Mrs Frances Schoen-Nevapapor Room
U n iv e rs ity of Oregon L ib ra ry
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Jefferson loses voc ed programs
PORTLAND
____
OBSERVER
Vela— 8 Ne, 14 Thursday, March 30, 1878 10c per copy
Feds call cross burning 'joke’
Jess and Carol Bryant were notified
last week that the burning of a cross on
their front yard nearly a month ago was a
mere joke.
An F B I investigation found that the
three men responsible were fellow em
ployees of Bryant at the Bureau of Land
Management's Salem office. The men had
been in Portland to attend a conference
so committed the act on federal time. The
vehicle they used, as well as the material
for making the cross, was federal proper
ty-
The men, who have not been publically
identified by the F B I or by federal
attorney Sidney Lezak, work with Bryant
on a ten man work crew and often are
with him in three or four man crews. As a
Forestry Techinician, Bryant cruises and
appraises timber on federal land and
writes environmental impact statements.
Ix-zak has stated that after reading the
FBI report he is convinced that the act
was a “joke”, that the men were playing a
prank and “intended no harm”. Although
the men involved were interviewed by
the FB I three times before they admitted
guilt, they were able to convince Lezak
that the incident was not reacially motiv
ated and was intended as a joke.
“W e view the incident as one that
demonstrates the insensitivity of other
wise decent people to acts which should
be easily seen to create concerns of
racism," he said. The case has been
referred to the U.S. Department of
Justice, but Lezak explained that prose
cution is largely dependant on motiva
tion.
The men have not been disciplined and
are still assigned to Bryant's work unit.
“I was really appalled by Lezak's
statement about it being a joke,” Mrs.
Bryant told the Observer. “I f this hap
pened to a white family it wouldn't be a
joke.
“Jess is expected to continue to work
with these men every day and act like
nothing has happened. He is expected to
respect his supervisors who have done
v bathing to protect his rights. He has put
ten years into this job and yet can't
expect common decency and respect.”
Mrs. Bryant, who is a candidate for the
Oregon Legislature, House D istrictr 14,
said that after the news that the men had
been found was reported some persons
called to tell her they were relieved to
Otto Rutherford, 67 year old Director
of the Union Avenue Senior Citizens
Service Center, announced his intention
to retire from that position at the end of
June this year. Reports are circulating in
the community, however, that the Urban
League has requested his earlier re tire
ment, citing program deficiencies in
contracted services as the cause.
“We don’t feel that it's right," said Mrs.
Marie Smith, Chairperson of the Centers’
advisory board, “H e’s done so much for us
in keeping the thing together and open,
things that are above and beyond what
the job calls for. We don't have enough
qualified people on staff and the C ETA
employees they (the Urban League)
sends us aren't trained and are disre
spectful. It's not that they are young but
they undermine the directors' authority.
They just tell him ‘You don't tell me
nothing. Urban League hired me’ and it
makes it hard for him to do his job if he
isn't respected. W e aren't against young
people you understand, we just don't
want to be treated like we're senile.”
Asked about the relationship between
the Urban League and the Center, Area
Agency on Aging head Bob Holdridge
said that the contracting agency is the
Urban League and it sets policy for that
and other programs. The Urban League,
as part of that contract with the city,
receives administrative funds through
the Bureau of Human Resources. This
Bureau is the responsibility of M ayor Neil
Goldschmidt.
“We monitor all the centers (eight
centers in the Urban Portland Area) and
make quarterly reports that indicate how
well the programs are meeting contract
Students completing the Medical Ca
reers program have enough training to be
employed at convalescence homes and
with some additional training can become
LPNs. There has been good success with
job placements from this program - one
student is in Medical School and two
others are in nurse's training.
The Legal Secretary program is part of
the Business Careers program and is one
of the better vocational programs. Cur
rently th irty-tw o students are enrolled,
eight from the Jefferson attendance area.
“This is a superior program and has been
good for the business departm ent,”
Douthit said. He has been assured that
the program will not be moved for the
coming school year but there is great
controversy over it. Monroe/Washington
has the Secretarial Magnet so some ad
ministrators believe the course should be
offered at that school rather than at
Jefferson. D r. Blanchard recently replied
in an inquiry by the Community Coalition
for School Integration th at there is cur
rently no discussion of moving the pro
gram from Jefferson.
Douthit believes one of the deciding
factors in whether the program remains
at Jefferson is enrollment. The program
is used as a magnet to attract white
students to Jefferson, but currently it is
under enrolled.
Jefferson has several vocational pro
grams - metal shop, auto shop, television
production, electronics, child care and
business education. Black enrollment in
these programs is roughly proportionate
to the Black enrollment in the school, but
there is a tendency to leave these
programs after the first year. There now
is a staff person working with students to
try to keep them in the programs.
