4
Hr« France» Schoen-Newapaper Room
U n iv e rs ity of Oregon L ib ra ry
t-vgene, Oregon 97403
Leaders informed
PORTLAND
PPS chongas Jefferson proposal
OBSER
7
Ne. 88 Thursday, July 7, 1977
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I
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Bess
Representatives of the Portland Public
Schools met with selected Block ‘leaders*
at the home of E. Shelton Hill, Wednesday
night. Attending were Superintendent
Robert Blanchard, Ernest Hartxog,
school board members Jonathan Newman
and Gladys McCoy, M r. Hill, James
Brooks, Mrs. Hazel G. Hays, and Ellis
Casson. Invited tu t not attending were
Reverends John Jackson and Rozell
Gilmore.
Johathan Newman explained his new
attendance proposal, a plan that has met
with opposition from the community.
This plan would bar students living in the
Boise and King areas of the Jefferson
attendence area from attending Jefferson
and would allow them to attend only
schools that have less than 18 per cent
minority enrollment. Newman stated
that some misinterpretation of his plan
had occurred but admitted that the
district had not provided copies of the
plan to the public.
Newman then presented changes to
the plan, designed to answer some of the
complaints from the community.
Basic changes include:
Any student who, on October 1,1977, is
not a student at Jefferson High School,
and who is, or after said date becomes, a
resident of the Area I portions of the
attendance areas of the King or Boise
Schools, shall for high school not attend
Jefferson High School, but the student
shall if living in the Boise district attend
Lincoln and if living in the King area
attend Wilson. If students were in other
high schools on administrative transfers
they could remain in those schools. If
they attended elementary schools on
administrative transfers they could a t
tend the high school serving that elemen
tary school. They could attend Benson or
Monroe, or could select any other high
school that did not already have a
minority enrollment exceding the district
average (18 per cent).
The new proposal makes exceptions for
students who have brothers or sisters
attending Jefferson, and allows students
to enroll in the magnet program at
Jefferson if they are qualified for admis
sion and perform adequately. The initial
proposal had banned minority students
from the Jefferson and Adams magnet
programs if minority enrollment exceded
18 per cent. However, the new proposal
does state that when applications for
admission in distict wide programs en
code planned optimum capacity, the
principal will select those students moot
likely to benefit from the program.
If adopted the new proposal will be on a
trial basis, with a report and recom
mendations from the Superintendent not
later than December 16. 1979.
The Black persons attending were
unanimous in advising the school person
nel that they meet with the Committee
for Equal Education for A ll Children and
affected parents before making any deci
sion on this proposal.
Remarking that no one mandates white
kids, Ellis Casson said the first thing
Black parents see is that it is Black kids
who always get on the bus. Calling the
problem of desegregation a highly emo
tional issue, Jim Brooks said Black
parents don’t follow why it is always
their children who must be bussed.
Mrs. Hays recommended that the
school officials meet with parents and
community members and that idea was
strongly supported by Gladys McCoy.
Mrs. Hays also asked about the Depart
ment of Health, Education and Welfare’s
finding of discrimination in discipline and
remarked that the problem of tardiness
and parent participation will increase as
students are sent farther away from their
homes.
The Black representatives agreed with
the need for desegregation and recogniz
ed the problem that racial isolation at
Jefferson High School presents for the
district, but advised that ways be found
to bring more white students into Jeffer
son rather than continuously busing mere
Black students out of the school.
Lois Berry: Poet of all trades
County plans Geriatric Center
Don Clark, Chairman of the Multnomah
County Board of Commissioners, has
proposed that the County provide funds
for a fiscal review for a proposed “M ult
nomah County Geriatrics Service Center.
Inc." and that the center be housed at the
building on M t. Tabor abandoned by the
Seventh Day Adventist hospital.
The committee recommended that the
center be a private, non-profit corpora
tion. with all eounty residents over «6
being stockholders in the corporation.
The Board of Directors, however, whould
be appointed by the Chairman of the
Multnomah County Board of Commis-
The committee recommendations are
substantially the same as those of an
earlier committee appointed by Commis
sioner Clark to study the future of
Edgefield Lodge, a county operated nur
sing home facility. Clark had proposed
that Edgefield be dosed, but met public
opposition. Critics of the new proposal
emphasise that although the findings are
similar to those of the Edgefield Com
mitte, the Edgefield committee did not
have the political influence to gain com
munity support - hence a new committee.
