M rs . F r a n c e s S c h o e n -N t
U n iv e r s ity
O re g o n L
E u g e n e , O re g o n
97403
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Minority Business
Enterprises section
ERVER
Volume XX, Number 39
October 10,1990
"The Eyes and Ears o f The Community"
Grace Collins:
In the Spirit of Caring Too Much
PORTLAND OBSERVER STAFF
To Clara Peoples with
Love...PAGE 2
Growing in Grace n
andWisdom..PA£El X K
Learning to Live With the
Choices You Make, His/
Hers Opinion...PAGE 4
Donald
Bankhead
Jr....PAGE 5
Ralph Sampson
NBA Failing to Sign Top
Picks...PAGE 6
-I-:«»:-»».-;*.’.".*-:-;-:-;-:-:-:
nless a virtual miracle o r
curs by N ovem ber ninth, the
G race Collins Daycare Center could be
closed by the O regon C hildren’s Serv
ice D ivision for failure to meet recerti
fication standards.
The Center has operated since the
end o f 1989 on temporary certification
but has been unable to correct deficien
cies mandated by the state agency.
C.S.D . has cited these deficiencies
as an unsafe kitchen and food handling
practices, unsafe toys and equipm ent,
incom plete records and inappropriate
employees.
Another CSD concern was the lead
ership o f Mrs. Collins. “ A dm inistra
tively, she handled personnel matters
and made decisions which led to the
problem s they have now ,” claim ed
one CSD em ployee asked to remain
anonym ous. “ She was more suited for
a convent than a daycare center.” The
CSD em ployee w ent on to state that at
one time, the C enter had 16 em ployees
on payroll with * ’shaky” backgrounds,
m ost involving theft and drugs. W hen
questioned if any o f the em ployees had
been identified as having child abuse
problem s, the answ er was no.
It isn ’t difficult to find som eone
who attended the G race Collins Center
during childhood. Tw o former em
ployees of the Observer reflects warmly
o f their experiences as attendees. A c
cording to Arnold Petrie, form er sales
person for the O bserver, and now op
erations manager for handy workers, a
local m aintenance firm, Ms. Collins is
one o f the w annest, m ost caring and
loving individuals he has ever m et.”
She had a hug and a kiss every morning
srmk .-
The Collins Daycare Center faces impending termination barring a miracle.
for her children, as she called them ,” he
recalls. “ She never seemed to lose her
temper.” She is still referred as “ Mother”
Collins by almost everyone who attended
her dâytoarccînter.~TiTe Bible, a warm
meal, and tender loving care was the
norm for the day as all remember.
A ccording to Ralph Davis, recently
selected by the board to assume the day-
to-day operations o f the center, the board
m ust share some o f the blame. Davis is
him self a form er student o f the center.
The self-em ployed business man who
recently returned to Portland after a 17-
year absence claims m ost o f the con
cerns addressed by CSD are accurate.
“ But we thought we were close to an
agreem ent with CSD to having our re
certification extended, since we were
cleaning house o f the questionable
em ployees and making the necessary
repairs as requested. ’ ’ Davis states that
the board com municated with CSD in
August and thought the agency was sat
isfied with the response from Collins
Center. “ The letter o f September 21
took us by complete surprise which is
w hat caused the panic with parents, staff
and the com m unity,” he added.
Collins Center now operates with a
budget o f $250,000 of which 40% comes
from parents, 25% from U.S.D.A. and
aid to dependent children and the re
m ainder from contributions from
churches, corporations and individuals.
Davis was particularly elated about a
$5,000 contribution he received from
Mr. R.B. Pamplin, o f the R.B. Pamplin
Corp., a long time supporter of Ms.
Collins, and a $1,000 contribution from
Mr. Gilbert Lamb, a former high school
classmate o f Ms. Collins.
CSD has extended the certifica
tion process until November 9, and has
imposed the following conditions on
the center:
There shall be no new intake o f chil
dren into care as requested in the letter
of September 21,1990.
W rite a letter to parents o f all children
currently attending the program and
inform them that the Grace Collins
Memorial Center is unlicensed. You
will need to have documentation from
parents in each child’s file that parents
were notified o f the current unlicensed
status o f the center.
Grace Collins Memorial Center shall
appoint a contact person to work with
CSD Certifier Nancy Howes. CSD
needs to be notified o f the name o f this
individual by Tuesday, October 9,1990.
In cooperation with the certifier, de
velop a work plan for the period of
Monday, October 8, 1990, to Friday,
November 9, 1990 to show how re
quirements listed in this letter will be
met. This contact person and Nancy
Howes will be part o f a committee.
Use mutually agreed upon consultants
for technical assistance regarding pro
gram planning for each age group. We
believe Headstart should be contacted
as a consultant for technical assistance
for your preschool program. H ead
start is universally accepted as a stan
dard for preschool.
Provide CSD with a list o f currently
enrolled children and currently work
ing staff for this period.
