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PORTLAND
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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.