1
Government charges builder with racial discrimination
with the United Minority
Workers, ami a 10 day notice
to comply by GSA, Todd
Building Company signed an
agreement with U M W in late
September. The agreement
committed Todd to use mi
nority employees for at least
20 per cent of the man hours
on the construction job. The
The U.S. General. Service»
Administration ha* ordered
Todd Building Company to
show cause why It has not
complied with federal regu
lations on hiring minorities.
Todd is building a $5.2 mil
lion federal offiee building
and court house in Eugene.
A fter lengthy negotiations
agreement was approved by
GSA and became a part of
Todd's a ffirm a tiv e action
agreement with the govern
ment.
Todd Building was to have
contacted UM W and the Chi
cano Indian Study Center, if
necessary, to find minority
employees.
According to
PO RTLAND
Volume I, Mo. 2
AM (O U A l
Portland, Oregon
TH(
O N I Y M l WSf A F I k I M f H I
W H O tl
Nathan Proby. Chairman of
U M W , Todd has made no
contact with him or with
CISCO. In frequent trips to
the building site in Eugene,
Proby has found only one
Black laborer in a crew of 22
men.
A t the tim e the
agreement was signed. I'roby
had expressed a hope that
O F F O iT U N IT Y (M P lO Y d t
W IP I
W Q k tD J H M
for minorities on jobs that
have a long enough time
span to make training prac
tical.
Proby is negotiating for
minority employment with
three additional construction
firms.
Steve Stevans of
P e te r K iw ic k s has com
mitted that company, the
this negotiated agreement
would be honored and that
legal action would not be
come necessary
fe d e r a l regu lation s r e
quire that an equitable num
her of minorities be used on
all federally financed jobs
and that t r . rung positions
for minorities be provided
OBSERVER
jH A ltY
Thursday, November I, 1973
C A » (4
A»OUT
A summary of the pro
,HMeil plan follows:
The Task fo rce on District
Planning Organization 11972)
recommended that the DPOs
should be based on existing
neighborhood groups, that
they should be involved with
both physical and social plan
ning, and that they should
have more than token au
thorily. The draft ordinance
atte m p ts to meet these
guidelines.
It provides for
11) recognizing neighborhood
groups. (2) recognizing DPOs;
and 13) establishing the Bur
eau of Neighborhood Or
ganizations.
The membership of neigh
borhiMMl groups is open to
residents, p ro p e rty owners,
business licensees, and rep
resentatives of non profit in
stitutions.
No dues are
charged. The ordinance sets
out minimum requirements
for recognition.
Recognized
neighborhood groups discuss
a wide range of issues af
feelin g neighborhood liva
bility. They will lie author
ized to make reeommenda
Hons to the City Council
and public agencies on mat
ters that affect their neigh
borhood area. Other groups
interested in a specific as
pect of neighborhood or dis
trict livability are called s e
rial purpose groups. These
groups are the groups speci
ficaly interested in social
programming, economic de
velopment. educational im
proveinent, etc.
The district planning or
ganization is an association of
recognized n e ig h b o rh o o d
groups, with the option to
in c lu d e s p e c ia l p u rp o se
groups.
If the DPO is in
corporated as a non profit
corporation, it will have legal
status and may contract for
services. The board of the
D I'O is composed of an equal
The board may also include
representatives elected from
special purpose groups, but
their number is limited to
one half the total number of
re p re s e n ta tiv e s from the
neighborhood groups.
The City Charter invests
all legislative authority in
the City Council, so the
DPOs will not have final
authority, but they can be
invested with administrative
authority. A procedure will
be worked out to provide
input into the City's budget
process.
The Bureau of Neighbor
hood Organizations will pro
vide limited staff assistance
to the DPOs and the neigh
borhood groups.
An effort
will be made to mobilize the
community's own resources
to supplement the assistance
which the Bureau ran pro
vide.
In approximately a month
the proposal will be heard by
the City Council.
