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Volumn XXII, Number 46
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“The Eyes and Ears of the Community’
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S"O«,n
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Through It All, Center
Survives 40 Years
r
Evelyn C ollins, “ M iss C ollins,
as she has been known first to hun­
dreds o f youth and now thousands,
continues her m inistry o f love to the
N .E . P o rtlan d C o m m u n ity . She
teaches, challenges and loves the
fourth and fifth generations o f those
firstchildrengoingbacktothe 1950’s.
She s till insists on helping low in ­
come, single parent households and
“ at risk” youth and families.
Last December the Board o f D i­
rectors held the Center’ s firs t annual
fund raising banquet. Head o f Port­
land parks & Recreation and long
lim e “ Center Friend” , Charles Jordan
was the key note speaker. Last year's
event also recognized and awarded
several individuals, organizations and
businesses that had been instrumen­
tal in helping the Center through one
o f the most d iffic u lt periods in its
history. A period which almost saw
the doors locked up by CSD, M u lt­
nomah County Health Department
and others because o f code and safety
violations. The Board claims success
last year and the event did bring in
enough money to bring some back
b ills and payroll current.
On Saturday December 5, 1992
the Grace C ollins Center w ill hold its
second annual fund raising banquet.
Jessie Brazzel, this year's Banquet
C hair has dec ided to keep the event at
the Center and the board is looking to
New Veterans
Benefits
Handbook
Available
One o f the Government’ s most
w idely distributed publications entitled
Federal Benefits For Veterans And De­
pendents has been updated for 1992.
This best selling handbook describes
the wide range o f benefits available to
all Veterans and their Dependents, in ­
cluding recent DESERT STO RM V e t­
erans. E lig ib ility requirements fo r en-
titlem entto benefits, the important tim e­
table fo r benefits, and where to apply
'are described in detail.
Education and training benefits fo r
Veterans including the G1 B ill, jo b train­
ing, vocational re h a b ilita tio n ’ , and
employm ent assistance are covered
extensively. Other major sections de­
scribe V A loans for home-buying Vets,
life insurance, disability benefits, health
care, what to do about Agent Orange
exposure, death benefits, and benefits
for survivors. A ll V A facilities where
Veterans should go for assistance in ­
cluding V A hospitals, nursing homes,
stage a week o f events at the Center just
prior to the banquet. The events w ill be
aimed at invitin g the public into the Cen­
ter not only to vis it but fo r people to see
what they can do to help this Com m unity
Treasure. W ith the number o f youth and
fam ilies that have been touched by Miss
C ollins, the board figures that even a
modest donation form them would be a
new source o f assistance.
The Center is certified fo r 59 c h il­
dren based on CSD regulations. This is a
far cry from the days when over a few
hundred youth per day would come into
the Center from 6 A M to 12 M idnight. In
addition to day care, Miss C ollins, her
mother, Grace, and staff provided before
and after school programs, evening and
week-end recreation and outreach a c tiv i­
ties in the comm unity. That staff, like
many o f the current board members con­
sists o f youth who had been, in a sense,
raised in the Center, taught and inspired
by the loving woman w ith the stories, the
Bible verse and the “ treats” . A t one time
there were even Sunday Services at the
Center.
The Center has seldom operated to­
ta lly in the black and even today, meeting
weekly payroll, taxes and other operating
expenses remains a challenge. Parents
served by the Center do not pay the fu ll
cost o f day care. M iss C ollins s till insists
the parent pay depending on income and
the a bility to pay. U S D A food subsidies
and the steady but dw indling stream o f
Evelyn Collins
Local Franchises To Serve
Pizza To 1,400 Homeless In
Oregon’s Two Largest Cities
The annual “ D om ino’ s Pizza De­
livers Lunch to the Homeless” has be­
come a tw o -city event in i t ’s fourth
year.
M ic h a e l K a uth, P ortland area
D om ino ’s Pizza franchisee, along w ith
his dow ntow n Portland team members,
is busy preparing to serve 1,000 home­
less men, women, andchildren at Union
Gospel M ission M en ’ s Shelter, 15 NW
3rd Ave. “ We know that fo r some, this
may be the o nly hot meal they’ ll receive
in a week” , explained Kauth, “ We try to
make it a happy occasion.” Union Gos­
pel M ission has arranged for a wide
variety o f lunch entertainment from
honky-tonk music to mime.
