Portland Observer
From behind the wall
by Larry Baber «35021
O.S.P. Cerres;ioadea(
warm fire, the well prepared dinner and
Come the 23rd day of thia month,
his welcoming family. But also, on this
December 1977, juat inaide the high
particular night a smile might suddenly
cement walla of the Oregon State Peni
appear upon his face from time to time. A
tentiary, a Superintendent might find
smile in remembrance of A Christmas
himnelf busily clearing from hia desk the
Dream.
last stack of carefully read or signed
papers, in completion of his day. Then he
will probably take * key out of hia pocket,
lock hia office door and slowly walk across
Come the 23rd day of this month, a
the now empty reception room.
Except for a guard who may be sitting guard inside a cell block may be busily
working inside a barred cage, pulling
at a desk going over or rechecking the
many visitor forms and w ritten requests levers that unlock forty cells on a long
prison walkway, and shouting out in a
normally asked by wives, family mem
her» and friends, throughout the day. loud commanding voice for the forty
Both men may. just for a brief moment, prisoner's standing outside each cell to
stop and give a slight wave in a gesture get in.
After each prisoner has followed this
meaning "good night."
A t the front door of this 1,500 man order, the same guard will turn a large
round wheel that rolls each door securely
institution the superintendent may brief
ly again check his watch to that of the shut and then he will snap a bar that
large clock showing 6:00 p.m. on the reads "Deadlock.” He also will remove a
brightly painted wall. Outside, a brisk key from his pocket and lock the cage
cold Oregon rain might be lashing itself door he was in.
Corporal of the guard's, Gary Sloan,
against the many barred buildings that
make up this prison. As he swiftly walks after adjusting his horn rimmed glasses,
will pull out a pad and pencil, check his
in the direction of his home.
H.C. Cupp may be tired and hungry but watch and proceed to write, "6:00 ;».m. -
it was just another days work, like many AU Prisoners Accounted For."
Momentarily Sloan will rub the sore
other days, weeks and months through
out his 31 years of employment as a ness from his right leg, after climbing up
and down five flights of iron stairways for
servant to the people of Oregon. But now the past two hours, unlocking and locking
the day is over...so home to the nice
IF I W ER E
If I were a sparrow. I ’d
fly to your window, singing
softly my song to you.
But, a sparrow, am I not
these same prisoner's cell doors for one
reason or another.
Now, for the next six hours it will be
his job and duty as an employee to the
people of the State of Oregon, that each
prisoner stays securely locked within
those cells. As Corporal Sloan starts
making his rounds on each tier a smile
may edge across his lips from time to
time, because he too, might remember
The Christmas Dream.
On the same night of December 23,
1977, a prisoner, 44 years -of age, serving
25 years at O.S.P. will watch a guard as
he passes his 9' x 6' barred door. Also
inside this cell is an iron table and stool
attached to the wall, and a small basin
and toilet bowl. As he sits down on his 3'
x 6' iron bunk with its thin mattress, two
sheets, and a woolen blanket, he will
slowly remove a small cardboard box
with a Bible laying on top of a stack of
letters. A fter lighting a cigarette, he will
adjust the small pillow behind his head
and begin opening and reading letter
after letter which he has read and re-read
many times before.
The prisoner will know that at the
passing of the guard it was pretty close to
6:00 p.m., and as he lay there he could
not help but feel warm and good as he
begins to smile. Because he, too, will be
thinking of a Christmas Dream.
Tucked away high in the mountains
behind Oregon City, approximately 50
miles from the front doors of O.S.P., a
woman in her late twenties will be
working busily at the side of her mother
and other volunteer people making the
last minute preparations for a large
Christmas Party, which actually was first
thought about in September 1977. But
this will not be just the normal type of
party many families plan for in many of
their homes in the State of Oregon...Sure,
there will be many of the normal activi
ties, a Santa Claus, Christmas caroling,
many presents under the large Christmas
tree and lots of food to eat.
