a re i f a r ’ e e S c i ' & n f* ■". « o X 3 n 2 r* Un'.v . ' 3! " c ; c ■■-■■■''/ ♦ I I 3 1^0 PORTLAND / I OBSERVER Voi. 6 No. 27 Portland, Oregon Thursday, May 20, 1976 lOr per copy CREP provides free repairs There are many homes in Portland that need minor repair and winteriza lion. The Community Rehabilitation and Employment Program (CREP) is looking for these houses. CREP offers free winterization for low income homeowners. Services pro vided are roof repairs, repairs to ceil ings and walls, repair and replacement of windows, weatherstripping of doors and windows, and repair and mainte ma nee of furnaces. The program, which is sponsored by the Portland M etropolitan S teerin g Committee, is unique in this area. It is designed to offer em ploym ent and training for unemployed persons. A by product of the program is the much needed home winterization program. C A R T E R IN O REG ON "Many older homes in the city of Portland have become deteriorated and difficult to heal, because homeowners cannot afford to keep up repairs." Mr. Gale Castillo, program director of CREP, explained. "The winterization program will make them livesble again and help reduce the fuel bills.” To be eligible for the CREP program the home must be located in the city of Portland and must be occupied by the owner. The home owner must meet income guidelines set by the U.S. Com munity Services Administration. ('REP is seeking homes that can be winterized within the next few months. Persons who believe they might be eligible should call Mr. Castillo at the PMSC office. Jimmy Carter spoke to shipyard workers at Swan Island yesterday as he brought his presidential campaign to Oregon. Carter answered worker's questions, discussing the relationship between jobs, exports of farm products, and the economy. Summers resigns Human Relations position Mrs. Geneva Blake watches as window is repaired by CR EP worker. Vern Summers has resigned from his position as director o f the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission. Sum mers. who was appointed by Mayor Terry Schrunk, was the Commission's second director. Summers told the Observer that he resigned because the Commission has not been allowed to function as it should. “The Commission does not have the power that it should in order to help people. The task of helping people - especially minority people - should be a priority, but the Coir.uiaasiou has neith er the power nor the staff that it needs if it is to do an effective job." For the past year the Commission has come under fire from City Commission ers Connie McCready, Mildred Schwab and Francis Ivancie. The Commission ers were critical of the HRC involve ment in the issue of whether shotguns should be used in police patrol cars. Commssioners Schwab and Ivancie were angry at the HRC’s efforts to obtain an anti-discrimination ordinance for homo sexuals. The Commission was funded for a six month period while the City Council contemplated its future. Upon com pletion of the six-month period, during which the HRC did a self-evaluation and wrote a new work plan, the Council was still divided. The program was refund ed for another six months. "The Human Relation Commission has become a political football,” Summers said. “Politics have no place in human relations. When this happens, games are played rather than programs "being implemented." Summers is concerned about employ ment for Blacks in Portland. He ex plained that federal funds have come into Portland for hiring of minorities, but has not been used for this purpose. He feels that is why Portland is now under investigation for possible non compliance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Administration. Summer's resignation was accepted by the Commission at its Tuesday meeting. Straub appoint» Casson Ellis H. Casson has been appointed by Governor Bob Straub to serve a three year term on the State Board of Educa tion. Also appointed to a three year term was Ms. Joyce Berry of Eugene. They replace Eugene Fisher of Oakland and Ms. Eleanor Beard of Lake Oswego. Casson is regional equal opportunity director for the U.S. Highway Depart ment. He serves as chairman of the Oregon Intergroup Human Relations Committee and is a member and Past Chairman of the Area II School Advi sory Committee. Casson is serving his third term as President of the Portland Branch NAACP. Political endorsements page 2 NAACP protests cross burnings An outbreak of cross-burnings in the Los Angeles area continue as Blacks attempt to gain protection from state forces. Officials do not believe that the cross burnings are the action of an organized group. They are believed by some to be a reaction to Black protest of a recent school policy decision. The Los Angeles school board recently pro posed a resolution forbidding bussing for desegregation. Black ministers in the Los Angeles area have received death