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A 29 day reign
PORTLAND
Beaumont principal transferred
OBSERI/ER
Volum e U No. 40 Thursday, October 5 .197* 10c per copy
Community residents meet with Governor Bob Straub
and Mayor Neil Goldschmidt to discuss plans for proposed
Two Sections
sta te -fu n d e d housing fo r th e eld e rly . T h e site is a t
N.E. Roselawn off Union Avenue.
(Rsoto: Al Williams)
AVREC sponsors 'Public Forum on Ballot Issues’
The Albina Voter Registration and
Education Committee w ill sponsor a
"Public Forum on Ballot lsssues" as
a voter education service fo r the
November 7, 1978 General Election.
The forum w ill be held at the King
Neighborhood F a cility cafeteria,
4815 N.E. 7th Avenue, Tuesday, Oc
tober 10th, from 8:00-10:00 p.m.
The purpose of the fQruro is: to
provide intoim ation to the residents
o f Northeast Portland on the pros
and cons o f the 1978 ballot
measures; and to allow AVREC to
develop a position in respect to the
ballot measures as they relate to the
needs and interests o f Northeast Port
land.
The Forum will be conducted in a
panel form at which presents both
sides o f selected measures, and is
followed by discussion and comment
from the audience. A t the conclusion
o f the forum , AVREC members will
be polled on their positions on each
o f the various ballot measures.
The Albina Voter Registration and
Education Com m ittee offers this
Forum aid to Northeast residents in
defining the importance and impact
o f various b a llo t measures the
community and the quality o f life
within it. A ll residents o f Northeast
P o rtla n d , and other interested
citizens, are uged to attend and par
ticipate.
Please call A rt Barfield, A V kE C
Education Committee, at 248-426C,
for additional information.
The Beaumont community is once
again torn with turm oil and con
fusion as it learned that the new
Beaumont Elementary School prin
cipal, Charles Kakvasil, w ill be
transferred to Alameda Elementary
School on October 13th. Alameda
principal, Paul Smith, w ill move to
Beaumont.
A first year principal, Nakvasil
was assigned to Beaumont this Sep
tember. On September 11th, after a
long controversy and much com
m unity o p p ositio n, the School
Board voted to make Beaumont a
middle school for 6th, 7th and 8th
graders. Beaumont students in the
lower grades w ill attend Alameda.
Nakvasil explained that the tran
sfer o f principals was to allow the
new principals and staffs to begin
planning for the change which will
because he has, over many years,
he did not know when he was
assigned to Beaumont that his stay
would be so short, but “ when prin
cipals ar assigned, they never know
for how long.”
Saying he is pleased to be assigned
to Alameda and agrees that the
transfer was a good move, Nakvasil
said he has enjoyed his work at
Beaumont and has been successful
because he has over m any years
developed a relationship with the
community and staff.
Nakvasil does not know why he,
as an inexperienced principal, was
assigned to Beaumont - a school
fraught with conflict. “ 1 suppose it
was because of my roots -- because
they had faith that I would be a
good administrator. I am a discip
linarian.”
He considers Sm ith, whose
previous assignments include M ult
nomah and Ainsworth, a top prin
cipal who w ill be an asset to
Beaumont.
Donald McElroy, Deputy Superin
tendent, explained that when the
School Board made the decision to
change Beaumont to a m iddle
school, Ray Steed and Carlos Taylor
o f Area I I I brought to the A d-
minisiraricu the p.r posal to shift the
two principals. As a middle school,
Beaumont would need an experien
ced principal and Nakvasil is a “ rank
Blacks feel discrimi nation, blame education system
NORTHBROOK, IL L IN O IS —
SEPTEMBER 27, 1978 — More
than a decade has passed since Mar
tin Luther King, Jr., said, “ 1 have a
dream,” yet his vision goes largely
u n fu lfille d . Racism and racial
d iscrim in a tio n s till abound in
America, according to a survey just
released by the publishers o f “ Who’s
Who Among Black Americans.”
In the first poll ever conducted
among the nation’s leading Blacks, a
significant majority (69%) o f those
surveyed think that a good number
o f whites harbor racist feelings.
Almost nine out of ten respondents
feel that many whites say they don’t
discriminate, but in subtle ways they
do.
O f the more than 13,000 Blacks
listed in “ Who’ s W ho," some 2,000
participated in the survey. The
respondents represent all fields o f
endeavor from arts and entertain
ment to athletics, from business to
education and government. More
than half earn upwards of $35,000 a
year. Each has been selected for list-
State Senator Vern C ook,
Democratic Party candidate for the
U.S. Senate seat held by Senator
Mark Hatfield, has called for a halt
to efforts to push Congress into a
quick passage o f Senate Bill 3418 —
the Pacific Northwest Elective Power
Planning
Conservation
and
Renewable Resources Act.
The act, which would amend the
Bonneville Power Act, would force
BPA to sell electricity to private
utility companies (i.e. Pacific Power
and Light, Portland General Elec
tric) at the same low rate at which it
furnishes electricity to public utility
districts (PUD). It would eliminate
the “ preference clause," which gives
PUD home and farm users preference
over private utility companies and
industry. It also would enable BPA
to finance power plants for further
utility companies.