On this night the family and owner's of
this 80 acre mountain ranch will be
inviting 31 children of different races,
nationality and backgrounds, their ages
ranging anywhere between five and
twelve years, and accompanied only by
their mothers, because their father's will
be securely locked and guarded inside
cells at O.S.P.
At the Big Sky Ranch, Reverend Claud
Pike, his wife, two sons and a daughter
have been opening the doors to their
home every weekend, for a number of
years, to children from Portland and
surrounding cities - to children who need
room to run and play in a ranch-type
atmosphere - children, who under normal
circumstances would not have been given
the opportunity to chase and milk a cow,
ride a horse, or fly in an airplane (owned
and piloted by Reverend Pike and his
son).
Every weekend it is nothing unusual to
the Pike'z to prepare large quantities of
food for children and visitors. I t ’s been
pari of their life's work, same as minister
ing the teachings of the Bible a>:4
Christian living.
On the night of December 23, 1977,
between the hours of 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.,
along with their regular weekend kids,
Santa Claus will be handing out 31 extra
Christmas presents. A puppet show will
be performed and a ventriloquist will be
on hand bringing forth laughter from
these youngsters, as they open their
presents from their “Daddy.” (Actuclly
all presents were donated by different
churches and organizations throughout
the Portland area.) There will be small
gifts for all mother's, too.
Such a beautiful event would not have
been dreamed into reality had it not been
for Nancy Pike.
Her little private
personal project is writing to people in
juvenile detention homes, jails, and pri
sons, in order to personally brighten up
their lives with a Christian friendshi;i.
She had been doing this for nearly a year
and a half before she met with a prisoner
who could help her arrange this Christ
mas Dream from inside these high prison
walls.
It would be his job to select as many
prisoners who have children living in
East Portland, and spread the idea of
such a Dream. First that prisoner had to
obtain the approval from such people in
Tburaday. December 8, 1977
the Administration as H.C. Cupp, Super
intendent, and his staff, in order for a
guard, such as Corporal Sloan, to release
that prisoner from his cell each night to
go from cell to cell speaking to other
prisoner's on such a personal nature as
obtaining their w ives and children’s
addresses, telephone numbers, names
and ages of their children. If that type of
information could not be obtained cor
rectly that prisoner could have gotten
himself into serious trouble with either
the prison Administration or the prison
er’s themselves.
When the list was
compiled Nancy contacted a large Chris
tian youth group to assist her in obtaining
presents, entertainment, transportation
and food. W ith the help of many people -
her family and her prayers to God --
Nancy Pike's Christmas Dream will come
true.
In many cases this would be the type of
story news reporters would rush to cover
for their morning editions, with cameras
flashing and T V ’s roaming...Wouldn't it
be mere beautiful if they didn’t?
Normally this would be just the type of
event any organization or agency would
claim as being responsible for, in their
claim to fame...Wouldn't it be beautiful if
they wouldn't? So that many fathers who
are not able to be with their children on
December 23, 1977, may smile and be
ever so thankful for this Christmas
Dream.
The main thing is to bring a smile to
those children's faces so that they might
see the Christmas Dream too.
Haw to tln-Folly
lfour Christmas Jolly
’Tis indeed the season to be jolly. But the holidays are no time for electric contact accidents. Unfortunately, they
happen...year after year. And people are seriously hurt. So, here are a few common-sense seasonal reminders
from The People at Pacific Power.
If I were the wind I'd
surround you always with
A breeze, soft as a touch, the
fragrance of nature at its best
We light up your night.
Please don’t overdo.
If you’re going to light-up this holiday
season...do it modestly. And safely.
Check all circu its for frayed wires,
plugs, etc. Replace strings of lights if
they blink on and off when they're not
supposed to. Turn on the tree or out
side lights in the evening...then off
before retiring.
JL
But, the wind, am I not
If I were the sky in its majestic
vastness, I'd bring together the
four corners of the world, proclaiming
with joy the exquisitness of God's
creation
But, the sky, am I not
Up on the roof top:
Reindeer yes. People no.
