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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1978)
PORTLAND Union Avonuo Project King residents want answer OBSERVER Vefarne a Ne. 8 Thereday. Febreary 16, 1978 I t e P * cepy School Board considers Woodlawn r The Portland School Board will, at its February 27th meeting, consider a "Woodlawn Center Plan" proposed by the staff of Woodlawn School and approved by the Area I I Advisory Committee. The Woodlawn Center envisions bring ing a third grade class from a white school to Woodlawn along with its teach er, for a period of nine weeks. The class would maintain its own homeroom, with its teacher responsible for basic instruc tion. The visiting students would partici pate with Woodlawn students in recess. Physical Education, lunch, field trips and some special classes such as art. A fine arts program with emphasis in music would be developed as a magnet program. It would inter relate all of the arts - music, drama, movement and art. In addition to basic music classes the program would offer small group instruc tion. A third component of the Woodlawn Center is the development of a multi-cul tural curriculum that could be infused into existing course material. “Frag mented units and bits of information about ethnic groups interspersed sporadi cally into school curriculum will no longer (Please turn to Page 2 Column 4) The residents of the King neighbor hood are embroiled in a controversy over a Nordstrom distribution center pro posed for Union Avenue between Skid more and Shaver Streets. According to many observers much of the controversy is the result of ineffec tive community involvement with the affected neighborhood by the Portland Development Commission which is di recting the project. Most residents realize that economic redevelopment of Union Avenue is a necessity but are concerned as to whether the benefits of the project will outweigh the disruption of those living in the area to be razed and thoee in the surrounding neighborhood. They have little faith in PDC based on past activities and community involve ment efforts on the project this far. Commissioner Charles Jordan assured the Observer that the project will not receive his endorsement unless his con cerns are answered to his satisfaction. “W e need commercial development on Union Avenue. The street looks sick with its boarded up buildings and it needs to be revived to provide jobs. W ithout jobs there was no use of talking about social programs - but with jobs and economic development the area can thrive and grow." Jordan is first of all concerned about the community residents - those who go and those who stay. "Black people were put out of Vanport by the flood, they were put out of the Coliseum site. Now if they are to be put out of this area they need a place to go. Relocation does not just mean moving people. I t means finding them the kind of housing they want where they want it. “W e have a community and I don’t intend to see people pushed out and scattered around if they want to remain in that community.” Jordan also is concerned about the immediate neighbors. “T he site will have to be landscaped in such a way that it will not distract from the desirability or the value of the homes across the street.” The neighbors should be involved in the planning he said, since the project would impact the entire neighborhood. As for employment, Jordan will need a firm commitment from Nordstrom that community residents will be hired. “Nordstrom will have to bring ia their own managers. We have to he realistic. But I would expect a management train ing program to train community people. A large percentage of the employees would be community people." Jordan views the Nordstrom develop ment as a potential magnet for other firms . “When Nordstrom moves in and is successful, and I am sure they will be. other firms will follow. Hopefully, com munity people would be the owners and developers of future developments. When citizens own not only their own homes but a part of the commercial development, then they will have pride in the neighborhood, and an incentive to build it. “The community will have to want the project for it to be successful," Jordan said. “The acceptance is largely depen dent on PDC s ability to communicate with the residents.” PDC has not yet sought the endorse ment of the King Neighborhood Associa tion. Thomas Kennedy, director of the Union , Avenue Redevelopment Project spoke to a King meeting last month with approximately one-hundred persons in attendance. Most came to the meeting with no previous knowledge of the plan and felt their questions went unanswer ed. PDC had scheduled a meeting with K N A on February 21st, but this meeting conflicted with the Northeast Coalition meeting regularly scheduled for that night. James Loving, chairman of the North east Coalition, told the Observer that the PDC meeting with King Neighborhood Association on February 21st has been postponed. “This meeting had been set on the night that the Coalition has meet for ten years and we were first told that it could not be changed. The fact that PDC would set a meeting with one of our member associations on our meeting night shows PDC hasn't changed its tac tics T heir policies might be alright but the people who execute them are wrong. Thomas Kennedy of PDC will discuss the pro.weed development of the Mason Urban Renewal site at the N A A C P membership meeting Sunday, February 19th at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul COGIC Church, 2859 N .E . Rodney. PDC is attem pting to circumvent the structure that has been set up by the city - that is going to the Neighborhood Association for the involved area. Rather than come to the King Association and the Northeast Coaliton first, PDC is out seeking endorsements from other organi zations like the Senior Adult Service Center and the N A A C P . “We are not going to stand by and see the people in the neighborhood circum vented. I t is my understanding that Commissioner Jordan has notified all of the city agencies that they must go through the structure the city has desig nated - the neighborhood organizations. His action has been very helpful to us since it takes action at the commission level to make agencies go to the people. Bob Olsen and Thomas Kennedy are now trying to reorganize their approach and go through the neighborhood association. That meeting will be set at a later date.” Community honors Collins Commissioner Charles Jordan will ho nor Miss Evelyn Collins at Concordia College, Sunday. February 26th at 3:00 p.m. The event is not only to thank Miss Collins for her years of dedication to the community 's children but to begin a fund to purchase required fire prevention equipment. Evelyn Collins is one of the best known and most respected members of the Alnma comm unity, having dedicated m ost of her life to children. Two generations of children (and even one child in the third generation) have passed through her child care center, where they are taught respect for each other and for God. Mias Collins became interested in child care ia about 1961 when she returned to Portland after a short stay in Washing ton. D.C. She had been raised in Eastern Oregon and educated at Cascade College in Portland. Upon returning she took a fob at M eier and Frank and, as was her custom, began teaching Bible classes to young people living in the area's housing projects One complaint she repeatedly heard from parents was the lack of child care. W ith this in mind she found a house where she would have room to keep a few children and. while continuing to work, she with her mother provided child care' A t that time many mothers had r o u t ing shifts so some children came at odd hours or sUyed overnight. Money was continuously a problem, but Miss Colling put her faith in God and He seemed to lead her to the right decisions. Soon a decision had to be made be tween the job and the children, so she de cided to expand the child care program. The program continued to expand and in 1956 the present location at 128 N .E . Rus sell was acquired. Miss Collins also gives much credit to friends and businesses who have contributed supplies and free labor. The Grace Collins Memorial Commu nity Center now serves children from infancy through elementary school child ren who come for after school care. Christian education is an integral part of the program and Miss Collins' faith pervades the center’s atmosphere. Along with the usual child care center activities, an educational program is offered, with children learning to count to 100 by 2*s, 5's and 10's, learning sounds, and learning to read a number of words. Finding the neighborhood schools to be deficiencies in many respects, she decid ed to give her children a "head start" so they would have a chance when they started to school. Not satisfied to dedicate her life to young children. Miss Collins encourages use of her building by elementary and high school youth who come for Bible classes and to play in the gym. Miss Collins sponsors a championship Golden Ball basketball team. Many of Portland's successful citizens have fond memories of earlier days with Miss Collins. Although thankful for those who have achieved, she also remembers those who have not and finds time to visit Oregon State Penitentiary at least once a month. > A new program is bringing hope to Albina's unemployed youth. The N orth west M inority Contractors Association has received a grant from the state to place minority youth on jobs and in training positions. “W e will place young men and women in jobs and in training," Eugene Jackson, Director of N M C A said, “then follow them to see that they are doing alright. We will help them get into the unions, get their tools, and when the tim e comes get into apprenticeship programs." The young people w ill be placed in private industry - mainly in construction. Many contractors have not only commit ted themselves to provide training slots but are participating in weekly meetings to inform young people about opportuni ties in the construction trades. Paul Jeager of Peter K iew it and Sons, said of the program, “W e have had prob lem finding minorities for t r a in in g posi tions through the usual agencies. This program will help us to fulfill our obliga tions under our contracts to provide training." Peter K iew it is the contractor for the 1-205 project. Like moat federally funded building projects, the contract calls for specific numbers of trainees in each trade. Peter Kiew it has agreed to take sev eral trainees from the N M C A program. “We always need good men who will stay with the company and go from job to job with us. I t is to our advantage to have a core of our own employees that we can take into new jobs. When we go into a new area we hire local people but we do not know what skills will be available to us." Chuck Sloan, of Contractors, Inc. dis cussed current opportunities in construc tion for young people who are w illin g to work hard and learn. “There is always work for the person who does a good job. Construction is a good