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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1992)
March 1 1 ,1992...The Portland Observer...Page 3 HUD Announces First Ever Waiver To Help Employees Qualify For FHA Loan Program Emanuel Grants Its First ENHOP Loan to Employee Representative Ron Wyden an nounced today that in enterprise zones around the stale, the Housing and U r ban Development office (H U D ) w ill waive the 5 percent down payment required from a homebuyer’s own funds to only two percent, allowing the re maining three percent to be supple mented by an employer loan program. The first approval o f its kind in the nation, the waiver comes on the heels o f a new program at Emanuel Hospital & Health Center and Legacy Health Sys tem that loans employees up to $5,000 to buy a home in Emanuel’s immediate neighborhoods. Legacy’ s program stimulated this H U D waiver. “ Normally this type o f program is not permissible w ith an FH A loan,” said Tom Cusack, H U D Director o f Housing Development D ivision,” But we are w illin g to take an additional risk in exchange for investment in enter prise zones.” According to Cusack, enterprise zones are areas created by the State Legislature in an attempt to encourage re-investment in business and housing development. In Oregon, there are 30 enterprise zones. North and Northeast Portland being one o f the most popu lated. The change in policy by H U D has allowed Emanuel to grant its firs t Emanuel Neighborhood Home Owner ship Program (ENHOP) loan. Staria M cCuller, 43, is the first Legac y Health System employee to see the dream o f owning a home become a reality. “ I t ’ s too good to be true," she said. A social worker fo r the Oregon Bum Center at Emanuel, M cCullar has had her per ceptions changed about North/North- east Portland. “ When I first started see its significance as other employers institute programs fo r their em ploy Century Products Recalls Swings ees,” he said. Proceeds go Emanuel has stated that they w ill to w ard s youth make the materials used to create the a tte n d in g regional ENHOP program available for other youth group of y o u th conference employers to adopt. “ This is a model program,” said Cusack, “ but the only way it can truly presents be successful is for other employers to 1st A nnual Fashion Show F u n d raiser become involved. As other enterprise zone employers become committed, we w ill see the difference the H U D A n Ethnic Experience waiver w ill make state-wide.” A V isual Trip T h ro u g h T he W orld of The H U D waiver carries sign sig nificance that may even influence other A frican A m erican cities in the nation to begin sim ilar F ashions employee-assisted loan programs. In addition, Fannie Mae, a private company chartered by Congress to pro Performance by: vide a national secondary mortgage The African market, has named ENHOP as the first American Ballet employer-assisted homeownershippro- gram in the state to be approved for their Magnet 3/2 program. This pro R eception gram allows for three percent down to Follow from the buyer’ s funds and the balance to be provided by an employer loan. “ Fannie Mae is delighted to be part D oor Prizes o f this new plan to enable the em ploy ees o f Emanuel Hospital to afford 42nd & homeownership near their w ork place, and at the same time, revitalize the K illingsw orth Portland community surrounding the Donation: $10.00 hospital,” said John Fulford, senior vice Contact: Wanda at 288-1092 president in charge o f the company’ s 10-state western regional office. He went on to add, “ This is exactly the kind o f effort Fannie Mae Chairman Jim Johnson had in mind in March 1991 when he announced a special $10 b il lion corporate commitment to special “ This says to the recipients that * we Oregon State U niversity and the needs and low -to moderate-income have faith in what you are trying to d o ’ Corvallis-Albany branch o f the National housing nationwide.” and hopefully w ill show them a sense o f Association fo r the Advancement o f trust,” Berkey said. “ To a college stu Colored People have established a new dent, especially a form er inmate w ith a scholarship fund to benefit former in fam ily, $500 can be pretty im portant.” mates o f the state Department o f C or The College o f Liberal Arts is han rections. I remain committed to the v ia b ility and dling counseling and supervision o f O fficials o f O SU ’ s College o f L ib importance o f small regional insurers. eral Arts and the N A A C P believe it is scholarship recipients, said H arold We w ill do everything we can to