Poca
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Resident files complaint: Housing rehabilitation leaves house a mess------
Mr». Annie W hitlow, ■ re
ripient of » housing re
habilitation grant from the
Portland Development Com
mission, ia unhappy with the
work that has been done on
her home. The work ia done,
yet the houae ia far from
rehabilitated. Mra. W hitlow
understands that the amount
of rehabilitation that ran be
done with $3,500 ia limited;
however, »he expected the
work that was done to be of
acceptable quality.
Mra.
Whitlow ia refusing to sign
the releaae for the contrae
tor. Dw ight Morrison, 1712
N.E. Hogan, to get his money
u n til the D e p a rtm e n t of
Housing and Urban Develop
ment, which funds the pro
gram, sends an inspector to
l<M>k at the house.
The house was painted on
the outside and the porch
repainted.
The front room
received a new ceiling and
wood paneling.
However,
the paneling is loose and has
flaws in the wood
I t also
has not been fitted properly
around the doors and win
dows and the stripping put
on to cover the cracks is
looae in places. Other atrip
ping has nails protruding and
bent.
The wide wooden molding
PORTLAND
Volume 3, No. II
AN
Portland, Oregon
EOUAl
OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Program
supports
busing
The Urban League of Port
land has received a grant
from the U.S. Department of
Health, Education and W el
fare to assist the Portland
Public Schools in it's pro
gram of voluntary desegre
The new program, directed
by Mrs. Jeanne Hartzog, will
have as it's objectives:
al
leviating the tensions and ap
prehensions of the minority
children and their families and
of the host schools; to help
bring the academic level of
the transfered students to
that of the host school: and to
assist the
host schools
through counseling.
P E T F .1T
Petett goes to city
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt
announced recently the ap
p o in tm en t of F re d d y e J.
Petett as the City of Port
land's Emergency Services
Coordinator.
The recently created Office
of Emergency Services was
established in recognition of
the need to develop realistic
plans for coordinated govern
ment response necessary to
save lives and protect prop
erty in disaster situations.
The office will be funded in
part by the Defense Civil
Preparedness agency through
the State Departm ent of
Emergency Services.
This
arrangement creates a City
S ta te F e d e ra l p a rtn e rs h ip
(Please turn to pg. 5, col. 7)
The program will work
with children and the fami
lies of minority children who
are voluntarily bused out of
th e ir n e ig h b o rh o o d s to
achieve desegregation. The
receiving schools will also
receive counseling and asais
tance in order to make their
transfer as beneficial as pos
sible. Although the program
is still in the planning stage,
it will probably be confined
to two elementary schools
and one high school in each
of the school district areas.
Some of the activities that
are being planned are;
Seminars and counseling for
parents from the receiving
schools and for the children
of transfered children; train
(Please turn to pg. 4, col. 5)
SCLC supports Farmworker struggle
T h e S o uth ern C h ris tia n
L ead e rsh ip Conference
West pledged its support of
the continuing struggle of
Cesar Chavez and the United
Farm W orkers Union.
Reverend C. Garnett Hen
ning, pastor of W ard me
mortal A M E Church, and
executive vice president of
S C LC
W e s t, atte n d e d a
U F W rally at I^m on t. Cali
fornia.
Among those who
accompanied him were Rev
erend Alvin Dortch, execu
tive director of OjM-ration
Breadbasket
West;
Dr.
Paul M artin, pastor of Re
deemer Presbyterian Church;
Evelyn Dchino, SCLC West
board member.
M o re than a thousand
grape p ickers and farm
workers gathered in a small
park near the center of the
city to hear speeches of
Reverends Dortch and M ar
tin.
D r. M artin, who heads the
political action committee for
SCLC
West, equated the
struggle of the farm workers
with the struggle of Black
people for freedom.
Rev
erend Dortch pointed out
that SCLC
West has been
involved with the United
Farm Workers throughout
S a ve fo r
w e a lth .,
r id e f o r
h e a lt h
The Benj. Franklin has
great buys on bikes for
those who save now!
