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“The Eyes and Ears of the Community’
V olum n XXII, Num ber 2 0
.x b r
'Mav 13, 1992
^ a rtía n it (©bseriier
entry Supermarket
Lombard Sentry
Supermarket owner Jon
Okazaki, middle, and his
parents Lillian and Mino
Okazaki, will celebrate the
store's 60th anniversary
Saturday, May 16. The
Okazaki family has operated
the store, located at 1952
North Lombard, since it was
first opened in 1932 as a
small fruit stand. Friends are
invited to join the Okazaki
family for the anniversary
celebration between 11 and
2 p.m. Saturday.
he Lombard Sentry Supermarket will celebrate its 60th
anniversary on Saturday, May 16.
The store is one o f the oldest operating businesses in the
north Portland area known historically as the Kenton neighbor­
hood. The first Lombard fruit stand was built in 1932 by
Hidekichi Okazaki, a Japanese immigrant. Hidekichi won
customers with his fresh produce, which he hand-picked from
the Yamhill farm er’s market offerings every morning at 3 a.m .
Son Mino sometimes accompanied Hidekichi on those early
morning trips, and was a frequent neighborhood sight as he
delivered custom er purchases in his hand-pulled red wagon.
In 1941, the Okazaki family decided to expand the store
despite the onset of W orld W ar II. They were able to purchase
the property after selling all the merchandise at a loss and
submitting to interrogations by the FBI and the Federal Reserve
Bank.
A few months later in May of 1942, The family was forced
to relocate to the Portland Assembly Center. They were later
transferred to the Minidoka Relocation Center for Japancsc-
am erican citizens, located in Hunt, Idaho.
In 1945 the family was released, and sons Sam and Mino
returned home from duty with the U.S. A rm y’s decorated
infantry regiment of the 442nd Division. The Family battled
the prejudice o f neighbors and suppliers with their courteous
Don’t Forget To Vote
Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs!
Kindergarten students at King Elementary School recently put the
finishing touches on a dinosaur mural. Approximately 150 students drew
the dinosaurs, their art teacher transferred and enlarged the drawings
and then the students took over again with paint brushes in hand. Two
fifth grade students volunteered their time after school to paint the
background scenes. Shown are Anthony Atherton and Memory Ann
Garnett.
attitude and service. By 1958, business was again booming and
the Okazaki family embarked on an ambitious plan to build a
full-service grocery store*-
Although Mino took over daily operations in the early
1960’s Hidekichi continued to visit the store daily until he died
at age 93. M ino’s four sons all took turns working at the store in
their college years, but son Jon decided to make it a career. He
helped the family build the current Lombard Sentry after a
devastating fire in 1985.
Now Jon is the chairman of the Sentry Supermarkets Board
of Directors, which sets policy for the 69 independently owned
Sentry Supermarket stores.
After 60 years in business, the Okazakis know many of their
customers by name. On a recent tour of Lombard Sentry aisles,
Mino was greeted by 72-year-old custom er Gene Fcnter, who
recalled shopping at the Lombard Sentry from the time he
bought his first gumball in grade school. “T hey’re top rate - just
good friends,” Fenter remarked.
Many long-time customers of Lombard Sentry will be
gathering for the 60th anniversary part and cake-cutting cer­
emony Saturday, May 16, between 11 and 2 p.m. To celebrate
the store’s early beginnings, Lombard Sentry will be giving
away a red wagon filled with groceries - much like the one Mino
used to wheel around the Kenton neighborhood on hisdcliverics.
Founder of "I
Have A
Dream" To
Visit King
Elementary
Friday
New York businessman Eugene
Lang, founder o f the national I Have A
Dream foundation that provides col­
lege tuition to deserving inner city stu­
dents, Friday at 10 a.m. will visit a
group of Portland “D ream ers” at King
Elementary School, 4906 N. E. 6th
Avenue.
Fifth-grade students, members o f
the second King class to participate in
the program, will visit with Lang and
Portland School District Superinten­
dent. Matthew Prophet in the school
media center. Local program sponsors
also will join in the visit.
Lang and Prophet, who will serve
as honorary chairman o f O regon’s I
Have A Dream Foundation following
his retirement June 30, will answer
questions about the program at 10:45
a.m., following the student visit.
250
First N. W. Area Charter
Application Drawn Up By
The Coalition Of Black Trade
Unionists
Submitted by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
On April 18 in Tacoma, W ashing­
ton, the first N. W. Area Charter Appli­
cation was drawn up by the Coalition
of Black Trade Unionists. There has
been a consistently strong presence of
C.B.T.U. in the United States, ranging
from the East and South to the Midwest
and Califom ia, but noth ing in the North­
west area until now - which covers the
area from Colorado to California.
