PORTLAND
OBSERVER
Volume 7 Number 8 Thursday, January 6, 1977
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10c per eepy
Wicks: Glad to be gone
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A
by Ron Sykes
Tuesday night the Boston Celtics in
vaded the Memorial Coliseum for their
first appearance in Portland for the year
and, naturally, it marks the first appear
ance of ex-Blazer star Sidney Weeks.
Weeks spent five stormy years in
Portland -- years in which he was cheered
and, at times, heavily booed. Wicks had a
problem . . . and that problem was that he
was good, a superstar.
S ID N E Y W ICKS
In some places that might be consider
ed a plus, but not in Portland. Coach
Tom Meschurg, last year, openly admit
ted that ours is a red-neck city. And that
is one of the problems Black players must
deal with here.
Anyway, Wicks is good and for this one
• day . . . he’s back. The local media has
really treated Wicks quite harshly and
when his trade was finalized . . . treated
him even worse (if that is possible). As a
result, Wicks has constantly refused to
talk with the local media.
Yours truly, however, was able to talk
at length with Wicks. When I contaced
him earlier in the year, he said to call
when the Celtics arrived in town.
So Tuesday afternoon I rung the Hilton
and asked the desk clerk for Wicks’ room.
I was immediately connected and some
what surprised to hear a totally unfamil
iar voice. My first thought was, “Oh, Oh,
she’s given me the wrong room." A fter
identifying myself, this mysterious voice,
one obviously disguised, said, “Ron, this
is Sidney Wicks".
A fter greetings were passed we got
down to the business of our interview.
My first question was the obvious: How
does it feel coming back to Portland?
Wicks replied, “No emotion. I was here
five years and now I ’m gone. When I play
Portland it will be no different that
playing anyone else. H l just play my
game and try to do my best, nothing
else.” Wicks, while in Portland, played
his game making the All-Star Team four
consecutive years and ony miming last
year when Lenny Wilkins decided to
change a 6-9 strong forward to a small,
ballhandling forward. This caused Wicks
some problems in adjusting, mainly ball-
handling.
I f you will, picture Maurice Lucus
leading the Blazer fast break instead of
his usual rote of rebounding and kicking it
out. Can he do it? Now, perhaps you can
see how Wicks felt when suddenly he was
thrust into that position.
Are the Boston fans any different than
(Please turn to page 2 col. 1)
The end of a dream ?
‘‘As I put the key in my car door, I
looked back at the place where I'd just
spent the last sixteen months of my life.
The name of it was "Conquest Center", an
alcohol and drug rehabilitation program.
I’d seen some hard, hard days in this
program. At times it took everything I
had in me just to stay here. (Once 1 did
leave. I called back and after hours and
hours and hours and hours and hours and
hours of talking to me, I finally came
back, three days later.) But there were
good times here too, real good times. I
remember the hard times more so only
because these were the times that these
rare and dedicated people were working
on me (and me on myself) to change my
ways and give my life a new direction.
Standing thre looking at the center, I was
trying to remember all the things I had
learned and had been taught while I was
here. But at this moment it was imposs
ible, because it is unbelievable the a
mount of teaching Brother Gerry San
ders, the director, and his staff had
some effort and hard work into i t I just
"I remembered all the groups I’d been
wanted to shout and tell them. Look at
put through. Then after I'd gotten my
head somewhat together and became a me. I’m living proof.’ I wanted to be their
role model’. That was my dream."
leader in the program myself. I remem
As he left Conquest Center, Wilson
bered all the groups I'd put new residents
was given some advise by Grother Gerry.
through, trying to give them what I’d
been given."
1 irst, ‘One fix is too many, and a
thousand ain’t enough." Next, "Babe, it's
This was the first day of James “Babe"
going to be a good ten years before the
Wilson's new life. While at Conquest
police or anyone who knew you before
Center and during a three month stint as
you came to Conquest will believe that
a drug counsellor at the Veteran’s Meth
you have changed."
adone Program in Seattle, Wilson had
When he returned to Portland in
decided that he wanted to be a drug
rehabilitation counsellor.
