Volume XXXX, Number 29 Committed to Cultural DiversityEstablished in 1970

Wednesday • July 21, 2010

www.portlandobserver.com

‘City of Roses’

Arrest Busts Crime Spree

PHOTO BY JAKE THOMAS/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

A table top filled with recovered guns that were stolen from cars, buildings and storage units during a six month crime spree are

displayed at a news conference with Portland Police Det. Mark Georgioff (left) and North Precinct Police Commander Jim Ferraris.

Mountain of stolengoods recoveredBY JAKE THOMAS

THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

Portland police have apprehended a manwhom they believe spent more than six monthsprowling cars and storage units, allegedlystealing what could be hundreds of thou-sands of dollars in goods.

Detectives from North Precinct arrested37-year-old Michael Pavlicek and chargedhim multiple counts of theft in connectionwith at least 100 thefts from storage units andcars.

Police opened up a room brimming withthe stolen bounty on Thursday. Inside wasa small mountain of goods. A snowboard,greasy DeWalt power tools, a jacket for ABCNews, a table full of laptops, a sawed-offshotgun, a cigar humidor with an Air Forceinsignia, taped-up and tattered boxes full ofelectronic goods, even a riding lawnmower,were among the items recovered.

Speaking to reporters, Det. Mark Georgioffsaid that there were easily 35 victims, andpossibly 50 in total. He said that Pavliceklikely began his alleged spree around De-cember.

“This guy was rather prolific,” he said.Police believe that Pavlicek would target

continued on page 17

Plastic BagBan Drafted

PHOTO BY DREW DAKESSIAN/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

Mason Brock turns into a bag monster during a rally in support

a ban on plastic grocery bags in front of City Hall.

Law would target supermarketsBY DREW DAKESSIAN

THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

Portland is gearing up to join the ranks of other cities, likeSan Francisco, in banning plastic bags. Mayor Sam Adamshas made good on a promise to draft up an ordinance banningsingle-use plastic bags from supermarkets, but even in a citythat has prided itself on its green reputation the proposal stillfaces opposition and isn’t in the clear yet.

Last year, Seattle passed a 20-cent fee on plastic bags, butwas shortly overturned by voters after significant push back

continued on page 5

from industry groups. In Oregon, similar effortshave also fallen flat. During the last Legislativesession, Oregon lawmakers punted on a billthat would ban plastic bags state-wide.

Proponents of the ban say that plastic bagsare seldom recycled, and create big messes aftermaking their way into waterways. They also addto the country’s dependence on oil since it is akey ingredient in manufacturing them.

The ordinance would prohibit the provisionof single-use plastic or non-recycled papercarryout bags at big grocery stores like FredMeyer, Albertsons and Safeway or large retail-ers with pharmacies; require the regulatedstores to charge a minimum of 5 cents forrecycled paper or compostable plastic bags,and provide reusable bags, at no cost, to se-niors and low-income residents.

The ordinance will be voted on in August.

Page 2 July 21, 2010

Week inThe Review

Local Schools Keep P.E.Portland Super-intendent CaroleSmith told theschool boardMonday that ev-ery Portland el-ementary andmiddle school

will have at least a halftime physicaleducation teacher this fall-ratherthan lose PE entirely. Smith says thedecision means about 120 teachingpositions will be cut, not the 180originally proposed.

School Named for ChavezThe Portland school board votedMonday to rename the Portsmouth-Clarendon school in north Portlandfor labor rights leader Cesar E.

Chavez. It's the first of Portland's 85public schools to be named for aLatino. Last year's switch from 39thAvenue to Cesar E. Chavez Boule-vard sparked a contentious debatebut no controversy surrounded thislatest name change.

High Court Pick ApprovedA polarized Senate Judiciary Com-mittee Tuesday approved ElenaKagan to be the fourth female Su-

preme Court jus-tice. Just one Re-publican joinedDemocrats toa p p r o v eKagan's nomi-nation and sendit to the full Sen-

ate, where she's expected to win

confirmation within weeks.

Jobless Benefits Delay EndsLegislation to restore unemploy-ment benefits to millions who havebeen out of work for more than sixmonths broke free of Senate Repub-lican delaying tactics on Tuesday.Senators voted 60-40 to move aheadon the bill, clearing the way for afinal Senate vote and considerationby the House on Wednesday.

Missing Boy Costs MountMultnomah County commissionerswill consider budgeting extra money

to help find missing 7-year-oldKyron Horman. Sheriff Dan Statonand District Attorney MichaelSchrunk willask the boardThursday formore than$438,000 fortheir investiga-tion. The search for missing SkylineElementary boy has already costthe county more than $412,000.

Prom Dispute SettledA rural school district in Missis-sippi that canceled its prom ratherthan allow a lesbian student to at-tend with her girlfriend has agreedto pay $35,000 to settle a discrimina-tion lawsuit the ACLU filed on her

behalf. Constance McMillen, 18,said the victory came at the price ofher being shunned in her small home-town of Fulton, Miss.

Lohan Begins Jail TermLindsay Lohan was taken into cus-tody to serve a jail sentence forprobation violation Tuesday. The24-year-old ac-tress showed upat the BeverlyHills courtroomabout 10 minuteslate. After a shorthearing, she roseand was hand-cuffed behind her back to serve a 90day sentence, which may be signifi-cantly shortened.

NAACP TakesBack Criticism

Shirley Sherrod

After workerpushed out of job

(AP) -- NAACP leaders are call-ing on the Obama administrationto reconsider its ousting of a blackAgriculture Department workerwho was pushed out of her jobover racially tinged remarks, re-versing their previous criticism ofthe employee.

NAACP President BenjaminTodd Jealous said in a statementthat the group was "snookered"into believing that USDA em-ployee Shirley Sherrod expressedracist sentiments at a local NAACPmeeting in Georgia earlier this year.Jealous said conservative activ-ist Andrew Breitbart, whosewebsite posted video of Sherrod'sremarks, deceived millions ofpeople by releasing only partialclips. He said the full video makesclear that Sherrod was telling astory of racial unity.

"The tape of Ms. Sherrod’sspeech at an NAACP banquet wasdeliberately edited to create a falseimpression of racial bias, and tocreate a controversy where noneexisted," Jealous said Tuesday af-ternoon. "This just shows thelengths to which extremist ele-ments will go to discredit legiti-mate opposition."

The controversy began Mon-day when the conservativewebsite biggovernment.composted a two-minute, 38-secondvideo clip of Sherrod's remarks toa local NAACP chapter. TheHuffington Post said a YouTubevideo was then aired on Fox News.The footage has stoked racial andpolitical tension amid allegationsby the NAACP that the Tea Partymovement is bigoted.

Earlier Tuesday, AgricultureSecretary Tom Vilsack acceptedSherrod's resignation, saying

there was "zero tolerance for dis-crimination at USDA."

But Sherrod, in an interviewwith CNN, said her remarks to theNAACP were being intentionallymisconstrued by conservativegroups stoking racial tensions.

"I was speaking to that group,like I've done many groups, and Itell them about a time when Ithought the issue was race andrace only," Sherrod told CNN. Shesaid the incident she described inher speech occurred some 24 yearsago, when she worked for a non-profit aid group. "I was telling thestory of how working with himhelped me to see the issue is notabout race. It's about those whohave versus those who do nothave."

The farmer's wife, EloiseSpooner, 82, told The Atlanta Jour-nal-Constitution on Tuesday thatSherrod helped save their land.Spooner, who considered Sherroda "friend for life," said that "thefederal official worked tirelesslyto help" the couple hold onto theirfarm as they faced bankruptcy in1986, the Atlanta newspaper re-ported.

To contactThe Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033or email ads@portlandob server.com

inPrintdiversity

July 21, 2010 Page 3

I N S I D E

FOOD page 20

LOCAL NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS page 13

This pageSponsored by:

pages 9-12

The Week in Review page 2

OPINION pages 6-7

SUSTAINABILITY pages 4-5

HEALTH pages 14-15

Blazers Hire New GMFirst Asian-American to hold NBA position

New Trail Blazers generalmanager Rich Cho says whilehe's impressed with Portland'syouth and depth, the team is stilllacking the piece that will bringthe city another championship.

Cho, who spent nine seasonsas an assistant general managerwith the Oklahoma City Thun-der, was introduced as the Blaz-ers' GM on Monday. Hereplaces KevinPritchard, who helpedusher the team out ofthe Jail Blazers era sev-eral years ago but wasultimately dismissed lastmonth.

Cho, a Northwest na-tive and the first Asian-American general man-ager in NBA history, saidthat under his watch theBlazers will be "processoriented and methodicalin our approach."

"Character, team-work and accountabilitywill be three of our corevalues," he said.

