Page 4 Portland Observer, May 6, 1982
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Give them a choice
A lot is being said and w ritten about the Tub-
man M iddle School decision, the current media
tion process, and the School B oard’s responsibi-
tio n process, and the S ch o o l B o a rd ’ s
responsibilities
Board’s change o f m ind.
The fact rem ains th a t the School B oard ig
nored its own p olicy o f co m m u n ity acceptance
in its move to Boise. The Boise parents were nev
er consulted and s till have not been consulted
about th e ir opinions o r desires. The Board did
hear com m unity testimony— all fo r the E lio t site
— but did not go to the feeder school’s parents—
E liot, H um boldt and King.
S ch o o l B o a rd p o lic y states th a t m id d le
schools be established as “ . . .c o m m u n ity ac
ceptance makes transitions possible.”
C lin t I hom as’ d e fin itio n o f “ com m u nity ac
ceptance” d u rin g the O ckley Green tra n s itio n
was, “ that reasonable acceptance should exist
w ith in co m m u n itie s a ffe cte d in the e stablish
ment o f m iddle schools.”
The Boise and E lio t proposals o ffe re d this
week w ith in the re s tric tio n s o f the m e d ia tio n
process do not provide fo r true co m m u n ity in-
put and should be broadened.
We would like to propose that the Board and
com m unity consider tw o m iddle schools: a m id
dle school at E liot fo r 600 or fewer students and
a m id d le school at A dam s to in clu d e the s tu
dents o f C o lu m b ia -W h ita k e r m id d le school.
Students would be assigned to their ow n m iddle
schools based on residence, but they would have
the o p tio n to attend the other school i f the par
ents feel its educational program was more suit
able. Strong magnet program s at both schools
w o u ld accom plish the desires o f a ll o f the c u r
rently w arring factions— a m iddle school in the
black com m unity, tw o integrated magnet m iddle
schools, and optim um use o f the educational re
sources o f the Adam s b u ild in g . It w o u ld leave
Boise in tact and p ro vid e o p tio ns fo r its upper
graders.
We would like to see strong vocational explor
atio n program s in both schools that w o uld ex
pose young people to professional and vocation
al career choices p rio r to high school. This has
been accomplished w ith excellent results in other
places and w o u ld give children attending these
schools a head start in the careers o f the ’90s.
0 * District Court, Dept. 3: Michael Marcus
Michael Marcus has made his m ark in local le
gal battles. He is know n throughout the nation
as an expert in landlord/tenant law.
As a legal aid attorney M arcus has defended
the rights o f tenants, the elderly, nursing home
p a tie n ts, w e lfa re clie n ts and others w h o as a
group are ofte n deprived o f th e ir legal and hu
man rights
He recognizes that the crim inal justice system
— fro m the p o in t o f arrest to im p ris o n m e n t—
works against the rights o f the poor and m in o ri
ties and has used the law to help im prove th e ir
access to justice.
M arcus’ knowledge o f the law, his application
o f the law and his judgem ent are ju s t some o f
the reasons w h y we re com m en d a vo te fo r
M ichael Marcus.
0 * Appeals Court: Judge Walker
Judge Stephen S. W a lk e r, m em ber o f the
M ultnom ah C ounty D istrict C o u rt, is our choice
fo r the Oregon C ourt o f Appeals. Judge W alker
has dem onstrated humaneness as well as good
judgm ent on the district court. His background
is that o f a defense attorney in private practice—
defending persons accused o f all types o f crimes.
As a trial lawyer and a judge he understands that
the crim ina l justice system is not always respon
sive, that the tria l is not always w ith o u t e rro r,
and that the appeals court provides another op
p o rtu n ity fo r the convicted person. In a recent
survey o f a tto rne ys, Judge W a lk e r rated very
high on in te g rity , im p a rtia lity , co m m o n sense
and open-mindedness.
9
T he o p p o n e n t is J o n a th a n N e w m a n — the
same Jona tha n N ew m an w h o b ro u g h t us ten
years o f scattering o f our children thoughout the
sch o o l d is tr ic t, the m an w h o b ro u g h t us the
“ Newm an p la n ,” the man w ho resigned fro m
the School Board the night H erb Cawthorne was
elected. T his is n o t the type o f ju d g m e n t that
w ould allow us to place the lives o f m any O re
gonians in his hands.
We urge a vote fo r Judge W alker.
0 * No—Prison Bond
W e have lo ng believed th a t b u ild in g m ore
m axim im security prisons is not the answer to
the crime problem.
Racism and the e .o n o m ic system along w ith
their most prevalent symptoms— poverty, unem
ploym ent, under-education, p oo r liv in g co n d i
tio n s , drugs and a lc o h o l— are the causes o f
crime. O ur money and our efforts should be de-
voted to e lim in a tin g the causes o f crim e , not
building prisons.
