7
Death
remorse
by Barbara T ratta r
I t was Labor Day. My frwnd and I
decided to go to a park. We piled the kida
in the car and headed for Unthank. Hut
we had to aak a woman for directions on
the way..it had been so long since we'd
been there.
We sat and talked in the cool afternoon
sun and watched abeentmindedly aa our
children played. A mother with two little
g irl. came over to the awings that were in
front ol us. The girls got on and began to
swing. Aa their swings became synchro
nised. I noticed the big pillars holding
them up began to away. The girts were
swinging high and in unison. The poles
began to Jerk back and forth violently
with their swings' pull. I interrupted my
friend mid sentence, "Ijook at those
things! You don't think they could be
made of ce m en t do you? “
As we
watched, the mother quickly stopped the
girls from swinging and they left the
park.
Aa we watched them go and
sensing the immediate danger to be over,
my friend and I went back to cur
conversation.
One week later, almost to the day, a
thirteen year old girl was dead because of
PORTLAND
Thursday, October 13, 1977
10c per copy
9' J ¡ ¡ f \
T IM O T H Y A. T Y L E R
B R IA N W A R R EN
A N T H O N Y JACKSO N
Benson students win merit awards
by Shirley E. luuig
The scores achieved in the National
M erit Test by Seniors Anthony Jackson,
Timothy A. T yler, and Brian W arren
have resulted in their being selected
semi finalists by the Achivement Scholar
ship Program as the most outstanding
Black students in the State of Oregon.
Annually the National Scholarship Pro
gram selects 1.500 Black students nation
wide as semi finalists. Semi finalists who
meet additional requirements and ad
vance to finalist standing will compete for
575 Achievement Scholarships to be
awarded in the spring of 1978.
This it the first time any Portland
school has been honored in having three
students from one school rank as semi-
finalists. I t reflects the high academic
status Benson sets for its students and
the teaching ability of its staff.
These bright young students present
interesting profiles. Timothy A. T yler is
a native of Streeter, Illinois.
He is
majoring in architectural drawing and
building construction. He plans to attend
the University of Oregon and major in
electronics and communication. They say
Timothy is big timber for football, which
is his favorite sport. He's tailback on the
Benson team and shows promise of being
a real threat once he reaches the college
football field.
Brian W arren is a native of Oregon. He
is majoring in electronics. A devoted
hockey fan, he helped sponsor a team on
which he has played both right and left
wing. Brian also likes ice skating and
photography. He hasn't, as yet, decided
on the college he would like to attend.
Anthony Jackson is a native of Massa
chusetts. He was born on the Westmore
Air Base as his father served in the A ir
Force. He has only been in Oregon five
years but he has been in tw enty countries
abroad. Asked about his favorite place
overseas, Anthony says, “Okinawa and
Japan. The people are nice and friendly
there." Anthony is majoring in printing
at Benson, but when he attends college he
plans to take business administration. He
is a soccer fan and one of Pete's admirers.
The Junior Achievement Program spon
sored by the school was a definite benefit
to him. “I learned many worthwhile
things about business," he said. Travel
rates high on Anthony's list of hobbies.
The Portland chapter of the YW CA has
paid Dorothy Baker, a former employee.
112,000 in damages as a result of her suit
charging racial discrimination.
Miss Baker, a Black social worker with
the Y's Women's Prison Project, charged
that YW CA director Jean Trisko threat
ened to fire her in response to her own
efforts in behalf of a Black client who was
terminated from the program.
Miss
Baker had expressed her concern that
this client had been released because of a
“suspected theft while the project direc
tor, Julie Wykoff had been kept on after
admitting that she had taken illegal drugs
into the Oregon State Penitentiary and
that this fact was known to some of her
clients.
On February 18,1975, Miss Baker was
called to her “termination hearing" w ith
out being informed the reason for the
hearing or of her employment rights.
A fter her protest to the board of direc
tors a meeting was held between the
personnel committee and the administra
tion, she was not allowed to be present or
to hear a recording of the meeting.
Not learning anything about her job
security. Miss Baker protested to the
board in w riting and on March 19th was
asked by board chairman Mrs. Richard
Hughes to “voluntarily leave the agency”
within 48 hours.
The situation was allowed to linger on
as a task force looked into Miss Baker’s
allegations of racism. In June the board
met to hear personnel committee recom
mendations, but Black visitors were
barred from the meeting. The personnel
committee recommended and the board
adopted a position that all staff would be
retained and that the Y W C A would
car« program open for business
7.
continue to sponsor the project.
