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Portland Observer, August 24,1963 Page 3
MHRC support
committee disbands
METROPOLITAN
The Committee for the Restora
tion o f the M etropolitan Human
Relations Commission has disband
ed. The citizen committee formed to
organize and coordinate support
for full restoration o f M H R C 's bud
get, staff and programs following
City Council cuts o f nearly 70
percent, as recommended by C om
missioner Margaret Strachan. The
coalition had grown to more than
thirty diverse, citywide organiza
tions and hundreds o f individual
citizens as a result o f the support
committee's activities.
Support committee chair, Fred
M ilto n , states the committee's
position: " W e disagree with the ap
proach M H R C has pursued in ac
cepting
whatever
Commissioner
Strachan wishes to offer them and
on the terms imposed. Since the
budget decision, M H R C has seem
ingly been unwilling to take an as
sertive position and definitive steps
in defense o f the integrity o f human
and civil rights.
"O ur goal has been," says Milton,
" to protect (he provision and inte
Bureaucratic hoops cloud NE solar
by Koben Lothian
Jim Cason it a big-hearted guy.
He does a lot o f favors for people,
but like anyone else, he’d rather
avoid getting ripped o ff in the proc
ess.
In 1980, under his own initiative,
Cason applied for, and won, a
$24,500 U S . Dept. of Energy grant
to install five demonstration solar
hot water heating systems for low
income and minority residents of
North and Northeast Portland.
The systems, now a year old, are
working well, he said, and are dem
onstrating that solar can work for
everyone, not just the wealthy. But
Cason has some sour feelings about
the grant process — all the hoops
the DO E made him jum p through.
Also, he ended up donating hun
dreds o f hours o f his time as a
“ freebie," which is nothing new for
Cason because he has helped other
community
projects,
including
KBOO and Eliot Energy House,
with his plumbing skills. O n this
one, though, he had expected to
make a little bit, yet by the time he
was done, the government was ask
ing him to pay taxes on the grant.
Cason learned about solar heating
while working as a plumber on one
of the State's largest solar installa
tions — Clay Towers in downtown
Portland. He eventually formed his
own business, CaSUN Solar M e
chanical, Inc.
He advocated nuclear power for a
long time, but was gradually won
over to soiar, partially because he
saw it as a way for poor people to
save on their utility bills and not
have to worry about being connect
ed into a utility that could cut them
o ff should they get a little behind in
their payments.
Cason felt the one-of-a-kind dem
onstration project, encouraged by
the Carter administration's interest
in solar and other alternative forms
of energy, could benefit the Black
community in particular.
" I felt it was unique to the mino
rity comm unity,” he said. " In the
minority community, people don’t
know about solar; they are always
the last ones to find out about new
things that will benefit them by
keeping the big boys' hands out o f
their pockets.”
The systems, worth about $4,000
each, were installed with the help of
homeowners and neighbors. Port
land Sun, a non-profit solar consult
ing firm which later became a victim
of Reagan budget cuts, provided
technical help.
Captured by roof-top collector
panels, the sun’s heat is transferred
to water circulating through a sys
tem of pipes and collected in a base
ment holding tank. The only cost is
that of installation and mainte
nance: those w b i heat water by
solar can save up to 75% on their
gas and electric bills, said Cason.
"Solar does work in Portland, and
BYE BYE BILLS - Solar panels are inatelled on
one of five homes of low-income end minority
families in North and Northeast Portland. Heat
it does save people money.” he said.
Two Black families, two white
families and a Native American
fam ily received the systems at no
obligation other than having at least
one open house so that people in
their neighborhoods would have a
chance to learn about solar, he said.
U p to 50 neighbors helped with in
stallation at each house, and learned
about solar heating, plumbing, sol
dering and electric wiring.
" I enjoyed the people," but also,
he said, " it took its toll on m e."
Problems came with the transfer
from the Carter to the Reagan ad
ministration. Carter would probab
ly have expanded the grants pro
gram, he said, but as soon as the
Reagan people got in, tax incentives
and other funds to encourage solar
dried up, the emphasis shifted to
nuclear, and the people at DO E
dragged their feet and created ob
stacles, said Cason. " A ll the
different avenues just kind of
closed.”
"F ro m the start up until the end I
had to deal with seven or eight d if
ferent staff people," each time
having to explain his story from the
start, said Cason.
By the time installation and con
sulting fees had been paid, he said,
(here was nothing left over for him,
and on top o f that, the government
made him pay taxes on the grant. " I
paid money to get the grant. So they
got one hell o f a deal. I really feel
like I was taken advantage o f."
He approached several unions
seeking volunteer help from appren
tices, but ran up against people who
wanted to protect their craft, he
said, and so didn’t get any union
help.
Also, said Cason, white solar con
sultants from Portland Sun had d if
ficulty gaining the trust of Black
from the sun will supply 60% of the families' hot
water needs The roof top panels on this home
have proved to be a money saving asset
families. " I wasn't able to get as
many Black families involved,” he
said. " In that respect the system
failed because here were white peo
ple trying to talk to Black people
about solar energy." Some didn't
understand solar concepts, and were
intimidated by the terminology, he
said. Also, according to Cason,
some were suspicious, thinking
"this is too good to be true." They
feared a lien or taxes sometime
iater.
In spite o f the problems, Cason
said he feels satisfied that the sys
tems are serving their purpose —
demonstrating that solar energy is
viable and car save money for low
income and minority people.
"O verall. I enjoyed making the
contacts with the different people It
was a nice experience to see a person
that didn't really know about solar
shut their gas or electricity o ff and
watch the temperature gauge on
their water storage tank go up to 160
degrees
They just can't believe it
so I tell them to put their hands
under the faucet, and their eyes light
up when they finally realize that it's
working That's what nice, to make
a believer out of someone.