V
FOLDING BICYCLES
With $5,000 deposit - $25
With $2.500 deposit - $35
With $250 deposit — $45
10-SPEED BICYCLES
With $5,000 deposit - $45
With $2,500 deposit — $60
With $250 deposit — $75
Benj. ß Franklin
S A V IM A A ,»
LOAM
A A A .
Robert H Hazen. Pre« • 22 Olficas • Phone 248 1234
Home Office: Franklin Bldg , Portland, Oregon 97204
around the doors and win
dows was not replaced, nor
was it painted.
A beam
separating the ceilings of the
living room and the entry
was not painted, but it was
splashed with paint from the
ceiling.
The windows throughout
the house are loose with the
wood rotting. Nothing was
done to make the windows
usable or to help keep the
cold air out of the house.
their struggle with the grape
and lettuce growers.
The controversy has raged
for several months over the
unionization of the farm
workers, with the U F W ac
cusing growers of signing
agreements with the Team
sters Union without the par
ticipation of the union. U F W
won contracts with some
growers have a long strike
and a world wide boycott,
but as the contracts expire
they are being picked up by
the Teamsters.
The U F W
wants union elections so the
workers could choose the
union they want to represent
them, but the employers do
not grant this option. Farm
workers are not covered by
the National Labor Relations
Act which guarantees collec
tiv e b a rg ain in g to most
American workers.
The Departm ent of Justice
said on July 13 that it now
has new evidence that a
group of lettuce growers
paid Teamster Union officials
for an alleged campaign to
destroy the United Farm
Workers Union, A FL-C IO .
The F B I w ill in v e s tig a te
charges that the Teamsters
Union hired "goons" to at
tack U F W U members in the
Coachilla Valley grape strike.
Chavez charged that an in
vestigation of lettuce grower
payoffs to the Teamsters in
the Salinac area was cut
short because of close poli
tical ties between the Nixon
Administration and the Team
sters Union.
The farmworkers union has
started major strike activity
in the Arvin Lamont area
where the grape season is
just beginning.
Over l.OtM)
farm workers were at the
picket lines last week.
The upstairs bathroom re
ceived a new tile floor and a
large new door - so large
that it strikes the toilet
when opened. Mrs. Whitlow
thought the money spent in
the door could have been
better used elsewhere. Plas
ter left on the new tile floor
cannot be removed by scrub
bing.
Mrs. W hitlow is not com
plaining about the amount of
money that was spent or
A basement bathroom was
rehabilitated. A shower was
installed but not enclosed.
The bathroom sink, which
was broken by the construe
tion workers, was repaired,
but the broken toilet lid was
not. New hinges were put
on the window and weather
stripping tacked on two sides,
but a quarter inch of space
appears at the bottom of the
window, allowing a breeze to
come into the room.
OBSERVER
Thursday, July 19, 1973
10c per copy
Housing program wins approval
Two significant contracts
were signed by Russel Daw
son. Area Director for the
U.S. Departm ent of Housing
and Urban Development, on
Wednesday, July 18.
One
contract was between H U D
and the State of Oregon, and
the other between H U D and
the P o rtla n d M e tro p o lita n
Steering Committee.
Both
provide formal relations be
tween H U D and the local
agencies in the area of hous
ing counseling.
The Oregon State le g is
lature passed legislation pro
viding for the sale of $200
million in bonds to provide
financing for low-incom e
housing in Oregon.
This
money will be used to finance
new co n stru ctio n , to r e
finance e x is tin g housing
units, and for rehabilitation
projects. Financing will in
clude the purchase of single
fam ily d w e llin g s by low
income families and construe
tion of units for rental to
low income persons.
Low
income is defined by those
having incomes below the
median for the county where
they reside.
The loans,which will be
made through banks and fi
nancial o rg an iza tio n s, w ill
carry interest 2 percent lower
than the usual rate.
