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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1984)
Portland Observer, January 18, 1964 Section I Pape 3 METROPOLITAN School oard rejects call for districting The refusal o f the Portland School Board to honor an initiative petition filed by the Citizens for a M ore Representative School Board has initiated a legal debate that might well take the School District back to court— at taxpayer expense. •‘Citizens” filed their petition in December o f 1983, calling on the School Board to set aa election to let district residents vote on their prop osition dividing the School District into seven zones and requiring each member elected to live in a separate zone. The petition action was taken un der OS 331.095, which requires that, upon the filing of a petition with 1,000 signatures, the School Board must place the issue before the vot ers. A second law (O RS 332.128) went into effect January I , 1984. raising the number o f required sig natures to 25 percent o f the elector ate or approximately 47,000 (nearly CHAIR CHARLOTTE BEEMAN as many as required for a state-wide initiative). The attorney hired by the School Board to clarify the issue told the board that although the signatues were submitted to the County Regis trar and verified before January 1st, the later law is now in effect and takes precedence. The Secretary o f State's office, which regulates elections, disagrees Deputy Secretary o f State C . Gregory M cM urdo wrote December 5th, " I f your petition is filed with the County Clerk on or before F ri day, December JOth. 1983, the peti tion will need to contain the signa tues of 1,000 electors o f the district, O RS 331 095. I f your petition is filed after December 30, 1983, the petition will need to contain the sig natures o f a number o f electors of the district that is not less than 25 percent o f all votes cast in the dis trict for the office o f Governor at the 1983 general election ” The elec tion is to be held no sooner than 40 days after the date o f its order and no later than March 26. 1985. Lewis C. l.ittlehales. Counsel to the Legislature, who wrote the bill, agrees: "W e conclude that because the petition was filed in December the number of signatures required to be contained in the petition is 10 percent or at least 1,000 persons, whichever is the lesser, o f the elec tors voting for the office o f school director at the last regular district election in the district." Because the School Board refused to accept this definition, the citizens groups w ill ask the S ecretary o f State's O ffic e to take the responsi bility o f ordering the School Board to perform its duty to the voters. The Portland School Board has long opposed districting, and, until the 1983 Legislative Session, was successful in keeping in place a law that prevented only the Portland District (cities o f more than 300.000) from districting Board member H e rb Caw thorne moved that a H oard c o m m itte e study the issue H e was supported by Bill Scott, w ho said he prefers zones, but the motion failed 5-2. Sunday, J a n u a r y 2 9 , 19S4 N t x if i - 6 p in MATT DISHM AN C O M M U N IT Y CENTER 7 7 N E KNO TT ST A dults Sl.OO Children Free FOR INFORMATION CALL 284*^552 Sponsored b\ lhe BLACK E IX ’C A llO N A l Supported (. ENTER «ta Menopoiiian Ain lommiHMX’ ami ita Mainxiai tmfcMmrni (or Ita Art» Local jazz show features record reviews by Lanita Duke Crassrool News, N. B'. — Since June o f 1983, Eugene Rashad, 29, has made the video connection with Jazz Scene, a weekly jazz show aired every Sunday on Channel 36, Rogers Cablesystems. In the beginning, Rashad would play a record while displaying the al bum cover. Experience and maturity polished up the rough edges and he soon added a different dimension to lhe show. He said, " I started inter viewing local musicians, adding video clips and jazz news.” The news is anchored by Rashad’s w ife, Aida. “ O ur sources lire B ill board, Down Beal and USA To day. This gives our audience a per spective to measure music as an art fo rm ." As a critic Rashad said different life experiences d eterm in e how he judges an album. "Som e o f my life experience is suffering. I believe that nothing gets better unless something hurts. M y life has had certain set backs because I was born a Black male in a repressive society. Living from one day to the next makes me find out what I'm made of. "W h en I hear Herbie Hancock play 'M aiden Voyage,' I feel what Hancock feels. It takes me out o f the realm o f everyday human feel- ings into a different threshhold. It is like a different experience " Rashad said he believes Jazz does not have the economic infrastruc ture of pop music. H e said. " A m e r ican society prevents the creative forces o f Black people from coming to a head. They do this by suppres sing the cash flow from coming into the studio and limiting the number o f people who receive contracts." He called the American music in dustry "n a iv e ." "T h e y say that the market is in pop but jazz is A m eri ca's only true art fo rm .” Rashad is a regular fixture as one of KBOO's jazz D.J.s. But he said his experience comes from his tenure with the Nation o f Islam. " I am proud to have been a part o f an or ganization that really demonstrated love and concern for the Black peo ple. It left its mark on me. I feel I have something to offer while people arc watching That is the time to move— while people are watching " For the future Rashad wants to produce a jazz version o f M T V . He said, " I t is the same old question. What are Black people going to do in the market they created? W ill we be able to command the dollars?" In reviewing albums Rashad looks at the instrumentation. " I played a record this Sunday that had no synthesizer or keyboard instru ments. However, it sounded like it did. That is class—quality— and I like th a t." Rashad invites the community to tune in every Sunday starting at 3:00 King designs sought Design selection for the commem o rative plaque at the King N e ig h borhood Facility w ill be a com m u nity effort, according to Facility co ordinator Jim Loving. The plaque, to honor slain civil rights leader M a r tin L u th er K ing, J r., w ill be funded by the C ity o f P o rtla n d and P o rtla n d P u b lic EUGENE f t AIDA RASHAD (Photo: Richard J Brown) Schools. The funding announcem ent was made p ublic Jan. 10 at a fa c ility press b rie fin g by S u p t. M a tth e w P ro p het and C ity C o m m is sio n e r Margaret Strachan. Loving and Betty W 'alker, chair o f the facility advisory com m ittee, announced today (J a n . 