Page 2 Portland Obeerver June 12, 1980
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Cong ratulationsl
Congratulation, to Queen Robin Luryne
Marks. It has happened! At last all of the
young Black girls of Portland know that they
can dream - and that maybe someday they,
too, can be Queen . Robin has made that
dream come true I
Robin is a beautiful young lady - accom-
plished and charming, whose presentation at
the Queen selection was so outstanding that
no other could have been chosen.
Robin is an athlete - a state champion - but
Robin was not selected because she is a track
star . She was chosen because she is a
beautiful and intelligent young lady who is
respected and admired by the students who
selected her to represent their school and who
will be an inspiration to those who follow.
And our congratulations to the Junior
Queen - Ruth Elaine Bade.
Ash is dangerous
to your health
Contrary to headlines in the daily papers,
fallout from St. Helens is dangerous to the
health. Scientist have found minute particles
silica (a form of glass) that are small enough to
become lodged in the lungs. They can cause
cancer, emphysema, silicosis and other lung
diseases. It's true tht these diseases might not
show up for years and might never be linked
directly to the volanco.
But - they said abestos, coal dust, and the
chemicals dumped at Love Canal weren't
dangerous. If in doubt - take a look at the grit
in your car's air filter and think how that would
look in your lungs.
The next eruption could bring mur.h more
ash over Portland. We could be inundated like
Eastern Washington was last time. So, now is
the time to get prepared, just in case. Buy face
masks for everyone who must be outside and
make preparations to keep children busy in-
doors. Have enough food and emergency
supplies on hand for a few days to avoid un-
necessary trips.
Any unnecessary exposure is foolish.
By N. F1111111i K11mb11l11
School Board
responsibility
JuM 18 will mark the sixicth day
The Portland School Board is already being
criticized for its Monday vote to oppose
registration of young men for the draft. Critics
say the draft is none of the Board's business.
The school district spends twelve long years
- and more for many - teaching youngsters not
only to read and write, but hopefully preparing
them for further education, careers, or other
choices. They also teach their young people
that ours is a nation based on democratic
ideals where conflicts are settled through law.
These children haven't been given loving
care by their parents and academic skills by
their teachers only to be sent off to war to
fight over someone else's oil.
Why shouldn't the School Board oppose
registration and the draft? Many of the young
people will be forced to register while still in
high school studying American government.
We commend Board members Wally
Priestley, Herb Cawthorne, Steve Buel and
Frank McNamara for taking this stand.
We also have to respect Bill Scott, who
voted against the motion because he approves
of the draft, more than the two board mem-
bers - Joe Reike and Sarah Newhall - who said
they oppose the draft but abstained from
voting.
Right kind of principal
Portland school officials and many patrons
are concerned about the Black United Front's
demand for a Black principal at the new middle
school - a middle school that was refused until
the BUF and Black parents threatened a
boycott . District officials say there was no
Black available in the district - and that shows
something about employment practices
doesn't it7
Capable Black administrators are available
all over the country. And don't forget -
although the district likes to say there was no
time to look for someone - they've known
since last summer that there would be a new
middle school I
Letters to the Editor
Volcano adds to Trojan danger
Dear Editor:
PGE has announced that it plans
to re-open the froJan nuclear plant
and operate it normally July 1st.
But the U.S. Geological Survey
predicts that another maJor erup-
tion of St. Helens is inevitable
wilhm weeks or months, possibly of
lava and:
I. Even a light asht"all has fouled
up machinery in the Portland area,
from cars to automatic bank deposit
chutes, and caused maJor industries
like Tektronix, Intel and floating
Point Systems to shut down.
Coolina systems and pumps arc par-
ticularly susceptible to damaae from
ash.
2. The Trojan plant stands close
to the contluence of the Columbia
and the Cowlitz, which even without
lava, has been threatening to llood.