The Blazers also consideredformer Cleveland Cavaliers GMDanny Ferry and former MiamiHeat GM Randy Pfund beforesettling on Cho, 44, who joinedthe Thunder as an intern whenthe franchise was based in Se-attle.

Cho interviewed with Blazersowner Paul Allen, the billionaireco-founder of Microsoft, lastweek in Helsinki, Finland. Allen,still traveling in Europe, said ina statement: "Rich has depth ofcharacter, a foundation in busi-ness and legal matters and aknowledge of the game of NBAbasketball that will help our teamget even better. He is part of thenew generation of NBA execu-tives."

With a law degree and also abackground in engineering, Chohas gained a reputation for hisexpertise with the salary capand the collective bargainingagreement. He's also got scout-ing experience.

"Everyone I spoke to about

Rich commented not just on hisqualifications but on who he isas a person," Blazers presidentLarry Miller said in a statement."He is well known for his abilityto connect genuinely withpeople. Rich will be a great fitfor our organization and forPortland. He is an executive onthe rise and we're thrilled to

have him as a Trail Blazer."Terms of the contract with

Cho were not disclosed.Pritchard, who had been with

the Blazers since 2004, was firedby Allen just hours before theNBA draft. It was never madeclear what exactly precipitatedthe dismissal.

Pritchard built a promisingyoung team around guard Bran-don Roy, who was chosen theleague's rookie of the year be-fore becoming a three-time All-Star. Pritchard was also astaunch supporter of 7-footcenter Greg Oden, the top pickin the 2007 draft who has beenplagued by injuries.

During Pritchard's tenure theBlazers also returned to the play-offs after a five-year absence,but they were unable to get pastthe first round for the past twoseasons.

Portland, which won the NBAchampionship in 1977, went 50-32 last season even though theteam was dogged by injuries to

several players."Portland's definitely come a

long way, but I think there'sroom for improvement," Chosaid.

Michael Born, Portland's di-rector of NBA scouting, andChad Buchanan, director ofcollege scouting, took over GMduties while the search was on.

The Blazers made anoffer for Utah re-stricted free agentWesley Matthews,but have otherwisebeen quiet in recentweeks.

Blazers coachNate McMillan saidhe got to know Chowhen both of themwere in Seattle.

"After talking toRich I called somefriends and everyonesaid pretty much thesame thing, that thisguy is ready for theo p p o r t u n i t y , "McMillan said.

Thunder general managerSam Presti was certain Chowould be a competent GM.

"He's got a lot of versatility tohis skill set. He's going to put in anincredible amount of work andhe's going to think things throughand be very analytical about howhe approaches decisions," Prestisaid. "I just think overall he bringsa nice balance and he's going todo wonderful."

During his time in Seattle,Cho worked closely withMicrosoft to develop a compre-hensive player evaluation sys-tem. A member of the Washing-ton State Bar, he also served asa vice president in charge oflegal affairs for the SuperSonicsfrom 2005-07, handling issuesincluding licensing agreementsand employment contracts.

Cho, who also has worked atBoeing, received his engineer-ing degree from WashingtonState. He attended law school atPepperdine.

The Associated Press

Rich Cho was named Trail Blazers General

Manager Monday. He’s the first Asian American

general manager in NBA history.

Page 4 July 21, 2010

PHOTO BY JAKE THOMAS/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

Teri Phillips sets aside her cane and picks up a rake to spread

around soil at a lot on Northeast Emerson Street. This site used

to be a brownfield, a polluted site, and will be opened up as a

community garden later this month.

Toxic Sites Made Useful AgainCommunity garden serves as exampleBY JAKE THOMAS

THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

On a warm morning on EmersonStreet in northeast Portland, vol-unteers clad in Carhartts and dirtyjeans rake pitch black soil over avacant lot.

It’s been nearly 15 years of back-and-forth with the state and thecounty, testing soil, and recruiting

volunteers, but later this month athe work of a dedicated few will payoff when a once toxic and neglectedlot that has remained unused and

overgrown with weeds for about 50years will flourish as a communitygarden.

This site is a brownfield, a prop-erty that people are reluctant to usebecause of either real or perceivedcontamination. And as more peopleflock to Oregon, the use of suchproperties will become increasinglyimportant in creating sustainable

and healthycommunities.

Brownfieldsoften sit idle foryears, contribut-ing to urbanblight and pre-senting potentialhealth hazards.North and north-east Portland hasno shortage ofthese sites, andas the area seesnew interest eco-nomic interest init, many are be-ing developed.

When TriMetbegan prepar-

ing for the installation of the MAXYellow Line in the late 1990s, themass transit agency initiated abrownfield inventory along North

Interstate Avenue. With a grantfrom the EPA, it took an inventoryof brownfield sites in the area. Itidentified two former gas stationsthat required little cleanup andnow house office space as well asa health clinic run by Providence.

“There’s got to be some sort ofexcitement and desire to be there,”said David Bartz, an environmental

lawyer at Schwabe, Williamson, andWyatt, who does work for develop-ers working on brownfields.

He explained that if a propertyis in a good location with lots ofeconomic activity there is a goodchance that a developer will takea chance on a property.

Bartz said that gentrifying ar-eas, like north and northeast Port-land, often attract the interest keyto getting brownfields developed.Areas like Burns or Mollala areharder to develop, he said.

However, there are barriers totransforming these propertiesfrom dangerous eyesores toplaces that will benefit people wholive nearby.

One of the big stumbling blocksto developing these properties isthe uncertainty that surroundsthem. It’s seldom clear how pol-luted the area is, how much it mightcost to clean it up, expensive itmight be to clear it up, and there’sthe possibility that new contain-ments might be found later.

“The real challenge withbrownfields is the mystery be-hind them,” said Jenn Bildersee,acting coordinator of city’sbrownfield program. Portland isone 40 communities in the U.S. tobe awarded grants by the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency.The city was awarded about$400,000 to help assess how toxicbrownfields are.

Because Oregon has strict landuse laws designed to prevent

sprawl and the state is seeing aninflux of people, developing thesesites will be important to accom-modate newcomers.

There is no precise number of howmany properties qualify asbrownfields in the state, in part be-cause there is no uniform definitionof what constitutes such a property,according to Gil Wistar, the OregonDepartment of EnvironmentalQuality’s brownfields coordinator.

He said that pollutants on eachsite vary, but petroleum, PCBs,metals, and solvents are commonpollutants, and these sites need aclean bill of health from DEQ be-fore being developed.

Bartz said that in order to get abrownfield developed they haveto be assured that they won’t beslammed with more costs if morepollutants are later found or regu-lations change. DEQ offers tech-nical assistance to developers andcan offer some liability protectionif more contaminants are found,which Bartz said is key.

But in addition to commercialdevelopers, there are grassrootsactivists trying to turn pollutedareas in community sites.

The lot on Emerson Street firstcaught the eye on Sybil Kelley, aninstructor at Portland State andneighborhood activist, in 1995when she lived nearby. A househad once been there in the 1950s,but now it was a mean-lookingvacant lot, overgrown with un-kempt foliage.

Kelley saw potential in the siteand got the gears churning onturning the lot into somethingbetter.

She got the city to do an initialinvestigation of the site under itsbrownfields program, and in 1997she tested the soil, which con-firmed that it was contaminatedwith, lead- a common problem witholder residential properties.

Kelley later partnered withGroundwork, an organization thatworks on developing brownfieldsto get volunteers to help out.

The city donated soil to dilutethe lead, which volunteers hauledfrom a truck in wheelbarrow andraked across the 3,125 foot squarefoot lot getting it ready for itspresentation to the communitylater this month. Soon this poisonplace will be community garden.

“I’ve always saw brownfields asan opportunity, not a problem,” saidKelley.

Groundbreaking CelebrationA groundbreaking ceremony is planned Satur-

day, July 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the EmersonStreet Garden at 822 N.E. Emerson St. The event willinclude free entertainment, food and art activities foryouth, teens and adults.

The community garden space was designed toengage local residents and the African Americancommunity, and to incorporate the history of theKing Neighborhood into the site. The property wasa former brownfield because of pollution, but hasbeen cleaned up. Youth from King Elementary andthe Blazers Boys and Girls Club helped in the pro-cess.

Do you have something to contribute to thegarden? To help or RSVP, contact Cassie at 503-662-2590 or via email at cassie@groundworkportland.org.

July 21, 2010 Page 5

Plastic Bag Bancontinued from front

If it passes, it would go into effectin January 2012, giving opponentsof the ban ample to time to rally.

Adams announced his plans forthe ordinance at a rally in front ofCity Hall last Wednesday and wasjoined by a crowd of supporters,including members of the SurfriderFoundation’s Oregon Chapter,which has launched a “Ban the Bag”campaign.

Opponents of the ban, like KeithChristman, managing director of theAmerican Chemistry Council’s Plas-tics Division, called the Portlandproposal a completely wrong ap-proach.

