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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1993)
/ « - • w ♦ ♦ ♦ • • ♦ * • ' • ,-w « V / « < « # v V * f * • » ♦ '< • * > ♦ < ♦*• • * * • * < * *’> *V * f Volumn XXIII, Number 37 * T i • * Serving the community through cultural diversity. r <r W 'W - September 08. 1993 ? • r. C: A ? Many of the vets lacked the proper identification to apply for jobs, or needed legal assistance to clear up certain matters before they could assimilate back into society. J - Celebrate 1 )ii'crsity Volunteer Electricians Stand Down To Assist 600 Homeless Vets v id e d a ll p ro je c t c o o rd in a tio n and s u p e rv is io n . These e le c tric a l services in clu d e d p e rim e te r and inside lig h t in g fo r th e 4 8 te n ts, as w e ll as w ir in g and h o o k-u p s fo r c o m p u t ers, fa x m a ch in e s, co p ie rs , and m odem s w h ic h w ere used to h elp hom eless vets access m e d ica l and d e n ta l care, substance abuse reha b ilita tio n , co u n se lin g , le gal assis ta n c e , a n d jo b p la c e m e n t. T h e p ro je c t w a s even eq u ip p e d w ith an o n -s ite c o u rtro o m and ju d g e . T h e event o ffe re d s u p p o rt ser vices fro m m a n y areas in c lu d in g the E m p lo y m e n t D iv is io n , V e te r ans A s s o c ia tio n , H o u s in g & C o m m u n ity S ervices D e p a rtm e n t, and S o c ia l S e c u rity A d m in is tra tio n , am o n g o thers. T h is y e a r’ s event assisted a p p ro x im a te ly 600 people; la st y e a r 5 5 0 veterans attended. “ W e w a n t to c o n trib u te o u r tim e and e ffo rts to h e lp these v e te r ans w h o fo u g h t fo r o u r country', and n o w d o n ’ t have a p la ce to sleep o r e a t,” stated G a ry P rice , th ird - g e n e ra tio n o w n e r o f F rib e rg E le c tr ic , and a tw ic e -d e c o ra te d V ie t n am veteran. P rice w a s assisted b y F rib e rg p ro je c t s u p e rv is o r J im Johansen, a lso a V ie tn a m V e te ra n d isa b le d d u rin g the w a r, and the D ire c to r o f E le c tric a l O p e ra tio n s fo r the H om eless V e te ra n s A s s o c ia tio n . T h e tw o m en have been c o o r d in a tin g a ll the e le c tric a l w o rk fo r Mark McMurtrey, employment specialist with the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, looks on as IBEW Local 48 electrician Jake Harding installs wiring for Portland Stand Down 1993, an event that provides services for homeless vets. E le c tric ia n s fro m the In te rn a - w ir in g fo r th e T h ir d A n n u a l P o rt- a t W e s t D e lta P a rk , across fro m tio n a l B ro th e rh o o d o f E le c tric a l W o rk e rs ( IB E W ) . L o c a l 4 8 , v o l- la n d S ta n d D o w n , a th re e -d a y event fo r hom eless veterans, w h ic h to o k th e P o rtla n d In te rn a tio n a l R ace- w a y in N o r th P o rtla n d , unteered th e ir tim e to in s ta ll the p la ce A u g u s t 2 7 th th ro u g h the 2 9 F o r th e th ir d co n se cu tive year, ii Teenaged Student Spends Summer Organizing Back To School Play Day T o d a y’ s youth are often c r iti faced was fin d in g other teens and cized fo r being selfish and uncaring. adults w ho w ould be w illin g to vo lu n teer tim e supervising activities fo r children. B y ta k in g on the role o f a H owever, th is is ce rta in ly not the case w ith B rent Law rence, a sophomore at Parkrose H ig h School, w ho is also e n ro lle d in T h e P riva te In d u s try C ouncil ’ s Summer T ra in in g and E du cation Program (STEP). In a unique partnership between the East Portland D is tric t C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods and The P rivate leader am ong