Volunteers from Union Gospel
M ission and local D om ino’ s Pizza team
members along w ith local celebrity
volunteers, including Commissioner
Gretchen K a fo u ry .K O lN ’s Ed Whelan,
and K A T U ’ s Julie Em ry and Paul
Linnman w ill be serving the 2,400slices
o f pizza donated by D om ino’s Pizza
donations from individuals, churches
and organizations have made it pos­
sible for the Center and Miss Collins
to continue this work. Board members
are w orking to secure the future o f the
Center so that many future genera­
tions o f Pordand's youth and families
w ill know the special something started
by Miss C ollins when there were few
resources available. There is s till so
much work to be done.
More inform ation on the Center
and the banquet w ill come. Tickets,
priced at $25.00, are now on sale at the
Center. The Board is soliciting the
support o f families, churches, organi­
zations and businesses to buy tables o f
10 seats for the event. For more in fo r­
mation and early ticket purchase call
the Center at 281 -6930 and speak with
Joyce Douglas, Adm inistrator or Miss
C ollins. You may also speak with any
o f the board members: Ralph &
LaVeme Davis, Danny Bell, Jessie
Brazzel, Mother & Stanley Peterson,
W illie & Charles Stoudamire. A d v i­
sors include: Charles Jordan, Tim
Sidel, Carl Parker, Margaret Carter
and Ernest Reams.
A ll “ Center Children” , the term
used to identify Center alumni, are
urged to call and come into the Center,
vis it Miss C ollins and bring a special
e ffo rt g ift or even repay money that
Miss C ollins may have loaned them.
This is our Center too.
Team Portland, and over 100 gallons
o f Coca-Cola product contributed by
the local bottler.
Meanwhile, down south, Daniel
Kauth, D om ino’ s Pizza franchisee in
Eugene, prepares to serve an expected
400 homeless at the Eugene Mission.
“ W c thought it would be a great idea to
jo in my brother in Pordand this year
and help those folks who are in need
right here in Eugene” , commented
Daniel. The Eugene Mission is located
at 1542 W 1st Ave.
Union Gospel Mission and Eu­
gene Mission are both private non­
p ro fit agencies providing shelter and
food for homeless men, women, and
children.
Both events w ill be held Novem­
ber 17th 1992. Portland’ s lunch w ill
start at 10:30am and Eugene’ s at 11:00.
Both events w ill end at 1:30pm.
Portland’ s pizzas w ill be made at the
2280N W G lisan D om ino’s Pizza store
location and Eugene’ sat 2260 W 18th.
c,
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Packwood
Thanks
Oregonians
Oregon Senator Bob Packwood
today thanked Oregonians fo r relum ing
him to the U.S. Sehate and pledged his
strong support for Oregon’ s interests. “ I
want to thank Oregonians fo r their sup­
port in this victory, and I want them to
know that I w ill continue to w ork hard
for them on the issues that are so im p o r­
tant to our state,” said Packwood.
“ M y top p rio rity is finding a per­
manent solution to the forest manage­
ment problem in Oregon. I am co m m it­
ted to w orking fo r a solution to our
health care crisis that includes univer­
sal coverage and cost containment. I
w ill work to see the North American
free T rade Agreement (N A F T A ) im ple­
mented because it w ill be good fo r
Oregon’ s economy and fo r the nation’ s.
And fin a lly , I w ill redouble my efforts
on d eficit reduction. We need a bal­
anced budget amendment and we need
to begin the d iffic u lt task o f reducing
the federal d e ficit which is strangling
economic growth in this country,” said
Packwood.
“ A dditionally, I w ill prevail on
President Bush, one more time, to grant
Oregon a w aiver so that we can im ple­
ment our innovative health care pro­
gram. Failing that, I ’ll work w ith Presi­
dent-elect C linton to get our waiver
granted,” he continued.
Packwood spoke w ith reporters at
a news conference during which he
praised Congressman AuC oin for wag­
ing a tough campaign on the issues.
