* ♦ <* W * ^ '* * ‘ Page 4..The Portland Observer...November 18, 1992 a We merged with Washington Mutual Lighten Up, McKinley!” *J _ BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT Well, that’s what the man said-lhe reader who complained that my judge­ ment on some community leadership and institutions was too harsh. And add to that the classic pejorative, “Who appointed you, anyway?” My answer to that is, “If it is nec­ essary that my commentaries be cleaked in some type of authority, then, 1 submit the past 23 years of ’foot work’ in education, industry and interaction with federal agencies and with the commu­ nity.’’That will cover the period 1969 to 1992. And before that there was what 1 regard as a very productive stretch from 1943 to 1954. My jobs, enterprises and projects were of such a nature as to provide a better than average insight and opportunity for analysis of the ur­ ban infrastructure and the underlying social interactions. In fact, the words above arc an almost verbatim quote from the cover letter of a grant proposal I recently submitted to a consortium of national corporations. Please note: I don’t reply to the standard “R.F.P.s” (Request for Proposals) churned out by federal bu­ reaus and other institutions. I design my own “requests for funding,” utilizing the perspectives gained from the “foot- Robert and Velma Henry work" I cited earlier—and from a first hand acquaintance with the struggles or successes of several generations of many of the communities black and white families. I found it interesting to have to recall and assign a monetary value to the many projects I’ve initiated over the years-not for myself, but for groups in the community whose efforts and com­ mitments I thought to be too valuable to let flounder for lack of attention and funding. I stopped with a direct funding in cash and real estate of close to a hal I - m illion dollars. And this, of course, does not include the high-priced technical personnel I solicited from government and industry-or the hundreds of jobs I developed with industry to enable my students at Portland Slate University to complete their education (many are still with those firms as career employees). Yeah, ol’buddy, I think that I am entitled and plan to “keep on-keeping on,” as the saying goes. You see, readers are telling me that I am already having some identifiable effect (for instance the new program for training minority gang youth in health careers at Provi­ dence Hospital). This is a door I opened for the first time for minority career training in 1987 (Portland Observer, 8/ mj -»\ a .-. a n v c u rl 26/87). As with m many such projects I developed, 1 filled the initial slots with talented young people from the commu­ nity that I felt were not getting the higher levelofsupportandencouragcmentthey deserved at the time (Jomo Greenidge: computerized blood analysis; Byron Spires: computer systems for hospital administration). I’m “opening up” a lot more. As we see, this is the way to “open up the process," and it is why 1 will continue to “Jaw-jerk” about well- funded institutions (and individuals) that are only pecking at the surface of our problems when an effective application of time and monies could achieve won­ ders. And don’t leave out “imagina­ tion.” You’ve got to be inventive, and you’ve got to read a lot of material other than what you are “told to read!" To that upset reader who had a quarrel with my “appointment,” I would also say this. AU of the things I’ve gotten done were structured and supported by my own finances, a half-time salary at the university and by social security after retirement. In other words, look at it this way, “I am a model that says, given what your organization has, I know you can do better wherever you are now. Thank You.” - , Court Affirms Commissioner’s Decision In Parental Leave Case ; Henrys merged with Washington Mutual when they moved to Seattle in 1972. They liked our interest rates and the convenience of one stop banking S ince then, we ve helped them with their time deposits and IRA and financed the remodeling of their home. The Henrys like Washington Mutual. And we like them. B eca u se around here, taking care of people - and not big business - is what we re all about Sound like your kind of bank? T h e n call Washington Mutual, the friend of the family at 1 800 562 3565. Merge with Washington Mutual. I qua1 I lousing l ender “ HDIC Insured <•' Smokers Urged To Quit For A Day! : V *. '. Continued from front page -I Drink lots of liquids but pass up coffee and alcohol Tell everyone you’re quitting for the day , When the urge to smoke hits, take a deep breath, hold it for 10 seconds and release it slowly Exercise to relieve tension Try the “buddy system” and ask a friend to quit, too For literature about smoking ces­ sation contact the Lane County chapter of the American Society at 484-2211. The office at 2350 Oakmont Way, S uite 201, provides free literature on a vari­ ety of health/cancer related topics. