Portland Observer Thursday, December 14, 1978 Page 5
than any other restaurant in the Western International Hotels group o f which
The Benson is a member. The London G rill was one o f the first in a trend
toward bringing distinctive, specialty dining into the country’s fine hotels,
rather than dining rooms that were merely considered places for guests to eat
The G rill’s redesign is the work o f Seattle designers John Fikkan and John
Jones, both Senior Designers o f Western Service & Supply Company, a wholly-
owned subsidiary o f Western International Hotels. Kaspar M urer, a recent ad
dition to The Benson staff, is Director o f Restaurants and Xavier Bauser is
Executive C hef for the London G rill.
Western International Hotels is a wholly-owned subsidiary o f U A L , Inc.,
parent company o f United Airlines. The prestigious hospitality firm owns or
m anagef fifty hotels in fourteen countries throughout the world. Western In
ternational Hotels is the oldest operating major hotel management company in
America.
MARIES
KITCHEN
BREAKFAST
AT A N YTIM E
Tuaa-Thura 8:30
am-8 pm — Frl-
Sat 8:30 am-3:30
am — Sun 8:30
am-3:30 pm
SPECIAL
CHITTLINGS DAILY
5 2 4 6 N.E. U N IO N
2 8 7 -9 3 6 3
PORTLAND,ORE.
CLOSED
MONDAY
Community Calendar
During press reception in the London Grill Allen Jones chats with hotel
manager Paul Himmelman in front of 1793 English fireplace.
by A llan Jones
LONDON GRILL RE-OPENS IN THE BENSON
The London G rill, Portland’s gourmet landmark in The Benson, reopened
its doors with a new look December 10th. The G rill has been closed for
remodeling since early November, and an interim restaurant set up in another
area o f the hotel. The remodeling was the final step o f a six-month upgrading
program on The G rill.
The most obvious change to greet G rill patrons will be the open, uncrowded
atmosphere. This has been accomplished by removing the low partitions,
decreasing the seating by 25r » and installing new and more traditional chan
deliers and wall lights.
The familiar oak casks along the far wall have been removed. In their place is
a circa 1793 English polished steel fireplace, accented with mirrors. The big
cooking hood over the display kitchen has been embellished with a covering o f
brass foil.
The gray-black ceiling has given way to a raisin-brown color that picks up the
red tones in the leather upholstery. Red wallpaper and new hunting scene pic
tures further accentuate the decor. A ll the original oak panelling has been
retained.
The bar has been relocated to near the base o f the main stairs, especially con
venient for diners as a meeting place for a before-dinner drink. New bar tables
in the "early Industrial Revolution" style retain the flavor o f an English pub.
The alrcady-famous dinner menu has several delicious additions. Appetizer
choices now include Columbia River caviar, fresh artichokes (served hot or
to ld ), shrimp cocktail with avocado and freshly marinated herring. From the
“ new French cuisine” comes a house specialty; sauteed chicken with tarragon
("Poule» Saute’ a I’ Estragon"). New seafood entrees include Filet o f Red
Snapper with Ginger and Poached Filet o f Flounder with Mussel Sauce. And
the a lready-exten sive beef section now o ffe rs " F la m e d Peppersteak
Madagascar.” Another new dish. Sauteed Chicken Stuffed with Crabmeat,
joins the Northwest salmon (baked or poached) and prime rib on the complete
dinner. New breakfast and lunch menus have been similarly expanded.
The London G rill first opened in 1955 and has won nearly every significant
U .S . dining and cuisine award. It had remained unchanged for 23 years, longer
The PSU Educational Center will present "P urlie Victories, ” Ossie Davis*
play about the pre-civil rights South December 21st, 22nd 23rd and December
28th, 29th and 30th at 8:00 p.m. at PUS Lincoln H all (229-4440).
Crim e Prevention Workshop for senior citizens. Thursday, January 18th and
25th, 3:00 p.m. Ockly Green School.
Ockly Green Com munity School classes begin January 8th (call 285-8269).
Business and Professional Circle o f M t. Olivet Church, second annual
Christmas Tea, December 17th, 1:00-3:00 p .m ., 116 N .E . Schuyler. Proceeds
will go to the scholarship fund. Chairman is Mrs. Jewell F. Bowman.
Portland Modulators’ "Disco B re a k ," Friday, December 15th, 9:00 p.m .-
1:00 a.m . at Elks Club, 6 N. Tillam ook. Music by Gene Holmes. Proceeds to
scholarship fund.
Margaret H ill, choir member o f St. Philip Episcopal Church, will play the
part o f the witch in Lake Oswego Community Theater production o f “ Hansel
and G retel.” Thursday-Saturday, December 14th-16th and 21st-23rd at the
Theater in Lake Oswego (635-3901).
