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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1970)
po r tla n d O bserve R Nov. 5,1970 Community center woes investigation subject C i t i z e n s have joined with l e a d e r s of several service groups in the Albina area to in vestigate the programs offered by the Matt Dishman Community Center on N.E. Knott St., in an effort to see why more young people especially those in the 10-14 age group are not taking advantage of them. The conclu sions drawn by the group are that the center is not making enough of an effort to attract young-stars, and that a primary reason for this is that the director is not black; and there fore is unwilling or unable to relate to the surrounding com munity. For this reason they have called for appointment of a black director. W ILLIAM R. DEIZ They have also called for more responsiveness from the Park Bureau to make any new p r o g r a m s or ideas they may come up with work. It is here, I think, that their position is on its most solid ground. When the group examined the Dishman Center it was dis mayed by the apparent lack of planning that had gone into the center's most expensive single facility - the swimming pool. When the pool was first con structed, city officials made much ado over the fact that it would be a "year 'round facil ity." And they went so far as to install a heater and some outside heating lamps to cope with the days when the sun doesn't shine, but the wind blows and it rains. The trouble is that when the pool began operations, it was soon evident that the heater wasn't big enough to do the job properly. One center worker says that whenever the build ing's heat is turned on, it robs the pools heater of the power needed to keep the water warm enough for late Fall and early Spring swimming. So it was de cided to operate the pool only six months out of the year. Park officials said their action was justified because not too many youngsters were using the pool anyway. Some of the parents re ported that it was the pool’s consistently cold team perature that turned off the youngsters' interest. So now the citizens are asking that a booster heater 1« in stalled, and a roof lie put over the top of the pool's windscreen (you see the pool never was cov ered), in order to make it truly a year 'round pool. They have been told that there isn't the money available to do this - although many thousands of dol lars were spent on the original installation. But the group says it will persist, and eventually it may pry enough money out of the city to get the job done. When that happens the pool will be available for use the year around...there will be no more hot September days when the kids want to swim but the pool is closed "because the six months a re up," and there will probably be more kids using the center's other facilities. But all this would come about not so much because there was a black director, but because the city - which ultimately con trols all park bureau funds — decided the job needed doing. The problem lies not so much with the skin color of the direc tor, but with the commitment of those individuals responsible for carrying out the program s. And citizens pressure and in volvement are the only really effective ways to make the center what the citizens want it to be. Parents need to find out why their kids aren't using the center, and then do something about it. The formation of the action committee is a first step along these lines. A M an Who Dares To Care C. Don Vann has travelled the anguished road from poverty to a prominent stance in the com munity. He knows the gnawing fears, the nagging doubts, and the bitter pangs of poverty. He came that road, and he re members. For some of us, mem ory is a fleeting thing; we soon draw curtain to separate "where we are, from where we w ere." Don Vann has drawn no such curtain, he has rather cho sen to reach back into the bot tomless pit of poverty and de spair, and enwrap as many as he could in his arm s, and lift them gently upward toward whole some and worthsome li v i n g . Because he has thusly dared to take time to care, we share this success story with our readers. Vann was born on a farm in Arkansas. He attended grade school in Monticello, Arkansas (without benefit of sitting next to white students and attended Tus kegee Institute for one year but had to withdraw after a year be cause of the lack of funds). Don Vann found himself work ing not only to help support the family but also for the m ere ne cessity of survival, therefore he worked at various jobs, such as lumber yards, levee construc tion, ditch digger, carpenter, Pullman porter, general con struction worker, and janitor for 19 years before returning to school. Because of his great love for America he served two years in the Air Force. While going through all these disappoint ments he never lost sight of his goal to educate himself. This inner drive to educate himself drove him to attend the follow ing schools: Washington School, St. Louis, Mo., St. Louis Col lege of Mortuary Science, Mich igan State University (Penolo