Ui»9 Frances Schoan- .owapaper
U n iv a rs ity of Oregon L ib rary
cwgcne, Oregon 97403
Hooks asks press responsibility
PORTLAND
V ______
OBSERVER
V o lu m e 8 N o . 39 T h u rs d a y . S e p te m b e r 2 8 .1 9 7 8 10c par co p y
Horticulturist explains forest careers
It was described as “ an un-
forgetable experience” by many of
the guests - that Saturday “ Ecology
and
Career
E x c u rs io n "
by
Greyhound bus to the beautiful site
o f the W ind River Young A d u lt
Conservation Corp (YAAC ).
A number o f urban youth and
their parents were made aware o f the
importance o f the land and forests
and their technology in respect to
career and economic planning. The
h ighligh t o f the excursion was a
complete tour o f the nursery facility
conducted by Oscar Hall, a career
Forest Service employee.
Oscar Hall is the Black, Tuskegee
Institute-trained ho rticu ltu rist fo r
the Wind River Tree Nursery, G if
ford Pinchot National Forest, United
States Forest Service. The nursery is
located ju s t n orth o f Carson,
W ashington, an hour and twenty
m inute drive up the C olum bia
Gorge.
H a ll was born in Aberdeen,
Mississippi, attended high school in
Lilbourn, Missouri, and received his
B.S. in biology from Tuskegee In
stitute in 1964. His special areas of
research for his Masters o f Science
degree fro m the same school in
cluded genetics and herbacides. The
Hall family includes his wife Arnet
ts, a son Chris, 10, and a daughter
Anita, 7.
From 1968 to 1976, Hall worked
as Research Plan Physiologist for the
U.S. Forest Service in Louisiana. In
May, 1976, he came to the Pacific
Northwest to accept the position o f
horticulturist for the nationally im
portant Wind River Nursery, which
produces and ships millions o f small
trees each year.
As supervisor o f h o rtic u ltu ra l
operations o f the huge nursery and
arboretum. Hall brings to bear his
critical expertise at every point in the
process o f producing the healthiest
and highest-yielding trees possible
for the nation’ s forests. This highly
scientific procedure begins with cone
drying and seed preparation (extrac
tio n • testing • storage -
stratification). In the production of
the trees he supervises soil sampling,
seedbed preparation, sowing, etc.
and such support functions as frost
p ro te ctio n , shade, pest c o n tro l,
irrigation, weed control, cultivation
and fertilization. Other operations
include lifting and pulling the trees,
grading and storing, packing and
shipping.
Oscar Hall. Forest Service horticulturist, examines seedling at W ind River
Tree Nursery.
Hall continually conducts research
and develops new techniques for im
proving the production o f seed'ing
trees so necessary to the economic
viability o f the timber industry.
The visitors were equally im
pressed by Hall's continuous and in
formative dialogue as he conducted
them from one sophisticated oper
ation to the next and by his com
petent, professional manner and his
encyclopedic knowledge o f his
discipline. It was an impressive per
form ance by this talented young
man.
After the noon meal was served,
there was a briefing on the objectives
o f the Young A dult Conservation
Corp in terms o f the acquisition of
the skills, discipline and work habits
which
make
fo r
successful
achievement. The afternoon was
spent visiting the living quarters and
recreational fa c ilitie s o f the
enrollees. A ll were impressed with
the structure. The learning/work ac
tivities included seed/cone gathering,
trail constuction, campground main
tenance, etc. with opportunities to
become timber cruisers and similar
forest technicians.
On the return trip to Portland the
bus was filled with conversation on
the eye-opening introduction to new
career and economic vistas, which
was aided in no small part by the ef
forts o f Oscar Hall. A great debt o f
gratitude was also expressed for two
Black foresters on the trip, Dewey
Tate and Brian Woods, and to Sally
Marquis o f the Corp.