“Banning plastic bags wouldcause a switch to paper bags, whichhave resulted in twice [the] green-house gas emissions, use twice asmuch energy to make, and produce80 percent more waste,” he said.

In 2007 when San Francisco be-came the first U.S. city to ban single-use plastic bags, citizens did switchto paper bags.

This does not mean thatChristman would prefer that paperbags be banned instead.

“If you banned both [paper andplastic bags], you would still get ridof…the recycling infrastructure forother kinds of plastic bags andwraps,” he said

When asked if the AmericanChemistry Council supports reus-able bags, Christman replied, “If youreuse something, you’re prevent-

ing the manufacture of somethingelse for that purpose.”

Joe Gilliam, President of theNorthwest Grocery Association,has a somewhat different outlook.He thinks that people should re-use bags or get a bag specificallyfor that purpose, and is quick topoint out the torrid history of thebag ban.

“Seattle went down in flames,and that’s a pretty liberal city,” hesaid. “If we’re gonna do this, wethink it should be [applied to] allretailers statewide.”

To prevent something similarhappening in Portland, Gilliam saidit should be applied to all retailersstatewide.

“We’ve asked the mayor to con-sider setting his ordinance up in away that allows the legislature to actnext time,” said Gilliam. “We think itshould be done statewide, so thatthere’s one set of rules.”

Unlike the American ChemistryCouncil, the Northwest GroceryAssociation takes issue not withthe concept of the bag ban, but themethod of implementation.

“We’ve asked the mayor to con-sider setting his ordinance up in away that allows the legislature to actnext time,” said Gilliam. “We think itshould be done, statewide, so thatthere’s one set of rules.”

But Adams is charging ahead.Though a blog post from Adams’website states, “Portland and Or-egon have always led the nation onsmart environmental policy.”

Help for the Columbia

The Columbia River east of Portland at Bonneville Dam.

BY DREW DAKESSIAN

THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

The Columbia River, a symbol of the Pacific Northwest,is one of the few rivers in the U.S. that the federalgovernment has done little to maintain. But Congress mightbe poised to change that.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committeelast month cleared the Columbia River Restoration Act of2010. Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Senator Max Baucus, D-Mont., authored thebill. It will authorize the Environmental Protection Agencyto provide technical assistance and help state and localagencies, tribal governments, industry, landowners, andenvironmental groups in an effort to reduce toxic contami-nation in the river.

“The Columbia River has been a lifeline for Oregon’sfishing industry and powers much of the Northwest,”

Renewable Jet

Fuels WantedLocal transportation and aviation lead-

ers have launched a strategic initiative topromote aviation biofuel development inthe Pacific Northwest.

The project will look at biomass optionswithin a four-state area as possible sourcesfor creating renewable jet fuel.

The comprehensive assessment will ex-amine all phases of developing a sustain-able biofuel industry, including biomassproduction and harvest, refining, trans-port infrastructure and actual use by air-lines. It will include an analysis of potentialbiomass sources that are indigenous tothe Pacific Northwest, including algae,agriculturally based oilseeds such ascamelina, wood byproducts and others.

The project is jointly funded by AlaskaAirlines, Boeing, Washington State Uni-versity and the Seattle-Tacoma, Spokaneand Portland International Airports.

continued on page 17

Page 6 July 21, 2010

New Prices

Effective

May 1, 2010

Martin

Cleaning

ServiceCarpet & Upholstery

Cleaning

Residential &

Commercial Services

Minimum Service CHG.$45.00

A small distance/travel chargemay be applied

CARPET CLEANING2 Cleaning Areas ormore $30.00 Each Area

Pre-Spray Traf fic Areas(Includes: 1 small Hallway)

1 Cleaning Ar ea (only)$40.00Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area(Hallway Extra)

Stair s (12-16 stairs - WithOther Services): $25.00

Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 MinimumArea/Oriental Rugs (Wool):$40.00 Minimum

Heavily Soiled Ar ea:Additional $10.00 each area

(Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying)

UPHOLSTERYCLEANING

Sofa: $69.00Loveseat: $49.00Sectional: $109 - $139Chair or Recliner:$25 - $49Throw Pillows (WithOther Services): $5.00

ADDITIONALSERVICES

• Area & Oriental RugCleaning• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning• Deodorizing & PetOdor Treatment• Spot & StainRemoval Service• Scotchguard Protection• Minor Water DamageServices

SEE CURRENT FLYERFOR ADDITIONAL

PRICES & SERVICESCall for Appointment(503) 281-3949

OPINIONOpinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of thePortland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos andstory ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com.

Gun Rights and Public Safety

USPS 959-680

EDITOR- IN-CHIEF, PUBLISHER: Charles H. WashingtonED I T O R:Michael Leighton

D I S T R I B U T I O N MA N A G E R: Mark WashingtonCREATIVE D IRECTOR: Paul Neufeldt

WEB EDITOR: Jake ThomasCALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015

news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.comsubscription@portlandobserver.com

4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Portland Observer ,

PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208

The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs shouldbe clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All createddesign display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in otherpublications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless theclient has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALLRIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSIONIS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is amember of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertis-ing Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast BlackPublishers Association

Established 1970

Look to the root cause of gun violenceBY JUDGE GREG MATHIS

The U.S. SupremeCourt recently ruled thatstate and local govern-ments can no longer re-strict an individual’s rightto own a firearm. How-ever, the Court’s decision andsupporting arguments left roomfor lawmakers to impose some re-strictions on ownership and pre-vent easy access to guns whilestill protecting this basic right.

In handing down its decision,the court focused its attention ona case that challenged a 28-year-old Chicago ban on handguns.The decision is an extension ofthe court’s 2008 ruling that the

Second Amendment wasnot intended just for mili-tias and did, in fact, ex-tend to individuals.

While the rul ingdoesn’t guarantee citieswill modify their gun ban

laws, it does open the door forresidents to legally challengethose laws and win.

Officials in these cities, wherethere are high rates of gun crime,are upset and fear the court’s de-cision will interfere with their abil-ity to craft gun laws that reducecrime. That fear, however, may beunfounded.

The court made certain to notethat the right to own a firearm is

not the same as the right to pos-sess and carry a firearm in anymanner for whatever purpose. Tothat end, the court does supportrestricting firearm ownership forfelons and the mentally ill andencourages state and local effortsto close loopholes that allow indi-viduals to purchase guns withouta background check.

What we’re left with is a hybridsituation – one that protects anAmerican’s basic rights while stillleaving room for local govern-ments to craft the laws that willkeep their streets safe. These law-makers, especially those in urbanareas, should also look at the rootcauses of crime and gun violence.

Cutting citizens off from gunsdoes little to help reduce crimeswhen would-be criminals buy theirguns on the black market.

There is not much data thatshows gun bans in America re-duce gun deaths but there is ex-tensive research on the key rolecommunity centers, job creationand neighborhood and policepartnerships play in keeping citi-zens safe.

If officials in Chicago and othercities are serious about gun vio-lence prevention, they would, in-stead of looking for work aroundto the Court’s ruling, begin tothink of new ways to reduce guncrimes.

Greg Mathis is a retired Michi-gan District Court Judge and syn-dicated television judge.

Keep the Internet Open for AllBig companies want to manipulate accessBY JOSEPH TORRES

Perhaps thegreatest freedom ina democracy is free-dom of speech.Throughout ournation's history,people have died fighting notonly for our right to speak, butfor our right to be heard.

The Internet is the greatestcommunications network evercreated because it allows us tospeak for ourselves withoutfirst asking permission fromcorporate gatekeepers. TheInternet's importance as a fo-rum for speech is the result ofthe principle called net neu-trality, which prevents thephone and cable companiesthat provide Internet servicefrom discriminating againstcontent online or interferingwith the free flow of Internettraffic.

But net neutrality and the open

Internet may be in serioustrouble. Julius Genachowski,the chairman of the FederalCommunications Commission,has been holding closed-doormeetings with Verizon, AT&T,Comcast, and Google that could

pave the way for a corporatetakeover of the Internet. The bigphone and cable companies wantto kill net neutrality so they cancontrol and manipulate the con-tent you can access on theInternet. Those who can paywill have their websites sped up;those who can't may have theirsites slowed down or evenblocked.

Guess who'll be able to paythat extra cost? The big corpo-rations. Meanwhile, the small orstartup business or the new non-profit organization will be pushedto the digital margins.

The FCC, our nation's com-munications watchdog agency,is currently trying to modernize

its Internet policy framework.Unless it succeeds, the phoneand cable companies will be freeto censor us online, block thewebsites we want to see, andtrack the websites we visit with-out disclosing their practices. Theagency is under immense pres-sure from the lobbyists to takecontrol of the Internet away fromInternet users and turn it over tocorporations.

