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PORTLAND
MAfKJMJU.
N I W tR A M R
OBSERI/ER
Vol. 5 No.
Portland, Oregon
I T GOVERNOR GFORGF BROWN
Thursday, October 9, 1975
Ittr per ropy
S U RFTARY JAMES BI.AIR
Human Rights Workers meet here
The National Association of Human
Hights Workers (NAHHWl will hold its
annual conference in Portland from
October 12th through October Itith
An expected 200 to 300 delegate»
from chapters across the nation will
convene at the Sheraton
l.lovd
Center
Ellis Casson, workers vice president
of NAHHW. announced that a highlight
of the conference will he the banquet
address by Lt Governor George Brow n
of Colorado
Lt tiovernor Brown, who was elected
on November of 1971. is a former
journalist with the Denver Post and has
achieved many honors (or his civic ami
civil rights work Prior to becoming Lt.
Governor, he was a State Represents
live and a State Senator
Lt tiovernor Brown will speak at the
Sunday evening session, 7:30 p m at
the West Ballroom. Commissioner
Charles Jordan will welcome the
delegates of the City of Portland:
Secretary “ I State Clay Meyer* will
introduce the speaker; and the meeting
will be presided over by Casson
James Blair. Assistant Secretary of
the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Office of Equal Oppor
tunily and Fair Housing, will address
the October 13th luncheon Mayor Neil
tioldschmiilt will greet the visitors
Blair was nominated by President
Ford on May 22nd, 1975 anil confirmed
by the Senate on June 6th
Be is
responsible for administering the Fed
eral Fair Housing Law. Title V III of the
Civil Bights Act of 1966 ias amended)
He administers HI'D's civil rights and
equal opportunity programs and is
resjMinsible for implementing require
menls for training, employment and
business opportunity of the disadvan
taged HUD assisted project areas He
had been Exeeutiv* Director of the
Michigan Civil Bights Commission and
Director of the New Jersey Division on
Civil Bights
Workshops and sessions including
those on education with Dr Kathryn
Favors. Berkley Unified School District.
Dr A. Colum, Berkley Unified School
District. Dr Orlando L. Taylor. Center
for Applied Lunquisities, Arlington.
Virginia, and Dr May Hoover. Stanlord
University.
Sessions on justice feature Sheriff
Lee Brown and Lewis Taylor, Director
of the LEAA Project, International
Association of Official Human Hights
agencies.
Additional workshops explore pm
plovment and housing, the effect of
court decisions on affirmative action,
the impact of technology on human
rights, racism in mental health, and
revenue sharing.
Oregonian's participating in the con
ference include Jerry Fuller, Paul
Hinder. Jonathan Newman. Vernon
Summers. Tom Sloan. Mary Edwards.
Labor Commissioner Hill Stevenson.
Vetor la-veyard, and Irina Fmhiuari
Speakers of particular inters! to
Portland residents include Donald Me
Cullen. California attorney who is active
in the NAACP: and Emory Jackson of
the National Crban League
Delegates to the conference will
spend October 14th at the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation, observing
its economic development projects.
Barnett
goes to
Minnesota
James A. Harnett has been named
ana director of the Minneapolis area
offire of the Labor Management
Services Administration, U.S. Depart
ment of Labor.
Barnett had been
LMSA resident compliance officer in
Portland prior to his new appointment.
A native of Uhrichsville, Ohio.
Barnett holds a B.B.A. from the Detroit
Institute of Technology Before coming
to Portland he had been a general
investigator for the LMSA's Office of
Libor Management Welfare Pension
Reports for three years, and prior to
that, an internal revenue agent for the
U.S. Treasury Department.
Harnett's office administers laws
relating to unions and their members.