Court Says Fair Housing Law
Applies To Insurance
The U.S. C o u rto f Appeals forthe
Seventh C ircu it recently agreed on
Tuesday, O ctober 2nd, w ith the
N A A C P ’s position that redlining is a
form o f racial discrimination which in
the insuring o f homes violates the Fair
Housing A ct o f 1968, and ordered a
lower court to reconsider a case the
Association had brought against an
insurance company in Madison, W is­
consin.
The low er court had said earlier
that the property and insurance casu­
alty business was not covered by the
Fair Housing Act. It must now rehear
the case.
“ This is an extremely important
decision since it plainly states it is
illegal for insurance firm s to deny
African-Americans insurance on their
homes, or to charge them higher pre­
miums, or to practice any type o f
d iscrim in atio n,” Dr. Benjam in L .
Hooks, Executive D irector/CEO ofthe
N A A C P said.
S p e cifica lly, the N A A C P had
charged that by discouraging African-
Americans from obtaining home in ­
surance from the American Fam ily
M utual Insurance Co., the firm had in
effect discriminated against them by
making it more d iffic u lt to obtain m ort­
gages - which require the homeowner
be insured.
The suit further accused the firm
o f engaging in unlaw ful practices in ­
cluding: instructing its agents not to
sell policies to African-Am ericans;
fa ilin g and refusing to market their
insurance to African-Am erican prop­
erty owners; fa ilin g to locate agents
and agencies in , and in close proxim ity
to, predominantly African-American
neighborhoods, and charging lower
rates in predominantly white neigh­
borhoods than it charges in predomi­
nantly African-American neighbor­
hoods fo r properties o f comparable
value and risk.
In rejecting American F am ily’s
challenge to the N A A C P ’s involve­
ment in the case the court said: “ Con­
gress amended the statute o f 1988 to
authorize suit by anyone who ‘be­
lieves that he w ill be injured by a
discriminatory housing practice that
is about to occur* and unless this
statue is unconstitutional several o f
the plaintiffs, and the N AA C P itse lf
as an organization whose members
include many black persons in the
housing market, have standing.”
Cooperating attorneys in the case
were W illiam H. Lynch and James
Hall o f Milwaukee.
Representing the N A A C P ’s Na­
tional O ffice were N A A C P General
Counsel Dennis C. Hayes and W illie
Abrams, Assistant General Counsel.
Continued on page 7
Did The Election Mandate Change For Oregon/Portland?
BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT
This is certain to be a cause for
discussion her in the land o f big trees,
logger, Spotted Owls, skinheads, the
Religious Right and a relatively small
number o f African Americans. The lat­
ter have been said to live in a “ Peculiar
Paradise” , nothing has changed.
Jim H ill has become State Trea­
surer, Elizabeth Furse has gone to Con­
gress, A vcl G ordly has joined Margaret
Carter and B ill M cCoy in the state
legislature, and Vera Katz is Mayor-
elect o f Portland, Bob Packwood kept
his seat in the senate, w hile we lost a
senior position in the House when
AuCoin resigned to contest that incum ­
bency. The “ party” alignment in the
State House did not change that much,
but the Republicans have got to gird
against a determined e ffo rt by the R eli­
gious Right to “ take over” .
A ll o f the special initiatives failed
in terms o f the results sought by their
sponsors-including the infamous“ Mca-
surc 9” (correct me i f I ’m wrong). Presi­
dential candidate B ill C lin to n took
Oregon’ s electoral votes, but the popu­
lar vote could hardy be termed a “ land­
slide” . A ll in all I would say that there
was no evidence anywhere o f any
groundswcll o f support for any particu­
lar social or cconom ic philosophy. There
were no mandates!
Given that profound observation, 1
return you now to our regular program­
ming. That, o f course, has to do w ith a
com m un ity’ s growing concern w ith
several areas o f A frican American lead­
ership. I have been articulating con­
cerns o f the comm unity-in-gcncral and
my own particular fears and frustra­
tions. L ike others, I continue to encoun­
ter many unforgivable expressions o f
contempt and disregard for the social
and economic welfare o f the Northeast
sector o f c ity -w h ile , like the congress,
self-appointed leaders deny any respon­
sib ility and loudly blame the “ white
folks dow ntow n” fo r failures usually
occasioned by lack o f a bility and,often,
just plain greed.