The Center for ResponsivePolitics reports that these com-panies spent more than $20 mil-lion lobbying the federal govern-ment during the first quarter of2010 alone. Many of these lob-byists enjoy a direct line to deci-sion-makers in Congress and atthe FCC. Glance at a list of thetop staffers working on telecom-munications just a few yearsago, and you'll find name aftername now representing indus-try, unconcerned about advo-cating for positions they used to

oppose.The Sunlight Foundation re-

ported that 72 percent of thelobbyists hired by AT&T,Comcast, Time Warner Cable,Verizon, the National Cable &Telecommunications Associa-tion, and the U.S. Telecom As-sociation--the leading opponentsof net neutrality--have previousgovernment experience. This fig-ure includes 18 former lawmak-ers and 48 former Hill stafferswho worked for the House andSenate commerce committeesthat provide congressional over-sight of the FCC.

The FCC has the power to dothe right thing. What the Ameri-can people want is someone tostand up and fight for themagainst corporate corruption--whether from BP, AIG orComcast. It needs to protect theInternet from a corporate take-over.

Joseph Torres is a senioradviser for government andexternal affairs at Free Press.

July 21, 2010 Page 7

OPINION

Fill Out & Send To:

s u b s c r i p t i o n s a re j u s t $ 6 0 p e r y e a r(please include check with this subscription form)

Attn: Subscriptions, PO Box 3137, Portland OR 97208

Subscribe503-288-0033!

or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com

NAME:TELEPHONE:ADDRESS:

Danger of Invisible Corporate PowerOur country isin a death gripBY JOHN STEEL

Let's face it:Large corpora-tions have ourcountry, and us, ina death grip. Someof their bad behav-ior makes big headlines: the BPoil disaster, Goldman Sachs’ fi-nancial shenanigans, Enron'sbook-cooking. However, equallydangerous corporate activityhappens every day, far frompublic view.

Corporations have seeped al-most invisibly into nearly everygovernment agency and toomany congressional offices. Andthey're as poisonous as carbonmonoxide. In the last 20 years,protective legislation and regu-lation, carefully constructed fromthe days of President Coolidgeand vastly strengthened due tothe Depression, have seriouslydeteriorated.

There's nothing inherently evil,or even bad, about corporations.Indeed, the combination of capi-tal and management under oneroof is efficient and essential in a

global, competitive world. Somuch of our standard of livingand our worldwide leadershipare directly traceable to our cor-porate and entrepreneurial cul-ture. But even good things, whenthey get out of control, turn de-structive. Cancer, after all, isjust growth gone wild.

There has always been ten-sion between good government

and free enterprise. It hurts thebottom line to scrub emissionsfrom coal-burning power gen-erators, ensure meat is sanitary,clean up toxic waste, and dis-close the full risks of financialproducts.

But once corporations real-ized that instead of fighting gov-ernment they could actually buyit through lobbying and politicalcontributions, the base of our

democracy eroded. Their “in-visible power” got a grip. Thestealthy hunt for corporate prof-its metastasized from the mar-ketplace and entered the halls ofCongress and the executivebranch.

The fight over reforming WallStreet is just the latest example.The need for regulation is hardlytheoretical here. We're still reel-

ing from a crisis caused by theabsence of it. Congress doesn'teven need to reinvent the wheel,a favorite task. There were lawsand regulations that had workedfor so long, such as those to keepbanks and investment brokersseparate; require diligent lend-ing; prohibit betting against yourown borrowers; require full dis-closure to borrowers; and, aboveall, keep the risk with the lenders

to insure they make prudentloans.

So why has the debate onreform dragged on for nearly ayear? The public wants WallStreet reined in. So why wouldany legislator, much less an en-tire political party, get in the wayof financial reform? It can't justbe a coincidence that the finan-cial sector happens to be the

biggest contributor to 2010 con-gressional campaigns, with morethan $129 million doled out al-ready. Financial firms have alsospent well over a half a billiondollars on lobbying since early2009.

To reverse this situation wemust change who gets elected toCongress. And that is the onething we can do, and perhaps theonly thing, to neutralize corpo-

rate control of our government.Only real people have the vote;corporations don't.

To regain our democracy, wemust:• Identify and make public thoseelected representatives who owetheir jobs to corporate largesseand cast their votes accordingly.• Insulate the election processfrom corporate funding. Bills inboth the Senate and House thatwould forbid campaign spendingby contractors who receive morethan $50,000 in taxpayer fundswould be a good start.• Prohibit lawmakers and lob-byists from interacting with eachother, except to exchange ideason legislation, and require themto publish a record of their con-tacts.

It may take several electioncycles to scrub corporate influ-ence and control from our politi-cal system, but once it starts itwill gain momentum. And oncewe've accomplished this feat,appropriate regulation and con-trol will follow. The horse will bebefore the cart, and the driverwill be a human person.

John Steel is a lawyer andthe former mayor of Telluride,Colo.

There were laws and regulations that had worked for solong, such as those to keep banks and investment brokersseparate; require diligent lending; prohibit bettingagainst your own borrowers; require full disclosure toborrowers; and, above all, keep the risk with the lendersto insure they make prudent loans.

The Struggle is Not Over: Take the time to get testedBY REV. ROSE WRIGHT -SCOTT

Educating, lift-ing awareness,and testing forHIV was an im-portant task oflocal communi-ties last month onNational HIV Testing Day.

Some of our churches joinedin the plight to continue the fightagainst this disease, stand withand support those that are in-fected and affected and to elimi-nate the continuous stigma thatis associated with HIV/AIDS.

I have served as an HIV/AIDS educator for over a de-cade and I still sit in awe at theignorance and apathy of manypeople, especially the AfricanAmerican community and thefaith community.

According to the U.S. De-partment of Health and Hu-

man Services, “there are morethan 1 million people in theUnited States living with HIV.”One-fourth of them do not knowthat they are infected with theHIV virus.

The U.S. Centers for Dis-ease Control and Preventionestimates that one out of fivepeople living with HIV in theU.S. are unaware of their HIVstatus. Could you be one ofthem? The only way to know ifyou have HIV (Human Immu-nodeficiency Virus) is to gettested. Testing is an opportunityfor people to learn their HIVstatus and to gain knowledge totake control of their health andtheir lives.

I was recently engaged in aconversation with a beautifulyoung African American womanthat is living with the disease,and she stated the struggle is not

over.Even though she’s been un-

detectable for several years thereare still those, many among herown family members that arejust not getting it. They continuethe whispers, stares, and askingquestions that are hurtful andleave her feeling isolated andalone.

In spite of it all, she’s beenblessed to have two beautifuldaughters that have been testednegative, maintain a job, and istraveling around the country shar-ing her story, and educatingpeople.

Nevertheless, she says, “thereare those that just don’t get it, thestruggle is not over.” She givescredit to God, a strong supportsystem, and groups such asUCAN (United Church of ChristHIV and AIDS Network), Com-mon Thread, AIDS ministries in

the churches and other groupsthat realize that the struggle isnot over.

Take the time to get tested.The life you save could be your

own!Rev. Rose Wright-Scott is

minister of program develop-ment for the United Church ofChrist.

Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob server.com

Page 8 July 21, 2010

An artist’s rendering shows the design of one of 36 housing units

that will form a new neighborhood on the grounds of the former

John Ball Elementary School on North Willis Avenue.

Homes for Seniors Mentoring KidsUniqueneighborhoodrises on oldschool site

Bridge Meadows has brokenground of their newintergenerational neighborhood inthe Portsmouth neighborhood ofnorth Portland.

When finished sometime nextyear, the new neighborhood willoffer families and children a uniqueintergenerational approach to tradi-tional foster care by providing hous-ing to seniors who want to becomementors to youth in foster care.

The program is modeled after ahighly successful program in Chi-cago that has seen a 90 percentadoption rate for children within theprogram.

The neighborhood on the formerJohn Ball Elementary School site onNorth Willis Avenue will consist of36 family homes and elder livingunits, a community center, and gar-dens. Many programs will be of-fered at the new facility, includingafter-school programs, summer rec-

reation options as well as commu-nity gatherings to celebrate holi-days, birthdays, and special events.

“We are thrilled to break groundon the new facility. This project hasbeen a dream,” said Rhonda Mead-ows, founder of Bridge Meadows.

The non-profit was founded in2004 by Rhonda Meadows with the

mission of finding safe and adop-tive family situations for foster chil-dren and at the same time, offeringsafety and meaningful purpose tothe lives of older adults.

The project began with the hopeof stopping the revolving door ofthe foster care system. The programaims to address adoption optionsfor youth to prevent them from “ag-ing out” of the foster care systemand becoming at risk forhomelessness, poverty, lack of aca-demic opportunities and mentalhealth problems.