If the
Council adopts the ordmancr
the Bureau of Neighborhood
Organizations will be estab
lished.
s
Berna Plummer discusses corrections with photographer for Muhammed Speaks.
(Photo
The Portland Development
Commission has pledged
$480,000 for a redevelopment
program for the Eliot Neigh
borhood. The funds will be
used to purchase 10 busi
nesses and 13 homes in an
area that will be developed
for housing.
The city block bounded by
North Williams, N.E. Rodney
Avenue. N.E. Russell and
Sacram ento S tre e ts , com
prise the area on which ap
proximately 100 housing units
will be developed. The hous
ing development, which will
consist of low rise, multi
family dwellings, will include
units for moderate and low
income residents. The Eliot
Neighborhood Association has
specified that the housing be
integrated racially, economi
cally. and in age groups.
Involved in the redevelop
ment of the areas adjacent to
the housing units are Eman
uel Hospital, which will par
ticipate in housing for the
eld erly and exten ded care
facilities; the Pacific Univer
sity School of Optometry,
which will operate an op
tometry clinic to be located
at Williams and Knott Street;
and Pacific Power and Light
company, which w ill co
operate with landscaping for
HARRY W ARD
NAACR awards Ward
The Portland Branch of
the N A A C P awarded Past
President H arry C. Ward
with a N A A C P Life Member
ship as a token of apprecu
tion for his long service to
the branch. The Life Mem
bership Plaque was presented
by Leonard Carter, Director
of the N A A C P Western Re
gion.
Ward served as president
of the Portland Branch from
1959 to 1962 and again in
1966. He was vice president
from 1969 to 1972.
He is
currently a member of the
Executive Board.
W ard was born in Musko
gee. Oklahoma, where he at
tended elementary and high
school. He earned a Bache
lors degree at Wiley College
in Marshall. Texas.
He
taught at Fort Smith. Arkan
sas and was principal at
Jinks, Oklahoma. He served
as a Juvenile Probation of
ficer in Tulsa, Oklahoma for
ten years.
After coming to Oregon in
1954, W ard Was employed as
a caseworker by the Oregon
State Publz Welfare Com
. .
,
■»
mission lor iweive years.
He is currently a Field
Representative for the Ore
gon State Employees As
sociation, an o rg an izatio n
representing state employees.
Ward is active in com
munity affairs. He is one of
the original members of the
Model Cities Citizens Plan
ning Board, first appointed
by Mayor Schrunk. He is a
past president of the Port
land President's Council; a
member of the Board of
Directors of the Boy's Club
of Portland and the Board of
Directors of the Progressive
Businessmen's Club; Serre
tary of the Royal Esquires
Club of Portland; and a mem
her of M t. Olivet Baptist
Church.
He and his wife. Gerì,
reside at 6225 N .E. 42nd
Avenue.
V
Berna I). Plummer, Eval
uation Specialist for the
Board of County Commia
sioners, attend ed Chicago
S ta te U n iv e rs ity 's Second
Annual National Conference
on Corrections, held October
24. 25 an 26. The conference
explored the problems of
" M in o ritie s in C orrections
and latw Enforcement". Par
ticipants examined and dis
cussed the problems of mi
nority offenders.
Savings
rates
are
UP
Passbook savings are
compounded constantly from
day of deposit to day of withdrawal
lien
Franklin
Robert H Hazen. Pres • 22 Offices • Phone 248-1234
Home Ottico Franklin Bldg . Portland. Oregon 97204
The three day conference
included addresses by dis
tinguished criminologists and
corrections officers as well as
workshop sessions relating to
recruitment of minority per
sonnel, in service education
program s, cu rricu lu m de
velopment, and the role of
inmates in the correctional
system.
Attendance by Multnomah
County was appreciated and
praised by other participants.
Miss Plummer’s presence and
discussion with Blacks. Chi
canoa, Indians and women in
criminal justice gave her in
formation valuable to Mult
nomah County.
begins
campaign
State Senator Betty Rob
erts (D-Portland) announced
her candidacy for the office
of Governor in a series of
meetings beginning on the
steps of the State Capital
Building in Salem, and in
cluding Eugene. Medford and
Portland.