“One problem is getting Black students
into vocational programs is that the
parents want them to take only English,
Math, foreign languages and academic
classes. I t is good for the students to take
those classes but a shop class can be a
great help. They learn to handle tools
and to create something and it can add a
lot to their self confidence."
Douthit also will be leaving Jefferson
after this year, going to M onroe/W ash
ington. “I have real mixed feelings about
leaving. I can follow the logic of the
administration and agree with their deci
sion, but I feel somewhat bad. I would
like to see the Performing A rts Program
come to fuli growth. I t is hard when you
only see a few kids graduating -- I would
like to see the kids graduate who came
after the program was in full operation.
“The kids here are great! I felt tears in
my eyes when the basketball team lost
the tournament game the way they did. It
is hard to mentally transfer - to see
myself at another school.
“Jefferson has survived for sixty-three
years and I'm sure it will get along
without me. I'm glad the Board decided
to give D r. Ayers the principalship, he
has the confidence of the staff and kids
and that is im portant.” D r. Lawrence
Ayers, Jr., who is a vice principal at
Jefferson w ill be Jefferson's next princi
pal.
Douthit. who has been at Jefferson for
four years, credits the community with
much of the progress he has been able to
bring to the school. "The community has
been very helpful.
The people get
together and, even though some of them
might have disagreed with the perform
ing arts magnet, they helped. When I said
something dramatic had to happen to
change the school, the community was
always supportive.”
King residents approve Nordstrom project
Taken on a happier day...Carol and Jeaa Bryant with four year old M ark in the front
yard of their home - the same front yard where a cross was burned by Bryant's fellow
employees.
hear that she had not had the act
committed for publicity. “I was just
shocked that anyone would think that
Black people would have to resort to such
a thing - that we can’t stand on our own
merit. A fte r all of the pain and fear we
have gone through, that is all they had to
say."
Mrs. Bryant accuses Lezak of attempt-
ng to protect the men. “He is smoothing
the whole thing over and protecting
them. The way this case is being handled
it almost makes me feel like I am the
guilty one - guilty of not doing enough to
promote interracial understanding - or
even of being guilty of being Black. But
that is not fair and I refuse to be put in
that situation. Jess and I are completely
innocent. N either of us has committed a
crime in our entire lives. W e are the
victims. Lezak seems to have forgotten
that."
M r. and Mrs. Bryant have sought legal
assistance and are currently exploring
avenues by which to seek civil redress if
the criminal procedures are not brought
to bear.
Jess Bryant is a native of Mississippi.
He came to Oregon as a Job Corps
trainee at Tillamook and has been with
BLM for ten years. M rs. Byrant, a native
of Berkeley, is a graduate of M t. Angel
College and the PSU School of Social
Work.
Rutherford’s forced retirement called 'ruthless’
by Don Fuller
Jefferson High Scuool's TJ Room and
food service program have been closed
and will be transferred to Monroe/W ash
ington; the Medical Careers program will
be transferred to Monroe/Washington;
and rumors are circulating that after
another year the Legal Secretary pro
gram will move.
Jefferson Principal Eugene Douthit
program had been under discussion for
two years and the final decision to move
was based on tw o factors - low student
enrollment and inability to place grad-
us es in employment.
The $26,000
program had only sixteen students, ten in
their first year and six second year
students
Some
the graduates of the program
got jobs t.,^7 could have had anyway, at
places like McDonalds and Burger King,
where no prior training is required. The
school has had difficulty placing students
with better restaurants.
Douthit be
lieves much of t^e problem is racial.
“Some of the Black students don’t want to
go out of the area to find work - they
don’t feel secure. Those who are willing
to go can’t find jobs.” Only Thunderbird
and the Benson Hotel have been willing
to cooperate with the school.
The Jefferson equipment will be sent
to Monroe/Washington where the pro
gram will probably reopen in January of
1979. Monroe has a similar program but
it places ignore emphasis on nutrition.
Juniors and Seniors at Jefferson who
want to participate in the program can
take it at Monroe/Washington.
The Medical Careers program also has
few students and this year has a part-
time teacher. The District has made Mon
roe the Medical Careers Center so it was
probably inevitable that the program
would go to Monroe/Washington.
ed goals," said Holdridge. "The program
of monitoring is a positive sort of thing to
encourage constant improvement and
growth." M r. Holdridge added that the
(Union Avenue) program, while difficult
to compare with others, was no better
and no worse than others.
“It's a body count, pure and simple. So
much money for so many bodies," said
Rutherford. Asked if the Urban League
had evaluated him or the Program
before Rutherford said. “No, in fact I
haven’t signed this one yet.
The Observer was informed that acting
Executive Director M r. Nate Nickerson
was out of town and though Mrs. G er
trude Rae, while refusing to comment on
the retirem ent issue, did confirm that she
had maintenance responsibilities over the
program. She added that Evaluations
had been done by the Urban League since
1976.
