December 15, 1988 • Portland Observer • Page 3 COMMUNITY FORUM------ Volunteers Needed The Portland Police Bureau’s Sexual Assault Prevention Program is accepting applications during the month of December from individuals interested in Teaching “ W omen- strength" Self-Defense and in provid ing public education on sexual as sault prevention strategies. All posi tions are non-paid. Applicants must be sensitive, ar ticulate, willing to learn, and com m it ted to helping others develop per sonal power and skills that can help them prevent sexual violence in their lives. Individuals who are accepted into the training program are required to com m it them selves to a minimum of six months and are asked to work an average of 10-12 hours per month. Attendance at a monthly staff meet- ing/inservice is part of this com m it ment. The annual training will be held in February and march 1989. Applica tions and more information are avail able from the Sexual Assault Preven tion Program at 796-3139. The Portland Police Bureau’s Sexual Assault Prevention Program will offer its monthly “ wom enstrength' self-defense classes in January at the following locations: NE - Tuesdays: January 3, 10, & 17, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., Maranatha Church, 1222 N.E. Skidmore, Wen- dall W allace Meeting Room; N.W. - Thursdays: January 5,12, & 19,6:30 - 9:30 p.m., metropolitan Learning Center, 2033 N.W. Glisan, G ym na sium; A 3-Hour Refresher Class: Wednesday, January 18, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Justice Center, 1111 S.W. 2nd, Auditorium. (This is a 3-hour, physi cal skills only class for wom en who have completed the full 9 hour class within the past two years. R egistration begins Tuesday, December 20, and continues until classes are full with 50 students each. Classes fill quickly! To register, phone 796-3139 beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 20. The classes are free and are o f fered to teenage and adult women. Assertiveness and awareness are emphasized, and streetfighting skills are taught. NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS ARBOR LODGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING: Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m., Board; 7:00 p.m., General; Neighbors North OHIce, 2410 N. Lombard. O.A.M.E. To Meet The Oregon Association of M inor ity Entrepreneurs, O.A.M.E. Center will hold its next ‘Coffee & Issues’ Forum on Friday, Dec. 16,1988. It will begin at 7:00 a.m. and end network ing between 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. The forums are being held to m ain tain com munication between Ethnic Minority Businesses in Oregon. They are usually held the 2nd and 4th Fri day morning of each month as needed. However the November & December meetings have been scheduled with the holidays in consideration. This “ Coffee & Issues' will focus on Business Opportunities from gen eral services, state of Oregon, and plan of action as a result of Judge Redden’s decision. The forum will be held at the Lloyd Tower Building, 12th floor; confer ence rooms A & B. Visitor parking will be available. Undeliver Tax Refunds Waiting To Be Claimed BUCKMAN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Nov. 15, 7:30 |p.m„ Buckman School Library, 320 S.E. 16th. Over $18,000 in unclaimed federal income tax refunds are waiting for EASTMORELAND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Nov. 15,7:30 p.m., Dunlway their proper owners to file claims for School, 7700 S.E. Reed College Race. them, according to Carolyn Leonard, Internal Revenue Service District HOSFORD-ABERNETHY NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT BOARD: Nov. 15, Director for Oregon. Leonard explained 7:30 p.m., Abernethy School, 2421 S.E. Orange. that most of these refunds are going GOOSE HOLLOW FOOTHILLS LEAGUE: Nov. 15, 7:00 p.m., Northwest Service unclaimed for lack of a current ad Center, 1819 N.W. Everett. dress. The Portland District IRS office SUNNYSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m., Sunnyside has received names of nearly 500 School, 3421 S.E. Salmon. persons who filed refund due federal income tax returns from Oregon. The COMMUNITY MEETINGS original refund checks were mailed to 82ND AVE. BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: Nov. 15,11:30 a.m., Matterhorn Restaurant, 82nd and Burnside. the home address listed on the tax ;---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ form but were returned to the govern ment as undeliverable by the Post Office. Leonard said many checks remain undelivered because taxpayers have moved and failed to leave a forward ing address with the Post Office. Other refund delays, according to Leonard, are caused by errors and omissions on the tax return, or illegible names or addresses. Taxpayers should call the IRS toll- free tax information number (1-800- 424-1040) for instructions on how to apply for their checks. Information needed includes: name and address as shown on the tax return, present name and address, tax year for which the refund is believed due, social security number, amount of refund claimed, signature cf taxpayer, and any other pertinent information to verify the claim. Jefferson ‘Excellence B usiness in F ocus Terry Dixon is the founder and Executive Director of the Portland based Com puter Software Consulting firm "Data Processing Resources, Inc." Terry is a native Oregonian. He graduated from Lincoln High, and furthered his education in Michigan where he earned an Associate Degree in Business Management at Parsons Business College. Upon returning to Portland, he began his career as an accountant while attending night classes at the Com puter Career Institute where he earned a certifi cate in Business Data Processing and Computer Software Development. In 1978 Terry ended his accounting career and entered the com puter services profession. In the last ten years he has established himself as an active and respected member of Portland's data processing community. Terry describes the operation of his three year old Data Processing