Wedding Bells Greet Judge's Ruling
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EDITION BLAZERS’ PLAN CALLS FOR ANOTHER ROUND — SEE SPORTS, B1 GREATER PORTLAND PortlandTribuneTUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 • TWICE CHOSENl THEa NATION’Sn BEST NONDAILYd PAPER •T PORTLANDTRIBUNE.COMri b• PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND THURSDAY Wedding bells greet judge’s ruling n By PETER WONG Oregon United for Mar- One lawsuit, Rummell v. Federal Paul Rummell, The Tribune riage, the group gathering Kitzhaber, involved the Amer- decision one of the signatures on a potential bal- ican Civil Liberties Union of strikes down Couples lined up to be lot measure to overturn the Oregon and Basic Rights Or- federal lawsuit 10-year ban married Monday afternoon, ban, reserved the Melody egon. The other, Geiger v. plaintiffs, celebrates (with on same-sex after a federal judge struck Ballroom for nearly 12 hours Kitzhaber, was fi led indepen- down Oregon’s constitu- Monday to host same-sex dently. They were combined his partner Ben marriage; tional ban on same-sex marriages. into one case. West) U.S. couples already marriage. “We congratulate all the “Marriage equality is about District Judge “No legitimate state pur- happy couples who can now fairness. It’s about justice. It’s Michael saying ‘I do’ pose justifi es the preclusion walk down the aisle and fi nal- about caring,” said Senate McShane’s of gay and lesbian couples ly say those two magical President Peter Courtney, D- decision to from civil marriage,” Judge words: ‘I do,’ “ said the group’s Salem, the fi rst lawmaker to strike down Michael McShane wrote in spokesman, Peter Zucker- react. Oregon’s his 26-page U.S. District man. “We are forever grateful McShane issued his ruling prohibition on Court ruling in response to a to all the plaintiff couples and after a federal appeals court same-sex pair of lawsuits, each repre- the legal team, who put their rejected a last-minute bid by marriage. senting one male and one fe- lives on hold to secure this TRIBUNE PHOTO: male couple. historic victory.” See RULING / Page 7 JAIME VALDEZ n Cornelius seniors worked hard at early age to succeed in school, life Blazing a trail for their families A new generation of students is the rst to dream of college Pamplin Media Group If you spend time around any teenagers these days, you’re probably aware that the high school academic year is coming to an end. In the next month you’ll read a lot about valedictorians, star athletes and scholar- ship recipients — all de- serving of the attention they’ll get for their hard work. But today we launch a series of stories about some members of an often-overlooked group with an amazing achievement PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: CHASE ALLGOOD of their own. During the next Cornelius residents Alondra (left) and Alejandra Rojo, who’ll graduate from Forest Grove High School June 7, will go their separate ways come fall. Alejandra will few weeks, we’ll introduce you attend Oregon State University, while Alondra will head to the University of Oregon. to some of the “fi rst genera- tion” graduates from the Class hen Alejandra and Alondra by 15 minutes. of 2014. Rojo were in fourth grade, Whether sporting Duck green and gold or These high school seniors — they dreamed of someday at- Beaver orange and black, however, the 2014 many of whom will attend in- Rojo twins Wtending the University of Ore- Forest Grove High School graduates aim to state colleges and universities gon in Eugene. Now, howev- blaze a trail for their younger — are blazing a trail by em- er, the sisters are planning a siblings — second-grader barking on a higher education. mutual parting of the ways. STORY BY Janilet and 3-year-old Adrian All of them faced the familiar Next fall, Alondra will be a NANCY — by showing them that ambi- challenges presented to their take family’s freshman at the U of O, while tion and hard work pay off. classmates, from slipping Alejandra will go to Oregon TOWNSLEY “It’s very important to us to grades to rising tuition, but State University. The Rojo be good examples for our little have the extra burden of being twins — the fi rst in their fam- brother and sister,” says Ale- the fi rst in their families to ex- ily to attend college — will be members of a jandra, who plans to study science and tend their formal education be- dreams into “house divided,” wearing different school Spanish at Oregon State. yond high school — and in colors on separate campuses for the fi rst “We already set them up to go to UO and some cases the fi rst to graduate time in their lives. OSU,” says Alondra, who will major in po- from high school. “We’ve already got the T-shirts,” says Their stories of perseverance classrooms Alondra, the older of the 18-year-old sisters See GRADS / Page 2 are