his peers, B re n t has been able to re cru it a num ber o f other teens as volunteers fo r th is project In addition, he has w orked w ith Shelley Wade at the East P ortland D is tric t C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods to orga nize a num ber o f donations in food Industry C o u n c il’ s STEP Program , Lawrence, age 16, has spent his sum m er o rg a n izin g a Back to School Play Day fo r elementary school ch ild re n at M ill Park Elem entary School. The and prizes fo r the event.” LawTence h im s e lf is very excited about Back to School Play Day. “ 1 w ill be a great tim e fo r kids. T h e re ’ ll (went is ta kin g place on Saturday, obstacle courses, ca rnival games, a bean bag toss, races, a free th ro w Sept. 11, 1993. fro m 10am to 1pm. “ W hen T h e P riv a te In d u s try C ouncil o rig in a lly approached us w ith be k ic k b a ll, tug-o-w ar. ju m p rope, the p ossibility o f developing a w o rk contest and draw ings I ’ m hoping Play Day provides a safe and fu n way fo r k id s to spend a d a y ,” said experience site fo r a youth th is sum mer, we felt th is w ould bean excellent Lawrence. C h ild re n w ho are enrolled in M ill o p p o rtu n ity to devote some resources to g iv in g ch ild re n a fun and u p liftin g Park Elem entary School and in te r ested i n part icipati ng in Back to School Play Day m ust contact M ill Park E l ementary School o r the East Portland a ctivity to look forw a rd on th e ir re tu rn to school, and B rent has proven tobe an invaluable asset to the project,’’ said Shelley Wade, O ffic e M anager fo r the East P ortland D is tric t C o a li tio n o f Neighborhoods. M eg K ilm e r, Law rence’ s Y outh Advocate at The P rivate Industry C ouncil, added “ We developed this site so Brent w ould have an opportu nity to try som ething d iffe re n t than clerical-ty pe w ork In p u ttin g together Back T o School Play Day. B rent has had to u tiliz e o rganizational skills, and the project has called on his a b il- to show leadership among his One o f his cha’ lenges Brent / — I. JB D is tric t C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods at 1917 S.E. 122nd. Portland. OR 97233 and re tu rn a p a rtic ip a tio n w aiver by September 9th. A dults and teens interested in volunteering to PORTLAND OBSERVER Office: (503) 288*0033 Fax #: (503) 288-0015 ii productive em ploym ent. The East Portland D is tric t C oali tio n is a n o n -p ro fit co a litio n o f neigh veterans w h o began th is p ro g ra m . “ W e u s u a lly need a b o u t 250 m a n h o u rs to in s ta ll the w ir in g th a t u p a ll the services, ra n the w ir in g to the poles, a n d b u ilt the se rvice loads th a t d is trib u te d p o w e r to the d iffe r e n t te n ts.” “ M a n y o f th e vets la cke d the p ro p e r id e n tific a tio n to a p p ly fo r jo b s , o r needed le gal assistance to c lc a r u p c e rta in m a tte rs b e fo re th e y c o u ld a s s im ila te b a c k in to s o c i e ty ,” sa id M a r k M c M u r tr e y , S ta n d D o w n c o o rd in a to r and e m p lo ym e n t sp e c ia lis t w ith th e D is a b le d V e te r ans O u tre a ch P ro g ra m , p a rt o f the O re g o n E m p lo y m e n t D e p a rtm e n t. “ S tand D o w n o ffe re d a ll these su p p o rt services, as w e ll as a b a rb e r shop, c lo th in g center, and fo o d and shelter fo r the w e e ke nd .” IB E W L o c a l 48 p ro v id e d th is v o lu n te e r la b o r in c o o p e ra tio n w ith the N a tio n a l E le c tric a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia tio n (N E C A ) and the ?*«»*<.