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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1983)
Portland Observer, July 27, 1983, Section I, Page 3 METROPOLITAN Controversy continues: New MHRC Chairman picked by Robert Lothian Even though its budget has been cut by two-thirds and its staff by over half, the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission can still play a positive role, according to the commission's new chairman. Bea vtrton attorney Vincent Deguc. " W e have a tremendous momen tum,** said Deguc, 33, who has served on M H R C since 1976 and who describes himself as one o f the "o ld guard" on the commission. " I think there was a considerable breakdown in communication,** said Deguc, referring to the cuts. " W e feel that for one reason or an other, she (commissioner Margaret Slrachan) received a lot o f misinfor mation. W e’re trying to resolve that now I'm optimistic that things can be worked out.*’ In the 1983 budget, the city com mission cut M H R C funds from $300,000 to $100,000 and staff from 11 to 4. M H R C ’ s neighborhood me diation program was transferred to the O ffice o f Neighborhood Associ ations, and the fair housing pro gram into the city's housing office. Deguc said responsibility for the "massacre” o f M H R C cannot be laid entirely at Strachan's feet. " I t didn't take one vote to create the current M H R C problem, it took three, .it's the city’s commitment to civil rights,” he said. " W e go back and look at the bud get process. There was no discussion in terms o f policy as to why the fair housing and neighborhood media tion programs were divested.” Deguc described the mediation service as "an excellent program, a program that we created, that had phenomenal success. That was a direct service function the commis sion had. It was M H R C 's baby. All of a sudden, zappo-bango, guess what, folks, this thing you have nur tured all along is no longer yours.” For the fair housing program, the scenario was similar, he said. Deguc questions whether neigh borhood mediation and fair housing will be able to maintain quality pro grams " in house.” " W e see some watering down there. W e have at least a question as to whether they will be able to maintain the level o f sensitivity,” he said. M H R C is sponsored jointly by the city and county, with seven members from Portland, seven from M ultnom ah County, and one at-large member. Task forces cover equal justice, employment, housing and handicapped issues. M H R C 's staff does research on local civil rights issues, including police-com munity relations. The commission has been recog nized as an independent body be cause o f its sensitive role in civil rights issues, according to Deguc. M H R C is too strong, even with its reduced capacity, for independence to be an issue, he said. "T h e com mission is not willing, even in its dis cussions with Margaret Slrachan, to discuss its independence. In order to be effective, it must maintain its in dependence in making policy deci sions. I t ’s not going to be anybody's political fo otb all,” he said. "W here we are losing it ," said Deguc, "is in our ability to initiate new programs. W e have lost a lot o f capacity to address new issues.” The area o f "com parable w o rth ," or equal pay for equal work for men, women, minorities and non- minorities was something that M H R C had wanted to look into, but which will now be neglected, he said. In spite o f obvious need, "th at's a research issue we simply can’ t get in to ,” said Deguc. Slrachan recommended the cuts to make M H R C more efficient. “ The M H R C hasn't been as active, effective and visible as I'd like them to be in the com m unity,” she said. But according to Fred M ilto n , chairman o f the Comm ittee for Restoration o f M H R C , the cuts and transfers “ effectively gutted” the city's civil rights program and were "a n insult to our intelligence and an insult to the com m unity,” he said. Critics charged Slrachan with staging a power play to take control o f M H R C away from staff members with whom she had conflicts, and that whe was trading votes with M ayor Ivancie. (M H R C reportedly was unpopular with the M ayor for its support o f Ballot Measure 51, which asked for creation o f a citi zen's auditing commission to review police-community disputes.) The Comm ittee for Restoration of M H R C , an ad hoc coalition o f 30 community groups, agreed unani mously at its July 20th meeting to press for a full city council hearing to air their grievances publicly and demand the restoration o f M H R C to its original budget, staff and pro grams. The committee can be reached at 248-1816. Deguc, a third-generation Pole, is one o f the few Polish- and Russian- speaking attorneys in the area. He is often called upon to defend Russian farmworkers in Clackamas County. From 1975-77, he served as a V IS T A attorney with the Urban Indian Council. As far as his personal motivation for civil rights work is concerned, " I would like to have our community and our world be a better place to live in for my kids than it was for me,” he said. Children playing with fire were the probable cause of this one-alarm fire at 6254 N. Williams lest week. Damage to the home was esti mated to be 846.000. One firefighter was Injured In the blaie. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) gged jeans for n o w $3 to $5 o ff 999 Western Toughskms' zes 8-12. 99 Boys' sizes 14-20 to 99 B $11 99 Western Toughskms. boys3-6x 6 99 C $13 99 R01 L'Hiver girls, sizes 7-14 $7 99 Plaid top leans, 9 .9 9 5.99 D $16 99 Fashion Toughskms, boys 8 12 13.99 Pieced lop. 8-12, reg $8 99 7 19 14-20. reg $9 99 7.99 $11 99 Fashion jeans, girls' sizes 3-6x 7.99 *^ - J Rough-Housers ' jeans closeout Quantities 197 Boys rugged denim s are hard ic wear out easy 10 care lor Polyester and cotton Sues 3 S i were $7 99 Io S10 99 Sues 8 ? 0 were S9 99 10 *12 99 5pe<iet purcfeeee Were $ 11 99 Big boys cords S 97 YWCA expands to North/Northeast steering committee, and Roy P itt man and Katie Bretsch, who are in volved with the Inner Northeast committee. " T h e programs we decide to offer we want to be meaningful and con structive, and follow the Y M C A Mission Statement,” M iller said. The "m ission" o f the Y M C A of Colum bia-W illam ette. M iller ex plained, is " to significantly improve and positively influence the condi tions which affect the quality o f life for our members, our families and our com m unity.” " O u r presence in the N o rth /ln n er Northeast area will not be a token presence,” M iller emphasized. “ We will give meaningful service to the people in the community. W e want the people there to think o f the Y M C A as their Y M C A . " T h e community has been very receptive,” M iller added, noting that existing agencies have also been helpful in the Y M C A 's efforts. "People have been warm and cor d ia l." Teen sizes reg $20 99 Plaid shirt, 8-12. reg $16 99 Plaid shirt. 14 20. reg $17 99 16 99 12.99 13 99 Little boys’ western cotton denim |eans, sizes 4-7, reg $13 99 10.99 Yarn-dyed western shirt, sizes 4-7, reg $10 99 7 99 Big boys cotton corduroy leans, authentic western styling, sizes 8 16. reg $17 99 Teen sizes reg $19 99 Fred M iller, director of Y M C A Extension Program. A new commitment to N o rth / Inner Northeast Portland is being made by the Y M C A o f Columbia- W illamette following a strategic planning effort in those communi ties. Fred M iller, 33, has been named Director o f the Y M C A Extension Program for the N o rth /ln n er Northeast area M iller has been with the Y M C A in Portland for three years, and prior to that was a pro gram director for the Berkeley, C al ifornia Y M C A . "C u rren tly, we're developing a statement o f the long-term role of the Y M C A in (hat area,” M iller said. “ By long-term, I mean five, ten or fifteen years.” M iller explained that he is at work now putting together a steering committee o f citizens from N o rth / Inner Northeast, and that it will be that group which decides what kind o f programs will best serve the people in those communities. Key volunteers at this time are Zeph Mc- Naughton, chairman o f the North Big boys' fashion |eans of 100% cotton denim In sizes 8 to 16 13 99 15 99 Save 2 5 % R o e b u c k s '* * l e a t h e r c a s u a ls f o r m e n and w om en Men s Reg $39 99 Women s Reg $32 99 Roebucks casuals offer soft comfortable leather uppers Man-made soles All Roebucks are made in the U S A Women s coppertone ox lord 2-eyelet he B Women s brown kiltie slip- on Running shoe with rugged nylon to d sueded s p ii'-ie a th e r upper D u ra b le rubber sole Cushioned msoie with padded arch support White upper with red and blue trim $ 2 3 9 5 Boys youths s u e s You can count on 18 9 5 p r Sears SIABS «OlftUCK ANO CO Women s brown leather slip-on. oxford wavy- bottom oxford and Sport boat-look styles also on sale C Men s saddle tan oxford pad ded collar 4-eyeiet tie PVC quarter lining WASHINGTON SQUARE * RHONE A20-1BW S atitfo ction g u a ra n te e d or your m o n ey back H IG H W A Y 217 et G AEENBUAO AO AAAK FACI •AxMby Arv FnAey »Oe m » I » * tb*wrA»y• » • m W 0 0B• m luMgyttMeialg« Men's short sleeve dress shirts These Perma Prest dress shirts ot polyester and cot ton reg $8 each now for Net »wear $12 3 for 9 99 PORTLAND PHONE 23B 2311 N E ORANO et LLOYD ALVO AAAK FAES Ma "Bei br B » 'Nby • IO e m le • » m T weetNv ^»»AneeBii 7* hxbb »» • 0 • m » I * m T i—dfri «re»— O b i ìt'v'ertby • ® e m M l | * S*u»<Ny • » • m w l K» « twMBy noor 90 • B m