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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1978)
Hra tra n c e s Schoen-Newspaper Roca U n iv e r s it y o f Oregon L ib r a r y Lugene, Oregon 97403 O ck le y G reen 6 - 8 PORTLAND Committee adopts middle school The Portland Public Schools Area I Citizen’s Advisory Committee accepted the recommendations of the Jefferson Reorganization Study Committee to establish Ockley Green as a middle school for grades six through eight. » Ne. 23 Thursday, Juua 1, 1978 10c per eupy Applegate, Beach, Chief Joseph, and Kenton will become kindergarten through fifth grade schools and Peninsula will remain a kindergarten through eighth grade school. The plan had no organized opposition and received the approval of the Citizens spent." Advisory Committee of all the elemen Jordan explained that Northeast was tary schools involved. in a worse condition originally and must Humboldt will remain an Early Child continue to receive funding until it is in hood Education Center, serving pre equal condition to other neighborhoods. school and grades one and two. Other "We have to commit funds to neigh children will continue to be bussed to borhoods until all reach a state where the other areas and will not attend Ockley residents consider them adequate. One of Green or Jefferson. the most important aspects of this study The elementary school committees also is that it enables us to compare the had specific recommendations. Applegate delivery of services in different neigh asked that it be provided adequate space borhoods and to determine the impact of for Special Education and Title I classes, city services on the livability of neigh space for a media center, a covered play borhoods.” area, additional playground equipment, a The Boise neighborhood contains 234 cafeteria. They also requested that the acres with 2,907 residents, or 12 persons kindergarten through five program be per acre. The mean income is $6,399 and maintained and, if enrollment increases, 52 per cent of the residents own their the fifth grade not be removed. homes. The Beach committee recommended Sabin has 307 acres with 5,404 resi that Ockley Green Middle SChool be dents. Density is 18 persons per acre. The provided adequate science facilities. They average income is $10,314 and 74 per cent also requested that lower grade students own their homes. COMMISSIONER CHARLES JORDAN who must be moved from Ockly Green be Maplewood is 403 acres with 2,059 assigned to new schools by neighborhood residents. Density is five persons per A summary of the findings follows: so they can be with their friends. They acre. The average income is $20,979 and Sanitation: Boise has the worst trouble also recommended that if Kenton is ever 87 per cent of the residents own their with unsanitary conditions (garbage in closed, the property be used for a park. homes. (Please turn to page 2 col. 11 The Peninsula committee, describing Peninsula as providing a highly struc tured, controlled environment stressing basic skills instruction, asked for special classes for upper grade students. Shop and homemaking have been eliminated from the school. They also asked that the difficulty because of decreasing enroll "We had a situation at Adams High administration encourage all divisions to School this year where there was no ments. With all the new activities being provide services to Peninsula, which is a offered, some of the traditional sports are baseball team because only seven players year-round school, during the summer likely to suffer. And with so many turned out,” McCall said. "There is months. teachers on tenure who doesn't want to obviousiy sympathy in some quarters to The Jefferson Reorganization Study allow those seven to transfer into a school coach, we have to look at it from the kids* Committee proposed that students in the viewpoint - do they have the right to that fields a baseball team. Another other elementary schools can volunteer school with no gymnastics program had transfer under extraordinary circum to attend Peninsula, with enrollment two kids turn out. Can those two young stances?" governed by racial balance and capacity sters go some place else?" But the Oregon School Activities Asso of the building. The first of a series of meetings, on the ciation, which oversees the schools' athle The committee also recommended that transfer issue, will be held on June 5th. tic programs, remains cool to the idea. appropriate facilities be provided at the Coaches, athletic directors, vice princi “We've had requests in the past from kindergarten through five schools. pals, area administrators and staff repre schools who wanted to combine for Although the committee recommended sentatives from the superintendent's of athletic purposes," said John Hilsente that the proposal be put into effect as fice will be in attendance. ger, assistant executive secretary of the soon as possible, Area Superintendent McCall said he expected the problem OSAA. “But they’ve always been turned iA'ill Fletcher projected a September 1981 to build as time goes by because of the down because we fee) a student must effusion of new activitiee. a shortage of represent the school he or she attends.'' »-« .