Portland Observer Thursday. April 19. 1979 Page 7
Portland Profile
by Linda Thompson
“ The PROOUCf CBNTIR a t PORTLAND
GEORGE BENSON
G ram m s»!
(gdJJBI
by Allen Junes
THE LINKS PRESENT EBONY FASHION FAIR 79'
Back io G lam or" was the theme for this year’ s Ebony Fashion Fair. As the
theme suggests, dressing up and not down is exactly what your favorite de
signer has in store for the fashion conscious public for the next two years.
W het her you like it or not! I f you detect a note o f sarcasm you’ re right.
In view o f Sunday night’ s presentation at Civic Auditorium , I couldn’t help
but revert back to the four years 1 spent in retail and wholesale fashion in L.A.
1 worked for Zeidlcr & Zeidler Men’s Store. We catered to entertainers, would-
be executives, pimps and players (an education in itself). I was subsequently
terminated by the Twin Brothers (genetically), because I wasn’t aggressive
enough, or you could say 1 wasn’t a ’ high-pressure’ salesman.
From there it was uphill all the way. Sy Amber in Sherman Oaks, The May
C ompany (a subsidy o f Meier & Frank) and finally Scmour Phillips and
Associates — the big time wholesale and retailer, who can go in and buy a
clothing store that is in financial trouble and buy it lock, stock and barrel. They
then overstock the store with fasions from last year and this year, hire top sales
people, run an extensive advertising campaign and gross $10,000 in one day!
I wo months later, sell the store lock, stock and barrel to an unsuspecting buyer
at twice the price paid and move on to the next one. You’ re probably asking
w hat this has to do with the Ebony Fashion Fair? It would o f course depend on
your point ol view — all I ’ m saying is that fashions play a very important role
in everyday life, regardless o f who you are, and what your station in life may
be. Try wearing a zoot suit to work tomorrow and see what happens (smile).
The ‘79 Fashion Fair was a very good show. Personally I only liked a third of
' the fashions presented because they complimented the model sd Well, the model
is Von G. Shepard.
An international organization o f Black women — The Links, Inc. should be
congratulated for their efforts in putting together this year’ s show. I think a
combination o f the Benson concert and people just wanting to stay at home on
Easter curbed ticket sales to a degree. The show was very good. Maybe I ’ll
be there next year wearing a zoot suit!!
AN EVENING WITH BENSON
It’ s not often that a major star comes to Portland (or any city for that mat
ter), who has the artistic status to build up such an emotional anticipation prior
to arrival like George Benson. In the past four years Benson has reached a
plateau that the average entertainer can only fantasize about!
He caught our attention by playing double octaves on the guitar. Similar to
the late master Wes Montgomery — later projecting the same uniqueness in
song. An unbeatable combination by anyones standard. Benson, a gifted
musician since the age o f five, contributes his success to God (he’s a Jehova
Witness) and his family. That too is an unbeatable combination.
Benson is thoroughly a professional when it comes to business — making
music. I f you happen to have been one o f the lucky 6,000 people who attended
one o f the two concerts presented last Friday evening at the Civic Auditorium
— you’ re probably inclined to agree. George Benson is the best there is at what
he does and that’ s all there is to it!
I f you've been keeping up with me over the years, you may remember a bio
graphical profile (Spectrum in Blue) that I did on the opening act for Benson —
Seawind — in August o f ‘76. As a matter o f fact, singer Gene Diamond made
me aware o f this group because he spent a month in Hawaii doing some
arranging and writing for their first album. 1 don’ t think there is any question
about the groups potential. When you’ re a relatively new group playing behind
someone like Benson in front of a capacity audience, that’ s when it’ s d ifficult
to grasp anyones attention. On the other hand, i f you weren’ t good, you
wouldn’ t be there playing with Benson in the first place.
CHECK IT OUTIII
W ally Amos, Founder/Prcsident o f the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip
Cookie Corporation, will be in Portland A pril 24th on a tour to promote his
famous chocolate chip cookie.
Fred's Place
2511 NE Union
Little Frankie Lee
Our scale o f justice stands proudly
in our court houses throughout the
land. It symbolizes the equality o f
the American Justice System.