Cook recommends an end to ef
forts to push the b ill through
Congress this year and asked that
fu ll public hearings be held
thioughout the Northwest. A t a
minimum there should be an exten
sive study by Congress o f the regional
ing in “ W ho's W ho” because o f
significant achievement in his or her
field.
While 59% o f the survey group say
they personally have experienced less
discrimination as they have become
more successful, the overall picture
they paint is one o f ongoing
discriminatory practices in all aspects
o f American life.
For example, an overwhelming
majority (90%) indicate that Blacks
do not have the same opportunity as
whites to advance in m ajor cor
porations
and
white-owned
businesses. Some 85% say it is d if
ficult for Blacks to start their own
businesses because of discrimination
in raising capital.
Three-quarters o f the Blacks feel
that discrim ination in hiring and
promotion is a major cause of the
depressed economy in the Black
community. Still more (83%) blame
the educational system for failing to
prepare Blacks to compete.
School integration is a top priority
for 56% o f those polled and most
(91% ) believe that segregated
education is inherently unequal.
Two-thirds o f the Blacks favor man
datory busing programs to achieve
racial balance.
M ore than ten percent have
children who have participated in
busing programs and o f this group,
the majority feel that contact with
white children has been a positive
experience, 67% em otionally and
70% educationally.
Where problems exist with learn
ing and discipline in the educational
system, nine out o f ten respondents
cite the fa m ily as the basis fo r
trouble. A lm ost 70% a ttrib u te
problems to school administrators
who are not attuned to a com
m unity’ s needs or feelings. Some
68% say teachers do not take enough
disciplinary action and nearly two-
thirds place the blame with poorly
trained teachers.
As for issues facing the country at
large, almost all (91 %) are concerned
about unemployment and more than
half are worried about inflation. Fifty
needs for energy, potential irrigation
and the impact o f new power systems
on the Columbia River fishery.
“ The Bonneville Project Act o f
1937 harnessed the great Columbia
River for the benefit o f the rural and
domestic consumers o f the Pacific
Northwest,” Cook said.
‘ ‘ For nearly fo rty years the
historic anti-monopolistic principles
o f this A c t have assured us the
p o s s ib ility o f electric power
distributed at cost i f we were willing
to assume the responsibility o f form
ing them, electing commissioners,
and m aintaining customer-owned
electric utilities, whether they be
municipal utilities, rural electric co
ops, or county-wide People’s U tility
Districts.
“ In 1968 we started a dramatic
departure from this historic hydro
electric system. This was the Hydro-
Thermal Power Project o f the Bon
neville Power Adm inistration, the
Federal marketing agency for the
electric power generated at Federal
projects in this region. The goal of
this program was to change the
generating base of the electric power
from a hydro-electric base to a 50-50
mix o f hydro power and thermal
plants — coal and nuclear.
“ After ten years of this program,
what have we discovered about it?
First, we have discovered that these
therm al plants are not by any
measurement cost effective.
‘ ‘ A ccording to the Assistant
Secretary o f the new Federal Depart
ment o f Energy, the boss o f the
BPA Administrator, ‘ the Centralia,*
Washington coal-fired plant went
from $163 million in 1967 to $285
m illion upon completion in 1971.
The Trojan Nuclear Plant in Rainier,
Oregon jumped from an estimated
$233 million to $554 million when
completed in 1975. The three nuclear
projects being b u ilt by the
Washington Public Power Supply
System (WPPSS) escalated from
their in itia l estimates in the early
‘70’s of $455 million to $1.1 billion;
and $756 m illio n to $1.4 billio n
respectively.’
“ Second, we discovered that the
utilities did not know how to build
thermal plants. The major source of
these dram atic cost increases,
percent would like to see health care
insurance on the national agenda and
a plurality (48%) favor tax dollars to
support low /m oderate income
housing.
A good number o f the Blacks are
disappointed with President Carter’ s
performance in office. Only 36%
think he has done a good to excellent
jo b against 63% who rate him
satisfactory to unsatisfactory. On the
other hand, more than three-quarters
give Andrew Young good to ex
cellent marks for a job well done.
Generally, the respondents agree
w ith the C arter A d m in is tra tio n ’ s
stand on foreign policy. Some 80%
support the President’s position on
the Panama Canal Treaty and 62%
favor his decision to cancel the B-l
bomber.
While aid to the world’ s poorest
nations gets the nod from three-
quarters o f the survey group, only
four percent would want their tax
dollars spent on such aid. Carter’ s
emphasis on human rights gets ap
proval from 81% of the Blacks.
referred to by Secretary Mclsaac, are
cost overruns unforeseen by the
utilities building the plants.
‘ ‘ T h ird ly , this H ydro-T herm al
Power Program caught the state and
local governments o f the Pacific
Northwest fla t-fo o te d in that no
statutes or administrative procedures
existed for insuring that the plants
would be safe, cost-effective and
within the economic means o f the
consumers o f this region who
ultimately pay the bills.