17) that members o f the c o m m u n ity have been invited to submit designs for the plaque. Designs should be 24 inches square and ap p ro p ria te for a cast bronze plaque w ith raised letters. W alker said A ll designs must be submitted to the K ing N e ig h b o rh o o d F a c ility , 4815 N .E . 7th A v e ., Po rtlan d, O R 97211 before 5 p .m ., Friday, Febru ary 3, 1984 N am es, addresses and phone numbers should be attached . Harold Williams Martin Luther King has shown in the way he lived that a person's success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed. Help me remove obstacles that are in the way of our success. By remembering to register and vote. P o Paid to r by th e C o m m itte e To Elect H ero ld W illiam e 8 8 0 / P o rtla n d O reflo n 1722t Paul K naule Traaeurar Bo« CURL SALE Curl Regular $65.00 NOW $40.0 0 PSU celebrates Black History Month The Black Cultural A ffairs Board at Portland State University, a stu dent organization, has planned a se ries o f special community events during February, Black History M onth. Titled " A Celebration of Life, Culture and Achievements,” the observance will feature nation ally known performers and films. T o kic k-o ff the celebration, the B C AB w ill once again host the Annual Gospel Festival Saturday, Jan 28. at 7:30 p.m in the Smith Center ballroom . Featured will be recording artist Vanessa Bell A rm strong. Armstrong began singing gospel at the age o f 4 and has ap peared with some o f the greatest gospel talents o f today. She has per formed all across the country, sing ing in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and many other cities, devastating her au- • diences with her articulate voice control and versatility. The gospel festival will also fea- • ture local gospel artist Jo Ann Col- ' lins. Collins was raised in a holiness ! church and was inspired to sing at • an early age A fter many years o f ; perform ing in the rhythm and blues : area, she vowed to sing only gospel • • : • • music. This year's festival also w ill spot- light two local choirs: Greater M t. Calvary Churuch o f God in Christ, Bishop H B. Daniels presiding; and the Ministers of Music, home choir o f the Albina Church o f God whose • pastor is Rev. Irving. Tickets are available at the House of Sound records, Meier A Frank VANESSA BELL ARMSTRONG (downtown), and the Portland State University box office. Ticket prices are 54 general admission and $3.50 with valid PSU I D . This event is co sponsored by the M etropolitan Arts Commission. O n Wednesday, Feb. I , at 8 p .m ., also in the Smith Center Ballroom, the BCAB w ill present a two-hour performance by Phillip E. W alker o f the African American Drama Company of San Francisco. His one-man show, " C a n I Speak For You, Brother,” depicts such leaders as M artin Luther King, Jr., M a l colm X , Fredrick Douglass. Haki Madhubuti (D o n . L. Lee), High John da Conqueror, W .E .B . D u B o is . Booker T . Washington, and Sgt Emmanuel Stance. Tickets PHILLIPE WALKER are $2.50 general admission, $2 with valid PSU I D. Also that same day. W alker will present a free w ork shop, entitled "Physical Posture and Politics," at 3:00 p.m . The lo cation will be announced soon. The main feature o f this year', Black History M onth w ill occur Thursday, Feb. 23, at 8 p .m ., in the Smith Center Ballroom, with a rare Northwest appearance by one o f the most diverse artists o f our tim e—G il Scott-Heron. Scott-Heron was ini tially published and recorded in 1970. In the fall of that year, "T he Vulture,” a mystery novel set against the background o f urban street survival, was published simul taneously with a volum e o f poetry, "Sm all Talk at 12th and L en ox." Flying Dutchman Records released a record with selections from the poetry volume and original songs played and sung by Scott-Heron who accompanied himself on piano. It is his teaching experience and background (Johns Hopkins U n i versity and Lincoln University) as well as his artistic achievements that have contributed to the success of Scott-Heron's lecture and solo-per formance appacrances. The au dience is presented with poetry and muisic, but also with the political in cisiveness that created classics such as "T h e H2Ogatc Blues." " W e Beg Your Pardon, Am erica,” and "Jose Campos Torres" (a poetic response to the death of a young Mexican- American at the hands of Houston police). This will be a rare appear ance you won't want to miss! Ticket prices arc $7 general ad mission, $6 with valid PSU I D. Tickets are available at the House of Sound. Meier A Frank (downtown), and the PSU box office. Other BCAB activities will in clude a Black Film Festival featur ing such films as "L orrain e Hans- berry: The Black Experience in the Creation of D ra m a ," "Fundi: The Story o f Ella Baker,” and "Genera tions o f Resistance.” focusing on the struggle to survive in South A f rica. The festival will run Feb. 3 to 24, with showings every Friday at 7:30 p.m in 75 Lincoln H all. A d mission to all films in the series will be free This event is co-sponsored by the PSU Film Committee and the Portland State W om en’ s Union. (includes Cut Curl. Conditioner and Style) 'C e llo p h a n e H air C olor R eg u lar ’20®® ‘25°® NOW $10.0 0 Hair Cuts Regular $15.OO-$2O.OO NOW $10.0 0 b u tch coprs; F fa ir D e s ig n F o r M e n S W o m e n 1 4 1 0 N E B n o o c tw a y . 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