Page 2, Portland Observer, May 15,1985 Dreamspan Saturday your neighbors on the Burnside Bridge at 11 a.m when a balloon arch w ill be raised to join both sides o f the W il­ lamette River. ..aier, hear the music o f Crazy 8’s and Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts at Waterfront Park Help plan P ort­ land at U amspan. Saturday, May 18. from II a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Burnside Bridge. Want a role in shaping Portland's future? Then come io Dreamspan. Saturday. May 18. on the Burnside Bridge Bring a friend, bring a grin and bring us your dreams io build a plan on. Join Mayor Bud Clark and the Portland City Council at Dreamspan. the kick-o ff event for Portland’ s Central City plan Meet thousands o f MRS. C’s WIGS Many wig«jgric»d »I H HO b »14 land Mayor, and Matthew Prophet. Superintendent of Portland Public School*, kick off Cans for Kid* drive Fund* from can* collected will support drug and alcohol abuse program* in the school* (Photo: Richard J Brown) Victim's rights sought West Coett Black)« at his home undsr the bridge. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Under the bridge by l.anua Duke GRASSROOT NEWS. N W — The river is their living rrxim , the stars their ro o f and the ground serves as their carpet as those who fall through the safety net reappear as Portland's invisible popul? n — the homeless. They have responded to the finite summer shelter by living where they can and some are literally living underneath the bridge. Beneath the 1-5 Freeway ramp, be­ tween the Morrison and Steel bridges, a little-known community exists. Shaded away from view and nestled between the railroad tracks and the river bank, a barking dog greets in ­ truders while a child plays hopscotch in the dirt. Her mother cooks over an open llanie while her father reads the paper "T he faces o f the homeless have changed." said Michael Sloops, d i­ rector o f the Burnside Community Council. "A lth ou g h the image o f W illie the Wino, Freddy the Freeloader and the Bag l ady is still with us, the average homeless person is JO years old, 15 percent are women, 25 percent are racial minorities, one out o f four are chronically mentally ill and we are seeing more and more families every day " For eight years. Sloops has advocat­ ed and educated the city about a group o f people and a set o f circum ­ stances many would like to ignore. The council provides a variety o f basic human services such as dental, medical, food and winter shelter to Portland's homeless. "W e are the salety net wnen peo­ ple are ineligible for other pro­ gram s." Sloops explained. "They wind up on skid row and we are start­ ing to see too many come through.” Recent city budget limitations elim ­ inated funding for summer shelter. “ Everyone seems to be concerned about the homeless in the winter, but the summer is just as dangerous and threatening," Stixips noted. "Y oung people and those new to Burnside are starting to live underneath the bndge " Tony, a 25-year-old Black male, said he has lived under the bridge for four years. “ I ’ m homeless because I don't want to go home. I'm not from Portland. I came here with a job, lost it and everything else." Jim, a JI-year-old white male, said once employers find out you live on Burnside they w on't hire you. So, we're right back where we started — nowhere. As the traffic overhead drowns out their verbal frustration, Tony said they keep warm in the winter with lots and lots o f sleeping bags I pro­ tect myself with a billy club or hatch­ et. I've got to watch out for people trying to rip me o f f . " As he showed me his corner under the bridge, I wondered what there was to lake. Blankets covered the dirt while cardboard cutouts serve as walls. Besides a collection o f broken chairs and an assortment o f clothes, there was nothing else except the roar o f the traffic above and the sounds o f a train beside him. The city is the backdrop and a reminder o f a city and society going one way while the homeless stand still. Racism workshop this weekend Portland Black United Front co- chair Ron Herndon and P rof. Duane Campbell (C alifornia Stale. Sacra memo) w ill open a weekend w ork­ shop on " l acing Racism," speaking at Portland State, Smith Center, Room 296. Fridav. Mav 17, at 8 p m. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Democratic Sixrialisis o f America. Portland chapter, and the Associated Students o f PSU (ASPSU). The workshop will teach partici­ pants about m inority organizations, and identify barriers between d iffe r­ ent racial groups working against racism. iiciiiuon win incus oil black issues. Campbell will speak to Latino issues, based on his experience in the United Farmworkers, and currently in the Sacramento Immigration Committee and l a Semilla Cultural Center. He is co-chair o f the DSA Ann-Racism C omtnission. The workshop continues May 18 with a game. Bata Bata, designed to increase sensitivity in interracial com­ munication, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Dr. Campbell will present a discussion on “ A nti- Racism and Democratic S*x.ialism " Both events arc also at Smith Center, Rixun 296 STEWART CLEANERS 0 Dry Cleaning Special 2 pc. suit«, $3.99 Pants, skirts, b sweaters, $1.99 Corner of 7th & N.E. Knott 281-4372 Saying. "C rim e victims w ill not rest until they are assured fairness in the criminal justice system," Bob Kouns, Presidc.it o f Crime Victims United, addressed a rally on the Capitol steps in Salem recently which launched a drive aimed at placing a new victims' rights initiative on the November, 1986 ballot. kouns was joined by Stale Repre­ sentative Randy Miller and Marlene Young, a national victims' rights leader as chief sponsors o f the initia­ tive which must be signed by some 75.000 voters by July 6. 1986 in order to go before the electorate. k uns told the rally the initiative would establish equivalent Miranda Rights for victims and require the Parole Board to allow victims to at­ tend its hearings. The Miranda Rights for victims would require a defense attorney to tell a victim who the atiorney repre­ sent», that the victim does not have to talk to the attorney and that it the vic­ tim wishes to talk may request that a district attorney be present. The initiative would also: — Require that the victim's sched­ ule be considered in the setting o f trial and motion dates. « — Prohibit exclusion o f the victim from ihe courtrixun as often occurs at the defense attorney’s request — When "constitutionally permis- Divestment by Lamia Duke GRASSROOT NEWS. N W - The House Human Resource Com­ mittee w ill send to the Oregon House a measure that will require the State Treasurer to gradually sell state in­ vestments in companies doing busi­ ness in South Africa House Bill 2001 was supported by a number o f progressives, liberals and a host o f state legislators during public testimony A p ril 3rd. Due to scare tactics employed by State Treasurer Bill Rutherford, who told the committee that divestment meant a m ulti-m illion dollar loss to the public trust fund — primarily the Public Employees Retirement system — the original bill was diluted. Rep. Rick Kotulski issued a pro­ posal calling for a divestment o f funds from companies that fail to follow principals espoused by the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu. Called the Expanded Sullivan Prin­ cipals, it states that companies should allow Black workers to live with their families, support their union and in­ vest in education and training. Rep. Margaret Carter, who intro­ duced the bill, said the current word­ ing. if passed, w ill require a withdraw­ al o f 45 percent o f Oregon funds invested in companies doing business in South Africa. Register to vote The Associated Students and staff o f Portland Community College- Cascade. 705 N. Killingsworth, will be operating a voter registration table in the foyer o f the Student Center Build­ ing until May 20. They invite mem­ bers o f the community to stop by and register to vote in the May 21 special election. 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