“ And what about those bills? For
the consumers o f private companies
who have enjoyed relatively low
costs because o f the availability o f
cheap Bonneville power, the switch
from the Federal power and their
own hydro-electric facilities to power
fro m the T ro ja n nuclear plant
doubled the consumers’ electric
rates.
“ But the private companies found
themselves unable to amass the
financial resources to continue the
thermal program. For instance, one
plant, the Trojan Nuclear Plant,
upon completion doubled the net
worth o f Portland General Electric
beginner” . He explained that Nak
vasil was one o f two beginning prin
cipals this year and he was placed at
Beaumont because Beaumont, with
520 students last year, is a “ small
school” .
Asked why Nakvasil had been
assigned to a school that was to
become
a
m iddle
school,
necessitating a change during the
school year, M cE lro y denied
know ing that Beaumont would
become a middle school. The A d
m inistration “ absolutely did not”
realize Beaumont would become a
middle school, he said.
McElroy said that Nakvasil is get
ting a good assignment at Alameda.
Alameda is considered a “ plumb
assignment” by other principals. It
w ill be better for students also, he
explained, because the prim ary
children transferring next year w ill
be familiar with him and many o f the
Alameda and Beaumont parents will
have children in both schools.
Parents and staff are angry and
confused. “ They knew before they
assigned Nakvasil here that they
would force a m iddle school on
Beaumont, so why didn’ t they send a
principal they knew could stay. This
only hurts the children,” one parent
said. Others fear this portends an
immediate movement o f children in
order that renovation o f the building
might begin.
McElroy elxplained the district’ s
haste as the result o f pressure from
parents. “ The parents are pushing
fo r a m iddle school. Those at
Alameda and Sabin have pushed
hardest, but there is also pressure
from Beaumont parents.
Parents see this as another in a
long series o f harassments.
Ell Cain, manager of J.C . Penneys W alnut Park store, explains employee in
centive program.
J C Penney looks to expansion
Ell Cain, the new manager at J.C.
Penney’s Walnut Park store, is con
cerned about community response to
the store.
“ The company has faith in this
com m unity. That fact is demon
strated by the fact that it renewed the
building lease several years ago and
is preparing to renew it again.”
Rumors have circulated at times that
the store w ill be closed but Cain
assures that this is not the case.
“ The people in the community do
not support this store and other local
merchants. This they must do if they
expect business to remain in the
neighborhood. The plans to rebuild
U nion Avenue and bring in more
business can be successful only i f the
people who live here use them.”
Since he has been at Walnut Park,
Cain has broadened the selection of
merchandise. “ We carry children’s
clothing, a fu ll line o f baby goods,
work clothes, fancy jeans, under
Company.
“ Therefore, the Bonneville Power
Administration talked the publicly-
owned utilities o f the region into
joining the private companies on this
disastrous road toward a fifty per
cent hydro-thermal mix.
“ Now the Bonneville Power Ad
ministration has announced to the
public that the wholesale rates o f
power sold to the customer-owned
u tilitie s (PU D s) w ill double in
December o f 1979 as the costs of the
thirty percent o f Trojan in the public
sector and the three nuclear plants
being built by the public agencies in
the state o f Washington are finally
reflected in Bonneville rates.
“ Lastly, we have discovered that
one o f the main principles upon
which the Hydro-Thermal Plan was
based — the inelasticity of demand
for electric power — is false. The
forecasts produced jointly by all the
u tilitie s and BPA proved much
higher than was forecast when the
true economic signals of the cost of
nuclear power finally were given to
the consumers."
Cook explained that neither the
wear and housewears. We do not
carry a broad selection o f women’s
clothing because we do not have the
trade to support it.” Cain explained
that the most often purchased
clothing and household items can be
bought at the store.
Cain expects the opening o f a
catalogue section next year w ill in
crease business at W alnut Park,
which was once the busiest J.C. Pen
ney store in Portland.
Cain has been employed by J.C.
Penney since he was a high school
student in 1960. After a short effort
at establishing a career in
professional baseball, he returned to
Penneys, advancing until he became
manager of the store in Richmond,
California, where he began.
A t Walnut Park he is hiring com
munity residents, attempting to stock
requested items, and desiring to
provide a service.
U.S. Corps o f Engineers, which had
built the federal dams, or the private
utilities had expertise in “ building
nuclear plants.” The cost overruns,
equalled only by the cost overruns of
defense contracts, dram atically
proved the inability o f any agencies
to keep these projects under control.
Also, the extremely disappointing
performance o f the Trojan Plant
shows lack of planning and lack of
understanding of the problem. In
spite o f that ignorance, development
continued on the expensive plant
without consideration o f the con
sumer.” They were able to build
without a proper fiscal base because
they are guaranteed a profit.
PBA has announced that it w ill
double the wholesale price o f its
power in December, 1979. According
to the agency, the bonded indepted-
ness on the Columbia River power
system must be paid by 1994, leaving
$4.5 billion to be paid on the prin
cipal.
“ This staggering debt, even with
the low 2.2% interest rate is a heavy
burden. Yet, BPA now is requesting
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