The
loan can also be paid over a
longer period of time, which
can make the monthly pay
Cleveland Gilcrease. director of the Portland Metropolitan
Steering Committee, and H U D area director Russell Dawson
sign contract providing for housing counseling for low income
Portland residents.
the new program will bring a
closer relationship between
his office and H U D . The two
agencies will be cooperating
in the counseling program
and will probably make co
operative financial arrange
ments in some cases
such as the state providing
the loan and H U D insuring
iL
Dawson is pleased with
the counseling program since
many persons buy homes
(Please turn to pg. 6, col. 51
ment or rent 20 to 25
percent less than it would on
a conventional loan.
One of the big components
of the program is housing
counseling . for persons in
terested in participating. The
State contracted with H U D
to jointly qualify local agen
cies to providing counseling
services.
Gregg Smith, Administra
tor of the Housing Division
of the State Commerce De
partment, said he believes
even what was done, al
though she did not have
much to say about what was
done. She would prefer to
have had a new sink, but
was told it would cost too
much, and she would have
set some different priorities.
What she is upset about is
the quality of the work and
the condition in which the
house was left.
She feels
that even the minor repair
work such as plastering over
cracks and holes in the up
stairs bedrooms was sloppily
done, and since the plumbers
were there she has no hot
water in the basement.
Mrs. W hitlow first applied
for a grant in 1971, before
money was available in her
area
She was told that
because the house was too
small for the family she
would be relocated.
Later
she was told the relocation
was not approved and that to
apply for a grant to rehabili
tate after asking for relo
cation would "look strange".
Her application was accepted
but she heard nothing for
months. A fter being told by
a friend working in the pro
gram that it didn't look like
they planned to do anything
for her. Mrs. W hitlow again
began to pursue the grant.
She was told that $65000
would be required to repair
the house. In approximately
June of 1972, she arranged
with the W elfare Depart
ment to help her pay the
monthly loan payments. Still
nothing happened. She was
eventually told there was no
loan money available.
Mrs. W hitlow accepted the
grant in June of 1973. The
work took about 6 weeks,
because, according to Mrs.
W h itlo w , the co n tractors,
Morrison Construction, often
spent only an hour or two a
day working on her house
because they were working
on several other houses at
the same time.
When confronted by M r.
Morrison with the request
that she sign the papers so
he could be paid. Mrs. W h it
low refused because she could
not believe the work was
done. M r. Morrison said he
would return and finish a
few things, but she refused
to have him paid until she
received some satisfaction.
Mrs. W hitlow complained
Annie W hitlow shows loose molding installed in her re
habilitated home by Morrison Construction Company.
Andrew Raubeson, director of the Model Cities Agency,
inspected Mrs. Whitlow's home and stated that her com
plaints are justified.
to the Neighborhood D e
velopment Program office,
but said she was told by Ray
Wilson, the director, that it
would do no good to com
plain.
She went to H U D but was
unable to reach the area
d ire c to r, Russell Daw son.
She went to City Hall but
was told that M ayor Gold
schmidt was out. She wrote
a letter with her complaints
to P o rtla n d D e v e lo p m e n t
Commission, and on July 10,
(Please turn to pg. 6, col. 8)
City appoints HR director
Ira Blalock has been
selected for appointment as
Director of the City of Port
land's Bureau of Human Re
sources.
M r. Blalock's ap
pointment was announced by
City Commissioner Mildred
Schwab. It is contingent on
approval bv the City Council.
Blalock was chosen from
among 351) applicants from
all over the United States.
Miss Schwab was assisted in
the process by a citizen's
committee that she appointed
for this purpose.
In an
P H Y L L IS B EN TO N
Benton heads school
Phyllis Benton is the new
Assistant Director of the
P o rtlan d S ta te U n iv e rs ity
Educational Center.
Miss
Benton is also acting director,
until a replacement for the
former director, Harold Wil
liams, is employed.
T he E d ucation al C e n te r
provides low cost credit and
non credit courses in a num
ber of academ ic areas.
Classes are taught by pro
fessors from PSU, by outside
teachers, and bv volunteers.
W ith a limited budget, there
is a great dependence on
volunteer workers.
