Portland, Oregon
PO R TL
ERVER
VOLUME XIX NUMBER 18
25C
MAY 11, 1989
Embattled Urban League
struggles for fiscal integrity
A Mother’s Day Salute
Landlord of Walnut Park facility still negotiating with prospective buyers.
One offer could convert present site into a mini-mail with mutiple entrepreneurs.
*
Vestie Mannings
"Everyday is Mother's Day,
you should honor your mother
always."
Saluting:
Some of the Beautiful
People of Our Community
BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMAN
by Stephen E. McPherson, Special
Correspondent
by Jimi Johnson
I love you
for being such a wonderful person,
the heavens must have lost a star.
I love you fo r the patience you gave
when mine was all gone,
when 1 was feeling weak,
you made me feel strong.
Jessie Varner
"Mothers need to possess
unconditional Love."
iw
jj/
I love your olive skin
and your beautiful brown eyes,
you’ re my inspiration,
you make me happy to be alive.
I love the way you forgave me
when I look you fo r granted.
I ’ ll never take you for granted again,
because I love you.
When I wanted to lie down and quit,
you made me stand up and fight.
You stood like a mountain
when my whole world was crumbling down.
Y our love flo w in g like the great N ile, and ju st as deep.
I love you for the courage you have,
thank you fo r sharing it w ith me.
You took years o f abuse
from those who didn’ t understand,
you were a mother and a father
when there was no man.
Joyce Harris
BEC "The African woman is
the mother of civillization.
As African-Americans we
should be proud of this
lagacy."
Extraordinary women; when you’re tired
and want to rest your soul, rest
for the universe w ill rest w ith you,
“ you have a heart o f gold.”
You deserve the best,
because you are the best.
Beautiful Black Woman, I love you!!!
Even during the day the big red and
white neon sign facing out over Martin
Luther K ing Avenue atop the former
Fred Meyer fa cility at Walnut Park can
be seen many blocks away. Now that it
is darkened at night the history o f its
landmark status is now seriously
compromised. For many years it was a
beacon not only for customers who sought
bargains w ithin the store, itself, but it
was also the guiding light for another
type o f client who sought sanctuary and
,<>lace within the state facility just across
the street. It won’ t be long now before
the sign itself w ill be relegated to an
ignominious fate. Already the fam iliar
corporate logo o f the store has been
painted over exactly as it has been done
in the past when a w ell-known airline
suffered a fatal crash and no longer
wanted to be identified w ith its victims.
A t the beginning o f the year
spokespersons for the corporation
claimed that the W alnut park fa cility
was a loser and a fiscal dilemma to an
otherwise profitable organization.
This is an argument that many
knowledgeable people on the street do
not buy. As proof o f their contention
they assert that the Fred Meyer
organization is only a name that its
eastern parents have applied for local
identity. They also own the Safeway
chain. The store located at M artin
Luther King Avenue and Ainsworth
which is only several blocks away from
W alnut Park was only recently
refurbished and expanded at a cost in
excess o f $1 m illio n . It just doesn’ t
make any sense in terms o f profitability
to maintain both sites where they would
be competing for the same consumer
dollar. Such a consideration certainly
must have played an important role in
the decision to close the older Fred
Meyer Store.
The immediate deleterious effect was
not only to proscribe those elderly persons
who reside ju st across the street in the
W alnut Park senior citizens complex
Housing Authority
Enforces New ’’Get
Tough” Policy for
Illegal Activity
Patti Coxeff
"Mothers are the fiber that
holds families togather."
Lynn Ervins
Sonja Johnson
"Being a mother is a blessing,^
"Patience, endurance and a
and a flowing fountain of
whole lot of love, is mother."
endless love"
r
In an effort to curb illegal a ctivity at
its forty H AP locations, the Portland
Housing A uthority has announced a
“ Get Tough” policy which could lead
to the eviction o f tenants charged with
“ Outrageous Conduct” .
The policy, first announced last Oc­
tober, enables H AP to evict a tenant
w ithin twenty four hours once notice is
served.’ ’Outrageous Conduct” is de­
scribed by HAP spokesperson Carol
Jelinek, as illegal drugs, Prostitution,
Arson, Assault discharging a firearm,
or any activity that would endanger the
life o f tenants. For more information
call HAP 249-5514.
but also to contribute to the further
degradation o f the neighborhood. When
the store was functional it maintained
an excellent securitv force which w m
an adequate deterrent to auto burglaries
and parking lot muggings. In less than
two weeks their absence is striking.
