Portland observer., April 15, 1976, Page 4, Image 4

Page 4
Portland Observer
Thursday. April 15. 1976
Coffee honors
McCoy family
A coffee hour for State Senator Bill
McCoy and his family will be held on
Sunday. April 25th. from 1:00 t o 3:00 p.m.
at Bethel A M E Church. 5828 N.E. 8th
Avenue.
His interest in the welfare of people in
all areas has made McCoy a champion of
the poor, the working man, the young and
old alike.
Presently the Chairman of the Interim
Subcom m ittee on Human Resources.
McCoy is tackling the tremendous job of
day care and Children's Services Division
reform in Oregon.
McCoy has worked continuously in an
The cast of "Seesaw" sing, “It's Not Where You Start. It's
Where You Finish!" a flashy number in Jefferson High Schools
production of "Seesaw ”
iPhoto by Jill Cherry.)
effort to preserve public lands, lakes, and
parks for the enjoyment of Oregon's
citizens and future generations.
Well educated in the field of aging.
McCoy is determined to improve services
for the elderly with a special emphasis on
adequate housing and health care.
All those who would like to meet
Senator McCoy or lend support to his
campaign for election are invited to
attend.
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Citizen of the week
Jefferson students present musical 'Seesaw’
by Debbie Shapiro
All aspects of Jefferson High School's
Performing Arts program will be involv­
ed in the school's latest production of
“Seesaw", an exciting, flashy musical.
"Seesaw" is the story of an aspiring
young dancer, Gittel Mosca and her short
liason with Jerry Ryan, a lawyer from
Omaha. The story brings in many of
Gittel's friends and lakes place in New-
York with exciting and well practiced
dance and musical numbers.
“Two for the Seesaw" by William
Gibson was the original stage play from
which the musical "Seesaw" is derived.
With the lyrics by Dorothy Fields and
music by Cy Coleman “Seesaw" becomes
a vibrant show.
This will be the first year "Seesaw" has
been available for rental and Wanda
.Nichols, the play's director, explained her
reasons for choosing it, "Since we are
js magnet school for the performing arts.
we try to do things first. Ours will be the
first performance of "Seesaw" in a high
school in the Northwest."
Dance numbers will all be choreo
graphed by Lowell Smith, a newcomer to
the Jefferson staff this year.
Steve
Schroeder, cast member and lead dancer
expresses happiness with the dances and
the people who execute them. "It's a well
coordinated group. People are all work
ing well together. The dances are great!"
There is one tap number which is being
choreographed by Bev Mellum, who
teaches tap lessons at Jefferson after
school. She seems enthusiastic about her
work, "I think the kids are all terrific.
They learn tap really fast!"
Nancy Timothy, also new to Jeff, but
no newcomer to voice training says, “The
kids are all really committed, and I know
"Seesaw" will go over very w e ll.' Ms.
Timothy is in charge of teaching the
songs to the solo vocalists and the chorus.
Mr. Jim Little will be the conductor of
the instrumental group. His is a large job
because "Seesaw" has many big musical
numbers.
Ken Lewis, technical director, and
Wanda Nichols are sharing the costume
making responsibilities.
There are a
number of changes for every member of
the cast; one number calls for every
chorus member to have a satin tailcoat.
Technical work will be unusual accord
ing to M r. Lewis. “We will be using a lot
of projections and reflective backdrops."
he explained. All of the sets will be made
of lightweight chrome that will come
apart and transport easily. "This will be
convenient because the show is to be
taken to Muncie, Indiana for a perfor
mance at the National Thespian Con
ference at Ball State University.
Performances of "Seesaw" are set for
A p ril 16th through the 17th, 23rd
through the 24th in the Jefferson High
School auditorium. Tickets for adults are
$2 and students $1. All shows begin at
8:00 p.m. and reservations may be made
by calling 287 2631. extension 74.
Delta produce movie featuring Africa
“Countdown at Kusini" is the first
motion picture ever to be produced by a
Black women's organization.
Delta Sigma Theta, the largest Black
sorority in the world, was motivated by
deep moral and social concern to in­
fluence positive change in the imagery of
Black people on the silver screen. Under
the leadership of its Immediate Past
President, Mrs. Lillian P. Benbow, D i­
rector of Housing for the State of
Michigan, the sorority created a Com
mission -on Arts and Letters.
The
Commission launched the film project
with personal contributions from chap­
ters all across the country, who "answer
ed the call." There was no assistance
from government programs or grants.
In an industry grown accustomed to
the "unprecedented" and the "unique,"
Delta's putting - its - money - where - its -
convictions
are is an accomplishment
unprecedented and unique indeed. Th#
Film industry affinity for the phrase
“Never Before" truly applies here; Delta
defied the double je o p a ru /o f racism and
sexism and the inherent dangers of the
film business with the positive energy of
pride and self-help.
Announcing the acquisition of the
motion picture, David Begelman. Presi
dent of Columbia Pictures, said:
“We are very impressed by Delta's
bold breaking of new ground, and we
admire the organization and its convic­
tion in the production of the motion
picture, generated far from standard
industry procedures. The film represents
an auspicious and courageous accom
plishment with which Columbia is happy
and proud to be associated."
Mrs. Benhow's two-term, four-year
tenure as President of Delta Sigma Theta
marked the organization's move into bold
new ventures, among them this financing
of a motion picture.
Acknowledging that “Countdown at
Kusini" is traditional adventure romance,
Mrs. Benbow stresses "Delta conscious
ness - particularly regarding stereotypic
The Second Annual March of Dimes
Children's A rt Show will be open to the
public April 23rd through the 30th in the
U.S. National Bank Plaza. 555 S.W. Dak,
Portland, and will feature art work by
handicapped or hospitalized children.