February of 1975, Wilson was employed
by the state s CODA (Comprehensive
Although he was offered employment
Options for Drug Abusers) program. He
in Seattle, Wilson determined to return
to Portland and try to help some of the
spent most of his time counselling at
Alpha House, a theraputic program that
people he had known. “I just wanted
houses and provides counselling for drug
them to see that a person could change if
abusers. He aso counselled and advised
he really wanted to and was willing to put
drug abusers who were before the courts,
poared into me hour alter hour, day after
often directing them into drug programs
day for the last sixteen months things
and preventing their being sentanced to
that I didn’t even begin to know about
prison. One of his functions was visiting
myself and things about a drug addict’s
drug users in Rocky Butte.
addictive personality.
Reverend John H. Jackson will be
installed as President of the NAACP,
Portland Branch on Sunday, January 9th.
Jackson was elected by the member
ship on December 12th, to the position
vacated by Ellis Casson. Casson served
three two-year terms as President.
Mrs. Gladys McCoy, State Omsbuds-
man, and member of the Portland School
Board, will install the president, officers
and members of the executive board.
The service will be held at 6:00 pm at
Mount Olivet Church, N.E. First and
Schyler. A reception will follow thq
installation service and the public is
invited to attend.
7.ÜI ’/*
Schools seek
new funds
The Portland Public Schools are asking
for a $9.6 million per year operating levy
for four years, beginning July 1, 1977 and
ending June 30, 1981.
A special election, January 11th, has
been called to allow district residents to
vote on this levy. Oregon law requires
that any increase over six per cent must
be approved by the voters.
The purpose of the levy is to continue
operation of the schools at the current
level. The two-year special operating levy
of $6 million per year that was approved
by the voters on January 28, 1975, will
end June 30, 1077. The new levy would
replace that one and increase it by $3.6
million per year.
According to school spokesmen the
levy would continue current programs,
with the increased costs brought about
by inflation, and would allow long-range
planning since the schools would be
asured of operating costs for four mor
years.
It is estimated that the increased cost
would amount to 56c on each $1,000
assessed evaluation, or $11.20 more taxes
per yar on a $20,000 home.
If the levy passes, the operating funds
cannot be used for buildings.
A
-
r a e r e f Complete Gardening Service, inspects trees that bi» c w im u iv
will plant at the Portland M«U.
.Photo: Anril n J X |
Craig wins Mall contract
John Craig of Complete Gardening
Service has been awarded a $170,000
contract for planting trees on the Port
land M all.
The award was made on a competitive
bid, let by Hensel Phelps Construction
Company,vthe general contractor on the
$11 million job.
Craig has been involved in landscaping,
NAACP deposits
V. F. Booker, President of American
State Bank, has received a check for
$40,000 from the National Office of\the
NAACP for deposit in ASB. Deposits
such as this, while earning interest for
the depositer, provide funds that can be
invested in the community, Booker ex
plained.
“I knew that a person with a past like
mine very seldom if ever got the chance
that I now had, helping drug dependent
people in their struggle to try and change
their lives. Keeping this and so many
other things I'd learned in mind, I kept on
pushing myself. Man, you know I was
doing it, you know, really making it.
“By now I also knew I could do the job
that I so badly wanted and needed to do --
not because people were telling me I was
doing it, but because deep down in my
own gut, I knew it. Working in a
therapeutic community is a hard, hard
job, but this is what I needed for me.”
Wilson was considered to be one of the
best counsellors in the drug program --
not only because of his personal interest
but because of a natural ability to relate
to others. A recent evaluation by the
Program Executive said, “His expertise
and genuiness make him an important
therapeutic influence on the program."
On November 26th, Wilson was arrest
ed at Rocky Butte Jail and accused of
landscape maintenance and construction
for twenty-five years.