The Labor Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act
requires labor organi
zations to file annual financial reports
with the Department, bond financial
officers, conduct election of officers in a
democratic fashion, and assure union
members certain rights
Employee Retirement Income Se
runty Act of 1974
establishes
fiduciary
“ prudent man"
standards
for administrators of plan assets. The
Act also requires, among other things,
that administrators of private pension
and welfare plans file copies of plans
with the Department and report
financial operations of the plan funds
each year to the Department.
f ederal Labor Management Relations
Executive Order 11491. as amended
gives responsibility to Assistant Secre
tary of Labor for Labor Management
Relations to handle unfair labor practice
charges, unit determinations and repre
sentation elections of federal employee
unions and to administer standards of
conduct regulations.
Veterans' Reemployment Hights the
Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment
Assistance Act of 1974. passed by
Congress December 3rd, 1974, provides
that those who leave employment to
serve in the Armed Services have
certain reemployment rights they can
exercise following their return to
civilian life.
Harnett and his wife Naomi have
three children.
Vincent, who is a
.«sttonal M erit Scholar, is a student at
Oregon State University. Daryl is a
high school student, who attended
Franklin High School while in Portland;
and Angela who is thirteen years old.
Barnett was an active member of
Bethel AME Church, serving as a
member of the Stewards Hoard, advisor
to the Youth Choir, and a member of
the Finance Committee.
Sammie White carries the hall.
Grambling wins again
"When we lose, a lot of people lose."
Grambling State University coach Eddie
Robinson tells his team in the locker
room before each game
But the
thousands of Grambling supporters from
Portland and Seattle, who flocked to the
Civic Statium Saturday night to see
Grambling defeat Oregon State Univer
sity, did not lose.
Grambling remains "Number One".
“ We just wanted to get off the field
with a win," Eddie Robinson said. “ I'm
real happy, but I have a great
compassion for Dee."
Dwight Scales and Larry Scrubbs
kicked field goals of 23 and 25 yards,
and Sophomore Quarterback Doug
Williams threw 10 yards to Sammie
White and 47 to Dwight Scales to defeat
the Beavers 19 12. The final touchdown
pass came with fifty nine seconds
remaining in the game.
Oregon State scored on a safety, and
a 36 yard field goal by Kevin Callan,
and a touchdown run by Rich Dodge.
Grambling led in first downs, yards
rushing, passing yards and passes.
Adding to the spectacle was the 175
piece Grambling Marching Band which
thrilled the crowd before the game and
at half time with its foot moving drills.
Former Oregonian heads Watts development
A former Oregon State foot hull »tar
anil choir singer. who worked with the
late great Mahalia Jackson. playa the
main role in the huge Watt» redevelop
ment project that encompasses $21
million.
Richard Whitfield, thirty eight, who
ha» been with the Community Kede
velopment Agency for noire than half a
decade, is the man who reportedly
make» the office tick
The bearded, articulate family man,
who recently obtained his MA degree in
public administration, is primarily re
sponsible for the huge sixty four single
family house project, which he considers
the highlight of his tenure at CHA
"The people are satisfied, but there
are still some problems, due to a new
housing program. that are being
corrected,” said Whitfield
“The people of Watts have self pride
and they now have an opportunity to
own a home, while at the same time
they have formed an homeowner's
assoriat ton.
"We. at CHA. assist them any way
they need assistance
"This makes us. and personally myself
happy."
Whitfield is athletic as his credentials
at Jefferson High School, and ultimately
Oregon Slate, illustrate
He smiled when he reminisced:
"I was u blocking back in 1955 99 at
State
W hitfields important role at CHA
includes a vast array of res,H>nsibilities
He is with being coordinator of all the
plans and advised the legal aspects,
along with the technical engineers of
the housing project.
The redevelopment project, which
received $21 million, approved by the
City Council and CHA board in '66 and
finally approved in Washington in '69.
spans 107 acres.
There are 1,600 families living in the
area
Whitfield, once again was the meat of
the project, as he commented.
"lavu Maryland. Handle Brantley and
myself, along with the Advisory
Committee's (citizens) assistance, went
from door to door to inform the
Family needs help
The Observer has established an aid
fund for the Evans Flanagan Family,
with the assistance of the American
State Bank.
