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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1991)
• * « « « * •* Page 2...The Portland Observer...September 25,1991 r LETTERS TO THE EDITOR T o the Editor: O nce again, the 1000 Friends and LCD C have team ed up to stop a popu lar tourist attraction which provided jo b s, entertainm ent and a service to the m etropolitan area; the annual Spring G allery near W ilsonville, attended by thousands over the last 14 years. This popular event, held in the Maureen and Launn Larsen’s large bam on Stafford Road featured 250 antiques and crafts vendors. Farmers in the area signed a petition saying that the Spring G allery did not interfere with their land use. However, a com plaint Irom one neighbor, and a letter trom an attorney for 1000 Friends appears to have put an end to the event. Jim Sitzman, LCDC s field services manager, said that the uses must comply with Exclusive Farm Use statutes, which they don’t W hen will Oregonians wake up and realize that it is time to reevaluate the role of LCDC? W hen will we begin to require a little com m on sense and flexibility to their regulations? Our G overnor has indicated that she will work for reform and improve ment in state government. The LCDC would be a good place to start. Then, maybe we could elim inate many of the oppressive restrictions on uses of our land such as the one which appears to have doomed the Spring Gallery. Sincerely, Shirley Bryant W ilsonville, OR 97070 Community Empowerment Emphasized at RDI Conference Prevention o f alcohol and other drug abuse through com m unity action is the focus of the first annual confer ence sponsored by the Regional Drug Initiative (RDI) on Saturday, Septem ber 28,1991 at the Oregon Convention Center. The conference theme is “ W orking Together: Community Ac tion Against D rugs.’’ Reverend Cecil W illiams o f G lide M emorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco is featured as the keynote speaker. Rever end W illiams is nationally known for empowering people to take control of their lives and their community. More than 100 volunteers have planned this conference. Local busi nesses and individuals donated funds for more than 90 scholarships for needy youth and families. In addition, seven teen local groups are co-sponsors of the conference. The conference program will in clude a panel of RDI Task Force and Com m ittee M embers from education, workplaces, neighborhoods, law enforce ment, and the religious community. A presentation on “ Preparing for D iversity” will be given by James M ason, Project M anager for PSU ’s Regional Research Institute. Dear Editor: 1990 ushered in a new decade by breaking a frightening record. 23,438 Americans were murdered last year — more than in any single year of the previous decade - according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report. Firearms were the weapon o f choice in nearly 60 per cent o f the murders. And handguns alone accounted for nearly 50 percent of the total. It becomes harder and harder to rationlize the growing violence around us when we realize that the areas with the fastest-rising levels o f violent crime are rural states, according to a recent Senate Judiciary Com m ittee Report. Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Arkan sas, Iowa and O klahom a, among oth ers, all had higher increases in the rate o f crim e than did New York last year. Ten years ago, w hile serving as Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan, I was shot in the head by a man who easily purchased a handgun over- the-counter. Since that time, there has been mounting pressure on Congress to pass legislation making it more diffi cult for criminals, drug addicts, and the mentally ill to obtain handguns. This year, Congress passed a bill requiring a waiting period and back ground check for the purchasers of handguns - a proposal long-advocated by law enforcem ent officers nation wide. The measure, known as the Brady Bill, will soon go to President Bush’s desk. But, the hardcore gun lobby con tinues to fight the Brady Bill, and is vigorously lobbying President Bush to veto this life-saving measure. President Bush needs to hear from us - the other guys; the folks without millions of dollars or arm ies of lobby ists. I have a fast and easy way for you to send a message to the P resident Just call 1-900-226-4455 and leave your name and address. A letter will be sent in your name to the President letting him know you support the Brady Bill. The call will only take two minutes and the $2.75 cost will appear on your phone The networking of local com m u nity groups and businesses has ena- bledv an after-school basketball team to stay on the courts for their second season. Formed in 1990, the team is com prised o f eleven girls from the N.E. Portland area, as a deterent to drug and gang involvement. Tony W ashington, Public Relations Director of the P ort land Observer, formed the team when he became fed up with drug and gang activity overwhelming the North Port land area. “ My objective was to conduct a fun and constructive activity which would encourage positive interaction with others and personal accom plish ment for the girls,” said Washington. “ It’s actually an important learning experience and, done right, is a lot more fun than getting involved in gangs and drugs.” The local chapter o f the Church of Scientology ’s “ Lead the Way to a Drug Free U SA ” coalition upon learning of the lack of community funding threat ening the team ’s formation for the new year, found groups and individuals who could help keep the team together. “ The King Neighborhood Asso ciation provided funding for the team, uniforms were created with the help of Rhapsody, Inc. and Jamee A