The trip was sponsored by the
Human Resources Department o f
the Forest Service. The project was
designed
by
M cK inley
Burt
Associates, Human Resource con
tractor to public agencies and in
dustry.
Agriculture problems draw farmers, government
Eugene Jackson, Mollala rancher
and businessman, gave a special
presentation at the Clackamas County
Extension A dvisory Board meet
ing Thursday evening. His presen
tation highlighted the events at the
Regional Small Farms Conference
held recently in LaGrande.
Jackson was one o f eight delegates
to represent Oregon at the Regional
Small Farms Conference. O ther
states p a rticipating were Alaska,
Idaho, M ontana, N orth Dakota,
South D akota, W ashington and
Wyoming. Also in attendance at teh
Conference were the directors o f the
co-sponsoring agencies, Secretary
Bob Bergland of the U.S. Depart
ment o f Agriculture, and Gracida
Olivarez o f the Community Services
A d m in istra tio n . Congressman A l
Ulman also spoke to the delegates.
The purpose o f the Conference
was to provide a forum for small
farmers to discuss spici fic problems
and the role of small farmers in the
agriculture industry. Sim ilar con
ferences w ill be held throughout the
United States. Bergland and Olivarez
plan to use the in fo rm a tio n and
recommendations from the C on
ference to determ ine what ad
m in istra tive changes need to be
made. This information will also serve
as a basis fo r new legislation and
w ill point out the areas where the two
agencies need to work with other
federal agencies to better define an
administration policy for small farm
ers.
Five major topics were discussed
at the Conference: 1) Access to
capital and credit; 2) production,
management and marketing; 3) sour
ces o f additional income; 4) farm
family living; 5) land and water use.
First, delegates presented problems,
questions and concerns in these
areas; then, they followed up by
m aking recom m endations fo r
solving or correcting these problems.
According to Jackson, the Con
ference was well organized and had
selected excellent workshop leaders.
Many o f these leaders were Oregon
State Extension Service agents. " I
really think we’re going to see some
positive results fro m this C on
ference,” Jackson said. "T he federal
people seemed sincere in their efforts
to work with us, and the participants
were able to express their concerns
very effectively. But what was really
impressive were the sound, practical
recom m endations
w hich
the
delegates were able to agree upon
and subm it to the federal ad
ministrators.”
Jackson had d istrib u te d ques
tionnaires to many farm ers in
Clackamas, Washington and Marion
counties, including members of the
Extension Advisory Board, asking
them to list their questions or con
cerns under the five m ajor topic
areas.
Jackson and his family live on a
cattle ranch in the Molalla foothills
above Marquant. He is a member of
the Clackamas County Extension
A dvisory Board and the Oregon
State Farmers’ Union.
Calling the press the “ touchstone
o f democracy, progress and
enlightenment” Benjamin Hooks,
executive director o f the NAACP,
called on the delegates to the
Associated Press Editors meeting in
Portland to join in the struggle for
justice and equity through unbiased
reporting and interpretation o f the
aspirations o f minority people.
“ There has been something both
fascinating and disillusioning about
the relationship between the Blacks
and the majority press,” he said.
"Y o u know too well the many
complaints about gross insensitivity
on the part o f the white press toward
news and responsible leadership in
the Black com m unity.” He cited
feelings on the part o f Blacks in and
out o f power that the white press is
being at least insensitive or at worst
irresponsible in its coverage o f in
cidents in the minority community.
“ Behind all these lurks the fact that
the nation’ s m ajority press has by
and large failed to include minorities
in reporting and in fo rm in g the
American public about all the aspects
o f the domestic, national and in
ternationa l scene. T his is the
required task i f there is to be fair and
accurate reporting o f the news if the
Am erican people are to make
in te llig e n t decisions about their
destiny and i f democratic institutions
are going to respond to the claims for
justice and equity o f the dispossessed
and downtrodden.”