Bertha and Evans Flanagan were
married in 1972 and shortly after a
series of bad luck struck Early in 197,3,
Flanagan fell while shopping and
constant pain caused him to enter a
hospital for an examination. Flanagan,
who suffered from kidney trouble as a
teenager, causing him to be hospitalized
at that time, was found to have severe
damage in both kidneys.
The severity of his illness prevented
Flanagan from retaining his job at
Oregon Portland Cement Company.
i hi 11*1 k;»ili -
isri ''UI » I » <
a kidney transplant, but this must wait
until healthy kidneys are donated In the
meantime, he needs frequent hospital
ization.
Adding to the Flanagan's already
serious medical problems, they recently
learned that their six month old daugh
ter. Aisha, suffers from a structural
Frank Kirigin. known as “Jimmy Jackson" holds Jewell W’addell and Charle
deformation of the heart In order to Smith on the 1.245 foot high parapete of the Empire State Building.
survive infancy, Aisha must have major
surgery, which will give her a fifty
percent chance of recovery.
Adding to the Flanagan family's
problems are heavy medical debts and
Few Portlanders know that Frank J.
by Horace Height that if they could get
current living costs. Although the Kirigin, special delivery clerk at the
to Los Angeles, he would find work for
government will cover eighty percent of Portland Post Office, is the renowned
them.
Flanagan has been dependent on a the Flanagan's hospital cost, the bill is Jimmy Jackson of circus and show
The three young men. billed as "The
kidney dialysis machine and a variety of already well over $20,000. There is no business fame.
Three Zechos" and later “The Three
medications since 1973 He takes almost insurance coverage on Aisha who needs
Kirigin was born in 1908 at Williams
Jacksons," toured the country and
continual medical observation as well as and Morris Street
dailv dialysis treatments.
He attended the
arrived in New York in 1934. One of
the costly operation.
High School of Commerce and the
their publicity stunts, which brought
The Flanagan family, which consists of University of Oregon.
them much attention and bookings, was
Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan. Aisha, and a
Kirigin was one of about fifteen
performing balancing stunts on the
two-year old daughter. Akiba, currently teenage boys who worked out with
parapete of the Empire State Building
live on a $366 monthly Social Security Professor Botsford of Reed College,
1,245 feet up. These stunts were filmed
check. Along with continuous trips to the who also taught them anatomy. Slowly
by Paramount Newsreel and shown in
Third World W rap I p
P. 3
hospital and baby sitting costs, the the others dropped out. but Kirigin
theaters throughout the world
family must also meet the regular rent remained interested in acrobatics and
Kirigin was the "understander" with
Guns of White America
P. 3
and utility costs.
balancing.
the Jackson group
which meant he
Readers can assist this young couple
He eventually teamed up with Jewell
was the man at the bottom, holding the
Theologian Speaks
P. 7
and their children in this time of crisis Waddell of Medford and Charley Smith
weight of the others. Weighing about
by contributing to: The Flanagan Aid of Portland, and began working out at
160 pounds. Kirigin was the lightest
Entertainment Guide
P. 4
Fund. % American State Bank, Box the YWCA. In 1932 they performed at
"understander" in the business.
12346. Portland. Oregon 97212.
the Paramount Theater and were told
(Please turn to p. 6 col. 31
mSIDE
The King Neighborhood Facility was officially opened on October 6th by Mayor
Neil Goldschmidt and representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing anil
Urban Affairs, the Portland Public Schools and Portland Development Commission
The Facility, located at 4615 Northeast Seventh Avenue, will provide space for a
number of social agencies The Facility was planned by citizens of the Model
Neighbor hood
community of what was happening." I
said.
" I helped organize all the facto
involved in the project, including tl
people, training, leg work, and citizi
participation in the Watts plan."
Whitfield is an accomplished singe
who grew up singing in his church cho
at St. Paul Baptist Church.
He was taught by Larry Lawson ,
Jefferson High School, and Mahal
Jackson also played a vital role in aidir
Whitfield.
M a ilm a n fo rm e r stunt m an