assure one o f the first scholarships o f its kind Hunter, director o f development fo r the regional carriers continue to provide college. in the U.S. alternatives.” “ We think this an exciting idea and The Benjamin L . Hooks Scholar The merger is next subject to ap ship Endowment Fund—named in honor we hope it w ill capture the imagination proval by the corporate member o f o f the recently retired national execu- o f people around the state,” Hunter BCBSO and the physician members o f tivedirectorofthe N A A C P —is designed said. RVPS. I f those parties approve the to assist former inmates continue their The Departmentof Corrections w ill merger, Weeks w ill then issue a c e rtifi education, according to Eamestine help identify candidates fo r the scholar cate o f merger and acquisition, RVPS Berkey, president o f the C o rv a llis -A l ships, which w ill be funded p rim arily would effectively cease to exist and through efforts o f the N A A C P , Hunter bany N A A C P branch. BCBSO would takes its place on A p ril 1. said. Representatives o f the Corvallis- Applicants must be form er clients The merger was initiated by RVPS o f the Department o f Social Services; Albany branch o f the N A A C P w ill make which was concerned about rising health should have families w ith children; and the final decisions about scholarship care costs. The company fe lt that it recipients, who w ill be chosen from a should have been enrolled in education could best protect its policyholders by lis t approved by OSU and the Depart or vocational training programs w ith merging, while it was healthy, w ith a ment o f Corrections. the Department o f Corrections. large insurance company. Fundraising w ill begin immediately A t the tim e scholarship funds are Consumers w ho have questions ^ ^ ¿ ^ p i e n t s shall be enrolled as fo r the Benjamin L . Hooks Scholarship about the merger can w nte the Company fu ll-tim e students a( s u > and classi. Endowment Fund, which has been es at o OSU, classi Regulation Section, Insurance D ivision, fied at least as sophomores. Scholar tablished w ith the OSU Foundation. For 440 Labor & Industries Building, Sa ship recipients w ill receive $500. Spon m ore in fo rm a tio n , contact H a ro ld lem, OR 97310, or call them at 378 Hunter at the College o f Liberal Arts, sors say the recognition is more im por 4281. 737-4587. tant than the amount. "Fashion Safari' working at Emanuel, I had some con cerns,” she said,” but I ’ ve met a lot o f people who live in the area and I think, overall, parts o f this area arc really nice.” M cCullar said she bought the home, located just o ff o f Portland Blvd., p ri m arily fo r the neighborhood. “ I was quite taken by it,” M cC ullar said. “ I looked around a lo t and in this neigh borhood people help each other out,” she said,“ It rem indsm eof where I grew up.” “ What Emanuel’s program has al lowed me to do is have a little o f the American Dream,” said McCullar. “ The ENHOP program can only benefit the employees and neighborhoods, ’ she said, “ I t ’ s innovative and wonderful.” A ll employees o f the Legacy Health System who qualify may apply for an ENHOP loan. The third largest private employer in Oregon, Legacy Health System includes Emanuel Hospital & Health Center, Good Samaritan Hospi tal & Health Center, Holladay Park Medical Center, M eridian Park Hospi tal, M ount Hood Medical Center and the V isiting Nurse Association. W hile ENHOP applicants benefit from the H U D announcement, so do the neighborhoods o f North and Northeast Portland. The recently presented A lbina com m unity Plan recommends home ownership as one o f its objectives. Now, there exists an even greater opportunity for people who live in the community to purchase their own homes. “ Emanuel is very excited about the impact the H U D waiver w ill have for our employees and the c ity ,” said Jim M ay, President resident and CEO o f Emanuel Hospital & Health Center and Holladay Park Medical Center. “ We w ill really 4 ft ■; r.< * ’ '<• J’ V Ad Prices Good March 11 through March 17,1992 At Safeway. Golden Fancy Bananas Dole golden ripe fancy bananas, ready to enjoy in salads, jello, pies, puddings, breads, muffins and so many other delicious ways. Stock-up! Lbs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing the recall as part o f its mission to protect the public. Note: To report an unsafe con sumer product or a product related in ju ry , consumers may call the U.S. C on Look In The This Week Magazine for your Safeway Shopping Guide for a complete list ef socials on sale this week at Safeway! The Fastest Way To Send Money....Available In All Safeway stores in Oregon & S.W. Washington. W ESTERN U N IO N ‘ • ' ■ r ¿i & Sr ¿5 a. I * < ft ?