„ . u g g n - 'í e w n r a p n f i’ o o«
B r:
U n iv e r s ity
rH 'O fl n
J m n e . n Ores
Home rehabilitation program brings harrasment
Mrs. Eli» Boyer w»s forced
to obtain »nd pay an at
torney to save her “ rehabili
tated" house.
Mrs. Boyer
received a 13,500 grant
through the Portland De
velopment Commission for
rehabilitation of her home in
the Woodlawn district.
Mrs. Boyer’s work was
done by Walt's Construction
and Cabinet Works, 9107
S.W. Washington Drive, the
successful bidder. Although
specific allotments of funds
are made for housing repair,
contractors are required to
bid on the jobs. Mrs. Boyer
refuted to sign the release
for payment of the contrac
lor
so he threatened to
place a lien on her house.
Mrs. Boyer’s complaints
about the work are as fol
lows: the electrical wiring is
done improperly, with the
electrical junction box hang
ing loose from the wall, and
the tubes carrying the elec
trical wires across the base
ment ceiling hang loose. The
back porch door does not
always open and the lock is
defective. The new kitchen
sink is placed improperly so
that water runs in around
the edges and drips on the
floor.
The bathtub, which
was removed to place the
PORTLAND
Volume .1, No. 13
Portland, Oregon
THt
O N tY
NEWSPAPCR IN
Pickets for the United Farm
Workers Union, AFL CIO,
were beaten by Sheriffs near
Fresno Tuesday. Three hun
dred persona were arrested,
including MS priests and nuns.
ThVcc persons from Portland
were arrested
Fathers
Jack Morris and Bill Davis and
Sister Bernice Snell.
The beatings and arrests
took place at the Gunnarra
farms, the nation's largest
grower of table grapes.
grapes.
Control negotiations broke
down over union hiring hall
practices, pesticide control,
labor camps and union recog
nition. The union has been
concerned with sanitary and
safe working conditions as
well as the health hazards
caused by pesticide use, Cha
vez said "We are fighting to
keep what we got after five
years of struggle and they
were trying to take away
what we had." Chavez said
conditions in the labor camps
are worse than they were
three years ago. He asked
for rules protecting workers
from pesticides.
The union, which is mainly
lipinos and Blacks, has In
come a social movement and
is often compared to the civil
rig h ts movement of the
I960».
A deeply religious
man, Chavez is greatly in
fluenced by the non violent
philosophy of Ghandi and Dr.
Martin Luther King.
com posed of C hicanos. Phil
Closed meetings illegal
A new Oregon law re
luires that all public agencies
idmit the public and the
iress to their board meet
ngs. It has been common
iractice of Model Cities, the
lehool Board and others to
lave closed "Executive Meet
ngs" in which major deci
lions or recommendations
were made.
Many of the
major decisions or discussion
jf reasons for those deci
«ions, were made in private
prior to the public meetings
of the board.
Boards of public agencies
can hold private meetings
only for specific reasons
for discussions of union cen
tral negotiations, personnel
hearings, and certain legal
questions. These closed
meetings must be called by a
two thirds vote of the board
and the public must be in
formed that the meeting is
taking place, and minutes
must be produced on de
mand.
The purpose of this law is
to allow the citizens of Ore
Bike offer extended
S ave fo r
w e a lth ..
r id e f o r
h e a lth
The Ben). Franklin has
great buys on bikes for
those who save now!
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
riOIMAk
Franklin
■ A V IN O !
A
LO A N
Robert H H azen. Pres • 22 Ottlces • Phono
H om e o n ic e F ra n k lin B ldfl P o rtla n d . O re g o n 9T204
gun to be informed about the
deliberations and decisions of
public bodies.
The law, which became
effective on June 27, 1973, is
as follows:
Section 1.
The Oregon
form of government requires
an informed public aware of
the deliberations and deci
sions of governing bodies and
the information upon which
such decisions were made. It
is the intent of this A rt that
decisions of governing bodies
be arrived at openly.
