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Volume XXI, Number 30
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July 24, 1991
"The Eyes and Ears of The Community"
Urban League’s Successful
‘Urban Forest Project’
by Professor McKinley Burt
n S m C
D
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MINORITY
CONTRACTORS OF OREGON
NAMCO To Spearhead New Contracting Opportunities
For Black Contractors
How Do You Spell
Relief Portland
by Ullysses Tucker,
Jr.
PAGE 2
In The Beginning
Was The Word, Part
111
by McKinley Burt
T
PAGE 2
Letter To The Editor
African-American
Genocide
i
PAGE 2
The 39th General
Baptist Convention
will Convene
PAGE 3
The Family-
Changes
by Margaret J. Issacs
PAGE 3
wenty-six inner city youth, ages
Activities were carried out under
the direction of their supervisors and
13 to 15 have completed a five
week summer program co-sponsored
experienced U.S. Forest Service per­
sonnel. They restored trails and benches,
by the U.S. Forest Service and the Urban
League of Portland. The Mt. Hood
improved wildlife habitat, pruned trees
National Forest was the scene of this
and cleared brush and slash. They gained
valuable and stimulating experience
survival skills and there was the human
where the sites included the Eagle Creek
dimension as they learned about “ for
Ranger Station, the Zig Zag, parts of
est availability for die handicapped”
the Columbia Gorge and the City of
who might not realize that these scenic
Portland’s Experimental Tree Farm.
and recreational facilities had been made
Each day the boys and girls and
accessible to them.
their three supervisors boarded vans at
There was an additional educa­
the League’s headquarters and headed
tional and economic benefits when the
‘for the hills,’ embarking on a life and
youths learned about the many career
learning experience not often available
and job opportunities provided by the
to urban youth. Mr. Jim Bonner, Proj­
forest sec tor of the northwest economy.
ect Coordinator, informs us that the
Also, they were introduced to current
young people were quite successful in
thinking and practice in the areas of
adjusting their city lifestyles and pre­
ecology and conservation of our na­
conceived notions about the “ great
tional resources. The community con­
outdoors’’ to the realities of a forest
gratulates both sponsoring agencies for
a program that has made our youth less
workplace. They received a stipend of
“ at risk.”
$20 a day for their labors.
Boys II Men
“ J U S T IC E F O R K ID S ”
PAGE 4 i
New Program Helps
Patients Hang on by
Keeping Them
Involved
PAGE 7
GRAY PANTHER RALLY AND PICNIC
Saturday August 3,1991
Starting at 12 noon
Alberta Park
20th/Killingsworth
(Killingsworth Exit off!-5)
Trail Blazers, Lewis
& Clark Announces
New Partnership
PAGES
▼
INDEX
►
News
Religion
Entertainment
News
News
Health Special
Classifieds
Classifieds & Bids
Bids & Sub-bids
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9-10
10
Speakers:
• Congressman Ron Wyden
Park Commissioner Charles Jordan
County Chairwoman Gladys McCoy
Rep. Bev Stein
• Senator Shirley Gold
Rep. Margaret Carter
Sharon Gary-Smith
Oregon State Health Services Commission
Rev. Joshua Phillip
Sickle Cell Anemia-Board Chair
THE GRA Y PANTHER JUSTICE
FOR KIDS RALLY WILL:
■ Look at the need for both young and old to work together to fight the fright­
ening lack of awareness and concern for children.
■ Kick-Off the Portland Gray Panther’s new intcrgencrational project to
reach out to Portland-arca children.
•Celebrate the 86th Birthday of Gray Panther Founder Maggie Kuhn and her
concern for intcrgencrational justice.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CHILDREN FOR FUN,
FOOD AND THOUGHT!
Balloons, Hot Dogs, and Prizes.
All Free! Gray Panthers 224-5190/231-7509
For Your better
see our health special on page 7
Calling blacks an endangered spe­
cies, Mr. Nathan Proby, President of
the National Association of Minority
Contractors of Oregon, claims that
“ Blacks aren’t getting their fair share
of the jobs and money, and we have
families that need to be fed, too.’’ These
comments by Mr. Proby echo the con­
cerns of African-Americans across the
country from its leadership to the ghetto.
These are the same concerns re­
cently voiced by Congressmen Conyers
of Michigan, and the rest of the Con­
gressional Black Caucus during hear­
ings chaired by Conyers on defense
contracts awarded to vendors.
NAMCO hosted an open house on
July 22 forcontractors and the media to
dedicate its new headquarters at 4837
N.E. Martin Luther King. Blvd.