Senator Roberts is the
first candidate to officially
announce her intention to
run for the office. She told a
Portland audience at Town
Hall on Monday night that
she announced earlier than
she had planned because she
believes the voters want an
open campaign.
Senator Roberts said she
does not believe the issue of
being a woman will be an
important one in the cam
paign.
She believes the
record of her ten years in
th e O re g o n L e g is la t u r e
proves her qualifications for
the position. She pledged a
“no nonsense" campaign and
a "no nonsense administra
tion".
She believes there are
three typos of issues to be
dealt with in the campaign.
The first are the perennial
issues that are never solved -
taxes, school finance, the en
vironment. The second group
are the issues that concern
her
health care, dis
crimination against Senior
Citizens, the need to change
•he educational system to
make quality education pos
sible.
The third category of is
sues are those that arise
during the campaign and to
which the candidate must
respond.
Senator Roberts, 50. is
married to State Represents
live Keith Skelton (D-Port-
land). They each have four
children by previous marri
ages. Senator Roberts is a
practicing attorney.
Her campaign co-chairmen
are Attorney Don M arm a
duke of Portland and Iaine
County Commissioner Nancy
Hayward.
Miss Plummer felt the
Board of County Commis
sioners' approval of her trip
was evidence of their con
cern and interest in all
people of Multnomah County
Justice System.
She noted
that Oregon and Multnomah
County are innovators in
many programs attempting
to meet the real needs of of
fenders,
Multnomah County has or
is adopting programs which
were recommended in the
latest correction report by
the National Advisory Com
mission on Criminal Justice
Standards and Goals.
She
suggests local participation
and support for the county
justice system plan.
Observer wins
ONPA Ad contest
The Portland Observer was
the recipient of the Oregon
Newspaper Publisher's As
sociation's advertising con
ference Award of M erit, First
Place for the advertisement
bringing the best results. The
award was won in open
competition with the O N P A ’s
116 member newspapers
daily and weekly.
The ad ve rtise m e n t th at
won the award was placed
by J. Alton Page showing a
photograph of Nathan G rif
fin and the new Mark IV
Griffin had purchased from
Page at W alt Johnson Lin
coin Mercury.
Second and third place
winners in the Best Results
category were the Hillsboro
Argus and the Hood R i\e r
News.
Additional winners were:
Most Effective Use of Small
Space: First. Gresham Out
look; Second and T h ird ,
Klamath Falls Herald and
News. Most Effective Use of
Color:
Albany Democrat
H e ra ld . Eugene R e g iste r
Guard, Klamath Falls Herald
and News.
Most Effective
Use of Advertising Copy:
Ashland Daily Tidings, Med
ford Mail Tribune. Cottage
Grove Sentinel. Best Adver
its substation on K n o tt
Street.
This is the first redevelop
ment project in the Eliot
Neighborhood. Jack Deyam
pert, chairman of the Eliot
Neighborhood Association,
said, “It's kind of like the
first step of a thousand miles
for us."
The building of approxi
mately 100 housing units in
place of dilapidated houses
and businesses would demon
strate the possibility of eco
nomic growth in the neigh
borhood. Deyampert said.
The development will raise
the worth of the surrounding
property, said Deyampert,
and that could give those
p ro p e rty owners g re a te r
borrowing power and make
possible fu rth e r develop
ments in the neighborhood.
But that is still in the dis
tant future and is something
the neighborhood must work
towards, he said.
No acquisitions will be
made until early 1974, ac
cording to Charles Olson,
PDC Planning Coordinator.
Relocation funds will be
provided by the Department
of Housing and Urban De
velopment through the Neigh
borhood Development Pro
gram.
Roberts
by Emerson Muhammad)
Plummer attends corrections meet
19c per copy
PDC pledges Eliot
development program
number of elected repre
sentatives from each recog
nized neighborhood group.
tising Series: Eugene Reg
ister G uard, O regon D a ily
Emerald. Corvallis Gazette-
Times, The Canby Herald.