On June 18th, United W ay determined
that the project should not be sponsored
by the Y after July 1976, because of
mismanagement.
On July 2nd Miss
W ykoff resigned. Mrs. Hughes then took
a poll by mail, requesting the board to
drop the project as of July 1, 1975.
Dorethy Balter examines $12,000 check
discrimination suit against the YW CA.
The project did continue for a time
with Rita Clinton as the new director, but
the board refused to deal directly with
the issue of racism.
Miss Baker had filed a discrimination
suit with the federal court, and in
October of 1977 agreed to a $12,000
settlement.
received as settlement of her racial
P rio s tlo y d ic a g ro e s
School Board votes Monroe, Washington merger
The Portland School Board voted Mon
day night to merge James Monroe and
Washington High Schools, using the
Washington building, and to include
Benson High School in the planning to
make programs of that school available to
students of the Monroe-Washington com
plex.
The decision followed a lengthy meet
ing in which testimony was offered by
start has had a positive impact on those
Health. Education and W elfare, the cen
The Child Development Center -- pre
Monroe students and faculty and repre
children who have been able to partici
ter provides a Headstart educational
iously known as the PMSC Child Deve-
sentatives of Washington and Benson
program. The children are housed in five
pate in the program.
ipment Division - is again open and
High Schools and the Area I I and Area I I I
Breakfast, lunch and snacks are pro
centers Columbia Villa, Iris Court. Wood
rcepting children. The center, which
advisory boards. The decision is the
vided. Field trips and special projects
lawn United Methodist Church, Hughes
as closed temporarily due to lack of
culmination of a two year task force
Memorial United Methodist Church and
conducted by community volunteers add
jnds. has reopened under the sponsor
study.
variety to the days.
St. Davida Episcopal on S.E. Harrison.
hip of the Albina Ministerial Alliance.
The students and faculty of Monroe
According to Ronnie Herndon, direc
Headstart was originally a program
The program is designed to give
High School preferred to remain separate
jr. the center provides full day care for
conceived and designed by parents under
children a "headstart" on the education
but if consolidation is essential they
«3 children from three to five year» of
the “W ar on Poverty." Parents partici
process. Headstart guidelines insure that
recommended a merger with Benson
ge.
Children are from low income
pate
in
all
phases
of
planning
and
are
educational and cultural enrichment and
High School, which is also a vocational
unilies whose parents are employed, in
encouraged to become active in parent
the opportunity for educational and social
school. The merger of Benson and Mon
raining or in school. Ton percent of the
groups.
development are provided.
roe would build the vocational pro
hildren can be from families whose
grams as well as meet the federal
icomc is above the federal poverty
Some time is spent each day to learn
Parents who would like to inquire
requirement that separate schools for
uidelines and ten percent can be handi
colors, sizes, shapes, numbers and to
about the program should contact Gene
males
and females not be returned. Area
apped.
Holmes,
Social
Service
Department,
283-
prepare to learn to read. Recent federal
I I recommended that the Monroe pro
Funded by the U .8. Department of
1287.
studies have demonstrated that Head
grams be moved into the Washington
building, with the Monroe vocational
program becoming a magnet. A fte r the
merger is accomplished Area I I recom
mended that cooperative programming
be developed between Washington/Mon
roe and Benson. Area I I I recommended
the development of a merger of Monroe
with Washington and the development of
a two campus complex involving students
of Washington/Monroe and Benson. Both
Areas wanted the symbolic identity of
Monroe retained.
Superintendent Robert Blanchard em
phasized that the merger is necessary not
only to address economic problems
brought in by the declining school enroll
ment but to strengthen the programs at
Washington, Monroe and Benson. Until
this year Monroe has retained its enroll
ment at about 500 students and Benson is
one of the district's largest high schools,
with an enrollment of 1,800, Washington,
young men admitted to Benson to 1,200.
“In this effort to economize by consoli
dating its high schools the School Board
has missed an opportunity to promote
racial and sexual integration while en
hancing its technical vocational programs
and at the same time strengthening its
inner city comprehensive high schools."