Hooks said the situation that now
faces m inorities in pu b lic and
political affairs is as critical, if not
more so, than a decade ago. Hun
dreds o f thousands o f Black youth
have never had a job or a meaningful
work experience. "Thousands are
leaving school as fu n ctio n a l
illite ra te s, some possessing high
school diplomas. Others are being
pushed or knocked out because o f a
wide
range
of
d iscip lin a ry,
d iscrim in a to ry and discouraging
practices or because o f general
disdain by their teachers.”
"A n d i f any o f you bother to read
the press releases and the quotes that
eminate from the N AACP and other
groups you possibly know the short
comings and failures o f various
programs by heart — programs that
wreak havoc on people’s lives, that
do in justice and cause m in o rity
people grief and pain.”
Calling current efforts to eliminate
busing and school desegregation
ultra sophisticated attempts to make
school segregation acceptable, he
said they constitute no less than " a
wild and intemperate attack on the
ju d ic ia l system and its du ty to
protect the rights o f minorities from
the abuses and excesses o f the
m ajority.”
R eferring to the 1968 Kerner
report w hich found the co u n try
headed fo r " tw o societies - one
Black and one white — separate and
unequal” , Hooks assessed the
prediction as becoming a reality in
1978.
" In 1968 the nation stood at the
crossroads o f history. It could have
made a giant step forw ard but it
chose to step backward. It entered in
a backlash era o f law and order.”
H ooks said th a t Black people
recognize that if it had not been for
the press, the nation’ s conscience
might not have been sensitized as
early as it was. On the one hand the
press has been an able advocate, yet
much more could have been accom
plished with more support from the
white press.
Denouncing press censorship and
recent anti-press Supreme C ourt
decisions, Hooks supported the right
o f a free press. But he reminded the
editors that the American public is
dependent on the press fo r reporting
and interpreting the news. He also
admonished that in the face o f in
creasing disillusionm ent o f Black
youth, peace cannot be maintained
through police power. “ Unless we
make the bounties and privileges and
the beauties and the greatness o f
democracy and our system available
to every citizen the time w ill come
that they w ill not be available to any
citizen.”
Hooks called on the white press to •
include minorities in staffing. Two-
thirds o f the daily newspapers em
ploy no m inority journalists. Only
eleven Blacks hold positions higher
than assistant city editor. He asked
the press to get its house in order for
it cannot call on the public to do
what it is not willing to do itself. He
denounced the use o f code words like
"fo rc e d busing” , “ forced man
d atory busing” and “ reverse
discrimination” . “ Surely newspaper
editors must know what these
em otionally charged words do to
People Against 6 and 11 claim that
both measures are fake tax relief. If
either passes the result will be cuts in
services and jobs. Women and
m inorities w ill be the hardest hit
because they are the most recently
hired and the most affected by social
services.
Measure 6 and 11 w ill have the
same effects. Measure 6 is a quick
“ meat ax” approach while Measure
11 is a slower approach to the same
end Both measures should be voted
against. Neither is genuine tax relief.
Genuine tax relief would require
an end to tax loopholes and govern
ment subsidies to big business.
A Public Forum to discuss the
basics about Ballot Measures 6 and
11 will occur on Thursday, October
12th at 7:30 p.m. at Friendly House
Theater, N.W. 26th and Savier. The
discussion w ill focus on the proposed
amendments to the Oregon State
C o n s titu tio n which w ould lim it
property taxes. Panel speakers will
share in fo rm a tio n regarding the
present M ultnom ah C ounty tax
structure; analyze Measures 6 and 11
as to what each implies and how they
d iffe r; nnd explain how each
measure would effect taxpayers if
passed.
He called on the press to recognize
that this nation has been unfair, that
it has enslaved and brutalized and
humiliated and tried to take away the
m anhood and w om anhood o f a
whole group o f citizens, and to face
the fu tu re understanding that
changes have to be made.