Among the larger projects Craig has
been involved with are O’Bryant Square.
Federal Building, Fort Vancouver, the
Swan Island Coast Guard Station, Crown
Zellerbach, and sewage treatment plants
at Bonneville and Woodlawn, Washing
ton.
In 1974, he won an award from the
American Association of Nurserymen for
his participation in the development of
“criminal activity in drugs” and “sup
plying contraband" - 2.86 grams of
heroin.
At his arrainment hearing, the director
of the District Attorney’s Career Crimi
nal Division personally appeared in court
and asked that Wilson be kept off the
streets, indicating that he will be treated
as a "career erminial” although he has
not served time in the penitentiary. His
only previous convictions were the drug
charge that sent him to Conquest House
in 1973 and an earlier charge of selling
marijauna, which resulted in a sentance
to Oregon Correctional Istitution.
Next the District Attorney’s office
went to Judge Richard Burke, who had
sent Wilson to Conquest Center and had
at the same time given him five years
bench probation, and had him issue a
probation violation warrant to keep Wil
son in jail. Judge Robert Jones has said
he will arrange a third party release for
Wilson if Judge Burke will release the
parole violation warrant.
the downtown plan.
The first sixty trees designated for the
Portland Mall are London Plane (Plant
anus Aterifolia), which are from eighteen
to twenty feet tall with a four inch
diameter trunk. The trees will grow to a
height of about sixty feet in 35 years.
The trees will be planted with special
deep watering pipes to encourage deep
noting. The trees will be planted lower
than usual to counteract surface root
travel.
When ihe mall planting is completed,
there will be a total of 209 London Planes,
64 Red Maple Autumn Flames, and 14
Red Maple Armstrongs.
According to the contractor, subcontracts
and service contracts to minority con
tractors will total about $500,000 when
the mall is completed. Craig's contract is
the largest to go to a minority firm.
In the meantime, Wilson was kept ir
maximum security at Rocky Butte until«
few days ago. He was told first that this
was for his own protection, and later that
it was to prevent his contact with other
inmates.
Wilson says he is innocent.
His friends — including consellors he
worked with in CODA recipients of the
program believe he is innocent. Some
place their confidence in him because of
his own actions
the way he has been
able to help others. Others are aware
that had he wished, Wilson could have
returned to big time dealing and never
would have taken such x'risk as to take
drugs into a jail. "Thogt who really know
he is innocent are the ones who are still in
drugs and know he has gone straight."
Some of Wilsons friends believe he
was set up. They do not know why --
perhaps because the police really believe
he is still dealing in drugs. "They watch
him all the time -- circle his house - sit in
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
Ride - A - Long gives inside view
By Jack Kubeck
From their expression, you could tell
what the two young girls were thinking:
"Wonder what they arrested him for.
We'd better not get too close.” It was a
look I was to see on several faces during
the next 4 hours as I sat in the back, or
"cage”, of the police car.
Actually, though, it wasn't a case of
them catching up with me at last, instead.
I was taking part in the Portland Police
Department’s "Ride Along" program.
This program gives John Q. Public an
opportunity to see for him (or heilself
how the police carry out their mission of
enforcing the laws and protecting the
people of the community.
My ride started one Saturday at 3:45
PM when I reported in at East Precinct.
The duskman led me around to the back
through a rabbit warren of partitioned
offices where a sergeant assigned a
young officer to show me through the
building.
Next, I was taken to the locker
room and introducted to the officer I
would be riding with. His name was Dan.
At 4: 00 p.m. we went to the squad room
for roll call. Here the officers gather at
the beginning of the shift while a ser
geant calls roll, gives assignments and
reads the various Teletypes (telling of
wanted subjects, "hot” cars, etc.) that
have come in.
"guests" hadn’t really appreciated their
ride.
Our first two calls were for "family
disturbances ". In one the husband was
supposedly throwing chairs at his wife.