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. »*■ >*••••- ’•» - „ / ». • . ». •• I .• ,•*« .• r ' . v; •Y O <.’ • • ■_ • . ■’ ■ . ' \ C I , • . Who: Gentle Dental. A locally owned, private-group den­ tal practice with 10 office locations staffed by 44 dentists and specialists. Gentle Dental is currently in its 14th year of delivering high-quality, professional dental care to residents of the Portland- Vancouver metropolitan area. What: Gentle Dental Day. An annual event whereby Gentle Dental provides free dental treatments on a one-time basis to people who need dental care but lack the financial means to obtain treatment. This day is devoted expressly to people who do not receive public assistance and do not have dental insurance. The free services include ex­ aminations, consultations, extractions, gum and teeth infections, nerve treat­ ments, fillings and minor denture repair For the third consecutive year, Gentle Dental is fortunate to have Fred Meyer pharmacies help make this day possible. C ollectively, through five previous Gentle Dental Days, Gentle Dental has served hundreds of needy individuals and provided more than $250,000 worth A i . * f «» >■/ .i.--' -, . . . . . " On Saturday, December 5, Boy Scouts at all levels will be combing neighborhoods collecting non-perish­ able food in their annual "Scouting for Food" drive held in conjunction with the Oregon Food Bank. Last year nearly 7,000 participat­ ing Scouts collected 312,019 pounds of food, enough to feed 9,000 needy fami­ lies. This year, their goal is 325,000 pounds. Scouts in the 15 counties of North­ west Oregon and Southwest Washing­ ton that make up the Colúmbia Pacific Council will be knocking on doors be­ tween the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. All canned goods are welcome especially nutritious items such as tuna, chunky soups, stews, meats, fruits, and veg­ etables. Donations of peanut butter, baby formula, and complete packaged meals are also needed. Sixth Annual Gentle Dental Day , »V > • “ Scouting For Food” In Your Neighborhood Soon 'S '* » - r .' 5 »- ' ” >{i r ' v Y .* 'X S ’ .'•> ? • of dental treatments. Where: All Gentle Dental Offices in Portland and Vancouver. Portland: Clackamas Town Center, across from Meier & Frank; Cornell Center, 158th and N.W. Cornell Road; Eastside,340N.E. 122nd Ave.: Hillsboro, iXLVÿ-.-i • <'■' ’ a 'V J ” •A && <■ A < at the Sunset Esplanade shopping plaza; jantzen Beach Center across from PayLess; Milwaukie M arketplace, Highway 224 and Oak Street; Tigard, near W ashington Square at S.W. Scholls Ferry Road and Nimbus Av­ enue. V ancou ver: Cascade Park, 12503 S. E. Mill Plain Blvd.; Hazel Dell, 7725 N. E. Highway 99; Vancouver Mall, adjacent Meier & Frank. When; Tuesday, November 24, 1992 (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) Why: To Thank The Community For The Support And Trust Shown To Gentle Dental Over The Years. How: First Come, First Served. Needy individuals seeking treat­ ment may visit any Gentle Dental of­ fice where a medical and informa­ tional history will be taken. They will be asked to describe their primary den­ tal problem or service requested. Gentle Dental will then take any necessary X- rays, do a diagnosis, recommend spe­ cific treatment, and with the patient s approval, perform the treatment. Due to lime constraints, length, procedures and non-emergent treatments will be excluded. For patients whose needs exceed a one-visit treatment, Gcnde Dental reserves the right to decline services. Medical conditions may pre­ clude our ability to provide care on Gentle Dental Day. Boyd’s Coffee Company will pro­ vide 50,000 collection bags for Scouts to fill and deposit at local fire stations where Oregon Food Bank drivers will collect them. Columbia Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America has 41,000 youth members throughout Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, not includ­ ing 12,000 registered adults who serve as leaders. They have identified the elimina­ tion of hunger as one of their top projects. The Scouting for Food program is an effort to do their share in feeding the hungry in America. “This is an ideal opportunity for Scouts to participate in an activity de­ signed to help the needy in the commu­ nity. This is what Scouting is all about," said Douglas S. Smith Jr., Columbia Pacific Scout executive. ________ ADVERTIS ET In a decision handed down yester­ day by the Oregon Court of Appeals, the Court upheld Commissioner Rob­ erts’ final order In the Matter of PGE, issued December 28, 1988. In dispute was the use of paid sick leave during parental leave. Use of paid sick leave, especially its usfe by fathers, has been the subject of considerable debate since the parental leave law became effective on January 1,1988. In a split decision, the court upheld the commissioner’s order allowing the use of paid sick leave, finding that an employee is en­ titled to use it during parental leave, even if a collective bargaining agree­ ment, employment agreement or com­ pany policy require an employee to be sick to use sick leave. The case focuses on a civil rights complaint made by a PGE employee, Joseph Clague, a service inspector and member of the International Brother­ hood of Electrical Workers, who re­ quested 12 weeks of parental leave when his third child was bom. Clague parental leave - and make the opportu­ nity to stay with a newborn or adopted chid during those first important weeks available to both parents.” Roberts added that the Court of Appeals did not mention the Attorney General’s 1988 opinion that sick leave was not avail­ able to employees, when that opinion created so much confusion and resis­ tance among employers. The PGE v. BOLl decision affirms the course of action the bureau has consistently pursued to settle such pa­ rental leave cases,. In an October 13 final order for example, Roberts or­ dered the Oregon DepartmentofTrans- portation to restore an employee’s va­ cation leave account which he used in lieu of sick time and to compensate him for several days he took without pay, and to pay him $5,000 in emotional distress damages. Of the 45 complaints filed by employees denied parental leave benefits since 1988, the majority center on the issue of using accrued paid sick time during the leave. asked to use two weeks of accrued vacation leave, three days of accrued sick leave available for elective sur­ gery and nine weeks and two days of other accrued sick leave. PGE denied this request but granted C laguc’s amended request to lake 10 weeks of parental leave of which seven weeks and two days were unpaid. Clague filed the parental leave complaint with the bureau on April 1, 1988 charging that his right to use sick time during paren­ tal leave had been violated. In her final order, Commissioner Roberts awarded Clague $7862 plus interest to reim­ burse him for his sick time and $2000 in compensatory damages for emo­ tional distress. “We are th rille d with the decision,’’saidCommissioner Roberts. “It is very important to us. Hopefully it will put to rest a four-year dispute over the use of sick time during parental leave. The bureau’s rules in this matter reflect the intent of the legislature to lessen the economic impact of taking TIPS FOR EASY HOLIDAY SHOPPING Mervyn’s director of customer information services Bob Stewart has these tips fpr making holiday shopping as easy as possible: * Shop during non-peak hours such as weekday mornings and weekend evenings. * Narrow your search for the perfect gift by thinking in advance about what general type of gift you want to give each person on your list. * Once you have a general idea of what you are looking for, organize your list by gender or gift category, such as home, foot wear, jewelry, etc., to make it easier to shop for several gifts at once. * Don’t wait until the last minute when the pressure is on. Stewart, who was the first employee hired when Mervyn’s was founded 43 years ago, has seen enough holiday seasons to know what he’s talking about. “People lake different approaches to holiday shopping,” he explains. “Some get organized and shop with a purpose. Others wait until Christ­ mas Eve and go through the store in a race to the finish. After watching thousands of shoppers, I think being organized helps you to have more fun and get the best deals because you know what you’re looking for.” " Portland Observer encourages our readers to write letters, to the editor in response to any articles ■U we publish. • McMurphy's Appliance Center L e a r n M o re A b o u t M A LC O LM ! Video Biography Washer & Dryer S19 9 “ Locally Produced International Perspective Oifinitive History Refrigerators From $129°° Spahning Malcolm’s Evolution Perfect Stocking Stuffer Ranges From $129°° $29695 individuals only Pre-paid only - Check or Money Order Grassroot News P.O. 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