O ur Black role model fo r this
week, Vera Poole, believes that the
scales can be assisted in carrying out
its judicial responsibility by working
w ith in and close to the Justice
System.
A graduate o f Grant High School,
Mrs. Poole moved to Portland in
1961 from her hometown, Green
wood, Mississippi.
Her educational achievements in
clude an associate degree from PCC;
a B.A. degree, a Master/Education
and a Master/Science in C rim inal
Justice from the University o f Port
land.
M rs. Poole is m arried (John
Poole) and is the m other o f a
vivacious daughter Shena, who hap
pens to be a Pisces. Our role model’ s
warm smile and mild manner cannot
be labeled as qualities o f a passive
person, at least not in this case. As
you continue to read her profile you
w ill see the persistency and deter
mination o f what my grandmother
would call “ a strong and caring
woman.”
It is not an easy task to hold down
an eight hour job and be a wife and
mother. To couple this with an edu
cational pursuit is indeed what many
would consider an impossible task.
Impossible it is not and was not, for
Mrs. Poole held an eight hour job
during her entire educational career
(graduate and undergraduate).
For five years she was employed as
a dietician aide (delivering meals and
washing carts) fo r the Veteran’ s
H o sp ita l. In 1970 she le ft the
hospital and became an employee o f
Multnomah County as a correctional
officer for Rocky Butte Jail. In 1975
she was promoted to her present
position as Supervisor o f Correc
tions at Argow Women’ s Facility
where she supervises a staff o f thir
teen.
The stylist Mrs. Poole is a member
o f the Am erican Business Asso
cia tio n . M t. Hood C hapter; and
a member o f women’ s International
Bowling Congress. She loves travel
ing and bowling, and has an interest
NAVEL ORANGES
< t a ...'S 4 S
X * TANGELOS
•5 *1
X
in real estate.
Mrs. Poole has this to say about
her success and how one goes about
gaining success:
“ My success, I credited it to being
m otivated, determ ined and self-
assured that all goals are achievable.
I ’ ve encountered many obstacles
during my educational and profes
sional career. However, those en
counters did not obstruct my attempts.
I was optimistic more than ever to
utilize my potential effectively, if my
goals were to become a reality.
“ One has to set goals, conform
and adhere to them i f the end is
going to be successful, w hether it be
in education or occupation. I did not
achieve my goal by being passive or
submissive. I employed what tools
were necessary for me as a female, in
terms o f advancement and progres
sive development. Goal o f achieve
ment is something one should be
proud of. However, performance is a
substantial accomplishment.”
As my interview with the highly re
spected Mrs. Poole ended the very
warm and human qualities surfaced
and she said, “ I don’ t think people
should ever forget where they came
from — I hope I never do. A ll o f us
are potentials for the unemployment
line. What I have tried to do is to
prepare myself so I can seek employ
ment in other professions if the need
arrives.”
U n til next week remember: A
lover is one that can truly love one
mate successfully fo r a m arried
lifetime.
can developments. A frica is impor
tant to America for several reasons;
economic because A frica is rich in
N atural resources and a growing
m arket fo r our goods; p o litic a l
because we cannot afford to allow
this strategic area to be dominated by
foreign influence; and moral because
by tradition our country is commit
ted to the principles o f self-determi
nation o f nations and the human
rights o f individuals.
“ The Africans” is an extraordi
nary opportunity to learn about this
rapidly developing continent. “ The
Africans” concentrates, in depth, on
specific areas from which certain
generalizations and com parisons
with other parts o f A frica can be
made. The area chosen was that
colonized by the British — South
Africa, Rhodesia, Kenya, Tanzania,
Zam bia and N igeria — English-
speaking states whose cultural back
ground make them much closer and
more accessible to American view
ers. Most valuable o f all, however, is
that the series centers on people, let
ting Africans speak for themselves
and explain how they see events
shaping the new Africa.
The program will be presented by
KO IN -TV (Channel 6), each Wed
nesday evening at 8:00 p.m., begin
ning A p ril 18th.