Bridge Meadows will provide atrisk children with not only loving,adoptive homes, but also surrogategrandparents, mentors and play-mates. The program allows childrenof all ages and ethnic backgroundsthat are separated from their bio-logical parents the chance at stabil-ity, constancy and permanence witholder adults serving as volunteersand living within the communitycan learn how their presence in thechildren’s lives can make an impact.

Parr Lumber has stepped up todonate the lumber as well as timeand volunteers to organize the con-struction of the new facility.

“We are delighted to be in a po-sition to help the Bridge MeadowsProject. It is a wonderful idea and weare confident that the new facilitywill help many within our commu-nity,” said David Hamill, chiefexcutive officer of Parr Lumber.

Support also comes from manycaring citizens and the followingsponsors: Windermere Foundation,Homer Williams, Legend Homes,Columbia Distributing, Mt. HoodSolutions, The Collins Foundation,Meyer Memorial Trust, Ann & BillSwindell’s Charitable Trust, JuanYoung Trust, Rose E. Tucker Trust,Juliet Ashby Hillman Foundation,Ray Hickey Foundation andHedinger Foundation.

The partners for the project in-clude Guardian Management,Carleton Hart Architecture, andWalsh Construction.

July 21, 2010 Page 9

&ArtsEntertainment

SCAPOOSE CAFESCAPOOSE CAFE33466 Havlik Dr., Scappoose, OR

Phone (503) 987-1546Fax (503) 987-1043

Call ahead for orders made to-goSpecialty Coffee & Smoothies

Beer, Wine & SpiritsBreakfast & Lunch served until 3 PM.

BakeryFree Wi-Fi

HoursMon-Fri 7am-3pmSat-Sun 8am-3pm

Join Us For Happy Hour3pm-6pm Mon-Fri

Appetizers & Drink Specials

Dixion’s Rib Pitbetween 19th & 20th on Alber ta Str eet

503-753-0868

Hours12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tueday thru SaturdaySunday after 3 p.m.

Dinners $9.50Sandwiches $8.50

And Soul Food

Try us once you’ll come back again

Zeke' s Ready Ribs is now Open!!Rib dinners special: 3 Ribs 2 sides and bread $9.49

Zeke's is having a 2 month special (June-July 3rd):• Wings with toast $ 1.99• 12 wings with Toast and fries $9.49• 3 wings fries and Toast $4.49• Hot Link or German Sausage with soda $2.99• Chilli fritos with soda $2.99

Come by TodayOpen 10:30am till 8:00pm , Monday through Saturday

5800 NE MLK Jr. Bld., Portland • 503-231-5121

“The chicken tastes better then Jacks'”

A hot new band from Phoenix, Ariz., the Miniature Tigers, will bring their Indie rock and elements of

indie pop to Portland for a concert at Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi Ave., on Thursday,

July 22 and 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Coming to Mississippi Studios

Mom’sDream

and FateEmily Beleele and Kylie Clark

Johnson star in the musical

Gypsy at the Lakewood

Theatre Company in Lake

Oswego, July 16 – Aug. 22.

Based on the real-life account

of burlesque star Gypsy Rose

Lee, the play tells the story of

a mother’s unflappable desire

to see her daughters become

stars.

Page 10 July 21, 2010

&ArtsEntertainment

Celebrating Heritage of Lone FirThe Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery,

typically a solemn place, will be siteof celebration on July 24.

The City of Portland is designat-ing three trees in the 30-acre cem-etery as Heritage Trees because oftheir historical significance. Theevent will be marked with two shortfilms about the cemetery's historyas well as live music, lasting from 6to 10:30 p.m.

The three trees include the Dou-glas Fir, the General Joseph Lane,and a 100-foot incense cedar.

Buddhist masters from the HuiLin Buddhist Temple in Los Ange-les will perform a cleansing cer-emony on section of the cemeteryknown as "block 14", which was theresting place for populations onceconsidered less desirable in Oregon,including pioneer-era Chinese set-

tlers and mental health patients froma nearby asylum.

Featured performers will includeOnnie Irby and the EmmanuelTemple Gospel Choir, and Portlandmusicians Leigh Marble and MattSheehy who will perform songs fromthe "Dearly Departed" compilationCD about residents buried at thecemetery.

When it gets dark, two short films

on the history of the cemetery willbe shown.

Sponsors of the event includeMetro, the City of Portland, Hui Lin

Temple, the Multnomah CountyCultural Coalition, FergusonWellman Capital Management, andthe Oregon Cultural Trust.

July 21, 2010 Page 11

&ArtsEntertainment

Summer Caba-ret -- PortlandCenter Stage presentsGavin & Susannah: An Inti-mate Evening ofMusical The-ater, featuringGavin Gregoryand SusannahMars with mu-sical director Rick Lewis. Performances willbegin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursdayand Friday, July 21-23, at the Gerding Theaterat the Armory.

The Whis-pers andJ e f f r e yOsborne -

- One of R&B’s most beloved and popularvocal groups, the Whispers, joins hit soloartist Jeffrey Osborne for a Friday, July 22concert at Spirit Mountain Casino. For tick-ets and more information, visitspiritmountain.com.

Prehistoric Predators -- Enormous dino-saurs with lifelike ferocity are represented inan exhibit that continues through Labor Dayat the Oregon Zoo. Visitors will follow a trailthrough an ancient rain forest, surroundedby the realistic animatronic creatures thatroar, snarl and move.

Norman Sylvester Band -- Boogie CatNorman Sylvester and his band perform Fri-day, July 23 at Domenic’s; Friday, July 30 atClyde’s; Tuesday, Aug. 3 at Dawson Park;and Friday, Aug. 6 at Tualatin in the Com-mons.

Mel Brown Live -- Portland jazz giant MelBrown performs at Salty’s on the Columbia

every Friday andSaturday night.

Known as the “Gentle-man of Jazz,” Brown has a ca-

reer spanning over 40 years.

Road to Equality Exhibit -- Clark CountyHistoric Museum has opened its newestexhibit, Road to Equality: the Struggle forWomen’s Rights in the Northwest. Themuseum is located at 1511 Main St. in

Vancouver. For more information, call 360-993-5679.

King Farmers Market -- The King FarmersMarket is back each Sunday from 10 a.m. to2 p.m. through Oct. 31 at Northeast SeventhAvenue and Wygant Street, adjacent to KingSchool Park. Food stamp users can receiveup to $10 in matching tokens.

St. Johns Farmers Market -- The St. JohnsFarmers Market takes place each Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Johns Plaza throughSept. 25. About 24 vendors sell fruits, veg-etables, meat, dairy, honey and more.

Koi and Goldfish Show -- The World For-estry Center hosts the 30th annual Koi andGoldfish Show, with some of the beautiful koiand goldfish you have ever seen, Saturday,July 31 and Sunday, Aug. 1, Admission isfree.

Live Jazz -- Every Friday and Saturday from8 p.m. to 11 p.m., the Third Degrees Loungeat the River Place Hotel, 1510 S.W. HarborWay. No cover or minimum purchase. Formore information, visit pdxjazz.com.

Music Millennium Free Shows -- The MusicMillennium, 3158 E. Burnside, hosts in-houselive performances. Enjoy free music and theopportunity to meet artists. Call 503-231-8926 for a schedule.

Samson the T. Rex -- A magnificent -foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, one of themost fearsome carnivores ever to walk theface of the earth is on display at OMSI. The66-million-year-old fossil known as Samsonis one of the most complete Tyrannosaurusrex specimens in existence.

Discount Admission -- OMSI visitors payonly $2 per person for general admission onthe first Sunday of each month as well asdiscounted admission of $5 to the Plan-etarium, OMIMAX Theater and USSBlueback submarine.

Zoo to Raise Second Tuesday PricesDue to the slow economy, the Oregon

Zoo will be reconfiguring some of itsprices, but there are still ways to getsome affordable entertainment.

The zoo's popular Second Tuesdaydiscount program, offered on the secondTuesday of each month, will now gofrom $2 to $4. Children under two willcontinue to be admitted free.

However, people who take public

transportation, can take advantage of anadditional discount program. Anyone whotakes a TriMet bus or MAX to the zoocan shave off an additional $1.50 offtheir $4 admission.

Parties of 20 or more can still get a 20percent discount when payment is madein one purchase.

Zoo officials say that the higher pricesare in response to budgetary pressures.

Page 12 July 21, 2010

&ArtsEntertainment

Big Pipe Art Wins Award

House HoursMon-Thurs 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Ulicious Smokehouse & Grill1505 N.E. Killingsworth St.503-477-3958

JULY SPECIAL:Whole Slab of Pork Ribsfor $25.00 with a freefamily size order ofBBQ Beans.

All dinners with two sides of yourchoice for $9.95 potato salad BBQbeans Cole slaw or beans and rice.

An art piece marking the en-trance to Portland's new sewerpipe has won a national artaward.

