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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1985)
Portland Observer, April 10, 1965, Page 3 METROPOLITAN Shopkeeper caters to Indian immigrants by Robert Lothian John J. Devi Dess has done a lot in his 36 years. He was born and grew up in the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. His parents had moved there from India, drawn by programs o f the British colonial government to develop >he islands. As a boy he developed an interest in movies. He has made one movie al ready in India and plans to make two more soon. A t a young age, he left the islands as a merchant seaman. He traveled to New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan. India and C anada before settling in Portland 16 years ago. He speaks H indi, the language o f India; English; F iji; and Urdu, which is spoken in Pakistan. Somewhere along the way. he be came a journeyman boilermaker. Night finds him repairing ships at the Swan Island shipyards. During the day he can be found at his small store, F iji Island Groceries — House o f India, which he has oper ated since 1978 at 3964 N. Interstate. It's the only store in Portland cater ing to immigrants from India. About 2,000 people o f Indian extraction live in Portland, according to Dass. He knows most o f them. “ M y cus tomers, if they don’t see me for a cou ple o f days, they start looking for me,” he said. About 50 percent o f his business is John J. Davi Dass behind the counter of hie Fiji lele Grocery (Photo Richard J. Brown) with Southeast Asian refugees, he said. Dass enjoys the cross-cultural ex periences afforded by his store, his travels to India and his work in the shipyards. " I like to meet people from all around the w o rld ," he said. The small store, a former gas sta tion, is filled with the aroma o f im ported teas and spices, especially curry. He sells canned vegetables from India, canned mutton (sheep meat) from Australia and “ papa d am " — deep-fried rice cakes popu lar with Indians and Orientals Illustrations o f Indian gods and goddesses line the walls ol his tiny office. One is the “ god o f money," he said, smiling. A color photograph shows Dass with India’s top movie star, Amita bah Bacchan. A copy o f Screen inaga nne lies on his desk. Dass said movies have been his hobby since boyhood The movie he made in India, " A Story o f M id n ig h t," is a fam ily drama about a cataclysmic monsoon flood and how it affects an Indian family. He plans to return to India this summer to make two more "sad movies," as he calls them. “ Indians like tearjerkcrs," he said. It is unlikely, however, that In dia's top movie star will be in Dass' movies because he has gone into p oli tics. Dass predicts he w ill be prime minister within ten years. On the store's back wall is a unique collection o f H indi and Urdu lan guage video tapes His is the only store in Oregon which carries the tapes, said Dass. Some o f the videos have English subtitles One, “ G irl From In d ia ," is good for Americans who want to learn about Indian culture, he said. Dass also operates a travel agency and a small ship supply company out o f his store, fie is a member o f the local Indian Association, which each year puts on a fall festival called “ Dipa W a lli,” with music, dancing and food Dass looks forward to the success o f his two movies, and returning to Portland to build a Hindu temple. People from India in Portland don't have a temple n o w ," he said. Volunteers vital to Bess Kaiser programs Velma Stowe, a 74-year-old dyna mo, and Tracy Wilson, a 14-ycar-old Roosevelt High School student, have been named Bess Kaiser Hospital's adult and student volunteers o f the year. Stowe, who lives in Northeast Portland, has been volunteering her energies and talents at the hospital following an extended hospitalization there seven years ago. Today, she heads up the volunteer effort o f as sembling blank charts, sits on the volunteer’s budget committee, and takes photographs o f the hospital and staff and special occasions. Fast year, she was featured on a K O IN -T V hero segment. "Velm a Stowe is a rare, special in dividual," says Betty Perkins, d i rector o f volunteers. It was Perkins who first got Stowe interested in vol- Velma Stowe. 74. is Bess Kaiser Medical Center’s volunteer of the year untccring. “ I was desperate to have someone lo help with ihe paneni mail, so I asked a patient silling in a wailing room if she would like lo help. She's been here ever since, radiating energy, optimism, and friendliness," A North Portland rcsidcnl, Wilson enjoys swimming, cooking, sewing, and niosi schtxil classes While vol unteering at the hospital she visits pahenis, gives shamptxis, collates charts, and generally helps where needed "She's wonderful with pa tients,” comments Perkins. Since the tall, Wilson has donated approxi mately 157 hours at the hospital. In 1984, 93 adults volunteered 29,844 hours while 59 sludents shared 5,123 hours with the hospital Re ceiving special recognition for thou sands o f hours o f dedicated service were (o r a Lou DiPietro <R.(XK) hours), Clare Inglcsby (7,(XXI hours); Jean Rider (6,(XX) hours); Lots Hughes (5.IXX) hours); and Virginia Schrunk, (4,(XX) hours). Bess Kaiser Medical (enter is one o f two nonprofit, community hos pitals providing hospital care to ap proximately 280,(XX) members o f Kaiser Pcrinanenie, a group practice prepaymeni health plan serving peo ple in Portland and Salem in Oregon and Vancouver and Longview-Kelso in Washington. Tracy Wilson, 14-ysar old Roosevelt High School student, and Bess Kaiser Medical Center's student volunteer of the year FINALLY A DIET YOU CAN TRUST AND A NAME YOU CAN TRUST... 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Brooks and Asso ciates, Inc., has been selected as act ing consulting director for the P ort land Community College Cascade Business Center Corporation. In making the announcement. Executive Dean Burdett Emery com mented, "B rooks was selected to step in on an interim basis because o f his own skill in the small business area and his fam iliarity with our program.” Brooks replaces Andy Delaney who resigned from the position fo r per sonal reasons. Brooks was on the original hoard when the corporation was established two years ago. serves on the state Small Business Advisory Council and is very active in the neighborhood served by the Corporation. The Corporation utilizes space available at the Cascade Campus to help give small businesses a start. Not only do they rent at rales below mar ket value, but the business ventures receive counseling, instruction and support services. " I was pleased to be asked to do the jo b ," Brooks said, "although it won’t be easy to take over in this manner. I consider myself a small business generalist, especially gixxJ at organizat ional w o rk.'' In that capacity Brooks plans to put together a system so anyone can operate the program. "W e w ill have files for each applicant and occupant that includes the application, accept ance form , needs assessment and management development plan,” Brooks explained. Brooks also serves on the Port land Private Industry Council, the OM SI council, and is present o f the North-Northeast Business Brxisters ANNETTE S SOUTHERN KITCHEN cP BAR B QUE RIBS • C H IC K EN • HAMBURGERS • GUMBO Braakfast «1 Any Txne Open 7 Daye A W e e k . 7 00 A M 7 P M 5144 N.E. Union Ave. Portland, Oregon 284 6106 Announcing wide area paging coverage without the wide area price. 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