inspirational, unique and sometimes a little surprising. Leading up to commence- ment weekend, June 5 to 7, we’ll feature students from one “Some of the grads had just plain robes, and others had the gold cords and the National local high school per week. We’re starting with Forest Honor Society medals around their necks. We decided we wanted those medals.” Grove High. — Alejandra Rojo, who will graduate from Forest Grove High with her sister, Alondra, June 7 — Nancy Townsley Don’t expect election to settle issues about the management of the transfer assets of the two bu- who wrote the ballot title. organizations and public em- Challenges still loom water and sewer bureaus will reaus to the district. Among other things, Roberts ployee unions. not cease on election night. But Mayor Charlies Hales and questioned whether the entire If the measure is defeated, as city water, sewer Ballot Measure 26-156 aims to City Commissioner city is included in the Hales and Fish have already bureaus face changes take control of the water and Nick Fish have strong- district, whose bound- promised to quickly appoint a sewer bureaus away from the ly hinted that the city aries are to approxi- blue ribbon commission to con- By JIM REDDEN City Council and give it to a new will likely go to court mate those of the Port- sider other arrangements for The Tribune agency — structured as a dis- seeking clarification land Public Schools managing the two bureaus. trict — governed by an indepen- on many provisions in board. They include ideas offered both Regardless of whether the dently elected board of direc- the measure if it pass- Other legal chal- before and after the measure Portland Public Water Dis- tors. The measure gives the es. Questions include issues fi rst lenges could be fi led by organi- qualifi ed for the ballot. trict passes or fails in Tues- council a short deadline to draw raised by Multnomah County zations that opposed the mea- day’s election, controversies up district boundaries and Circuit Judge Leslie Roberts, sure, including environmental See WATER / Page 7 “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to deliver balanced news that re ects the Portland Tribune DINOS stories of our communities. Thank you AT OMSI for reading our newspapers.” SEE LIFE, B8 — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. Inside OWNER & NEIGHBOR A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Hillsboro Hops general manager Grads: Teens study politics, nursing K.L. Wombacher (left) and Ed Tonkin, son of n From page 1 “We learned English in kin- Rojos encouraged their daugh- the late Ron dergarten,” says Alondra, but ters to go to college even Tonkin, celebrate Spanish remains the preferred “Our freshman though none of their brothers after announcing litical science and minor in in- language at home. or sisters or their kids — Alon- that the stadium ternational studies. Both National Honor Society year it started off dra and Alejandra’s uncles, where the Eventually Alondra hopes to members, the sisters played aunts and cousins — pursued a Hillsboro Hops be a lobbyist or a political con- soccer, participated twice in as a competition higher education. sultant. Alejandra plans a ca- their school’s lip-sync competi- Come fall, it will be hard for play will now be reer in nursing. tion and helped mentor fresh- them to watch their girls leave called “Ron academically, but The teens’ older sister, Evelin, men as part of Vik Crew. They home. Tonkin Field.” graduated from FGHS in 2012, also joined a teen advocacy then we thought, “It can be emotional at times PAMPLIN but did not go to college. Their group at the Cornelius Public talking about it,” says Alondra, MEDIA GROUP: CHASE ALLGOOD father, Arturo Rojo, is a nursery Library and volunteered as ‘Hey, we need to who adds that she and Alejan- worker in Cornelius, where the counselors at Outdoor School. dra have spent hours filling out family lives. Their mom, Teresa help each other Free Application for Federal Rojo, is a housekeeper. ‘We wanted those medals’ Student Aid paperwork and ap- Ballpark renamed Originally from Michoacán, The summer before their ju- out.’ So we did.” plying for dozens of scholar- Mexico, Arturo and Teresa — nior year, Alejandra attended a ships in order to afford hefty who emigrated to the U.S. in leadership camp at OSU — — Alejandra Rojo, college costs. “Our mom gets 1986 and 1993, respectively — where she first became familiar Forest Grove High School graduate kind of sad, but she wants us to ‘Ron Tonkin Field’ did not proceed beyond grade with the Corvallis campus — have our dreams.” school in their formal schooling. while Alondra flew to Washing- Alejandra landed a residence up in the infield of the base- “My dad went through third ton, D.C., to study politics and hall internship at OSU that will HILLSBORO ball field.