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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1982)
Portland Observer, September 1,1962 Page 5 ¿MoUçfaiooô ^Florist Programs planned for N.E. Senior Citizens g r o t t i ¿ H o ll^ fn a o b by Gladys McCoy, County Commissioner Senior Citizens continue to be on the move! In M ay, 1 98 2,1 expressed my excitement about the movement the Northeast Senior Citizens were making in regards to the open house and the planning programs and ser vices to be provided in th e ir new building located at 4128 N .E . Union Avenue, Portland. Once again, I am excited! Both the programs and ser vices being planned for Seniors at the U niversity P ark C o m m u n ity Center in North Portland are mov ing right along. The plan for this Senior program ming goes back three years when I implemented a North Portland Task Force for a Senior Center location. After a year and a half o f meetings, the possible sites were narrowed to the St. Johns Com m unity Center, Columbia Park, and the University Park C om m unity Center. The last meeting before the University Park C o m m u n ity C enter rem odeling started was in M arc h , 1981, when Project A B L E , Housing A uthority o f P o rtla n d , Loaves and Fishes, City, County, and Task Force mem bers were present. M o re recen tly, the rem odeling project at the University Park Com munity Center is proceeding close to schedule and the opening date for full activities will be in early Novem ber, 1982. The building will be very attractive and inviting w ith zones fo r m axim um uses by all age groups. One section is particularly arranged to provide an array o f comprehensive programs and ser vices for Seniors with a handicapped access ramp that can be convenient ly separated from other activities in the building. An Ad Hoc Committee represent- ing Project A B L E , C ity Park Bur eau, the H ousing A u th o rity o f P o rtla n d , Loaves and Fishes, the North Portland Community Action, A rea Agency on A ging, and the C o u n ty have been m eeting since June to fin a liz e plans to provide recreation, education, legal services, health services, food services, and classes in conjunction with Loaves and Fishes and a volunteer corps. Subcommittees are being formed to see that these programs are in place for the Fall T erm , with the under standing that more specific Senior needs will be identified during the Fall Term and implemented during the Winter Term. It is acknowledged that the U n i versity Park Community Center D i rector is responsible for program ming for all age groups; however, my primary concern is for Seniors. There will be programs and services, not just fo r Seniors in C o lu m b ia V illa and T a m a ra c k , but fo r all Seniors in the North end o f the City. The effort will be to avoid duplica tion o f services unless it is necessary and to emphasize coordination and cooperation. The goal, as in the Northeast, is to enhance the quality in the lives o f Senior Citizens. 1 encourage my constituents to be aware o f the Senior activities planned fo r this fa c ility ; become active through p artic ip a tio n . P r i vate transportation will be provided for those who are unable to take the bus. For those o f you who are able to use public tran sp ortation , T r i- M et Bus #4 Fesseden services the community center. Look forward to the Open House for the remodeled Center in Novem ber! Michael Stoops: A hand to man (Continued from page I cot 2) Avenue, in 1980 because the need was there: "Some o f the hotels wouldn't rent to the women who were on the streets,” he says. “ I thought the women should have a choice. Some were selling their bod ies to get a place to sleep.. . It's a combination shelter/hotel. We (the Burnside Community Council, o f which he is chairperson) give shelter to a maximum o f 132 women a night during the winter months.” Moreover, Stoops and the Coun cil were responsible for initiating the Hobo Parade which was recently held for the second year. He says ev ery neighborhood needs a parade and that theirs, the Hobo Parade, "got national attention.” Moreover, in his continued en deavor with the Skid Road Commu nity, Stoops was instrumental in the formation o f Project Jackroll: "as sisting people involved in the crimi nal justive system” ; providing win ter patrols for residents o f the com munity who fear venturing from their dwelling places; recycling wine bottles at a penny each (because of the litter problem they create as well as the fact that they can be used as weapons); and the Hobo News. For merly The Pipeline, the Hobo News, a quarterly, "is written by Skid Stoops admits to not being a fan Road people.” Classifying himself as a " fu ll o f Mayor Ivancie — in fact, he says time activist since 1969,” Stoops is he goes through each of the M ayor’s responsible for inviting Curtis proposals with a "fin e tooth Sliwa, founder/president of the comb.” Therefore, when the Mayor Ouardian Angels, to come to Port announced his "W a r on C rim e,” land and look into the possibility o f Stoops thought it was o ff the mark. setting up a chapter o f (he Angels in " I f there is going to be a war on the city. The Guardian Angels, ori crime,” he says, " le t’s all get in ginated in New York City, serves as volved.” He adds that the M ayor’s a deterrent to the city’s crime prob attack on parks is directed towards lem. the North Park Blocks and possibly Stoops says he took a risk when the South Park Blocks. Although the latter, which in a sense can be he invited Sliwa to come to Portland called University Row, is question because he didn’t know if he would come across as a "tough guy” or able. Students are a lot different not. Moreover, he says, "There is a from "bum s,” he adds. While being a self-admitted cultural difference between Port "non-fan o f the M ayor,” Stoops land and New York C ity ." says if the Mayor had proposed And that "cultural difference” bringing