Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Opportunity news. (Woodburn, Oregon) 1965-1968 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1966)
Letters to the Editor N EW S Vol. 2, No. 52 Friday, December 30, 1966 This newspaper is a publication of the VALLEY MIGRANT LEAGUE P. O. Box 128 Woodburn, Oregon VML phone 981-3171 Newspaper phone 981-97IT WILL P. PAPE, Executive Director DON WILCOX, Editor PRISCILLA CARRASCO, Asst. Editor JUDI JARVILL, Editorial Assistant and Circulation Manager LEONORA GUINAZZO, Translator SUSIE PHILLIPS, Translator The VALLEY MIGRANT LEAGUE, sponsor of this newspaper, is a part of the President's War on Poverty and is funded by the Office of Eco nomic Opportunity, Washington, D. C. OPPORTUNITY NEWS is pub lished weekly for free distribution to seasonal farm workers of this area, and to persons associated with the activities of the VALLEY MIGRANT LEAGUE. If you do not qualify for free codes, please send $2.00 for a 1 year s"bscription. Group rates on request. SUPERVISORS OF VM L CENTERS AUMSVILLE HENRY WOODS, Area Supervisor phone 743-2111 DAYTO N RUBEN CONTRERAS, Area Supervisor phone 864-2223 HILLSBORO JOHN LITTLE, Area Supervisor phone 648-5080 INDEPENDENCE LEON GURNEY, Area. Supervisor phone 838-1810 SALEM IVAN WELLS, Area Suoervisor phone 585-1454 SANDY KEN KILLARY, Area Supervisor phone 687-7471 WOODBURN JUAN RUIZ, Area Supervisor phone 981-3171 Editor, Opportunity News; I've just finished reading an ar ticle written by Mr. Bustos. I am in complete agreement with his statements. I am like a good deal of people in the area. We would like to help but just don't know how to go about it. Perhaps you might have some suggestions as to how I might participate. I am re tired and.have quite a good deal o f time. The main thing that Mr. Bustos* article did was to arouse my tem per because some of our best friends are Mexican. We have just returned from Mexico where we lived for most of the time with a Mexican family and my w ife and I intend to return to live there some day. The fact that anyone would treat them as inferiors up here riles me. I am sure that no one who has seen their ancient civilizations, had contact with their culture and had the privilege of being accepted as a friend, would take this attitude, I hope that there might be some thing that you might suggest for helping in some small way. Sincerely, Ray Fletcher 5047 S.E. Lafayette . St. Portland, Oregon 97206, Dear Mr. Wilcox: I have long meant to write and express my admiration for the good job you are doing on Opportunity News. I have kept a file o f.your issues and have, from time to time, given copies to educators who were particularly interested -in migrants. We w ill be having an article -about migrant problems sometime before summer and hope to borrow information and pictures from you again. . . . A t present, I jusj, waWted to ex press my appreciation for your work and to send our check for a sub-, scription. . . . Sincerely yours, Mrs. Caroline Blakely Editor, NEWS FOR YOU Box 131 Syracuse, N. Y. 13210 (EDITOR'S NOTE: Many of our readers would enjoy reading NEWS FOR YOU, which Mrs. Caroline Blakely edits. It is very clearly w rit ten, and it gives lots of news. It is easy to read, and that is the reason that it goes to many parts of the world. There is a Spanish language edition. - When VML planned to start a newspaper, it arranged to borrow one of Mrs. Blakely's assistants, Katie Bartels, to help with the edit ing. In this way, Opportunity News gained some of the know-how from this unusual newspaper. You can subscribe to NEWS FOR YOU for 15 weeks for $1.25. Write to Mrs. Blakely.) Dear Mrs. Järviin I want td thank you for the Op portunity News. When it comes to understanding the problem of finding housing on a meager budget, I know all about that from A to Z. It's shameful in these United States, which is said to be the wealthiest nation . . . and we call ourselves a Christian nation. The many conditions which I've seen, and which I've experienced myself, are far from being "Chris tian" in my opinion. Our government has started doing something about the housing situation but it goes awfully slow. Some of that money spent on going to the moon could be better spent right here on this' planet, Earth, for the many human beings'in need of it. I have had experience, picking hops in the Willamette Valley and sleeping in a tent w ith straw on the ground for a mattress. As a girl, I picked berries in the hot sun to earn money for school clothes, and walked long distances to the field. And I've also picked eraribetries and picked prunes from the ground And I've climbed trees to pick cherries. I'm still hoping to get some clothing arid miscellaneous items together for the Valley Migrant League. A Happy New Year to you and your co-workers of the Opportunity News; Sincerely, Mrs Marie M. Gerty U 5 West 4 th Street Albany, Oregon. Sra. JarviTT Quisiera darle gracias por ® Opportunity News. Guarido tiene qué entender e problema- de hallar viviendas, eos poco dinero todo la sé. Es una lás tima en estos Estados Unidos, qu< se dice es la nación más rica de mundo . . . y la llamamos una na ción cristiana. Las muchas situa ciones que he visto y en que he vivido, me parece lejos de ser "cristianas," Nuestro gobierno ha empezado un plan para mejorar, la situación . pero el progresó no es rápido. Se podría usar mejor el dinero gozado para llegar a la luna, aquí, en la fierra; para las muchas personas que lo necesita. . - ' I ■' Yo trabajaba en Ja valle Willa mette y dormía en el suelo con un colchón de paja. Cuando niña, tra bajé en la cosecha de fresas para ganar dinero y comprar ropa de escuela, y andaba distancias largas al campo. Y también he piscado |e arándanos y Ciruelas del suelo y subía árboles para piscar cerezas. e li Todavía tengo esperanza de 6b- c tener ropa y cosas diversas por' el Valley Migrant League. Un feliz año nuevo a usted y a j. todos del. Opportunity News. Sinceramente, Sra Marie .M. Gerty 115 West 4th Street Albany, Orégon ¡, , M IG R A N T MINISTRY B O A R D ASKS* CHURCH SERVICES IN SPANISH ‘ The Migrant Ministry made an official statement last-month about the work of churches with seasonal farm workers. Here are some of the recommendation?: Local churches should be con cerned with the problems of sea sonal farm workers; Special services should be given in Spanish. Churches of the Migrant Ministry should look for new ways to co operate with other Churches a n d agencies in working with seasonal farm laborers. . Churches recognize the; right of farm workers to belong To-unions. Churches should be concerned for the protection of both laborers and growers aqainst violence, and should work for state-and national laws for the protection of both groups The Migrant. Ministry looks to the state government to work out a farm labor relations plan for Ore gon. El Migrant Ministry hizo una declaración oficial el mes pasado sobre la obra de las iglesias con los migrantes. Aquí tiene algunas de las recomendaciones: Iglesias locales deben interesarse con él problema de los migrantes. Se deben presentar servicios es peciales en español. Iglesias de:| Migrant Ministry de ben buscar maneras nuevas de co operar con otras iglesias y agencias que trabajan con los migrantes. Iglesias se dan cuenta del dere cho de los migrantes a pertenecer a. uniones. Iglesias deben interesarse con la protección de ambos trabajadores y cultivadores contra la violencia y deben trabajar para leyes locales y nacionales para proteger ambos grupos. El Migrant Ministry mira al go bierno del estado para establecer un plan de relaciones agriculturales en Oregon.