Multnomah County would not purchase
the property, but would provide the
funds for the Geriatrics Center to pur
chase it »t approximately 18.1. Private
foundations would be invited to partici
pate in the funding.
The committee estimated that the
a nnu al operating expenses would be
about 82,684.000 a year. The county now
spends about 81 million a year on
programs for the elderly and the differ
ence would have to be made up from
taxes. “The Committee is not prepared to
recommend at this time the establish
ment of a tax base to provide 82 million a
year, but we would urge the Official
Board of the Corporation to carefully
consider that possibility,” the proposal
states. The “start-up” money would come
from Multnomah County.
Services to be provided by the Center
include:
1. An evaluation, placement and fol
low up unit staffed by geriatric specialty
health profaisirnsla Thia
will
take up to 80 days, all or part of which
will be spent at the Center.*
2. Crisis intervention (24 hour service)
3. Supportive health care and social
services to enable elderly to remain in
their own homes.
4. Information and referral
5. Rehabilitation and renewal center
with 75 to 100 beds.
8. Medically oriented housing to pro
vide emergency housing for the elderly.
7. Outreach program
8. Pharmaco-consultation program, in
cluding continuing education for profes
sionals regarding drug use.
9. Nursing home bed registry
10. Staff registry
11. Rheumatoid arthritis center
The center would also provide training
and education in care of the elderly. A
Chair of Gereontology would be estab
lished at Warner Pacific College. The
person filling this position would super
vise the education and training of persons
in gereontology and related fields.
Baccalaureate degree programs in
physical and occupational therapy would
be developed in cooperation with Warner
Pacific College. A continuing task force
of faculty and laymen would study cur
riculum development and pilot projects
outside of Oregon which could be applic
able at the Center or be used in coopera
tion with other agencies and Warner
Pacific College.
A Chair in Gereatrics would be
established at the University of Oregon
Health Science Center with that
serving as Medical Officer of the
Critics of the proposal are asking a few
basic questions. Is the purpose of this
program to serve the elderly or to assist
the Seventh Day Adventist hospital by
purchasing its out-dated property? What
is the relationship of this proposed
purchase to the purchase of Glendevere
Golf Course from the same organization?
Why establish educational programs to
duplicate programs already in operation
at Portland State University, the Uni
versity of Oregon and Oregon State
University? I f the County wants to fund
an educational program, why select W ar
ner Pacific College, a private institution,
and one where Edith Green serves on the
Board of Directors and her son has taught
and may wish to teach again?
Can the County establish a Chair in
Geriatrics at the University of Oregon
Health Science Center? And if so, who
would pay this salary? I f a much needed
Chair of Geriatrics were to be established
The City of Portland has more Black
artists than you can shake a stick at.
Regardless of what circles you make your
rounds in, chances are you’ll meet some
one who eithr dabbles or dedicates
himself to paining, drawing, sculpture,
design or writing (or any conbination
thereof). Many are born here; others
come from varous points on the globe,
their packed satchels filled with collaps
ible drafting tables and protruding ’T ”
squares, hammers, chisles and various
blocks of wood, putty, paints and pens.
Lois Berry lugs around a trunk, a
cornucopia overflowing with writings of
several decades. She is a woman of many
experiences all of which she interprets
through her medium - “social poetry".
“I w rite about anything that moves
me,” says the fortyis grandmother who
defies time with her youthful, yet experi
ence weathered, appearance. “I ’m not a
trained poetess . . I ’ve never been to a
(poetry) class and I don’t chose to because
I don't want my work, my creativity,
re-arranged or brainwashed."
Mrs. Berry, a native of Texas and a
long-time resident of New Mexico, who
has been writing “for as long as I can
remembe”, is a woman of many trades.
During her first years in Portland (from
1962 to 1972) she spent time as a teacher,
independent businessperson, accountant
and bookkeeper. She has a BS in Business
Administration and a Secondary Educa
tion Teaching Certificate from Portland
State University.
W riting, however, is her stock in trade.
“W riting is something that I ’ve always
wanted to do . . . and this is where I
expect my bread to be coming from.”