"B ut the government hoops you
have to jum p through, that wasn't
too pleasant ’’
And as for the future of solar
energy? " I think the only thing
that's going to keep solar alive is the
tax credits," he said. "W ith o ut
them we’re dead in the w ater."
■I SCISSORS
«9*--
M— HAIR DESIG N
STUDIO
Including Cut and Style
Sculptured Nails
Reg ’46“ Now *36M i
Designer - Joyce Benbo
2733 N.E. Broadway • 288-5438
W ith thia coupon only • Expiration date September 10, 1983
Top to
bottom
Levi's
M .» ^5 OFF
A M en's all-cotton heavyweight
denims—a blue jeans legend
Reg $19 99
14.99
B Men's Saddleman sport shirt
Solids, stripes and plaids S-XL
Reg $17
11 99
Mens Action Slacks in solid colors
and heathers Super comfort'
Reg $25
19.99 pr
C Mens western cut plaid shir,—a
popular casual look S-XL
Reg $22 99
18 99
Men's Levi's for men stretch denim
jeans of cotton and polyester
Reg $30
24 99
D Big boys Saddleman* coordinates
Woven polyester and cotton shirts,
sizes 8-12 reg $12 99
8 99
Shirt sizes 14-20. reg $13 99 9 99
Cotton or cotton and -olyester
denim jeans, sizes 8 14.
reg $16 99
12 99
Jeans teen sizes, reg $19 5 15.99
E Little boys' woven plaid shirt,», cot
ton and polyester Sizes 4-7, reg
$10 99
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Saddleman* cotton and polyester
denim jeans, sizes 4-7.
reg $12 99
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F Big girls' woven plaid tops, cotton
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reg $18 99
14.99
Cotton denim straight leg jeans,
reg and slim sizes 7-14,
16.99
reg $20 99
p.m. at Northeast Ninth Ave. and
Church Street, said Craig Lore, a
hit-and-run investigator with the
Portland Police Bureau.
He said the driver o f the car, de
scribed as a woman in her '30s, was
westbound on Church when she
collided with the girl, who was
northbound on Ninth Ave.
Lore asked that witnesses to the
accident contact investigators.
Northeast schools
Boise split three ways
For the next two years, children
living in the Boise area in Grades 1-5
will attend school at the former C o
lumbia campus, 716 N .E . Marine
Drive. Boise's pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten students will attend the
Eliot program at the former W hita
ker campus. Boise's students in
Grades 6-8 will join the new W hita
ker Middle program during the re
modeling period.
Eliot School, 2231 N .E . Flint
Ave., is being remodeled for the
permanent home o f Harriet Tub-
man M iddle School — temporarily
located in the former Monroe High
campus at 2508 N .E . Everett St.
Eliot's pre-kindergarten to Fifth-
grade students will attend school at
the former W hitaker campus, 5135
N .E . Columbia Blvd.
The previous Colum bia-W hitaker
Middle School, which was located in
two separate campuses, has been
merged into one W hitaker Middle
School located at (he former Adams
High School building, 5700 N .E .
39th Ave.
W hitaker Middle will continue to
serve the Woodlawn,
Vernon,
Faubion, Meek and Rigler primary
schools.
The two campuses vacated by C o
lumbia-Whitaker w ill be occupied
for the next two years by the Boise
and Eliot early childhood education
programs.
Boise School, 620 N .E . Fremont
Ave., is to be remodeled into a new
early childhood education center
serving students now in the Boise
and Eliot attendance areas.
r
Levis
L E V I S T R A U S S 8t C O
«
You may win a dream trip
for two to the Los Angeles
1984 O ly m p ic G am es
when you help choose the
uniform of the U S Olympic
team
Sears pricing policy It an item is not t ie
senoed as reduced or a special purchase it is
at its regular price A special purchase
though not reduced is an exceptional value
Soti»fo<tion g u a r a n te e d or your m o n e y bock
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Permanent Waves Rey ’45°” Now ’25°° !
Curls Reg ’50“ Now ’2500 ■
Police seek hit-run driver
Portland Police are trying to find
the driver of a car who struck an 11-
year-old bicyclist in Northeast Port
land Saturday afternoon August
13th and failed to return to the scene
of the accident after telling the girl
she was going for help.
l.eanetta Jessie, o f 4726 N .E .
33rd Ave., broke her right leg in two
places.
The accident occurred about 4:15
grity o f a strong, independent and
unified human and civil rights ef
fort locally. We believe that human
and civil rights policy making and
administration mutt transcend the
dictates o f any tingle politician and
must not be politicized, as is the
goal o f Commissioner Strachan."
"Because M H R C it not advocat
ing in behalf o f its budget, staff,
programs and continued indepen
dence," states M ilto n , " i t is unwit
tingly forfeiting administration and
direction o f human and civil rights
to a single aspiring politician. That
it an extremely dangerous and un
settling situation for these times and
for a community as diverse as ours.
" In spite o f the disbanding o f (he
support committee, it still believes,
as was unanimously agreed upon by
the coalition's organizations attend
ing a July 20th meeting," says
M ilto n , "th at the only reasonable
course o f action to restore integrity
to human and civil rights is for the
issue to come before the City Coun
cil for full public discussion."
V
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J
■ * t ■ • t s
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Sale prices throughout this section will be etteclive
Wednesday August 24th through Saturday August
27th unless otherwise specified Thia otter good at
Sears retail stores Sears Washington State Conirac
tor s permit number SEARS-SR 372NT Nominal
charge tor home delivery
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