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PORTLAND OBSERNER
Volume XV, Number 47
September 25, 1985
25C Copy
1, lo th Sectionf
cars
Corinto Mayor enjoys his Portland visit
prior to the Revolution, at which time he became the
Mayor of Corinto He thought the job of M ayor was
only for one year, that was six years ago
Photo Richard Brown
Dr Edward W ard. Portland dentist, is introduced to
Corinto M ayo r Francisco Tapia M ata by Reymundo
M a rin at a re c e p tio n held Friday at th e U rb an
League Tapia M a ta practiced dentistry in C orinto
Zn Robert / olhian
M a y o r I rancisco Tapia M a ta ot
C orinto, Nicaragua finished his whirl
wind tout ot Portland on a high note.
At an Urban I eague reception I ri-
day at Urban Plaza, Tapia Mata ex
tended w arm greetings Iro m P ort
land’ s Nicaiaguan sister city to mem
tiers o l the Black. N ative Am erican
and 1 atm communities He described
N icaragua's autonom y program to r
minorities, he discussed ( orin to s ur
ban problem s, and he made friends
by responding w ith com posure to
some d ifficu lt questions.
It was the m a y o r’ s last public ap
pearance in a tour w hich gave him a
good in tro d u c tio n to P ortland His
packed schedule included meetings
with students, members ol the I atin
c o m m u n ity, city o ffic ia ls , the ( its
C lub, news interviews, visits to port
fa c ilitie s . Baloney Joe's, the Black
Educational ( enter, and a scenic tour
up the Columbia Gotge
A t the I rban I eague g a th e rin g .
Tapia M ata spoke ot the problems,
but also ol the liberty that minorities
have in the U S. " I hat same liberty is
what we demand from the U .S .,” he
said I apia Mata repeated his primary
message to P o rtla n d e rs I he mam
way they can help N icaragua is to
pressure the U S government to cut
o ff aid to the contras.
I he ( IA backed c o u n te rre v o lu ­
tio n a rie s w o u ld ta il im m e d ia te ly
w ith o u t that su p p o rt, according to
I apia M ata He said that people-to
people programs like the Sister ( Tty
P roject " w i ll give the answers that
politics has been unable to fin d ."
The mayor received loud applause
w ith his answer to a question about
South A fric a "W e are in complete
s o lid a rity w ith the struggle o t the
people o l South A fric a , he said. I he
Reagan a d m in is tra tio n continues to
support South A fric a 's government
because o f the exploitative interests ol
I S corporations in gold, diamonds
and u ra n iu m , said I apia M a la
"S om e o f you have tell this in your
own flesh," he said
N ative A m e rica n poet 1 d I dm o
asked the mayor whether Indians in
N icaragua are tree to "d a n c e and
s in g " and keep then c u ltu re alive
I .qua Mata responded alfirm a tive ly
by e x p la in in g N ica ra g u a 's new
autonomv law, being considered now,
which guarantees m inority rights He
said some M oskilu Indians had been
moved away fro m the war zones to
special camps fo r their own protec
lio n . I hose w ho w ant to re tu rn to
th e ir homes can now do so w ith
government assistance, he said
Maria M arin o f Mujeres de < frcgoii
asked if women’ s lives had improved
in Nicaragua I he mayor answered bv
describing
A M N IA T ,
the
Nicaraguan national wom en’ s orga
ruza tio n , w hich is in vo lve d in all
aspects ot life and which sends repre
sentatives to the National Council
1 he mas or received loud applause
again when he reported that health
care and edu ca tio n Iro m the firs t
grade through college ate tree.
C o rin to has alm ost solved its
malaria problem, the city is installing
a new sewage system, and ta i,lilie s
that live close to o il tanks that could
be attacked aie being relocated, he
said I he town's prostitution problem
he added, is being reduced through a
West G erm an fu n d e d p ro je ct to
provide education and |obs lo r the
piostitutes " I he mam reason prosti
lu iio n exists is an econom ic one.
said 1 apia Mata
As m avoi ot N ic a ra g u a ’ s m a io r
port, which he described as lire coun
irv ’ s " t h i >at." I apia M ala said he is
concerned w ith b u ild in g up fo re ig n
trade that could bung tobs to the city
l i n t S trade embargo has hurt the
p o rt, it has caused mcieases in the
prices ol basic goods which are now
scarce, and it keeps alive tears ot ill
vavion, he said
Asked about w ti.i' tie though, ol
P o rtla n d , the m ayo, replied " I he
I’Cst impressions I've had have been
tliro u g h contact w ith people such as
'‘ flour sc Ives " I.qua M a la spoke ol the
"happy moments" he shared with the
group
t'rb a n le a g u e president H erb
( awthorne, on business in New >otk
let I a message w ith p re sid e n tia l
assistant I’ ani S m ith "P le a se be
assured that your visit is deeply appre­
ciated In many wavs our missions are
tlie sam e," ( aw thorne said " I can
only hope that |t he w ar| w ill end in
the near tulure as people like you con
Untie your courageous m ission tor
peace."