íje/p 15 5 elf F elf»
Gus M iller, Journeyman In
side Wiremen... MBE issue
HUD
Foreclosure
Sale... page 7
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HUD nr
OfPANTMEXT OF HOUBMG
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
p w » In
IH I» P iM ll.iih l I Mil« I
THIS WEEK
The Portland Ob
server salutes Mi
nority Business
Enterprises with
our special annual
pull-out section...ten
pages of informa
tion, history, and
other news appli
cable to Portland
area Minority Busi
ness Enterprises.
SEE INSIDE
A funding agency for
community organisations
Affiliate of The
National Black United fund
P o rtla n d , O regon <
(503) 282-7!
The Black United Fund o f Oregon
Inc. (BUFO) is an independent fundrais
t’s that lime o f year again and Sun
ing and philanthropic organization, one
day the Black United Fund o f O re o f sixteen affiliates o f the National Black
Fund. The BUFO, located in
gon launched its 1990 campaign with United
a
“ BUF Sunday, sponsored by the Albina Northeast Portland, was founded in 1983
M inisterial Alliance. The goal for Port and becam e operational in 1986 in re
land this year is $200,000; BUF Sunday sponse to the historical underfunding
is a national event held in churches across and lack o f managem ent services for
the country in support o f local Black non-profit organizations operating in
North/Northeast Portland.
United Funds.
BY PROFESSOR MCKINLEY BURT
I
I
SEE UNITED FUND ON PAGE 2
Anniversary
of a Brutal
Murder
O
n November 13, two years will
have passed since an Ethiopian
man, M ulugeta Seraw, was kicked and
beaten to death by three Portland Skin
heads.
A t present a jury is being enpaneled
to hear a 10 million dollar lawsuit brought
against Tom M etzger, head o f the W hit
Aryan Resistance movement. The suit
alleges that Metzger sent agents to Port
land to recruit members of the Portland
Skinhead group East Side Pride and incited
them to com m it violence against blacks.
W orldwide attention is being fo
cused on this suit filed on behalf of the
Seraw family by the Southern Poverty
Law Center and the Anti-Defamation
League of B ’nai B ’rith.
"The October trial o f W hite Suprem a
cist Tom Metzger will undoubtedly
focus national attention on Portland.
Let the message be a positive one dur
ing that tim e-that Portland stands united
against rac ism ."-D e n i Yamauchi,
Center fo r Democratic Renewal
B U S IN E S S
lack United Fund Campaign
Underway Again
The overall goal o f the BUFO is to
assist in the social and economic devel
opm ent o f O regon’s Black and other
disadvantaged communities by provid
ing financial management assistance and
other services to non-profit organiza
tions whose programs help improved
the quality o f life for all Oregonians.
Services provided by the BUFO are
designed to ensure the development and
retention o f organization that respond to
com m unity needs.
The BUFO raises money primarily
from individuals in charitable campaigns
in both public and private sector
workplaces. W e currently participate in
cam paigns at the State o f Oregon, City
o f Portland, Multnomah County, Port of
Portland, Metro, Tri-M ct, Housing Au
thority, Pacific Power and Light, IBM
Corp, Paragon Cable TV, Boise C as
cade Office Products Division, Pacific
Development Corp, Portland Public
Schools, Portland Community College,
Lewis & Clark College and many oth
ers. O ur campaign goals are to provide,
without coercion, the greatest opportu
nity for employees to give, minimize
disruption in the workplace and the ad
m inistrative burden o f the em ployer and
tom axim izecharitablccontributionsfor
community needs. Last year employees
contributed over $180,000 to the Black
United Fund o f Oregon; this level of
support clearly demonstrates that em
ployees welcome choice in workplace
giving and support the Black United
Fund o f O regon’s goal o f community
25<P
P R O F IL E
Kenny Carr,
Construction?
Kenny Carr
sports.) After graduating from high
school, Kenneth accepted a scholar
enneth Carr, President o f Can-
ship to North Carolina State University
Construction, has led a lifechar- in Raleigh, N.C. He earned A ll-A m eri
acterized by success in diverse can/All
occu ACC honors and played on the
pations. A native of W ashington, D.C. 1976 Olympic basketball team in
Kenneth began his basketball career Montreal which won the gold medal.
under the legendary Morgan W ooten Again his teammate was Adrain Dantley
at Dcmatha High School in Hyattsville, and other NBA stars such as W alter
Mary land (1972-74). O ne o f his team - Davis and Phil Ford. Carr entered his
mates was NBA great Adrain Dantley, name in the 1976 NBA draft while still
one o f the finest scorers in league his a junior at North Carolina State and
tory. (DcM atha has also produced was drafted by the Los Angels Lakers
current NBA players Danny Ferry, (1977-78). He eventually played for
Sidney Lowe, Jarrod Mustaf, and James the Lakers. Cleveland, Dctroit,and Port
Brown, now an announcer for CBS SEE CARR CONSTRUCTION PAGE 2
BYC.BROWN&U.TUCKER JR.
K