* M e tro E le c tric a l T ra in in g T ru s t. S tated Je rry B ru c e , d isp a tch e r fo r L o c a l 4 8 , “ W e fe e l very g o o d a b o u t h e lp in g co o rd in a te p re p a ra tio n s fo r th is w o rth w h ile event. M a n y o f o u r e le c tric ia n s are veterans, and they w a n t to d o so m e th in g to help o th e r ve te ra n s.” A d d e d M c M u r tr e y , “ T h e se v o lu n te e rs re co g n ize the p lig h t o f hom eless people w h o served th e ir c o u n try and n o w need o u r h e lp to im p ro v e them selves. S tand D o w n b rin g s in necessary resources th a t I Ì'- s - t Ì.’ V t-.;*' these vets m ay o th e r w ise be u n a ble to access. T h e event its e lf is dependent u p o n o u r a b ility to a c cess e le c tro n ic re co rd s and in fo r p ro je c t m a n a g e r fo r F rib e rg E le c m a tio n fo r these vets, and to p ro v id e th e m w ith a safe and secure e n v iro n m e n t fo r a fe w days. W e c o u ld n ’ t a c c o m p lis h any o f th is tr ic , w h o has c o n trib u te d m a n y h o u rs o f h is p e rsonal tim e o ve r the w ith o u t the h e lp o f these v o lu n te e r e le c tric ia n s and the a sso cia tion s p a st three years. H e and his cre w th a t s u p p o rt th e m .” p ro v id e s a ll the p o w e r to the te n t c ity ,” said S teve Johnston, o n -site ¿ 'it / ' t e h ra ï-iriiT /fcfyiaée- 7993 borhood associations and com m unity groups east o f 1-205 and w ith in the Portland C ity lim its . It assists organi zations and in d iv id u a ls w ith citizen p a rtic ip a tio n and com m unity crim e prevention efforts. V'"' V S ,,, ......... ............ ; s h M tä p « •/-‘ Y 's « Low - Cost Tax School Offered Jackson H e w itt T ax Service w ill o ffe r its basic tax course beginning in September O ffered as a low-cost a l ternative to hig h -p rice d schools, tu itio n and supplies fo r the class w ill be 159.00. A p ril G utierrez. General M a n ager Jackson Hew itt T ax Service said “ O u r prim ary goal is to o ffe r a lo w cost school to the public w h ic h w ill enable people to learn the necessary requirem ents to be e lig ib le to become a licensed tax preparer under Oregon la w H ig h tu itio n costs in Oregon have made other tax schools p ro h ib i tiv e ly expensive to many people.” Jackson H e w itt T ax Service is more in fo rm a tio n . The P rivate Industry C ouncil is a the n a tio n 's second largest income tax preparation company w ith over 700 offices coast-to-coast. In addition to the low-cost tax school, the com pany also offers free tax return check p riv a te , n o n - p r o fit o rg a n iz a tio n whose m ission is to promote in d i vid u a l self-sufficiency and a skilled in g and audit assistance These ser vices are available to ev cry one even i f Jackson H e w itt d id not prepare their w orkforce by e lim in a tin g barriers to tax return supervise a ctivitie s may also contact the East P ortland D is tric t C oalition o f Neighborhoods at 256-0014 for L o c a l 48 has p ro vid e d a ll the la b o r, s u p p lie s , e q u ip m e n t, and w o rk cre w s fo r the v o lu n te e r p ro je c t F rib e rg E le c tric C o m p a n y p ro - th e event since its in c e p tio n three years ago. G a ry P ric e a lso served on the o rig in a tin g c o m m itte e w ith w o rk e d fo u r days in s ta llin g w ir in g o n e le c tric a l p o le s d o n a te d and p la n te d b y P o rtla n d G e n e ra l E le c tr ic . “ O u r v o lu n te e r c re w h o o ke d . ___________ ______ Beautiful sunny weather brought thousands o f people to downtown Portland for the largest Urban Arts Festival o f the year, Artquake 1993. Leticia Maldonado and her daughter Una Merced, Tony Stringer and his nephew Bobby Jones work on an art project. photo by veronica Green