Section 3. I l l All meetings
of the governing body of a
public body shall be open to
the public and all persons
shall be permitted to attend
any meeting except as other
wise provided by this Act.
12) No quorum of a gov
erning body shall meet in
private for the purpose of
deciding on or deliberating
toward a decision on any
matter except as otherwise
provided by this Act. |3I A
governing body shall not
hold a meeting at any place
where discrimination on the
basis of race, creed, color,
sex, age or national origin is
practiced.
Section 4. The governing
body of a public body shall
provide for and give public
notice, reasonably calculated
to give actual notice to in
terested persons, of the time
and place for holding regular
meetings.
If an executive
session only will be held, the
notice shall I m - given to the
members of the governing
body, and to the general
public, stating the specific
(Please turn to pg. 2. col. 5)
work his decision was final;
that she had no recourse but
to accept it.
private attorney to protect
her property from seizure
money that could have been
well spent on adding paint
and minor repairs to her
home.
Eugene Jackson, Business
Manager of the zUbina Con
trai tors Association, who in
spected the property this
week said he could not see
that $3500 worth of work
had been done. He called the
work shabby at best. Jack
son and ACA have two goals
in receiving and investigating
complaints against contrac
tors doing rehabilitation work
in the Model Cities area. The
first is to see that citizens
receive the quality of work
to which they are entitled
and that they have a voice in
deciding what improvements
will be done. In this regard,
ACA w ill police the work
done by its member contrac
tors and insure quality work.
The second motive is to ac
quire an equitable share of
the work for minority con
tractors.
At the present
time a small percentage of
the rehabilitation work done
in the Albina area is done by
m in o rity contractors, and
little is done by contractors
using minority workers.
z\s the program is now-
administered. Jackson said,
most of the recipients of fed
eral rehabilitation grants are
gaining very little
and
those person who are older
or unsophisticated and don't
know where to turn for help
are treated callously and
have no guarantee that their
grants will be of any benefit
to them.
According to Russell Daw
son. area director for HUD.
policing the work and in
suring the quality is the
responsibility of the local
agency
the Portland De
velooment Commission. The
locai resident must be able to
Io.
with confidence to the
U k . wgMvcy aa it acts on the
liaison between the citizen
and the federal government.
Another type of complaint
was voiced by Mr. and Mrs.
Reuben Lindley. The Lind
ley's purchased a home in
December of 1972 that had
been obtained and rehabili
tated by HUD.
This pro
gram is administered by Her
man C. Plummer of Plummer
Real Estate Company, who is
the Area Manager Broker.
It is the responsibility of
Plummer Real Estate to de
termine what work is needed,
contract the work out, in
spect the homes, then notify
HUD that they are ready to
be sold.
Mrs. B oyer received very
little for her $3500 rehabilita
lion g ra n t. In fact she has
som e problem s with w ater
leakage th at she didn't have
before.
S he also received
little help from the agency
d esig n ated by HDD to over
see th e home rehabilitation,
PD<
S he had to hire a
Thursday. August 2, 1973
CARIS
ABOUT
fessor of History at North
Carolina Central University
in Durham, will teach a
special class in PSU's Sum
mer Session, Understanding
the UN, Augusi 13-24. This
is Dr. Edmond s sixth con
secutive year as a summer
instructor at PSU.
A ppro xim a tely 545 stu
dents are expect« ; to receive
degrees, according to the
office of admissions ar.d
records.
In case of inclement
weather, the ceremonies will
be held in the Smith Center
Ballroom.
Admission tickets are re
quired for the rummer cere
monies. The public is invited
to attend.
Renters eligible
for new tax relief
"Renters should be aware quirements."
that they too are now eli Renters must attach a
gible to apply for property copy of a rent certificate to
tax refunds.’’ says Charles H. their tax refund application
Mack, director of Oregon's that shows net rent paid
Department of Revenue.
during 1973. landlords are
"For the first time renters required by the new law to
are included in a tax relief provide this form at tenant
program." Mark adds, "but request. The Department of
they must show receipts of Revenue will make this form
money they paid in rent available to landlords later
during this calendar year of this summer.