The Union Avenue Center has been in
existence since the days of Model Cities
(1971) and then was administered by the
Bureau of Human Resources under Com
missioner Jordan and later Mayor Gold
schmidt. Rutherford was born in Port
land in 1911. He has served on the Model
Cities board and was President of the
local chapter of the N A A C P . Recounting
some of his earlier experiences as a child
with the curfews, Rutherford remembers
when elders were respected and the
extended family system, brought with
the Africans through the terror and
hardship of slavery, still functioned in the
community wherever Black descendents
lived.
In response to an inquiry about the last
monitor reports completed by the Area
Agency on Aging, Ms. Cathy Mischke
indicated that the difficulties were not
something that would require a personnel
ciiange and in fact the Agency had just
furnished technical assitance to the U r
ban League that would improve the
results of the next report. "It's just a
m atter of reporting services." said Ms.
Mischke, "and we are adding another
$3,000 to the administrative budget we
have contracted for with the Urban
League."
The Chairman of the Urban League
board of directors, Ms. Geraldine Chris
tian, indicated that she felt Rutherford
was “a little prem ature" in reacting to the
March 30th deadline. “M r. Rutherford is
still an employee and w ill be tomorrow as
fa r as I know," said Ms. Christian,
“...there is an appeal procedure in our
Personnel Policies,” if there is a grie
vance.
Reliable sources indicated that the
June date was set because it was the end
of the contracting period of the Area
Agency on Aging and this would allow
Rutherford time to start receiving his
retirem ent and pension checks. Questions
remain, however, as to the action that
may be taken by the advisory committee
to find another sponsor for their pro
gram. "A fte r all we had to go through to
get the program, we would rather close
the doors than be treated with so little
consideration," said M rs. Smith. That
would be a blow to many and a loss to the
community -- both old and young people.
The old stand to lose services and a place
of respect and dignity: the young lose an
example of care and concern for tradition
and the rich heritage of history that only
their elders can provide in the continued
struggle to develop the Albina commu
nity.
Members of the King Neighborhood
Association, deeply divided because of a
Nordstrom pull-out on the proposed
distribution center on Union Avenue,
voted 36 to 27 to approve the program.
Although many residents were not pre
sent at the meeting because of Nord
strom's announcement that they will not
build the project, the vote was indicative
of what some considered to be growing
community acceptance of the project.
The Tuesday night meeting was per
vaded w ith the anger of those who
wanted the project and felt it had been
sabotaged by others. Members of the
King Neighborhood Association Execu
tive Board, which had held two public
meetings and a w o .k’ bop to enable
citizens to gain information and express
their views denied that they had opposed
the project.
The Board had met with Paul H unter - *
Nordstrom, gaining additions1 ¿norma -
tion on the project and his assurance that
Nordstrom would make no final decision
until after March 28th, when an Associa
tion vote would be held. H u ite r had
indicated that he had ninety days (from
March 1st) in which to decide to go ahead
with this project or find another site.
Adding to the confusion at the Tuesday
night meeting was the fact that no one
has come forward with any information
as to why Nordstrom made its sudden
withdrawal. The M ayor’s office express
ed shock and concern; Portland Develop
ment Commission had no information;
and K N A was not contacted by Nord
strom, PDC or the City.
In his letter to PDC , H u n ter wrote; “In
recent weeks it has become increasingly
apparent that the acceptance of the
project was not receiving the support
from the community. The meeting of
March 1st, individual discussions, subse
quent meetings, newsprint, and recent
correspondence received this week indi
cates that what has been presented over
the last several months was not having
the anticipated positive effect."
Nordstrom was fully aware that the
neighborhood decision making was in
proce«» and that in removing homes
inere would be opposition at least from
some individuals.
One elderly citizen believes Nordstrom
was influenced by President Carter's new
urban plan that would give grants to
businesses locating in depressed areas.
“Maybe they want to w ait until the
government will pay them to come in
here!"
Several spokesmen from the K N A
expressed concern that although the
organization has functioned for nearly ten
years, many residents participate only at
times of crisis and often only to complain.
They hope to involve more citizens in the
on-going w ork of the organization and to
begin planning for economic development
- plans that would come from the
residents rather then from outside in
terests.
Although he was disappointed that the
project was not developed. Commissioner
Charles Jordan told the Observer that
this w ill not be the last opportunity for
economic development in the Albina
community. "Maybe it would have been a
good project, maybe not. W e thought it
was good but there is no way it could
have been developed without a price
being paid. The question is, what price is
the community willing to pay?
“M aybe the next project proposed will
call for less sacrifice - or it will be
something the people want. W e really
can't fault the community too much.
Conflicts and frustrations are inherent in
citizen participation so we can't say we
want the people involved and then when
they don’t do what we would like, just say
T o Hell w ith it.' I still have faith in the
community and w ill be very involved in
helping promote some type of economic
development in that area."