« ck Safeway Expect the Best ••• r OSU, NAACP Collaborate On Scholarship For Ex-Inmates Weeks Approves Merger Of Blue Cross And Rogue Valley coming and w ith it some redevelop A proposed merger between Blue ment opportunities fo r housing, retail, Cross and Blue Shield o f Oregon and and employment,” Stacey noted. Rogue Valley Physicians Service has “ I t ’ s time to test some land use cleared the first hurdle fo llo w in g the concepts fo r accom modating more approval o f Oregon Department o f In people inside Portland instead o f a llo w surance and Finance D irector Gary K. ing all o f the growth to occur in the Weeks. suburban fringe,” he added. Weeks held a hearing on the pro There are three main components posed merger in M edford on January 23. o f the Livable C ity Project: Nearly 100 affected people attended the 1. Engage the com m unity in a c ity hearing, and while some asked fo r cla ri wide discussion o f the growth concepts. fication o f the terms o f the merger, all 2. Coordinate w ith other projects were supportive o f the merger. Weeks’ related to growth and development such decision to approve the merger follow ed as M etro’ s Region 2040 Study. a thorough consideration o f the fo llo w 3. T ie a number o f other planning ing issues: the legality o f the merger; its projects into a consolidated effort in affect on policyholders or shareholders; cluding updating the land division code, the quality o f service to be provided meeting the requirements o f the state under the agreement; and its affect on transportation rule, reassessing appli competition. cation o f site and design review, re “ A fter careful thought and consid viewing tree preservation strategies and eration and after hearing the concerns o f development on steep slopes, and pre the subscribers, we believe this merger paring an infill/redevelopm ent analy- is in the best interests o f those affected,” SIS. said Weeks. “ In approving this merger. The project w ill be under way im mediately. Saturday, A pril 25th 8PM W hittaker M iddle School C e n tu ry P ro du cts C o m p a n y, Macedonia, OH in cooperation w ith the U.S. Consumer Product Safety C om mission (CPSC) is voluntarily recalling its 1991 model wind-up infant swings w ith the “ W hisper-W ind” motor. Cen tury has received 31 reports o f injuries to consumers invo lvin g these swings. M ost injuries were to consumers who were attempting toopen the motor hous ing or repair swings that had stopped working. I f the plastic cover over the swing motor is removed, the pow erful, coiled wind-up spring w ill unwind rapidly and forcefully and may cause serious in ju ry , Injuries reported to the firm in clude puncture wounds and lacerations requiring immediate medical treatment The recall applies to approximately 181,000 Century “ whisper-wind” in fant swings manufactured during 1991. The five swing models involved were sold fo r about $3O-$8O nationwide (model numbers: 12-319, 12-329, 12- 344,12-345, and 12-349). Recalled units bear manufacturing date codes 9101 through 9112. The date codes are lo cated on a white label on the bottom o f sumer Product Safety Commission’ s toll-free hotline at 1-800-638-2772. A teletypewriter for the hearing impaired is available at 1-800-638-8270; the Maryland T T Y number is 1-800-492- 8104. ft. Mallory Church of Christ City Council Endorses Kafoury’s Livable City Project The Portland C ity Council adopted a resolution on March 4,1992, support ing the Livable C ity Project: Managing Portland’s Growth. The project, intro duced by Commissioner Kafoury and supported by the Portland Planning Commission, is designed to implement Portland Future Focus goal o f capturing a larger share (20%) o f the region’ s projected growth w ithout destroying the cohesiveness and character o f exist ing neighborhoods. “ This project w ill test the theory that we can make neigh borhoods safe and stable by building upon the historic characteristics o f neighborhoods as they developed along trolley lines,” explains Commissioner Kafoury. “ We are seeking the input o f residents throughout the city to deter mine how to accommodate growth and enhance our c ity ’s liva b ility,” she added. The Planning Bureau w ill be in charge o f the Livable C ity Project, co ordinating citizen involvement and other city bureaus. Planning D irector Robert Stacey is candid about the challenges o f this p ro je ct “ W e have more ligh t rail 4 •' • <‘v, Nî» ■X