She continues, “The urge to write
interupts my sleeping and waking hours”,
noting that there have been times when
she has had to stop driving to put her
words on matchbook covers. “When I
have the urge, I must stop everything
Her first book of poetry, “Looking
Glass Thoughts”, has boon published and
is being sold in Portland. New York
(where she spent the last four and
one-half years before returning to Port
land) and Puerto Rico. Mrs. Berry hand
led teh publishing because she feels
publishing companies do not give artists a
fair share of their own rewards. “The
publishers I went to wanted 90 per cent
a t the royalties and I was only to got 10
per cent. When I told them that my
nephew was going to do the artwork. I
was told that I wae to share say ten per
cent with him and they would still get 90.
No way."
The other books Ms. Berry plans to
(Please turn to page 2 col. 5)
I; Realtors promote voluntary fair housing
Representatives of public and private
human rights organizations, fair housing
groups and national, state and local
Boards of Realtors met with U.S. Depart
ment of Housing and Urban Development
personnel in a HUD-sponsored confer
ence held in Washington, D.C. June
l-3rd. entitled “Fair Housing, An Ameri
can Right/Right for Americans, the con
ference was arranged by H U D ’s Office of
Voluntary Compliance and was intended
to communicate information regarding
voluntary concepts and programs in
support of fair housing.
Conference participants agreed strong
ly that fair housing is a major problem in
the U.S. today, with the effects of
discrimination being compounded by eco
nomic factors. Conversation on this topic
often turned to a discussion of economics
and how this element of the problem was
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
approaching (or even surpassing) tradi
tional forms of discrimination as a cause
for inequality in housing opportunity.
One panelist provided the statistic that
one of four American families with an
income under 811,500 per year suffers
some form of serious housing deprivation.
Such deprivation is defined to include one
or more of the following factors: a
physically deteriorated building, over
crowded living conditions, excessive
amount of income spent on housing, or
lack of essential social services in the
immediate area. Solutions offered looked
in the direction of preservation of the
existing stock of low and moderate cost
housing through rehabilitation projects
and new construction, as well as expan
sion of subsidized rent programs.
Persuading people to do voluntarily
what is required by law appeared to be
worth the effort to most of those involved
in the conference.
There was some
agreement on the hope that individuals or
firms complying voluntarily might see
the way clear to engage in efforts beyond
those strictly required. A number of
panelists and speakers related their
experiences in the formulation of volun
tary agreements and the effect they have
had on achieving fair access to housing
and integrated communities. Even while
subscribing to the need for voluntary
efforts, however, conference participants
cautioned that such efforts must be
backed up by strong enforcement. To
underscore this belief, conferees adopted
a resolution stating their support for
legislation that would give the Secretary
of H U D “the statutory authority to grant
relief from discriminatory practices with
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
Andrew Young win» hearts in East Africa
by Clark Norton*
D A R ES S A L A A M . Tanzania (P N S )-
"We both have great presidents.” said
Jim Mukirya, a 86-year-old Tanzanian air
force engineer, referring to Jimmy Cart
er and Tanzanian President Julius
Nyerere. “And Andrew Young has been
the best thing the U.S. has ever done for
Africa."
With that declaration, Mukirya's wide
circle of friends at the bar-laborers,
military personnel, office workers and
taxi drivers-raised their glasses of the
potent African gin kenyagi in salute to
Nyerere, Carter and Young. “Some of
these people gave me funny looks when I
walked in here with a 'European,' ”
Mukirya later confided. “But when they
found out you’re an American, and you
like Andrew Young, they relaxed.”
Whatever the relations between the
U.8. and African governments, Africans
across the continent-including socialist
states like Tansania-are openly friendly
to Americans and more likely to identify
with U.S. leaders like Andrew Young
than those of other superpowers now
contending for influence here.
Wfife Dorsey, noted ,
17th, a t 9:88 p.as. The i
Ns
stage at the Nsighberfelr, July
etti feature displays and heaths,
If Andrew Young has struck a popular
chord here, it is in spite of Tanzanian
government charges that his support for
Black majority rule in southern Africa is
just so much window dressing.
In
Tanzania-one of five “frontline” states
backing guerilla war in Rhodesia and
Namibia-the official emphasis is on
armed struggle, not Young’s proposed
peaceful negotiation.
“Tanzanians support whatever is
necessary for liberation," Mukirya said.