Roosevelt teacher best in Industrial Arts
Andrew J. Hoagland, industrial arts
teacher at Roosevelt High School, was
named the “Oregon Industrial Arts
Teacher of the Year" at the international
conference of the American Industrial
A rts Association, in Atlanta, earlier this
month.
Receiving similar awards were 46
industrial arts teachers from the United
States and Canada. The recipient of this
coveted award is selected by a statewide
committee of former “Oregon Industrial
Arts Teachers of the Year.”
M r. Hoagland was chosen this year for
his outstanding record or service to
youth, to his fellow industrial arts teach
ers, and to the community. He says, “M y
greatest satisfaction from teaching comes
from visits with former students who
have entered my chosen field, electronics,
because of their experience in my class
es." He adds, “Teaching industrial arts
gives one the satisfaction of helping
students utilize and sharpen the academic
skills they have learned in the classroom
in a practical situation.”
The one-hundred plus industrial arts
teachers throughout the state appreciate
his ability to organize and teach in ser
vice classes. As past president of the
Oregon Industrial A rts Association and
of the Portland Industrial Education
Association, he has participated in va
rious industrial arts committees for Port
land and for the state of Oregon. His
Students ceremoniously enter the newly renovated Wood
lawn School to begin classes in their own school. The building
section on electronics in the “Shop Teach
ers Handbook" has been widely used by
shop teachers in Oregon.
M r. Hoagland's contribution to the
community includes service to the Boy
Scouts of America. Goodwill Industries,
the Toy and Joymakers, and to the youth
in his church.
Andy, as he is known, began his
electronics career in the Navy.
He
served as a Chief Petty Officer in
electrical maintenance during W orld W ar
II. He is retired from the naval reserve.
His nineteen years of teaching include
time in the Treasure Valley Community
College, Aloha High School, Madison
High School, and currently at Roosevelt
High School.
baa been renovated to become ax “E arly Childhood Education
Center." The pre-school program w ill be added next year.
W ill South A frica’s apartheid rebuild America’s Black movement1?
by Steve Talbot
N A S H V IL L E , T E N N . - “It's strange."
»bserved a middle aged Black woman,
who said she had taken part in lunch
counter sit-ins here in the early 1960s,
"but, you know, it looks like South Africa
is bringing us together again, getting us
tired, old folk back on our feet. W e just
have to do what we can to help those
poor, brave kids in Soweto."
The sit-in veteran spoke as she march
ed through the streets of Nashville last
weekend with some 6,000 mostly Black
demonstrators protesting the United
States-South Africa Davis Cup tennis
matches at Vanderbilt University.
The three-day protest - sponsored by
the National Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, and organized
locally by Black and white students may
transform the growing but mostly white
student led anti-apartheid campaign into
a national movement coordinated by
Black organizations.
A t the same time, the Davis Cup
protests suggested that the South Africa
issue may be the spark that re ignites a
Black protest movement in the United
States after nearly a decade of relative
quiet despite worsening economic condi
tions for Blacks.
Billed as the largest protest of its kind
since the civil rights movement, the
demonstration recalled for many of the
participants the days of M artin Luther
King and SNCC -- a movement reborn
“It's a new day today, the beginning of
a new era of protest," Black activist and
comedian Dick Gregory told the cheering
crowd, which had been drawn to Nash
ville from as far away as Chicago and
rural North Carolina. “I f the American
corporations that invest in South Africa
don’t listen to what's happening here
today, and if the universities don't listen,
they're gonna see a whole lot of trouble.”
N A A C P President Benjamin Hooks
promised, “W e will lead other marches in
other cities, and we will be raising not
only the issue of South Africa, but also of
unemployment and racism in this coun
try.
This is not the end but the
beginning...We shall march on until vic
tory is won and all God's children are
free."
The Davis Cup demonstrations drasti
cally cut attendance at the games - the
9,000 seat rapacity stadium was never
more than fifteen percent full.
The
embarrassingly low turn-out compelled
the U.S. Tennis Association to release
Vanderbilt, the host, from its financial
obligations, and a local coal mine owner,
Joe Davis, offered to pick up the tab,
W ith the active participation of Black
organizations from the Urban League to
the Southern Christian Leadership Con
ference, and white and Black students,
the Davis Cup protests also provided a
major forum and stimulus to the anti-
apartheid movement. But strains and
difficulties - especially regarding the
N A A C P 's role - remain that could pre
vent the formation of a coordinated,
large scale, national movement of Black
and w hite Americans.
The Davis Cup was the N A A C P ’s
debut in recent protests against United
States South Africa ties. Many rank and-
file members applauded the group's acti
vism, welcoming Hook's announcement
that he expected 40,000 demonstrators to
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