I suggest that you read my article
on page 2 o f this issue o f the Portland
Observer; “ Perspectives: The T h rill Is
Gone” . .This is the conclusion o f a
series o f four articles that severely take
to task some o f the directions and p ri­
orities o f Portland leadership. This piece
was the fourth o f a series and it would
be good i f you could secure the
earlier articles. Before that, I wrote
another.scries,“ Nonminority Business”
which also provided useful and struc­
tured analysis as well as “ realistic”
goals that could be immediately im ple­
mented.
Speaking in reference to previous
material in this newspaper, be sure to
see that relevant and signicant “ Letter-
To-The E ditor” on page o f last week’s
edition (11/4/92). Ms. Harris o f North
Portland, an African American woman
with some serious reservations about
our comm unity, vigorously and rig h t­
fu lly attacks some major and disheart­
ening trends in thiscom munity. Taking
her cue from Mr. Posey, another w riter
fo r this newspaper (“ courage to bring
issues to the forefront” ), Ms. Harris
proceeds to spell out a number o f the
ugly and destructive activities that have
kept this community operating at one-
h alf o f its true potential; that sees our
youth deprived o f much o f the guid­
ance and role-model structure that nor­
m ally would have been provided. Some
excerpts follow . (The term“ oppressor”
may offend you, but she is right, you
know. I have suffered from some o f the
same crap. They smile in your face!)
“ Black oppressors are considered
by the white-powers-that-bc’ as a good
personal reference fo r bla ck jo b
applicants (whether you list them or
not)., state and local government w ill
not hire you unless you have been
okayed by the black oppressors... you
are not a part o f their clique. They arc
gate-keepers...they’ ve sold out in
order to fu rthe r th eir own selfish
needs...if you’ re bright you can’ t be
used... Where is the m illions that have
been earmarked for economic develop­
ment in this com m unity?”
Lady, you arc so right about a
number o f p itifu l but dangerous in d i­
viduals who not only hold “ us” back,
but end up projecting the rest o f us to
the city and state as equally inept and
greedy .B u t don ’ t leave to w n -g i ve me
a call. I, too, have had your problems,
but had enough footwork and experi­
ence to gel around them. And I, too,
have had grinning hypocrites in my
home or o ffice on “ inform ation expe­
ditions” , people who after peeking at
your papers, return to their “ cliques” as
you say and proceed in their operations
which are carefully designed to shoot
you out o f the process.
Be careful lady, for i f you haven’t
noticed, these clowns never invite you
to “ their homes” -a n d i f you are sucked
into their organizations, you s till w ill
not know what is going on because
the “ real business” is always trans­
acted at the homes o f the lead people in
the incestuous grouping. Fortunately,
their white masters just love to inform
and snitch on them, probably from a
perverse desire to let “ a ll” the slaves
kn o w w ho is re a lly ru n n in g the
plantation. Rest assured that our de­
scriptions do not fit the m ajority o f the
northeast population, but enough to
keep the community depressed and
“ oppressed” . D on’t leave, we gonna
w in sister. They don’ t have brains
enough to last much longer.
I have more time and resources
now. I get out and make m y own pre­
sentations to the establishm ent-indus­
try, educators, o fficials and grassroots
p e o p le -w h ite and black. U n fo rtu ­
nately, sister, fo r a little w hile longer
you are going to have to sell your
skills and gifts on your o w n -e ve n pro­
tect your rear. I ’ve had to engage a
sharp attorney to go after several in d i­
viduals who have typed in my name to
charters and documents o f com m unity
corporations and g ra nt proposals
o f which I ’ve never heard. The only
language these greedy lovers-of-the-
community w ill understand is “ pay me
fo r those checks cashed or go to Uncle
Sam's housing pro gram -do n ’ tc a ll me,
m ail my money, n ow !”
I t ’ s going to get better lady, but a
number o f us need to start reclaim ing
our com m unity-as w ell as country.