"But we think Andrew Young is on our
side. The government may criticize him,
but that doesn’t mean we don't appreci
ate what he says."
Young’s strength here almost certainly
goes beyond the fact that he is Black, or
beyond his calls for change in southern
Africa that lack the powerful rhetoric of
the local government-controlled press.
Rather, through his statements that
Africans should solve African problems
and that the U.S. should worry about
racism more than communism in Africa,
Young has tapped into Tanzania's one
over-riding popular sentiment: fervent
African nationalism.
Strategically situated on the Indian
Ocean and bordering such influential
countries as Kenya, Zaire. Mozambique
and Zambia, Tanzania is a key "swing”
state in any real or apparent clash for
power in Africa among the superpowers.
Under the leadership of President
Nyerere-noted as one of the few African
heads of state who eschews Mercedes-
Benz’s and other trappings of high office-
Tanzania has become an influential voice
for African unity, anti-colonialism and
Black majority rule.
Having declared its goal as economic
self-sufficiency through socialism, accept
ed Chinese aid in building the vital
Tan-Zam railway, forced strong alliances
with the revolutionary regimes in Angola
and Mozambique, and hosted Cuban
Premier Fidel Castro and ex-Soviet Pres
ident Nikolai Podgorny on their African
tours last spring, Tanzania recently
raised fears among some Western ana
lysts that it might become a link in a “red
belt” across central Africa.
Yet with a per capita income of 888 a
year and a sagging economy that has left
severe consumer shortages, Tanzania has
also accepted hundreds of millions of
dollars in low-interest loans from the
world Bank, and in its 14-year history
over 8100 million in economic aid from the
U.S., including a highway project para
lleling part of the Tan-Zam railway.
Indeed, Tanzania today is a political
and cultural melange where the role of
Marxism is hotly debated at the leading
intellectual centers, American country
music is played about the Chinese-built
Tan-Zam and copies of “Soviet Life" and
"Sport in the U.S.S.R” magazines are
sold side by side with “Newsweek" and
“Modern Romances.”
While it is as difficult to generalize
about Afrcan countries as it is to compare
U.S. States like Hawaii and Alaska,
Tanzania may be said to represent a I
developing Africa in microcosm. As one
observer puts it, “If there is such a think
as a "typical' African nation, in its
problems and promises, Tanzania would
be it.”
If the heart of the emerging Carter-
Young policy is to appeal to popular
African aspirations-such as the national
ism felt so strongly here- and not simply
to bolster friendly leaders, then Tanzania
could prove a test case.
ARMS VS. A LM S
The Soviet approach here has been to
try to show solidarity with the fight
against racism.
Podgorny’s spring visit, in which he
pledged arms in support of the guerilla
movements, won friends for the Soviets
here (and a friendly political “obituary”
for Podgorny himself in the government
controlled Tanzania Daily News when he
was deposed as Soviet president in May).
But Nyerere was more polite than
enthusiastic in his welcome.
A t one
point, Nyerere chided the Soviets for
having provided leas economic aid since
independence than had Sweden.
T h e Soviets just don't have interest in
or the means to provide longterm eco
nomic aid in Africa,” says noted East
African expert Prof. Carl Rosburg of
Kenya’s University of Nairobi. “They’re
very popular now while Tanzania needs
arms, but once that's over it should be a
different story.
As for China, the Tan-Zam railway
here remains its most notable success in
Africa, where Peking managed to alien
ate many newly independent countries
during the 1960's by advocating revolu
tion against moderate Black govern
ments. Chinese are still in evidence along
the Tan-Zam line, where they provide
technical assistance.
In addition, Nyerere's model for social
ist development-stressing agriculture
and the traditional African extended
family-is much closer to China's than the
urban, industrial Soviet model. Even the
Tanzanian national suit favored by
government officials resembles the spart
an blue uniform of China.
But there is an enormous cultural gap
between China and Black Tanzania.
In the sparkling new Tan-Zam station
in the southern Tanzania town of Mbeya,
for example, the Chinese have installed
long rows of cribs, decorated with ani
mals, for baby travelers.
They are
invariably empty, since it is the practice
of Tanzanian women to keep their child
ren swathed to their bodies with doth.
‘T h e Chinese were very helpful to
Tanzania," says Nicodemas Segara, a
telecommunications expert with the Tan
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)