With such spectacular and un-
predictable geoloaical events going
on, simple prudence is that Trojan
should remain closed until there is a
public inquiry into its safety - not
behind closed doors and with the
testimony of a handful of experts,
but very openly and with viaorous
public debate.
But if prudence characterized this
industry, the plant would have been
shut down two years ago when it
was discovered that part of the walls
were not built to PGE's own ear-
thquake
But if prudence characterized this
industry, the plant would have been
shut down two years when it was
discovered that part of the walls
were not built to PGE's own earth-
quake specifications. Instead the
plant has been allowed to continue
operations without the repairs bein1
made, while for the past year the
N. W. has been rocked by an ac-
"THANKS FOR YOUR VOTES"
The Committee to elect Joseph L.
Harris for Mayor in 1~80 thanks all
citizens for their votes and concern.
"God bless and keep you always."
(Your mayor in 1984)
Sincerely,
Joseph L. Harris
celcrating series of earthquakes.
Now, with an active volcano only 30
miles away from the plant, the in-
dustry continues its push for speed,
and public officials and the press arc
silent on the matter. I hope that
many people will join in speaking
loud and clear against this speed and
silence, and the folly of continuing
to risk such enormous and Iona term
consequences for immediate, shon-
tcrm profit.
Sincerely,
Barbar La Mortir:ella
At last!
To the Editor:
Re: Our beautiful Black Rose
Festival Queen (Congratulations).
ATTENTION: All Portland and
the whole wide world. We finally
aot our beautiful Black Rose
Festival Queen.
I have been praying all these years
for a Black young lady to be Queen
of the Festival.
We can now say, "Thank you
Jesus.'' Y cs, God is able.
Sincerely,
Mrs. C. Louis Harris
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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OOinion of Ula individual writer or eubmitter Ind doee not nec:N
~,.._,the opinion of the Port/•"" otwr,,,
283-2-
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor/ Pub II a her
Netlonel Advertlelnt 11ep, . . . n1ethle
Amllfpmated ltubh"-'9. Inc.
N-York
,R obert Mugabe: The first sixty day•
1st Place
Community Service
ONPA 1973
1st Place
Best Ad Results
ONPA 1973
5th Place
Best Editorial
ONPA 1973
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
NNA 1973
2nd Place
Beet Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1975
ltd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1978
of Zimbabwe's independence and
the Mugabe "Miracle" continues.
More changes have been wrouaht in
those sixty days than in si,uy years
of colonial misrule. That a change
has finally come about is evident in
the faces of the people both young
and old. In private homes, the
celebrations that started long before
Independence Day, April UI, are
still continuing. In the nightclubs,
discos, dance halls and other such
night spots, the hottest dance is still
"Jonawe Shuffle."
Jonawe
(rooster) was Mugabe 's party's
election symbol.
The economic collapse, white
white uodus, anarchy, Black on
Black civil war, a South African in-
vasion, mass executions, a white led
coup "predicted" by Western °cx-
perts" have not only failed to
materialized but arc now totally out
of the question.
The resettlement of the refugees
who had fled to the neighboring
countries is running well ahead of
schedule. The "Squatter camps"
that had mushroomed around most
of the maJor cities during the course
of the war are fast disappearing as
the "squatters" return home.
Almost 9011Jo of the schools that
had been closed and, in some cases
bombed, have already reopened.
7011Je of the hospitals arc back in
service; the dip tanks arc fun-
ctioning aaain, the notorious
"protected villaaes" (concentration
camps) are being dismantled and
9,000 prisoners have been released
from captivity. The ministry of Per-
sonpower (Manpower), Plannin1
and Development has just com-
pleted with the assistance of the UN,
a survey of the country's needs in
the areas of education, employment
and training.