The A pril 18th segment featured
Rhodesia. The schedule is as follows:
A pril 25th — “ New Faces o f A fr i
ca” — portraits o f how life is chang
ing fo r the better; M ay 2nd —
“ South Africa — W ithout Love” ;
May 9th — “ Soweto — The Secret
City” ; May 16th — “ Africa In Search
Itself” ; and May 23rd — “ Making
Up For Last Time.”
STIDDS BROTH
Beef sr
a*
•4J»
£
R |r —
Also: Black V e lv e t
Cheddar Cheese
Medium
1
2-lh.
*
LOAF
10
lbs. or Riera
lets thee 1 0 lh c ....lh .* 1 M
4.U00
Water Chestnuts
Pacific
Bread
GROUND VEAL
gsM
$459
IN PKCS. OF
PAPAYAS ;
™
$100?
It IM IO
DINNER
FRANKS
’I”
1 PRICES GOOD THRU SAT., APRIL 21, 1979
SHERIDAN FRUIT Co.
5 E U N IO N & OAK
2 3 5 -9 3 5 3
Come Today
and
h o m e fu r n is h in g s
fa m o u s,
to p - q u a lity
Whirlpool
Automatic Range Buy!
FULL-WIDTH.
SPACIOUS REMOVABLE
STORAGE DRAWER
Stock No. 10-140
WINDOW OVEN
Loaded with quality features that make cooking a joy and
clean-up easy. SPILLGUARD cooktop has raised edge all around
to help contain spillovers. Removable surface units and one-piece
chrome reflector bowls also make for easy cleaning. Shop now
and save on this quality Whirlpool range.
SPECIAL
SMITH PRICE:
298
W ITH TRADE
Plenty off Offf-Street Parking . . . EASY TERMS
we give you more ...
¡¿IT
From U zbekistan, Soviet C entral Asia
The Bakhur Folk Dance Ensemble
in concert at Banaon High School
Wednesday, M ay 2nd, 8:00 p.m.
D irect fro m O akland
Two shows nightly
Monday-Sunday
■
TI«
w ith
B ob by &
his T a lk in g G uitar
LOCALLY
CROWN
Baades
Chichee
(
RHUBARB
89*
CHILE
L A K I SANAHAN
.79*
CRAPES
frem
VERA POOLE
T V series explores A frica
For most Americans, Africa today
seems a bewildering collection o f
new states with unfam iliar names
and complex problems. Part o f the
reason for this is the sheer size and
cultural variety o f the continent, the
world’s second largest. W ith an area
almost 3'/z times that o f the United
States, Africa is simply too diverse in
geography, history and political or
ganization to lend its e lf to easy
generalizations. The contrasts often
seem strikingly more apparent than
any kind o f continental unity.
Gone are the images and stereo
types o f the past: the mythical Dark
Continent described by the early ex
plorers and the legends o f Empire
spun by the colonial exploiters who
followed. They were replaced in a
single generation by the strong
currents o f independence, o f diverse
peoples united in the struggle to win
"A fric a for the Africans.” Now that
this has been achieved for the most
part, individual African governments
are troubled by economic difficulties
and internal dissension in their efforts
at nation building.
Since I960, there have been over
four dozen coupes d ’etat in Africa
in vo lvin g the assassination o f a
dozen heads o f state. The instability
o f some African states, as well as the
liberation movements in the last bas
tions o f empire on the continent,
have made Africa the focal point o f
w orld politics. It has become in
creasingly an area o f c o n fro n ta
tion between East and West as each
side has tried to take advantage of
power vacuums created by economic
crisis and internal unrest.
The United States is much con
cerned and involved in current A fri-
5 .s1°°
L A R G Ì SIZE
fre m CALIF.
Tickets: $5 in advance, $6 at door
Order From: P.O. Box 6541, Portland 97228
Sponsored by Oregon Council American-Soviet Friendship
A Women's international League f o r Peace A Freedom.
Ö
E D
home furnishings
3Cti: and S.E. Division
234-9351
S h o p 9 to 9 T u e s d a y thru F rid a y
S a tu rd a y 9 to 6
(C lo s e d S u n d a y a n d M o n d a y )
L
I