids Healthy Portland, supported by practically every mainstream and minor- ity health organization in the city, said fluoridation would be an important step toward improving dental health for children. The Centers for Disease Control calls fluor- idation one of the top 20 medical advances of our time. But Clean Water Portland, which opposed fluoridation, raised questions about the need to add the mineral to Portland water. They framed the issue as government forcing a risky medication on an unwilling populace. Naturopaths and other alternative health groups also oppose fluoridation. Kellie Barnes a spokesperson for Clean Water Portland, which led the anti-fluorida- tion campaign, said she is excited by the decisive numbers. “I want to thank the voters for doing their own research and seeing that the emerging science gives a reasonable basis for concern for our children and for vulnerable popula- tions.” Barnes said she wants to continue the dis- cussion about how to solve the problem of poor dental health especially among low- income children. Oregon’s commitment to ensuring low-income children receive med- ical and dental care is one reason for Grant: Katerina Koukoumanos Jefferson: Sinnamon Thomas Lake Oswego: Megan Ten Berge Lincoln: Ajeya Woods Madison: Hannah Rice Parkrose: Kyeanna Henry Roosevelt: Shani Plunkett-de la Cruz Wilson: Olivia Wallace St. Marys: Sim Kaur Tigard: Allison Burke The Rose Festival Queen will be chosen from among the Princesses and crowned on Saturday June 8, 8:30 am, at the Veterans Memorial, Coliseum. 2013 Rose Festival Kicks Off This year’s festivities will run from May 24 through Jun. 9 By Bruce Poinsette Of The Skanner News T he Rose Festival begins Friday, May 24. High- lights of this year’s festivities include the Queen’s Coronation and the honoring of the World Hockey League Champions, the Portland Win- terhawks. The 2013 Grand Marshal of the Rose Festival is Gerry Frank, an author, speaker, vet- eran, statesman, businessman, volunteer and a fourth-genera- tion Oregonian. Frank served as chief of staff to former United States Sen. Mark Hatfield for 20 years and has often been referred to as “Oregon’s third Senator.” He was named the first-ever ‘Ore- gon Premier Citizen’ by gubernatorial proclamation. Rose Festival CityFair will be open for three full week- ends starting Memorial Day Weekend. The fair features local beer, live exotic animals, shopping, rides, special attrac- tions and fireworks. Admission to the CityFair is $7 for ages seven and older. One of the main attractions of CityFair is “The Big Sling.” This human catapult slings rid- ers nearly 25 stories high and is considered the highest flying ride in the Pacific Northwest. “A Walk on the Wild Side” is an exhibit that brings a mix of exotic mammals, birds, rep- tiles and spiders. Its presence will help fund an animal res- cue program and 40-acre country sanctuary. The food court will include barbecue, Hawaiian, deserts, hamburgers, pizza, and other options. Also, this year’s fair will fea- ture two nights of fireworks. First, the festivities will kick- off with the Opening Night RoZone Fireworks Experience May 24. The second show, Grand Floral Fireworks pre- sented by CityTarget, will be held Jun. 7. Other activities include the 35th Legacy Health Starlight See ROSE on page 3 See ELECTION on page 3 INDEX News ...........2,3,8,9,12 Opinion ..................4,5 A & E ......................6,7 Bids/Classifieds ...10,11 Gen. Romeo Dallaire Talks to Graduates The former peacekeeper devotes his life to rescuing child soldiers Lisa Loving Of The Skanner News C anadian Senator Romeo Dallaire was in Portland last weekend to deliver the commencement address for Lewis & Clark’s College of Arts and Sci- ences graduation ceremonies Saturday, May 18. Dallaire commanded the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda and is the author of “Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda,” a first- hand account of the world’s, and his own, failure to stop the 1994 genocide. Lewis & Clark awards a Romeo Dallaire Scholarship each year to a low-income stu- dent dedicated to promoting human rights in sub-Saharan Africa. The Skanner News spoke with Dallaire last week about his work, the ongoing issue of child soldiers, and the young generation’s power in making positive changes in the world – including for African children vic- timized by war. The Skanner News: Sir, you have been through horrors that most of us in this coun- See LEWIS & CLARK on page 3