‘ate. He explained that the proposal will be considered along with proposals from coaches and dwindling enrollments. Hilsenteger pointed out that the Port other areas and that remodeling is a time "There may be football programs that land Interscholastic League has a com consuming process. Building contractors will be in trouble down the road," he said. mittee which must approve any transfer “Washington and Adams are having (Please turn to page 8 col. 1) OBSERVER seem to give school jobs, and especially remodeling, a low priority and sometimes contractors willing to do the work cannot be found, he explained. Liz Welt, chair man of the Peninsula Parent Advisory Committee, suggested that the school district contact minority contractors who are in need of work. Fletcher gave the Area I CAC an overview of his reasons for favoring the reorganization. He said Jefferson is the most stable area in the district in student population and suffers no decline in students. Some schools are overcrowded and removing the upper three grades will (Please turn to page 8 col. 1) Study compares citizen views of neighborhoods Neighborhood Livability Profile« have been completed, under the direction of Commissioner Charles Jordan, on the Boise, Sabin and Maplewood neighbor hoods. The neighborhoods were assessed in thirteen categories of “libability" through citizen surveys, field inspection and city and county bureau data. The purpose of the survey was to determine the livability of neighborhoods both from on-site inspection and from the citizens' points of view. “We are attempt ing to measure and compare the physical and social conditions of neighborhoods," Jordan explained, “so that we can more adequately determine how community development money should be spent. It is not enough to put a quarter million dollars into Northwest, a quarter million into Northeast and another quarter mil lion into Southwest and then think we have treated all equally when they didn't start out even. Some people think North east has already had its share of the money, but if we compare where the neighborhoods started that isn't true. We have to have equity in the results of the money spent, not equity in the amounts PPS considers athletic transfers by Bill Schaefer Portland School District officials are studying the possibility of allowing cer tain athletes, under special conditions, to transfer from one school to another for athletic reasons. Normally, student athletes are forbid den to transfer into another school for athletic purposes. The district does operste under the open enrollment con cept but this is restricted to achieving racial balance and permitting students to attend schools that offer advanced scho lastic programs. Transfers for athletic reasons only are prohibited because of the possibility of a ^recruiting war among the high schools. Bui unusual circumstances Involving some athletes are forcing the district to rethink its policy, said Paul McCall, director of athletic activities for the Portland district. NAACP appoints manpower specialist to assistant RICHARD BARBER NEW YORK - Richard E. Barber, a manpower management specialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been ap pointed the NAACP*« new Deputy Exe cutive Director. Benjamin L. Hooks, the organization's Executive Director, announced the ap pointment at the Association's recent National Leadership Summit Conference in Chicago. He said Barber's “strong personal desire to improve the living conditions of the poor and the downtrod den, and his well-earned reputation as a sincere and dedicated managerial lead er." were the outstanding traits which led to his selection. Richard “Dick" Barber is the son of former sharecroppers in Trenton, North Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. John Barber. He attended North Carolina A & T Univer sity, where he graduated with s B.S. degree in physics. He later earned an M.S. degree in Systems Management at the University of Southern California, with additional work at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1969 Barber left a promising career with Westinghouse Electric to become Deputy Director of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) in Pitts burgh. In July of 1970 he co-founded Urban Talent Development, Inc. - a management development and business orientation center. In what has been described as “a classic story in manpower and management development success," Urbar. Talent Development trained the unemployed, the underemployed, ex-of fenders and the forgotton, and placed over one thousand of them in meaningful jobs. In 1974 the organization was cited in the Congressional Record as one of the most effective manpower