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October 2. 1991
“The Eyes and Ears of the Community“
Volumn XXI, Number 40
®Ífe ^n rtín n ít (Dhvuruer
Mysterious Fires Strike Jefferson High School
BY OBSERVER STAFF
busy arsonist has
added to the woes of
a local innercity high
school right at the start
of a critical school
year. In the past week,
firefighters, police and school au­
thorities have been kept busy fight­
ing and investigating six deliberate
incendiary events. The volatile cir­
cumstances have been traumatic for
pupils, teachers and parents alike.
While the Portland School Dis­
trict has announced a ‘ ‘ Secret Plan
to apprehend the perpetrators, our in­
terviews with some of those vitally
concerned do not reflect a great deal
of confidence in the process. What
does impress all concerned, includ­
ing our staff, is the coming together
of a community that is frustrated,
angry and frightened. This hearten­
ing response has been emphasized on
televised news reports, in the print
Jefferson High School
media, and is supported by our per­
While school opens as usual this
sonal queries of students and teach­
week,
students will not be allowed in
ers. We all have been reassured by
the
building
before first period (ex­
the appearance of scores of parents
cept
for
the
special
7:25 A.M. courses).
and community activists who are
This
leads
to
several
unfortunate cir­
monitoring the situation in the hall­
cumstances;
first.
ways and on the campus at large;
we have a rather
they are to be commended.
disoriented
con­
The situation is little different
gregation
of
stu­
from that when an international ter­
dents
outdoors
rorist can singlehandedly place an
and exposed to
entire airport or other public facility
under siege. The authorities report
the vagaries of
pfOCCSS Ht
the weather-and
that there are no “ solid leads,’’ though
the interaction with drop-out-youths.
they have invoked a “ combination
Also, that first hour is often used to
of standard investigative and surveil­
complete home work that should have
lance practices.” This underlines
been done the night before, and just,
the value and necessity of the com­
generally, get oneself together for a
munity support cited above. But, we
round with the establishment. (You do
cannot afford to ignore the conse­
remember, don’t you?)
quences of the disruptive ordeal to
The attitude of Jefferson’s princi­
which the educational process at Jef­
pal,
Alcena
Boozer, has been very posi-
ferson is being subjected.
A
w
Photo by Veronica Green
five. She has praised both students,
parents, fire officials and police for
work, commitment and “ common
sense.” These recent events have no
doubt been an immense strain upon
the cited support of this commu­
nity.
It is not indicated how long the
travail and attrition of the educa­
tional process will last at Jefferson
High School. It is
our further hope that
we are not facing an
extended series of
“ copy cat” crimes
and that the real and
critical business of the
institution can be got­
ten on with. It occurs, too, that this
community support that has coalesced
around the school can translate into
an upscaled participation of parents
4 in the regularly scheduled school ac­
tivities that require their around-the-
year support and commitment. We
wish Jefferson the best-there may
be another side to this coin.
e cannot afford to ignore the
consequences of the disruptive
ordeal to which the educational
Jefferson is being subjected."
her, for all of this must have necessar­
ily distracted her from the primary mis­
sion of educating young people effec­
tively when the entire process is al­
ready under traumatic pressures of fi
nance, ambiguous directives and ob­
jectives, and deserved or undeserved
criticisms from every angle. It is our
hope that she will continue to receive
David Little to Run
For City Council
Citizens to elect David Little would
like to annouce that on September 16,
1991 he filed to run for position 4
(Dick Bogle’s seat) on the Portland
City Council. Little believes in citizen
solutions and he is willing to work
with you, the citizens of the city, in
finding those solutions and putting them
to work. An employment specialist for
the State Employment Division, Little
said his top priority will be involving
citizens in city government “ No longer
can we wait for someone to save us.
It’s no city hall, the police department,
the fire department or 911 that’s going
to save our city ; it’s us, you and me, or­
dinary citizens working together for a
better Portland.” Citizens interested
in indentifying key issues in their com­
munity and developing solutions are
encouraged to host a Citizen Solution
Session by calling (503) 252-3292.
David Little moved to Portland in
1984 after graduating from Oregon
State University in Education. He has
begun graduate work in pursuit of a
masters in public administration de­
gree at Lewis & Clark College. Cur­
rently, Little serves as an elected offi­
cial, vice chairman of the Multnomah
Ora Hart Fire Fundraising
funds for Ora Hart’s family. The major
On September twelfth, a fire was
set ablaze in Ora Hart’s home by her six
year old grandson. The blaze destroyed
her entire bedroom, all of her clothing,
shoes and many important documents.
They, Ora and her husband, dis­
covered that their fire insurance had
expired. So - the damages to the fam­
ily dwelling would go undone. Much
sadness set-in.
The Miriam Missionary Circle, of
the Mount Olivet Baptist Church, has
taken it upon themselves to host an
“ ALL YOU CAN EAT SPAGHETTI
DINNER” to assist in the raising of
by B i l l B a r b e r
H
“ I didn’t really see myself excelling as
being a gang member. I didn’t know
anybody who really could,” he said. As
a freshman at Wilson, Enyinwa devel­
oped a bad reputation. The self-pro­
claimed gang member was skipping
classes and all but ruined his academic
status. Wilson principal, Gene Valjean,
remembers Enyinwa as “ a very intelli­
gent boy withgreatpotential, who didn’t
have much success at Wilson.”