The covered parking lo t has now been
re-inhabited with a resident population
o f a different sort.
A t first it appeared that Como Foods
would acquire the W alnut Park fa cility
without an interruption in service. James
Baker, a spokesperson fo r the Como
group, described in elaborate detail how
John Como intended to turn the site into
a m ini-m all with numerous adjunctive
small shops run by independent
entrepreneurs. He had nothing but praise
for the unbridled cooperation extended
to the Como effort by the Fred Meyer
group. But, then in a cryptically worded
statement he indicated that the
arrangement floundered at the eleventh
hour because certain things had not
been done in a tim ely manner.
Again the word is being passed along
the street that the Comos were unable to
establish a $100,000 line o f credit in
order to improve the cash flo w o f their
new venture. I f that rumor has any
credence then the sale o f the fa cility
under those circum stance was
compromised at the very outset.
The local daily newspaper reported
on Friday that representatives from the
Urban League and Com o Foods w ill
continue to negotiate the sale. This is
quite curious in that John Como indicated
at the very outset that the success o f his
plan depended upon the immediate
acquisition o f the property without an
interruption in service. The building
has been emptied and service has been
interrupted for more than ten days. A ny
new acquisition would be faced w ith a
complete startup rather than a simple
transfer o f ownership. Again, James
Baker has indicated that he is unaware
o f any new conversations that were
undertaken with a view to acquiring the
property. He further stated that it would
be unlikely if any such discussions could
take place w ithout his knowledge.
W ith so much attention centered on
who w ill purchase the Walnut Park
fa cility another kind o f argument has
emerged. A number o f persons in the
African American community have
expressed serious concerns over the fact
that the property involved represents
one the the largest pieces o f real estate
held by any A frican American unit in
Portland. The fact that this sale would
eliminate the ownership o f this piece o f
property as one o f the proud examples
o f African American success here in the
Northwest would send a distressingly
negative message to the young people
who aspire to gain a share in the wealth
o f the community.
Indeed, given the kind o f financial
support both the Mayor and the Port land
D evelopm ent C om m ission have
extended to ensure the success o f this
effort, it is appalling to observe that no
African American entrepreneurs have
availed themselves ofsuch a singularly •
unique opportunity.
A t least two African American groups
have entertained the notion o f purehasing
Walnut Park but neither o f these offers
has been taken very seriously by the
screening committee. To be sure, another
proposal was presented last week whic h
represented a substantial departure from
previous overtures. A t press time it was
still under consideration.
Even now, some members o f the
league a- e expressing their displeasure
w ith the fact that much o f what has
transpired was done in secrecy. They
suggest that even the board o f directors
has not always been kept completely
informed.
The Urban League certainly needs
to resolve its fiscal incumberanccs with
all due speed, but in so doing its social
responsibility should dictate that it act
in the best interest o f the African
American community as a whole, the
Urban League should insure that no
short term gain w ill inevitably jeopardize
the long term goals and aspirationsof
the community it is sworn to support.
Jefferson High
Grad Night Party
Needs Funds
o f the needed funds through various
fund raisers and individual donations.
However, May 22nd is almost here, and
their budgetary goal hits not been reached.
For this reason, the financial support
o f the community is being solicited.
Please help sponsor this worthwhile
event. No donation is too small. Con­
tributions can be sent to Anna DcLorme,
c/o Jefferson M om 's and Dad’ s Club,
2125 North W illamette Boulevard,
Portland, Oregon 97217. Make checks
payable to 1989 Grad Night Party.
Jefferson High School’ s third an­
nual Alcohol and Drug Free Grad A ll-
N ight Party is planned for Monday,
May 22nd. The purpose o f this event is
to provide a safe, sane, exciting cele­
bration for Jefferson’s graduating sen­
iors.
The Jefferson M on’sand Dad’sClub
and school faculty arc working d ili­
gently to make this evening a fun-filled
affair. Approximately $6,000 is needed
to ensure the success o f the party. The
planning committee has raised $3,000