ubrey,” said Angie Johnson, coordinator for the Lead the Way coalition in Portland. “ They have dem onstrated true com munity spirit and are actively “ Lead ing the W ay” to a drug-free Portland by participating in these sort of activi bill. W e can quell the random violence which threatens each and every one of us. W e can make our neighborhoods safer. We can send our children to schools free from gun violence. A phone call from you today start us on our way. Sincerely, Jim Brady About half as much hot water is used in the average shower as in the average bath. An elephant's trunk has about 40,000 muscles. PORTLfi ‘ ‘We were very happy to put it all together and help keep the team on the courts this year. W orking together, we accomplished something which ju st a month ago was impossible, and, showed that people with like-minded purposes are stronger together than alone. This sort of networking is an important part o f “ Lead the W ay” . Together, we can get behind and support activities which will make a drug-free Portland a real ity,” concluded Johnson. United Way Recipients to Report Campaign - Progress Area residents helped by United Way of the Columbia-Willamette funded programs will give updates on this year’s United Way campaign at a report lunch eon, Friday, Oct. 4, noon, at the Port land M arriott The service recipients will provide campaign progress reports as well as tell how agencies such as Boys and Girls Club o f Portland and Interna tional Refugee Center of Oregon have made positive differences in their lives. Campaign Chairm an Robert L. Ridgley, president/CEO, Northwest Natural Gas Com pany, will announce the total amount raised so far toward this year’s goal o f $20.5 million. Jim Little o f K ATU will emcee the event, which also will feature live music and a final report on the Pacesetter campaign (the early company fund drives that provide a financial base for die main cam paign in the fall). Tickets for the luncheon are $13 and are available by contacting Susan M itchell at 226-9326. Joyce Washington Operations Manager Gary Ann Garnett Business Manager The PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exle Publishing Company, Inc. 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015 Deadline for all submitted materials: Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm-Ads: Tuesday, noon POSTMASTER: Send A ddress C hanges to: Portland O bserver, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon. The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labled and will be returned if accompanied by a self The Portland Observer can be sent directly to your home only $25 00 per year Please fill out, enclose check or money order and Mail to Subscriptions Portland Observer PO Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 Name addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and can not be used in other publications or personal usage, address without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composrtion of such ad. © 1991 PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT city, state PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. Subscriptions:$25.00 per year. zip-coda The Portland Observer-Oregon’s OWest African-American Publication-is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. ( ( New Suspension System Eliminates Bounce and Sway So says the “ Infinity” division of the Nissan Motor Corporation in its new ad cam paign, © 1991. W hat parents should watch out for is a “ bounce and sw ay” in the statistics put out by the school district on minority SUSPEN SIONS; that, too, needs to be elim i nated. This is an area of concern frequently addressed by the Desegregation M oni toring Com m ittee after examining an incredible ratio of “ black’ ’ suspensions to white. As we emphasize increased involvem ent o f minority parents this school year, this is a prime area for their attention. There are particular interfaces between their children and the system which require immediate attention.—such as atheltic events where we often find staff (even principals) predicating evic tions and suspensions on some rather tenuous and quite unorthodox grounds (going beyound “ gang” costum es and paraphernalia, and indulging in personal morés and prejudices). It is interesting to note the correla tion between the dates of reinstatem ent and the dates for submitting reports to the state upon which financial alloca tions are made. It is hardly suggested that there is any structured or fair proc ess in place here. Again, I emphasize Thank You For Reading the Portland Observer that parents avail them selves (person ally) of the reports available at the administration building -- and that they attend meetings relevant to the dynam ics that affect their children. I understand very well that most of the information received is LESS THAN INFORM ATIVE - carefully and con veniently bundled in the form of STAS- T1STICS - but there is still a pressing need to exam ine and assess the data available. Talk with other parents - compare notes -- question teachers and administrators who are on “ your’ ’ pay roll. Also, your daily new spaper fea tures some very good articles by inves tigative reporters of the educational scene and most are w ritten in language the “ laym an’ ’ can understand. And ‘ ‘race’ ’ variables are usually explored. A case in point is that earlier this month there was a rash of reports on the latest Scholastic Aptitude Tests (S ATs) in both the local and national media. The Oregonian featured some very in formative exam inations and interpreta tions of the results - particularly in respect to the perform ance o f m inori ties. As did the national media, all took note that the national average dropped four points for the com