Americans for the Arts hasmarked "Big Pipe Portland:Making the Invisible Visible" as

being on the 40 best public artsprojects in 2009, out of 29 citiesin 15 states.

The sculpture is sited on thebanks of the Willamette River innorth Portland, near the diggingsite for Portland's "Big Pipe"

project, which will expand andimprove sewer flow for the city'sresidents. The artists attempted tocreate a sculpture that representsthe massive concrete big pipe issuch an important part of life inPortland, but remains hidden.

Usher

Usher CD Doubles DownUsher's album is barely 4-

months-old and he's already onto his next project.

The singer is releasing eightnew songs on a new disc, "Ver-sus," which will be out Aug. 24.The songs will also be released

on a special deluxe version of"Raymond V. Raymond," whichwas released in March. Thatalbum includes hits like the No. 1song "OMG."

Usher follows in the footstepsof Lady Gaga, who released

"The Fame Monster" as a sepa-rate disc and also as a deluxeversion of "The Fame" after thesuccess of that album

Advertise with diversity in

The Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033

ads@portlandob server.com

July 21, 2010 Page 13

CLASSIFIEDS/BIDS

PORT OF PORTLANDPossibility. In every direction.TM

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The Port of Portland is a regional government operating airports,

marine terminals and industrial parks in the greater Portland

metropolitan area, to fulfill its mission of providing competitive cargo

and passenger access to world markets while enhancing the region’s

quality of life.

To view current job openings and to access the application form,

visit the Port’s website at www.portofportland.com or call the job

hotline at (503) 415-6002.

The Port of Portland is an AA/EEO employer committed to workforce

diversity and affirmative action.

Bilingual Early Childhood

Mental Health Consultant

Multnomah County

Recruitment #6365-69

For full job posting,

including salary

and qualifications,

Visit our website at:

www.multcojobs.org

or call (503) 988-5035

For a complete listing of open

positions visit:

www.lifeworksnw.org

LifeWorks NW is a leading non-

profit that provides culturally-

responsive mental health &

addiction treatment, prevention &

related service to children, adults

& families.

Project Network, a residential

program in N. Portland, focuses on

the African American community

for women in recovery who are

with their small children. Openings

for on-call and part-time Teachers

(Childcare Workers). Must have

current first aid/CPR card, be at

least 18 yrs old, have 2 yrs

experience in childcare setting.

LifeWorks NW believes that

diversity strengthens our

workforce and empowers our

community. We encourage women

and men of all cultural

backgrounds and ages to apply. To

apply for this or other job openings,

go to www.lifeworksnw.org. Equal

Opportunity Employer.

Drivers-Flatbed: Great benefits.

Take Truck Home.

Good Hometime!

OTR. 11 Western or All 48

CDL-A, 2yrs

888-880-5921 x123, x117

centraloregontruck.com

Administrative Assistant –

Mobilization & Community Investment

United Way of the Columbia-

Willamette seeks an

Administrative Assistant to

perform a wide range of

administrative duties in support of

the Vice President-Mobilization &

Community Investment and the

MCI Team. Information:

www.unitedway-pdx.org. Forward

cover letter and resume to

employment@unitedway-pdx.org.

Job #400. Closes 7/25/10. An

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Portland Development

CommissionThe Urban Renewal Agency for

the City of Portland, Oregon

Portland is internationally

recognized for its quality of life,

distinctive neighborhoods, and

robust transit system. Playing a

key role in keeping Portland,

Oregon, one of America’s most

livable cities is the Portland

Development Commission’s

mission. PDC is the City’s urban

renewal agency, charged with

bringing together resources to

achieve Portland's vision. We’re

currently looking for qualified

individuals to complement our

workforce for the following

positions:

115101 Environmental Services

Coordinator

PDC values diversity in its work

force and is committed to Equal

Employment Opportunity and

Affirmative Action.

Apply online at www.pdc.us/

about_pdc/jobs

Portland Development

Commission, 222 NW 5th Ave.,

Portland, OR 97209

Jobline: 503.823.3463

PSU Science Building 2Bid Package #4b – Levels 1 & 4 Lab Renovations

Bids Due: July 30, 2010 at 2:00pm

Bid Documents – Willamette Print & Blueprint (503/223-5011) or

www.bxwa.com

Hoffman Construction

Company of OregonPhone: (503) 221-8811 – Bid Fax: (503) 221-8888

805 SW Broadway, Suite 2100 – Portland, OR 97205 – CCB LIC# 28417We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub bids from all interested firms including

disadvantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterprises.

Other Subcontracting Opportunities - Internet http://www.hoffmancorp.com

SUB BIDS REQUESTED

Oregon State Hospital - SalemFinal Cleaning – ABC Building(Admissions, Behavior & Corrections)

Pre-Bid Meeting: July 21st 2:00 PM

Bids Due: July 26th 2:00 PM

Bid Documents – Ford Graphics (503/227-3424) or

www.fordgraphics.com/oregon - PlanWell - Public Planroom

Hoffman Construction

Company of OregonPhone: (503) 221-8811 – Bid Fax: (503) 221-8888

805 SW Broadway, Suite 2100 – Portland, OR 97205 – CCB LIC# 28417We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub bids from all interested firms including

disadvantaged, minority, women, disabled veterans and emerging small business enterprises.

Other Subcontracting Opportunities - Internet http://www.hoffmancorp.com

SUB BIDS REQUESTED

Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob server.comLegal Notices

Need to publish a court document or notice? Need an affidavit of

publication quickly and efficiently? Please fax or e-mail your notice

for a free price quote!

Fax: 503-288-0015

e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com

The Portland Observer

Page 14 July 21, 2010

Chiropractic Auto Injury Clinic, PCZchon R. Jones, DC

333 NE Russell St., #200, Portland, OR. 97212(503) 284-7838

We are located on thecorner of MLK and RussellStreet, on the second floor

above the coffee shop.

Truly making a difference in the lives ofAuto Accident victims and Injur ed Workers for 16 years.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident,call us so we can help you with your needs. (503) 284-7838

$45

HEALTHMATTERSNew Recession Rule: Don't get tests while shopping for health insuranceBY ANN BRENOFF

FOR THE PORTLAND OBSERVER

Most people rush to scheduleas many medical tests as pos-sible just before their COBRAcoverage runs out. But someexperts now say that's precisely

the wrong thing to do when you'reshopping for post-COBRAhealth insurance. The problemwith those medical tests is thatthey just might find something -- and if that something requirestreatment or even the potential

for treatment, that can make youundesirable to most insurers.

But are these experts offeringlife-threatening advice -- time ofdiagnosis is often a factor inadvancing diseases? With thatunderstood, here's what somepeople are saying:

“A person applying for indi-vidual health insurance shoulddelay any non-essential medicaltesting or prescription drug pur-chases until they have securedinsurance,” says Alex Maybaum,director of consumer advocacyfor AnnualMedicalReport.com.Maybaum, whose business helpspeople keep track of what showsup in their medical reports sothat they don't wrongly get turneddown for insurance, even goesone step further. “A person seek-ing individual health insurancewould be well-advised to requestthat their family members -- par-ents, siblings and relatives -- alsoavoid any major medical testing,especially tests for diseases witha genetic component such ascancer, Alzheimer's andHuntington's Disease.”

Yes, he says, “Even medicaltests of close relatives can beused by health insurers as a ba-sis for denying a person insur-ance coverage.”

Susan Brink used to coverconsumer health issues for theLos Angeles Times and US

News and World Report andnow is a freelance writer andeditor. She says she spent 30years advising her readers to notskip their mammograms and gettheir medical tests on time -- andthen realized the newrecessionary twist on her advicewhen it came time to shop forpost-COBRA health insurance.

“I realized that taking the pre-ventive measures I should be

taking would lead to a medicalpaper trail that could leave meup the creek,” she said. In fact,it did. When her cholesterolmeasured high, it led to her beingturned down for an individualpolicy. As a Vermont resident,Brink was able to join the state'sall-inclusive medical pool. Theinsurance costs her $425 amonth.

Even Deborah Alpert, a LosAngeles-based insurance con-sultant, says “have an insur-ance plan in place and then goto the doctor.” She cautions

against even talking to the doc-tor about your medical con-cerns prior to the effective dateof your coverage. Them’ssome fighting words, comingfrom an insider.

Toeing a straighter line is Rob-ert Arnoff of Arnoff and Asso-ciates Inc. in Bainbridge Ohio.“It would be inappropriate andpossibly illegal for any adviser tosuggest to anyone to delay ...

testing to determine a medicalcondition. There are some stateswhere the department of insur-ance would consider this mal-practice and suspend a broker’slicense (if there was sufficientproof).”

Good point, Bob, but we'retalking desperate people herewho can't wait until 2014 -- whenthe Obama-matic plan for insur-ing everyone kicks in -- to getthemselves covered.