Persons from all over Port
land attend classes at the
center. All persons over 18
years are eligible to take
classes. Classes and tutoring
for the G E D are also pro
vided. The center is in it's
summer term and is planning
for fall term, which begins
(Please turn to pg 4. col. 6)
nounring her selection Com
missioner Schwab said "This
demonstrates once again that
one can find within the gov
ernment of our city most of
the talent we are looking for.
We have s. me of the best
peopl» in
a.\l government
right 'ere
a Portland -
and Ira Blak k is one of
them."
Blalock is 'irrently E xe
cutive Direct»
i f the M ult
nomah County »Community
Action Agency, w hich is.
funded by the Office of Eco
nomic Opportunities and pro
vides program s fo r low-
income persons in East M u lt
nomah County.
Blalock came to Portland
in 1965 to pastor the West
Hills Unitarian Fellowship.
Previously he had pastored
in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
He graduated from Chico
State College with a BA
degree in Business Adminis
tration in 1955. In 1963 he
earned a Bachelor of D ivinity
degree from Tufts U niver
sity.
Blalock is C h airm an of
CRAG Social Services Com
mittee; a member of the
board of directors of the
Community Health Services,
Inc., and a founder and
member of the executive
co m m ittee of the W o rld
Without W ar Council of Port
land.
He was an unsuc
cessful candidate for the
Democratic nomination for
County Commissioner in 1970.
Blalock has long been as
sociated with community pro
grams. W hile in Boston he
worked with the Southern
C h ris tia n L ead e rsh ip Con
ference there and in Selma,
Alabama.
He was instru
mental in the founding of
W e lle s le y ’s C itizen s Com
mittee for Better Schools
wh ch led to an experimental
desegregation plan.
I
PLUS students Gloria Pate (second from left) and Faustine Henry (far right) discuss their
college plans with PLUS director Bill Wilkerson (far left) and reading lab instructor Shelby Berry
(second from right).
Students say PLUS opens doors
Two young ladies credit
Operation P L U S with pro
viding them with the oppor
tunity to attend college --
an opportunity that was be
yond their wildest dreams.
Both students are beginning
their Sophomore years at
PSU with the help of grants,
loans and work-study pro
grams.
Both have had the
experience in one short year
of raising their realistic ex
pectations from common labor
to a profession and the op
portunity to help other young
people realize their poten
tials.
Faustine Henry, a native
of Los Angeles, attended
Manuel A rts High School in
that city. She enrolled in the
Job Corps and was sent to
Tongue Point.
There she
enrolled in music training
and attended classes at Clat
sop Community College, as
well as at the Job Corps.
Faustine became interested
in Operation P LU S when a
group from the program
visited Tongue Point and
told her that she, too, could
attend college.
Since her
high school grades were too
low to meet college entrance
requirements, P LU S helped
her get accepted under a
special quota for students
with poor academic back
grounds but w ith the poten
tial to do college work. She
was aided financially by a
grant, a National Defense
Aet loan, and the work study
program
F a u s tm e ’s w ork stu d y
placement during the school
year was w ith the Foreign
Language D e p a rtm e n t at
PSU.
This summer she is
employed as a Recreation
Director at Highland Com
(Please turn to pg 6, col. 4)
Parents charge racism in schools
A group recently incor
porated as "Parents Con
cerned A b o ut Racism In
Schools" proposes to address
racism wherever it is found
in the school system; to
study the causes and results
of racism; to offer to assist
school organizations to under
stand how racism destroys
educational opportunities.
T h e group feels th a t
teachers and administrators
are not equipped or trained
to deal with problems of
racism and plans to offer in-
service type experiences to
the schools.
"There are those in the city
of Portland that deny the
existence of racism, yet it
does exist and is used subtly
and directly in a very de
structive manner, in many
different ways.
Racism exists in our public
schools.
Racism in the
schools destroys the educa
tional opportunities for many
Black students in Portland.
Racism exists with faculty
and administrators in schools
in the Black community, as
well as in schools in all w hite
(Please turn to pg. «, col. 6)