gy), Northwestern College of Law. Mr. Vann has worked as cot tage manager at Michigan State Boys Vocational School, served two term s as president of the Portland Urban League, the board of directors Chamber of Commerce (Portland only black history), The coliseum kiwanis club, United Good Neighbors, National Funeral Directors and Morticians Inc., helped to es tablish the Albina Citizens War on Poverty Neighborhood center. Vann was the first man of color to own a mortuary in the state of O re. He established his business in Nov. 1954 at a tin e when black people had difficuiiy than they have at the present time. He is also a member of Van couver Baptist Church, the ma- UGN extends campaign For Experienced Catering Service Today at the Sheraton Motor Inn UGN Officials will make one more report during lunch. UGN was forced to extend the 1970-71 fund drive by a full week in the hopes of achieving the $6,130,000. I^ist Thursday Unit ed Good Neighbors reported they had raised $4,978,594.77 or 81.2 per cent of the goal. Try Johnson’s Catering Company. Phone 282-4951 Cash and Maxey’s Barber Shop 460 3 N. W illiam * Avenue Phone 2 8 4 -5 188 N u rsin g a lu m n i to reo rg a n ize E m a n u e l Hospital School of Nursing Alumni will hold a reorganization meeting and pot luck dinner at 6 p.m. on Thurs day, November 5, in the Sister Betty Nurses Home at Emanuel. Mrs. Elizabeth Jenkins, p res ident of the alumni organization, said a special invitation is ex tended to those who have grad uated from Lewis and Clark and Pacific Lutheran Colleges and affiliated at Emanuel, and to all honorary members of the alumni association. A fast-moving program is planned including the Provi dence Hospital Stage Band - which Includes members of the Emanuel medical staff - as well as other features to bring alum ni up-to-date on Emanuel activ ities, Mrs. Jenkins said. WALNUT PARK LOCK and K IT COMPANY (b o n d e d Lo cksm ith - M e m b e r A L D A ) Keys For All Locks... 533 N.E KILLINGSWORTH * NO OUTSIDE WORK • BRING YOUR B IN AND SAVE •W E ALSO MAKE FOREIGN KEYS Since 1957 Open 8:00 WE TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING Sat. 8:00 til 4:00 til 1:00 533 N.E. KILLINGSWORTH JANITOR SERVICE FULL LIABILITY INSURANCE Complete BUILDING MAINTENANCE WINDOW CLEANING AIR CONDITIONING & VENTILATING SYSTEMS CLEANED EXTERIOR BLDG WASHING WALL WASHING - RESTROOM & KITCHEN SANITATION - FLOOR CLEANING & WAXING. ETC are running themselves down. He hopes to see more black youth take advantage of the many training opportunities that exist now for the advancement of technological and educational skills. He regrets that blacks have not been able to advance more politically in the state of Ore gon. Because he dares to care, because he opens his heart and hand his achievement in an In spiration to this community be cause he dares to care. Monroe High will host artist C. DON VANN sonic Acacia Lodge, and Shiners Mina T e m p le #68. He is m arried to Roberta Bernetta Vann. Their son C.D. J r . is currently enrolled in the mor tuary division of Mr. Hood Community College. The grand son, Don Vann Is enrolled In Kindergarten. Vann feels to be successful in business, the needs of the clients must be met with effi ciency, courtesy, and first class service. EXPLODING THE MYTHS Vann does not believe that to be "w hite" Is to be right. He believes the worth of a man lies in something other than the color of his skin. He doesn't think that black is necessarily beautiful either. He would like to see blacks more closely unified In econo mic efforts becuase in unity there Is strength. V ann says, "When black people say that Black Business men have not worth while, they Mrs. Eunice Jensen, one of O r e g o n ’ s outstanding a rtists, will be at Monroe High School Thursday to take part in an ex perimental program designed to bring about a closer relation ship between a rtists and stu dents. The artist workshop program is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Oregon Arts Commission and the matching efforts of the University of Ore gon and the Friends of the Mu seum. Mrs. Jensen will present an i l l u s t r a t e d lecture to an all school assembly in the Monroe auditorium at 11 a.m . From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. she will con duct small group demonstra tions for elementary as well as h ig h school students. Discus sions with art students are scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Mrs. Jensen, who currently is teaching woodcut and composi tion at the Museum Art School, has had seven one-woman shows in recent years. Her paintings and prints can be found in a large number of prominent p ri vate collections. Why put up w ith slow drainage. Our experts w ill quickly unstop any drain without any fuss or muss. Call u* any time of day or night. Reasonable rates. No job too large or too small Drains unlock only »12.50 SEE WILBUR F. JOUNO & SONS, INC. For Auto and Fire Insurance Real Estate Loans Safety Deposit Boxes Jim’s Plumbing Opening for qualified Real Estate Sale* People 28 1 -3 7 5 7 915 N. 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