Sliwa to Portland there may be why his concern is so acute. probably would have been opposi Explaining (hat he has already in tion to the idea from the Urban terviewed many possible candidates League, the Black United Front, for a possible Guardian Angels himself, and some other coalition chapter, Stoops says that although groups. most expressed a genuine concern W ith those things set aside — ac for the community, he is adamant complishments and instigations — about being involved in every facet the room at the Butte Hotel is clos o f the implementation — if a chap ing in on Stoops. He says he is ter is formed in Portland. His con “ good for another five years” but ception o f the first use o f such a the urge to "ride the rails, hop group in Portland would be "along freight trains, camp out in hobo the Transit M all and the Burnside jungles, live from day to day, share area.” the ’culture’ o f hobo life and record And then we come to why he in a history that is almost as old as the vited Sliwa to Portland. I n YAW S R esta u r a n t 2005 N.E. 40th Portland, OR 97212 249-1888 W e Deliver Anyw here ¡Buying Cars Running Or Not: \ g 0 C K E T AUTO country itself” has set in, and he also wants to write a novel about the experience o f hobo life. And then, if he decides to run for mayor, he will announce his can didacy in M ay o f ’83. He feels that he can “ garnish o ff 20 percent of the vote and at least force a run o ff.” He is not particularly over whelmed about the M ayor’s job and his decision whether or not to run is contingent on who opposes the Mayor if he seeks reelection in ’84. A Democrat, Stoops sees the City Council as a place where he could serve well and he says that Com missioner Charles Jordan, among one or two others, is the kind o f per son he could support for the posi tion o f Mayor. Stating flatly that “ I don’t want Ivancie to get it again,” he sees the 1980s as an anti-tramp era and com ments that the M ayor’s " 'W ar on Crime’ is going after the wrong kinds o f crime.” He adds that “ it’s a kind o f window dressing.” “ I want to help people, I am dedi cated and I want to have an im pact,” Stoops says. " . . . I want to help the people on Burnside.” M ild mannered and mostly soft spoken, he says, “ I f I am killed on the streets, I want to be a part of the action. I t ’s important to me to prac tice what I believe in .” Elderly face tough housing decisions Deciding where to live can be a i tough for the elderly as it is foi younger adults, but where young people may be looking for ways to purchase a house o f their own, the elderly are often looking for ways to get out o f houses (hey have owned and lived in for many years. I t ’s a com m on d ilem m a, says Marilyn Lunner, Clackamas County Extension agent. Upkeep o f sprawl ing yards gets more challenging ev ery year. U tility and upkeep costs may also be high. And trudging to the basement to do laundry may be a real hassle. " I n spite o f these draw backs, staying at the ol* homestead may be feasible if disadvantages can be min im iz e d ," M a rily n says. " M a y b e some remodeling can help.” A ll room s, including the b a th room and laundry facilities, might be located on the first floor, for ex am ple. A n o th er o p tion is to turn part o f the house into a rental unit. The tenant could take care o f yard and house maintenance in exchange for lower monthly rent. "M oving to a retirement village is one option that may be more costly than other c h o ic e s," says V ick i Schm all, Oregon State U niversity Extension gerontology specialist. "T h e older person may not want to live around only older people. Also, if moving to another community is necessary, the question o f adjusting to new surroundings and m aking new friends comes up.” Selling the home and moving to an apartment is a favored alterna tive for many older people. Giving up open spaces, especially if favorite hobbies require lots of room, can be a disadvantage, and so can sharing common walls with neighbors. On the other hand, a smaller space takes less housecleaning, re sponsibilities for maintenance are reduced, and all rooms, including lau nd ry fac ilitie s , may be on the same floor. The question o f living with grown children also may come up, but this usually isn’t the first choice of older people. According to Schmall, most older adults want to live near, but not with, their children. Four out of five people over age 63 live within a h a lf-h o u r’ s drive o f at least one child, she says. W hatever housing arrangement you’ re considering, Schmall recom mends m in im izin g the risk o f making a wrong decision. T ry out the situation before making it per m anent. M ayb e you can stay in a retirement village for a week with a friend — or spend an extended time in F lo rid a to see what i t ’ s like m oving that fa r fro m fa m ilia r haunts. Professional Rest Control Supplies For Do-it-yourself Hom eowners D o not make a decision based on what others have told you or what you have seen on a short vacation, Schmall urges. Experiencing a situa tion as a “ tourist” is often quite d if ferent from experiencing the same situation as a "resident.” What will it be like living in that environment year after year? "Finally, remember that selection o f housing — no matter what your age — must be a very deliberate de cision,” Schmall says. " I f it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Listen to your innermost feelings, instead o f discounting them.” G used motors & parts « DOMESTIC & FOREIGN £ WE B U Y C A R S 9200 NE Halsey - Phone 255-6310! ROCKET TOWING CO. J w ,T o .!4 H „. . 9200 NE Halsey - 253-11 I I J C a rs rem oved from p r iv a te p ro p e rty a t o w n e r's e x p e n s e ! WE’RE HERETO HELP YOU! Expert consultation on your transportation needs on both new and used cars. WENDELL BROWN Sates Representative RON TO NKIN CHEVROLET-! 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