Grand opening will be held at the newly refurbished N orth Precinct /S t.
Johns C ity Halt, 7214 N . Philadelphia. The ceremonies will begin at 10:00 a.m .
and offices will be open until 6:00 p.m . The building will be open on Saturday
from 11:00 a .m .-4:00 p.m . and on Sunday from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The opening
ceremony will feature M ayor Neil Goldschmidt, Commissioner Charles Jor
dan, and Commissioner Frank Ivancie. The Jefferson High School Brass Band
will perform .
On December 16th, at 7:30 p.m. at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum the Port
land Winterhawks will sponsor a Portland Police Sunshine Division Night to
raise food for the Sunshine Division’ s Annual Christmas Food Drive.
The game will feature the Portland Winterhawks vs. the Seattle Breakers.
Children under 12 years o f age will be admitted free with a donation o f canned
food or a non-perishable food item. Sunshine food barrels will be available at
the front gate. Standard admission fees will be in effect for all people 12 years
or older. Please come, bring your family and friends and help the Sunshine
Division lend a helping hand to a needy family at Christmas.
Olga Broumas, 1976 Yale Younger Poet, will give a benefit reading for A
Woman’s Place Bookstore on Tuesday, December 19th, 8:00 p.m. at the North
west Service Center, 1956 N .W . Everett. A native o f Greece, Ms. Broumas
brings to her powerful feminist poetry an unusual precision in the use o f the
English language. Tickets are available at A W om an’s Place Bookstore (1300
S .W . Washington) and at the door. Childcare will be free and refreshments
available. For further inform ation and to make childcare arrangements, call A
W om an’s Place Bookstore at 226-0848.
"T h e Healthy Body, ” a practical course in health maintenance and body
awareness, is being presented this winter by Portland State University. The in
structor is D r. A m Strasser, a Portland chiropractic Physician interested in
preventive and drugless wholistic health. For further inform ation contact the
Department o f Continuing Education at 229-4812.
'
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The Albina Ministerial Alliance announces the sponsorship o f the U .S .D .A .
C hild Care Food Program. Meals will be made available to enrolled children at
no seperate charge with regard to race, color, or national origin. Meals are
provided at the following sites: Bethel Child Care Center, 5828 N .E . 8th
Avenue; Berean Child Care Center, 4822 N . Vancouver Avenue; Children’s
Millenium , 1624 N .E . Hancock; Hughes Day Care Center, 111 N .E . Failing;
Woodlawn Day Care Center, 1425 N .E . Dekum; Iris Court Day Care Center,
400 N. Sumner; North Area Sattelite, 9009 N . Foss; and Southeast Day Care
Center, 2800 S.E. Harrison. Approved U .S .D .A . Family Day Care Homes.
b re a d
Black soap operas mask discrimination in media
by E a rl O fari
(P N S ) — George Jefferson, star o f
the popular Black comedy series,
“ The Jeffersons,” returns to his old
Harlem neighborhood on Christmas
Eve to aid a needy family. At the
commercial break, a Black fam ily
celebrates a reunion with smiles and
Pepsi-Cola all around.
From all such outward appearances
— “ The Jeffersons” , Black faces in
com m ercials. Black reporters and
Black radio broadcasters — equal
o p p o rtu n ity now p revails in the
media.
But behind his Black and white
picture o f harmony on the airwaves
is a pattern o f Black exclusion from
m edia em ploym ent as serious as
ever.
The myth that Blacks now play a
consequential role in the shape and
operations o f the networks was ef
fectively shattered last summer by a
len g th y U .S . C iv il Rights C o m
m ission rep o rt on women and
m in o ritie s
in
te le v is io n .
Ap
p ro p ria te ly
title d
" W in d o w
Dressing on the S e t," the report
presented statistics on the number
and percentage o f m inorities em
ployed in program, administrative,
and management positions.
The findings, based on a sample o f
fo rty stations, were dism al. The
majors. A B C , CBS, NBC, came un
der particular fire. In the off-camera
positions (sound, lighting, direction
and production) minorities made up
less than two percent o f the crews.
Blacks and m ino rities in m an
agem ent fared even worse. In
four categories o f officials ringing
fro m news d ire c to r to business
manager, there were no Blacks em
p lo y e d . O f the top th irte e n
management categories, only one
was held by a Black. That slot, which
is a general managership, is held at
an N B C a ff ilia te in Jackson,
Mississippi.
The prospects for any substantial
change in this s itu a tio n appear
equally grim , especially after con
sidering the expressed opinions o f
those station managers the com
mission interviewed. Most were con
vinced that minorities “ lacked the
a p p ro p ria te q u a lific a tio n s or ex
perience necessary” for the higher
positions.