Unless you’re as surefooted as a rein
deer, stay off the roof. If you have to
go up...packing a new TV antenna,
decorations or whatever...know what
you're doing and stay
_ far, far away from
f/J
power lines.
CB’s. Talk about safety,
good buddy.
It isn't what goes out over the air that
bothers us...it's what goes up. Eager
new CB'ers have gotten into real trouble
by not looking up for power lines be
fore installing their antennas. Look
i r \ up and live.
If I were the rains my drops
would be as soft as your lips.
As warm as your eyes -
But, the rains, am I not
If I were the snow, upon
descent from the heavens my prayers
would be to become as the rain, soft
And warm -
But, alas, the snow am I not either
I am neither a sparrow nor the wind.
Sky. rain or snow - I am the whole of
them all, I am man -
Cast into the prison of love,
my thoughts of the loved sail on
the wings of the sparrow, my song
is for your peace and quietness.
Elements of my existence stir like the
winds engulfing you in the totality of
your true self.
As the earth captures the rains replenishing
strength and nourishment to it's inhabitants
I have engulfed you in my love instilling
strength and nourishment to your feminine
needs.
P» « » > s'a ¡ 1 a-. ». «X, ,
m
I
In the arms of necessity, we shall melt, into
the bosom of bliss, a total, my love will become,
the true personification of man. to you, woman -
For God. who is my judge and witness
know, that with all He has given to Me -
Man - I give with understanding to you -
wo-man.
by Julius D. Snowden
Hearings explore utility
responsibility for weatherizing
S A L E M - The Department of Energy
(DO E) will hold three public hearings this
month on proposed administrative rules
for implementation of energy suppliers'
conservation programs for Oregon Home
owners.
New legislation requires publicly own
ed utilities and oil heat dealers to provide
weatherization services and information
about lowcost weatherization loans to
their space heating customers.
Hearings will be in Eugene on Decern
ber 12th, at 7:00 p.m. in Harris Hall, 6th
and Oak Street; in Portland, on Decern
ber 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the W ater Bureau
Auditorium, 510 S.W. Montgomery
Street; and in Bend on December 15th at
7:00 p.m. in Conference Room A, Des
chutes County Courthouse Annex.
House Bill 3265, approved by the 1977
Legislature, applies to all publicly owned
utilited companies and fuel oil dealers
who supply more than 500,000 gallons of
fuel for residential heating annually. The
services to homeowners include home
heating inspections, recommendations for
energy-saving weatherization and help
ing the homeowner arrange a low-cost
loan, if necessary, through a local lending
institution.
DOE adopted temporary rules for HB
3266 in September. Since then, more
than th irty public utilities and fuel oil
dealers have submitted programs for
DOE review.
Copies of the proposed rules are
available from DO E, Room 111, Labor
and Industries Building, Salem, Oregon
97310; telephone 378-4040. W ritten com
ments will be accepted by DOE until
December 20. 1977. The final rules will
be adopted by early January 1978.
Deck the Halls. But use
a safe tool.
Power tools are safer today than ever
before. But carelessness can lead to
trouble...fast. If your new tool isn’t
double insulated, don't short-circuit
safety by ignoring three-way, grounded
plugs.
A g ift for the
W arm -at-heart.
May we recommend...besides a sin
cere wish for a happy and safe holiday
season...stopping by any Pacific Power
office for plenty of free, warming advice
on how to save money and energy.
Proper home insulation can be a long-
lasting gift. And we can help you get
the most out of conservation through
our Home Energy Analysis Service
and other programs.
I
Page 3
The Atcheson.^^L -
Topeka and
Santa Claus.
Defective or wrongly assembled elec
tric toys are dangerous. Make sure all
plug-in electric toys are UL or other
wise safety approved., and if you’re
all thumbs when it comes to assembly,
let someone who knows what they're
doing take over. Don't leave electric
toys plugged in overnight. And let the
kids know the rules when it comes to
playing safe.
The People at Pacific Power