1973 when they file applies
Mack says, " If you are
tions for refunds after Jan moving now, before these
uary 1. 1974."
new forms are available, or
The tax relief program have already moved, you
passed during the closing should go back to your
days of the 1973 legislative former landlord and request
session, permits renters with a receipt or statement with
an annual income of less than the follow ing inform ation:
$15,000 to claim a refund of (1) Landlord's name and ad
$50 to $245. de|>ending on dress; ,2) Landlord's social
their income and the amount security number; (31 Dura
of their rent. Homeowners lion of the rental period
earning less than $15.000 will during the 1973 calendar
be eligible for $100 to $490 year:
(4) The amount of
depending on the amount of rent;
(5) The landlord's
their taxes and the amount signature; (61 As the tenant,
of their income.
your name, social security
"We are concerned.” said number, and current address.
Mack, “ that some renters The Department of Revenue
who move during the year will accept this as a valid
may have difficulty providing rent certificate."
the required evidence with
Homeowners and renters
out knowing the need at the claiming a refund must file a
time of moving.
W'e are claim with the Department
alerting them now to one of of Revenue between January
their responsibility and re 1. 1974, and A pril 15, 1974.
Oregon initiates
child health program
Medicheck, a new program
of the Oregon Department of
Human Resources, will be
introduced to Fast Mult
nomah welfare families on
August 1st.
Medicheck is a program of
health screening intended to
provide early identification of
health problems among we
fare children with a subse
quent referral to a proper
source of treatment.
The
new program funded by this
year’s legislature will also
provide periodic reviews of
the ch ild ’s health status
throughout the im portant
years of his growth from
birth through age 20.
Andrew F. Juras, ad
mimstrator for the Oregon
Public Welfare Division, said
"This is (he first time »
fare children have been af
Kk ¡»-r ropy
P tO P tl
Helen Edmonds
gives address
Portland State University’s
informal summer commence
ment is scheduled for 4:30
p.m. Thursday, August 9 in
the Park Blocks in front of
Smith Memorial Center. An
informal reception will im
mediately follow the outdoor
ceremonies in the same loca
lion.
Dr. Helen Edmonds, former
alternate delegate to the
United Nations General As
sembly, distinguished his
(onan and author, will de
liver the commencement ad
dress, which she has entitled
"Come Down To Kew In
Liliac time; It Isn’t Far From
London".
Dr. Edmonds, who is pre
sently a Distinguished Pro
Portland supporters of the United FarmWorkers Union
hold a rally in support of grape and letture boycott.
The electric sw itch control
ling the stair and hall lights
was replaced but does not
work. The hardware on the
garage doors was to have
been replaced but was not.
M rs. Boyer complained.
She went to PDC and to
HUD and got no satisfaction.
When she talked to Ray
Wilson. Rehabilitation Super
visor for PDC. she was told
that when he approved the
OBSERVER
AN f O U A l OPPORTUNITY fM P lO Y IR
TMt W H O t l W IP t W O R tO THAT R tA tlY
Local clergy arrested in Fresno
Cesar Chavez. UFWU
leader, called the strike of 29
grape growers in the Central
Valley of California whose
contracts with the union ex
pired on July 29.
Strikes
are also in progress against
eleven additional growers
whose contracts have ex
pired or who have no con
tracts. Thousands of farm
workers are picketing the
fields and holding mass meet
ings. The expired contracts
were won three years ago by
extensive s trike s and a
nationwide I mivco II of table
linoleum on the bathroom
floor, was improperly in
stalled and leaks on the floor.
The toilet leaks. The hand
rail on the basement steps is
loose and dangerous. In the
basement, the plasterboard
is defective and does not fit
properly, leaving gaps of 2
inches and more.