development centers in the country. Another outstanding tribute to Dick Barber's talents is Pittsburgh's New World National Bank. The state's only Black-owned full service commercial bank was created and organized under the dynamic leadership of Board chairman, Barber, and opened its doors for business on March 17, 1975. Unlike most business executives who never find time to become involved in community activities. Barber is an active board member of the Pittsburgh NAACP, the YMCA, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, and a Deacon and Trustee of Pittsburgh Central Baptist Church. In addition, he was chosen as one of the “Outstanding Young Men in America" in 1970; one of the ten Outstanding Young Men in America in 1975 by the U.S. Jaycees; a recipient of the George Wash ington Freedom Medal in 1963 and 1964; a recipient of the North Carolina A & T State University National Alumni Asso ciation Achievement Award in 1970; and the Robert L. Vann Memorial Award from the Pittsburgh Courier in 1975. As a military man. Barber was assign ed to a special weapons company as Executive/Operations officer in March of 1963 in Germany. In April of 1966 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and assigned to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama a company commander of the 599th Ordi nance Company. Barber, who was born December 22, 1939 is married to the former Betty Witherspoon of Charlotte, North Caro lina. and who now is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. They have three children. Victoria Lynette, Richard, Jr., and Sha ron Elizabeth. Articulate, intelligent and dynamic. Dick Barber's accomplishments are the result of a pragmatic and positive ap proach to life. In whatever role he is playing, say his friends, you can always expect complete devotion, a firm commit ment and sincere dedication. Speedster Byron Howell finished first in the 100 AAA State Track meet held in Springfield Saturday. and the 200 meter in the Central’s Howell runs, too by Ren Sykee Byron Howell was looking for some thing to do after basketball season, to help his mobility, so he went out for Cen tral Catholic's track team . . . and the rest is history. Last Saturday in Springfield at the boys AAA State Track Championship the Ram speedster captured both sprints. Winning the 100 meters in 10.5 and the 200 in a fine 21.7. “Howell's first love is basketball," says Coach Jim Darks, “and that is where Byron will probably receive his scholar ship. Byron has run a wind aided 9.3 for 100 yards and if track were his main (Please turn to page 5 col. 3) Stanford graduates Gates Among the graduates from Stanford University this month is Miss Sylvia J. Gates, 1974 Cleveland High School grad uate. She will receive the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry and will enter medical school at Brown University in Rhode Island. While at Stanford, she worked on research projects regarding the physio logy of the kidney and the chemistry of schizophrenia. Active in campus life, she was a member of several organizations, a tutor and a part-time dispatcher for Northern California Infant Medical Dispatch Center. She was co-organizer of a Bay Area conference which brought in national speakers to address pre-medical students. In her early education, her various science projects won gold medals and a trophy in the Science Fairs of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. In 1973-1974, she served as a member of the Area 3 Citizens Advisory Commit tee of Portland Public Schools. She testified in the Portland Hearings of the Commission on Educational Governance of the National Committee for Citizens in Education. She was honored in Who's SYLVIA GATES Who Among American High School Stu dents 1973-1974. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Osly J. Gates. United Farm Workers Union: Under seige again Douglas Z. Foster SALINAS, CALIFORNIA |PNS| - The United Farm Workers union, which was expected to launch a major organizing drive this year, has instead found itself in another battle for sheer survival. The union is threatened by isolation as a single-state labor group, facing disaster on two sides. In California the introduc tion of harvesting machines may wipe out half of all farm labor jobs in the state by 1985. Only fifteen percent of California's farm workers are currently covered by contracts with the UFW (another fifteen percent are negotiating contracts), and the fight over mechanization is diverting resources that the UFW had planned to use in organizing efforts. On the other side, the UFW is faced with increasing numbers of unorganized workers forced to migrate from the pervasive economic difficulties (and re cent flpods) in Mexico. The union has never (Effectively developed ways of organizing “illegal” Mexican farm work ers whb make up more than half of the farm labor force in the Southwest and Florida. Ironically, the battle for union survival comes at a