Combining Monroe with Benson would
carry on the character of the technical-
vocational program of the two schools
while allowing both male and female
students to receive training in trades not
M sjre Vefam Jey
Executive Director of the
Leea J »hasaa, husband of the lota Mrs. Jsknis n , and Harriot
traditional to their sex. The entry of
roe the Joaofa Mae Johaaoa
Vehwteers el Amorfa
Kefty, who succeeded Mrs. Johrsou at the Voina leers of
young men into Monroe and of young
e., preeeuted hy Mrs. Richard
Momorfal Award from
America Child Caro Coûter, Ieoh oa with ap;>reval.
women into Benson has been negligible,
tad Mrs. Chartes Wfflfams a«
Bogle, Mrs. Ulysses P
possibly because it is difficult for stu-
PMSC
why hadn't I talked to the mother of death occurred. And it will probably be a
those girls or later why didn’t I report it long time before all the data is gathered
to the Hark Bureau? I had done nothing. and a full report is given. But in me,
All the classic answers for my negli something seems to be awakened.
gence were there. It wasn't my child on
More than ever, I am aware of the
the swing that day. It wasn't my Hark. responsibility to my self my integrity -
Maybe the columns were light-weight. If to be more caring, to become more
they were heavy and dangerous then involved.
Overcoming the “normal"
surely they 'could be fixed soon. Not apathy in myself and In this society, to
wanting to take the time, expend the make changes and take risks, is the only
energy or lose my place in the converse
way I ’ll be able to live in harmony with
tion, I had just ignored the facts.
myself. It was a painful lesson and one
There will be a lot of questions to he that I ’m not sure I ’ve fully learned from
answered about how and why a needless yet.
YWCA pays in discrimination suit
OBSERVER
Volume 7 Ne. 42
the dangerous swaying pillars we had
seen.
A shock ran through me when I saw
the article in the paper, and a feeling of
confusion and dismay set in. How could
this have happened? I was there. I had
seen those pillars. They didn't look that
dangerous..they couldn’t have just fal
len...
It was a time for me to evaluate my
actions and my motivea. Why hadn't I
gone over to those swings and pushed on
those columns and found out that they
were cement and that they were looeeOr
dents to break tradition and go to a
school overwhelmingly dominated by the
opposite sex. The combination of Benson
and Monroe would allow young women to
enter traditionally male trades such as
auto mechanics, printing or electronics
and young men could take food service,
a comprehensive high school in Southeast
Portland, is rapidly declining with a cur
rent enrollment of 750 and an expected
enrollment of 600 in five years.
Blanchard recommended merger of
Monroe with Washington, with planning
for programming to be concluded by
February and the move to take place by
September of 1978.
Board member Gladys McCoy asked
that the merger be delayed until after
renovation of the Washington building is
completed. Frank McNamara voted with
the understanding that Benson will be
included in the planning process. Robert
Ridgley recommended that the Monroe
name be retained, suggesting “Washing
ton and Monroe High School."
W ally Priestley, who voted against the
merger, advocated the consolidation of
Monroe and Benson. I t is more logical, he
explained, to merge the two vocational
schools. Washington’s enrollment could
be protected by limiting the number of
nursing, etc.
Consolidation of Monroe, which has
about 26 percent minority enrollment,
with Benson, which is about ten percent
minority, would further the district's
desegregation policy by producing a
school with about 17 percent minority
enrollment. (The district enrollment is 18
percent minority.) Combining Monroe
with Washington will impact the minority
enrollment at Washington which is con
sidered to be already higher than the
optimum, by creating a new student body
with approximately 25 percent minority.
Lowering the Benson enrollment to
1,200 students would aid those inner city
schools that are now being threatened
with declining enrollment - Washington,
Adams and eventually Jefferson. I f the
students who live in those attendance
areas were to attend Washington, Adams
and Jefferson, with a lesser number
allowed to attend Benson, those schools
could maintain their enrollment and
therefore maintain a comprehensive pro
gram.
Since Benson has drawn a dispropor
tionate number of white students from
the Jefferson, Adams and Washington
attendance areas, restricting the number
of students enrolling in Benson would
retard the growing “racial isolation" at
those schools.
Priestley fears that the unique charac
ter of the Monroe vocational programs
will be loat after incorporation into
Washington. I f they were to be combined
with Benson, however, the vocational
programs would be strengthened by the
larger student body and staff and the
opportunity for further development, and
by the status of Benson, which has long
been a prestige school.
The students from Monroe who spoke
at the school board meeting emphasized
the special character of Monroe, with its
vocational emphasis, and their pride in a
school in which all students are “Some
body.”
IS i
1 ■ 1
w w . xl
Acncw
si
i
Portland joins national demonstration
against Bakke case as U.S. Supreme
Court hoars testimony in the case, which
charges the University of California's
minority admissions program with discri
mination against white applicant*.