business, with rood wages. You can earn a good living.” He urged the young people to go into construction as laborers and find out whether they like the work before taking on the commitment of apprenticeships. The first to hire was John Craig of Complete Gardening Service. Darnell Gill is employed as a trainee in landscap ing. Gili, who is a high school dropout and formerly attended M t. Hood Community College, is enjoying his work, which so far has entailed grooming lawns, edging and repairing broken trees. “I really enjoy the work and have an opportunity to learn. I intend to stay with the company and just might make this a career.” Justin Calloway is also working at Complete Gardening Service and John Jackson, Jr. and Lucy Tate are working at the N M C A office. O ther company representatives who have participated in the classes include Gordan Todd, owner of Todd Construc tion; E .A . Osborn, University Mechanical Engineers, Inc.; Stan Jones, Manager of Purchasing. Port of Portland. Charles Ganter, Director of the State's Apprenticeship program, will assist those who want to become apprentices. placement project s;toosored by Northwest M inority Contractors Association. Community organizers attack housing probloms W hat is Albina Fair Share? The ques tion is prompted by attention the group is receiving lately with its efforts to remedy the problem of improperly secured va cant homes in the Albina neighborhood. The Observer recently visited the organi zation headquarters in the Immaculate Heart Rectory on North Williams Ave Next Week: Annual Black History Issue vacant houses. The houses w ere identi fied, nine were given priority, ownership of these nine was determined, the owners were notified of the problem and the group’s concern, and the City of Portland was called in to explain why enforcement of existing statues was obviously not being done. A progress report issued by Albina nue, and asked the question of Gail Fair Share shows the results. Four Washington, Albina Fair Share member. houses are in the process of demolition, " It ’s a grass roots organization that is two have rehabilitation underway, and unique in that it's not issue oriented.” Ms. three have been boarded pending their Washington answered. “W e wanted to owner's decision as to further action. build an organization that can deal with Ms. Washington expressed satisfaction the problems on an ongoing basis.” She with these results, but admits her sur explained that community organizations prise when she began her F air Share often spring up when a problem becomes activities and found that people were still evident and a crisis threatens. Albina willing to challenge the various “City Fair Share, Oregon Fair Share, and the Halls” of their lives. “People still have national parent organization, F air Share, hope to try again,” Ms. Washington said. share the philosophy that problems “It's easy to feel powerless to change should be solved before they reach things.” She describes the responses she critical proportions and sometimes before had over a period of time from a Portland the community itself realizes that the Development Commission official - “ *1 problems exist. will do that,' he says. 'I didn't say that,’ Thus Albina Fair Share discovered the he says. ‘Yes, I did say that,' he says." vacant houses problem. Very simply, It's tempting to liken Ms. Washington according to Ms. Washington, the staff to a Black female Columbo. Describing and members of the organization knocked her approach to city officials, she says. on doors, asked what residents didn't like “M y position is I'm stupid. Speak down about their neighborhood, and invited to me. Explain again. And again." In them to a meeting where their concerns other words, don't go home with a vague could be shared. notion, if you don't understand, ask them That first meeting revealed three to repeat themselves until you do. “That general areas of concern, according to way they can’t say I told you so,” Ms. Ms. Washington: housing, education, and Washington continues, but admits com police relations. A place to start was mitments are often hard to come by. One commitment Albina F air Share received recently from M ayor Gold schmidt and the City Council, is that the City will determine if it can acquire ownership of abandoned houses. Com paring this action to "squatter's rights” Ms. Washington says some cities allow prospective occupants to purchase an abandoned house for one dollar, with the requirement that the house be rehabili tated within a designated tim e period. Some cities also promote low cost loans for this rehabilitation. Another housing problem Albina F air Share discovered, is the inadequate ad ministration of PDC administered home improvement loans. Ms. Washington criticizes PDC's "buyer beware” attitude. “L ittle old ladies shouldn't have to in spect 2x4's. Somebody is getting a paycheck to do that. W e want to find out who that somebody is and why he's not doing it." Ms. W ashington noted an improvement in PDC lately, however, describing the quick response PDC made when a new roof, installed under the PDC administ ered program, blew off in a high wind. According to Ms. Washington, a goal of the Fair Share organization is to become self supjMjrting. Grants from the Shalan Foundation and the Campaign for Human Development are funding their initial efforts. Hopefully the »10 membership fee will maintain the groups after they are off the ground. Other F air Share chapters in the Portland area are Metro politan F air Share and Lents F air 8hare.