In each case Dan told me I’d better stay
in the car. Since I had no choice in the
matter, being in the cage, I agreed. Of
course, I could easily see his point since
After roll call we checked out our he was responsible for my safety. After
patrol car and took off. Most police these calls (which didn't amount to much)
districts are pretty large and Dan's is no we went to a drive in for coffee. We had
exception. It runs from S.E. Division tc> just taken the first sip when we got
Holgate and from 42nd to 72nd. That's a another call. Dan says such timing is all
lot of territory for one man to cover and too typical. So away we went to where a
sometimes the patrolman who has a disturbance was said to be occuring. It
neighboring district will park his car on a didn’t amount to anything either but
service-station lot and join Dan for awhile another call wnsn’t long in coming. It was
to see how things shape up.
That for a fight outside a tavern. We |»nd
happened this time so I was relegated to three other cars) sped to the scene and
the back seat. This “cage” is a bad place found that the "fight" was really just a
to be if you have claustrophobia as all loud argument between two friends (who
door and window handles are missing and had each oversampled the tavern's prod
the only way you can get out is to be let ucts) about who had called for a cab.
out. There is also a heavy sheet of Some fight.
shatterproof glass between the front and
We then took the other officer back to
back seats and, in this car, numerous
his car and I can't say I was sorry to see
scratches on it showed that some earlier
him go. Sitting in that rage almost had
me feeling playing the part and growling
at someone.
In the front seat I had a better chance
to ask Dan some questions about police
men. and their jobs. One interest ing fact
is that their probationary period is 1 Va
years. They get 2 weeks of vacation for 5
years service or less and 3 weeks after
that. If they work a holiday they get 12
hours of romp time and if the holiday falls
on their off day they get 8 hours comp.
They get frequent updates on changes in
criminal laws but are more or less on
their own on civil laws. Police candidates
must undergo a thorough psychiatric
examination and 2 years of college is
required at the start and more as they go
along.
Our next call was to take a report on an
attempted burglary. It was a small house
and the young couple living in it had
returned home to find a glass pane
broken in the back door and the door
standing open. Their return had appar
ently frightened the intruders away and
nothing had been taken. They were
lucky, for when asked if they had their
name, SSN or driver's license number
marked on their valuables such as stereo,
when Dan pointed to the car in front of
TV, etc., or a list of their serial numbers
us. There were several young people in it
they said "no." The items would thus
and one in the back seat was acting in a
have been nearly impossible to trace if
slightly odd manner: he kept hopping
they had been stolen. Have you taken
around. On went the blue light, agaiin,
any of these precautions yet?
the car pulled over and Dan went to
We were on 39th at Powell and the
investigate. He came back a few minutes
light had just turned green for us when a
later smiling and shaking his head. It
VW went zipping through the red light on
seems that the occupants were trans
Powell. "That's twelve" said Dan as he
porting samples of some sort in an ice
whipped around the corner, blue light
chest which was taking up most of the
flashing, and pulled the car over. After
back seat space. The unfortunate guy in
the driver had been given his ticket and
back was finding it rather difficult to
we were rolling again I asked the
remain in one place for any length of
question most of us have asked at one
time!
time or another: Is there a quota? The
It was after 8 PM so I told Dan I was
answet is...yes. It is 12 tickets per
ready to return to the station. I could
month. The main purpose is so the officer
have stayed the whole 8 hour shift but I
wi)l not go stale on traffic laws, which are
had other plans, and besides, I didn't
more often enforced by the Traffic
want to wear out my welcome.
Division. The reasoning is that an officer
So, what did I get from my ride and
will surely see at least 12 "good" (mean
was it worth it? Well, I believe I now
ing bad) traffic offenses (such as exces
have a much better understanding of our
sive speed, running a red light, etc.) in a police department and, yes. it was well
month's time. It makes sense. You or I worth doing. I was quite impressed with
often see that many on our way to work
the openness I encountered. Both in the
each day.
precinct and in the car all the questions 1
We were rolling along on 50th avenue (Please turn to page 2 col. 5)