Best Newspaper Promotional
Advertising:
Grants Pass
Daily Courier. Corvallis Gaz
ette-Times, O regon D a ily
Emerald. Best Special Sec
tion
Institutional: Cottage
Grove Sentinei for 'Bohemia
Nugget", Ashland Daily Tid
ings for "Shakespeare In
Ashland '73". Roseburg News
Review for "News Review
Vintage Edition". Best Spe
cial Section
Retail:
Eu
gene Register Guard. Oregon
Daily Emerald. Klamath Falls
Herald & News, The La
Grande Observer.
The judges were:
Bob
Evans. Bi M art Stores (chair
man); Bill W inter, University
of Oregon Journalism Pro
fessor; and Jerry Schmidt.
Advertising Services Presi
dent.
The rotating trophy for
the ad of the year, chosen by
the delegates to the ONPA
Advertising Conference, was
awarded to the Daily As
torian. The winning ad in
eluded pictures of an elemen
tary school class on a visit to
the newspaper plant and the
children's letters about their
visit.
(
. ■ L _________»I..
_____I--I
which
was recently awarded
a contract on the freeway,
has accepted a committment
of 15 minority training posi
tions.
Proby said he hoped the
recent GSA action would
demonstrate to other con
tractors that affirmative ac
tion requirements will be en
forced and can no longer b«
ignored.
l„k» Root, t'
John
Equal Employ
ment Officer for Todd, told
the Observer Thursdav that
the complaint he received
from GSA did not have any
thing to do with his minority
hiring policy. He said he hail
just received the complaint
on Wednesday and did not
want to comment to the
press until he had time to
(Please turn to pg. 4, col. 21
Black prisoner fights
Alabama extradition
F tO F K
Forum discusses DPO
The Task force on Dis
trict Planning Organizations,
which has ln>en meeting for
the past year to establish
goals and guidelines for in
creased citizen involvement
in city government, has re
leased its recommendations
A Community Forum will
be held on Thursday, Nov
ember Hth from 7:00 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. at the f ir s t United
M i’tho iiist Church Hall. IH.'TK
S W Jefferson
The p u liln
is invited to participate in
the discussion of the DPO
program.
th ird largest construction
company in the nation, to
minority hiring. J.D. Hutch
inson reports that Hoffman
Construction, Oregon's larg
est builder, now has 25 per
cent minority employment in
the federal building in Port
land and 17 per cent on the
City of Portland's sewage
plant.
Wayne Thomas of
Donald M. Drake Company,
On Friday, October 26.
Ronnie Williams was arrested
in Northwest Portland on a
fugitive warrant from Ala
bama. He was on his way to
work.
The Portland officers who
apprehended Williams had
been to ta lly m isinform ed
about the nature of the case;
they thought they were going
after a murder suspect in
regard to a police officer's
death in Birmingham.
No
such charge had been made
against Williams.
In 1970 Ronnie Williams
was organizing poor Black
people in Birmingham where
he grew up. That Septem
ber Mrs. Bernice Turner, a
widowed Black dom estic
worker, asked the Alabama
Black Liberation Front for
help in stopping her eviction.
The company holding mort
gage on her home claimed
she still owed $1.400 despite
the fact she had already paid
more than double the price
asked for the house in 1960.
The AB LF tried to raise the
$1400 to stop the eviction,
with plans to appeal for a
return of the money later on.
A t noon, September 15,
1970, more than 30 armed
sheriffs deputies rushed M r.
Turner's house, kicked open
the door and started shoot
ing at anything that moved.
“There were five of us in the
house,' Williams later re
called, “four men and one
young pregnant woman.
I
was wounded in the neck and
taken to the hospital. I t was
six hours before they took
the bullet out."
The sheriff justifed the
raid against Mrs. Turner's
home with the claim he had
been informed that the Black
Panther Party was planning
an attack against the police.
After all the people had been
arrested and taken away,
deputies later broke in again
and wrecked the furniture
The entire house was riddled
with bullet holes.