threats. Allen Jones default today is like the default at the turn of the century. The results today are the same." “Those who would do violence against Blacks feel they have sanction and tacit approval. NAACP sought in vain to sound the alarm and warn the State Chief Law Enforcement Officer, Evelle J. Younger. Attorney General. The Association's request for a meeting was viciously denied. We await, apparently in vain, for action from the California State Legislature." Mrs. Virna M. Canson. Regional Di "Cross burnings and violence continue rector, West Coast Region NAACP, as long as violent racists can take solace said. "The burning of crosses on the from inaction by the Chief Law En lawns of Black citizens is a startling forcement Officer of the State of Cali reminder of earlier times in the long, fornia and others in high places." bitter struggle for equality waged by Black Americans." "We call on NAACPers and all per "In the late 19th century the govern sons of good will to help us sound the ment turned its bark on Blacks and left alarm. We urge that candidates for po their welfare to white racists who rioted litical office be measured by their com burned and killed." Today, many public mitment to act to end the violent wave officials have turned their backs. The against Blacks." Jones gains executive post Allen Jones has been promoted to the position of district executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Harlow Trail Dis trict. Harlow Trail takes in the area of S.E. 57th Street to 184th Street, from the Columbia River to S.E. Holgate. Jones was associate executive of the Big Thunder District, which extends from North Portland to St. Helens for the past two years. Jones, a former Cub Scout and Boy Scout, is a graduate of the University of California in Berkeley. A veteran of the Vietnam war, he v as the recipient of a Silver Star. The function of the district executive is to coordinate the activities of 2,500 boys, 900 adult leaders, and district committees; to raise funds, and to re cruit boy members and adult leaders. Jones is convinced of the value to urban youth. "Scouting provides a means to develop leadership abilities and independence, as well as providing activities boys enjoy." While he was associate director of Big Thunder District, scouting became more viable in Albina and North Portland. “More responsible leadership has been developed, the type that stays involved and provides a strong base, but there is a great need for more parent participa tion. No youth program can be sue cessful without the participation of pa rents," he said. Jones is active in the Albina Lions Club, serving his third year as chairman of the annual awards fashion show. He also is entertainment columnist for the Portland Observer. The new district executive's other spare time interests include swimming, photography, hnhwsg, horseback riding and writing the latter a subject in which he became involved while work ing on a college newspaper. The new assignment also brings his professional and personal life closer to gether; he's been living in the Barlow Trail district since coming to Portland.' Eugene forms NAACP branch Initial steps have been taken toward the fc..-.;iation of a branch of the Na tional Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Eugene. Procedures estab lish ed by the na tional organization require that a pro posed new branch must be sponsored by an existing branch to assure that mem bers of the new branch are fully cogni zant of NAACP policies and purposes. The Corvallis Branch of NAACP is fulfilling this role for the proposed Eu gene Branch. Calvin O.L. Henry, past president of the Corvallis Rranch and chairman of its Membership Committee, was appointed by Corvallis Branch Pre sident Rollie Smith to represent the branch in assisting those interested in the formation of the Eugene Branch. With the assistance of Henry a Eu gene NAACP Steering Committee was recently formed. Co-chairman are Razz McCleay and James E. Jenkins. Re corder is Gerald M. Thompson. NAACP by laws requite that there must be fifty NAACP members in the community before a proposed branch can be chartered. At last report the proposed Eugene Branch had 36 members. It is hoped to have sufficient mem bers so the Eugene Branch can be approved for a charter while the Na tional Convention of NAACP is in ses sion in Memphis. Tennessee, June 28th through July 2nd. The Eugene Branch would fourth branch of NAACP in Existing Branches are located land, Corvallis, Klamath Falls lem. be the Oregon. in Port and Sa Marshall Haskins and Monica Vann distrubtr special issue of Boise Elementary School's newspaper. “Boise Speaks," to neighbors. The students, assisted by librarian Beth Nance, studied the library levy issue and are now campaigning whole heartedly for Ballot Measure *2 The measure will provide funds to continue library services.