In the area of news and infor-
mation discmination, the Zimbabwe
Broadcastna Corporation (formerly
the "Rhodesia Broadcastin1 Cor-
poration) controlling radio and
television has experienced the most
profound transformation in its en-
tire history. Formerly a mere exten-
sion of the racist, propaaanda
laden, anti African radio, South
Africa, it has now bqun to retlect
more closely the views ot· Free
Africa. Where before it only
t'eaturcd Blacks on their way to
prison for "stealing somethin1" or
portrayed the "failure and folly" of
Black ruled Africa, it now deals
with almost daily the dazzling pace
of Black advancement: Blacks
taking charae of the ZBC, of the
justice system, of various gover•
of the health, educational, cultural,
recreational, economic and political
systems.
Names also t'caturc very
prominently in the transformation
of the Zimbabwean society. The
first and most obvious change was
that of the name of the country
from "Rhodesia" named for the
British pirate, Cecil Rhodes, who
originally stole the country. Zim-
babwe was the name of one of
Africa's areatest empires that
tlourished throuahout what is now
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia
and parts of Malawi. This empire
lasted from about 600 AD to 11190
when the area was colonized,
Literally, Zimbabwe means a stone
house - built as a royal residence for
the Zimbabwean monarchs.
The capital "Salisbury" was
named after a Lord Salisbury, one
of Britain's leading advocates of
colonialism: the fool actually
believed Britain had a divine right to
colonize the world! hcnccfonh, the
capital will be known as Harare,
named after one of the African
kings who lived riaht where
"Salisbury" was built. "Victoria
Falls" one of the most impressive
falls in the whole world will revert to
its oriainal name Masi-oa-tunya,
literally the "smoke that thunders."
When the water falls over this 300
foot gorge on the Zambezi River,
the spray rises hundreds of feet into
the air: the sound it makes is like
thunder and the spray looks like
smoke: "the smoke that thunders."
With typical British illogic, the falls
had been renamed "Victoria falls"
after some obscure queen of
England who had no connection
whatsoever with Masi-oa-tunya.
Recently,
President Canaan
Banana removed all the ponaits ot·
the colonial aovernors and that of
Rhodes that still contaminated
Zimbabwe's Government House. In
their place he will hang pictures and
ponraits of Zimbabwe's real heroes:
Kinas Monomotapa, Harare,
Mzilikazi, Lobengula, Chanaamirc,
Soshangana, Zwangendaha and
others like that.
It has not been smooth sailing all
the way for the Muaabe ad-
ministration. There was an outbreak
of wildcat striLes throughout the
country with Africans demandina
hiahcr wages, better workina con-
ditions, the firing of their racist
white bosses and other similar
arievances. Most of the strikes were
soon settled through ncaotiation as
opposed to confrontation which
would have been the case under all
preceding reaimes. Probably the
most glaring blot on the new ad-
ministration's so far sterling per-
formance was the handling or a
recent demonstration against police
brutality. The police force is still led
mostly by white holdovers from the
Smith-Muzorcwa regimes.
Several hundred women, some
with babies strapped to their backs,
had gathered in Harare to protest
continued police brutality. Most of
them wore dresses with the picture
of Prime Minister Mugabe. When
they started marching, the police
just waded in and started beatina
them with batons and so, forcibly,
dispersed them. So far I have not
heard what action, if any, the
government has taken.
The one thing Mugabe hr..; done
that stands above all else is give
hope to what had become the most
hopeless and dejected people in the
world. Now everybody looks for-
ward to a whole new future, a future
full of promise, a future full or
possibilities and a future tilled with
hope rather than fear. As Zimbabwe
celebrates The First Sixty Days,
there is, understandably, jubilation.
It just so happens that on that very
same day, June 18, one Fungai
Xumbula will also be celcbratina his
binhday!
Happy celebration, Zimbabwe,
Happy birthday Fungt1i?
Notes from City Hall
By Charles Jordan
Commissioner of Public Sqf~ty
Remember that parking ticket
you were going to pay?
You have one last chance! If you
neglected to take care of your
parking violation fine, you still have
until the end of June 1980 to
eliminate it and become a citizen in
good standina.