I he reception concluded w itli the
presentation ol a blanket with Native
Am erican patterns to the m ayor by
I. n th Mavtiew O thers present in
eluded Avel G o rd le y . R avm undo
M a n n and N ilak Butler I ranslators
were G a il H ig h Pine and R o b e rto
Bet gel
Photo Richard Brown
RON HERNDON
Hearndon will not
run for Governor
Zn Jerr\ darner
Ron H e rn d o n , co lo u n d e r o l
the Portland ( hapler Bl.uk United
F ro n t, w ill not run fo r G overnor ot
Oregon Herndon made the announ­
cement last 1 tiday dm mg a press con
lerence at King N eighborhood ( en
ter
I he reason for not entering the race
was due to the lack o l funding Hern
don stated that he has not been able Io
identity funding sources which would
enable Inin to tun a creditable cam ­
paign It w ould take $1 '.(MM) just to
get a campaign slatted, said Herndon
When asked wtial candidate w ill he
su p p o rt lo r g o ve rn o r, H e rn d o n
replied, " I t is too early to endorse any
candidate because the issues haven't
been debated .”
H erndon said the p rim a ry m otive
lo i tus candidacy was to raise issues
and put lo t III program s that w ould
address the very serious problem s
la cin g thousands ot O regonians.
I hese p io b le m s in clu d e u n e m p lo y­
ment, indadequate health care, lack
ot concern to r small businesses, no
co m m itm e n t to ctu ld care, ami the
v irtu a l abandonm ent o f the elderly
and p o o l.
"M s candidacy, above a ll. would
have o ffe re d the c o n v ic tio n that
everyday
O regonians
w o rk in g
togethei co u ld cre a tive ly develop
common sense approaches to addiess
these p ro b le m s ," said H e rn d o n
I eaders in the State should locus then
e ffo rt to promote small businesses in
Oregon instead o l businesses overseas
stated Herndon
I he R ainbow C o a litio n w ill ad
dress the problems lacing ( fregonians
by holding forums in communities all
ovet the state, a llo w in g citizens an
o p p o rtu n ity to de ve lop an agenda
comprised ot realistic programs and
priorities
“ Itn til this agenda is developed, we
are asking citizens not to support any
candidate lo t g o v e rn o r.” says Her
ndon A fte r citizens d e velop this
agenda, support should only be given
to the gubernatorial candidate willing
to support it
I he Rainbow ( o a h tio n w ill have
tlie first state wide lo ru in sometime in
November to discuss these issues
Tri-M et police officer protecting the public
by Jerry darner
I ri Met provides public transput
la tiu n to r three counties W ashing­
to n , C lackam as and M u ltn o m a h
W ith such a large area to serve, I ri
Met must provide security to insure
the protection o f its riders and proper
ty I his re sp o n sib ility is the jo b ol
James I Gray. Gray is one o f the six
transit police o ffice rs, and the only
Black o ffic e r, on the T ri-M e t police
force.
O fficer Gray has been working for
the T ra n s p o rta tio n D is tric t lo r I I
years P rio r to jo in in g Tri M et, he
worked as an Oregon State Trooper
for five years, being the second Black
trooper hired by the State o f Oregon
111 1969
As a T ra n s it P olicem an, G ray is
responsible fo r enforcing T ri-M e l's
police o rdinances, w hich include
responding to emergencies or general
co m p la in ts and ro u tin e bus rid in g
assignments O ffic e r Gray must en
force stale and local laws as they
relate to T ri-M e t property and fa c ili­
ties, w hich in clude responding to
behavior that disrupts bus operations,
personnel or customers and enforce­
ment o f the O regon T ra ffic C ode
when appropriate.
O verall, O ffic e r G ray has been in
law enforcement fo r 15 years W hen
asked w hat is the most dangerous
aspect o f his jo b . G ray replied, it is
when he responds to a dom estic
dispute between two spouses while on
Tri-Met property, which may lie on a
bus or m the I ransit M all Grav says
that many such disputes occur on Tri
Met p ro p e rty . Such c o n fro n ta tio n s
can become v o la tile unless the
responding o ffic e rs can calm dow n
both parties. In most cases this can be
accomplished by simply talking to the
individuals, says ( iray, and if this tails
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the individuals must be arrested
The most amusing incident (ira y
recalls is a lim e when he arrested a
derelict for stealing a bus and driving
it one b lo c k , and in the process
wrecked six automobiles. Gray asked
the suspect, " W h y did you steal the
bu s." The man replied, " I just wan
ted to sec if I could drive one of these
damn things."
(ira y enjoys his job as a law e nfor­
cement officer and encourages Blacks
to apply fo r jobs in this fie ld , (ira y
said that although Blacks have made
gams in law enforcement, there is still
d iscrim in a tio n against m inorities in
employment opportunities.
Blacks and other m in o ritie s w ho
are interested in becoming a police o f­
ficer should prepare themselves both
mentally and physically fo r the jo b .
Although the job can be stressful, it is
rew arding when one is serving the
public and providing a needed service.
T'-i
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Photo Richard Brown
Transit Officer J a m « E Gray
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