bined average of 1990. Now, a Septem ber 9 letter from the Superintendant’s Office to Portland’s parents and students stated that Port land’s Class of 1991 earned a combined verbal-math score of 907 -- 11 points higher than the national average o f 896 on the SA T’s’ ’ (The com bined average rose 1 point locally). It is seen that my advice to “ read the m edia” is well taken when we ex amine the D istrict’s letter. As my neigh bor pointed out, the non-ethnic statis tics above are given the first paragraphs o f the missive while the only inform a tion of specific interest to black and other minority parents (?) is given in a single concluding paragraph; * ‘This is a remarkable achievem ent for any school district, especially an urban system with higher percentages of minority, impov erished and other at-risk students.” HIGH THAN W HERE? KENEB UNKPORT? D on’t forget the big event is this Friday, September 27 from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30p.m . “ Open H ouse” forth e W hit ney M. Young, Jr. Education and C ul tural Center; Urban League Building, 10 North Russell St. The center offers excellent after-school tutoring and li brary facilities for students from sixth grade through college sophmores. If you’re attending, call Judy Venable at 280-2600. Schools Take Aim At Intolerance ties. (JSPS 959-680) OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Established in 1970 Alfred L. Henderson Publisher Pers Local Groups Keep Local Basketball Team In The Game Salem-Keizer seeks diversity in classroom by Jillyn McCullough, The Statesman Journal O n the wall o f G eraldine Ham m ond’s office, next to a Mexican som brero and a button that says “ Black is B eautiful,” hangs a sign: Tomorrow will be the same unless you change something today. In the Salem-Keizer sch o o ls- H am m ond’s em ployer-that means of fering more multi-cultural education for students so that the intolerance that exists today w on’t tomorrow. For too long, U.S. schools have focused on the accomplishments of the w hite culture, neglecting the contribu tions o f other people, Hammond said. “ The community is changing, and need in chance with it.” said Ham- mond, who is coordinating the dis trict’s multicultural plan for the ’90s. Administrators want to boost stu dents’ self-esteem by making them more aware of their own culture’s history and accomplishments. At the same time, they want to teach students to respect other cultures. Administrators also want to create more cultural diversity in the school work force. The district traditionally has had a hard time recruiting minority teachers. It is working on an exchange with Cincinnati schools to bring m i nority teachers here on temporary as signments. The district will share its multicul- tural plan for the ’90s today at a pro- gram titled “ Valuing Diversity: C hal lenge for the ’90s.’ ’ Byron Kunisawa, a multicultural specialist, will speak. Originally, the day’s activities were to include only people involved with the school district. Now, members of the Salem Human Rights Commission, the Salem Police D epartment and the City Council have been invited. Hammond said recent hearings concerning race relations and a spate of racial problem s in Salem have made multicultural education a hot topic. “ Folks were asking things like, ‘W ell, w hat are the schools doing? said Hammonds. United Airlines PORTIA Are • The • Proud • Sponsors • Of Reinvestments — Community North Precinct Community Policing Project Holds Second Annual Iris Court Community Fair cm Paper Products, Portland Bottle (7-U P),T. J. Sentry M arket,Franklin’s Ready Ribs, Blue Bell Chips, Inc., Oregon Chief, and Emanuel Health Services The food was prepared by the D eacon’s o f Morning Star Church. The following agencies staffed an informational booth during the fair: Sickle Cell Foundation, Red Cross, Oregon Outreach Youth Resource, AMA Head Start, AMA Family Day Care, Self Enhancem ent, Northeast C o m m u n ity H e a lth , P ro je c t Independence, N ortheast W orkforce Ccnler/PCC, Oregon National Guard Army-Air, Navy Recruiting, Oregon Employment Services Division, Poi son Control, Private Industry Council, Portland Police Bureau Recruiting, Northeast Neighborhoods (Crime he Iris Court North PrccinclCom tor, Denny West. Prevention), Youth Gang Outreach, The event featured a job/hcalth munily Policing Demonstration fair,entertainm ent,citizen information Peninsular Children Center, Neigh Project and the Iris court Residence borhood Connection, Boys and Girls Council held its Second Annual Iris and food in a block party atmosphere. Club, Together G reat Start, Urban The fair featured several local C ourt Community Fair from 12 noon to League, Project hnani, lYojecl Linkage, groups including Sista’s N Motion, 4:00p.m . Saturday, A ugusl24, at North MADD, Northwest Regional Educa Sum ner Succl and Vancouver Avenue. Unison, “ Bam Bain” and OMSI tional Lab, (P.O.l.C.) Portland Occu M ayor J.E. “ Bud” Clark gave a “ R obots.” palion Industry Council, M ull-nomah Arrangements were made to pro kickoff address at high noon from the Co. Community Health Division, top of an Oregon Air National Guard vide ribs, chicken and hamburgers for Regional Drug Initiative, St. Vincent’s flatbed truck. He was joined in opening 400 people. These items were donated 1 lospilal, OSU Extension Service, Chil rem arks by Darryl T ukulu, CLO/Di- by I'ood Service of America, R.M. dren’s Services Div., OM SI, and the rcctor. Urban League o f Portland and Pamplin, Inc., PPB Sunshine Division, YWCA. Housing Authority of Portland Direc Life Center, Reser’s Fine Foods, W est- T A p- j "Reinvestments in the Community" is a weekly column appearing in API publications through out the USA < •»<* ? * * • »•*» u ’ ’ ' ", ira