firm, which currently employs 14 Com puter Software Consultants, as "Simply put, we custom develop com puter software for our clients in much the same way that a tailor custom tailors a suit. Most of our clients have such unique requirements of their com puter system that they can't simply buy their software off the rack." He reveals his formula for success as "a combination of hard work and ethical conduct," and he urges youth hoping to build a professional career to "just say no-way to drugs, yes to education and be prepared for plenty of hard work." Data processing Resources, Inc. is the only Black owned and operated com puter software consulting firm in Portland. Terry takes pride in managing an equal opportunity employment firm, but finds it difficult to recruit qualified Black applicants. Terry's plans for the future include continuing to personally manage Data Processing Resources, Inc. for another 10 years, and then start a Portland based real estate firm. Urban League Community Forum All youth and their families are forum is to provide empowering infor invited to a com m unity forum spon mation to young people and their sored by the Urban League of Port families. The forum's panel includes Useni land's Adolescent/Parent Treatment Perkins, Urban League president; Program. The forum, entitled "Pass to Suc Bernie Foster, publisher of the Skan- cess," will be held Friday, December ner Newspaper; psychologist, Dr. 16,1988. The forum will be held in the Floyd Jackson; attorney, Monica Little; Multi-Purpose Room of the League's actor and playwright, Michael Grant; headquarters, 10 North Russell, from Judge Aaron Brown; Michael Harper, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. public relations director, Portland Trail Panel members with various areas Blazers; Bill Newborne, Portland of expertise will entertain questions Community College counselor; Dr. from the audience. The goal of the Joyce Harris of the Black Educational Non-Profit Groups Reject Albina Service Contact by LaShonda Hodges and Becky Burleigh W hen most people think of Jefferson, they think of the Perform ing Arts program, but Jefferson's academic program provides the cement for the school. Jefferson students continue to prove that success can happen with determination. Charles Collins, Jefferson’s student body president, upholds Jefferson's tradition by strengthening the school and com m unity through his leadership. "It's fabulousl," was Collins' first im pression of Jefferson. After Collins moved here from Detroit he and his family chose Jefferson as the place for Collins to earn his high school diploma. Collins feels Jefferson has the potential to be me best school in Portland because of the diverse ethnic backgrounds represented by its students and the balance between academics, athletics, and the Performing Arts. Charles also remarked about Jefferson's positive atmosphere. He attributes this to the m ixture of the students' backgrounds. He also says the administration is open to the students. There is even a tutor period offered for students who need special help in classes. Charles' achievements are varied. Besides being student body president, and a member of the school's leadership class, Charles stays involved in community events. He has maintained a 3.17 grade point average. He won an Image Award for good grades. He recently received an Emerald Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha for being an exemplary young Black male and leading role model in the community. W hen asked who inspired him, he named the author Langston Hughes, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Marlin Luther King, Jr. They are, as Collins quotes, "poets of their own work." The ones who motivated Collins to work hard are God, his mom, students around him, and his own determination. He feels one teacher, Mr. Brooks, has helped him a lot in Government and Social Studies. Charles Collins offers the following advice to all young people to help them excel: "Know that you can reach the highest star. Have a feeling inside you which is so strong and so deep that it roars like a never-ending ocean. Never let anyone stop you and simply realize your full potential." LaShonda and Becky are members of Jefferson's Students for Social responsibil ity a Jefferson group concerned with local and world issues W e are announcing that none of our non-profit groups will contract with the State to replace services cur rently performed at Albina Human Resources Center (A.H.R.C.). On November 18,1988, the Legis lative Emergency Board approved a recommendation from the Director of the Department of Human Resources eliminating seven staff positions at Albina Human Resources Center. In a meeting at Albina Human Resources Center on Novem ber 30, 1988, De partment of Human Resources Di rector, Kevin Concannon, reported that services for low-income families would be contracted out to non-profit groups in Northeast Portland, with requests for proposals going to Al bina Ministerial Alliance, Black United Fund, St. Vincent dePau! and the Urban League of Portland. The terms of the contract proposed by Department of Human Resources do not allow for the staffing necessary for responsible distribution of public and private resources to those in need. Department of Human Resource's plan for the continuation of services cannot begin to cover what will be lost by the elimination of the Center Administration staff. W e urge Governor Goldschmidt and Department of Human Resource's Director Kevin Concannon to rescind the layoffs o, vital Albina Human Resources Center staff and to strengthen the center for more effec tive service to those in need. A ,1 . f ,• > > Center; and Roy Jay, chief executive officer of Trademark. The motto for the forum is "Our Youth Can Be Successful." The fo rum will provide a positive atmos phere for the exchange of ideas and options available to young people as they plan for their future. There is no charge for participation, and refresh ments will be served. For further information, contact Mary O m ereife at the Urban League, 280-2600.