Three
basement windows were to
have been sealed with re
ment
only two were done.
forded a preventive health
program." He stated I he
emphasis, due to lack of
funds, has always been on
crisis medical treatment after
a child became ill." Juras
expressed enthusiasm for the
new program and praised the
1973 Legislature for funding
this much needed medical
benefit for welfare children.
Medicheck. known nation
ally as Early and Periodic
Screening. D iagnostic and
Treatment, will get underway
in Oregon with introduction
in East Multnomah County-
area on August 1.
Dr.
Janies B. laindis. Medical
D ire cto r lo r the Oregon
Public Welfare Division, has
targeted January 1. 1974 for
I he program to be imple
mented statewide.
Black say
impeach
Nixon
The Western Regional Con
ference of Black Elected Of
ficials, meeting in Los An
goles, called for the impeach
ment of President Nixon
if he fails to appear before
Congresional Committees to
clear up the Watergate sit
uation.
The resolution passed by
the Western officials came be
fore the revelation that the
President had had the entire
White House "bugged" and
that the tapes were available.
Three subpoenas were sent to
the President after he said he
would not make the tapes
available to either the Ervin
Committee or Special Investí
gator Archibald Cox.
The Western Officials' re
solution urge- n ' “ sident
Nixon to follow
samples
of Presidents i.in> -i, Wilson
and others befoie him" in
agreeing io appear before
Congress to answer ques
tions.
If he refused, the resolution
urged. Congress should begin
the "commencement of im
peachment proceedings as the
only remaining recourse to
restoration of faith in the
Presidency".
About 300 persons attended
the one day session at Inter
national Hotel in Ixis Angeles
where freshman assembly-
man Julian Dixon of California
was named chairman of the
California Conference of Black
Elected Officials. State Sena
tor George Brown of Denver
was elected chairman of the
Western Conference of Black
Elected Oficiáis.
ACLU
objects
The American Civil Liber
ties Union of Oregon ex
pressed alarm Wednesday-
over the administration of
"lie detector" tests to all
employees of the Oregon
Real Estate Division in an
investigation of real estate
examination cheating.
Stevie Remington. Execu
tive Director, noted that an
Oregon law states:
"No
person, or agent or repre
sentative of such person shall
require as a condition for
employment or continuation
of employment any person or
employee to take a polv
graph test or any form of lie
detector test," - and that
violation of this law carries
potential penalties of one
year in jail and a fine of
$500.
Ms. Remington said that
Deputy A tto rn e y General
James Durham and Real
Estate Commissioner Fred
Layman assured her that
employees were explicitly i ll
formed that they were under
no requirement to take the
test. “ But who can believe
that they felt truly free to
refuse?" she asked. "It is
only natural for employees to
conclude that a refusal would
direct suspicion to him or
her.
In addition, we have
grave doubts that employees
were fully aware that there
(Please turn to page 4 col. 6)
/
Mrs. Ella Boyer was forced to hire an attorney to protect
her home against a lien threatened by building contractor
Walt's Construction and Cabinet Works.
Loose bricks on the front porch of the Lindley home, re
habilitated by HUD. are propped in place with sticks
iarrow-1. Bricks are out of line and loose lx).
The Lindley's have a num
ber of complaints about their
new home. The bricks on
the front porch are loose -
some of them protruding -
and are held in place by
some sticks between them
and the ceiling. The bath
room window is loose, letting
in a cold wind. The bathtub
and bathroom sink have a
rough surface. Some of the
• light switches don't work.
The most serious problems
are the sewage that backs up
in the basement and the rust
flakes in the water.
The Lindley’s have called
and written Mr. Plummer
and HUD. They have not
been turned down
pro
mises have been made -
but the work has not been
done.
The Lindley’s new home
has not provided them com
fort and beauty -- it has
brought sewage and rusty
water. They are still waiting
for help from this federally
funded program.