Judge Phillip T. Abraham has
announced the month of June as an
amnesty period for vehicle owners
with overdue parkin1 tickets.
During this month, overdue tickets
may be paid at the original, un-
doubled rate regardless or when you
received them. Normally, if not paid
within 30 days, the bail amount
doubles.
The amnesty is dc1igncd to give
violators a chance to clear any and
all tickets prior to a new, tough en-
forcement effort planned by the
City of Portland and Multnomah
County.
To dramatically increase the en-
forcement of parking laws and to
follow through on those who ignore
parking tickets as well as provide a
more equitable use of the limited
parkin1 spaces available in the
conaested, downtown area, the City
and County have negotiated to in-
crease the number or vehicles which
will be towed each month for out-
Thanks for support
To The Editor:
I want to thank all of you who
gave your time and support to me in
my recent campaian for Clackamas
County Commissioner. A special
thanks to my Campai1n Committee
Chairperson, Mrs. Edna Oster;
Treasurer. Claudia Donalson; and
Executive Committee members, Al
Oster, Ora Robertson, Mildred
Slau1hter, and Amy Williams.
Sincerely,
standing warrants.
The new policy becomes effective
July I, I ~80 and has four com-
ponents.
I. Through a cooperative
agreement for increased towin1 by
the City and County, it is expected
that 40 or more vehicles will be i~
pounded daily. Currently, there arc
approximately 86 vehicles towed a
month by the Portland Police
Department and the Bureau of
Parking Operations.
2. A new bail schedule will be in
effect increasing the amount f rom
$3.00 to $4.00 for the followin1
violations which accounts for over
115'70 of all citations issued.
2. A new bail schedule will be in
effect increasing the amount t'rom
$3.00 to $4.00 for the following
violations which accounts for over
115'1t of all citations issued; (A)
Overtime parking (8) Parking out•
side of a parking space line and (C)
Parking more than one foot from
the curb. All other violations will
remain at the present bail schedule.
3. The County is also in-
vestiaating other possible enfor-
cement policies. Amona these are
vehicle bootina which consists of
placing a metal clamp on the front
wheel of a vehicle rendcrin1 it im-
mo bilc until overdue parkina
violations have been paid and new
le1islation which will withhold the
renewal ot· vehicle rqistrations until
the owners pay all overdue tickets.
4. The Coun has installed a new
mini-computer to assist in these
cffons. The computer will provide
on-line cash receipts, financial audit
trails, case trackin1, case status
reports and courtesy notices to
vehicle owners who have impoun-
ded warrants issued to them. It will
1reatly assist in the new enfor-
cement effort and in kecptn1 track
of new dtations as they arc filed
with the Court.
Anyone who wishes to find out if
their vehicle has any overdue
parking tickets issued against it may
call the District Court's Parking Tag
Section at 248-3890. If the vehicle
does have any overdue tickets issued
against it, the citizen can come
down to the Counhouse or mail in
the appropriate payment and have
the ticket cleared. The mailin1 ad-
dress for the Parking Section is,
District Court, P. 0. Boxd 78, Port-
land, Ongon 97197.
I am alerting you with hope that
you will act responsibly now. It is a
serious maucr, however, the
decision is yours.
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A PERSONAL MOMENT
FOR THOSE WHO CARE
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We all have fond memories In '
our mlnde. These memories
were made from a day that
' ■tarted much as any other day.
Most often that 1pec:tal day
could have been nothing to
remember If It hadn't been
bleeNCI with Sl)l!Clal low. Each
new day has the poellblllty of
becoming a Sl)l!Cial day. A love
filled dawn Increase• the chan-
ces of adding another beautiful
memory.
f.'lmw.
A 11-
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l'RI ~LNl LI> BY
AMERICAN
STATE
BANK
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'ZTS1 N.E. Union
JIZ-2211
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