This story originally ap-peared in AOL WalletPop.www.walletpop.com.

Dr. MarcelitteFaillaChiropracticPhysician

Your CareOur FirstPriority

Call for an appointment! (503) 228-6140

• Automobile accident injuries• Chronic headache and joint pain• Workers Compensation injuries

We are located at1716 N.E. 42nd Ave.Portland, OR 97213

(Between Broadway and Sandy Blvd.)

Even medical tests of closerelatives can be used by healthinsurers as a basis for denyinga person insurance coverage.

July 21, 2010 Page 15

PART 11. EXERCISE: Does it help low backproblems, or only make them worse?

Flowers' Chiropractic Office2124 NE Hancock, , Portland Oregon 97212

Phone: (503) 287-5504

Q: A friend of mine showed mea series of exercises designed

to help her low back problems. Isit all right for me to use them, too?

A : It would be enlighten- ingto know the number of people

with qualified back problems (fixa-tion on the spinal joints) who aretold they only need to exercise.They are given a brief exam and asheet of stretching exercises tofollow. They are led to believenothing else need to be done. Thisis only incomplete therapy, it isalso therapy that could easily lead

to very disastrous side effects.When we exercise and stretchmuscles without removing the causeof the spasms, it actually forces thebody to degenerate faster. You arebetter off to have done no exercis-ing at all. In Chiropractic, we knowthe exercise is an important part ofhealth, but only after Chiropracticcare has removed the spinal fixa-

tions that caused the problem inthe first place. Then and only thencan the spine be correctlystretched and strengthened with-out traumatizing muscles andnerves. For a safe, gentle accurateassessment of your spinal situa-tion or for answers to any ques-tions you might have about yourhealth please call our office.

Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled staff are ready to help those in need.

HEALTHMATTERSNew High-Risk PoolOpens for Uninsured

One of the components of themuch-talked about nationalhealth care reform law went intoaffect in Oregon, last week.

Individuals with preexistingconditions who lack insurancecan now join a high-risk insur-ance pool to purchase healthcare coverage. The federally-subsidized pool is now anotheroption to the Oregon MedicalInsurance Pool, which is alsomeant to cover people with priorconditions who have trouble get-ting insurance.

Both plans offer different ben-efits. The Oregon plan is as muchas 25 percent higher than indi-vidual market plans, while thefederal plan costs about as muchas the same plans. The Oregonplan also does not have the sixmonth preexisting condition ex-clusion, and is available to indi-viduals who do not qualify forthe federal pool.

To qualify for the pool, anindividual must have be lackinginsurance for at least six months,

have a medical condition, and bea resident of the U.S. or belegally present. Applications areavailable atwww.omip.state.or.us, or bycalling 1-800-848-7820.

The plans range from $221to $714 a moth based on theapplicants age range and planchoice, which would be higherwithout the federal subsidy.The pool will offer a choice oftwo comprehensive medicaland prescription drug plans,with a maximum deductible ofeither $500 or $750. The an-nual out-of-pocket limit for bothplans will be $5,950.

Both pools are distinct fromthe state-run Oregon Health Plan,the demand for which is so highthat there is currently a reserva-tion list for people wanting toapply.

The federal pool is meant tocover individuals with preexist-ing conditions until health careexchanges go into effect in 2014under the healthcare reform law.

Study Finds RacialBarriers to Treatment

Racism and racial expecta-tions are obstructing backwomen in Portland from seekingdepression care, according to anew study published in theAmerican Journal of PublicHealth.

The findings revealed thatstudy participants associatedmost depression treatments witha “white” health care system,and that the expectation of beinga “strong black woman” has alsodeterred participants from ac-knowledging and seeking treat-ment for depression.

The study, which was con-ducted at Oregon Health& Science University(OHSU), involved participantsin four private groups ofwomen 18 or older who scored15 or higher on the PatientHealth Questionnaire Depres-sion scale and have experi-

enced intimate partner vio-lence. They were asked abouttheir beliefs and experiencesregarding the relationship be-tween violence and health ingeneral, mental health, depres-sion, and depression treat-ments, as well as to discusstheir recommendations for im-proving depression care.

In response to requests ofstudy participants for more com-munity-based depression pro-grams staffed by African Ameri-cans, the research team createda pilot program at the Bradley-Angle House’s Healing RootsCenter to meet the need forculturally-tailored depressioncare programs.

The Northwest Health Foun-dation Kaiser Permanente Com-munity Fund and the NationalInstitute of Mental Health fundedthe study.

Page 16 July 21, 2010

News and reviews on new motor vehiclesPortland Observer Auto Review2010 ChryslerSebring LimitedBY KATHLEEN CARR

The Sebring is a mainstreammid-size family sedan that hasbeen offered by Chrysler sincethe mid-'90s and is available inboth sedan and convertible ver-sions. The 2010 Sebring changesinclude a sleeker hood, new wheeldesigns, a revised instrument clus-ter, and driver and front passen-ger active head restraints. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS comestandard on all 2010 ChryslerSebring models.

The 2010 Sebring sedan is avail-able in two trim levels, Touring orthe up-scale Limited, with a choiceof a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engineor a 3.5-liter V6. Our tested vehiclehad the 2.4 liter engine with 173horsepower. It delivers the bestfuel economy but sufficientpower. Competition in this classhas more to offer in power andhandling. The front passengerseat in the 2010 Chrysler Sebringfolds flat for additional storagespace as does a 60/40-split fold-ing rear seat. SIRIUS SatelliteRadio is standard. The premium

Tested Vehicle Information: 2.4L DOHC 16-valveDual VT Engine; 4-speed automatic VLP transmission; 21 city mpg, 30 highway mpg;

MSRP @22,115 Tested MSRP $26,985.

Limited sedan adds a Navigationand Sound Package that includesUConnect GPS, a hands-freephone system and Boston Acous-tics speakers.

Additional Limited features in-

clude leather upholstery, heatedfront seats, a leather-wrappedsteering wheel, automatic climatecontrol, an auto-dimming rearviewmirror, remote engine start andheated and cooled front cup hold-

ers. It had plenty of room for thefront passengers but would beuncomfortable for adults in therear seat due to lack of leg room.

The Sebring offers an array ofoptions at a reasonable price. It

style seems to be just the essen-tial, wishing for more. The 2010Chrsler Sebring Limited is not anoverall bad car to drive, it justneeds more improve on style tobring the WOW factor.

True Vine Missionary Baptist Church

Dr. Raymon H. Edwards, Sr.,Pastor and Sister Lucy EllenEdwards, 1st Lady

Come Hearthe BibleTaught

Holy Spiritin Action

Come seethe Powerof the HolySpirit

The GospelPreached

Sunday Morning Sunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship Service 11:00 AM

Mission Ministry Monday Evening 6:30 PMWednesday Evening Bible Study 6:30 PM

“COME AND SEE THE BIBLE COME TO LIFE”We Invite Everyone to come, Enjoy and be a part

of a Worship Experience

LOCATION:4735 N. COMMERCIAL AVENUE

PORTLAND, OREGON 97217

CALL: (503) 335-3035 (503) 282-2422

To Place Your Classified Advertisement

Contact:

Phone: 503-288-0033

Fax: 503-288-0015e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com

July 21, 2010 Page 17

1093 SW Tobias WayAloha, Oregon 97006

Only twenty minutes from Portland

Neal’sCompassionate Heart

Funeral Home

“We carry your heartin our hands, withcompassion and care”

This facility is licensed by the Oregon StateMortuary & Cemetery Board # 0445

Effective Date April 6, 2010Certification#8407

“Ask for Margaret Neal”

Email: nealsfenueralhome@hotmail.com

503-642-4620

Offering the Best Prices and theFriendliest Service in Town.

continued from front

Arrest Busts Crime Spree

cars, buildings, storage units andemployee parking lots. Some of theheists occurred around NortheastAirport Way, Jantzen Beach andPortland State University, some-times two or three locations a nightand often with help from an accom-plice. Georgioff said that Pavlicek isalso alleged to have stolen threetrucks and two motorcycles, havinga particular affinity for Ford trucksand U-Hauls parked at motels.

Detectives said they got a breakin the case when Pavlicek left somepapers with his name on them in atruck he was prowling near the air-port that he backed away from afterbeing confronted by the owner. Thepapers were passed along to policeby the Portland of Portland.

The big break came on July 3,when a PSU security officer con-fronted Pavlicek about a stolen ve-

hicle he had on the campus.With Pavlicek in custody, offic-

ers obtained search warrants forseveral locations in Estacada wherethey recovered the loot.

North Precinct Commander JimFerraris said that there were teach-able moments from the case. Policerecovered 10 handguns, some ofthem stolen from vehicles, illustrat-ing the need to secure firearms, hesaid. He also stressed the impor-tance of individuals filing policereports after being the victim of theft,even if it’s dubious that they will doany good.