This was a very historical moment
for the Coal ilion of B lack Trade Union­
ists because now it covers the entire
United States from East to West, North
to South.
The new Charter came out of R e­
gion X, which consists of California,
Oregon and Washington. Congratula­
tion are in order for the new Northwest
Charter Board Members:
President: Duke Moten, Commu­
nications W orkers of America, Local
7901 (503) 238-6666.
E xec. V .P.: M ary Ann Isles,
AFSCME, Local 1488 - Seattle, WA
(206) 525-5363.
Secretary : Mari Wyatt, AFSCME,
Local 843 - Seattle, WA (206) 281-
8302.
T reasurer Carolyn Johnson, IF -
P-T-E, Local 17 - Seattle, WA.
This new Northwest Team says to
be on the lookout for them because
they plan on helping to organize C oa­
lition of Black Trade Unionists Chap­
ters everywhere, and your town might
be next. This is the time for uniting as
brothers and sisters in our struggle to
have a voice that is independent and
strong in supporting every aspect o f our
livelihood as people that definitely have
special concerns and as workers that
don’t always reap the benefits o f our
toil. W ith the recent court decision in
the Rodney King Case, this only rein­
forces the need for CBTU. We are a part
of the economic force that pays for this
kind of injustice.
We need to make sure that since we
pay for the services o f this so-called
“justice” system, at least we need to be
able to be served fairly by it. I would say
w e’re like restaurant customers sitting
at the cafe counter not being served but
still leaving a hefty tip. It’s time we get
served! We need to become politically,
educationally, socially, and, most o f all,
justifiably united and strong, so that we
not only hope for change and im prove­
ment, but be a driving force that will be
leading the way and demanding it.
As a people we have earned the
right to expect human dignity, to go
hand-in-hand with human rights in all
facets o f our lives; and, through the
Coalition o f Black Trade Unionists we
can make sure our reason for being is not
lost in someone else’s shuffle.
Join us, and feel free to inquire
about CBTU.
Portland contact: D uke M oten,
CW A Local 7901, 2950 S E. Stark -
Suite 130, Portland, OR 97214. (503)
238-6666.
Seattle Contact: Mary Ann Isles,
AFSCME Local 1488. (206) 525-5363.
Self Enhancement's
Fourth Annual Spring
Rally
A life without positive options steers
many inner-city youth into a downward
spiral of drugs, gangs, violence and even
death. T hat’s why celebrating their aca­
demic achievement is more important
than ever before.
The fourth annual spring rally cel­
ebrating the academic achievements o f
SEI youth was held May 12 at the
W hitaker Middle School Auditorium.
The evening included a student awards
ceremony and announcement of the capi­
tal campaign to build the new Center for
east Portland.
SEI is a nationally recognized local
program dedicated to helping inner-city
youth realize that “life has options.” A
source o f hope for over 700 inner-city
Portland youth and their families, SEI
was cited by President Bush for its out­
standing effort in initiating projects which
help divert youth from drugs, gangs and
violence. The spring rally brings the
community together to re inforce the prin­
ciples of SEI and celebrate the academic
achievements o f students who have se-
Portland Girl Selected As 1992-93
National Asthma, Allergy Poster Child
A m anda Rachelle Johnston, a 12-
year old Portland girl who has battled
asthm a and other respiratory com pli­
cations since infancy, has been se­
lected as the 1992-93 National Asthma
and Allergy Poster Child.
A six th grader at the Ockley Green
Middle School, A -level student, ath­
lete and dancer, A m anda’s medical
history has included several bouts with
the chronic disease, hospitalizations
and ongoing, severe sinus infections.
W ithin the past few years, however, a
com bination o f sound m edical m an­
agem ent and health education has en­
abled A m anda to better control her
illness and participate in most activi­
ties.
Her parents, Scott and Tammi
Johnston, both suffer from asthma
also.
A sthm a is an incurable but con­
trollable chronic reversible respira­
tory illness. It is marked by constric­
tion and inflam m ation o f the upper
airways and is a major health problem
for an estim ated 10 to 12 m illion
Am ericans, including three million
children and teenagers. It is a frequent
cause of lost school and work days.
Amanda is the ninth National Asthma
and Allergy Poster Child. She succeeds
Christopher Mark Dulman of Lincoln
Park, Michigan. In May, National Asthma
Amanda Rachelle Johnston, National Asthma Allergy Poster Child
and Allergy Awareness Month, she and
her parents will travel to Washington,
D.C. for a scries of meetings with govern­
ment leaders and public health officials.
The National Asthma and allergy
Poster Ch ild contest,conducted annu­
ally since 1983, is sponsored by the
Asthma and Allergy foundation o f
Am erica, a national voluntary health
agency dedicated to finding a cure for
and c o n tro llin g these w id esp read
chronic diseases.
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