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Volume XXI, Number 26
"The Eyes and Ears o f The Community"
Ju n e 26,1991
Proposed Relocation of Police Precinct Draws Mixed Reviews
STORY & PHOTO
BY DEAN CAMARDA
A
Show and Tell
by Professor
McKinley Burt
PAGE 2
The Politics of Race
Threatens Black
Progress
by Ron Daniels
PAGE 2
Wilbert Lolley,
Loaves and Fishes
Volunteer
PAGES
Spartan Competitor
to Tour this Summer
Jude Dieudonne
Jeannis
PAGE 4
The Rhino Walk!
That Brother be
Strollin by Professor
McKinley Burt
Margo B. Wilson
PAGE 8
INDEX
News
Religion
Entertainment
Locker Room
News
News
News
Classifieds/Sub-bids
Bids
Bids/News
African American
All Stars
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
bout 125 people attended Thursday night's
com m unity forum at the K in g Neighborhood
F acility. A backdrop o f maps, graphs and charts po­
sitioned behind them, Police C h ie f Tom Potters, Lt.
M ark Paresi, M ayo r’ s Assistant D avid Kish, archi­
tect Aaron Faegre and other o ffic ia ls presented
plans fo r the proposed relocation o f the Portland
Police Bureau’ s N orth Precinct to a portion o f the
old Fred M eyer building at NE M artin Luther King,
Jr. B lvd . and K illin g sw o rth Street. The audience
in itia lly sat q uietly and listened. Then it was tim e to
hear the public. A stream o f citizen ’ s com m unity
group representatives stepped up to the microphone
to voice their support fo r the move. They, along
w ith several others, welcomed the police into their
com m unity, c itin g enhanced safety and economic
renewal as the expected outcome. A ll signs seemed
to indicate that having the police department as our
new neighbors w ould be a w in -w in situation fo r all.
That is u ntil W alter Muhammed took his turn to
speak.
“ I think you need to stop,” said Muhammed.
“ The people w ho are m aking decisions about this
Lt. Mark Paresi; Chief Tom Potter; Forum Facilitator, Charles Ford; Mayor's Assistants, David
com m unity don’ t live in it.” Several people in the
Kish and John Rodgers
audience voiced their agreement as he continued.
have seen nothing but clear and convincing evidence that the com m itm ent o f C hie f Potter is real,” said
“ These coalitions d on’t speak to our concerns because we don’t belong to them. "Die bottom line is,
Rogers. * ‘H e’s comm itted to com m unity policing. I think the combination o f the location o f this fa c ility
they’re [the police] com ing in not patrolling, but co ntrolling .” From then on the forum gained momen­
and the genuine com m itm ent o f the police bureau to com m unity policing - empowering the com m u­
tum.
n ity to solve their own problems - those things together make this the rig ht move at the right tim e.”
W oody Broderick stepped forw ard to express reservations. Broderick went so fa r as to accuse the
Police Chief, Tom Potter, made his intentions clear. “ We are here to serve the com m unity, b uild
police o f wanting to put an occupying force in the m iddle o f our com m unity. There were several who
agreed w ith B ro de rick’ s concern about what he called a “ cosmetic” approach to gathering com m unity
positive relationships, and be accountable to you.”
I t ’ s too bad we can’t fast-forward to get a glimpse at how the proposed relocation w ill w ork out.
input. “ There needs to be a real grassroots com m unity m eeting,” said W alter Muhammed, adding,
I t ’ s also too bad we can’t rewind to hear what the man fo r whom the street was named, M artin Luther
“ M artin Luther K in g Jr. B lvd. and K illin g sw o rth is the hub o f the black com m unity. W hat’ s going to
K ing, Jr., m ight have to say about the issue. We can’ t do either. But it m ight be possible to put the p ro j­
happen to the black folks that liv e in the area around the police?’ ’ Whether people were fo r o r against
ect on pause i f enough people are convinced that is what should happen. Unless those who oppose the
the relocation plan, not everyone had the same reason. However, there was one common theme that re­
relocation act soon, and speak loud enough, the march toward relocation w ill remain on play.
surfaced throughout the evening: the need fo r improved police-com m unity relations.
E d ito r's Note: I f you w ould like to express your view about the proposed precinct move, drop us
Those who opposed the police precinct relocation expressed fears that tensions between the police
a note and we w ill publish the collective responses. Send or deliver your comments to: The Portland
and blacks are lik e ly to increase. Portland Police O fficer, L arry Anderson, disagreed. As a young black
Observer, 4747 NE M L K Jr., Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211. Please lim it your submission to 250 words.
grow ing up in North-Northeast Portland, Anderson knows something about the apprehensions o f some
Coast industries Names
Grimes Vice President
PAGE«
Wilson Promoted to
Assistant Vice
President by
Security Pacific
Bank
members o f the black comm unity. “ I d id n ’t
know the police at all when 1 was growing up.
I th in k i t ’ s a crime that a precinct hasn’t moved
here before now ,” said Anderson, who also is
the basketball program coordinator fo r P A L
[Police Action League], a program designed to
enhance the relationship between police and
youth. “ I don’ t think i t ’ s ’relationship’ that is
the problem. I think it ’ s the alienation - the fact
that they have been isolated from the police
and the only time they deal w ith the police is
when they have a problem or a negative situ­
ation. They don’ t have the opportunity be­
cause the police are not in the neighborhood to
have the positive interaction. W e’ re saying to
the com m unity, ’we don’ t want to be outsiders,
we want to move in and become a part o f your
neighborhood.’”