Initial funding for start-up was
provided from within the organization,
but a major fund raising campaign is
planned.
According to Proby, ‘ ‘The recmer-
gcncc of this outcry for equal opportu­
Christmas in July
at Dornbecher
It’s hard to think of sleigh bells and
snowflakes when die hot sun beats down.
But at Doembecher Children’s Hospi­
tal at Oregon Health Sciences Univer­
sity, in-patients and out-patients are
being asked to dream of the winter
holidays for an art contest. Four win­
ning designs will appear on holiday
greeting cards. The contest is being
sponsored by The Doembecher Chil­
dren’s Association (DCA), a group of
Doembecher friends organized to cre­
ate greater community support and
understanding of the hospital. The DCA
will sell the cards later this year as a
benefit for Doembecher.
The winter holiday theme includes
Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s.
Entries should be drawn on 8-1/2” x
11” white construction paper. The art­
ist may use pencils, paints, crayons,
felt-tip pens and/or other art supplies.
The artist’s name, age and address
must be printed on the back side of the
entry. Entries should be submitted no
later than July 31 to the DCA at the
Doembecher Foundation, 9600 S.W.
Capitol Hwy., Suite 120, Portland, OR
97219. The winners, whose names and
ages will be printed on the cards, will
be notified in August.
The greeting cards, 12 of one de­
sign per packet, will sell for $10 and
may be purchased from the DCA through
the Foundation office.
nity to participate in Oregon’s boom­
ing construction industry comes at a
time in our history when African-
American contractors find themselves
up a tree along with the spotted owl.
As an endangered species, the need
to join forces to combat the continu­
ous exclusion from the construction
marketplace comes out of necessity.
Black businesses, which once consti­
tuted the largest group of certified dis­
advantaged business enterprises in the
state, now rank fourth in number of
certified firms behind Women, His­
panic and American Indian-owned
firms. Statistics released in 1990 by
the Oregon Department of Transpor­
tation (ODOT) indicate that thirty-
four Black-owned firms were certi­
fied. Moreover only fifteen of these
firms were able to obtain subcontracts
during the past four years. Over half of
these are no longer in business. There
are currently only three Oregon-based
Black firms now active in ODOT con-
tractin^activut^JHicreiore^^fiicanHi
A. A. A . A . A.
A
Special Notice:
Mr. Nathan Proby, President of
the Oregon Association of Minority
Contractors of Oregon, suffered a heart
attack in Salem while attending a hear­
ing. (Tuesday a.m., July 23, 1991)
His condition has not been deter­
mined at press time.
The Observer extends its prayers
for a quick recovery.
Fun at Sabin Multicultural Celebration
William 4, and M arqjis 5, show off painted faces.
HERETO STAY!
By Tony Washington
American Red Cross
Standard First Aid
Classes Scheduled
Before going boating, hiKing or
camping, you may want to refresh your
first aid skills. Summer recreation can
be enjoyable if you’re prepared. Red
Cross will offer a course in Standard
First aid at McIntire’s Athletic Club,
235OOS.E. Stark, Gresham. Saturdays,
August 3 and 10, between noon and 4
p.m.
This course teaches accident pre­
vention and first aid skills. Adult CPR
training is also included. Participants
receive Standard First Aid and Adult
CPR certificates after successfully
completing the class. The fee is $25
r$30 including textbook). Call 667-2290
to register.
ID-K- Beauty supplies with 10-
M
years experience has 11 shops
Nationwide, and offers a variety of
Black hair products at competitive prices.
Mid-K-Beauty Supplies is located at
5411 N.E.Martin Luther King Jr. 335-
0271. With 2 locations on the West
Coast, Seattle and Portland Mid-K-
1
*■ *
American contractors had but one al­
ternative, establishing NAMCO.
O.B. Hill, Chairman of NAMCO
and Darrell Holefield, treasurer, said
some of the minority contractors certi­
fied by Oregon Department of Trans­
portation (ODOT) are no longer in
business or have not re-filed for re­
certification even though their eligi­
bility status has expired. A major goal
of NAMCO is to assist Blacks with
employment opportunities in the con­
struction industry. For more informa­
tion contact 282-9084.
V
I
H
■ -
Bcauty Supplies is here to help the
community and encourages all Non Profit
Organizations to call them, they may be
able to asset your respective firms with
your needs.Thc Portland Observer would
like to thank Mid-K-for their help in the
community, also congratulations on your
Grand Opening on June 23,1991.
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