“If we don’t have people makingreports we can’t re-unite them withtheir property,” he said.

Currently police are trying tocontact individuals who’ve hadproperty stolen. If you think someof your stuff might be in the evi-dence room at the North PortlandPrecinct, call 503-823-5700.

Help for the Columbiacontinued from page 5

said Merkley in a press re-lease. “Unfortunately, theColumbia River Basin haslong been contaminated withharmful toxic chemicals thatpose a serious threat to hu-man health, to fish and wild-life populations, and to thelivelihoods of many Orego-nians.”

The Columbia River Ba-sin encompasses the largestriver in the Pacific North-west and one of the largestriver systems in the U. S.,which still lacks a dedicatedrestoration program andfunding. While eight millionpeople inhabit the basin, dan-gerous pollutants such as

polychlorinated biphenyls andother chemicals plague theriver.

The bill will provide grants forprojects prioritized by local stake-holders to implement a basin-wide Toxics Reduction ActionPlan and, in the lower ColumbiaRiver Estuary below BonnevilleDam, a Comprehensive Man-agement Plan developed for thatarea.

It is to be expected that theColumbia River Inter-TribalFish Commission, Lower Co-lumbia River Estuary Partner-

ship, Pacific Northwest Wa-terways Association, and theOregon Farm Bureau all sup-port the bill, because it “willfinally give local organizationsand tribes the resources theyneed to put people to workcleaning up the river so it cancontinue to be the backbone ofour economy in the PacificNorthwest,” said Merkley.

The bill was introduced in Con-gress on Feb. 23. Rep. EarlBlumenauer, D-Portland, hassponsored similar legislation inthe House.

Portland resident Bill Jackson is honored for his 40 years of

service at Pepsi Cola. The company named a street on their

property N.E. Bill Jackson Way to celebrate his marathon career.

Street Named for Pepsi WorkerAt 64 years of age he has spent

nearly two thirds of his life em-ployed by Pepsi Cola Bottling.

At a surprise catered luncheonfor family and friends, Pepsi Colamanagement celebrated Bil lJackson’s 40-year marathon ca-reer by naming a street on theirproperty “N.E. Bill Jackson Way.”Also, his picture and a congratu-latory message were placed onPepsi Cola cans.

Jackson was recruited for thejob by Harvey Garnett who at-

tended the festivities. He washired by Gordy Garnier who wastold that Jackson was too small todo the job, but took a chance be-cause he and Jackson were bothU.S. Marines. Jackson has beenencouraged by Wendy Smith whois one of a few African Americansin upper management at the com-pany.

The long career at Pepsi in-cluded positions as route driver,truck fueler, loader, night loadingforeman, and N.E. Portland dis-

trict supervisor. In addition, hehas served as a union shop stew-ard for 35 years.

Not only has he worked at Pepsifor 4 decades, but has worked asfull time security for Fred Meyerfor 22 years and the last 6 years atGrant High School as a campusmonitor.

At this point, Jackson has noidea when he might retire.

We congratulate Bill Jacksonfor his hard work and accomplish-ments.

Page 18 July 21, 2010

Agent

We moved toour new location:9713 S.W. Capitol, Portland, OR

503-221-3050Fax 503-227-8757

B U S I N E S SD i r e c t o r yPablo and Crystal’sHouse Cleaning.AND OFFICES TOO!!

13450 SE Division St.Portland, Or 97206

Office Number(503) 761-2452

Pablo Centeno503.960.6823

Crystal Centeno503.960.6009

FREE ESTIMATES!!!

6110 N. Lombard St.Portland, Oregon 97203Business 503.286.5826Fax 503.283.6300Cell 503.333.5809peter.clarke2@century21.comcentury21Peninsula.com

Each office isindependentlyowned and operated

Peter ClarkeBroker

$5.00 Tees

Family ReunionScreen Printing

503-762-6042

Double J TiresNew & Used Tires

Overstock & Used Tires$15 & up PRICED TO SELL

All tires mounted & blanched on

the car, out the door – no additives.

Free stock wheels w/ purchase of

any new or used tire-

limited to stock on hand 30

years in business

2 locations to Serve You

6841 NE MLK, Portland

503-283-9437

4510 SE 52nd & Holgate

503-771-1834

Sunday ServiceSunday School 10:00 A.M Worship Service 12:00 NoonY.P.C.E. 6:30 P.M Evangelistic Service 7:00 P.M.

Weekday ServiceTuesday Night: Bible Study 7:00 P.M.Friday Night: Regular Service 7:30 P.M.Prayer Meeting & Seminar: Monday - Friday 12:00

EMMANUELChurch of God in

Christ United4800 NE 30th Ave. Port-

land OR 97211

You are cordially invitedto worship with us inthese services: Pastor & Wife –

Bishop & Mrs. A.L. Wright

503-335-8772

Tom Streckert

National Oral History ProjectDo you have a story to tell?

Care to have it immortalized inthe Library of Congress?

Later this summer, Storycorp,a national project that seeks tocelebrate the lives' of ordinarypeople by recording their stories,will be visiting MultnomahCounty Library, and is currentlyseeking people to share theirhistories, especially stories aboutthe intersection of library and

community. The stories will bearchived in the American FolklifeCenter at the Library of Con-gress, and a couple will be broad-cast on NPR.

However, because of limitedtime and resources, Storycorp canonly record 18 stories during athree day period beginning Au-gust 12. Individuals or pairs inter-ested in participating in the projectcan submit their story for consid-

eration by calling 503-988-5402.Storycorp is looking for sto-

ries about meaningful experi-ences between families andfriends. A key part of the expe-rience is being interviewed bysomeone close to you, and beingable to ask questions you mightnot have ever asked.

Additional information is avail-able at www.multcolib.org/storycorps.

Fernwood Teacher Builds SkillsTom Streckert, an American

history and government teacherat Beverly Cleary at FernwoodSchool in northeast Portland, wasone of only 30 educators fromacross the nation selected to at-tend this week C-SPAN Class-room’s 2010 Educators’ Confer-ence held in Washington, D.C.

The conference brings to-gether middle and high schooleducators who specialize in so-cial studies and using C-SPANin their classrooms. TomStreckert competed against

nearly 100 other C-SPAN Class-room members by submitting anapplication form and essay ex-

plaining how he plans to sharewith other educators what helearns at the conference.

“Our goal for the conferenceis that after an agenda-packedtwo days, teachers will return totheir communities armed withsolid teaching tips, tools and strat-egies for engaging their studentsin a better understanding of howgovernment works, as well ashow to become informed citi-zens,” says Joanne Wheeler, C-SPAN Vice President of Edu-cation.

THE LAW OFFICES OF

Patrick John Sweeney, P.C.

Patrick John SweeneyAttorney at Law

1549 SE LaddPortland, Oregon

Portland: (503) 491-5156Hillsoboro: (503) 615-0425Facsimile: (503) 244-2084Email: Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com

Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob server.com

July 21, 2010 Page 19

Page 20 July 21, 2010

FOODRecipes byAllrecipes.com

Fiery Fish Tacos withCrunchy Corn SalsaIngredients• 1 cup corn• 1/2 cup diced redonion• 1 cup peeled,chopped jicama (asweet, root vegetablethat looks like a tur-nip)• 1/2 cup diced red bellpepper• 1 cup fresh cilantroleaves, finely chopped• 1 lime, zested and juiced• 2 tablespoons sour cream• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper• 2 tablespoons salt• 6 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia• 2 tablespoons olive oil• 12 corn tortillas, warmed

Directions1. Preheat grill for high heat.2. In a medium bowl, mix together corn, red onion, jicama, redbell pepper, and cilantro. Stir in lime juice and zest.3. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, ground blackpepper, and salt. Brush each fillet with olive oil, and sprinklewith spices.4. Arrange fillets on grill grate, and cook for 3 minutes per side.For each fiery fish taco, top two corn tortillas with fish, sourcream, and corn salsa.

Tropical Sweet Potato FriesIngredients• 2 sweet potatoes, unpeeled• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed• salt and ground black pepper• 1 tablespoon sea salt• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder• 1/8 teaspoon paprika• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions1. Place the sweet pota-toes into a large pot andcover with water. Bringto a boil over high heat,then reduce heat to me-dium-low, cover, andsimmer until tender,about 20 minutes. Drainand allow to steam dryfor a minute or two. Al-low to cool, and then sliceeach sweet potato intowedges. Arrangewedges on a baking sheet.2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).3. Brush the sweet potato wedges with olive oil, and lightlyseason with salt and pepper. Combine sea salt, lime zest, chilipowder, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes in a smallbowl.4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on all sides,about 20 minutes. Plate and sprinkle with the seasoningmixture and cilantro immediately.

Advertise with diversity inThe Portland Observer

Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob server.com