“ You, as the interpreter o f events,
whether you like it or not, you can
not retreat. You cannot equivocate;
you cannot quibble. You have to
either accept the responsibility or
abdicate." He said that central to the
fu tu re o f the nation is a “ free,
upright, responsible” press.
Seniors meet
The Advisory Committee o f the
Near Northeast Senior A dult Service
Center w ill meet Friday, September
29th at 7:30 p.m . at the A lb in a
Human Resource Center, 5022 North
Vancouver Avenue. The purpose o f
the meeting is to organize a group o f
interested com m unity people to
determine the needs and resources o f
senior citizens in this area. The Ad
visory Committee is asking represen
tatives from com m unity organiza
tions to participate in this project.
Brown directs minority recruitment program
Mrs. Raella Booton Brown has
been named Project Director o f the
HEW Special Projects Grant entitled
“ Recruitment o f M inority Students
fo r Careers in N ursing” by the
University o f Oregon Health Scien
ces Center, School o f Nursing.
Ms. Brow n has practiced her
profession and has taught nursing in
several states and served one year as
visiting associate professor at the
National Taiwan University School
o f Nursing. This latter experience
assisted in synthesizing some o f her
personal and professional beliefs
regarding cultural differences and
the need for the professional nurse to
assume responsibility in assuring
that patients’ needs are met in spite
o f diversity in culture.
D ynam ic, energetic and soft
spoken, Ms. Brow n pursued a
bachelors degree in nursing from
Tuskegee Institute in 1954, followed
by a masters degree in nursing
education from Boston University in
1961.
When she finished her generic nur-
Meetings discuss measure 6,11
An educational on the negative ef
fects o f Ballot Measure 6 and 11 will
be held Saturday, October 7th, at
2:00 p.m. in the Centenary W ilbur
Church, 215 S.E. 9th Street, Port
land. The educational is sponsored
by People Against 6 and 11.
B E N JA M IN HOOKS
people who must read them over and
over and over again. I therefore call
on the press in addition to fighting to
remain free, also to maintain respon
sibility.”
Raella Booten Brown is director of University of Oregon Health Sciences
Center minority nursing program
sing program she had no interest in
teaching as her first interest was in
direct patient care. She had been in
terested in psychiatric nursing but by
her senior year had decided that
“ you cannot divide a patient into
two parts” a discovery that led her
into the relationship o f social scien
ces to health and illness.
It was during the early sixties, as
assistant professor at Syracuse
University, that Ms. Brown became
vocal as an advocate fo r recruiting
m inority nurses into baccalaureate
nursing program s. D u rin g this
period she was active in community
affairs that focused on improving the
quality o f life for all the residents o f
Syracuse. She was an active member
o f the NAACP, a member o f the In
ter-racial Steering C om m ittee, a
member o f the National Council o f
Black Women, and a charter mem
ber o f the U rban League o f
Syracuse.
D uring a six year tenure in
C olorado, as C hairm an o f the
Department o f Health Occupations,
Ms. Brown was actively involved in
the Western Interstate Council on
Higher Education in Nursing project
“ Faculty D evelopm ent to Meet
M inority Group Needs” . Under her
administrative leadership the El Paso
C o m m u n ity C ollege D iv is io n o f
N ursing in C o lo ra d o Springs
received re co g n itio n
fo r
the
developm ent o f an In s tru c tio n a l
Systems Program to facilitate the
retention o f m inority students in the
associate degree program. Another
innovation in the State o f Colorado
involved an experimental approach
with the concept o f “ lateral trans
fe r” as the core fo r providing a
dem onstratio n
fo r
an
open
curriculum. It is her belief that im
plementation o f the “ lateral trans
fer concept” salvaged many stu
dents who otherwise would not have
succeeded. Ms. Brown also designed
and im plem ented the fir s t nine-
m onth academic year p ra c tic a l
nursing program in the United States
and was successful in seeing this
program accepted by fo rty-th re e
states.
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