Written in a folksy, down-to-earth style, Mike Lynch's "Oregon StarWatch" (Voyageur, $24.95) is a user-friendly guide to the night sky for beginner and intermediate stargazers ages 12 and up.
It begins with chapters explaining the stars, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies — and what readers can expect to see from their own backyards with a modicum of equipment.

LONDON—With drums beating time to a favorite African hymn, Uganda-born John Sentamu was enthroned Wednesday as the first Black archbishop in the Church of England.
The drums resounded as Sentamu traveled by boat along the River Ouse from his official residence to the ceremony celebrating his becoming the 97th archbishop of York, the church's second-highest cleric after the archbishop of Canterbury.

PARIS—Organizations representing France's Black community have formed a national federation in hopes of boosting the profile of Black people amid growing public debate over discrimination.
The creation of the Representative Council of Black Organizations, or CRAN, follows weeks of rioting in poor suburbs. It means that Blacks from origins as diverse as the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa will be represented by a single body for the first time.

The hustle and bustle of city life paused for a moment Thursday to honor an act of courage and defiance that helped to make America a better place for everyone. Dec. 1 marked the 50th anniversary of the day that Rosa Parks refused to yield her seat on a Montgomery, Ala. bus to a White man.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer has added to the growing chorus of voices opposing the war in Iraq. A longtime critic of the war, the Oregon Democrat this week joined fellow Democratic Reps. John Murtha of Pennsylvania and Peter DeFazio of Oregon by releasing a detailed plan for withdrawal from Iraq.
Blumenauer's plan, however, goes further than laying out a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces.

Among the major issues that Portland should contemplate is the growing racial and class divide it is experiencing

Dominique Clark, 9, left, and Audrey Frison, 9, get the most out of the autumn leaves Monday in Unthank Park. Pictured in the background is Anthony Herron, 7.

To live a decent life in Oregon, it costs a single adult $10.77 an hour. Yet one-third of all job openings pay less than that, according to a study conducted by a Seattle organization.
"Searching for Work That Pays: The 2005 Northwest Job Gap Study" determined that the "Northwest is not creating living-wage jobs for all those who need them." When families cannot earn what they need to survive, the study notes, "many are forced to make difficult choices between adequate health care, balanced nutrition and paying the bills."
The study was prepared by the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, a regional federation of four statewide, community-based social and economic organizations. It encompassed Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

SALEM—A plan that would make individual achievement the measure of school progress rather than . . .

County health departments and the Oregon Department of Human Services are trying to ensure that everyone