A second use o f our money and resources is to
tra in and attem pt to rehabilitate those already
caught up in the crim ina l justice system so that
they have at least some o p p ortun ity to return to
their com m unications as productive citizens.
0 * No —Measure 5
Ballot Measure Five w ould make the office o f
C hief Justice o f the Oregon Supreme C ourt ap
pointive rather than elective.
C u rre n tly the Justice o f the Supreme C o u rt
select one o f themselves to be C h ief Justice. The
measure would have the C h ie f Justice app oin t
ed by the Governor.
Separation o f the powers o f the a d m in istra
tive, legislative and ju d icia l branches o f govern
ment dicates th a t this o ffic e be selected by his
peers, not by the Governor.
We prefer that this position be separated from
partisan politics.
Thanks police for help
To the editor:
We wan, to thank the North Port
land police officers, who responded
to the car theft report Monday, May
3, around 11:15 p.m ., fo r their
quick efficien t w ork. W ith in 10
minutes of the report one o f the o f
ficers was at our door saying they
■
Oreyon
Newspaper
Publishers
A sso cia tio n
Register
and
Vote.
had found the car and one o f the
persons who had stolen it.
We appreciate a jo b well done.
Those officers were: O ffs. Greeno
(female), Carson (female), Pantley,
Hascall and Bottcher.
Rev. & Mrs. John H. Parker
Citizens consider school options
(Continued fro m page I, column 6)
Boise P-5 children would be
transferred to the nearest school.
A pproxim ately 100 would go to
Reach, 113 to E lio t, 30 to H u m
b o ld t, 40 to Irv in g to n and 50 to
King. This plan would allow 427
transfer students to attend Eliot.
Cost o f this plan is S3.5 m illion
including S3.2 to renovate Boise and
$300,000 to expand Eliot. Transpor
tation would cost S245.OOO includ
ing $125,000 for Tubman students
and $120,000 for Boise students.
Eliot Plans
The capacity o f E lio t School
would be expanded to 600 as it
would be in the three Boise plans.
This would allow the enrollment of
80 additional students.
Eliot would be placed in the Mon
roe building and expanded to 600
students. Capital outlay would by
$5,450,000—$3,650,000 to renovate
Eliot, $600,000 to renovate Monroe.
O f this $1,200,000 has already been
set aside for Boise regardless o f the
use of the school.
Transportation would cost
$125,000. Since this plan adds
another building (M onroe) it also
adds $80,000 in operation costs and
$200,000 in lost rent potential.
Public testimony at the meeting
held at Tubman favored Eliot over
Boise. Many Tubman parents asked
why an Adams option could not be
discussed. Questions centered on
two areas: why the School Board
had changed its earlier decision to
locate the school at E lio t and re
garding possible educational d iffe r
ences between Boise and Eliot.
Charlotte Beeman, School Board
member and member o f the Dis
tric t’s mediation team, said, " I did
not make that p ro m is e ." She ex
plained that some people on the
West Side were opposed to middle
schools and succeeded in stopping
reorganization in their area, but
they are the losers.
She reiterated her opinio n that
her decision against Eliot was cor
rect—" I still don’ , have any feeling
that it was a bad decision on my
par,.’ ’
B ill Scott, School Board C h a ir
man, adm itted that there was no
new information available when the
decision was changed that was not
available when the original decision
was made.
Superintendent Matthew P ro
phet, calling the Tubman program a
“ m o d el,” said the program w ill
continue to be excellent regardless
o f where it is housed. " I will see to it
that, wherever the Board decides to
place it, Tubman will continue to be
the model it is and will improve."
Ron H erndon, co-chairman o f
the RUE, explained that the location
o f the school was selected because
E lio t would be least disruptive to
neighborhood children. The Elio,
program, to which all but 40 c h il
dren arc bused, could be placed else
where.
"Three years ago we began to ad
dress inequitable treatm ent. The
major issue was a middle school. It
had been said all along that all the
children had a middle school but it
wasn’t true.”
(Continued fro m page I, column 6}
Despite the strong signals they are
receiving that the world is no, their
oyster, Barringer said it is d iffic u lt
for students to grasp how the labor
market has changed. “ These kids
are still thinking they’ re going to
graduate and work for GM on the
line. This is in an area where they’ve
been laying o ff people with 10 and
15 years seniority."
For these and other students, it is
getting harder and harder to con
vince them to look beyond the fam
ilia r job horizons. Barringer noted
despairingly that at a recent career
day at the school, the overwhelm
ingly most popular choice o f career
was child care assistance— “ a job
that rarely pays more than m in i
mum wage and where there arc no
openings in this area.” Other, more
challenging career sessions, like civil
engineering and energy jobs, had to
be cancelled for lack of interest.
Because the job outlook fo r its
graduates is so dim, Romulus high
school has begun in vitin g recent
graduates back to school to take
more classes in hopes of giving them
some more marketable skills. O f last
year's graduating class o f 285, 35
students have come back for more
schooling.