All five of the Blacks were
taken to jail. They were kept
in cells without baths, flush
toilets or running water for
60 days. For 16 days they
could not contact a lawyer,
were not permitted visitors
and did not receive mail.
Williams was given no dress
ing for his wound and no
medication.
D u rin g the p relim in a ry
hearing in November. 1970,
the charges were dropped
against three of the defen
dants and the charge against
Ronnie W illiam s was re
duced from assault with in
tent to kill to the charge of
assault on a policeman with a
deadly weapon.
When their rase finally
came to trail in September
1971, both defense and pro
secution witnesses testified
that no shots had been fired
from within the house. All
shots were fired into it.
There had been two guns in
the house but Ronnie Wil
liams' fingerprints weren't
found on either one.
The
Alabama all white jury still
found him guilty and he was
sentenced to 5 years in
prison.
In late 1971, money was
raised to get Williams out on
appeal bond after he i.ad
been in jail for over a year.
He worked in Birmingham,
building up a defense com
mittee and getting his case
through the lengthy appeals
(Please turn to pg. 8, col. 4)
Thomas R. Vickers leads 1967 picket of U.S. Post Office following complaint of racial dis
crimination in hiring and promotion of Blacks.
Portrait of a President
Can the N A A C P still be
used to promote equality for
Black people? Tom Vickers,
who served as President of
the Portland Branch from Jan
uarv. 1967 to January. 1971,
believes it can. "The NA ACP
has a long record of success,
especially in the courts. Its
record gives it a reputation
that no other civil rights
organization has. and the
power structure still stops to
listen when the N A A C P
speaks. I t can be very diffi
cult, because of the conserva
tive national leadership, but
if you are willing to spend
long hours of hard work
sometimes almost alone
then you can achieve some
success, even in a city like
Portland.”
During the four years that
Vickers served as President
of the Portland Branch the
Branch received the Thai
heimers Award, which is the
highest aw ard given to
branches by the National
Board; the M erit Award for
1969 for the West Coast
Region: and Vickers was
presented the Com m unity
Service Award for 1969 by
the Albina Citizen's Council.
A m o n g th e P o rtla n d
Branch's most satisfying ac
complishments durin g the
Vickers administration was
the opening up of the Port
land Post Office to Blacks.
In 1967. Blacks had worked
in the Post Office for as long
as twenty years at entry
level, with no promotions.
There were no Black super
visors or Blacks in favored
jobs such as window clerks
or special delivery.
Following a series of unsuc
cessful meetings with Post
master Hodler, the NAACP
picketed the Post Office for
approximately 6 weeks. A t
the invitation of Senator
Morse. Vickers and Labor and
Industry Committee Chair
man Hazel G. Hays met with
Frank Nagel, National Dir
ector of the Equal Employ
ment Opportunities Commis
sion for the U.S. Post Office
in Washington, D.C.
After
an investigation it was de
termined by EEOC that the
Portland Post Office did use
illegal practices in employ
ment and that Blacks were
excluded from the more de
“able positions.
S everal
Black
w orkers
were promoted to super
visory positions; a Black per
sonnel director was hired;
the EEOC committee was
strengthened, and Blacks
added to it; the Postmaster
was told to permit Blacks to
obtain "discretionary promo
tions" (those based on super
visory evaluation) and to ob
tain experience necessary for
promotion.
"Most people don't know
that the Albina Contractors
Association was founded by
the NAACP." Vickers said.
"I am really glad to see that
ACA is fighting for economic
gains for Black w orkers.
The idea for an ACA began
when we picketed the As
sociated General Contra tors
in October of 1969 to protest
the lack of minorities in con
struction.
We then invited
Tyree Scott. Chairman of the
Central Area Contractors As
sociation of Seattle, and Lem
Howell, Attorney for CACA,
to speak to our membership.
We brought them back for a
series of meetings with Black
contractors and construction
workers, which resulted in
the organization of the Al-
Please turn to pg. 4, col. 1)
J
A