The report also revealed that the
Federal C o m m u n ic a tio n s C o m
mission (F C C ), whose responsibility
it is to monitor station practices, has
no guidelines specifying that any o f
its licensees take affirm ative action
steps to co rrect deficiencies in
minority employment.
W hile Blacks were making little
progress in behind-the-scenes em
ployment, there did appear to be a
significant breakthrough in screen
access. New shows (almost always
comedy or variety) were being script
ed, and a few name personalities
began to prosper.
However, the new 1978-79 season
represents a d iffe re n t ball game.
There are no Blacks in any lead roles
in any o f the new series. Only two
Blacks have supporting roles in the
21 shows. The four shows in which
Blacks held leading roles last season
were cancelled. Presently, only NBC
has even developed a pilot for a
Black show, " H a rris & Com pany,”
which may or may not be seen later
in the viewing season.
M any observers thought that the
spectacular success o f a series like
“ Roots” would turn the head o f
some industry officials. Their con
cern has always been over the proven
marketability and "appeal” o f Black
shows for white audiences. The lack
o f commitment this year shows that
Hollywood remains unconvinced of
Black drawing power.
The pattern o f media racism is the
same in c o m m e rcia l ad v e rtis in g .
Black visibility, which certainly has
increased in commercials, again does
not represent a s ig n ific a n t e m
ployment shift.
Bill Cosby’ s smiling face and O .J.
Simpson’s sprints through airports
obscure the fact th a t there are
thousands o f Black actors and ac
tresses denied employment because
they d on ’ t possess celebrity name
and status. A T V executive admitted
that an advertiser’s sales depend on
the public " id e n tify in g ” with the
product's on-camera representative.
T V is, o f course, A m e ric a ’ s
glamor medium, so it might be ex
pected that selectivity in hiring o f
m ino rities w ould be a persistent
issue. But could this also be said of
the operations o f radio networks?
The problem for Blacks in radio
boils down to one simple thing: ab
sence o f ownership. Radio stations
yearly reap m illio n s from broad
casting “ soul” music, while Blacks
c o n tro l v irtu a lly none o f the
product. Blacks own 51 commercial
stations nationally, in contrast to the
m ore than 8 ,0 0 0 w h ite-o w n ed
stations.
The d e te rio ra tin g s ituatio n for
Blacks in the commercial media has
p ro m p ted m any to exp lo re the
possibilities o f employment and ac
cess in the public or non-commercial
media outlets. A few public networks
such as the independent Pacifica
stations have recently made gains in
Black employment. Black managers
and program directors have been
hired at Pacifica stations in Berkeley
and Houston.
This positive trend has not carried
over to those public stations, both
T V and radio, funded by the govern
m e n t-s u p p o rte d C o rp o ra tio n for
P u b lic B ro adcastin g. N a tio n a l
Public Radio, which airs news and
views programs daily over thousands
o f stations across the country, has
only one Black correspondent. He
serves as part o f the national/inter
national news team, with the primary
charge o f covering African affairs.
I f tokenism is the order in T V and
radio, their are still large numbers o f
newspapers th at d o n ’ t o ffe r even
th a t. A study by the A m erican
Society o f Newspaper Editors found
th at fu lly 88 percent o f U .S .
newspapers with circulations under
10,000 employed no minority report
ers. Other survey findings showed:
• Eleven m in o rity members o f
management out o f the thousands o f
editors employed by newspapers;
• expenditures fo r scholarship
and training programs for prospec
tive m inority journalists decreased
from $225,000 to $115,000 between
1972 and 1977;
• and only four percent o f the
ed ito rs and reporters o f the
newspapers surveyed were minority.
N o t s u rp ris in g ly , the lack o f
Blacks in the media has severely
limited coverage o f news and events
from the Black community. White
editors, either through ignorance or
d isinterest, o fte n c o n fin e th eir
coverage o f the Black community to
stereotyped reporting o f crime or en
tertainment events.
Moreover, there is the additional
problem o f biased reporting which
continues to creep into the media’s
style. "F o rc e d busing,” "reverse
d is c r im in a tio n ,”
“ w h it e s
massacred,” are loaded terms used
again and again by reporters and an
nouncers in describing the d a y ’ s
events.
W ith affirm ative action under at
tack, and federal and slate agencies
increasingly reluctant to “ tam per”
with the media, the chances o f revers
ing what the Urban League's Ver
non Jo rd an labels " th e new
negativism” as it affects the media
seem rem o te. R obert M a y n a rd ,
chairman o f the Institute for Jour
nalism E d u c a tio n , noted that
newspapers are no longer looking for
m inority journalists. " I t ’ s not an
issue o f supply,” he said. " I t ’s an
issue o f demand.”
(E a r l O fa r i is p u b lic -a ffa ir s
an alyst f o r K P F K ra d io , Los
Angeles, and the au th or o f " T h e
M yth o f Black Capitalism. ")
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