O f course, many students still as
pire to professional carecers, but
they find the going tough. Howard
Mason, a senior at Romulus High,
has been w orking in a variety o f
jobs since he became a paper boy at
age 13. But he hasn't been able to
find a jo b since Christmas. Now
he's under pressure to cam money
to attend Tri-State University at An
gola, Indiana, next year. But after
several months o f fruitless jo b
searching, he’s decided to fill his af
A I McGilberry, Managing Editor
Association ■ Founded I t t i
To the editor:
I t ’s unfortunate that I am forced
to write this letter, however, under
the circumstances I feel it imperative
that I do so.
Upon entering the D is tric t 18
race, I was enthusiastic and felt
good about the possibilities for the
area. I wanted to believe (hat the
large field o f candidates would be
good fo r the D is tric t because it
would compel the voters to chal
lenge us to speak to the issues and
develop sound and workable solu
tions (programs) to solve the prob
lems of District 18.
I wanted (so much) for the candi
dates to keep the campaign on a
positive note and hopefully build a
foundation for a network o f leader
ship in our District. I wanted this so
bad tha, I led myself to believe that
all D istrict 18 campaign activities
would be conducted in fairness...
and that the basis fo r selecting a
candidate would be that individual’s
awareness o f the needs o f the Dis
trict and State and his/her ability ,o
function effectively in the Legisla
ture.
Unfortunately, events have tran
spired over the past few days that
have tainted the character o f the
race and its candidates. As the
stretch run begins, the campaign is
being reduced to backbiting and
mudslinging.
Specifically, a great number o f
my lawn signs have been destroyed
and/or stolen. I have received veiled
threats from other candidates. I ’ ve
also been offered political favors in
return for my withdrawal from the
race. Most recently, rumors have
surfaced indicating that “ I do no,
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ter-school hours (his spring in an
unexpected way. He's going out for
the track team. " I t ’s the first time
I've been able to do this since eighth
grade. I don't know whether to feel
good or bad about it . "
School counselors report an up
surge o f interest in the armed ser
vices. "There is a job there at least,
and you don’ , have to worry about
where your next meal is coming
fro m ," said a Tillamook senior.
David Montgomery, o f Portland,
plans to join the Navy after finish
ing a d iffic u lt senior year during
which he has worked at a $4-an-
hour maintenance job. Bu, he’ s no,
entirely happy with the decision. “ I
d o n ', wan, to go in to the service
saying life on the outside is crummy
because then maybe I won', wan, to
come out again."
Pacific Newsservice, I9H2
Rep. candidate hassled
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worth, Portland, Oregon 97217, Post OMice Box 3137, Portland,
Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland. Oregon
283 2486
As the evening wore on the audi
ence responded w ith laughs and
jeers to Charlotte Beeman’s state
ments, which were considered rigid,
insensitive and paternalistic. H a
leem Rashaan chided Mrs. Beeman
for her lack o f knowledge and un
derstanding o f the community’s his
tory. “ You have no sensitivity or
understanding o f what has gone on
for a number of years. You have an
answer but no understanding."
Letters to the Editor
Name
M EM BER
An item (hat has not been dis
cussed earlier was brought up in re
sponse to a question by Mrs. Eddie
Moss. The selection o f the Boise site
could result in the acquisition o f
property to the east and/or south o f
the school.
C harlotte Uris questioned the
pian to have 750 children at Boise—
a size long considered too large by
the School District, which has advo-
caied a size of no more than 600 for
middle schools. She said placing a
large number o f 6th, 7,h and 8th
graders together is "asking for trou
ble.”
High school grads find times are tough
Portland Observer
Subscriptions $10 00 per year in the Tri County area Post
m aster: Send address changes to the 1‘oriland Observer, P .0
Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208
The difference in cos, between
using Boise or Eliot is estimated at
$2 m illio n. “ The district must be
committed to re c tifyin g mistakes
and to pay for the mistakes o f the
past. Black students at King were
bused to 43 schools___Wha, price
tag is Portland paying now?” He
explained that the costs o f discrim
ination are high—in m;,ney and in
human lives—and that the money
spent cn Eliot is to remedy mistakes
o f the past. "The issue is equity."
A ddress___________
City
State
Portland Observer
Box 3137
Portland OR 97208
need the black vote to w in ."
This is a personal a ffro n t to my
integrity and character as a commu
nity leader, Oregonian, and candi
date for Stale Representative.. and
I refuse to accept it.
Those o f you who know me,
know that I am an honest and fair
person who disdains this unjustified
slander.
As the campaign draws to an end,
I want to assure you that I will con
tinue to speak to the issues and con
duct myself with dignity. For me to
do otherwise would be a disservice
to you, the public, and to myself.
My hope is that the final weeks o f
the campaign w ill be open and fair
and that you, the voters, are given
the opportunity to select the "best
candidate" for State Representative
in District 18.
Charles Stoudamirc