Responding to the idea that the black
com m unity was not consulted at the grassroots
level, Assistant to the M ayor, John Rogers
replied, “ The thing about grass is that i t ’s a ll
over the place. I think the city has done a good
jo b o f getting input from the entire com m u­
nity... black and w h ite ." It is Rogers’ view that
concerns about the negative impact o f having
a police fa c ility in the area w ill be dispelled. ‘ ‘ I
H
erman Grimes has
been promoted to
die position o f Vice Presi­
dent and Director o f Gov­
ernment Contracts by
Coast Industries, Inc. (dba
Coast Janitorial Service
and Empire Security
Service). Grimes w ill be
responsible fo r the mar­
keting and contract man­
agement departments o f
the Government Con­
tracts D ivision. He cur­
re n tly oversees and
manages contracts in
Oregon, California, Texas
and Tennessee in addi­
tion to conducting mar­
keting operations nation­
wide.
Grimes has prior
business and management
experience as an account­
ant, auditor, controller and
consultant He is a part-
tim e faculty member at
Portland C om m unity Herman Grimes
College and instructor in
the Small Business Development Pro­
preneurs.
gram through PCC.
Coast Industries is a w h o lly m inor­
He is also Treasurer o f the Down­
ity-ow ned company active in govern­
town Portland Kiw anis C lub and a
ment contracting, comm ercial b u ild ­
member o f the Loan Committee fo r the
ing maintenance and comm ercial secu­
Oregon Association o f M in o rity Entre -
rity services.
North/Northeast Economic
Development Alliance And City Of
Portland To Hold Public Hearings On
Albina Community Plan
T
he N orth/N ortheast Economic
action which require the cooperation
and participation o f a large number o f
Development A lliance and the
C ity o f Portland Bureau o f Planning
private and public organizations and
w ill be cohosting a series o f public
neighborhood groups.
workshops on the Discussion D raft
The A lbina Com m unity Plan con­
A lb in a C om m unity Plan. Residents,
sists o f a D istrict-w ide Plan and neigh­
property and business owners, and other
borhood plans fo r Sabin, Kenton, Pied­
interested parties are encouraged to
mont, Boise, Irvington, W oodlawn,
participate in these hearings.
E lio t, A rbor Lodge, and K ing. A d d i­
The A lb in a Com m unity Plan is a
tionally, neighborhood plans fo r H um ­
revitalization plan fo r inner N orth and
boldt and Concordia w ill be completed
inner Northeast Portland. The process
this summer. The D istrict Plan con­
began in July, 1989 and workshops and
tains goals and objectives, policies and
other outreach activities were held from
specific code amendments. The goals
February to July o f 1990. Presently,
and policies are broad statements which
meetings are ongoing w ith neighbor­
are intended to establish the direction
o f social, economic and physical de­
hood associations. This plan reaches
beyond the traditional issues addressed
velopments in the district, w hile objec­
by land use plans and includes social
tives more specifically ide ntify p ro j­
and educational issues w hich lie at the
ects which are to be accomplished in
roo t o f many o f the problems experi­
this e ffo rt Each p olicy area also con­
enced by this section o f Portland.
tains action items w hich are tasks de­
The residents and businesses o f the
signed to achieve each objective. T w o
A lb in a Com m unity Plan Study Area
land use alternatives are included in the
are concerned about land use, jobs,
Discussion D raft. These alternatives
business growth, transportation, his­
are intended to contrast choices that the
toric preservation, housing, urban de­
district faces and no specific alterna­
sign and economic development. Spe­
tive has been selected. The fin al plan
c ific problems in the areas o f public
w ill contain elements o f both alterna­
safety, education, and fa m ily services
tives and new provision suggested during
have been identified. The Discussion
the Discussion D ra ft review period.
D ra ft A lb in a C om m unity Plan, con­
For information contact Mike Hayakawa
tains a broad range o f policies and
at 796-7748.
Local Citizens
Appointed As
Ombudsmen
H
al Andrews, Jeri Szilagyi and
Louise Troop were recently ap­
pointed by M eredith Cote, the long
Term Care Ombudsman for the State o f
Oregon, to serve as Ombudsmen Rep­
resentatives. A ll assigned to local adult
foster care homes and w ill serve as
advocates fo r the residents o f adult
toster care homes in the M ultnom ah
county area, helping to ensure they
receive the best possible care.
The O ffice o f the Long Term Care
Ombudsman is a program o f the State
o f Oregon, dedicated to protecting the
rights, safety and d ig nity o f the resi­
dents o f nursing homes, residential care
facilities and adult foster care homes.The
K x t training w ill begin on August 12 in
Portland. Call 1-finO-522-26O2 for more
inform ation on becoming a C ertified
Ombudsman, or to report a concern
a b o u t^ a c ilit^ ^ ^
Congratulations
to the African
American
Academic All
Stars!
See content on page 12
SKOAL «HEAL1H» EDflTON, JULY 10
I.
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