time when the UFW can point to concrete, long term benefits won for farm workers, especially in the Salinas Valley, the "salad bowl" of the nation. Wages for lettuce workers, for example, have multiplied several-fold since the historic strike led by the UFW here in 1970 and 1971. The hated system of contract labor has been wiped out, replaced by a union hiring hall. "When I started out in farm work, it was very bad," recalled an elderly Chicano who, like most farm workers, still nurtures a fear of being identified in the press. “We had only piece rates, and everything was through the labor contractor. He decided every thing. We '* know about politics and about laws . rich were supposed to protect us. After striking, and bringing the union in, we learned about those things. Now we work under a contract, through the hiring hall. We have a say in what happens to us." Part of what has happened to farm workers since union recognition is that jobs guaranteed by legal protections, at a liveable wage, have led many Salinas workers out of the migrant stream into a stable life in their communities. However, this dream of security as non-migrants, which has become the backdrop of UFW organizing, is under the gun in Salinas. Iattuce is the financial backbone of agriculture in the state, even more lucrative than tomato production, and California alone provides well over sixty percent of the nation's lettuce supply. If California's lettuce growers were to turn to a mechanical harvester, the promise of non-migrstory farm labor would dissolve for about 13,500 farm workers and their families. Currently, lettuce growers - including the corporate Interharvest farms • are not inclined to shift to a mechanical harvester. labor relations have been relatively smooth and there would be no financial advantage, at this stage, in making the shift. Besides, there are technical difficulties: researchers have yet to develop a machine that supplies "field wrapped" lettuce efficiently, and that is the preferred packing method. But the University of California and the U.S. Department of Agriculture remain hard at work to provide technical breakthroughs in field wrapping. Over $720,000 has been spent at the Salinas Research Station to perfect the har vester. Lettuce workers have only to look over their shoulders to predict their future once the harvest is mechanized. When cotton was mechanized in California nearly thirty years ago almost 100,000 jobs were wiped out and a generation of welfare families was created. And more recently, when the tomato harvester (developed al the University of California at Davis) took hold in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many workers in tomato-rich Yolo County were stranded in farm communities and nearby cities, unable to earn enough money to move on. Some of the workers found local jobs - in gas stations, stores or restaurants - but the number of jobs on the bottom rung of the employment ladder is limited, of mechanization. with stiff competition from teen agers "We're not saying we’re against me and women. The vast majority of farm chanization," Marc Grossman, an aide to workers displaced by mechanization will Chavez, said. **... We don't bemoan the have to attempt to re-enter a stream of technology; all we want is for some of this migratory workers that is already swol wonderful technology to be used to help len to the point of bursting. those who are hurt by it now." In the fight over mechanization, UFW Brown has not responded to Chavez’s President Cesar Chavez has zeroed in on plea and it is possible, in this election the use of public funds by the University year, that he will take a hands-off of California in developing agricultural approach to farm worker problems. machines. “It is intolerable," he has said, The University of California has also "that the university uses tax money to do resisted Chavez's call to study the social research that benefits only the few. effect of its mechanization research. Mechanization must benefit everyone, During a Board of Regents hearing in not just the growers." May, J.B. Kendrick Jr., vice president for The UFW has proposed legislation agriculture, announced, "The university including a bill to tax farm equipment and is an agent of change in terms of fund projects to aid displaced workers. So discovery of new knowledge and in the far, the state legislature has killed such analysis of public issues . . . It does not proposals in committee. decide public policy or compensate losers Chavez recently telegrammed Gover among conflicting societal interests." nor Jerry Brown to ask that a committee Vkhen he heard a translation of Ken determine the impact of mechanization drick's remark, a young lettuce worker research, especially in light of a report remarked, “They want to treat us (ike from U.C. Davis that alleges that there pieces of fruit. Once you squeeze the will be minimal job loss as a consequence (Please turn to Page 4 Column 1) a