Enyinwa freely admits his priorities
centered around establishing the gang’s
prominence; “ Taking no mess from
nobody...we were about money ...money
and weapons. What I saw in the gangs at
the time” he continued, “ was status. It
was a respect thing... maybe the wrong
kind of respect. I got caught up in i t It
was a ’do or die’ type of situation. ” “ Do
or Die” - The front page of the daily
newspaper confirms that sentiment all
too often!
“ I came down here (House of Umoja)
one day to see how it ran. It was a nice
facility. The people here seemed like
they cared. I spent the night here. It
seemed like...man if I could really change
my life... what would I do? One of the
workers here said ‘ ‘ Yourpretty good at
hoop and I know the coach at Grant
High School. Why don’t you let me
hook you up?” I said, “ Yeah. I couldn ’ t
really play last year because I had the
image of being a gang member.” The
basketball coach talked to the football
coach. When Pierre decided to play
football he didn’t get a free ride to
become part of the team. He explains,
“ 1 had to take back-up classes and
make up work during the summer along
with weight training and daily doubles.
I figured it takes hard work to get where
you want to be, especially if you’re as
far back as I was.”
Speaking of his new change in at­
titude after switching high schools, Eny­
inwa says ‘ ‘ At Grant, the group I started
hanging with was the smarter bunch.,
the group that wanted to get things
done. It’s hard to sec the big picture
when your in high school,” he added.
0/7/ Barber, left, talks with House of Umoja resident Pierre Enyinwa,right, who
excels off and on the basketball court
Pierre sees college in his future. Right
now computer course work would be
his choice. He has increased his efforts
in the classroom. This comes from the
same kid who for years looked at grades
as something he would concentrate on
“ next year.” “ But now I’m a Junior,”
he emphasizes “ 1 realize I don’t have
—__ - ¿i___ i—
...................... .......................
Minorily
Business Issue
“Nintendo
To The
Rescue*'
by McKinley
Burt
p e r s p e c tiv e s
NEW S
0
3
NEW S
4
many more ’next year’s!’ ”
When this reporter asked “ How
did you get out of the gang?” Pierre re­
sponded, ’ ‘I was lucky. My older home
boys told me gang banging is not al­
ways the only way out. They figured I
was good at hoop so I should go to
school and play hoop. They don’t stand
* *.*** •
continued on page 7
Governor
Barbara Roberts’
Proclamation
E N T E R T A IN M E N T
5
Page 13
R E L IG IO N
6
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C L A S S IF IE D S
S U B -B ID S
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in your way if they see you’re true
about what you really wanted to do...
unless you got home boys that really
don’t understand or care about you.”
As far as anyone having anything nega­
tive to say about his leaving the gang
scene and joining the House of Umoja,
Pierre offers, “ House of Umoja has an
image of people who go to jail, and get
put in here as a consequence. It bugs me
that people outside don’t understand a
person is trying to change his life by
coming here and looking for a better
way. I don’t get down on anybody for
not having the heart, or decency or the
understanding to see what I’m trying to
do. People that talk bad about me aren ’ t
the people I center my life around.”
Pierre has noticed that people re­
spond differently to him now. “ Yeah,
some of the people I hang out with now
at school were friends, but we could
never hang out because I had no inter­
est in what they were doing. The people
I used to hang out with aren’t doing the
same thing I’m into now.”
Teachers are responding to Pierre’s
more positive attitude as well. “ They
aren’t pushing the ’silent type’ thing
anymore. It’s like everybody is trying
to help me out.” Project Scholarship
has recently taken an interest in Pi-
i----------------
I
X
item will be to get a roof back on the
house before bad weather sets in.
The community is asked to take
part in this great fundraising event by
coming to the dinner on Oct. 12,1991
from 5-8 pm at 116 NE Schuyler Street,
Mt. Olivet Church. Donations of $5 for
adults and $2.50 for children are re­
quested. All persons who are unable to
come, for whatever the reason but would
like to give, may send your donation to:
Mount Olivet Baptist Church
c/o ORA HART FUND
116 NE Schuyler Street
Portland, OR 97212
jf r f t
Page 2
NEW S
David Little
Education Service District; and ap­
pointed by the mayor to serve as a
Commissioner for the Housing Au­
thority of Portland. Little recently
celebrated his tenth wedding anniver­
sary with his wife, Gloria Henderson-
Little and three children; Bryan (5 yrs
old), Diana (3yrs old), and Mychal (2
yrs old).
BY MATTIE ANN CALLIER-SPEARS
Former Gang Member’s Decision:
Front Page or Sports Page
ow do I get my name
in the paper?” A
young person asked
the newsman. “ You
either do something
good or you do something bad. It is
your decision,” was his simplistically
profound reply.
Pierre Enyinwa was running like
an express train headed out of control
toward the front page. Then one day he
decided to visit with some friends and
shoot some hoop at the House of Umoja.
Enyinwa at 6'4" and 202 lbs. is a
good- sized young man for 16 years
old. His family moved from Nigeria to
the United States when he was just a
baby. It is doubtful he had any idea of
the dramatic events that would unfold
in his life when he moved to Portland in
1981.
He got caught up in the gangs in his
freshman and sophomore years of high
school. One day he sat back to look at
how his life was going. He decided it
was not on the path he wanted to take.
250
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M B E S P E C IA L
12
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