Paula Yazzolino, show chairman, said
that more than 200 entries are expected
in the show from children between the
ages of three and twelve years. The show
is wide open for creativity; youngsters
may use any subject or any art medium
for their entries, as long as the entry is on
a piece of paper 11x17 inches.
Top
winner in each of three divisions will be
awarded a $25 savings bond; second,
third and honorable mention ribbons will
also be awarded.
The content is being sponsored by the
year around Community Projects com
mittee of the T ri County March of Dimes.
Committee volunteers assist in a variety
of public education and community ser
vice projects related to the March of
Dimes effort to prevent birth defects.
Participating schools and hospitals in
dude Shriners Hospital, Crippled Child
ren's Division of the University of Oregon
Health Sciences Center, the Holladay
Center for Crippled Children, Doernbe
cher Hospital, Providence Child Care
Center and Multnomah, Clackamas and
Washington County Intermediate Edu
cation districts.
Ms. Brenda Knapper, one of Portland's most gracious young ladies,
currently is a sales representative for the Xerox Company.
A graduate of Monroe High School. Ms Knapper attended Portland State
University, majoring in Business Administration. She has had a series of
interesting jobs including being a secretary in Commissioner Francis
Ivancie's office and doing public relations for the World Football la-ague's
Portland “Storms".
In 1973, Ms. Knapper was selected Miss Oregon World Competing in
New York City against 49 other winners, she was named "Miss
Congeniality."
Believing that this experience in the Miss World Pageant was beneficial
to her. Ms. Knapper annually presents the "Junior Miss Black Oregon
Pageant,” for girls ages ten through twelve
Ms. Knapper was featured as one ol Ebony magazines "eligible
bachelorettes" in May, 1975.
Ms. Knapper makes a home for herself and two younger brothers.
Ronnie, fourteen and Donnie, sixteen
Use all you need
but save all you can . . .
The People at Pacific Power.
THERE ARE 98,000
GALLONS OF GASOLINE
IN YOUR PGE BILL
Freedom Fighter Motaps (Ossie Davis) speaks to his countrymen of freedom and
peace as they crowded close to listen to his inspirational words.
and violent model roles for young Blacks
-- has invested the project with ideologi
cal values for the growing Black family
audience and white movie goers, as well
as who are sated with racism as a
production value.”
Filmed in and around Lagos, Nigeria,
"Countdown at Kusini" is the first Black
American production to be filmed entire
ly in Africa by Black American profes
sionals.
A topical drama of political
intrigue and revolution, its story parallels
recent and continuing events on the
African continent.
The film's music is by Manu Dibango, a
gold record winner. His “Soul Makossa"
was a multi million seller which spear
headed the Afro-Latin trend evident
today in contemporary rock music.
As cinema, "Countdown A t Kusini” is
Vann's offer a
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Personality Postured,
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mortuary
5211 N. Williams
Children’s art
on display
ideological without being a "message"
picture.
It employs the medium of
melodrama and its popular vocabulary of
action and romance to project theme and
dying honorably, dedicated to the prin
ciple of freedom.
Rather than the
rampant cynicism of contemporary cine
ma, this film reminds us that the "good
guys" and "bad guys” were once easily
defined
and perhaps could be again.
"Countdown A t Kusini" respects both the
reality of “good" and “bad" whites and
Blacks and the morality of a universal
good. Eschewing tlfe anit white racism of
white produced Black films, the film's
perspective and the tools it uses to shape
it, are positive and constructive. One
comes away from it neither bludgeoned
by brutality nor depressed by hopeless
ness.
There is another unusual dimension
intrinsic to "Countdown A t Kusini"
Delta Sigma Theta.
In the year of its inception 11913), Delta
Sigma Theta marched on Washington in
support of the female right to vote,
gaining instant visibility, demonstrating
inherent activism and establishing its
tradition of commitment.
Sixty years later, while many assailed
the film industry with words for project
ing stereotypic and violent model roles
for young Blacks in particular, Delta
Sigma Theta, by this time the largest
Black sorority in the world, acted in
harmony with its astounding record of
purpose and achievement in public ser
vice. The sorority financed the produc
lion of a motion picture through its
subsidiary, D.S.T. Telecommunications,
Incorporated.
The movie stars Ruby Dee, Ossie
Davis, Tom Aldridge, Michael Ebert, and
Thomas Baptiste, and was directed by
Ossie Davis.
Also solar research,
linemen, generators,
poles, flow m eters,
tran sfo rm ers.
And one very big
com m itm ent to you.
It's no secret the
price of gasoline has
gone up A lot
Taking a tugger
and bigger bite out of
your budget And ours.
At PGE. it takes
more than 875 vehicles
to serve customer needs
throughout our system. U tility trucks
Repair vans. Pick-ups And service cars
Together requiring about 98,000 gallons
of gasoline, every month
Just like you, we’ve done what we
could to save We've cut our driving
down Combined trips Switched to
smaller, more
economical
vehicles as
we i eplace
worn-out ones
Still, the rising price
of gasoline, insurance
coverage, along with the
rising price of all our
equipment and supplies,
has forced us to do
something more.
We ve hud to raise our rates
We don’t like higher rates any
more than you do
But there s something we like even
less the thought of short-changing you
on the elector ity and service you need
now, and twenty years from now »-
We could overlook that com m it­
ment It would he easy
But it wouldn't be right
Portland / • ’t
General
Electric VvB?
Company
*